Forward to Hell

The Boston Strangler dropped one of the best hardcore LP's of the past decade with "Primitive."  Since that record was so overwhelmingly good it would be an almost impossible feat to top it.  Here we are with their second LP "Fire."  To be honest on the first few spins of this record I was underwhelmed.  As I previously stated, they set the bar so high the first time around I should have known going into this one that it couldn't be topped.  This record has grown on me a bit more after subsequent spins, however it will never reach the greatness of their first LP.  All in all this is a really good hardcore record done in that early 80's style that's so popular nowadays.  Get it (if you can).

Little Bitch

Sharing at least one member with the last band posted (A2 of Integrity fame, among others) here is the latest long player from Clevo's Inmates.  I've always like the Inmates but admittedly I never really listened to them a lot.  This new LP is a killer though, and has definitely piqued my interest in the band/sound, so I'll be sure to go back through their earlier releases.  Obnoxious, sometimes maniacal, hardcore punk that only a city like Cleveland could produce.  The song Crustdust is a personal favorite track on here, claiming "if this is punk [in reference to crusties] then I'm not punk."  Painkiller Records.