Fuck, I love this 7" and I think the hate, or general lack of interest, shown towards it is ridiculous. I know it doesn't quite stack up against the heavy hitters from the early NYHC set but really, how many 7"s do? I'm also aware vocalist Keith fell into the Krishna trap (can you trust a man in an orange bath robe?) and the band had a comeback that was sub-par. None of that really matters because I'm talking NY 83 and even when its considered "OK" its miles ahead of most of the pack.
The formula on this one is pretty simple, stop + start 82/83 hardcore but there is something about it that gives it its own style. I think its Keith's vocal approach, singing with more clarity than his contemporaries and with his own cadence that would later show its influence in the vocalists involved in the second coming of New York's scene from 86-89.
PIC TAKEN FROM ISSUE #5 OF TVOR ZINE
The lyrical themes here are pretty stock standard- unity, friendship, self belief, anti-capitalist etc. There are also 2 songs that have straight edge themes, though the band themselves were never a straight edge band. I guess you could call all the lyrics "generic" but who fucking cares, its not a poetry contest. Really though, the reason this records worth discussing is because of the track "UNITED RACES". Its like they built the song around the mosh break, the break on this one clocks in at around 30 seconds which was unheard of in 83. The chorus is definitely has the biggest hook to, it festers in your brain for hours after the needle leaves the wax.
Not much else that I need to say about this slab really. I'm a sucker for early NYHC, 83 HC in general and records with 3 panel wrap-around sleeves, so this one ticks all the boxes.
After the self-titled 7" and before Keith's Krishna preaching tore the band in two, they recorded 4 tracks, intended to be a 7" on R-Radical but it was never released. One of the tracks "Time Will Tell" made it onto the P.E.A.C.E. Comp LP and is the best of the 4 but it doesn't really match up with anything off the bands debut. It's merely a curiousity thing and probably for completists only but if you read a blog like mine I sure hope you are a completist.
Download the s/t 7" + the unreleased 7" here-
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