Hardcore by Distinction: A Look at the Greatest Hardcore Bands in the Context of Hardcore Part II.

  By Stevil, February 23rd, 2019

Flag in action with Chuck carefully studying the sheet-music. Photo by Ren Potts(?) at Noisey.com

 

Nearly a year later and here we are, finally arriving at Part II. This would have came sooner, but HVH lost its corporate sponsorships, so the funding to continue this series has been dependent on donations by you, the typical tightwad fan. Cough it up, if you're in a hurry for more.

With that out of the way, here's the next ten...


11. M.D.C.: As The Stains evolved into a more offensively named and controversial band, the 1980's had one of the greatest threats to traditional conservatism on their hands in short order. In fact, it was so effective, it made other, bigger (*cough*, Crass, *cough*), acts uncomfortable. MDC was ahead of their time in many ways, the original acronym was just one of them. They addressed issues nobody else dared to touch. Eventually, they did their best to appease the pussies of punk with the use of other definitions, but they never relented on their pursuit of social justice through music.

12.  Dead Kennedys: The late 70's and early 80's gave birth to a slew of great hardcore bands and few were more iconic than the Bay Area's Dead Kennedys. Controversial with their name alone, the band made a point to draw attention to taboo subjects through both music and art (think Plastic Surgery Disasters and Frankenchrist), and virtually everything you could imagine was a target... a necessary target. The band split up in the mid-80's, before reforming without Jello in the early 2000's. Like many successful punk bands, they've had their inner-battles, none of which have had a negative effect on the impact those great, original albums had on music--and society. They're just as tough and just as important today as they were back then.

13. Cro-Mags: If ever there was a textbook definition of what a dysfunctional band is, Cro-Mags are the primary example. From stabbings, to spiritual practices, to stunningly arrogant rants and proclamations,  they've covered it all. That said, John Joseph and Mackie have managed to keep the band active, much to the pleasure of hardcore fans everywhere, and their influence on the scene is undeniable. Though each album has a slightly different sound, Age of Quarrel put them on the map and into the history books at Hardball via Hardcore. To learn how to obtain a copy of this book, please send us an e-mail with your full name, address, phone number, social security number or RG, bank account information and list of all necessary passwords.

14. D.O.A.: The Honorable Joey Shithead took his Talk Minus Action Equals Zero platform to the political stage, but he had exercised that philosophy for decades prior. One of the oldest and greatest bands from Vacouver, D.O.A. was a driving force from the North, and proved there was plenty of life in the band as they survived numerous lineup changes over the years. They're still inconsistently active and have stayed true to their influential sound and spirit, so if you have the opportunity to check them out, don't procrastinate. Joey now has the power to kill you if you do.


15. Circle Jerks: The love-child of Black Flag and Redd Kross, Circle Jerks got started as a group of Bedwetters that had a knack for pissing people off (and possibly on). They touched on subjects that few dared touch and delivered them with a touch of humor without removing the all too-real context of Southern Californian life in the 80's. This is a punk rock band that caught the attention and admiration of Chuck Berry. CHUCK BERRY!!! Let that sink in for a minute before continuing to indulge yourself with this post.


16. Black Flag: If there's one band here that shouldn't need an introduction, it's Black Flag. They are pioneers of hardcore, if not the pioneers of hardcore, but they're much more than that. They were likely the first true dysfunctional punk rock family and each member was/is a unique character that delivered in their own way, collectively fueling a growing punk scene that was in need of direction. Ginn and Morris got the band rollin' in the late 70's and over time the band's sound evolved into something completely different than how it had started. But there was always that Ginn-stamp; something you couldn't get anywhere else. In recent years we saw the formation of "FLAG" while Black Flag reassembled with it's own cast. Flag proved to be the better received of the twin bands, and legal battles ensued as a result (which is ironic, given the nature of what the name represents), but respect for the past and present continues to grow and the music world is a better place because of this/these band(s).

17. UK Subs: Charlie Harper and the Subversives are now a thing of folklore. They should be, anyway. They've attacked every letter in the alphabet musically over a career that started from the beginning and continues to this day, inspiring and entertaining generation after generation of youth and adults alike. Though Nicky Garratt left the band years ago, he left a permanent essence that you can still taste in the band as much as you can in one of his vegan dishes.

18. Subhumans: Few bands since The Clash had been as politically active lyrically as the Subhumans, who helped spurn acceptance of modern capitalism's influence on society. They did this through some pretty great albums between '83-'85, and some great singles and EP's prior to the LP's they released. Subhumans aren't for everybody, but they care about everybody, and this has landed them countless points among mothers globally.

19. Misfits: Regardless of what your opinion might be of Glenn Danzig, Misfits were the kings of Horror Punk and easily one of the top 10 most influential (and admired) hardcore bands to have existed--and they're still the kings of Horror Punk. From the retro influence on Walk Among Us and  Static Age, to the straight-forward toughness of Earth A.D., Misfits delivered like none prior and none since. They pushed the limits about as far as martianly possible and helped rewrite the rules on lyric writing. Who else can say the same?

20. Hüsker Dü: Bob Mould, Grant Hart and Greg Norton were unique in many aspects, but the fact that they came from the midwest made them all the more important and, well, unique. With their early work coming out hard and loud, they settled into a more melodic phase as heard on latter albums. All of them were appreciated, and much like it is with many other bands that had more than one distinct sound, I can't decide which I prefer...so I won't try to choose, I'll just continue to enjoy them all and miss Grant's presence in the scene.


Due to serious time constraints, getting posts like this out are proving to be difficult. If you feel you can be of direct help and have no aspirations of incoming wealth, contact HVH and we'll discus how your services can be best exploited.