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Lewd Acts
"Split with Hour Of The Wolf"

Fans of older skate videos featuring music from bands like Helmet or Unsane must be pretty pissed off that modern videos seem to lean more heavily on Warped Tour rock than the harsh grooves of yesteryear. Well gramps you're in luck. Hour of the Wolf and Lewd Acts have joined forces to give you 20 minutes of throw back tunes to play over the new school shit you're being fed these days. Hour kicks things off with three blasts of rugged skate thrash sure to incite you drain your swimming pool and make your own backyard ramp. Lewd Acts keeps the party going with their half of the split. Keeping things a little less melodic their mix of Black Flag and Motorhead riffing is sure to keep your happy ass skating until the keg runs dry. Just don't look for much emotional depth outside of the genuinely moving abuse tale “Broken Kids,” cause this split is like the old Poison line, “it ain't nothing but a good time.”
- MammothPress.com

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Hour Of The Wolf
"Split with Lewd Acts"

Fans of older skate videos featuring music from bands like Helmet or Unsane must be pretty pissed off that modern videos seem to lean more heavily on Warped Tour rock than the harsh grooves of yesteryear. Well gramps you're in luck. Hour of the Wolf and Lewd Acts have joined forces to give you 20 minutes of throw back tunes to play over the new school shit you're being fed these days. Hour kicks things off with three blasts of rugged skate thrash sure to incite you drain your swimming pool and make your own backyard ramp. Lewd Acts keeps the party going with their half of the split. Keeping things a little less melodic their mix of Black Flag and Motorhead riffing is sure to keep your happy ass skating until the keg runs dry. Just don't look for much emotional depth outside of the genuinely moving abuse tale “Broken Kids,” cause this split is like the old Poison line, “it ain't nothing but a good time.”
- MammothPress.com

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Hell yeah, this is what fast, pissed angry hardcore sounds like! And it's got a good rocking side to it as well. Each Hour Of the Wolf release sounds different to me, I don't know why. Each time they sound more and more like Motorhead and even more pissed. Not that I mind. I can fully get behind that. But that's what you get with those cats. Lewd Acts I've never heard before, but I'm happy to know that I now have because they bring something good to the table as well. They present a handful of nice short and fast songs that all have some great breakdowns. I know that sounds kind of corny to state in 2008, but these mosh-frenzies honestly don't sound like obligatory dancefloor cues. They seriously sound pissed and slightly out of the norm. Success! They have made hardcore not only interesting, but angry as fuck at the same time, no small feat these days.
- HangingHex.com

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With a Stooges-like riff kicking off "Overload," Hour of the Wolf definitely make themselves known on this split EP with Lewd Acts. Everything about this band is interesting; the guitars courtesy of Addison and Hank and most especially, the vocals of Lance, which bring to mind old Bronx. Their tracks were produced with a surprisingly good coat by Bob Hoag, sometime keyboardist of the Ataris. Second track "War Machine" tries too hard to be the Bronx, but it still works, only to a lesser extent. This band definitely has got everything down and tight and it wouldn't surprise me if we ended up hearing much more from them in the future.

Lewd Acts kicks their portion off with "Broken Kids," which sounds like what a lot of screamo bands try to shoot for but don't have the passion or energy to pull off. While at first I was less than impressed with the song, repeated listens give me a new look on not only the song, but the band as a whole. Lewd Acts' material was produced with a strange sense of urgency by Kurt Ballou of Converge. "Shark Bait" is a forty-five second blast which sounds out of place because it just goes by incredibly too fast but they make up for it with the last song, "Glass Act," which sounds like they've been doing they're homework and figuring out how they can adapt it to fit their style.

Overall, the split EP is very good with more points going to Hour of the Wolf for more originality but the only problem anyone might have with this record is its length: a mere 13 minutes. Of course, this may all just be a tease by the bands and the record company, having fans begging to hear more, which is a good ploy. A good introduction to two bands who definitely have more to say.
- PunkBands.com

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With a Stooges-like riff kicking off "Overload," Hour of the Wolf definitely make themselves known on this split EP with Lewd Acts. Everything about this band is interesting; the guitars courtesy of Addison and Hank and most especially, the vocals of Lance, which bring to mind old Bronx. Their tracks were produced with a surprisingly good coat by Bob Hoag, sometime keyboardist of the Ataris. Second track "War Machine" tries too hard to be the Bronx, but it still works, only to a lesser extent. This band definitely has got everything down and tight and it wouldn't surprise me if we ended up hearing much more from them in the future.

Lewd Acts kicks their portion off with "Broken Kids," which sounds like what a lot of screamo bands try to shoot for but don't have the passion or energy to pull off. While at first I was less than impressed with the song, repeated listens give me a new look on not only the song, but the band as a whole. Lewd Acts' material was produced with a strange sense of urgency by Kurt Ballou of Converge. "Shark Bait" is a forty-five second blast which sounds out of place because it just goes by incredibly too fast but they make up for it with the last song, "Glass Act," which sounds like they've been doing they're homework and figuring out how they can adapt it to fit their style.

Overall, the split EP is very good with more points going to Hour of the Wolf for more originality but the only problem anyone might have with this record is its length: a mere 13 minutes. Of course, this may all just be a tease by the bands and the record company, having fans begging to hear more, which is a good ploy. A good introduction to two bands who definitely have more to say.
- PunkBands.com

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Hell yeah, this is what fast, pissed angry hardcore sounds like! And it's got a good rocking side to it as well. Each Hour Of the Wolf release sounds different to me, I don't know why. Each time they sound more and more like Motorhead and even more pissed. Not that I mind. I can fully get behind that. But that's what you get with those cats. Lewd Acts I've never heard before, but I'm happy to know that I now have because they bring something good to the table as well. They present a handful of nice short and fast songs that all have some great breakdowns. I know that sounds kind of corny to state in 2008, but these mosh-frenzies honestly don't sound like obligatory dancefloor cues. They seriously sound pissed and slightly out of the norm. Success! They have made hardcore not only interesting, but angry as fuck at the same time, no small feat these days.
- HangingHex.com

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Hour of the Wolf and Lewd Acts provide two very different takes on hardcore, but both are speedy and concise, making for a tight split EP.

Hour of the Wolf use their three songs to continue their brand of Misfits-inspired, rock'n'roll-tinged hardcore punk that follows in the footsteps of their 2007 EP, Waste Makes Waste. "Overload" will have you hollering along ("Another night, is over!"), while "War Machine" delivers craggy, aggressive verses and a melodic but still agitated chorus. They have a good, rambunctious attitude about them, and it helps to make for an effective Side A.

Sometimes I want to say Lewd Acts are like another metallic hardcore unit, Shipwreck (a.d.), and there are moments on here that definitely warrant the comparison (precisely a minute into "Broken Kids," where their mid-tempo swagger bears resemblance, and plenty of "Glass Act"). But unlike that band, Lewd Acts are a little more chaotic, not quite as heavy, and twice open with an accelerated tempo and then get dynamic on us with a slowed down bout of tension ("Broken Kids," "Jealous Sea"), a tactic that seems to work best with "Broken Kids."

This is a solid introduction to two lower-key acts in the modern hardcore spectrum who continue to develop their respective styles before dropping a full-length on us.
- PunkNews.org

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Hour of the Wolf and Lewd Acts provide two very different takes on hardcore, but both are speedy and concise, making for a tight split EP.

Hour of the Wolf use their three songs to continue their brand of Misfits-inspired, rock'n'roll-tinged hardcore punk that follows in the footsteps of their 2007 EP, Waste Makes Waste. "Overload" will have you hollering along ("Another night, is over!"), while "War Machine" delivers craggy, aggressive verses and a melodic but still agitated chorus. They have a good, rambunctious attitude about them, and it helps to make for an effective Side A.

Sometimes I want to say Lewd Acts are like another metallic hardcore unit, Shipwreck (a.d.), and there are moments on here that definitely warrant the comparison (precisely a minute into "Broken Kids," where their mid-tempo swagger bears resemblance, and plenty of "Glass Act"). But unlike that band, Lewd Acts are a little more chaotic, not quite as heavy, and twice open with an accelerated tempo and then get dynamic on us with a slowed down bout of tension ("Broken Kids," "Jealous Sea"), a tactic that seems to work best with "Broken Kids."

This is a solid introduction to two lower-key acts in the modern hardcore spectrum who continue to develop their respective styles before dropping a full-length on us.
- PunkNews.org

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It wasn't that long ago that I caught a little tour featuring Hour of the Wolf, Lewd Acts, and Trash Talk. In fact, it was just last year. The bill was interesting as it mixed varying punk/hardcore styles - a little something for everyone – which is a welcome change to the one show-five bands-one sound norm. Two of those artists have teamed up here for a split release, complimenting each other's sounds quite well, despite their differences.

Hour of the Wolf follow-up on last year's sensational Waste Makes Waste with two new songs and an oldie. “Overload” strikes first and immediately brings to mind “Attitude”-styled Misfits. The music is fast-paced punk but there is also a sense of “pop” in its sound. “War Machine” is a leftover recording from a couple years back. I'm not sure what it is, but the song just seems out of place with what I've heard from them. It's a lot less punk and more hardcore, which for the band isn't what I was used to. Perhaps this is why it wasn't originally included on whatever release it was intended for. “Nothing Hits as Hard as the Abyss” is Hour of the Wolf's final offering; it's a nice fast metal meets punk jam calling to mind Lemmy and company.

2007 saw Lewd Acts release a discography, which for many was their first exposure. One calendar year later they're back with four new cuts. The band starts their side off with “Broken Kids.” Musically the song is a lot less hardcore than their previous output, in fact it almost sounds like an Hour of the Wolf song - rock-infused punk. Given the band's San Diego origins, this isn't that surprising. Unfortunately I wasn't really into it on that song but thankfully the band redeems themselves with “Jealous Sea” and “Shark Bait.” Both are metal-driven hardcore jams with some nice thrashy crunch and vicious yells. Closer “Glass Act” opens with an even-paced rock groove before segueing into a nice bridge section and launching into a ruckus-raising breakdown - definitely one of their best songs to date.

This split is a nice holdover while we wait for new full-lengths, which is really as much as you can ask from this type of recording. The Hour of the Wolf side was pretty much more of what I enjoy from the band while Lewd Acts hit good on three of four. I'm sure we'll be hearing from both of these bands again before years end.
- ScenePointBlank.com

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It wasn't that long ago that I caught a little tour featuring Hour of the Wolf, Lewd Acts, and Trash Talk. In fact, it was just last year. The bill was interesting as it mixed varying punk/hardcore styles - a little something for everyone – which is a welcome change to the one show-five bands-one sound norm. Two of those artists have teamed up here for a split release, complimenting each other's sounds quite well, despite their differences.

Hour of the Wolf follow-up on last year's sensational Waste Makes Waste with two new songs and an oldie. “Overload” strikes first and immediately brings to mind “Attitude”-styled Misfits. The music is fast-paced punk but there is also a sense of “pop” in its sound. “War Machine” is a leftover recording from a couple years back. I'm not sure what it is, but the song just seems out of place with what I've heard from them. It's a lot less punk and more hardcore, which for the band isn't what I was used to. Perhaps this is why it wasn't originally included on whatever release it was intended for. “Nothing Hits as Hard as the Abyss” is Hour of the Wolf's final offering; it's a nice fast metal meets punk jam calling to mind Lemmy and company.

2007 saw Lewd Acts release a discography, which for many was their first exposure. One calendar year later they're back with four new cuts. The band starts their side off with “Broken Kids.” Musically the song is a lot less hardcore than their previous output, in fact it almost sounds like an Hour of the Wolf song - rock-infused punk. Given the band's San Diego origins, this isn't that surprising. Unfortunately I wasn't really into it on that song but thankfully the band redeems themselves with “Jealous Sea” and “Shark Bait.” Both are metal-driven hardcore jams with some nice thrashy crunch and vicious yells. Closer “Glass Act” opens with an even-paced rock groove before segueing into a nice bridge section and launching into a ruckus-raising breakdown - definitely one of their best songs to date.

This split is a nice holdover while we wait for new full-lengths, which is really as much as you can ask from this type of recording. The Hour of the Wolf side was pretty much more of what I enjoy from the band while Lewd Acts hit good on three of four. I'm sure we'll be hearing from both of these bands again before years end.
- ScenePointBlank.com

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Smartbomb
"Chaos And Lawlessness"

Punk rock is best played speedy, snotty and gritty with tons of pissed-off discontent, and that's exactly how Smartbomb does it. There are no crooning poppy lyrics, no scenester boys in tight pants and no soaring melodies here. These guys are too busy playing real punk to worry about being pretty and poppy.
- EvilNeedles.com

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Proto-punk and hardcore kids from Massachusetts, Smartbomb like to employ extremely fast tempos and pit-fillers. They succeed with that sort of youth crew sound that all the punk kids are craving these days. I just remember when all the kids were donning 7 Seconds gear and climbing the walls to the Descendents. The new generation still looks back but don’t know what the hell a 7-inch is. Regardless I’m glad that newer groups like this exist with intelligent messages and an urge to play as fast as good old school trash-y punk did.
- Smother.net

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Members of No Trigger and Shock Nagasaki playing melodic hardcore in the vein of Kid Dynamite, Descendents, and 7 Seconds? Sign me the hell up! Heck, it really doesn't matter what bands these guys also play in when you write songs like these.

Chaos and Lawlessness is Smartbomb's debut EP, an eight-song effort that tracks in at just over twelve minutes. What you get is fast-paced melodic hardcore with some of that traditional pop-punk flavor. The music is really energetic and upbeat; there aren't any really slow parts - kind of reminds me of the early Epitaph and Fat Wreck catalogs.

An added note, Ryan Eyestone's artwork for this release is quite rad. He's done awesome work for loads of bands - Outbreak, Trash Talk, The Carrier, and more. Check it out. Bottom-line; this is one of the better EP's I've heard in a long time. Pick up a copy immediately.
- ScenePointBlank.com

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Once again I find myself loving a record and absolutely hating it's artwork. Smartbomb's new EP, Chaos and Lawlessness, should definitely win the worst artwork of the year award and it was only just released this past February.

Other than that though, this is an amazing record. Smartbomb seem to pick up where Kid Dynamite left off and throw in some East Bay influence. The sound doesn't come as too much of a surprise considering that two of the members are formerly of No Trigger.

This is one of those records that really makes you believe in punk rock again. It's so rare that you hear a record in this vein anymore where the band doesn't feel like it's just going through the motions to push out another release. That passion really comes through on Chaos and Lawlessness and is what will hopefully save this record and band from falling into obscurity.

If you love real, honest punk rock and miss the days when the bands that populate said genre were still passionate about what they do, then give this record a chance.
- PunkBands.com

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Between The Wars
"Death And The Sea"

It seems these guys have had a strong buzz surrounding them (by hardcore standards anyway) over the last couple of weeks, and I've heard nothing but good things from people who know what's up. You would actually think these guys would be getting more exposure considering they feature Ensign's Tim Shaw on vocals and Bill Henderson who founded and played guitar in Thursday, as well as the lesser known NJ band Purpose, which featured other notable members that went on to join/play in Saves The Day and Ensign. You would think it'd be difficult considering most of the guys in the band all have other bands that they are in, but I guess it helps that they are all from NJ.

Before this, the band released the "Less We Believe" EP, which was released in 2006 on Think Fast! And this is another interesting thing, I'm not 100% sure, but I think these guys got their name from a Billy Bragg song, I believe it was from the "Life's A Riot Between The Wars" album.

This full length contains 16 tracks of metallically tinged hardcore/punk that has no shortage of variety in both the dynamics of the song writing, as well as the tempos that are used herein. And man, I don't recall Bill Henderson laying down licks as sweet as this on anything he did with Thursday. And Tim Shaw's raspy, desperate yells just seep into your mind as he vehemently chastises everything from religion, the government, and it's mindless followers. These guys have no bass player, so Bill and Joe Tarella both share the duties on this record, and they both do a fantastic job of throwing some intricate basslines. It's crazy how consistent this album sounds even with the minor stylistic changes that are thrown in. Some songs have a straight up thrash song complete with sweet soloing. Then you have a song like "Clenched Fist" that has an almost 108 feel to it. There are also moments of the straight forward punk. And I can't forget to mention the wonderful drum work provided by Paul Colucci, who does a masterful job of complimenting everything the guitarist throw his way. He can be simple when need be but can throw in some sick fills too.

Even before the music grew on me, I was really feeling the lyrics (which also kept me listening to this over and over). The song "Keep Laughing" seems to be about believing in religion only for it not help you out when you really needed it the most, or it could just be about a friend but with all of the other songs that have a religious undertone I would assume it to be the prior. "Sore Throat" is about how even though you're not doing the killing in the war, you're still guilty for not standing up and screaming out "No More!". "For Nothing" tells its listener to "defy [y]our masters" and that we owe our government nothing because this country was built on our backs while the top 2% collect all the money, we crawl for pennies to the dollar trying to make ends meet. "No Obligation" is one of my favorite songs lyrically as it talks about how kids shouldn't be forced into religion until they can form their own opinion. "The Last Drop" is Tim Shaw letting you know that hardcore/punk music has given him so much and he will give everything he can back to it. "The Meek Will Inherit Nothing" is about how unless you fight for something with courage you will just "...fade to dust." "Clenched Fist" is about how religions have used war and bloodshed to gain followers rather than a peaceful, respectful way. That's some of the songs that really stood out to me, and I'm sure by after reading that and my other reviews that I really have a disdain for organized religion.

The recording job on this is unreal. It comes through your speakers crystal clear, every plucked note resonates beautifully. Bill Henderson did a wonderful job producing this. The guitar tone is versatile as hell, it sounds great whether it's during a metal-esque solo or acoustic interlude. The bass tone is equally good, the tone is warm with just the right amount of twang to help it cut through the mix a bit. Tim Shaw's raspy screams sound great with just the slightest effects added in certain spots. Couldn't have for a better drum tone for this recording. Kudos and them some.

Now this is one hell of a layout! The high quality gloss layout is full of awesome metallic gold ink with plenty of blue to accent it. The front cover design is aweeeesome, the water in the middle looks realistic as hell while the waves that are about to crash over the ship are cartoony looking. The map that is placed in the background was a really nice touch (this is also done in the booklet). The booklet is 6 pages, and were really well designed. Each page has the lyrics displayed over a piece of yellow paper with band photos and images that tie into the theme and color scheme contrasted into the background. Really good shit here. 4/5
- SicZine.com

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Ensign’s frontman Tim Shaw mans the mic while the guitars are handled by former Thursday member Bill Henderson. But beside the hardcore creds, Between the Wars is a post-hardcore indie rock juggernaut that juggles manic visceral proto-punk with hardcore anthems and indie rock harmonies. I love how “Death and the Sea” was recorded—it sounds like they’re playing right behind you with a definite attention to sounding like it was recorded completely live. Raw throaty vocals, vicious flaming frets, and frenetic drumming combine to construct Between the Wars as a group who may just have escaped the local prison, asylum, or fast food joint hellhole.
- Smother.net

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Fans of the unique, metallic hardcore punk to be found on Between the Wars' Less We Believe EP shouldn't be terribly disappointed with their first full-length, Death and the Sea, but hopefully they'll be wary of the changes. Initial listens seem to reveal little difference between the two, but there are plenty of improvements and progressions heard upon repeat spins that help to mark Death and the Sea as a definite improvement on its predecessor.

Between the Wars still feature the angry, high-pitched, raspy yell of Ensign's Tim Shaw and the intricate, metal-influenced riffs from Bill Henderson, an early guitarist for Thursday. Combined, the two help put forth a sound that's, at times, sort of like the middle ground between Rise Against and Snapcase, if there was one to be found. The band throw in a boatload of tempo changes, as well as complex leads that help Death and the Sea sound more like an early `90s release than standard youth-crew revival. "Death" even closes with dueling, straight-up metal riffs that avoid sounding out of place due to the already metallic tint set in place throughout the album's course.

While Death and the Sea is very solid front to back, a lot of the standouts come right in its midsection. The militantly anti-authoritarian "For Nothing" tears off some serious soloing in its early goings before Shaw chimes in with a wild, punctual vocal flow along with pumping riffs. "No Obligation," about the misgivings and forgiving of children's thoughts, crushes the listener with a pretty pulverizing breakdown, while the band pick it up quickly with an active, energetic tempo in much of the next track, "Beneath the Dead Sky." Stop-start instrumentation makes for a dynamic, attention-grabbing piece in "The Last Drop." But there's also great moments later on, like the groove-oriented "Clenched Fist" and the bold "Cold War" with some of the most insane riffing you'll hear all album.

Death and the Sea strikes a perfect balance -- much of it should please fans of either alum (at least, Ensign fans and fans of Thursday during Henderson's stint that is), but it certainly sounds different enough to understand why its members stepped out of their respective outfits (Henderson also plays in the Procedure and X One Way X) to create this. As a project consisting of some rather busy lads, Between the Wars may not even live out to see the reality of its own namesake, but they've certainly marked their territory with Death and the Sea.
- PunkNews.org

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Being a newbie to the world of punk and hardcore, I’m not the one to ask about the reputations of labels like Think Fast! Records. But I’m beginning to think that, whatever their reputation is, they’re at least well-deserving of a good one. I just got done reviewing an enjoyable new offering from Boston’s Far From Finished, and now comes this one from New Jersey hopefuls Between The Wars featuring current Ensign frontman Tim Shaw and ex-Thursday guitarist Bill Henderson. No doubt this gorgeous cover art and Ernest Hemingway-like album title will do the trick when it comes to drawing in at least some curious listeners, but it’s the energy and creativity of the music itself that will keep ‘em coming back for more. To be clear, Death And The Sea has a blood-red marrow of hardcore punk all the way. The political and moral overtones, for instance, ooze out of “No Obligation” and its ending refrain of “give them a voice!” (in reference to children), and musically, breakdowns are aplenty. But this is also a CD put together by mature musicians who can flat-out PLAY. To stay with “No Obligation” as an example, it manages to open up with a familiar riff that I just knew from somewhere, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Until, that is, I realized it was Megadeth’s “Back In The Day.” I’m not suggesting that Between The Wars copied it but rather trying to make the point that this isn’t your normal hardcore act. Much as they did with the most recent release from Avenged Sevenfold, punk aficionados may find this guitar work to be a case of unseemly wankery. (Check out the crazed interplay between guitar and bass during the hidden track at the end of the CD.) However, fans of compact, aggressive songwriting with a healthy dose of the guitarist’s hero-worship will enjoy what Between The Wars puts down on Death And The Sea. Yeah, maybe screamer Tim Shaw does sound a little too weak at times for the overall production, almost like he’s straining to meet the demands of his bandmates. But he certainly doesn’t lack the necessary conviction when it comes to these heady lyrics, and indeed while he doesn’t provide as strong an assault as some of his rivals, he does have a uniqueness all his own. And for that, it’s easy to be won over. 5/5
- Pivotal Rage

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This is the debut full length release from this New Jersey based band. These guys play some very cool, highly aggressive Punk/Hardcore styled music. The music is mostly planted in the Hardcore genre, but there are lots of flavorings of Punk all through out. I liked the rough intense & fast paced Hardcore beats mixed with the more upbeat & grooved Punk sounds. The music is full of adrenaline that just knocks you all over the place. I liked the old school styled New York sounding Hardcore scream vocals a lot. It reminded me of BLACK FLAG, AGNOSTIC FRONT & SHEER TERROR a lot. If your a fan of this style of music this CD must be in your collection!!!
- Treats From The Underground

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I can’t remember the last time I reviewed a hardcore album I could actually imagine listening to on my own time. Maybe it was Malady, and that was three years ago. Between the Wars have a much more typically hardcore sound than Malady, but they do have a, dare I say, emo tinge. The vocals are fierce and gristly, but not your usual hardcore growl/chant. The singing and music fit together much better than most breakdown-based hardcore. This skilled approach can ignite a rousing pit and appeal to the stolid, arms crossed crowd. Great debut LP, can’t wait to hear more.
- Skratch Magazine

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If any band breathes new life into the idea of a punk metal hybrid-after a several year flood of second rate metalcore acts-it'll be Between the Wars. Every aspect of the band's vein popping sound captured on Death and the Sea, makes it stand out from the pack. For starters there's vocalist Tim Shaw, at first blush the band's weak spot. He has a thin, hoarse, and unprofessional hardcore scream, but after listening to him for a few minutes it's impossible not to enjoy his energy and passion. Then there are the guitars, which instead of sticking to thrash riffs, work with the drums to often favor an epic Viking feel. They pile intricate riff upon intricate riff, adding in plenty of variety without letting up on the metal intensity. Then there's the remarkably concise, don't waste a second songwriting-only six of the 16 tracks break the three minute mark, yet the musicians manage to work in loads of tempo and mood shifts. And finally, beautiful acoustic instrumentals commence and conclude the record. It's arguable they should have been placed in the middle somewhere, just to break up the nonstop rage onslaught, but they prove the band's talent and versatility. This is a perfect record for the fan of raw and angry, but at the same time, technical, music. 9/10
- Outburn

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Once, there was a little band called Ensign. They were one of the greatest New Jersey hardcore bands that ever existed. They were fast, catchy, loads of fun and completely free of the lunkhead bullshit that came to plague hardcore. Youth crew kids and skinheads alike would pack venues and just rock out to them. If you grew up in the suburbs, this was salvation.

To hear Ensign’s frontman Tim Shaw singing in a new band, well, it’s hard for this Jerseyite to suppress the nostalgia that inevitably wells. But after 10 seconds of hearing Death and the Sea, it’s clear that the Garden State–bred Between the Wars are not Ensign 2.0. BTW are more massive-sounding, thanks largely in part to technical proficiency—the chord styling of ex-Thursday guitarist Bill Henderson scale the walls like jittery five-pound spiders. But it’s the dark drama that envelops tunes such as “Uno Mas” and “No Obligation” that stick to one’s ribs. Lyrically, Shaw paints a bleak picture, which is at odds with his positive-hardcore days of yore, but at least he’s colorful. “Can’t you taste the desperation? It hangs in the air, thick with the stench of broken dreams,” he yowls on the title track. Political themes are tossed in to round out the display of pissy angst. “Clenched Fist” and “Cold War” attack white-collar zealots with irate energy.

Death and the Sea is a heady listen, a little overblown at times, but it keeps the creative momentum going. The natives would call that “Jersey fresh.”
- Decibel

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First off, greatest opening to a hardcore CD ever. Nice, happy, pretty acoustic riffage breaks into some serious, in-your-fucking-face HARDCORE! Man! So
good! As much as I love this CD - and I love it a lot - I wish Tim would go back and make another ENSIGN record, too. Can't we find a way to have both of these bands exist at once? Please? Ok, well aside from that - this band stands on it's own merits. No "ex-and-current members-of" bullshit needed. This is a seriously fucking stellar CD from start to finish. You have to use ENSIGN as a point of reference since it's the same vocalist, and they do share some of the same traits on the more upbeat, somewhat poppy parts of each song, but these guys also bring a heaviness with them that ENSIGN has never really gone for with any regularity. I'm not saying ENSIGN can't bring it with the best of them, because they can - it's just not their style. So anyway, pretty technical, brutal hardcore with some seriously intense musicianship and heartfelt lyrics with a passionate approach to delivering the words makes this band
the real deal.
- AMP Magazine

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Between the Wars are a bonfide hit, which they should be. Featuring Bill Henderson, formerly of Thursday, and Tim Shaw, the excellent vocalist of Ensign, anything less than stellar would be a letdown. I must say that this band is quite far from a letdown.

They are definitely a hardcore band, but they fuse different hardcore styles. They have melodic guitar lines and some off kilter parts. There is plenty of sing along parts, and they even through in some Spanish influenced acoustic numbers for good measure. They remind me of a mixture of Bane, Burn, 108 and Ensign. The style mixtures are quite smooth, with not much about this album sounding awkward. The vocals are top notch here, as I've always been a huge fan of Shaw's voice and the way he uses it.

There is plenty to like about this album, and I'm sure that popularity will follow suit. These are catchy and well crafted hardcore numbers, different in styles and high in quality.
- The Playlist.net

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Angry hardcore vocals connect with some fast heavy metal music. This is what between the wars’ latest CD, “death and the sea” offers in spades. Tim Shaw’s (ENSIGN) ripping vocals lead these New Jersey natives through 15 unstoppable tracks on their full-length debut. The more I listen to this record the more I like it, a lot! Metal air guitar riffs and jumping up and down raging hardcore vocals, what’s not to love?

The old blokes from Iron Maiden should hear this record because this is what Iron Maiden should have attained to. But their loss is our gain as, between the wars covers hardcore/metal territory that few bands can only dream of reaching. If you have an appreciation for classic metal, come on you know you do, and you feed off the anger and energy of really good hardcore, then look no further then picking up a copy of “death and the sea.” Give it a few spins, played loudly, to let it sink in and then… hardcore/metal bliss.
- RebelNoise.com

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Far From Finished
"Living In The Fallout"

Having never heard of the band before I didn't really expect a great deal out of it based on the cover art or anything, but by far one of the most impressive albums I've encountered as of late is "Living in the Fallout", the sophomore full-length from Boston's Far From Finished on Think Fast! Records. I'm a huge fan of being taken by surprise like this by an awesome album that comes out of nowhere and really hits the spot, and that hasn't really been happening very much lately, so I'm glad this disc randomly showed up in the mail a few weeks ago. Stylistically the band sounds quite a fucking lot like The Ducky Boys with a hint more polish 'n' punk amidst all the heartfelt rock 'n' roll, so there's plenty of energy and just enough of an edge in addition to the punchy songwriting and gruff yet catchy vocal melodies and such. As often seems to be the case these days it's nothing I haven't heard before, but I simply can't argue with songwriting this strong. I hate to be keeping these write-ups so damn short, but shit, what else can I say? Just check out the tunes and let the music do the talking…
- Aversion

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More beer-raising, sing-a-long punk rock coming out of Bean-town. It's been done, yes, but like California pop-punk and British pop some formulas are just too good to alter.

Far From Finished, with the help of producer Jim Siegel (Dropkick Murphys, The Unseen), has put together one of the catchiest street punk records of the summer in Living In The Fallout. A follow-up to their 2005 debut release, the album was written after the band members defied death when their tour van took them tumbling down a cliff somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania. Their brush with the end seems to have instilled, within the band, a certain bittersweet gratefulness for the simple things that can be heard in lyrics like, "And it's like roses and razor blades/ there are scars in this world that are never gonna fade away/ and it's these moments that make us realize/ maybe life ain't so fucking bad/ better be grateful for what you have" (from "Roses and Razorblades").

Between the accessible vocals of Steve Neary and the highly contagious power chord choruses, FFF has similar appeal to melodic street punkers like Bad Religion, Face to Face and the incomparable Social Distortion. Their Boston roots poke through, and this will inevitably bring comparisons to Dropkick Murphys, but they don't seem to be waving the Irish flag. If anyone they'd be closer in sound to The Street Dogs, but with more of an awareness of pop appeal.

Song highlights? Really the whole damn album is single worthy, but if I had to choose a handful: "Rose and Razorblades," "A New Tune," "Disaster" and "Heroes and Ghosts."

It's always a good day when I discover a new punk band to throw into my repertoire.
- Ink19.com

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Talk about a cursed band: Boston’s Far From Finished survived a major van accident last year and managed to record a phenomenal second album, just to watch their label fall apart before they could put out the record. A year later, these guys may have finally stepped out from under the dark cloud that had been following them around.

Living in the Fallout, the follow-up to 2005’s East Side of Nowhere, is a brilliant mix of 20-something angst and punk rock guitars. Sounding a bit like the best parts of scenemates the Ducky Boys and the Explosion, Living in the Fallout is a remarkable snapshot of a band finding their sound and hitting their stride. Their debut showed strong potential, but this record shows a band that has matured greatly, both musically and lyrically, in less than two years. There are too many stand out tracks to list. Though it was technically recorded last year, Living in the Fallout is easily one of the strongest punk rock records released this year. (A-)
- InSite Magazine / Innocent Words Magazine / AMP Magazine

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Responses to various comments from the thread concerning the website's stream of Far from Finished's Living in the Fallout:

Re: Far From Finished: 'Living in the Fallout'
by Someone on 2007-07-21 14:21:50
first
p.s your mother

Wow, good response time being first there. I can imagine far From Finished would have liked to have been as timely in their release of Living in the Fallout, which was set for release last November before the band left Sailor’s Grave Records. However, the time in between has allowed for the record to radiate noticeable buzz and wind up a highly anticipated release.

Re: Far From Finished: 'Living in the Fallout'
by Someone on 2007-07-21 14:24:23
amazing album

It is a great album, and definitely one of the best straight-ahead punk records of the year. There must be something in the water over in Beantown, because the city has become a hotbed for catchy street-influenced punk. There’s Darkbuster, Street Dogs, Dropkick Murphys, the Unseen, and the Ducky Boys just to name a few and Far from Finished is a worthy addition, with punked up rock and roll tempos, unique but comfortable riffs, and enough hooks to open up a bait shop down on the dock.

Re: Far From Finished: 'Living in the Fallout'
by 1234go on 2007-07-21 19:25:59
These guys need to take it easy in the studio. I got a copy of their record for review and it's one of the most over polished records I've heard in forever. Entirely ruins it for me.

The production on Living in the Fallout is of very high quality, but I personally don’t think it detracts at all from the record’s sound. Far from Finished is talented enough to pull off slick accompaniments to diversify their sound with organs, saxophones, and pianos, like the loungey rockabilly bridge of “Just Us Kids,” the ska interlude of “Roses and Razorblades” or the unexpected ivory balladry planted in the middle of “The Imposter.” If a band as capable as Far from Finished has the budget, at least it ensures that they won’t be left with a final product whose production resembles the Lucky Stiffs’ unfortunate Gold in Peace, Iron in War.

Re: Far From Finished: 'Living in the Fallout'
by Someone on 2007-07-21 22:11:1
This band is great, i'll wager a fourth of my right testicle that they will blow up soon enough.

I don’t generally trust the tastes of the mainstream, but Far from Finished has a catchy enough sound to appeal to almost anyone. And who knows, with Dropkick Murphys signing a major label distribution deal, the time may soon come for more of Boston’s punk darlings to grab the limelight. Be careful with wagers like that though, it's not easy to pick up chicks when you have one and 3/4 testicles.

Re: Far From Finished: 'Living in the Fallout'
by Someone on 2007-07-22 08:20:53
a lot of their songs sound good but are ruined by being too long or the high school quality lyrics

Valid criticism on both accounts, but the song lengths are not so unbearable when each track is as fantastic as those on Living in the Fallout. Lyrically, the album shows progress, after the band’s debut suffered a bit from clichés like “A Destination Nowhere” and “9 Lives.” Too many Social Distortion influences gnaw frustratingly throughout, and songs spattered with unnecessary expletives like in “Disaster” come off as a tad immature, but for the most part, the lyricism has improved. “Twenty-One Guns” sounds like the Street Dogs, which of course is a compliment: "Jimmy’s going off to war tomorrow / Trading his shovel for a big old gun / Time to stand up and time to be a man / Putting the trigger in his right hand / […] / Another family that‘s torn by war / Another soldier that‘s face down in the dirt." “Just Us Kids” boasts the album’s best lyrics despite being a total downer: "Bringing flowers to the graveyard ain't no fun / When you're there to see the ones you love / Another friend is dead and gone / And all the friends we tried to save / We watch the grass grow 'round their graves / Whatever happened to all our better days?"

Re: Far From Finished: 'Living in the Fallout'
by die_die_die on 2007-07-21 19:01:40
I like this record.

As do I. So far it’s a top contender for this year’s quintessential summer album. Last year’s was without a doubt the Bouncing Souls' The Gold Record, and Living in the Fallout has all the energy, hooks, and good vibes to match it.

Re: Far From Finished: 'Living in the Fallout'
by MadCow on 2007-07-21 14:21:57
Word

Word. 4/5
- PunkNews.org

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Living in the Fallout is the latest effort from Far from Finished. I can say with all honesty I was almost shocked to see how fucking good this disc really is. The sound has definitely matured and feels more rounded than before. Living in the Fallout takes Far From Finished's punk rockabilly style to the next level in both content and form. From start to finish everything on Living in the Fallout is tight. From the vox to the drums, bass and guitars the whole album is pretty killer. Especially Just Us Kids, where it switches into a very 50's almost doo wop sound ( complete with Sax!) that when the vox hit will give you fuckin shivers. While the title track, well that's just a killer song. So Kudos to Far from Finished for a job very well done! 5/5
- EctoMag

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Opening track "Disaster," with its radio- unfriendly refrain about being a "fucked up boy in a fucked up world," sets the tone for this decidedly upbeat-sounding spree of anthemic punk rock from Boston's Far From Finished. Rest assured, if you don't like this initial track, you won't like any of the others either. From a musical standpoint, Living In The Fallout finds these guys rarely straying from a familiar style of pop punk similar to that played by Green Day, Good Charlotte, or Blink 182, albeit with the added blessing of some hellaciously rippin' solos from lead guitarist Paul Christian. But then again...what the hell's wrong with you if you don't like this stuff!!! After all, this album is all about good times and fun, played by a band with style, charisma, and heaps of talent. Well actually, no it isn't. While the style and talent are certainly there, it's not all about good times and fun as much as it merely sounds like it is. Lyrically, this stuff's chock-full of obscenities and even kinda morose ("bringing flowers to the graveyard ain't no fun when you're there to see the one's you love," et al.). True enough, while these tunes are catchy as hell and sometimes barely distinguishable from the music produced by several of the top-selling bands, it can also keep you on your toes. Just when you think you've heard it all, Far From Finished change things up with a metal barnburner that sounds like a Chrome Division song ("Watch Your Back"); "Wanna Be A Catastrophe" would seem right at home on a Sex Pistols tribute (complete with the obligatory "you fucking cunt!" to close the song); a surprisingly inspired foray into the blues (the second half of "Just Us Kids"); and the whole album is rounded-out with a brief flurry from an organ. I know you saw this coming from a mile away, but I'll say it anyway. I liked this CD, and I for one hope that this band truly is "far from finished." 5/5
- Pivotal Rage

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I was in love with this album from the first note, and the enjoyment only grows with each new listen. Its so fresh to hear an actual new punk band taking the scene (or at least my ears) by storm. I am completely blown away by the gruff punk rock that Far From Finished play, and I'm already eager to pick up their older album (East Side of Nowhere, which was released in 2005) to add to my collection.

Far From Finished have a very sincere sound to them, a band reeking with integrity and honesty. Forget the fact that these songs are instantly memorable and catchy enough to sing along to by the second chorus, they sound like they are playing music for all the right reasons. Picture a mixture between Swingin' Utters and The Ducky Boys, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what this band sounds like, only with more sing along parts.

Far From Finished easily surpassed any expectations that I had of them. Living in the Fallout has become one of, if not THE, Album of the Year, in my opinion, and Far From Finished are climbing their way up my favorite band list. I'll be listening to this album for a long time to come.
- ThePlaylist.net

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Looking at the cover of this record tells you pretty much everything you need to know about what you’re going to hear, a few dudes sitting down, obviously punk rock kids, in front of a busted old TV in a trailer. Right away you know you’re going to get pure punk rock from some honest, hard working dudes who really are pushing to release a great album. That’s what you get with this. It took me back a few years, stirring up thoughts of Bouncing Souls, Bad Religion, as well as The Loved Ones, Strike Anywhere, and others. Living In The Fallout is a great display of melodic punk rock, as well as a testament to the shit they went through to release this album.

Going into the studio with Jim Siegel was an excellent pairing for Far From Finished, as he’s worked with Dropkick Murphey’s, Give Up The Ghost (American Nightmare), among countless other punk rock and hardcore heavyweights. When they stepped out, they had a record that is on par (if not above) most of what punk rock bands are doing these days. My biggest complaint about punk rock today has been that it’s split in two directions, either bands want to attempt to get famous and change their sound or they refuse to alter what they’re doing to create something new. Far From Finished is a new breed, blending the sounds of classic punk rock with melody and an infusion of hardcore to create something like a more melodic Strike Anywhere or a heavier Bad Religion. It’s really just somewhere in between. If you are any kind of punk rock fan, you’ll love this record.

Far From Finished hasn’t had the easiest road to the success they’ve seen thus far, they have earned everything they’ve gotten, working their asses off and bleeding on their guitar strings. If you can’t respect that, then we’ve got a problem. This Boston punk rock band is really going in the right direction, and this is a great album to help boost them further into the spotlight. 88/100
- RiseandRevolt.com

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This was a great change from the majority of the stuff I get. These guys play Punk Rock music & play it very well. They have a very cool Skate Punk sound that i got into big time back in the 80's when i first started skating. The music is very upbeat fast paced & driven all the way. They have a California Punk style with a little bit of gritty D.C. Punk tossed inside. The music kept me pumped the whole time! The vocals are done in a cross of old school & new school Punk styles! These guys are going to blaze a path to the top of the Punk Rock heap if they keep going this way!!! Oi! Oi! Oi!
- Treats From The Underground

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Punk rock that is not afraid to have a good time and be wary of the trends that so many of their mall brethren fall into. Far From Finished delves into the ska-punk territory that other groups tackle though they have more in common with a Dropkick Murphy than a Less than Jake. Produced by none other than Jim Siegel (Dropkick Murphys, Give Up the Ghost, the Unseen), “Living In the Fallout” is a fun-filled entertaining punk lifter-upper.
- Smother.net

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Far From Finished plays melodic punk rock that's got everything from classic pop-punk catchiness to modern-day songwriting polish to gritty, real-life sincerity. What else does a punk rock listener really need? Living in the Fallout , the band's latest full length, echoes with enthusiasm and authenticity, and all along maintains an accessible, melodic edge. It's feel-good, summer-y punk rock -- even when the tone takes a decidedly serious or pissed-off angle -- that's had my head bobbing and embarrassingly bad voice singing along for weeks.

I don't think I need to say more, so take a listen: Far From Finished - Heroes and Ghosts.

The whole album's rock solid, catchy and fun. Do yourself a favor and pick up what could be my pick for this year's summer record from Think Fast! Records. Sweet.
- GeekBurger.com

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It was very uncertain if the second album from these Boston punk rockers would ever see the light of day. Their last label Sailor Grave Records became bankrupt and they had to shop for a new label. Luckily there were two labels (Think Fast Records for the States and People Like You for Europe) who released Far From Finished second album.

Living In The Fallout is a big step forward for Far From Finished. The band released a good debut two years ago, but with their newest effort they show us that they`re another big band from Boston (the band has got some roots from New York, but now they are located in Boston).
Their second album is full of happy punk rock songs in the line of another Boston band Dropkick Murphy’s.

From the first song on this album rocks as Boston punk rock should, sing a longs with a few folk influences. The highlights are Disaster, Rozes And Razorblades, Broken and the last song on the album Living In The Fall Out.

When this band isn’t far from finished allready, than we can expect a superior their third album, hopefully that’s possible.

When you’re into the Boston punk rock music you definitely need to check out this album and their live performance at their upcoming US and European tours. 8.5/10
- Rockezine.com

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Far From Finished are not that new to the game. They've already released “Eastside of Nowhere” and did US and European tours, in one of which they survived a dangerous van accident! But what about the music?

Well the music is well sounding street punk, more pop than most aggressive bands out there but not in the bad sense. They have the street vibe but catchy enough for no tuff people while they prove that can also succeed in the swing side of bands like Royal Crown Revue and Cherry Poppin' Daddies.

Lyrics are interesting, expressing the “anger of alienated youth and the sorrow of a troubled soul”. Artwork is pretty straight and cool while the production is done by Jim Siegel that has also produced bands like Dropkick Murphy's, The Unseen and Give Up The Ghost.

If you want something as a soundtrack for your summer vacation that still will shout out the scene you come from then you should check this album.
- SaveYourScene.com

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New York City? Boston? East Coast? I still can’t believe it after listening this entire afternoon to the new album from Far From Finished. Living In The Fallout feels so West Coast and still has its own signature sound that makes it now already the punk album of the year. Maybe that’s because the five-piece looks like a bunch of normal guys. You don’t get any punk outfit here, no fashionable design or any other gimmick that so many newcomers think they cannot live without. Far From Finished are just regular people full of anguish which they vent through their melodic punk rock songs, that at times can slow the pace and feel like superior power pop, or they can add some steam and come across like a purely bred rock’n’roll band.

It’s been more than ten years since a punk rock album has convinced me that much, and that was Rancid’s ...And Out Come the Wolves which eventually went platinum. Far From Finished may not yet have reached that level, but from the opener Disaster, you hear that this is a band that combines strong language with fast moving punk and background choirs that could have come from Bad Religion. The following Plague even pushes this concept further. The slightly longer Broken shows the band from a more leisurely side, but they still have more steam than the majority of newcomer punk bands. And to show that they have enough talent to fill the entire album with hits, some of their best material has been placed towards the end of the CD: Heroes And Ghosts, Twenty-One Guns and Living In The Fall Out.

Normally I reserve the maximum rating only for bands that innovate a genre or who are truly progressive or interestingly avant-garde. Far From Finished are the exception. There is nothing new about their music, but the way the combine the mentality of singer/songwriter with crunchy punk rock, driving rock’n’roll and catchy power pop makes Living In The Fallout a rare delight that deserves to be checked out by every punk and rock fan.
- Disagreement.net

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Who? Boston punks who weathered label troubles en route to releasing this, their sophomore album.

Sounds Like? Working-class punk like The Explosion with a hint of ska and some classic oozin’ aahs a la Bad Religion.

How Is It? It’s a remarkably polished recording for a gritty punk band, but FFF make it work. Check out “Plague” immediately.

Rocks Like? The Explosion, Bad Religion, Hudson Falcons.
- Alternative Press

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I just have to start out with this note: this is an absolutely brilliant album from start to finish! "Living In The Fallout" is filled with anger, aggression and alienation. There are not many bands around today with albums wrapped in so much passion that it makes it difficult to shut them off. Although this is only their sophomore release on a record
label, the guys from Far From Finished have been around for a long time in bands like The Street Dogs and The Ducky Boys. This is pure, honest punk rock: a hot commodity with so many crappy bands out there.

"Living In The Fallout" is the kind of music that gets my heart pounding. The songs are packed with catchy, heavy guitar riffs backed by an incredible rhythm section and tremendous vocals. My favorite tracks on this album include "Disaster" ("I'm a fucking saint; you think I'm a bum"), "Roses and Razorblades" ("What kind of fuck would I be if I took shit for being me"), and "Heroes and Ghosts" ("One more time, screaming
from the rafters, get out of my life, get out of my head"). The whole album is stuffed with awe-inspiring songs and lyrics that show the world in a dark yet
truthful manner.

A group like this is so hard to find amongst the amount of shit that is released today that you should go out and buy this album immediately! You won't be disappointed. They are one of the best groups around today.
- BurningAngel.com

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From word go on opener “Disaster” it is clear that Far From Finished are out to kick ass, throw f-bombs, and rock your little punk baby. With their latest full-length, this Boston punk outfit channels the prowess of citymates Dropkick Murphys splicing it up with more pop and catchiness. At heart, Far From Finished has a classic northeast punk sound that reminds you of dozens that have come before, but they still manage to maintain their own distinctive sound. Though the band did a split with Left Alone (Hellcat Records), the obvious question is why aren’t these guys a million times bigger? Though my ear varies on the music grindstone, I’m fairly shocked that FFF hadn’t come through my province over the past couple of years. With that in mind check out ass kicking songs like the aforementioned, “Roses & Razors Blades,” “Living in the Fallout,” “Watch Your Back,” the hard hitting “Broken,” “A New Tune,” and “Twenty-One Guns.” You are now armed with a new album full of punk anthems – so get set to launch! A-/B+
- ExoDuster

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Goddamn. This is so good. These chaps are from Boston, but sound like they grew up (at least the punk years) in Southern California. They combine the driving layered (guitars and vocals) harmonies and melodies of a BAD RELIGION, PENNYWISE or FACE TO FACE, with the pop (in that punk sense of the word) sensibilities of FALL OUT BOY. This reminds me alot of NO USE FOR A NAME's epic "Leche Con Carne." It's that good, probably better. Their second full length.
- AMP Magazine

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Only Crime
"Split with Outbreak"

First vinyl purchase since getting a turntable: sweet.

Arriving in my mailbox 5 days before official release: sweet. 

Tie-dyed vinyl: sweet. 

Mistakenly believing that all 7” records are best played at 45 RPM: not sweet. (Russ Rankin, I dub you an honorary member of the Chipmunks while spinning at anything greater than 33 revolutions per minute.) 

Punk rock supergroup Only Crime and Maine's Outbreak convened at the Blasting Room in Ft. Collins, CO a few months ago to record what would soon become one of the most ass-kicking and face-bludgeoning split EPs in recent memory. And while both bands deliver in their limited capacity, the two songs each artist provides will barely satiate the fix needed after getting hooked on the authentic hardcore of Only Crime and Outbreak. 

Side A belongs to Only Crime, commonly known for boasting veterans of Good Riddance, Black Flag, Bane, and GWAR. Their unique brand of heavy hardcore is intense and powerful without being metallic, a sharp way of updating their roots, instead of going “metalcore” like most hardcore bands trying to outdo their elders. “Brand New Scene” is dispensed in traditional Only Crime form, with melodic verses that seem to reflect on the state of hardcore, particularly in relation to the passing of vocalist Russ Rankin’s former band Good Riddance: "Just push around while I’m running away from / I see myself inside you / Leaving trails and the blood you ignore / Leave lies behind you / […] / Like all the other perversions / Leaving time for the versions of that sound / […] / I’ve seen enough to drive it all away / This time it’s done so take it all away." The second half of Only Crime’s offering is “Revisionistic,” the obvious standout of the EP. Light, teaser riffage gives way to melodic hardcore that with an extremely catchy tune and slightly less heavy approach sounds like Good Riddance in the prime of their existence. Side A score: 4.5/5 

Outbreak’s three minutes of the split don’t exactly give a full introduction to the novice listener, but they do offer a glimpse of what a typical Outbreak composition might entail. Lyrically, Outbreak closely resembles the forefathers of East Coast `80s hardcore: simple, angry, and concise. If you’re thinking about playing Side B around your parents because there aren’t any expletives in the liner notes, you can forget it. Even though they don’t appear in the written lyrics, Outbreak drops the F-bomb in both of their tracks. The band’s approach to songwriting is interesting in that their songs are essentially composed of one big verse with some lyrics repeated to form a quasi-chorus. As the first song “Single File” bleeds right into “Deaf and Blind,” the somewhat convulsive drumming gives Outbreak more of a D.R.I. or Suicidal Tendencies feel than that of fellow East Coasters like Agnostic Front or Madball. Outbreak shows promise here, but their contribution is over right as they begin to pick up pace. Side B score: 3.5/5

Overall Score: 4/5
- PunkNews.org

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At first glance, ONLY CRIME and OUTBREAK seem like an odd pairing. The former band is a bi-coastal assembly of well-known hardcore figures that plays straight-up, coarse 80s hardcore-punk. The latter offers a thrashy attack of skatepunk with a heaping of pissed-off vocals and snot-rag attitude. OK - so maybe ONLY CRIME and OUTBREAK aren't so far apart. Each band on here carries two new songs with ONLY CRIME's material coming from the recording sessions of their recent full-length Virulence. Not surprisingly, ONLY CRIME are instantly definable by the eternally distinctive vocal style of frontman Russ Rankin. Tuneful, yet potted with plenty of anger, Rankin remains the ultimate focus of ONLY CRIME (despite having punk rock legend Bill Stevenson on drums!). Lest one think these are mere throwaways from Virulence, the band's second track, "Revisionistic" is a standout through and through. OUTBREAK's half of the release is of more intrigue because the band is without the musical and historical baggage that Rankin and company bring with them. Slowed down a dab from the band's raging material on Failure (Bridge Nine), OUTBREAK seemingly have room to breathe. That's sort of an odd statement to make considering that the band's three songs clock in at a combined three minutes! OUTBREAK let 'er rip with a neck-snapping guitar lead on "Deaf and Blind," and plow through you on the 80 second romp "Single File," which incidentally still manages to cram in a tightly wound breakdown. To recap: More! More! I want more!
- PastePunk

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Remember vinyl? Remember splits? Remember when punk rock and hardcore was relevant, dangerous and sweaty? All of this was in the day before digital downloading, before MTV and the Warped Tour sucked the saturation right out of aggressive music and diluted it for distribution at Hot Topic. These were the days before gloss punk.

Think Fast! Records has not forgotten these bygone years, but they have embraced the future by sending out a first for me (as a reviewer): an advanced copy of their vinyl release of the Only Crime/Outbreak split arrived in my mailbox as a credit card with a web address and a special code -- it's also available to the public as a digital download at Downloadpunk.com). This is the future of independent labels looking to promote their releases with less risk of financial loss. While I already would have been excited to get a fresh new batch of traditional hardcore punk, the environmentally friendly way in which it arrived broadened my interest tenfold.

So what of the music? At 4 songs, clocking in well under 10 minutes, the simple teaser release is a dirty appetizer that has found me replaying it again and again. The first half of the release offers Only Crime's punk friendly melodies (band members include former mates of Black Flag, Descendants and Good Riddance), while the last half is 3 minutes of Outbreak's metal-tinged fist-fight hardcore. It's short enough for even the most television-torn attention span.
- Ink19.com

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Outbreak
"Split with Only Crime"

First vinyl purchase since getting a turntable: sweet.

Arriving in my mailbox 5 days before official release: sweet.

Tie-dyed vinyl: sweet.

Mistakenly believing that all 7” records are best played at 45 RPM: not sweet. (Russ Rankin, I dub you an honorary member of the Chipmunks while spinning at anything greater than 33 revolutions per minute.)

Punk rock supergroup Only Crime and Maine's Outbreak convened at the Blasting Room in Ft. Collins, CO a few months ago to record what would soon become one of the most ass-kicking and face-bludgeoning split EPs in recent memory. And while both bands deliver in their limited capacity, the two songs each artist provides will barely satiate the fix needed after getting hooked on the authentic hardcore of Only Crime and Outbreak.

Side A belongs to Only Crime, commonly known for boasting veterans of Good Riddance, Black Flag, Bane, and GWAR. Their unique brand of heavy hardcore is intense and powerful without being metallic, a sharp way of updating their roots, instead of going “metalcore” like most hardcore bands trying to outdo their elders. “Brand New Scene” is dispensed in traditional Only Crime form, with melodic verses that seem to reflect on the state of hardcore, particularly in relation to the passing of vocalist Russ Rankin’s former band Good Riddance: "Just push around while I’m running away from / I see myself inside you / Leaving trails and the blood you ignore / Leave lies behind you / […] / Like all the other perversions / Leaving time for the versions of that sound / […] / I’ve seen enough to drive it all away / This time it’s done so take it all away." The second half of Only Crime’s offering is “Revisionistic,” the obvious standout of the EP. Light, teaser riffage gives way to melodic hardcore that with an extremely catchy tune and slightly less heavy approach sounds like Good Riddance in the prime of their existence. Side A score: 4.5/5

Outbreak’s three minutes of the split don’t exactly give a full introduction to the novice listener, but they do offer a glimpse of what a typical Outbreak composition might entail. Lyrically, Outbreak closely resembles the forefathers of East Coast `80s hardcore: simple, angry, and concise. If you’re thinking about playing Side B around your parents because there aren’t any expletives in the liner notes, you can forget it. Even though they don’t appear in the written lyrics, Outbreak drops the F-bomb in both of their tracks. The band’s approach to songwriting is interesting in that their songs are essentially composed of one big verse with some lyrics repeated to form a quasi-chorus. As the first song “Single File” bleeds right into “Deaf and Blind,” the somewhat convulsive drumming gives Outbreak more of a D.R.I. or Suicidal Tendencies feel than that of fellow East Coasters like Agnostic Front or Madball. Outbreak shows promise here, but their contribution is over right as they begin to pick up pace. Side B score: 3.5/5

Overall Score: 4/5
- PunkNews.org

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At first glance, ONLY CRIME and OUTBREAK seem like an odd pairing. The former band is a bi-coastal assembly of well-known hardcore figures that plays straight-up, coarse 80s hardcore-punk. The latter offers a thrashy attack of skatepunk with a heaping of pissed-off vocals and snot-rag attitude. OK - so maybe ONLY CRIME and OUTBREAK aren't so far apart. Each band on here carries two new songs with ONLY CRIME's material coming from the recording sessions of their recent full-length Virulence. Not surprisingly, ONLY CRIME are instantly definable by the eternally distinctive vocal style of frontman Russ Rankin. Tuneful, yet potted with plenty of anger, Rankin remains the ultimate focus of ONLY CRIME (despite having punk rock legend Bill Stevenson on drums!). Lest one think these are mere throwaways from Virulence, the band's second track, "Revisionistic" is a standout through and through. OUTBREAK's half of the release is of more intrigue because the band is without the musical and historical baggage that Rankin and company bring with them. Slowed down a dab from the band's raging material on Failure (Bridge Nine), OUTBREAK seemingly have room to breathe. That's sort of an odd statement to make considering that the band's three songs clock in at a combined three minutes! OUTBREAK let 'er rip with a neck-snapping guitar lead on "Deaf and Blind," and plow through you on the 80 second romp "Single File," which incidentally still manages to cram in a tightly wound breakdown. To recap: More! More! I want more!
- PastePunk

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Remember vinyl? Remember splits? Remember when punk rock and hardcore was relevant, dangerous and sweaty? All of this was in the day before digital downloading, before MTV and the Warped Tour sucked the saturation right out of aggressive music and diluted it for distribution at Hot Topic. These were the days before gloss punk.

Think Fast! Records has not forgotten these bygone years, but they have embraced the future by sending out a first for me (as a reviewer): an advanced copy of their vinyl release of the Only Crime/Outbreak split arrived in my mailbox as a credit card with a web address and a special code -- it's also available to the public as a digital download at Downloadpunk.com). This is the future of independent labels looking to promote their releases with less risk of financial loss. While I already would have been excited to get a fresh new batch of traditional hardcore punk, the environmentally friendly way in which it arrived broadened my interest tenfold.

So what of the music? At 4 songs, clocking in well under 10 minutes, the simple teaser release is a dirty appetizer that has found me replaying it again and again. The first half of the release offers Only Crime's punk friendly melodies (band members include former mates of Black Flag, Descendants and Good Riddance), while the last half is 3 minutes of Outbreak's metal-tinged fist-fight hardcore. It's short enough for even the most television-torn attention span.
- Ink19.com

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Hour Of The Wolf
"Waste Makes Waste"

Hour of the Wolf are one of the best punk bands in America—trust me. It's a familiar story, kind of a Zen thing (like the tree falling in a vacant forest), but The World Is Different Now: thanks to the Internet, the local band you always knew to be better than any national contenders can now play in the big leagues, gathering converts online as well as on tour. And they will; they already have. Hour of the Wolf has already begun to amass a following outside of their native Arizona - a following that can only grow, leaving us Arizonans to nod like proud parents at native sons who hit home runs.

Born in Prescott, Hour of the Wolf - who may or may not be named after an episode of the television show Babylon 5, an Ingmar Bergman movie, or a concept akin to “The Witching Hour” -play a kind of punk that zine ad copy might bill as “rock and roll influenced hardcore,” which usually just means that the guitar parts sound less like “Out of Step” and more like “Do You No Wrong.” But Hour of the Wolf are anything but formulaic, and they succeed where so many others have failed: on the strength of their songs.

A dirty secret: songwriting makes hardcore. To a large extent songwriting makes any form of music, but we all know the truth: many doom metallers can scrape by with the right pastiche of vintage gear, and a lot of noise artists fall back on a battery of exotic effects pedals rather than any actual aesthetic merit. Repeat ad nauseam with the genre of your choice. Minor Threat weren't just an innovative punk band; they were first-rate songwriters. And one of the big reasons why Hour of the Wolf is so special is that they can actually write a tune.

This band channels the back-alley, fire-breathing menace of Poison Idea, mixed with a whoa'd hookiness gene-spliced from Danzig's hair follicles or even the fingernails of an hungry young A.F.I., plus just a dash of Billy Zoom's silver-flaked glitter guitar—but under duress, like he'd been kidnapped and forced to supply his Chuck Berry-isms at gunpoint. The guitars actually have a nervous, amphetamine-addled edge that almost conjures up the ghost of Drive Like Jehu. It's a potent mix. Instead of coming off like empty placeholders for something mercurial that's gone tepid, Hour of the Wolf molest some of rock and roll's stale signifiers until they actually sound dangerous again.

Waste Makes Waste diverges a bit from the band's first recording, Power of the Wolf: the band sounds rougher, sharper, and even nastier than before, a shift signaled most by how singer Lance dials back his golden-throated “Last Caress”-isms slightly, favoring a more kerosene-gargling bark. Don't fret, there are still opportunities to get your whoa on—but as the liner notes promise/threaten, “no Pro Tools or nothin' . . . In other words, what we shit is what you get.” Thank God/Satan

The last record offered a cover of Black Flag's “Fix Me” as a hidden track; this time they do an even more inspired and scorched take of Mission of Burma's “That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate,” further cementing the fact that this punk ain't boilerplate. And Hour of the Wolf's covers sound the way they should: tossed off like a pinch of salt over the shoulder, an afterthought compared to their original jams.

There's not too much else to say. Too few bands today are playing inspired, ferocious punk rock. The downside of having more and more punk records available than ever is that too many would-be connoisseurs spend their time valorizing second-rate bullshit in an attempt to seem like dumpster-diving aesthetes. Don't fall into this trap. Hour of the Wolf play punk the way it should be: raw and unapologetic. I don't say this very often, so take note: buy now or fucking pose. 9/10
- ScenePointBlank.com

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If you're a fan of THE BRONX, but would prefer a little less Los Angeles sleaze in your music, look no further than Arizona's HOUR OF THE WOLF, a punk rock band that likens itself to THE MISFITS and MOTORHEAD, and doesn't look like chumps because of that. On this Waste Makes Waste EP, a follow-up to 2005's Power of the Wolf MCD, the band hones in their sharp sound with compact, 2 and a half minute-or-less tunes, busy bass lines, and raw, screaming guitars. Vocalist Lance Miller is a snarlin' beast throughout the EP's 15 minutes, but he doesn't garble his lyrics, and the lucidness of it all is pleasantly comforting. Waste Makes Waste was recorded entirely in analog with producer Bob Hoag and mastered by the folks at the Blasting Room. The end result is something that feels decidedly gritty but warm, especially in the lead guitars on opener "Taking Out The Trash," and the blitzin' three-chord thrashin' follow-up "Black Blood." If there was a word opposite to sterile that wasn't as cliche as "dirty" for punk rock, I'd be using it right here. Great stuff!
- PastePunk.com

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With their roots planted in the early days of punk and garage, Hour of the Wolf spits out tunes that are just fucking catchy as hell, that you can't help but want to blast as loud as your ears can stand as you drive down the street. Tunes like Black Blood with its infectious shout a long pieces and Animals Hot in Heat with its layered sound are the kind of songs that will amp you up for whatever mischief may be on the days menu.
- EctoMag.com

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I've been sitting on this EP for a while, and it's finally time I give it some print.

Hour of the Wolf dishes out seven ragers in a familiar fashion. Imagine The Bronx getting trashed and pulling an all nighter to write an EP in their basement and you have the breeding grounds for Hour of the Wolf. This is the soundtrack for driving like an absolute idiot, or anything else deemed sketchy. Waste Makes Waste is a conglomeration of rock and hardcore glistening in sweat, with a few surf riffs for good measure (like the one that opens the CD). The live energy translates 100% on record, but these fellas from Arizona also have substance to offer. Even though you may not be able to understand all the words, the hoarse chorus from "Taking Out the Trash" is catchy as hell, but be forewarned: it will get stuck in your head. "Heavy Living" bears that chunky guitar sound of the Cro-Mags, yet another selling point.

From the liner notes: "This was recorded completely analog, no Pro Tools or nothin'. In other words, what we shit is what you get." I wouldn't want it any other way.
- Adequacy.net

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Arizona’s Hour Of The Wolf deliver up a big slab of raw, old school sounding hardcore punk. Imagine The Explosion mixed with a bit of Black Flag and a spoonful of Street Dogs and you get a decent idea of Hour Of The Wolf’s heavy but catchy songs. I liked Set The Trash On Fire, Blue Recluse and Heavy Living the best. Waste Makes Waste is an powerful blast to the head and singer Lance's vocals have a Henry Rollins quality to them. There’s even a hidden track bringing the total to eight.
- ECRomper.com

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Anyone craving a fix of uproarious, rampaging rock ‘n’ roll –- and who isn’t? -– need look no further than Arizona’s Hour of the Wolf. Their Think Fast! debut, Waste Makes Waste, is dirty coffin-core at its finest, a carnage-spilling glee-fest from the possessed recesses of mania.

And, fitting for punk-rock that sounds straight from the boarded-up garage of the neighborhood’s mysterious residents, Hour of the Wolf hacks away inexhaustibly. Screams, shouts, howls and crazed exultations rev and roar like a garbage disposal disintegrating bone, while guitars rip and grind like rusted chainsaws; but the panicked rock-‘n’-riffing, short and stellar, is uncommonly addictive, with the right balance of clean-toned excursions countering the distortion. The pummeling percussion is blunt force trauma of the highest order, while the bass quakes like a horde of stampeding zombies. With a knack for incorporating earlier-era rock ‘n’ roll into a grimy, modern punk rock package –- “Taking Out the Trash” opens the album with a breath of the Beach Boys surf-rock before melting into screams and distortion –- Hour of the Wolf not only channels but tops The Bronx, and justifies mentions of the Misfits.

I couldn’t be happier to report Waste Makes Waste -- albeit lean at 20 minutes of actual music -- is nothing but fist-pumping, scream-along filth. Though a thick wall of crust covers this Blasting Room mastered masterpiece, it’s as memorable as the most finely tuned pop-punk. For the sake of sanitation, it’s a good thing all garbage isn’t so indispensable. 8/10
- GeekBurger.com

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DIRTY ROUGH AND NASTY: Somewhere between Social Distortion, Rocket from the Crypt minus the horn section, and Give 'Em Enough Rope-era Clash lies Hour Of The Wolf's new release on Think Fast! Records. Waste Makes Waste is a fast and furious seven song set that, from the last note of the roaring closer "Heavy Living," fairly begs to be spun again. The only real knock against this short blast punk 'n' roll is-despite how proficient and galvanizing the songs may be-there really isn't anything new under this particular sun. The more boldly abrasive tracks begin to touch upon something a bit more original, but Hour Of The Wolf-a fivesome from Prescott, Arizona-is not quite there yet. Still, there is much to be admired in a band that can marry a punk sneer with fist pumping anthems as capably as Hour Of The Wolf has on Waste Makes Waste. Reinventing the wheel would definitely take some steam out of the engine. No fan of this style of music wants that or, indeed, would be likely to accept it. They want the power and the glory, and on Waste Makes Waste, they'll find it. It is not difficult to imagine Hour Of The Wolf blowing the doors off your local rock club when that live show comes to town.
- Outburn

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These dudes play a melodic style of hardcore punk. Think Strike Anywhere with less clapping (not that I don't love Strike Anywhere. But I'm not so keen on the fast clap that is popping up at shows. I'll pass on that, thank you). This cd comes in with 7 songs topping 24 minutes. Now you're thinking, "That's over 3 minutes a track. That's not punk rock." BUT, the last track is 11 minutes with probably 8 of filler and then there is a bonus track. Plus some weird glass breaking or bubble wrap popping. That was actually a little creepy sounding. An enjoyable cd overall. I'm a little disappointed they weren't on the Bane/The Geeks/DTN/Ambitions leg of the tour I saw recently. Perhaps, next time. If you live in Phoenix or Tucson, you are in luck. The record release for this album is this weekend. Quit sleeping.
- HowsYourEdge.com

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The Geeks
"Every Time We Fall"

Hardcore punk in the vein of the old school youth crew bands like Judge, Youth of Today and Gorilla Biscuits! “Every Time We Fall” is The Geeks debut full-length. Yeah I know, right?! If you’re into this style of positive uplifting youth crew hardcore, you’ve already heard of them, with their inclusion on many compilations as well as their incredible EP “What’s Inside”. But if not, this South Korean band will win you over with their brand of positive hardcore mayhem. Outbreak’s singer Ryan O’Conner guests on the album and the group has already toured alongside such greats as Kill Your Idols, Champion, Ensign, Outbreak, and Down to Nothing.
- Smother.net

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In the same way that Jordan Baker said that HAVE HEART are for the believers in his 2006 year end list, I can very safely say the same thing about Seoul, Korea's THE GEEKS' record Every Time We Fall.

Paying attention now? Good.

The same positivity through adversity runs through both releases. Jordan described the disc as an Asian YOUTH OF TODAY, and the label is well-fitting. The songs usually don't break 3 minutes (only 4 break 90 seconds, and 2 of those are 1:33 and 1:36), and from the thunderous opening salvo of "Open Your Eyes", there's no metal to be found, just pure, unfiltered youth crew hardcore. Super fast drumming? Check. Yelled or screamed vocals? Check. Epic gang vocals? Of course. Guitars that cut like saw blades? Hell yeah. Two step parts? There's a couple. 

Make no mistake, if you're familiar with youth crew and you know what to expect from it, then this release will sound instantly familiar. But, hell, that just means you can sing and mosh along to the songs on the first listen. Much like Rivalry's THE FIRST STEP, conviction is something THE GEEKS have in spades, and if you ever went to a VFW and saw a youth crew band, listening to Every Time We Fall's positive, conviction filled lyrics should bring you back to those days faster than you could blink. It's not a time warp, but the lyrical topics are familiar. South Korean society seems fairly heavily stacked against rock and roll bands, and straight edge hardcore bands fall into that category, so the sincerity can't be faked.

"I know it's been said before, but it means more than I can say", Ki Seok Seo says in "My Foundation", and after the final gang vocals are finished at the end of the 12 song, 18 minute disc, there's no question that Every Time We Fall creates a foundation that - like the Battlecruiser in South Korea's favorite electronic pastime, Starcraft - is built to last.
- PastePunk.com

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These guys are from Seoul, South Korea and billed as South Korea’s only straight-edge band. Their sincerity is a throwback to the hardcore glory days of old. They tackle important topics the way an intelligent and talented hardcore band should.

Influenced by the sing-along anthems of 80’s American hardcore such as Youth Of Today and Uniform Choice they stay true to the tried and tested formula but don’t take that in a bad way. They do great, positive hardcore that I’m sure have the crowds singing along to every word.

The Geeks have toured with the likes of Kill Your Idols, Ensign, Champion, Down To Nothing, Outbreak, and The First Step. Ryan O’Connor from Outbreak also does guest vocals on “Every Time We Fall”.

“The greatest thing in life does not lie in never falling,” proclaims vocalist Ki, “but in rising every time we fall.”
- RebelNoise.com

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Straight from Korea, The Geeks play traditional, youth crew hardcore with enough energy and heart to make their power chords, sloppy shouts and sing-alongs just as riveting as -- if not more riveting than -- complex arrangements and inhuman musical ability. Every Time We Fall doesn't revolutionize hardcore in the slightest; instead, the band pens quick, feisty chord progressions, and slathers them over ripping, high-speed drumming and tasty bass lines. It's all familiar and it's been done before, but it's a year-2007 reminder that hardcore can stay the same -- not to mention simple -- and still sound urgent and enthused. The shouted, throaty vocals too fit the mold of just about any youth crew hardcore act, but they far exceed the norm, conveying the fervent energy and sweaty, vein-popping passion of a live performance. When I close my eyes and throw Every Time We Fall on a pair of headphones, it's seriously close to being there. Subtle tinges of heaviness and melody add a bit of texture to Every Time We Fall, but it's hardly in need of any bells and whistles. And that's because The Geeks are one of the few hardcore acts that have "it" -- a special something that makes them tower above the horde of nearly identical bands. 8/10
- GeekBurger.com

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While the geeks latest effort, Every Time We Fall, follows the Straight Edge formula of fast, hard, short and loud, it may not be the best album you'll buy in your lifetime. Still it will definitely work if you just need a quick dose of aggression to get you through the day. At least that is until you get to the eighth track, As We Speak. Sung in Korean, As We Speak takes The Geeks standard hardcore sound to an entirely different level. Maybe because its done in the band native language, who knows. Still this is the track that helps set Every Time We Fall and The Geeks from the rest of the pack.
- EctoMag.com

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The Geeks may be from Korea but have their American style straight edge h/c down to a tee. Hell, if this CD came in a plain white promo sleeve I’d have sure thought they were a U.S. band. Give Every Time We Fall a spin and you’ll see what I mean. This is pretty much but the numbers stuff with lots of energy and while I’ve heard a ton of bands doing this style over the years, I never seem to tire of it. The Geeks rip shit up- check ‘em out.
- ECRomper.com

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The Geeks: Korean straight edge hardcore with a youth crew twist. I know what you're thinking; the first time I heard it I didn't believe it either. After hearing mention of The Geeks, my first inclination was to write them off as a novelty band. But then I heard The Geeks' debut 7” What's Inside and I knew they were for real. Two years later now, the band returns with their debut full-length Every Time We Fall, twelve tracks of positive hardcore done right.

Every Time We Fall starts things off with “Open Your Eyes” and immediately it as though you have been transported back in time to when bands like Youth of Today, Insted, and Side By Side ruled the scene. The Geeks deliver fast-paced and aggressive hardcore, but with a melodic tone and those oh-so-stereotypical youth crew vocals.

The Geeks blaze threw song after song of hardcore punk - no beefed up metal riffs here - that usually clock it below the minute and a half mark. Each song is comprised of the well-skilled guitar duo of Jun-sung Kang and Jun-chul Lee. Over the course of the twelve songs they demonstrate their dexterity and ferocity. Im-young Choi's matches the intensity equally. And what of Bong-kyu Jung's bass playing? Well, it is actually noticeable in the mix, which is a nice change of pace for a hardcore band.

Lyrically, vocalist Ki primarily concerns himself with the topic of overcoming adversity. “Let it Fade” is one of my favorites, “I haven't lost / You just can't see what I see / Try to blame it on me? / But it can't get in the fucking way / I won't let it fade,” which is promptly followed by gang-vocals chanting the title over and over. “Pushed Aside” is another favorite of mine, “You keep talking your shit but I don't give a fuck / I've been pushed aside but you will be soon out of luck / I won't listen to your lies and won't change the way I live / I've got nothing in return. I will just walk away.” On an interesting lyrical note, the song “As We Speak” is actually sung entirely in Korean (save for the last verse). You've got to admire a band conveying their thoughts and feelings so well in their second language when so many bands here in the U.S. can't write good lyrics in their only language.

Where Every Time We Fall loses points is that the music is lacking in originality. The sound is deeply rooted in the '88 era of hardcore, so it's been done before. However, to The Geeks' credit, they do it particularly well. The only other gripe I have with these songs is that they tend to run by really quickly. The solution here is simple: just push play once the CD has finished spinning.

At the end of the day, The Geeks and their debut full-length Every Time We Fall are much more than a novelty affair. The album is filled with superb music and heartfelt lyrical content. If you're lucky enough to see The Geeks live, be prepared to stagedive your ass off and scream your lungs out.
- ScenePointBlank.com

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What can be said about The Geeks that hasn't already been said? You know they are from Korea. You know they are super positive dudes. You know they rock. What else is there to say? This release, Every Time We Fall, comes out of the Think Fast Records camp. Larry and Ryan have their fingers on the pulse of modern hardcore. The Geeks live up to that challenge with this release. 12 positive hardcore tracks, plenty of sing alongs, finger pointing opportunities and lots of ear to ear smiles all around. Keep your eyes peeled for the vinyl coming from Get Outta Town Records. And check those inserts. So many chill pics with "solid dudes." Gotta love solid dudes. Gotta love The Geeks.
- HowsYourEdge.com

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Bullet Treatment
"The Mistake"

Carrying the name of such highly respected punk acts such as Suicidal Tendencies and The Drips on their shoulders as well as the more recently famed hardcore phenomenon The Bronx, It's safe to say the stakes are already set pretty high for Bullet Treatment's Think Fast Records debut "The Mistake". Although this band follows a "create at convenience" mentality, the extra time taken to creat these tunes have truly made the outcome of this disc a charm to be adored by any punk rock fan out there. Although the band is mostly just a side-project, I think with any effort and the proper publicity, Bullet Treatment could bring punk music back to the state it was years ago before the pop punk craze hit the mainstream.

When popping in this disc I honestly couldn't believe the sounds I was hearing was merely a side project for a couple of dudes in other bands. With the short length that is pretty typical of older punk and the raw sound that not only recreates the genre as it was before, but also redefines and stretches the guidlines of the music style as it is today, it's safe to say that this clever sounding band influenced by the likes of Black Flag, The Descendents (older), Sick of it All, and Minor Threat could be here to stay for a very long time. Some tracks that really shocked me on this disc were "Coke Nose," "Spread My Legs," "Grindstone," "A Hundred Faces," and "Father and Son". Although mostly very simplistic, the overall shock factor of this disc really hit hard for me, and proved that punk music could still be pretty simple and yet fun. The track "Grindstone" turned over a new page for me in the punk sound, with the inclusion of various vocal harmonies, not to mention the expression of making music for nobody but themselves. Not only does that prove that Bullet Treatment is not trying to just make a copycat sound of the past, but it also shows that they are willing to venture mostly uncharted territory to the genre and express their enjoyment in creating the music they are displaying on the disc.

Although the glory days of the Dead Kennedies, the Sex Pistols, Black Flag, and Minor Threat are kind of far past, Bullet Treatment has made a generous and very respectable effort in bringing back that hype around punk that once existed as well as redefine the sound. Basic may be a word tossed around when it comes to the guitar work, but I think it helps show that something doesn't have to be overly technical to still shock crowds. The vocals are displayed very free-lance and outgoing in a perfect punk intonation that honestly would be a nice addition to more of The Bronx's work and as for the drumming, I would say that the speed of the beats used are perfectly in tuned and hardly ever out of line, which helps create a fast-paced background that makes you want to circle pit. Bullet Treatment's debut "The Mistake" did for me exactly what New Bruises most recent release did. It brought back feelings of the past and made me remember how strong the punk community used to be. But this time around Bullet Treatment takes away the past tense usage of greatness and brings it back in full force the way it was years ago. 8.5/10
- SkylinePress.net

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Inspired by the sounds of earlier hardcore / punk rock bands like Bad Religion, Minor Threat, Descendents, Ramones, 7 Seconds, Bad Brains & Dead Kennedys. You get exactly what you expect... musically that is.

That's pretty much all you need to know about BULLET TREATMENT - ultra fast hardcore/punk like they made it 20 something years ago, with Matt Caughthran from THE BRONX handling lead vocal duties. Half of the album's 16 songs are played at a clip just under grind speeds, while the remaining songs follow through with a more bombastic, swagger-dragging beat. "Grindstone," dabbles in both, starting off with bar rock sensibilities, and then igniting into a clusterfuck of ludicrous speed guitars and drumming. This Mistake is the audio equivalent of watching a power washer destroy grime and dirt particles from a piece of decking. Songs like "Touch Us," "Trapped Inside," and "Already Dead" are the epitome of punk and hardcore at its most caustic ceiling. Caughthran's vocal style consists mainly of agonized howling and the type of screaming usually associated with self-performed surgery, with brief interludes of mild-tempered singing, not unlike the fella that used to front FROM ASHES RISE. At only 22 minutes in length, This Mistake is ruthlessly efficient and shreds without interruption. Give your music collection a kick in the pants - This Mistake is a jaw-dislocating kind of release
- PastePunk.com

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What can be said about BULLET TREATMENT that hasn't already been said, and probably already said by me? They rule. This punk rock-version of MENUDO (rotating lineup – get it?) is back with Matt from THE BRONX kicking teeth in on lead vocals once again. Fucking tight, fucking fast, and FUCKING GOOD. Definitely one of the better CDs I've heard this year. If for some reason you have yet to check these dudes out, stop being stupid and get this right away. If you are at all let down, if you don't think this is some seriously balls-to-the-wall first-rate shit, you're fucked. It doesn't get much faster or much louder than this. Oh, and they thanked me in the CD – that right there guaranteed a good review. Just kidding. Kind of.
- AMP Magazine

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Once again, Matt Caughthran of The Bronx is providing vocal duties for the ever changing lineup on Bullet Treatment. I can't help but look for similarities with Matt's other band, but they are not that closely related. Sure its his voice, but with Bullet Treatment, he's even grittier with a more in your face delivery. But lets not focus simply on vocals. This is simply no nonsense straightforward punk rock. Nothing pretty, nothing whiney, nothing too slow, nothing too catchy, just intense pure punk on every track. This is the band's first full length release which now finds them on Think Fast! Records. The band proves to have great chops on this release. If anything, whether you like this or not, The Mistake gives the listener a reminder of real hardcore; back when the kids were doing it rather than the majors. Best tracks here include track 5, "Grindstone", but I'm really diggin' track 10, "Friday Night". If you're lucky, you might actually see them do a rare live West Coast show.
- PunkRockParents.com

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True to form Bullet Treatment's "The Mistake" is Punk played loud fast and hard. While this disc may be a bit more polished than some of their other work, it doesn't distract from their sound at all. "The Mistake" has the same driving drums and blistering guitar work. In fact smoothing out some of the rough edges has probably made this their sharpest disc to date. Trax like "A Reason For Violence" and "Friday Night" are just flat out awesome fucking songs and this may be the best Bullet Treatment album to date.
- EctoMag.com

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What started out as a band that would record some covers for a couple of comps, turned into something a bit different. To date Bullet Treatment has released split albums, 7"s, EPs and now with "The Mistake", a full-length. With its revolving door policy it's not easy to keep track of who's in the band but at the time of recording Bullet Treatment was founding member DC, Matt from The Bronx and the Hidalgo brothers who have previously played in Suicidal Tendencies.

Other than that not a whole lot has changed since I heard the "What More Do You Want?" EP... Bullet Treatment plays fast, brutal and in your face pissed off hardcore punk that takes cues from seminal acts such as Black Flag, 7 Seconds and Minor Threat. But it's a lot more than paying a tribute to the old days. Song like "Grindstone" or 'Friday Night" will set you immediately straight if that's what you think! 8.5/10
- PunkRockTheory.com

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When four guys who have experience in such bands as Suicidal Tendencies and The Bronx come together to play traditional hardcore with a modern aesthetic, something good is likely to result. The Mistake proves that it does. While this act is a self-proclaimed side project and doesn't get its members undivided attention, their latest work has me wishing the band could do some nation-wide treks and play the world's dingiest clubs. Sixteen songs of straightforward, high-speed chord progressions, blazing drumming, throat-shredding screams and a healthy dose of accessible tempos in about 23 minutes -- what's not to like?
- GeekBurger.com

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The Dischord and SST Records hardcore ethos collide via savage synchronicity on East L.A.-based Bullet Treatment's latest effort. A fabulously furious assault of both East and West Coast punchy punk adolescence, Bullet Treatment isn't just a mere throwback to the halcyon days of circle pits at CBGB. Sporting an experienced roster — including Bronx vocalist Matt Caughthran — and an album that tears through its track listing at a largely blistering pace ("Hand in Hand"), Bullet Treatment proves there's simply no mistake to be found. A-
- Mean Street Magazine

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California has alot to be proud of. Miles of beautiful scenery, months of warm weather and now, thanks to their album hitting the streets, Bullet Treatment. Here's the story (in a nutshell): Punk rock music has become stale. What was once was, now isn't. Everything is "punk". Nothing really shocks or breaks ground like it used to. 

So, I get this record in the mail called, "The Mistake". I have listened to these guys before but I don't recognize the vocals. You see this band's line-up isn't set in stone. Whomever has the time comes in helps out and then goes back to working on other projects. Cool! Anyways, I start to listen to this record and I am absolutely blown away. Every song is short, fast and pure. No filler and no garbage. Now this is what I call "punk rock"! Prepare yourself. In closing: You really got to hear this album!
- MutinyZine.com

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Bullet Treatment is a band I've been wanting to check for a while now simply based on the fact that the band features members of The Bronx and Suicidal Tendencies. I'm certainly glad I did because this CD rips. 16 songs of fast and short punk rock. Each song is short and to the point with extra crap being thrown in. While this record is pissed, it's also very catchy which is a pretty tough thing to do. Check out the song "Grindstone", it cooks. This record is highly recommended.
- Status Magazine

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BULLET TREATMENT is a band with a lot of "punk" background. Members have been or are in bands such as THE BRONX, SEXYTIME EXPLOSION, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, & MOTHER NATURES REVENGE. They have a revolving door when it comes to the lineup and this time around they got 2 of the founding members back. I'm normally not too into hardcore or punk (that is such a wide range of music by today's standards so i wouldn't really call it punk) albums. This one however i'm into. I don't know why, but it sits a little easier with me than other stuff that my fellow co-workers play in the store. There is a little more song structure and with Matt from THE BRONX singing that may be it. I put the album on while on my way home from work and noticed i got home a bit quicker. The album is only 25 minutes long with 16 tracks. Stand out track for me is "Grindstone" cause i like the lyrics "I don't make music for you". You can preview the album on one of the listening stations in the store for the month of November.
- San Diego Music

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Bullet Treatment = Inside Out + Kill Your Idols. The problem with most new hardcore records, be they metal or punk tinged, how reigned in they are by the production quality. Bullet Treatment's newest release, their first true full length, can be summed up in one word: unbridled. The damage of shredding screams can be heard in Matt Caughthran's (The Bronx) vocals. None of the washed over reigned in vocals that are present on so many releases are on this album. It's most apparent in the fleeting moments of sung vocals. The damage is there, the vocals are dirty, messy, and slightly out of tune, and it's what makes this throwback shine. They are exactly the kick in the pants that's needed. There isn't too much punk rock chords can do, sort of like food at the Olive Garden; 2 sauces and 4 pastas doesn't allow for much originality, but if waiters started catapulting meals at unsuspecting customers it would be a different story. So, even though the music isn't terribly original the vocal shredding keeps it together. The Mistake feels like a live show that's crammed into a stereo and doesn't disappoint in its homage to the early 1980's of hardcore punk rock.
- Slug Magazine

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This is BULLET TREATMENT’S official debut full-length ("What More Do You Want?" is considered a mini-album due to it’s shortness). ‘The Mistake’ delivers 16 cuts in 20 minutes- so they’re not slowing things down too much!!! Which is good news!! Their sound is straightforward, old school hardcore punk. No bullshit, no useless embellishment- just throat ripping, fast and stylish. Never metallic which wins massive points from me! The closest comparison I can make is a blend of early BLACK FLAG, MINOR THREAT, ANGRY SAMOANS, BAD BRAINS and ADOLESCENTS. This incarnation of BULLET TREATMENT (for those of you who don’t know, the band members are ever-changing) marks the return of founder DC (Chuck from Basement Records) on guitar as well as the return of Matt Caughthran (The BRONX) on vocals with Vince and Dave from SUICIDAL TENDENICES, MOTHER NATURE’S REVENGE, THE DRIPS etc. This is a wild, wild record that represents everything great about the early hardcore sound- nobody else comes close to this and it always sounds so natural with BULLET TREATEMNT and maybe that’s all down to their trademark member-rotation that keeps things so fresh. This band is unstoppable and this full-length is fucking sick. Out of control and just what we need as we approach 2008 as I’m certain a whole strew of meaningless so-called punk rock shit will be released next year so I’ll just get absorbed in this thank you very much and lose myself;f yet again in the wonder that is BULLET TREATMENT. The vinyl version of ‘the Mistake’ is on Basement Records and the CD version is on Think Fast Records. Get them both – I have.
- No Front Teeth

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LA PUNK SUPERGROUP HIT THE BULLSEYE WITH FULL LENGTH. Using a revolving line-up for the seven years since their inception, Bullet Treatment - counting members of Suicidal Tendencies and The Drips among their 20 plus contributors - only record during the rare windows of time when their day jobs permit. For their latest outing, The Bronx's frontman Matt Caughthran has been called forward to carry out vocal duties and his bile-spitting howls provide the vicious edge to a sound that leans further towards Black Flag's breakneck hardcore then the Bronx's rock n' roll swagger. Highlights like Pointless Conversation and Grindstone are masterful slabs of no frills punk at its most exhilarating. KKKK
- Kerrang

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Ambitions
"Question"

The truly great hardcore bands are the ones that make you feel like you're watching them front and center when in reality, you're glued to your headphones, caught up in some mundane function of human existence. Three bands that have consistently done this for me over the years have been H2O (even during the Go years), BANE, and IGNITE. I haven't had the good fortune of seeing AMBITIONS live yet, but with their debut release, Question, I know for sure that with their sharp music and fantastic lyrics, they will fit into this grouping with total ease.

To backtrack for a moment, AMBITIONS is a bit a of a strange project. Comprised on record of a line-up that is entirely made up of members of WITH HONOR, the group stylistically reverts back to WITH HONOR's harder direction on Heart Means Everything, and away from the more punk rock edge that predominates the band's most recent release This Is Our Revenge. If you wanted to know where the "core" went on Revenge, perhaps Question is the late-coming answer. Notably, AMBITIONS plays live as a five piece, sometimes including the illustrious Matts of SHAI HULUD, Matt Fox and Matt Fletcher. Question is seven songs of absolutely blazin' melodic hardcore that is rife with every necessary songwriting device out there -- gang vocals, two-step dance parts, and crucial breakdowns. Momentum and energy just burst from the EP and every vocal hook sung by Jay Aust sounds strikingly familiar. Aust's vocals come close to the range of IGNITE's Zoli Teglas, but without the operatic flair. His voice immediately takes root and it's practically impossible hold out from singing along. AMBITIONS may not toiling or tinkering with a new formula for hardcore, but they have certainly perfected matters of execution.

While the entire Question EP is a total blast, the first two tracks together form a rather amazing pairing. "Uphill Battle" finishes with huge shouts of IT'S IN OUR HANDS / IT'S WHERE WE STAND, and as your catching your breath, "Neon Lights," woos you with a mid-paced, dark intro, before breaking apart into a frenzied song about self-doubt, regret, and figuring out how to move on. Lyrics are an extremely solid part of AMBITIONS, and the band offers up a mission statement in the insert sheet that sets up the tone for Question -- "It's so easy to get caught up in routine that you don't realize how quickly the time is passing. At a time in our lives where we are supposed to be settling into a direction, it feels like we're still searching... I think hardcore, and music in general, should be about pushing your boundaries. About putting a piece of yourself out in the open for the world to see. About not being afraid to own up to your feelings, aspirations, and failures." It's hard to make a bold statement in a mere 16 minutes of music, but AMBITIONS does just that -- and the title track, sums it up beautifully -- "If you have a little faith in yourself, before you listen to someone else, you're entitled to your own say, and the right to live your own way.". A must own.
- PastePunk.com

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Ambitions' music is electrifying, exciting, explosive and energizing. And what less would one expect from a melodic hardcore band that features Jay Aust, Jeff Aust and John Ross of With Honor and (since recording Question) Matt Fox and Matt Fletcher of Shai Hulud? Add to the experienced lineup a killer vocal presence and it's hardly a surprise that such a powerful repository of "e" words describes Ambitions' sound.

The band pens ultra precise, ultra concise melodic hardcore that, although reminiscent of With Honor's first pair of releases, has enough distinguishing qualities to make confusing the two groups nearly impossible. Jay Aust is a truly impressive vocalist -- as both a fuming screamer and more collected singer -- and he bellows loads of liveliness and sincerity into Question. His soaring, clean singing is comparable to that of Ignite's Zoli Teglas, but Aust exchanges note-for-note perfection for a slightly rougher performance. It renders Question an immediately recognizable record and makes for some unforgettable hooks.

While Question's seven songs generally clock in between one and three minutes, the Aust brothers brave the brevity and tightly pack each track with carefully layered guitar parts. Sure, there are traditional, racing chord progressions, but the duo stays downright busy by incorporating melodic picking arrangements and frequently weaving in and out of different parts. The rhythm section warrants praise for its precision and subtle technicalities, and rounds out Ambitions' rather complex musicianship.

Ambitions goes above and beyond. The band muscles their way out of the standard hardcore mold but, at the same time, maintains a focus on the genre's traditional elements. Question may last a painfully short 16 minutes, but it's a mountainous showing of promise, tact and hopeful thinking. 8/10
- GeekBurger.com

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When most people think Hardcore, they usually think of something that