EP 283: Mt. RushCORE
Killer episode this week on the pod. Check it out here, here, or here. Playlist here.
This week we argued over what should be on the Mt. RushCORE for certain eras or subgenres of hardcore punk. I thought these might be pretty universal, so maybe we’d be able to wrap up early and go play some hacky sack or something, but it didn’t play out that way.
There were no fifth place winners or honorable mentions on the episode, so I thought that I’d choose a notable record from each category that didn’t make the South Dakota rock for tha ‘stack.
Powerviolence 7”: Capitalist Casualties Raised Ignorant 7” Slap-A-Ham Records (1993)
This 2nd Capitalist Casualties record is one of my favorite powerviolence records because at the end of the day, it’s just ripping fast hardcore. In fact, some folks might argue that this or Infest aren’t even PV to begin with. Who knows, really? Definitely not me, a self-admitted powerviolence poser. But this 7” is on Slap-A-Ham in ‘93 and they use the scissor beat gratuitously, so it’s PV to me, dude. I fought for this record to make the 4-slot on the episode but conceded that the Neanderthal 7” probably belongs.
This record is so f’n great though. It mixes the best elements of old school USHC, the emerging classic PV sound, and even a bit of PV’s even uglier cousin, grindcore—peep the double kick on the mosh of “On The Take.” Is anything more ripping than “Sty of Christ?” Raised Ignorant is 10 songs in 9 minutes; all killer, no filler.
These days it seems like most “powerviolence” bands I see are clandestine beatdown bands, drop-tuned and rushing to the breakdown. Instead of drop tuning, consider dropping your guitar off at the Goodwill and maybe some kid will swoop it up and play hardcore on it one day. Perhaps they’ll even start a band and put out a record half as good as Raised Ignorant.
Clevo hardcore: Ringworm Birth is Pain LP Victory Records (2001)
Again, I concede that the Ringworm demo and The Promise LP are the stone cold classics in their catalog but if we’re talking about greatest comeback records, this has to be in the conversation. Catch me on the right day and it’s my favorite Ringworm release, period.
Both Ringworm and Integrity mastered this metal/hardcore hybrid sound in the early/mid ‘90s which I consider completely its own thing, distinct from what would be considered metalcore. I’d even hesitate to call it proto-metalcore, a label that I think might be fair for bands like AcMe, Unbroken, and early Earth Crisis, whose sounds you can hear throughout ‘90s metalcore and beyond but shouldn’t be tainted with the scarlet M.
The same year that Integrity put out their awful Integrity 2000 LP, Ringworm reemerged from a six-year hibernation and released their first recorded material since 1993’s The Promise—a three song demo called Madness of War. I’d be lying if I told you that I heard it when it came out, but I did hear those three songs when they were re-recorded and released on their 2001 LP, Birth is Pain. It had been four years since Integrity’s last good album and three years since Hell On Earth. I wasn’t the only one who ate it up. We had needed more Clevo-core.
Birth is Pain sounds monstrous and that’s no surprise—it’s another Bill Korecky production, captured in the den of iniquity: the Mars Recording Compound. No one else could get that signature Clevo sound like Bill. For example, it was sorely missing on Integrity’s 2003 LP, To Die For, an otherwise impressive comeback record.
In an era where every album seemed three songs too long, Birth is Pain is one that makes you want to jam it again when it’s done. It’s 11 songs in 25 minutes and none are filler. Seriously, every song bangs. Listen to the bass break into the mosh on “Self Destruct” and remind yourself that this part exists anytime that you consider uttering the term “God-tier” in reference to something else.
1980s NYHC LP: Warzone Don’t Forget The Struggle, Don’t Forget The Streets LP Fist Records (1987)
The brutality of the Mt. Rushcore experiment is exemplified with the absence of this record’s album cover carved into the mountainside. Victim In Pain, Age of Quarrel, and Brightside are stone cold locks for sure. It’s gotta be a three-way-dance for the 4th spot: this Warzone LP, the Judge LP, or the first Sick of It All LP. I think we made the right choice, but it wasn’t easy.
Still, I think DFTS, DFST is a true litmus test for the core. If you don’t love “As One,” do you really love HC? Debatable!
1980’s NYHC 7”: Madball Ball of Destruction In-Effect Records (1989)
I go back and forth all the time with where this 7” belongs in a 1980s ranking. On one hand, it’s hard to separate the music from the gimmick knowing that it’s an Agnostic Front side project for Roger’s 12 year old brother on the mic. At the time, Agnostic Front had moved on from writing fast thrashers like the songs on this 7”, so the record is mostly made up of AF re-recordings or older cast off tunes. But sometimes when I put this 7” on, I swear it’s even better than the Abused 7”.
It’s eight songs in six minutes and every song is memorable. The AF songs you know and love don’t sound like retreads and the new songs are some of the best hardcore songs ever. And five years later, Roger’s kid brother would grow up to sing on the best hardcore LP of the 1990s—a total vindiction that Ball of Destruction was less Mad Society novelty and more so the origin story of one of the GOATs.
Madball still plays like three of the songs from this 7” on the reg. What do we have to do to get “We Should Care” into the setlist though?
Hardcore LP 2000-2004: Destruct Cries the Mocking Mother Nature LP Grave Mistake Records (2003)
The 2024 Kriegshög LP was our raw punk inclusion on this Mt. Rushcore. On my solo one, that LP would probably be interchangeable with the Public Acid LP or this Destruct LP.
Look, everything about this record rips and so does their first LP and all the other releases they’ve put out. But what makes this band so special is the drumming, probably the best in the whole game, and here it is laid out for you in the first 13 seconds. That tom work, into the AHHHHH, into the blazing fast d-beat…Jesus dude, if that doesn’t grab you, what will? It’s like the first five seconds of “Hallowed Point” in hardcore form. If you don’t love it, what are you even doing here, dude?
Violent Spirit Fire 7” Young Guns 2 Records (2021)
In a total dick move, I argued against this 7” being included on Mt. Rushcore but included it here. This might be a personal top four of the format/era but I don’t know if it had a wide enough reach or the impact to be included in the synthesized list. All that said, this record sounds like nothing else—Paul Di’Anno era Maiden meshed with ‘90s kängpunk mixed with…I dunno, the first X Japan single? It’s fucking awesome.
You ever have rare-but-not-valuable items in your record want list? Often times these are the most frustrating records to track down. I’m resigned to the fact that I’ll never have an original Project X or Execute 7” in my collection, but why was it so hard to track down the Violent Spirit 7”? Finally last year I broke down and ordered one in Europe off Discogs and had it sent to a friend in England who mailed it to me. Shoutout Boardy—a Mt. Rushcore level dude for sure.
My band Subversive Intent has a new LP coming out May 1st on Rebirth Records. I’m super proud of it and can’t wait for you to hear it…on vinyl, when you order two copies.
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- ZN