Flag Of Democracy "Love Songs" EP (1984)

Bizarre and fast punk hardcore from Philadelphia PA. Vocals are similar to Jello Biafra but the lyrics are not just some PC dork yelling at you. Fucking awesome!

1. Powerload
2. Babysitter
3. Meat Factory
4. Guidance Councelor
5. Metamorphosis
6. Love Song

Download Here.

Iron Cross "Skinhead Glory" EP (1982)

Four rowdy tracks of DC skinhead hardcore. Imagine Negative Approach with less speed, more OI! I suppose... This EP was a split release between Dischord and Skinflint. The song "Crucified For Our Sins" was later adopted and "made famous" by Agnostic Front.

1. Crucified For Our Sins
2. Psycho Skin
3. Fight 'Em All
4. Shadows In The Night

Download Here.

Impulse Manslaughter "Burn One Naked, And Nuke It" EP (1986)

By special request of John. This is the debut 7" from this Chicago based HC/Crossover band. Kinda similar to Die Kreuzen in the vocals but sometimes getting very death metal-ish. Fucking ugly and violently fast shit here! Not sure about the original release, but this was reissued by Nuclear Blast in 1990. Good pick John!

1.Sack O' Shit
2.Ratbag
3.Slithis
4.Nothing
5.Media
6.Oatmeal
7.Contradiction
8.Sedation
9.Dogshit

Download Here.

Dissent "Boy Eats Own Head" (1988)

One of the only hardcore bands I've ever heard of from South Dakota. Dissent released this debut EP on their own Amity records. Melodic Hardcore kind of in line with what Lookout was releasing at that time. I could lump them in with Econochrist & the Detonators. Solid fun!.

1. Society
2. Abe Lincoln
3. Shut My Eyes
4. You Choose
5. Push-Button Society

Download Here.

The Effigies "Haunted Town" EP (1981)

Five tracks of mid tempo punk/hardcore from one of Chicago's earliest hardcore band. Tight well written songs with lots of crunchy guitar sound and lead solos. Great lyrics sung with a great voice. Sort of a British skinhead feel. Originally released on Autumn Records and later repressed on Ruthless/Enigma. These tracks are also captured on their collection CD "Remains Nonviewable".

1. Below the Drop
2. Strongbox
3. Haunted Town
4. Mob Clash
5. We'll Be Here Tomorrow

Download Here.

Urban Waste "S/T" EP (1983)

This is Urban Waste sole release. Eight tracks of blistering NYHC with some of the best vocals ever. Extremely urgent and frantic. This is a must have. No joke. Originally released as a 7" on fellow NY band The Mob's label. Later reissued as a 12" on Big City Records.

1. Police Brutality
2. Public Opinion
3. No Hope
4. Wasted Life
5. Skank
6. Ignorant
7. BNC
8. Reject

Download Here.

Necros "IQ32" EP (1981)

This is hands down my favorite of all of the Necros releases. Necros were from Maumee Ohio, and were one of the earliest Midwest hardcore bands. This EP was their second release and a split release between Touch & Go and Dischord. Like most bands of the time they got a little weird later down the road, it's probably best to just stop at the "Conquest for Death" LP(which is excellent).

1. IQ32
2. Youth Camp
3. Peer Pressure
4. Race Riot
5. Wargame
6. I Hate My School
7. Past Comes Back to Haunt Me
8. Reject
9. Public High School

Download Here.

Minor Threat "S/T" EP (1981)

Post #40. You know what this is. A goddamn classic for sure.

1. Filler
2. I Don't Wanna Hear It
3. Seeing Red
4. Straight Edge
5. Small Man Big Mouth
6. Screaming at a Wall
7. Bottled Violence
8. Minor Threat

Download Here.

Mecht Mensch "Acceptance" EP (1983)

Mecht Mensch was a violent hardcore band from Madison Wisconsin. Aside from compilation appearances they also had a demo tape and a split 7" EP with Tar Babies, who they also shared members/lives with. Crucial Midwest listening.

1. Acceptance
2. Grinder
3. Land of the Brave
4. Zombie
5. What's Right

Download Here.

Die Kreuzen " Cows And Beer" EP (1982)

This is probably my favorite Midwest Hardcore release, PERIOD. Die Kreuzen plays manic fast hardcore with deranged vocals and a sorta demented rock n roll feel. Their self titled LP on Touch & Go is one of the greatest hardcore LPs ever in my book. Six tracks of pissed off fury in just over six minutes. Released by Version Sound from Xenia Ohio, later repressed by someone I can't recall...

1. Hate Me
2. Pain
3. Enemies
4. In School
5. Think for Me
6. Don't Say Please

Download Here.

Deep Wound "S/T" EP (1983)

Insanely fast and well thought out juvenile hardcore from these western Mass-holes who would later form Dinosaur Jr. Drummer J. Mascis is definitely the HC version of the Muppet's Animal! Frantic yelled vocals(complete with cracking voice) over incredibly fast-tempo thrashing without being a total blur. In the same class as the mighty VOID, in that it totally stands out from everything else going on in their regions at the time. This EP is simply amazing.

1. I Saw It
2. Sisters
3. In My Room
4. Don't Need
5. Lou's Anxiety Song
6. Video Prick
7. Sick of Fun
8. Deep Wound
9. Dead Babies

Download Here.

Boom & the Legion of Doom "Hate To Love, Love To Hate" EP (1986)

Another of Michigan's well kept secrets. Ten tracks of great hardcore from Battleground MI. Boom & the Legion played a reunion show in 2008 that I heard great things about. They released another EP & an LP in the 80s and were featured on the Slap A Ham records "Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh!" compilation 7" in 1991. Sadly I've never come across the other EP or LP.

1.Not Enough Food
2.Butcher Block
3.Grub Flesh
4.Hellfuck
5.Piss You Off
6.Bored Cannibal
7.Dog Days
8.Death Squad
9.Theme Song
10.Monster In My Locker

Download Here.

The Freeze "Guilty Face" EP (1984)

A much more aggressive follow up to their debut(more punky) 7" single. The backing vocals on the opening track "Violent Arrest" are so fucking fierce! Boston just knew how to churn out hardcore in the 80s. Originally released by Modern Method Records, but bootlegged several times over the years.

1. Violent Arrest
2. Voices From My Window
3. Halloween Night
4. Guilty Face

Download Here.

7 Seconds "Skins, Brains & Guts" EP (1982)

My favorite release from the long lasting 7 seconds. Reno NV's answer to DC hardcore. Positive, thrashy & fun with a little bit of a skinhead oi feel here and there. The rough and raw production just adds to the magic. An obvious but still awesome EP.

1. Skins, Brains & Guts
2. No Authority
3. Redneck Society
4. Baby Games
5. Racism Sucks
6. This is My Life
7. Anti-Klan
8. I Hate Sports
9. We're Gonna Fight

Download Here.

Project X "Straight Edge Revenge" EP (1988)

Youth Fucking Crew! Project X was a one off band consisting of members of NY Youth Crew bands Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Side By Side & Judge. Released as a companion 7" to an issue of Schism Zine. Pretty much what you would expect considering the member's backgrounds. This record is another sought after collectors item that has been bootlegged for years, and finally reissued by Bridge 9. Tough guys love this band.

1.Straight Edge Revenge
2.Shutdown
3.Cross Me
4.Dance Floor Justice
5.Where It Ends
6.Live Songs

Download Here.

Impact Unit "My Friend The Pit" EP (1983)

Originally released as a demo tape in 1983 and then later as a 7" on Crucial Response in 1989. Part of the first wave of Boston hardcore, tough and no bullshit. The opening song "Nightstalker" is a slow crawl mostly but the rest of the EP is mid to fast tempo hardcore with pissed vocals shouted in a gravelly voice by some guy named Dicky Barrett. Awesome. For fans of SS Decontrol, Project X etc.

1. Nightstalker
2. Complain
3. My Friends & the Pit
4. I'd Eat Your Shit
5. Dead Meat
6. Regular Boy's Haircut

Download Here.

Last Rights "Chunks" EP (1984)

Originally released as a 2 song single by Taang! this version contains 4 additional songs featured on the split CD reissue with Negative FX and later on the "No Guts, No Glory" 12" on Taang!/Reflex. Kinda macho but over all pretty positive straight edge hardcore about friendship, not drinking and just hanging out. Fronted by Choke of Negative FX/Shapshot fame. "Chunks" was later covered by Dinosaur Jr on a limited SST 12". "DO WHAT YOU WANT!"

1.Chunks
2.So Ends Our Night
3.Out of Our Minds
4.Show the Way
5.Wasted Time
6.No Guts No Glory

Download Here.

Negative Approach "S/T" EP (1982)

Maybe the most hateful band to come out of the early hardcore scene. This is definitely my favorite Touch & Go release, although followed very closely by those of The Fix, Necros & Meatmen. NA perfectly blended American hardcore with a UK Oi! vibe to create their own sound. This 7" is highly sought after and it's a no brainer why. C-L-A-S-S-I-C. Vocalist John Brannon went on to front Laughing Hyenas & Easy Action. Negative Approach reunited recently for some shows to mixed reviews.

1. Can't Tell No One
2. Sick of Talk
3. Pressure
4. Why Be Something That You're Not
5. Nothing
6. Fair Warning
7. Ready to Fight
8. Lead Song
9. Whatever I Do
10. Negative Approach

Download Here.

Reflex From Pain "Black & White" EP (1983)

Seemingly un-heard of Hardcore again from Connecticut. This version is taken from the 1991 bootleg on Blitzcore which contains four extra tracks not on the original pressing. Pretty much by the books stuff here but a few songs stick out and fucking kill a lot of other obscure shit from the era. Mid to fast tempos with mostly understandable vocals. There is also another bootleg EP called "Checkered Future" that is worth tracking down. Originally released by Death Threat records.

1. Rednecks
2. Generic Life
3. Hangover
4. Media Control
5. Chemicals
6. Holy Pictures
7. The Scream
8. Urban Decay
9. American Express
10. Dino

Download Here.

State Of Alert "No Policy" EP (1981)

And... Dischord's second and S.O.A.'s only release. Urgent HC fronted by some shit named Henry Garfield. A good companion record to Negative Approach or Urban Waste. Classic no doubt.

1. Lost in Space
2. Draw Blank
3. Girl Problems
4. Blackout
5. Gate Crashers
6. War Zone
7. Riot
8. Gang Fight
9. Public Defender
10. Gonna Have to Fight

Download Here.