NYHC

for years I loved the New York Hardcore sound, but now a great deal of it sounds dated and cliched. It goes without saying that I'm older and therefore much more cynical than I was then. Judge for yourself

Youth of Today - Positive Outlook.mp3
from the 1986 Break Down the Walls LP. YOT were the flagbearers for NY straight edge, with members founding the legendary HC label Revelation Records. YOT were famous for their energetic live shows and cult-like mind control over kids positive outlook. Quite a change from the thug like mentality of the Boston Crew ( and later NYHC bands ). YOT came to an end in the late 80's. Singer Ray Cappo later fronted Krisna crazies Shelter

Gorilla Biscuits - Competition.mp3
Continuing the flow of positive straight-edge. GB played atypical NY hardcore, more melodic than many of their cohorts. I must have listened to Start Today over a thousand times when it came out - not by my choice though. I had a thing for a girl that worshipped this band and she played it non stop. Eventually, I grew tired of Gorilla Biscuits ( and the girl, but that's a different story ) As you would expect, I pulled this one out with some trepidation. Alas, I was surprised by how decent this still sounds, bolstered by a strong Dag Nasty/7 Seconds vibe throughout the album. This stands out from the mass of NYHC that emerged in the late 80's and early 90's.

Judge - Fed Up.mp3
Not too much to say on this one. Judge brought the hard edge back to NY with this one. No positivity or compassion to be found on this 7" , just straight up venom. A perfect example of floorpunching hardcore complete with gravelly vocals, metallic crunch, big breakdown, and bonehead lyrics. I kinda feel like punching someone in the head after playing this. hmmm...