The LP is actually a compilation LP from several recording sessions over a time-span of 3 years, starting in 1989. This LP also has a CD version as I recently discovered.
As I told you before there is a necessary trend in hardcore to make music harder and harder. Well, these guys were ahead of their game. And many bands followed. Hearing this makes many pieces of the puzzle come together. The music is raw and energetic and is the closest to hardcore as I knew it in the late nineties. . If you want to understand 90’s hardcore you really need this. That’s why I’m sharing this with you.But a sidenote I really need to say that this originated in the USA and that European bands only followed . Many things originate in the States and it has always been like this in modern times, but it is mainly Europe who is associated with vegan staright-edge. Well, probably because it lasted longer over here.
But I doubt these two elements; first of all, liberty is a state of mind. Whether you are a working class person, you can feel free but another person would not feel free in the same situation. So liberty is a personal thing. They somehow connect self discipline to liberty. This is because of their vision that needs a lot of self discipline. They have challenged themselves with their goals and do everything within possibility to reach those goals of an animal free diet and drug free living.
Secondly, edification always brings answers therefore it is education. If it wouldn’t then why would you read or learn and study? So this is rather a cliché.
But what I do justify is the denial of pleasing the senses to become prosperous. But they do make hardcore music which is to an extent a pleasing of the aural senses. I said it before, their music is a compensation for the sober lifestyle.The second earlier song is called “Overcome“. This is kinda the most sensitive song. They realize that they got dictated by wrong, treated as fools. The wrong told them what’s right. They got influenced and they regret it, but they will overcome. I will overcome, we will overcome! Again they feel chained by things not pure of heart and not strong of soul. They will break free. They speak words of hope to the listeners of their songs. This sensitive song is the last one on the LP.
Also the songs “A Craving“, “Cultured Sadism“, “Unleashed” and “Words Of War” are from the 1990 recording session. Songs about eating animals, mankind as the most sadistic species on earth and the fact the are unleashed.
As you will read, the last recording session (1991) is the most rational approach to their ethics. They got more abstract because they needed to I think. They are also the more mature songs, but probably also their final songs. Anyway, this is how I interpret them:
Well, in the following song “Curse Of Empathy” they realize that their compassion and empathy for innocent life puts them in a martyr position that’s very similar to stories the majority of western civilization is nurtured with. This mechanism of violate what’s different or what changes the ethics is really embedded in western society. As already happened with the Martyr, you all know. This is the curse as they call it. They say that in modern society after the hippies and the world wars they have rights, such as freedom of expression but also the right to change the ethics. But somehow this is and has always been violated by the masses in the beginning.
Get the logic?
Another aspect is of course the drugs that are used. “Your warning” is pinpointing the confining freedom when you use drugs. You think you are free but it’s actually the drugs who are free within you. The take over your actions, thoughts and behavior.
CONCLUSION: Hearing and reading this, really made me understand 90’s hardcore better. Even h8000 hardcore to an extent. I think this was really influential for bands like ExC, Congress, Liar, Morning Again etc. Not that I unify those bands but I think they knew and heard this too.