New Boston/Massachusetts demos! Boston is currently the strongest that it has been in a long time. There’s been a good amount of turnover in the scene resulting in an influx of new blood, new bands, and of course new demos. Things were getting a bit stale, so it was nice to have it all refreshed and shaken out. Many of the bands listed here feature members of DIY hardcore bands that were quite popular in Boston in recent years including Brainkiller, Scapegoat, Blank Stare, and Social Circkle among others. A lot of these bands have been experimenting with new sounds, infusing a different set of influences that you don’t hear as often, and pushing themselves in new directions. All of this has come together to create a breath of fresh air and a feeling of anticipation and excitement. Already Boston Strangler’s debut 12″ has made quite an impact on the hardcore scene, having already sold out almost immediately. Bloodkrow Butcher and Waste Management have recently released records with critical acclaim as well. With other new vinyl releases scheduled for release this year, it will be interesting and exciting to hear what could come out next. For now though, here are some Boston and Massachusetts demos released in 2011 and 2012 by bands that represent the new crop in Boston DIY punk.

Aspects of War – 4 song demo
Most people are beyond burnt out on hearing new d-beat, Discharge/Disclose, and raw punk sounding bands. The style has become beyond a parody and is the butt of many jokes (see the No Sir I Won’t demo for several). It’s a style that has just been done so many times, so generically, and so pathetically that it’s like all life has been sucked out of it. With that said, and with the odds stacked against them, Aspects of War have set out to carve their own path in the genre. Naming yourself after a Disclose record isn’t the best way to start off when attempting to separate yourself from the thousands of bands in the style or send a message that you’re attempting something original. But perhaps AOW are so in love with D-beat that they weren’t trying to attempt to forge new ground anyway. And I think that’s what this demo represents. This tape features songs for fans of Disclose, Framtid, Gasmask Terrör, and any other number of 2000s era dis beat style bands. There’s no new tricks on display here, but it’s good for what it is. It’s good, albeit in a generic way. The guitar sound is thick and heavily distorted like Disclose, the drums have a pounding d-beat, and the vocals are shouted in a style reminiscent of unanswered cries of help, panic and desperation. I can’t picture anyone turning off Discharge to play this tape instead, but for super fans of the genre who just can’t get enough of bands that sound like this, this Aspects of War tape is a good pick up.
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-Erik SN