After the first wave of punk rock died off in the early '80s, small scenes in Southern California and Washington, D.C., began to crank out punk rock in a louder, faster, more aggressive form. This sound of punk rock became known as hardcore.
Conspicuously absent in the early years of hardcore was any contribution from New York City, where punk started. It didn't take long, however, for the New York punks to play catch-up. Beginning around 1984 and never really receding, New York hardcore has survived changing musical landscapes and offers a great and diverse record collection. The sounds range from the raw, primal pre-crossover of Agnostic Front to the absolutely skull-crushing metal/hardcore fusion of Full Blown Chaos to the genre-defying grooves of Candiria. Some of the best NYC hardcore has to offer is listed below.
Cro-Mags, "Age of Quarrel" - By all accounts, this is one of the NYC hardcore albums that kick-started the scene. Fronted by a muscular Hare Krishna skinhead named Harley Flanagan, Cro-Mags fused the then-disparate sounds of heavy metal and hardcore punk. The 1986 album presents 22 tracks of raw, adrenaline-fueled hardcore punk with a heaviness brought in by Flanagan's love of Black Sabbath.
Agnostic Front, "Victim in Pain" - Fronted by a Cuban immigrant named Roger Miret, AF painted a grim picture of Reagan-era New York City with 11 aggressive, violent tracks, clocking in at 15-and-a-half minutes. Picture classic punk rock played by pissed off skinheads on meth and steroids.
Youth of Today: Break Down the Walls - Fronted by Ray Kappo (who would later form Krishna-core legends Shelter), this is the album that brought the Straight-Edge sound to NYHC. Fast and heavy with a positive message, this album created the blueprint for the "youth crew" hardcore movement that would follow.
Gorilla Biscuits, "Start Today" - One of the first hardcore albums to feature a concentration on melodic vocals as opposed to bludgeoning intensity, this album rages at high velocity with lyrics professing clean living and a positive attitude. Less heavy than the hardcore that preceded it and the hardcore that would follow, this album would have a massive influence on hardcore punk rock kids who want catchy melodies with their dose of fast-paced punk.
Judge, "Bringin' it Down" - Formed by former Youth of Today drummer Mike Judge, who added even more metal into the hardcore punk mix. In keeping with his straight-edge roots, Judge continued to inject his lyrics with positive messages in steering clear of mind altering drugs and violence, and decrying neo-Nazi skinheads that were beginning to infest the scene. Fast, heavy, and rife with positive lyrical bile, this set the stage for the more modern, heavier hardcore bands that would arise in the 1990s.
Candiria, "Surrealistic Madness" - With influences ranging from classic hardcore punk to '80s thrash metal, from hip-hop to fusion jazz, Candiria defies the traditional restrictions placed on hardcore. The Brooklyn-based band on this album combine non-traditional guitar riffs, off-kilter time signatures, growled vocals, jazzy breaks and a killer groove into a caustic stew that could please fans of many disparate genres. This is probably the most unique band to emerge from the New York City hardcore scene.
Madball, "Set it Off" - Led by Freddy Cricien, younger brother of Agnostic Front's Roger Miret, Madball took the already tough-as-nails hardcore attitude, made it heavier, added a hint of hip-hop influence and influenced countless more.
Full Blown Chaos, "Wake the Demons" - A good picture of the New York hardcore scene as it exists now, FBC comprises of four intimidating tough guys who trade on an even more brutal variation of the classic sound. They fuse hardcore with metal even more so than their predecessors. The riffs remain basic and punk-based but they are also obscenely heavy, and the vocals are more reminiscent of death metal than hardcore, but there is no denying this band's allegiance to the NYC hardcore scene.
