BITTER END AND CRUEL HAND PUT OUT TWO OF MY FAVORITE ALBUMS THIS YEAR. GO SEE THEM LIVE.
As we work through this final quarter of 2010, thoughts go to Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving turkeys, Christmas gifts and, if you’re a music journo, year-end lists! Two young acts that blew me away with new albums this year are Bitter End and Cruel Hand, on the Deathwish and Bridge Nine imprints respectively.
Bitter End’s Guilty As Charged is the sort of album Madball might have written if they weren’t as set in their ways soundwise. Fierce and tough-as-fuck, the record encompasses–as well as builds upon–their NYHC influences like Agnostic Front, Biohazard, and Killing Time. Cruel Hand’s Lock And Key has a different sort of metal feel to it, a thrashy one to be specific. Taking cues from crossover acts like D.R.I. and Suicidal Tendencies as much as Hatebreed and Converge, the album makes thrash more palatable for modern hardcore fans. Save for one date in Bitter End’s hometown of San Antonio, the two wont be touring together, though they are out on the road separately and hitting up cities across the U.S. with bands like Madball, Backtrack, and Alpha & Omega. All dates below.
Bitter End live:
10/28: Austin, TX @ Mohawk w/ Bad Brains
11/07: San Antonio, TX @ Ten Eleven w/ Cruel Hand, Backtrack, Hardside
11/20: Houston, TX @ Walters On Washington w/ Iron Age, Powertrip, Mammoth Grinder
12/09: Miami, FL @ Vagabond w/ Madball
12/10: Tampa, FL @ Orpheum w/ Madball
12/11: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade w/ Madball
12/12: Raleigh, NC @ Brewery w/ Madball
12/13: Huntington, WV @ Shamrocks w/ Madball
12/14: Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar w/ Madball
12/15: Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon w/ Madball
12/16: Philadelphia, PA @ Barbary w/ Madball
12/17: Albany, NY @ Bogies w/ Madball
12/18: Providence, RI @ Jerkys w/ Madball
12/19: New York City, NY @ Studio At Webster Hall w/ Madball
12/20: Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
12/21: Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music
12/22: Dallas, TX @ The Nightmare
01/02: Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction w/ Alpha And Omega
01/03: San Diego, CA @ Che Cafe w/ Alpha And Omega
01/04: San Francisco, CA @ TBA
01/05: Santa Cruz, CA @ 418 Project w/ Alpha And Omega
01/06: Fresno, CA @ The CYC w/ Alpha And Omega
01/07: Bakersfield, CA @ TBA w/ Alpha And Omega
01/08: Mesa, AZ @ Nile Underground w/ Alpha And Omega
Cruel Hand live:
Oct 22 2010 The Lab w/ Backtrack Alexandria, Va
Oct 23 2010 Skate High w/ Backtrack Virginia Beach, Va
Oct 24 2010 Legitimate Business w/ Backtrack Greensboro, Nc
Oct 25 2010 Oak Grove Civic Club w/ Backtrack Lexington, SC
Oct 26 2010 Transitions w/ Backtrack Tampa, Florida
Oct 27 2010 The Talent Farm w/ Backtrack Pembroke Pines, FL, FL
Oct 28 2010 Warehouse 8B w/ Backtrack Jacksonville, FL
Oct 29 2010 585 Wells St w/ Backtrack Atlanta, Ga
Oct 30 2010 Rocket town w/ Backtrack Nashville, Tn
Oct 31 2010 Warsaw Arena w/ Backtrack Cincinnati, Oh
Nov 1 2010 Resurgence Church w/ Backtrack Evansville, IN
Nov 2 2010 Fubar w/ Backtrack St. Louis, MO
Nov 3 2010 Downstown Music w/ Backtrack LIttle Rock, Ak
Nov 4 2010 The Nightmare w/ Backtrack Dallas, Tx
Nov 5 2010 Walters w/ Backtrack Houston, Tx
Nov 6 2010 Fun Fun Fun Fest After Party w/ Backtrack Austin, Tx
Nov 7 2010 Ten Eleven w/ Backtrack, Bitter End San Antonio, Tx
Nov 8 2010 Nile Underground w/ Backtrack Mesa, Az
Nov 9 2010 Bodgea Argon w/ Backtrack Tijuana, ., MEXICO
Nov 10 2010 Colbalt Cafe w/ Backtrack Canoga Park, Ca
Nov 11 2010 The CYC w/ Backtrack Fresno, Ca
Nov 12 2010 924 Gilman St w/ Backtrack Berkeley, Ca
Nov 13 2010 Branch st w/ Backtrack Sacramento, Ca
Nov 14 2010 Fusion Cafe w/ Backtrack. Seattle, Wa
Nov 16 2010 TREA Bingo Hall w/ Backtrack Rapid City, South Dako
Nov 17 2010 Scion Lab w/ Backtrack Kansas City, Mo
Nov 18 2010 The Commons w/ Backtrack Omaha, Ne
Nov 19 2010 The Beat Minneapolis, Mn
Nov 20 2010 TBA w/ Backtrack Chicago, IL
Nov 21 2010 Macs Bar w/ Backtrack East Lansing, MI
Nov 21 2010 Macs Bar w/ Backtrack East Lansing, MI
Nov 22 2010 Micky Finns w/ Backtrack Toledo, Oh
Nov 23 2010 The Hangout w/ Backtrack Edinboro, Pa
Nov 24 2010 Lost Horizon w/ Backtrack Syracuse, Ny
Nov 26 2010 Knitting Factory w/ Backtrack Brooklyn, Ny
Nov 27 2010 Toads Place (lilys pad) w/ Backtrack New Haven, Ct
Nov 28 2010 Waterfront Tavern w/ Backtrack Holyoke, Ma
-GS
