Episode 233: 2004

Killer episode this week on the pod. Check it out here, here, or here and check the playlist here or here.

---

2004 was a pretty significant year in hardcore for me personally. After doing two full US tours in 2003, my band In Control broke up at the end of 2004. I had made that call in ‘03 and honestly I don’t know why we stuck around for an extra year. We went from playing something like 70 shows in 2003 to 5 in 2004. The combo of burnout, envy, and just being a young asshole really made this a period of time where I didn’t take in a lot of new HC that I enjoyed at the time. I was also busy working in the call center at a porno company, drinking at dive bars around Ventura County, and buying Pride FC DVDs at Suncoast in the mall.

Anyway, now that I’m a more affable guy 20 years later, I can look back on this period with a bit of perspective. It was a pretty important time in a handful of different lanes. Terror released their first official LP and solidified themselves as the best band in HC. The Rivalry records stuff and Amazing-core was on fire and Champion emerged as the flag bearer for E-standard roots hardcore after releasing their LP on Bridge 9. California labels 1917 and Malfunction were cranking out releases. Annihilation Time put out their much loved 2nd LP leaning more into a punk ‘n’ roll sound and became the soundtrack for sleazebags worldwide. This year was the quiet before the storm for the No Way scene being the year after the Direct Control demo, and the year before their LP and the Government Warning 7” would come out. In ‘06 it would open wide up and thrive into the next decade. Lockin’ Out Records made the jump from being a hobby label to a big dog on the yard with new records from Mental, Righteous James, The Wrong Side, and others. Hell yea.

Here are our lists of the best punk and hardcore songs of 2004:

Let’s jump into mine…

86 Mentality “Get Away” S/T 7” Grave Mistake/Minor Disturbance

I’d like to think that Gary Floyd just joined Darby Crash, Johnny Ramone, Stiv Bators and other punk royalty beyond the beyonds, where they sit on clouds and dish out punk voices to future generations. I dunno who I did wrong in a past life, but someone decided to give me an angry Homer Simpson voice. On the other hand, Steve from 86 Mentality got gifted with the golden voice (shoutout Gary Tovar). It’s perfectly gruff and mean yet decipherable, and he lays it down perfect over this zero bullshit hardcore punk song. In the past 40 years, lots of bands have attempted that first wave USHC sound but few would’ve been able to slide right in with the original bunch. This is one of the rare breed.

Annihilation Time “Panic” II Manic Ride/Six Weeks

This was Annihilation Time’s 2nd LP but first with new singer Jimmy Rose. They traded in the Bl’ast Flag sound for a more sleazy, uptempo punk ‘n’ roll style and vibe. It clicked and most people consider this the classic Annihilation Time record (III is my favorite, since you asked.) The song “Panic” is one of their most stripped down songs, drawing more from Nervous Breakdown than My War. It’s probably no coincidence that this song shares a name with the pre-Black Flag band. Total ripper - you’re slamming.

Terror “Spit My Rage” One With The Underdogs Trustkill/Bridge 9

It’s hard to describe the level of hype that Terror had when they started. Especially because unlike many other hyped bands that have come and gone, Terror’s ascension to the top of the HC heap was backed up by some of the greatest songs in the history of the genre and a savage live show. Their first 12” came out in December of 2002 and since then it had been nonstop pounding the pavement showing the world what’s up with real hardcore. So yea, the pressure was on when it came time to do their first proper full length LP.

But the Jones/Vogel/Jett trio is unstoppable and they cranked out a bunch of classics that are still in the setlist today. One of those is “Spit My Rage” - a furious track that highlights A-level Todd riffage dancing on top of Nick’s chunky fast beat, and painted with one of the greatest voices in HC. So brüt; so catchy. And in the final sequence you get Jones’ God-tier level right hand reminding you that really you kinda suck at guitar.

Internal Affairs “Nothing” Split 7”w/Allegiance Malfunction/Rival

Seven second scissor beat verse. Guitar ring out with the bass still strumming. Add that “Empty Promises”-esque kick drum. Hit a non-mosh mosh call. Youth crew toms. End with another seven second scissor beat verse. HC perfection. You should try it.

The Wrong Side “Hangman’s Noose” Of The Grave Lockin’ Out

I talked on the episode about how a lot of the Lockin’ Out stuff missed me at the time and my general aversion to any sort of fun music. Regardless, these bands were a force. I saw Stop & Think, Righteous Jams, and Mental all in their prime and they were superb live bands.

I don’t know if I ever even listened to the Dump Truck Feelin’ Good demo until this year, based on the name and again, my aversion to any sort of fun music. Regardless, The Wrong Side LP is my favorite record on Lockin’ Out in the 00’s by far. As an Ipod owner and an MP3 hoarder, this was one of the pleasant surprise downloads that I made in the mid or late 00’s while filling out my e-music collection with any hardcore I could find. I think it captures the Raybeez/Outburst 7” vibe like some of the other Lockin’ Out bands, but it also has the backbone of having lots of fast parts. Maybe with the band being a Mental side project, there was a bit more of a DGAF vibe on here. The record also sounds fucking great, being a product of Jamie Locke and Normandy Sound. I chose “Hangman’s Noose” for its full YOLO style: short fast verse into a super catchy breakdown, into an Integrity-style breakdown, into a Peter Gunn/“Something Must Be Done”-ass breakdown. DA FUQ? This rules so hard.

Blacklisted “That Ain’t Real Much” Our Youth Is Wasted Stillborn/Up All Night

Fucked Up put out that collection LP Epics In Minutes in 2003. Great fucking title, although the majority of their songs are too many minutes. “That Ain’t Real Much” on the other hand is an epic truncated to 90 seconds. Fast part > kick drum ring out > mosh part. And this “Empty Promises” kick drum sequence appears on a record that fittingly came out on Stillborn. It’s amazing to me with this song being so short how much they still are able to let this song breathe. It’s an all-timer of the early Blacklisted catalog.

Knife Fight “Burning Bridges Pt. 2” Burning Bridges EP My War

Knife Fight followed up their 2003 S/T 7” with this one in ‘04. Whadda get? You get both sides of the Last Rights 7”, a mid-tempo Discharge-esque banger, and a straight down the plate hardcore track. Ben took “Burning Bridges Pt. 1” aka “Chunks” so to close out the playlist, I took “Burning Bridges Pt. 2” aka “So Ends The Night.” Really this is a dartboard record, as is the first 7”, as is pretty much the whole discography.

Why does every band playing a roots hardcore style these days have to be “stompy?” Listen to more Knife Fight and 86 Mentality (or SOA and Negative FX).

---

Hardcore rules - peace!

- ZN