The music is passionate, the fans are passionate, the messages are passionate. The music isn’t usually complicated or reliant on people who have degrees in music. The fans can be known for being really stupid (not the case, a few bad apples spoil the bunch). The messages are often misguided or casuistry. But I cannot stand to live in a world where everyone seems to be passion deficient. As I was graduating high school two things were becoming apparent to me: I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a Christian and I was positive I didn’t want to be an adult. Both things were disgusting to me. Christians didn’t make the world better (or so I thought by the pathetic religion I could see around me) and adults were so dull that I was sure they were all steps away from jumping off a building to end their boring lives. I didn’t know everything (I still don’t) but I knew that there was so much more than what I could see. Jesus rocked my world in the summer of 2004 and set my feet on solid ground, but these two things remained. Just reshaped. I wanted to change the world for Jesus and knew that I would be different than middle American evangelical Christianity. I wanted to experience the joys of marriage and children and mortgages, but I would never play the part of soulless adult. If you read this and are offended, good. You need to put passion back into your life, you were never made to just exist. Hardcore was introduced to me as I was contemplating these major life themes as a graduating high schooler and has been the soundtrack to passionate living. The only thing that exceeds this music is passionate Spirit filled worship, usually brought by passionate youth. Both things have a common theme, which is I AM ALIVE!!! Worship is absolutely life giving: Jesus ministering to a soul in Spirit and in Truth. Hardcore may be misguided at times, but I feel like the apostle Paul at Mars Hill: you are on to something! My favorite place to talk to people about the Lord is hardcore shows, at least you don’t have to do the great miracle of raising the dead. So, here is my favorite hardcore albums. I didn’t include original 80s hardcore punk like Minor Threat because I will write of that another day. I also try to distinguish between hardcore and metal by not including a lot of metalcore which I will also write about another day. It was really really hard not to include multiple albums by the same bands, so I just picked ones that meant something to me at key times. It’s difficult to find words to describe the music without being repetitive, so the words aggressive, furious, etcetera are overused (somewhat appropriate for the subject).These are not hard and fast rules, some things I’ll have on the list will be punk or metal, but I just put albums that make me feel alive.
Honorable mention(s)
Gorilla Biscuits-Start Today
Bane- The Note
Sick Of It All- Call To Arms
Throwdown- Haymaker
Take It Back- Atrocities
Good Riddance- Symptoms Of A Leveling Spirit
All great, all listened to on a regular basis. Except Throwdown has always been a bit of a joke, but one I’ve unironically enjoyed.
10. Touché Amore- Is Survived By
As I edged closer to my 30’s I became more irrelevant. What was cool to me 10 years ago was old, and what was cool now is super lame. Grandpa Simpson said it perfectly.
Everyone my age seems to not like music whatsoever, or worse they. talk about how amazing Coldplay is. For a minute I figured the world was just fading to gray, but I was introduced to Touché Amore. A band that hadn’t been around for 20 years like most on this list, and they were making new unique hardcore. Right album at the right time helped me realize that not everyone was giving up and falling asleep to the boredom of their lives.
Favorite tracks: Just Exist-great opener; Anyone/Anything- goes soft to loud in the middle, I like to turn it up at that part.
9. Converge- All We Love We Leave Behind
So fast, so heavy, so intense. These guys have several other albums of which I only have 2, but of the 2 this is my favorite. Jacob Bannon’s voice is scary, I have no idea how he does it. The drums and guitar are amazingly intricate, and the artwork is one of my all time favorite album covers.
Favorite tracks: Vicious Muse- My Sharona drum intro brutally breaks into noise assault; All We Love We Leave Behind-Bannon’s voice goes from emotional yelp to furious scream.
8. H2O- Nothing To Prove
The one time I was jobless in my marriage this record was an encouragement to me. I picked it up after I went to a hopeful job interview that ended up being a pyramid scheme. I was super disappointed and scared about life, so I decided to walk around the mall to clear my head. I saw that Hot Topic had vinyl (they’re not always horrible) and browsed. I liked H2O alright, but this was discounted and I was operating in poor judgement. I bought a record when I didn’t have a job, something that I know is stupid.
I’m so glad I bought this one on that day. These guys aren’t Christians (that I know of), but they ascribe to some honorable principals. Positive thinking, confidence in who you are, not giving up. These are some of the things I needed to hear at the time. And I felt cool listening to it on white vinyl.
Favorite tracks: Fair Weather Friend- WE DON’T NEED FRIENDS LIKE YOU!; What Happened- I so identify with this song when it comes to people doing ministry. If you’re not passionate why are you even around, go home.
7. Youth Of Today- Break Down The Walls
80’s hardcore that paved the way for so many other bands, or so I’m told. I really enjoyed this one because a) it was a gift from my wife on Valentine’s Day and b) it was the first piece of music I got when we first started in the ministry. I didn’t realize that ministry was going to be hard, so it really helped that some mook screamed at me slogans like ‘we’ll keep fighting until we are free at last!’ and ‘you’ve built the walls, we’re breaking through!’
The cover of this album hangs in my office as a statement to religious spirits. Every time I want to listen to it I have to take it off the wall, open the frame and take it out and put it on the turntable. The effort forces me to sit and listen. This was relevant in 1986, was relevant to me in 2009, and to this day still speaks to me.
Favorite tracks: Take A Stand- face ripped off in less than a minute; Standing Hard- face ripped off in less than 15 seconds
6. Snapcase- Progression Through Unlearning
I had read about this band in some place or another, how they were influential to lots of aggressive bands in the mid 2000’s. I thought I was getting a good bargain when I picked it up for a dollar at the local record store (the Finest in Ft. Collins was so amazing.) What I got was a treasure chest full of fury, 11 homemade pipebombs blowing up my already busted car speakers.
This brand of music is perfect to deliver pizza or sandwiches to, but overall this was my favorite one to pop in if it was a rush delivery. I always imagined the album as a bank robbery, the adrenaline those morons must feel when they commit violent crimes. I just imagined I was a good bank robber, like I was robbing the Nazi’s or something.
Favorite tracks: Harison Bergeron- I imagined this being the song to punch someone silly to; Zombie Perscription- sweet guitar intro
5. Ceremony- Still Nothing Moves You
I didn’t quite get it at first, they sounded more like ideas for songs. The more I listened the more I loved the short bursts of fury and the long drone of apathy. Before Ceremony I listened to more straightforward music, they (and John Coltrane) got me to expand my horizons and expectations of what music is.
Seeing them play the songs live was a fantastic experience. They haven’t made the same album twice, and enjoy everything they’ve made. Still Nothing Moves You is this bands high water mark as an album and as live selections. The last time I saw them play they only did one song from SNMU, and I was super disappointed. I don’t think the band feel the same way, but maybe someday they’ll put more of these songs on their set list.
Favorite tracks: he (God) has favored our undertakings- first song I took a liking to because he yells ‘THUNDER AND LIGHTNING!!’; Twenty Four Hour Fever Watch- pounding relentless aggression
4. Comeback Kid- Wake The Dead
Once upon a time Wal Mart carried cd’s. I found this whilst browsing once and picked it up. I thought hardcore was stuff like Norma Jean and As I Lay Dying (which is great) but this introduced me to a different flavor of the genre. Instead of a throat shredding scream or guttural bellow the singer seemed to just holler. This was something I could sing along to!!
I love how positive the record is. I also love how it’s relentless from start to finish, non stop galloping drums and urgent guitars. It’s like hiking (which I hate) but you make it because the camp counselor is non stop encouraging you that you’re awesome and you can do it.
Favorite tracks: Wake The Dead- you were made to be alive, wake up!; Partners In Crime- ‘always us against the world’ is how I’ve felt my whole life.
3. Poison The Well- The Opposite Of December
This was the first heavy band I ever got into. I think they do it as good or better than anyone, and I saw them live more than any other band. Another great album by them is ‘You Come Before You’, which I partially memorized my senior year of high school. I was excited to scream along to those songs when I finally got a chance to see them. They only did the first song from that album that night, but they did a bunch of amazing songs I haven’t heard before. I didn’t get this album until after I saw them for the first time, I didn’t even know it existed.
This has some of my favorite sing/scream along parts of any album ever. I like to roll the windows down when I get on I-25 and go fast, and pump these songs as loud as they go. It’s one of life’s simple pleasures to declare to the world that you could never swallow their false ideals of a lifeless happy ending. That feels wonderful! Not one bad track on the album, a must have for any hardcore collection.
Favorite tracks: Slice Paper Wrists- breakdown heaven, my favorite live song of all time; Artists Rendering Of Me- get that fist in the air!!
2. Refused- Songs To Fan The Flames Of Discontent
One of my top ten favorites of any kind of music is classic ‘The Shape Of Punk To Come’ by Refused. I’ll share my feelings about that one another day. Here I want to point to there earlier, more aggressive, strait forward ‘Songs To Fan The Flames’. I didn’t even know about this masterpiece until after I watched the documentary ‘Refused Are F—–g Dead’. Though the film is mostly in Swedish it completely captivated me, romanticizing the idea of being in a politically idealized punk rock band not accepted in its time. They had the music video for ‘Rather Be Dead’ as a DVD extra, the first time I watched it I felt electricity go through my body. That song has become a sort of theme song for my life and ministry. If you’ve ever heard me preach I have quoted it, I frequently say I’d rather be dead than alive by religious oppression and tradition. These guys may be talking about a socialist cause, but the message is the same: people are meant to be free and that is worth fighting for.
I got this album as a prize when I sold the most membership passes at FYE, Ft. Collins’ last place to sell music. I worked hard that week because my boss told me he’d buy me any c.d. I wanted if I won, and I had been eying this for awhile. It was more primitive than I expected, but that made me like it more. The best way I can compare it is early Beatles to latter day Beatles. Abbey Road and The White Album are complex, beautiful, inspiring and classic, but those early albums are undeniably amazing. They promised growth but paid off in some of the greatest pop songs ever written. Sometimes simple is beautiful and preferable to complex. ‘Songs To Fan The Flame’ is that to me. It is hardcore’s Please Please Me.
Favorite tracks: Rather Be Dead-theme song; Coup D’Etat- one of the high points of seeing them live; It’s Not O.K.- the indifferent are as guilty as the unjust
1. Stretch Arm Strong- Engage
Why is this my favorite hardcore album ever? They’re not the most recognizable band on the list, and even among their fans this album is not a favorite. It’s a mix of pure sentimentality, nostalgia, and simple scream along karaoke style music. It maybe my favorite one to sing along to in the car. There is no pretense, no poetry, no solos. Someday the world needs to realize this band and this record, but they probably won’t. Too bad for them. It’s the kind of encouragement disenfranchised people need. Happy music can really lift my soul, and though to a non-listener this might sound like angry noise it is joyful noise to my ears.
These guys put on a phenomanal show, and in 2004 I got the opportunity to see them play the songs from this album. I saw them open for New Found Glory at Red Rock the year before, but it wasn’t an intimate show. A week after I graduated high school my friends and I went to Rock Island (my all time favorite venue) in Denver. They played a blistering unrelenting set for an hour. I was kicked and punched and jumped on by the wild kids who wanted to stage dive and thrash around, and I loved every second of it. The singer would put his microphone down to us in the crowd and let guys scream his lyrics, and it was absolutely incredible when he did it for me. I was a part of something and it felt good. I haven’t been in a hardcore band, but I hope what I do with my life makes kids feel like I felt that night. I hope the words they repeat that they hear from me are as much life as this was for me.
Favorite Tracks: Raise Your Fist- we’ll make the difference!; Devil Shoot Devil- it slows down in the middle and builds up to an explosion; Perception Of Energy- strike the spark, light the flame, start the fire…….sounds like someone who wants to see revival happen.
thebearplane 
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