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July 21, 2008: First and foremost, there's a new release out now on Sorry State! It's the debut EP from North Carolina's Logic Problem... read more

Latest Releases

		Devour: Self-titled 12" - Raleigh, North Carolina's Devour were born from the ashes of Cross Laws, but rather than simply picking up where that band left off, the remaining members expanded to a 5-piece and followed the long southern tradition of adding traces of metal into our hardcore. What emerged was a record that is remarkably dense and complex, recalling the very best of the mid-80s trend of hardcore bands "going metal;" think Corrosion of Conformity's Animosity LP, Final Conflict's Ashes to Ashes and Septic Death's Need So Much Attention. There's also a heavy Japanese influence; people who have seen Devour live have compared them to Judgment, Lip Cream and Bastard, a connection only made clearer by this record's astonishingly heavy and powerful recording. In a scene where so many bands simply want to replicate something that has already happened, Devour sound remarkably fresh and progressive, and without losing a single thing you loved about hardcore in the first place. Sorry State Records #15
		Video Disease: Demo Tape - California's Video Disease offer up four songs of blistering, fuzzed-out, rabid hardcore intensity on this cassette. When I heard this the ranting vocals and fuzzy guitar tone this immediately reminded me of the first Sex Vid 7" (you know, the one you can't afford), which is also to say this reminds me a lot of Void, Mecht Mensch and other greats of the wild, out-of-control hardcore aesthetic. Keep an eye out for these guys. Limited to 100 hand-numbered copies. Sorry State Records #14.5
		Logic Problem: Self-titled 7" - Following up their well-received 2007 demo, the debut EP from North Carolina's Logic Problem is like a split 7" between two sides of the band. The A-side, recorded by Myriam Martian and -/-EPIC WARFARE-/- (Double Negative's Raw Energy EP), is a rough-and-ready DIY job with harsh, clipped vocals and a mean distorted bass tone, perfectly suiting the more atmospheric songs on that side of the record... just imagine Articles of Faith playing through the Jesus and Mary Chain's equipment. The B-side, on the other hand, features two tracks of complex and catchy hardcore with a cleaner, yet still powerful, pro recording. These tracks recall the Stooges' sonic wall of intensity Raw Power fed into frenetic, crushing hardcore punk. Sorry State Records #14.
		Double Negative: Raw Energy EP - Following up their already-legendary debut full-length on No Way Records, North Carolina's Double Negative return with this blistering 3-track EP. While the full-length offered a more polished representation of the band, this EP is much closer to their noise-drenched live sound. In fact, the title track was recorded live with a single microphone and no overdubs whatsoever. The EP also features over-the-top packaging, including a 4-panel metallic print sleeve that can be used as a stencil of the band's logo. Highly recommended for fans of bullshit crust punk and by-the-numbers hardcore who need to hear how it's really done.
		Smart Cops: Self-titled EP - Drawing their membership from now-defunct powerhouses La Piovra and Ohuzaru, Italy's Smart Cops add a dash of bratty classic punk to those bands' driving Italian hardcore sound. These 6 tracks feature some of the catchiest choruses I've heard in years, but the snotty, sarcastic vocals and blistering rhythm section keep the energy levels consistently off the charts. With two US tours in the works, you'll want to hear this band now so that you can scream along with every word. Recommended for fans of Career Suicide, Government Warning, Angry Samoans and the Freeze. 500 copies each on pinkish orange and pinkish purple vinyl. If you order 2 copies I'll make sure you get both.