After the early eighties first wave of Hardcore Punk in the United States with numerous scenes all over the country, Youth Crew Hardcore was born in it’s womb in the second halve of the eighties. After the Youth Crew scene in New York City vanished, there was different scene in the beginning of the nineties.
The band Madball was a huge influence for that scene. On their 1989 ep, called Ball Of Destruction, lyrics in this vein were already written. Songs like “Smell the bacon, what’s with you?” and “Fight” leave nothing to your imagination.
Bulldoze is considered a band that is responsible for creating a particular sub genre in Hardcore Punk, called Beat Down. Beat Down is characterized by slow paced riffs that are and feel heavy, musically. The playful bass line intro’s and fast rhythmic drumming of Youth Crew are abandoned. Also the mindset isn’t political, social, ecological or criticizing society any more. Instead lyrics become more introspective and focus on the self or the other individuals.
The anger that is felt is aimed at other crews or even individuals. Tough guy attitudes and threatening or even dissing publicly start to become a topic in the lyrics. This can be seen in the light of gang hostility on the streets of New York. And the upcoming of Hip Hop as well. Sometimes the vocal delivery is very close to that rap.
Also lines about brotherhood and loss of friends are present in the lyrics of this record. And also self-representing lines are written. To represent (oneself or the crew) was also an upcoming trend.
It’s an “are you friend or foe?” mindset. You are either in or out. There is no in between.
The questions of what’s to learn or what is positive about this sub genre, rises? One could easily conclude that physical aggression towards and threatening other people is negative. And that hatred towards another also is a negative emotion and is mean.
This did not stop the band from having an impact on later Hardcore Punk bands. It gave voice to a great and unsaid part of the early 90’s gang styled scene. And also described the phenomenon that different underground cultures fought each other back in the days.
The original pressing of this record was done by Hardway Records from Paris, France in the year 1994.
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