Swiz - No Punches Pulled (1993) & Fury - Resurrection (1998)

Swiz were an influential DC hardcore band resposible for bearing the torch of punk angst and agression into the new decade. Years after Rites of Spring, Dag Nasty and Embrace ushered a new era of more melodic punk, Swiz, returned the to the thrashier hardcore sound of DC past, using clear references to DC legends Minor Threat and Bad Brains, most likely because of the burgeoning NYHC scene during the late 80's. Swiz also remained true to the recent advances in melodic, emotional hardcore, and fused these styles together into a catchy and powerful brand of punk that again set the stage for the current DC sound.

No Punches pulled is their complete discography, though there is also a Demo recorded with a different bass player. The recording, called With Ramsey Demo is offered for free on the Jade Tree Records website.



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One of Swiz's best songs, Resurrection, features young Chris Thomson on vocals. Thomson went on to form Circus Lupus and later the Monorchid and Skull Kontrol. This Swiz line up, with Thomson on Vocals recorded under the name Fury. Fury was a wholly different beast, with Thomson sneering his hateful vocals over some of the meanest and heaviest DC hardcore to ever be released. From the first track, it is evident that the current youth crew scene and its urgency were a driving force in the development of these songs, even if it was about blowing your girlfriend away with a shotgun. Fury, at 12 minutes is a monolithic beast of hateful old school hardcore.