Pusher

This is one of the most ridiculously good 12 minute stretches of hardcore I have heard in years. Its fast as all get out, its harsh and volatile, the time changes will snap the necks of lesser creatures and the vocals, man, the vocals rule. Imagine Converge doing punk with their chaotic technical style. That still doesn't prepare you. Pusher was a short lived project of members of the Louisville scene that combined members of Coliseum, Lords and Breather Resist / National Acrobat to make one of the best hardcore releases ever. The 12 songs last just over that length in time. They all bleed together into a fury of a mess and I guaran-damn-tee that you will be hitting the repeat on this one a number of times. Boss got ya down? Pusher. Cat got your tongue? Pusher. Dog peed in your shoes? Pusher.

Got it?

Good.

Spacehorse - s/t (2005)

Spacehorse is the charred remains of mid-90's San Diego punk. Matt Anderson and Scott Bartiloni, both of Heroin fame, have had quite a run of things since those times. Their framework for hyper-spastic, ultra-kinetic hardcore punk has become a blueprint for countless bands since. Add to that ideal the band members other works, Clikatat Ikatowi and Antioch Arrow and youre pretty much talking about some of the sexiest hardcore to grace the planet. Spacehorse surprisingly doesnt lose an ounce of energy. Of course, the whole album is only 14 minutes long, but Anderson and Bartiloni are godfathers of this style and here they give it a swift kick in the ass and one-up even their best works with Heroin. And Heroin is the basis for all of this. When Heroin played it was almost as if the band members harnessed an energy they could barely hold on to. Now, having grown into the roles and explored then thoroughly, the members seem more than equipped to take the reigns and ride this horse right off the rail, but this time in style.

I thought this post would fit well with the recent Johnny Angel post on Kiss My Soundsystem as they both have roots in San Diego hardcore and punk, but they both also sound like they are shooting for that same style of early 90's hardcore that so many bands have imitated over the years. Where as Johnny Angel sounds like the Swing Kids, Spacehorse sounds rightly enough like Heroin.

Please check out both of these releases, Spacehorse and Johnny Angel and remember why you liked hardcore in the first place. I mean, these guys obviously remember why.