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Doughnuts- The Age Of The Circle plus Doughnuts- Equalize Nature plus Doughnuts- Feel Me Bleed

I couldn't pick just one album from Doughnuts because all of their records are so amazing. So I ended up picking all three of their releases to review. Doughnuts is a Hardcore band from Umea, Sweden. These albums were released by Desperate Fight Records in 1994 and by Victory Records in 1995 and 1996. I was listening to Doughnuts back when these albums were released and I still listen to them to this day. It's worth mentioning that Doughnuts are an all female straight edge band. They had a progressive sound and message that was groundbreaking for women in music. The music of the Doughnuts was an attempt to capsize hatred and turn it into an illusion. The hardcore scene in Umea, Sweden was filled with awesome bands like Refused, Abhinanda, Final Exit, Doughnuts. In America Doughnuts was not taken seriously by many people in the scene because they were an all female band. I always thought that this was totally uncalled for and that they were given a raw deal. First of all they were courageous for sticking to their straight edge beliefs and most importantly they were amazing musicians. The vocals of Asa Forsberg are outstanding and very unique and they come in two forms. The first kind of vocal style she has is what I call a sorrowful vocal and the second kind of vocal style she has is what I call a wailing vocal. The guitar riffs are simply spectacular and create this feeling that you are in a desolate wilderness. This could be because the Doughnuts are from Sweden and much of their home country resembles this kind of landscape. There was one part of a song that vocally and musically totally reminded me of the old hardcore band Judge. If there is one band I can think of that Doughnuts sound a little like then it is Buffalo, New York's Snapcase. I would tell you all about their lyrics but the vocals are extremely hard to understand. From what I can understand they do tackle some dark themes. I can imagine lyrics based on being stuck in a really dark maze and then escaping to a wonderful world filled with beautiful animals. This is because Doughnuts are a peaceful band that is filled with positivity. Hardcore is so misunderstood and the Doughnuts are a band that can really give us a new perspective on many important topics. All three of these releases are so different then one another and on each album they show many new sounds. These albums are Umea Hardcore classics and now is the time to pick up these amazing records. 

Thanks so much for reading this.
​Kevin

Palefire- Vicarious

Palefire is a Hardcore band from Southern California. This digital release was reissued and remastered by Indecision Records in 2020. I first heard Palefire in the mid 1990's when I bought the Guilty by Association compilation which was filled with California Hardcore bands of the day. This compilation featured Palefire and was released by Indecision Records. Combining the melancholia and dissonance of emo with elements of melodic hardcore this would come to define the Palefire sound. Vicarious is a compilation of all of the Palefire recordings. During the existence of Palefire they played with many great bands including Snapcase, Earth Crisis, Strife, Unbroken. Female vocalist Christine Doan has such a strikingly beautiful voice. The depth of her voice shows the listener an emotional capacity that is nearly unmatched in Hardcore. The screaming vocals are also a pleasant surprise and they add a unique element to the vocals. Christine Doan also uses aggressive vocals that fit perfectly with that last speedy take on Emo and Hardcore. Some of these songs remind me of the jangle pop of The Smiths and Morrissey. While other songs show me why Palefire used to share the stage with Snapcase and Earth Crisis. I believe it's very difficult to compare Palefire to other bands but they're some bands that sound similar like Far and Sunny Day Real Estate. Some of these tracks are just so beautiful that they overwhelm you with emotion. So much so that they can bring you to tears. I have a long history with bands like The Smiths and Morrissey who are bands that could always bring me to tears. If Palefire has brought me to tears once then they become a classic Hardcore band in my book. Palefire have it all musically and lyrically. This is an underrated classic of Southern California Hardcore. Take a chance on this one.  

Thanks so much for reading this.
Kevin

From Here On- Hope For A Bleeding Sky

From Here On is a Metalcore, Hardcore band from North Carolina. This album was released by Tribunal Records in 2005. Hope For A Bleeding Sky was recorded in one day but has been reissued and remastered. This album was originally going to be released by Endless Fight Records. One song "Shard Of Glass" was released on a Redstar Records compilation CD. In the end it was an honor for Tribunal Records to put out such an influential piece of music. These guys are very influenced by death metal and some parts that I would call technical death metal. The music seems very complex and they're really amazing musicians. The band has a good energy and is unmatched in the level of brutality they can dish out. From Here On has a very unique guitar sound and a maniacal vocal style. The style of Metalcore played on Hope For A Bleeding Sky is just as good as the classics of the genre. The melodic parts don't come very often but are more than welcome when they sound this brilliant. These songs sound made for the dance floor with hardcore kids doing their best Mortal Kombat inspired moves. The guitars feel like they're expressing a feeling of longing and desire. I feel like this could mean that the band is missing their home state of North Carolina. The band has some fast parts showing us that they still come from the Hardcore scene. The use of barking vocals comes at you like a semi truck. From Here On vocalist Tommy Rogers now fronts Between The Buried And Me. Members of From Here On are now in North Carolina bands Prayer For Cleansing and Azazel. This band is just exciting to listen to because you never know what they're going to do next with their music. This is a classic Metalcore album. This is also a classic North Carolina Hardcore album. An inspired release for sure. 

Thanks so much for reading this.
​Kevin

Sunny Day Real Estate- Diary

Sunny Day Real Estate is an Emo and Alternative Rock band from Seattle, Washington. This album came out in 1994 on Sub Pop. Sunny Day Real Estate is such an influential band that they have been literally copied thousands upon thousands of times. The music that they play has been copied of course but also the band's clean cut image has been copied. They were a completely groundbreaking band at the time being from Seattle and not being a grunge band in the golden era of grunge. Instead they were more along the lines of Post-hardcore and Emo. Hundreds of bands calling themselves Post-hardcore and Emo stole the Sunny Day Real Estate sound directly from the source. The same bands that stole the Sunny Day Real Estate sound stole the band's clean cut image. Living in Seattle they had tinges of grunge music to their sound but location didn't dictate where they pulled their influences from. Because I know that Sunny Day Real Estate before the Diary album used to play Hardcore music and they grew tired of that sound. So they stopped playing Hardcore and grew to love melody and dynamics. That's when on the Diary album they started to play Emo and Alternative Rock. This song kind of sounds like one of The Beatles psychedelic tracks. Jeremy Enigk is a wonderful singer with a powerful voice that can hit all the high notes with ease. This band has a great ear for melody and they also know when to bring on some heavy jams. The shouted vocals are extremely well done and have a commanding feel although they're used rather sporadically. This song kind of reminds me of Kurt Cobain and his band Nirvana. I think if you live in Seattle you must listen to the band Nirvana. Jeremy Enigk's vocals soar above the songs like an airplane that doesn't land until it reaches my bedroom in Boston. The guitar work is masterful and Sunny Day Real Estate know how to write amazing rock and roll guitar riffs that last for days. The drumming is hard hitting and that really drives the songs along. The Diary is a total classic of the genre. The Diary is not only a total classic of the genre but is a classic of Alternative Rock in general. After Sunny Day Real Estate broke up a couple members of the band joined the Foo Fighters. I dislike the Foo Fighters and I was sad to see that members of Sunny Day Real Estate would play with Dave Grohl who is a great drummer but is a terrible singer. People have taken notice of Diary and it has sold a lot of albums. Diary has actually sold more than 231,000 copies. Diary deserves to be heard so it makes me happy that people are buying the album and listening to it. 

Thanks so much for reading this.
Kevin

Purified In Blood- Last Leaves Of A Poisoned Tree

Purified In Blood is a Hardcore, Metalcore, Death Metal, Thrash band from Stavanger, Norway. This album was released by New Eden Records in 2003. The first thing I notice is Purified In Blood have two vocalists and two guitarists which is not common and create a certain sound on this record. The band members introduction to extreme metal was Iron Maiden and Slayer. The band's concept of heavy metal with a message is similar to Emperor meets Earth Crisis or Immortal meets Integrity. This album was a breath of fresh air when it came out because this level of heaviness and this level of metal had not been reached in quite some time. This release reached back to the glory days of metalcore but added influences from the Norwegian Black Metal scene of the 1990's. That Purified In Blood is from Norway made Black Metal a legitimate influence. The influence of Slayer is very apparent on this record. One of the vocalists has a Hardcore approach and the other vocalist has a Death Metal approach. The two vocalists sound very different and bring a unique and exciting feel to the music. Sweeping and descending guitar riffs make this recording sound extremely evil. The melody was a brief break from all of the chaos. The dual vocal assault is just mind blowing as the two singers trade lyrics back and forth. The two guitarists sound like they are playing two drills. That's how heavy the guitars sound on this album. The drums sound like fine china crashing and breaking into pieces. We have some great tough guy mosh parts here that will have all the hardcore kids dancing up a storm. Purified In Blood is from Stavanger, Norway and this city has many great Black Metal bands like Carpathian Forest and Gehenna. What this band does so well is mix elements of Hardcore and heavy metal to create their own unique style of Metalcore. These guys have so much pride in their music and their message that it's obvious that this would become a classic Metalcore album. 

Thanks so much for reading this.
Kevin

Strongarm- The Advent Of A Miracle

Strongarm is a Hardcore band from Pompano Beach, Florida. This album was released by Solid State Records in 1997. I first heard Strongarm at a concert in Miami Beach. The concert featured bands like Cast Iron Hike, Ignite, Strongarm. A college friend in Chicago played me The Advent Of A Miracle CD and upon first listen I really liked the album. I felt like this record was really heavy but also filled with emotion. The Advent Of A Miracle has a massive sound and is overflowing with passion. Strongarm is known as one of the first "Spirit-Filled" Hardcore bands. These guys are amazing musicians and they ooze Hardcore music out of every single pore. The guitar riffs are incredibly sophisticated and the music sounds so beautiful. Spoken vocals sound deadly serious and add another dimension to the band. The shouted vocals work perfectly for Strongarm and they have these mean 1990's Hardcore vocals down to a science here. The only band that comes close to this good is early Shai Hulud and they had members of Strongarm and they played a similar style. The drummer hits so hard and then out of nowhere comes all this beautiful melody. Then the music sounds absolutely furious in every way possible. Wow what a band they just continue to surprise you at every turn. The vocals are furious here and the guitars sound like rushing waterfalls. Strongarm is a band that have been copied over and over again because the sound they created is so influential. Never has Hardcore been combined with melody to birth such an incredible album. The Advent Of A Miracle is a "Spirit-Filled" Hardcore masterpiece. 

Thanks so much for reading this. 
Kevin

Fall Silent- Superstructure

Fall Silent is a Hardcore and Metalcore band from Reno, Nevada. This album was released by Revolutionary Power Tools in 1999. I have always loved bands from Reno starting with 7 Seconds and Zoinks! two great punk rock bands. Then also from Reno are two great hardcore bands Unconquered and Fall Silent. I first heard Fall Silent back when Superstructure came out and I had never heard anything like it. The pace of this album is so incredibly fast and the vocals are absolutely maniacal. Fast signature time changes and blast beats are all over this amazing record. Strained throaty vocals are also present and very demonic riffing is played flawlessly. Fall Silent is so brutal and in your face on this album that Superstructure could be called a powerviolence record. To my knowledge powerviolence is not really a term that we use today so I would still call this a Hardcore and Metalcore album. This music takes you for a ride that never slows down and never stops. Fall Silent will never let up for a second because their music is completely relentless. Riffs feel as heavy as sledgehammers and screaming vocals sound like a rabid pitbull. This release is very original and unique sounding because Fall Silent was forging their own path of music excellence and total destruction on Superstructure. They even recorded a Journey cover for this record with an entertaining twist. This is such an amazing album because when it came out I had never heard anything like it and to this day I still have never heard anything like it. If you like your music filled with total aural destruction and massive doses of speed then Superstructure by Fall Silent is the music for you. This is a classic Reno album just as good as classic albums by 7 Seconds. 

Thanks so much for reading this.
Kevin

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​Zao- Liberate Te Ex Inferis (Save Yourself From Hell) plus Zao- Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest

This is the first time where I couldn't pick one favorite album from a band because I actually have two favorite albums from Zao. Zao is a metalcore band from Greensburg, Pennsylvania. These albums were released by Solid State Records in 1999 and 1998. The first time that I heard Zao was at this music festival in Louisville, Kentucky called Krazy Fest back in 1998. They played a live set at the festival that was mind blowing and my jaw dropped so far that it almost hit the floor. I had never seen a band play with that much intensity and I had never heard music that was so vicious. To this day these Zao albums still have that intensity and that viciousness going for them. Zao used to be a devoted Christian band but drummer Jesse Smith changed the bands views on Christianity. Zao didn't want to be called a Christian band anymore they just wanted to be called a group of open-minded artists. Zao uses cascading guitars so well that they almost feel like they're falling completely into your lap. Screamer Daniel Weyandt uses vocals that are snake like in delivery. He sounds like he is hissing his words which gives his vocals an almost black metal like sound. Zao implements melodic breaks so well that they make it seem like it is easy. Screeching guitars with feedback amazes me on the "Liberate" album. The music is so brutal and evil sounding that you feel like you have been thrown right through an adjacent wall. Sometimes the music is just scary and it creeps me out. Zao is also really awesome lyrically if you can understand what the screamer is saying. Having listened to them so much I do understand most of what he is saying and it's really a treat for me. Machine gun and rapid fire like playing blows me away on the "Where Blood" album. What you have to understand is that Zao is not just one of the best metalcore bands ever but they're also one of the best extreme metal bands ever. I never stopped listening to Zao since 1998. That's how good they really are. They have some melody in their songs and that is a great surprise because it sounds wonderful when combined with all of the extreme parts in their music. Zao is a very original band and because of this they have influenced so many bands to make their own music. Dirge like passages that slowly move along until they finally hit massive speeds and careen out of control. Zao has a global fanbase and has earned critical praise for their music. The technical prowess of their music was unheard of back when these albums were released and to this day they still are extremely impressive. You should really check out these two Zao albums because these are not only two of the best metalcore albums ever but they're also two of the best extreme metal albums ever. You will be so happy that you did. 

Thanks so much for reading this.
Kevin

Path Of Resistance- Who Dares Wins

Path Of Resistance is a Hardcore band from Syracuse, New York. This album was released by Victory Records in 1996. Path Of Resistance is a side project of Earth Crisis. Path Of Resistance is a band born out of tragedy. In 1996 Earth Crisis had a terrible van accident and drummer Dennis Merrick was unable to play for months. Wanting to continue their music and their message while their bandmate was healing, Path Of Resistance was conceived. They also called on the assistance of good friend D.J. Rose to round out the project's roster. I remember first hearing Path Of Resistance on one of the early Victory Style compilations that were always so excellent. I remember going back to the their track all the time because it was so much better than the other songs. They just had this energy and enthusiasm that was so contagious. The highlight on Who Dares Wins is the raw vocals from three different vocalists that sound like rabid dogs fighting for the microphones. The three vocalist assault is epic and feels like machine gun blasts are coming from every direction. This album is just so filled with anger and really pissed off sounding. I love how good the lyrics are on this record. They celebrate the straight edge scene with their lyrics. We have so many good dance parts here that I can imagine amazing circle parts when they have played live. Earth Crisis has a technical side to them for sure and Path Of Resistance has an almost primal side to them that is very unique to their music. We know how talented these guys are obviously but if you're expecting Earth Crisis part two you will be let down. We do have some parts that sound like Earth Crisis but Path Of Resistance is a very different sounding band. Good for them for sounding original because we already have a million bands that sound like Earth Crisis clones. Don't get me wrong because I do like bands like One King Down and Another Victim. This album is played fast and furious with some of the best vocal parts in hardcore history. This is really one of those perfect albums that once you hear it you never want to stop listening to it. The guitar playing on this record is top notch and I really feel like it brings the whole album together. This is one of my favorite hardcore records ever because I get the guys from Earth Crisis but Who Dares Wins doesn't really sound like Earth Crisis. Who Dares Wins just sounds like Path Of Resistance and what an amazing sound that is. 
Thanks so much for reading this.
​Kevin

Madball- Set It Off

Madball is a Hardcore band from New York City. This album was released by Roadrunner Records in 1994. Madball is a New York Hardcore band that started in 1988 as a side project of Agnostic Front. I have many albums by Madball but the first time that I heard them was in 1996 when I went to college in Long Island, New York. I have seen them many times in concert and they always put on a great show and they are always having a lot of fun when they play live. By the time Set It Off came out in 1994 the band members were very different then when they started in 1988. This a super legendary New York Hardcore band and they play a very heavy style of streetwise Hardcore. Madball has many lyrics about growing up on the streets of New York City. They have huge riffs that create massive mosh pits at their concerts and send fans into a frenzy. Singer Freddy Madball is an excellent screamer and he is as passionate as they come in the Hardcore scene. I remember the first release I bought by Madball was the Ball Of Destruction CD Compilation and when I first purchased that I couldn't stop listening to that album. I bought Set It Off recently and I can't stop listening to this album already. Freddy Madball has an almost hip hop vocal delivery once in a while and sometimes the music can sound metallic. The last track on this album is an Agnostic Front cover called Friend Or Foe. This record is like listening to a gripping tale of New York City pre-gentrification and all the violence that was happening at that time. Madball came from the wrong side of the tracks and they would always express this musically and lyrically. It was tough music for tougher times. At these concerts they could release their demons but these shows were such a great time. The most amazing fact is when Madball started in 1988 singer Freddy was only 12 years old and I think that is incredible to be a hardcore vocalist at such a young age. Set It Off is such an amazing record and you must check this album out. This is a classic New York Hardcore release and it deserves to be up there with any Agnostic Front album.
Thanks so much for reading this.
​Kevin