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.
Green Beret – 2010 demo
This one falls a bit outside the scope of what this article is aiming to cover, but since they are still an active band who hasn’t released any vinyl yet, i’m including it. Featuring the majority of Social Circkle members, Green Beret released this demo that sounds like Totalitär mixed with… Social Circkle. I think Green Beret does a good job of not falling into any number of the trappings that make the D-beat/raw punk genre so unenjoyable at this point. They don’t have a generic name, they don’t use war photos on their demo cover, they don’t have endless songs about war, and, although they fit within the framework of the genre, they don’t dumb down their sound to include it’s lesser appealing traits. It’s a refreshing take on a dated sound, and i enjoy that. That’s not to say that they are breaking the mold or that this is a genre defining release, but it is a very solid tape of hardcore punk that takes influences from Sweden and England to create an original interpretation of a dated sound. These guys will be releasing a 12″ at some point in 2012, and i’m looking forward to hearing it. This tape is unfortunately out of print, but you can download it for free from the Side Two Records website which is run by Ryan from Green Beret.
Contact and listen: http://www.side-two.com/
– Erik SN
DOWNLOAD GREEN BERET 2010 DEMO
