INCH SCRAPER: HARDCORE 7″ REVIEWS OF BAD ADVICE, GIVE, AND GUILTY

European bands mimicking NYHC have become so predictable and commonplace that it’s little wonder so few of these groups manage to make much of a dent stateside. Harsh words perhaps, but surely hardcore can do without another formulaic Madball rip-off like Guilty, whose self-titled 7″ (Six Feet Under) is an instantly forgotten foot-shuffle of rote mechanics. Metallic flourishes like the squealing solo on “At The Bottom” do little but drag things out needlessly. For fans of: cliché.

At the risk of being a mere footnote in the contemporary history of Richmond hardcore, Bad Advice‘s debut sees an inexplicably delayed release nearly four years since it was originally recorded. Do Not Resuscitate (Grave Mistake) is all we have left of this aborted side-project, and the above-average quality of “Chemical Imbalance” and the title track will leave many grumbling for more. Given the imminent rise of the likeminded Ceremony, ’tis a pity Bad Advice couldn’t stick around to cash in.

With Petal Pushing (Painkiller), D.C.’s hardcore outliers Give deviate from the dead-on Quicksand impression of their prior 7″. In particular, B-side “Taste Of Smile” substitutes that for something more akin to Rollins Band before they got too damned funky. I dig this cut a smidgen more than the title track, which packs a sort of spastic ecstatic pep… Alright, Suarez, cut the bullshit: this is 90s-inspired alt-rock masquerading as hardcore. But I ain’t mad at it. More please.

-GS