Showing posts with label Vantage Point. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vantage Point. Show all posts

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Top Split 7”, Singles and Demos of 2019

Usually year end lists leave off these sorts of things (maybe not splits but this was a dry year for them, maybe it has been for a while). Below I have compiled some of my favorites, several really stuck out but they are all worth checking out. 

Top split 7”

Reginal Justice Center / Wound Man (Atomic Action Records)
Not a big year for splits or at least ones that hit my radar. I pulled this out from EPs or anything else really because it is two of my favorite current bands crushing out seven songs on one 7” record. If you haven’t checked it out do so straightaway.

Top Singles

Anxious – Promo 2019 (Triple-B Records)


Fake Eyes – Promo 2019 (New Morality Zine)
Members of Magnitude playing some of the best post-hardcore I have ever heard. Their demo last year blew me away and this promo has me so excited for what is next.

Fiddlehead – Get My Mind Right (Run For Cover Records)



Soul Blind – Promo 2019 (New Morality Zine)
I have most likely listened to this thing fifty times already.

Sunstroke – Fall Risk (New Morality Zine)

Vantage Point – Promo 2019 (Triple B Records)


Top Demos

Band is made up of ex and current members of real deal hardcore bands from Chicago. I was lucky enough to snag the tape in Chicago when I went to see Method of Doubt in October. 

Buggin Out – Demo 2019 (Personal Favorites)


End On End – Demo (Dog Years Records/New Morality Zine)

Love & Trust – Demo 2019 (Trip Machine Labs)
This is something I find myself coming back to over and over again already. A band I am really trying to keep my eye on.

Renegade – Demo 2019 (Nuclear Family Records)

Sunami – Demonstration (Viewpoint Records)
Demo of the year, if you don’t agree “your a bitch”.

Victimized Youth – Demo 2019 (Self Released)

Top EPs of 2019


Throughout my entire life as a “hardcore kid” I have heard people talk about how bands can write a great 7” but miss but not a great LP. This year though proved them wrong, a few bands (or artists) are on both the on my best LP and EP lists and a few more will hopefully have LPs out in 2020 that I am incredibly excited for (I’m looking straight at Method Of Doubt, Anxious, Life's Question, One Step Closer and Ekulu). Below is a list of my top EPs of 2019. 

Top EPs

Anxious – Never Better (Triple-B Records)
I saw these guys live last month and I can only imagine it was what it was like to see Saves The Day when they were first starting out. Incredible band.


Ekulu – Half Alive (Triple-B Records)
Their 7” last year blew me away and this one did too. Only two songs, some may call it a single I feel they hold themselves up so well it’s an EP. If I heard right they have an LP coming out this year and I can only imagine it will be on my top albums of 2020 list.


Gumm – Farther Apart (Dog Years Records)


Jackal – S/T (Painkiller Records)

I saw this band in February and the blew my fucking socks off. Their singer had one of the best vibes while on stage that I’ve ever seen (reminded me of Freddy Madball kinda). Their last two releases are in my opinion perfect, I cannot wait to hear an LP from them.

I saw this band at least 4 times this year, every single fucking time they killed it.

Lurk - Electro-Shock (Pure Noise Records)


The best release of the year, not just EP but best damn release across the board. Their demo from 2018 was also fucking fantastic. I’ve lucked into a copy of each version of this 7” and if I can track down a test press I’m gonna have to snag it.

Negro Terror – Voice Of Memphis (Chicken Ranch Records)
R.I.P. Omar.

Band caught me off guard not just musically but with their incredible album art and their strange yet really cool merch ideas. I’m excited for everything they do next.


Protocol – Bloodsport (Dynastic Yellow Star/11 PM Records)


Rule Them All – Dreams About (Flatspot Records)

The Royal Hounds – God Bless The Royal Hounds (Oi! The Boat Records/Contra Records)


Sunstroke – Bloom At Night (New Morality Zine)
If it is on New Morality Zine, I will love it. But Sunstroke is the band that of this label. Bloom At Night is a follow up to their debut LP Second Floor / Seven that I still listen to every few weeks. Even with all this other amazing music coming out in the last year.

Trita – Tunguskan (Self Released)

Truth Cult – S/T (Advanced Perspective)

One of the best straight forward hardcore releases I’ve heard in ages. I feel like I don’t hear enough people show these guys some love.