I've got some downtime. The album for today's main post is uploading, and most likely going to take sometime, so I found this gem already uploaded in my folder. And, since I planned on posting it at some point anyway, I figured I would do it now.
One of the most revered objects in hardcore punk is the demo. A simple formula, only so many songs (some of which are more than acceptable to be rerecorded for a later release), a nice gritty production, and to be sure, a very limited number of copies. Sarcasm. Anyway, this is where you see the genius of a band for the first time, the culmination of all the influences they want to convey, but seen through a different scope. Quick lesson in history here, the demo maybe sacred for hardcore punk due to the first so many bands of the genre. Case in point, the Bad Brains ROIR Cassette or Minor Threat's First Demo Tape. Lessons in excellence.
Now, most people that know me and my taste in hardcore punk, know how much I love the band Look Back and Laugh. Remember that genius of a bands demo? Well, take those ideas, and then throw the influences of previous bands, such as Talk is Poison, or Yaphet Kotto, among others. Five songs, which all later appear on their first LP, that exemplify the perfect hardcore punk demo. The key is the production, there basically isn't any. It soudns as though it was recorded live, in which imperfections shine through, along with the beautiful feedback noises that remain a constant. Even the vocals, since done live, sound buried in a wall of noise. The shrill voice still being able to power through the music. And technical proficiency and sheer velocity at which they play, unstoppable. This version of "Truth and Error" alone is worth it. Listen and let this be the basis for whatever demo your bands ever record, the penultimate in modern punk.
Tracks:
- Smear Campaign
- Hooked
- Run Silent, Run Deep
- Charred Flock
- Truth and Error
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