It'd be hard to deny that From Within Records' One Scene Unity compilations are the definitive hardcore comps of the 2020s thus far. The Florida-based DIY label has released four editions of their genre-wide series, and we had From Within head honcho Carter Holmes (also of the bands Statement of Pride, Payback, and more) join us for a discussion about all four comps. We talk about the bands and songs that appeared on each edition, and use the comps as a framework to discuss how hardcore has evolved in the 2020s thus far. Check it out.

Peep the From Within Records store: https://www.fromwithinrecords.com/

Intro song: Payback - "The One Scene, Pt. II"

Outro song: Impunity - "4Giveness"

Michael Thorn of Razorblades and Aspirin joins us for a primer on the history of Richmond, VA hardcore. For a mid-size city of its kind, Richmond has had a thriving scene since the birth of hardcore, and we traced its lineage with the help of someone who lives there now, and has had one leg in the scene for decades. From White Cross and Honor Roll in the early 80s and Four Walls Falling and Avail in the 90s, to Municipal Waste and Direct Control in the 2000s and all the many bands rocking in Richmond today, there was so much to discuss — and almost all of the music is great.

Intro song: Four Walls Falling - "Culture Shock"

Outro song: Direct Control - "Cleptomaniac"

Read Razorblades and Aspirin: https://razorbladesandaspirin.com/

It's time to check in on this thing we love.

We're almost halfway through the 2020s, and hardcore is beginning to feel different now than it did at the beginning of the decade. We remark on how the vibes have shifted (for good and bad) since the post-COVID lockdown boom of summer 2021, and think about how 2024 has felt like a strange transitional year for the genre. Not too many essential LPs, a lot of ephemeral micro-trends, and a lot of reverence within hardcore for sounds that aren't hardcore.

Intro song: Praise - "Coming Up for Air"

Outro song: Condition One - "Hard Shift"

Andrew Vacante of Combust, Steamroll, Downfall, and more joins us to talk about NYHC from a modern New Yorker's perspective. We get into how the identity of NYHC has changed over time, the drought of native NYHC bands in the 2010s, and how Andrew's bands have helped change the tenor of the scene. Plus, many other digressions on hardcore minutia.

Bands mentioned: Killing Time, Sheer Terror, Cro-Mags, Breakdown, Madball, Merauder, Sick of it All, Countdown, Krimewatch, and many more.

Intro song: Combust - "Why I Hate"

Outro song: Steamroll - "Marked"

Eye for an Eye drummer Thos Niles joins us to discuss his band's come-up in late Eighties Boston, an odd transitional period for one of the most important scenes in hardcore history. We talk a lot about Eye for an Eye's short yet sweet first go as a band, and paint a pretty vivid picture of what hardcore was like leading up to the Nineties post-hardcore explosion.

Bands we talked about: Eye for an Eye, Slapshot, Wrecking Crew, Kingpin, Quicksand, Supertouch, Have Heart, Fiddlehead, Speed, and many more.

Eye for an Eye just reunited over the weekend to play their first shows in 32 years, including a Boston gig opening for a little band called Have Heart. They also just reissued their crucial EP's, 'Omega Drone' and 'Who', on vinyl via Deathwish. Pick it up here: https://deathwishinc.com/products/eye-for-an-eye-omega-drone-who

Prolific Pittsburgh hardcore musician, podcaster, and writer Gem Fair joins us for an episode about albums that are important to our experiences with hardcore. Not our favorite hardcore albums. But releases that opened us up to new sides of hardcore, got us into the genre, helped frame what we want out of it, etc.

Bands we talked about: Terror, Ceremony, Integrity, G.L.O.S.S., Articles of Faith, SSD, CHEW, Cerce, Punch, Hatebreed, Descendants, JFA, Converge, Side By Side, Ankle Monitor.

Check out Gem's bands and podcast:

Convulse Records owner Adam Croft (who also drums in Destiny Bond) joins us for our first label profile episode. We talk to Adam about the eclectic DIY empire he's building with Convulse, his personal canon, the Denver hardcore scene, bands he wishes he could release music by, and more (including a preview of some unannounced Convulse material).

https://convulserecords.bandcamp.com/

Intro song: Militarie Gun - "Dislocate Me"

Outro song: Rash - "Breeding"

Chance Allen of What Counts, Full Stride, Velocity, RTR Tapes, and the Gulch Brigade joins us to discuss youth crew, Indiana's poppin' hardcore scene, his many bands, and more.