Top LPs of 2019

Last year was quite the year for music, though for the most part I only paid much attention to hardcore. I had many intentions of staying up with this blog but lost myself in other things beyond just the hours required for my college coursework. Tangible pieces of art, including un-commissioned flyers and a t-shirt design and two issues of two different zines I started this year. The zines took up a majority of the time I would have used to work on the blog, but beyond that I just lived more. Reflection is a constant in the way my mind works but I had more things happening around me that kept me in the now.

The next few posts are the top LPs, EPs, singles and demos of the year in my humble opinion (meaning these are unquestionable facts). Instead of just limiting myself to a particular amount of releases I am going to single out a few. The list is in alphabetical order but a top release will be highlighted and others will be singled out. I begin with a list of the top LPs of 2019.

Top LPs

Abuse of Power – What On Earth Can We Do (Triple-B Records)

Amygdala – Our Voices Will Soar Forever (Prosthetic Records)

The Berries – Berryland (Run For Cover Records)

Bracket - Too Old To Die Young (Fat Wreck Chords)

Ceremony – In The Spirit World Now (Relapse Records)

Ceremony might have put out some records I didn’t click with at the time (post Violence Violence) but ever since the L Shape Man they are back in position of being one of my favorite bands.

Deflect – Mass Delusion (Eighty-Sixed Records)

Fury - Failed Entertainment (Run For Cover Records)

Some of my favorite songs in years are on this record.

Gazm – Heavy Vibe Music (11 PM Records)

Generation – Call It A Life (I.O.U. Records)

This record came out of left field and kept my attention longer than many other records I loved this year.

Inclination – When Fear Turns To Confidence (Pure Noise Records)

Krust – Sex Noises (Self Released)

They could have split up the songs different and had this be a split LP of two different bands. I love the way they did this though, not every song has to sound exactly the same and you can take fucking risks and still be a great hardcore band. I would love to see Krust live.

Magnitude - To Whatever Fateful End (Triple-B Records)

The best hardcore LP of the year and if Mindforce hadn’t put out Excalibur it might be the top 12” of the last decade.

Never Ending Gave – Just Another Day (Triple-B Records)

Physique – The Evolution Of Combat (Distort Reality)

Pretty Matty – S/T (Get Better Records)

The best LP of the year, though it only came out on cassette and I wish it would have had a vinyl 

version.

Seizures - Reverie Of The Revolving Diamond (Sun Terrace Records)

Another Seizures record that I wish had come out on Head2wall Records.

Strange Magic – Unfortunately (Self Released)

I don’t know how this got on my list, I must have been hacked. Ctrl-Alt-Delete these assholes.

TV Crime – Metal Town (Alien Snatch! Records)

Big ups to Demolisten Podcast. Without them I don’t know if I would have ever heard this incredible band.

Wild Side – Who The Hell is Wild Side? (Triple-B Records)

Head2wall Playlist #3 4/8 - 4/14

For this mix I added some non hardcore intro and outro tracks along with some songs by bands that might not be recognized as hardcore bands, either now or ever that I feel still have that energy. As my last post indicates I saw Jocko last week and they blew me away so it was a big "duh" that they would be included on this mix. I also picked up the first official repress of the Wipers - Alien Boy 7", the Idles 12" EP that includes Romantic Gestures and was lucky enough to be turned onto Get a Grip. Share the love of music whenever you can, if you find a band you know even a single friend might enjoy get it in their ears.

Check it out here, playlist listed below.

1. Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man
2. Jocko - Soylent Green
3. Wipers - Alien Boy
4. Idles - Romantic Gestures
5. Get a Grip - The Attack
6. Candy - Candy Says
7. Mil-Spec - A Separation
8. Praise - Healing
9. Dag Nasty - Circles
10. Shelter - Don't Walk Away
11. Moonkisser - The One Percent
12. Creative Adult - Americans
13. Ceremony - Root Of The World
14. Every New Dead Ghost - Insanity
15. Buena Vista Social Club - Publo Nuevo

Watch Me Sink Like A Stone

For the second time this week I went out of town and saw Have Heart, Ceremony, Blacklisted, Let Down And Convicted. This Show was in Cleveland, Ohio. The local opener for this show was Mad Minds. Oh and two posts in one day, weird.


Now the write up for this show is going to be shorter than the one for Monday's. Convicted opened and this time I didn't miss any of it. Band only gets better every time I see them. Mad Minds played next and even though they're are dudes I never really got into them when I saw them. This time though they were awesome. This was to be their "Record Release Show." Sadly due to something or other they didn't have the records to be released. You can pre-order it HERE (along with the Triceratops LP). Let Down played next, they once again we're really good Kids were moshing hard having lots of fun myself included (durring them and Convicted I really bruised up my forearm). Blacklisted played next and as usual killed it. And now I take back what I said about Ceremony, at this show they were pretty tight and played an amazing set. At some point I allegedly elbowed some girl's face in. Have Heart closed out the Night again. They once again did a great job and played some decent tunes I wanted to hear. All and all the show was great.


This is the first Blacklisted shirt I have ever purchased (for myself). And it has a kitty on it, so I love it.

Been Livin' In The Dark Since April

Last night myself, Jakob and Aaron (Plus two girls) took a trip down to Cincinnati (Covington, Ky) to see a show. The show was one of the biggest/strongest hardcore tours I've seen in a while, and with a added bonus This Is Hell and support (Gravemaker) was added.


We got there late And missed all but one Convicted song. I was very bummed. Its been over 5 months since I saw them last (with Blacklisted) and I was hoping to get my mosh on (ha). Im pretty sure Gravemaker played next they were alright, I just wasn't paying to much attention to them (I know Aaron was into them). Now its been 3 and a half years (+) since the last time I saw This Is Hell. They were awesome. I like the band a lot but don't know their catalog as well as I should but they still ended up playing 3-4 songs I knew pretty well. Oh and I was taller then the guitarist and bassist when they were on the stage (something I found to be very amusing). Let Down played next, this was my third time seeing this band this year. No show will ever compare to the insanity of the Tower show (And they were pretty decent when I saw them in Romeo Michigan with Swamp Thing). But they played a good set. Stage banter was pretty good at points and I love the way they just say their name with straight edge as it goes hand in hand. Also I picked up the Tour version of their LP We're In This Alone (Six Feet Under Records) out of 80. Blacklisted was up next which surprised me because I thought they were bigger then Ceremony but that's a mute point. They were fucking awesome. I think this band gets better every single time I see them. People were losing their minds, it was great. Ceremony played next and though I do enjoy this bands earlier offerings I'm not to impressed by their last 7" and LP. They play sloppy angry hardcore. And at this show it came off very sloppy. Have Heart ended the nights festivities. I like this band. I don't love this band. A lot of people at this show LOVED this band. They were going nuts. So many people on stage singing along. The new record is really good. The last record was really good. Its very understandable why this band is so big. This show as a whole was amazing. I got to see some of my friends for the first time since I moved back from Louisville. A lot of my Cincinnati dudes. And had the pleasure of meeting a few new people. Wednesday I will be seeing this show again, and if In not lazy Ill grab up a disposable camera and snap some pics for the blog.


Oh and I picked up this awesome shirt.