TOP 5 THURSDAY #1: Whats Your Favorite Hardcore Record?

Written by Scott Danshaw and Ryan Germ
 

Today at Shadowtalkers we have double the content for you, kicking off our Top 5 Thursday series we have Scott Danshaw and I (Ryan Germ)’s Top 5 Favorite hardcore records of all time.

Scotty D’s Top 5 hardcore records 

1. Ceremony - Rohnert Park: Some would say Violence, Violence is their best others say Still Nothing Moves You but Rohnert park is the cream of the crop in their discography. Seen as an ode to punk & hardcore of the 80s while hinting at their evolution on “The Doldrums (Friendly city)” hints at where they explore their evolving sound into what they would later become 
2. Ink & Dagger - Drive this seven inch wooden stake through my Philadelphia Heart: I may be biased because I live in the area but Ink & Dagger are one of the best bands to ever come out of Philly. Blending their blistering style of Philly hardcore punk with theatrics and lyrics straight out of a horror novel this EP is, was, and always will be such a standout in their discography.
3. Comeback Kid - Wake The Dead: This one was hard to choose because I wanted to say Turn It Around so bad but nothing hits like this record. The title track is one of the catchiest anthems in hardcore & punk and the record is just a sing along to that feeling of losing your youth, overcoming feelings of regret & hoping for a better tomorrow.
4. Kids Like Us - Outta Control: North Florida hardcore punk right here. This record is 20 minutes of no bullshit hardcore. From the title track opener to the closer, Gator Smash, there isnt any song you feel compelled to skip. It’s aggressive and when it’s over all I wanna do is punch a cop, grind the gnarliest tail or ledge, and chug a can of coke. The breakout moment for me has to be the southern rock as fuck slide solo at the end of Gator Smash so out of place anywhere else but somehow fits like a glove in this context. 
5. Kid Dynamite - Shorter, faster, louder: Another one that was hard to choose because their S/T record is just as good. A record I played non stop in my teens/early 20s this is Philly hardcore punk straight to the point. This record is such an ode to the 80s hardcore punk bands like 7 seconds & minor threat but also incorporates  melodic moments reminiscent of guitarist Dan Yemin’s former band Lifetime or even the godfathers of “pop punk” Descendents.

Ryan Germ’s Top 5 Hardcore records

1. NAILS - Unsilent Death: This record changed my life. Releasing in 2010 and clocking in at 13 minutes on the original edition and 22 minutes on the 10 year edition this record is heavy, fast, and brutal as fuck. If I heard it for the first time today it probably wouldn’t be in my top 5, but it means so much to me because I’ve always loved hardcore but until freshman year of HS I had no idea where to find more hardcore, (especially the metallic side of the genre). But one day when going through a crust punk playlist I found this song and the cover piqued my interest. I listened to the title track, went down the rabbit hole of heavy hardcore and never looked back.
2. On Broken Wings - Some Of Us May Never See The World: I couldn’t understand this record until June of this very year, I used to believe it was a product of its time besides the admittedly creative breakdowns. But then I listened to As You Speak one day in my English class. I heard the melodic part at the end of that very song and I remember stopping my work and taking a minute to appreciate it. That inspired me to listen to the record and about 30ish minutes later I understood that what I listened to wasn’t just a boring moshcore record, it was one of the best combos of metallic hardcore and emo I’ve ever heard. A truly special record.
3. Ramallah - But A Whimper: Boston fuckin hardcore at its peak, and I’d argue this is hardcore punk at its peak. I’m not a fan of Ramallah after this record but luckily we aren’t ranking our top 5 HC bands. The only skips I would say this record has is the 2 melodic songs at the end, but the rest of this record is so good that it balances it out. It has amazing punk parts, amazing mosh parts, and guest vocals from Jacob Bannon of Converge fame, what more can you ask for?
4. Botch - We Are The Romans: Hearing To Our Friends In The Great White North for the first time was the moment I realized hardcore was my life. I was in 7th grade and going through a fuck ton of shit impacting my mental health at that time and what I needed wasn’t emo, punk, metal, just music that made me want to beat the shit out of someone. Finding this fit that bill and was that spark that made me love music again. I remember only listening to just this record from February all the way up to April or May just dissecting every dynamic of every song. In November of 2023 I got to see their final show on the east coast with support from Converge and Cave In, it’s one of my favorites of all time and the first show I’ve ever spinkicked at. Easily my favorite record ever.
5. Twitching Tongues - In Love There Is No Law: Another band I couldn’t really understand at first, I only could enjoy Eyes Adjust. I still think I’m an idiot for not enjoying this record or band at first. The album is riffy as hell and showcases one of my favorite bands at their peak. I can understand why Twitching Tongues catch as much shit as they do but to that I say listen to this album front to back.