Straight Truth + Hashtag Hardcore Fanzine (Weekly Seizure 8.18.13)

Greetings dawg-ers. I've gotta get a few rocks outta my backpack right away here, and while I fully admit to being a straight up mark for zines and all things HC zine related, I haven't had much time to sit and read this week. Never you mind why (it's for good reason though) but just know that it hasn't been for lack of good rags...just lack of time. So while I play aspiring journalist for a bit this week when I travel to L.A. I hope to get plenty of good readin' in. However, just to give an idea of what's been coming through my mail-slot this week, here's a lil mini post.

Dat burger

1) #Hardcore #2
After trying to track this thing down from Europe for about a month, I feel happy to have one in my hands...which segues right into why Grave Mistake Records is the best punk/HC mailorder company in "the business" right now. Prompt Emails, fast delivery...none better. This is a thick zine, with tons of Euro hardcore coverage, which was my main intention for picking it up. Should have it all devoured here in a day or two, but I'm going to call attention to the back print here, just because I love the inclusion of Think I Care's Mongrel (for obvious reasons...best core band of the 00's, etc etc) and also Bad Religion's Recipe for Hate because even though it had mainstream aspirations to ruffle a few punker feathers (and an Eddie Vedder cameo to boot) "Kerosene" and "Struck a Nerve" are great songs, and while it's no Suffer or No Control, it's a fine record. Will provide a full report soon.

I guess it struck a nerve

2) Tapes
You'll note that Big Contest one has been out for a while. I know. I got it months ago, but I still wanna write about it and never got around to it. Take notes of the others. They're comin on the blog...and a new zine?! Yep. September.

Title Fight - "Symmetry" (Dylan's Dumb iPod #13)

I'm just as perplexed by the Title Fight phenomenon as you are bub, so get off your hardcore high horse for a minute and level with me. When it comes to pop punk lovin' hardcore, I leave that shit to middle schoolers and soccer moms. No, I never really dug too far into Lifetime, Kid Dynamite or any of that nonsense (too busy listening to metal) and so seeing Title Fight's TIH 2009 set and the Fury of V caliber pit action accompanying it was just baffling. Yeah, I'm hip to their hardcore pedigree, and when it comes to this kind of music, I don't loathe it...it just ain't my bread n' buttah.

So now you're asking, "OK Mr. Hardcore, whyzit on your iPod then?" Well douchewaffle, the magazine I write for pitched me their newest album Shed to review about a year ago. Not wanting to be a jabroni, I dug into their back catalog to make an informed judgment on the album, and in the process snagged The Last Thing that you Forget. I liked the cover art and connected with it more than I did with Shed and just left it on my digital jukebox.


In my book, Title Fight is strongest when they're playing fast and high energy, something TLTYF has in spades. While Shed is deemed a more "mature" record with more "depth" (or something stupid) and more emphasis on slow songs, it didn't hold me long enough to care.


"Symmetry" is TLTYF's opening track and essentially Title Fight at their best. Fast, tuneful, throaty and there's even a breakdown near the end (Still not used to seeing people mosh for 'em). It's a great song, and lyrically the line "you're a match that can't be lit, spark a flame, burn infinite" reminds me of the lyrical coupling going on in Bad Religion's "Incomplete." Plus the inverted "round" style of singing at the end rules.


Yeah, they've got a wider appeal than Bad Seed and will always be more popular...but I'm allowed to have a preference aren't I?