Reviews

New Age

Cross Control Outrage Culture EP

This thing starts so dark and ominous that I checked the RPM indicator on the label twice before CROSS CONTROL dropped in with a wall of ’core that brought me to my knees. This is straight-up, no-bullshit mosh-heavy hardcore Á  la early Bridge Nine (and, before that, New Age Records) with a commendably inward lyrical insight. The crew vocals are in full force, and even though this LA outfit is pure devastation when they take the reins off and let it out, I think it’s the fast parts justified with the unreal low end that makes CROSS CONTROL stand out. Extremely fukkn solid debut release.

Cross Control Try and Survive LP

CROSS CONTROL from L.A. plays hard and mostly mid-tempo traditional hardcore on their LP Try and Survive, following in the footsteps of the classics (think BLOOD FOR BLOOD, SLAPSHOT, and CRO-MAGS). While not bringing anything particularly new to the table, fans of the genre will find plenty to sink their teeth into. In addition to some great breakdowns on “Half Right” and “Always the Same,” “Number of Dead” and “Diadem” both boast some majorly catchy vocals, and final track “Everything’s Fucked” veers into straight punk territory reminiscent of MINOR THREAT. Good shit that sounds tailor-made for a hardcore fest.

Human Sufferage No Place Like Home 12″

These guys have a great crunching garage punk and thrash sound here, and they come down hard lyrically on middle class mores and problems ranging from the effects of Reaganomics to psychiatric conditioning. The production is hot, and the record comes with all sorts of weird inserts.

Human Sufferage Thank You, Mother Dear 12″

The production on these acidic thrash compositions is extremely basic, as on their debut LP, but HUMAN SUFFERAGE earn high marks for improved songwriting and a sense of passion that’s almost tangible. “Take It for Granted” is a snappy hardcore number worth special mention, but the lyrics on all these songs show that this band is extremely articulate, too. A must-get.

Springtoifel Tanz Der Teufel LP

Sadly, I didn’t really pay attention in my high school German class otherwise I would be able to figure out just exactly what these punters are singing about. Still, the music and the feel, a strong early sing-song oi feel — like SHAM 69 are both driving and passionate. Most of the stuff marches along at a good clip, both the harder thrash tunes and the slower bigger punk sounds.