I write this from a place of Hardcore Punk Joy! It’s time to give Mark McCoy and his record label Youth Attack Records their flowers. For over two decades, this human has been releasing some of the most important bands in the underground. McCoy doesn’t do this label for clout, he does it because of his endless passion for the culture. His attention to detail is spot on, and you can see it in his design work and packaging. He has created a label that we can all trust, and that’s why each drop sells out instantly. I know for a fact that any band on the YA imprint is going to be the bomb! Hey Mark, if you read this, just know that we have mad love for you over here at CVLT Nation. You deserve your flowers and so much more! I also want to express my gratitude to the musicians who have created phenomenal art for the underground institution called Youth Attack.
More than just a label, Youth Attack has helped manifest a global community of like-minded individuals. On a personal level, YA has put out some of my favorite hardcore records that I still blast on the regular. It’s hard to put into words, but this is one of the few imprints that makes me feel the danger I felt during the early 80s. It’s this energy that made me want to be part of the scene back then. YA gives me an outlet for the rage that will be inside of me forever!
Check out our in-depth Youth Attack feature below, an listen to the Youth Attack mixtape curated by Mark McCoy for CVLT Nation’s 7th Anniversary!
MANGLED STATE
MANGLED STATE live at “United Thrash Night” at @pitbar_nishiogi in Tokyo Japan. 4.14.24.
35mm captured by @miaalialialiali
CITY HUNTER
I don’t think it will come as a surprise to anyone when I say that Youth Attack has been one of the more reliable labels for dark and mysterious punk and hardcore bands over the years. However, the recent release of the long anticipated full length from Colorado heathens City Hunter has definitely sparked some debate and more importantly, sick memes. Now, I can sit here all day and write about how this release is “vicious” and “spooky” and “destroys all in its path” but I really think it would just do a disservice to anyone reading this. Simply put, Deep Blood turned a lot of heads and punk and hardcore elitists from the depths of the internet had some shit to say about this album and a lot of it was extremely negative. Everything from the official City Hunter kitchen knife that you could pre-order with the record to the album art itself just seemed to absolutely piss off everyone that isn’t from Colorado. Now taking all that into consideration, its worth noting that Deep Blood as an album consists of fourteen tracks, a consistent theme and has better production than a lot “mysterious guy” hardcore that comes out these days.
COMBAT FORCE
COMBAT FORCE burst onto the scene in early 2017 and in that such short time might be Denver’s most love-to-hate, or hate-to-love hardcore band, which always keeps things interesting. Their drummer, Gordy, plays in almost half of the bands on this list and is partially responsible for some of the sickest shows in Aurora, CO (a nearby Denver suburb). Youth Attack Records is putting out their 7” EP (hopefully) sometime this year. Text by John Menchaca
“We’re at a stagnation in the punk/hardcore scene right now where there seems to be a lot of ‘key players’ not starting bands or booking shows, so we have to take the initiative and do it ourselves, although we don’t mind and neither do the others that are doing their part. We’d like to see more of the newer generation coming into the scene being dedicated and wanting to create something productive themselves.
Denver definitely doesn’t fit the mold for most other places in the country. The sound is different, the look is different, but I think it is going through a lot of the same things as other places. For example, the takeover of festival hippies starting up craft breweries and gentrifying our homes and businesses. [We’re] also similar in a way to a lot of other cities because we’re sick of the standard open note metalcore bands that have no knowledge of the history of the subculture they claim to support.”
Gordy, drums
VILE GASH
They are scum, they are filth, they are caustic, they are mayhem to a beat, they are Vile Gash. This Ohio band creates no holds barred murdercore the way I dig it: mean & with the stench of death smelling up the place with every listen. The band’s 2010 ten song EP via Youth Attack is packed full of hateful jams that punish your brains cells into a state of FTW. Vile Gash do remind me of the hardcore I grew up with in the 80’s with its’ sincere declarations against the powers that be. Actually, it seems like this band has no hope for humankind. Musically, you would think this music is noise, but do not get it wrong – these are well crafted bursts of sonic terror. The drums on this EP run over your humanity repeatedly until you are ground out of existance. I really like the band’s vocalist, with every scream he lets out it seems like there is war going on in his mouth. The thing about about Vile Gash is it seems like they tune their guitars on d-beat shit, which is totally cool by me – they manifest this ocean of distortion with their guitar sound. On the song “Incapable,” the band slows things down on some resin-dipped Black Flag styles that puts you in dirge hell (what happy place to be!). Fuck Pepsi, all I want from Vile Gash is a full album & they better give it to me!
SALVATION
I know certain labels will never let me down when it comes to releasing music that keeps my finger on the repeat button. YOUTH ATTACK is one of those fucking labels, and their new SALVATION EP House Of The Beating Hell is another killer with no filler release. The record clocks in at just over 9 1/2 minutes, and keeps my full attention every second. So what do these four awesome jams sound like? Imagine if The Cramps saw the world through the eye of Venom, but spoke with the tongue of Screamin Jay Hawkins possessed by the Ghost of Sothira from Crucifix – that’s sort of what you might hear on the vocal tip. I guess what I’m trying to say is that SALVATION’s singer knows how to channel some altered states of darkness with his vocal delivery. As a band, they also compose amazing songs that seem like they were written by zombies and recorded in cemeteries under a full moon. SALVATION’s tunes fucking drip with this cryptic rancid emotion that draws you into their desolate caverns of empathy. This band a master at weaving necro-melody into their compositions that expands the depth of what they create musically. Production-wise, their sound is lo-fi and dirty, but still sounds huge in it’s own way. You can hear all sorts of influences, but because this band has such extreme levels of originality, they never come off as contrived. The one thing that stands out to me is the fact is that SALVATION knows how to inject their manifestations with the spirit of 80’s hardcore without sounding retro. When you listen to House Of The Beating Hell, their sonic conviction and audio passion are evident throughout. SALVATION’s songs emanate darkness 100%, but there is something about what they do that shines a bright light on the nightmares of humanity. When you hear the feedback, the drums and the slow moving, serial killer riff of the title song “House Of The Beating Hell,” it will all make sense – SALVATION is almighty freaking awesome!
RAW NERVE
April 14th marked the end of Chicago’s RAW NERVE, and from the video footage the final show was insane! I just wanted to share this with you because it’s beyond cool to see a room filled with so much raw energy. When I watch this video, it shows what the DIY scene is all about – fuck the rest, it’s our time! Goodlooking out to RAW NERVE for creating some killer music and big shout to YOUTH ATTACK for being a label we can count on for the real shit! Now watch how RAW NERVE completely destroys everything.
SUBURBANITE
You better get down with Suburbanite or lay down with the maggots because this band’s soon to be released self-titled LP is the FUCKING SHIT! I hate to be that dude, but if their new record came out in the 80’s, me and my homies would have been all over this like flies on horse shit. I would have loved to see Suburbanite perform with Necros, SSD and Stalag 13 – I would have slammed my ass off! This band lays down anthem after anthem – no wonder their type of hardcore has been called “Bruiser Beat,” it’s a pretty fitting description of their sound. CVLT Nation has been given the honor of sharing with you the new video for Suburbanite’s song “Warhawk,” which was directed by their vocalist, Chris O’Coin. I’ve got to say, this visual is creepy and reminds me how the children of the 80’s grew up under the shadow of nuclear war. Stay tuned to Youth Attack Records for updates – this record is coming out in January. Check out the insane line up of Suburbanite: Ian Jacyszyn (Absolute Power, Veins, Gath Šmânê), Matt Wilga (Failures, Cancer Kids), Chris Hansell (Warthog, Ligature) and Mark McCoy – no wonder they don’t suck!
AEROSOLS
DAS OATH
GRINNING DEATH’S HEAD
RAW FILTH, PRIMITIVE WAR, PAIN and SUFFERING, FERAL FREEDOM are some of the words that swirl in my mind as I listen to the new LP by Youth Attack‘s GRINNING DEATH’S HEAD entitled Blood War. I am in shock at how good this record is. From the very first moment I started playing it, I knew I was in for something special. GRINNING DEATH’S HEAD create the kind of Black Metal Punk that make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up in morbid joy. What trips me about this band is how fuzzed out their songs are, but they maintain a chaotic groove to them that makes them so addictive.
CADAVER DOG
CADAVER DOG at D3 Arts, Denver, 12/08/23. Photos 1-5 by @joexlacey, 6-10 by @__c__h__o__n__ .
THE CONSEQUENCE
The Consequence is the BOMB and every second of their self-titled debut tape is a knuckle-dragging Hardcore Punk party and only the real is invited! Their breakdowns are on point and the vocal delivery will have you saying HELL YES!!! The Consequence’s music makes you understand that Hardcore is here to stay and it will only get more urgent!
VEINS
Yes yes, VEIL II is brutal and reminds me of when I first heard the first NECROS 7 inch! Their new record Negative Space speaks its own brutal language. The title track will slap you upside your head with its menacing groove and let you know that this band can not be fucked with!
VEINS at 538 Johnson, Brooklyn, July 1, 2011. Photos by @i_was_a_teenage_fuckup
GOODBYE WORLD
Hot fucking damn this record will eat your face then spit it back at you so that you can keep spazzing the fuck out! The sinister breakdowns you will encounter on “At Death’s Door” are sonic trap doors that will not let you go back. GOODBYE WORLD has changed Hardcore Punk as I knew it because they are able to pack so much power into their songs it’s really fucking mind-melting. Every member of this band brings something truly special to this record and with each listen you will hear something new for sure! Real talk—I know I just might be blasting the Hardcore Punk record of 2021. Say high to GOODBYE WORLD because they just might be your new favorite band! Wait until you hear their song “Within Walls”…
CULT RITUAL
CULT RITUAL at Mercy House, July 2009. Pics by @davebrushback #cultritual #davebrushback
CIVILIZED
Despite their geographic isolation, Denver’s CIVILIZED have emerged as elites in the hardcore underground. Building upon their stellar Dust and Blood EP, they unveil 13 new songs with a mastery that surpasses their influences. This is how eternal US Hardcore is made: raise the standard with scrutiny and persistence, smash all that is mediocre with brute force and aspire toward truth by eliminating all that is not real. Through these aims, CIVILIZED unveils a classic. Chopping Block is a tour de force of modern hardcore—a barrage of hooks and jaw-dropping shifts delivered in a burst of youthful fury. Zach Reini’s vocals astound as he leads the way in a sequence of perfectly executed compositions that balance time-honored motifs with dizzying variety. Engineered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios, with an unforgettable cover shot by acclaimed photographer Daniel Shea, CIVILIZED has laid your neck on the line.
THE REPOS
HOAX
CHARLES BRONSON
CHARLES BRONSON at ABC NO RIO, NYC, 3/15/97, as featured in the Youth Attack! 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition box set. Photo by @carlgunhouse
CULTURE SHOCK
Urban life promises many rewards—lies that foster complacency and addiction. In the cities where these hotbeds fester, we observe in real time how societies fail. After a period of crisis, horrifying acts are normalized. Drugs become one’s identity, hype is power, ego is abuse.
For the lone wolves and free thinkers disgusted by the mainstream echo chamber, they scorn the idea of getting along with self-proclaimed role models and their bland, conventional “fun.” CULTURE SHOCK is a fist in the teeth of the Good Life, with an outrageous vendetta to take out the entitled parasites ruining the world.
CULTURE SHOCK’s debut is an unapologetic and relentless pummel of US hardcore. Each of these 10 anthems delivers a feral intensity that we’ve come to expect from the Denver scene. Recorded on analog tape in Denver, Colorado and mixed and mastered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios, maniacal vocalist Geoff D. sums it up it best when he proclaims “The Pack is small, but the bite is hard!”
Via Youth Attack
