Mystic Records Part 6 (1986)
Mystic Records Part 6 (1986)
Before I get into it, check my want list here and get in touch if you have any of these. I posted a full discography here.
Gun to my head, I’m picking 1986 as the best year of Hardcore Punk’s recorded output. In 1985, HC split in a bunch of different directions and gave us some killer EPs and some really good 12”s, but in 1986 we get some of the greatest American Hardcore LPs of all time:
Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel
Uniform Choice Screaming For Change
Youth Of Today Break Down The Walls
Bl’ast The Power of Expression
Bad Brains I Against I
Dag Nasty Can I Say
Poison Idea Kings Of Punk
Slapshot Back On The Map
Die Kruezen S/T
Also in the US, we got three of the most classic Crossover LPs: Agnostic Front Cause For Alarm, Attitude Adjustment American Paranoia and Crumbsuckers Life Of Dreams. In Japan, Gauze released their seminal (and best) 2nd LP Equalizing Distort and Lipcream released Kill Ugly Pop. Young 2nd wave HC bands continued to form. In New York, Crippled Youth released their 7” and in So Cal, Insted and Half Off released their demos.
Across the pond in the UK while Discharge officially shit the bed with Grave New World, a band called Heresy from just outside their hometown, Stoke-on-Trent, was pushing the limits of speed with their debut flexi-7” Never Healed. Just east in the Netherlands, Lärm was doing the same with their debut 7” No One Can Be That Dumb. In Sweden, Anti-Cimex put out their ripping S/T 12” and what was probably the first D-Beat band in the true sense of the word, Discard, put out their cassette Sound Of War.
We also have to mention that Slayer Reign In Blood, Kreator Pleasure To Kill, and Metallica Master Of Puppets came out in 1986. The Queen is Dead came out too if your ears need a break from all this savagery.
So yea, 1986…pretty sick year for music, eh? This is all to say that the glory days of Mystic Records were over and they captured none of it.
In 1986, Mystic Sound Studio at 6277 Selma Avenue in Hollywood closed and Doug Moody moved to San Diego County. Without being in such close proximity to a club like Cathay De Grande (which had also closed), he never really got his hands on truly fresh stuff again. Instead of being able to offer young bands free studio time, he was mostly resigned to having bands send in recordings which lead to even shittier sounding albums by worse bands than the heyday of 1983-1985.
Let’s get into it…
The Stain I Know The Scam 12” Mystic Records, 1986
This is a pretty annoying 12” that sounds like what would happen if you crossed RKL with some terrible Sunset Strip hair metal. I might have enjoyed it in my teens if it was paired with a 6-pack of High Life talls and it was background music while I was playing video games or something, but yea…still probably not. This Toledo, OH band did this 12” and another 7” on Mystic.
Drummer, Jon Stain, has a pretty interesting story that you can read here. He ran a punk club in his teens and went on to compose the music for Vision Street Wear skate videos. No one stays cool forever though and this chode turned into a GOP activist who now has a super strange social media presence where he appears to just repost republican politicians…and Duff McKagan. Da fuq?
White Flag Feeding Frenzy 12” Bootleg Records, 1986
The 2nd release on the Mystic sub-label, Bootleg. In true Mystic fashion, the track list on the back cover is wrong, but it’s correct on the labels. This is a pretty terrible sounding live record that was recorded at different clubs and Mystic Sound in 1985. Next!
Dr. Know The Best Of 12” Mystic Records, 1986
We will forever wonder what release “Piece Of Meat” was from.
This record combines a bunch of Dr. Know comp tracks along with a couple 7” and 12” tracks. It also features that iconic Dr. Know logo on the front. In 1986, Dr. Know jumped to Death Records, a Metal Blade subsidiary, and put out their 2nd official 12” This Island Earth.
V/A Mystic Sampler #3 12” Mystic Records, 1986
The 3rd, final, and worst installment of this series.
V/A The Sound Of USA #1: Washington D.C. The Savages Are Loose 12” Mystic Records, 1986
This comp needs a longer title. This was the first in this “The Sound Of…” series. It was put together by a dude named Paul R.W. Clark who sang for Asbestos Rockpyle. He did his best, I’m sure.
The Faction Epitaph 12” Mystic Records, 1986
This is the final record from The Faction, a pretty big get for 1986 Mystic even if it was released after the band broke up. This group featured legendary skater Steve Caballero on guitar. They’re still playing their brand of mostly mid-tempo skate punk and while it might not have the fire of No Hidden Messages, it’s not bad by any means.
First Offense Broken Home 7” Super Seven Records, 1986
This band featured future Drive Like Jehu drummer and recording engineer extraordinaire, Mark Trombino. If anyone knows Mark, have him get in touch.
This is mid-tempo punk that ranges from good to annoying depending on the song. Below, Tim Yo references a new recording studio, but there was never an official new Mystic in San Diego. They rented studio time for some records.
NOFX So What If We’re On Mystic 7” Super Seven Records, 1986
The 2nd NOFX 7”. Unfortunately “Lori Myers” isn’t on it. Neither is “Bob.” Bummer!
Agression Live At The Underground Railroad 7” Super Seven Records, 1986
Cool little live record recorded at a club in West Virginia on their ‘86 tour. The vocals are way too high but it’s still a nice little punk document. Great song selection - six bangers.
Instigators Recorded Live In Denmark Feb ‘86 7” Super Seven Records, 1986
Gotta give it up to this album title that really answers all the questions one could have about this record. This is the first of two live Instigators records that would come out on Mystic.
C-ya in ‘87!
- ZN