Burn :: Cleanse
So one the most blazing and original bands to crawl out of the early nineties NYHC scene reunited in 2001 and put out another killer EP? And where was I? This one doesn't pack quite as much punch as the first, but still has that cutting-edge sound. "The Bait" is infectiously catchy. •

The Get Up Kids :: Red Letter Day
Honestly I ignored this band for a long time. I guess I just wasn't in the mood to deal with another happy sounding emo pop rock type thing. I don't really know why that was, but I'm glad I got over it because this is some damn good happy sounding emo pop rock type thing. •

Bad Religion :: Against The Grain
It's really hard to pick a favorite from BR's early catalogue, but this one might be it for me. Tunes like "Modern Man", "Blenderhead", and "21st Century Digital Boy" really capture what this band is all about. My favorite part, though, is that monstrous breakdown at the end of "Anesthesia". •

Into Another :: self-titled
This one has really grown on me over the years. When it came out people expected it to be something like Underdog part two. Nobody expected cheese metal on the order of Dio or Maiden. But that's what it was. Once the initial shock wore off though, you realized it was actually done really well and it really ripped and Ritchie sounded like Sabbath-era Ozzy, but with a huge vocal range. And it was good. •

Taang! Records :: Boston Hardcore 89-91
Back in high school these were the bands I saw on a weekly basis at The Rat, Bunratty's, The Channel. From the lowbrow rage-core of STP and Intent To Injure to the metal thrash of Only Living Witness and Sam Black Church to the originality of Eye For An Eye and Said and Done, I was there. The thing about all of these bands is that recordings don't do them a bit of justice. None of them ever put out a well produced record, but all of them sounded great and were incredibly fun live. Damn I'm old. •