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Anti- Records -- One Day as a Lion
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Take a look at the cover of this CD: a blurry visage of a man screaming defiantly at a microphone as if it's a snake wrapped around his throat, trying to choke off his last breath. That should tell you all you need to know.

Not satisfied with that? Fine, I'll explain.

From the machine-gun drumfire on the gang-chanted chorus of "Ready to Fight" to the ten-second hailstorm of undiluted rage that is "Pressure," this compilation of songs by Detroit hardcore legends Negative Approach (NA) simply radiates aggression in a way that few others are capable of. It's almost as though no instruments are involved at all, just a toggle switch to turn on the explosive, visceral anger and to turn it off when you can't take it anymore.

Vocalist John Brannon sounds raspy, hoarse and semi-intelligible at times because he's yelling that fucking loud, the kind of full-on, eyes-clenched-shut screaming that can burst blood vessels in your neck. Behind him is a crack team of musicians who fire off high-speed, ground-pounding bursts of pure hardcore goodness that doesn't care if it sounds nice or not. From the second you put your headphones on, press play and "Lost Cause" kicks in, you are blasted straight in the face with a firehose-like torrent of frustration, cynicism, disappointment, alienation and fury disguised as really loud, angry music. Just as your beleagured brain starts to catch up and process what the first verse was, the song comes immediately to a halt -- a chance to catch your breath, and to allow the band's sticks and strings to cool down. The second track, "Can't Tell No One" kicks in two seconds later and you're back in the ring again. Think you can hang in there for a dozen more rounds? You've still got a handful of rarities and live tracks at the end of this comp to look forward to. Hang in there, champ.

The music of NA is not just noise for the sake of being noisy, though. The band can actually play their instruments, and anthems such as "Nothing," with its memorable bass-line and catchy drumming, deserve a place in the hardcore trophy case alongside classics such as "Rise Above" and "Pay to Cum." It's also worth mentioning how the vocal style and in-your-face intimidating stage presence of John Brannon influenced many hardcore and metal acts to come in the following years, from Pantera to Hatebreed. All in all, for the thirteen bucks or so this CD will set you back, you'll get a prime selection of 100% old-school hardcore, free of keyboards, filler, black nail polish and melodrama. If this sort of thing isn't for you, that's fine. There's a whole Hot Topic full of Atreyu records waiting for you. I think NA says it best: Why be something that you're not?



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    Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, February 9, 2006 at 4:48 PM (EST)

    agreed.....no1 will argue with deleting spam

    Posted by kenfuggit on 2006-02-08 23:03:30

    Gee, looks like Locust fans are doing something artistic with the comment page. Your posts are still only about 1/5 as irritating as the Locust themselves.

    -Ken

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 10:21 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    Rather than policing the reviews themselves maybe the staff should spend more time DELETING anoyances like the post below......that's just pointless.

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 10:22 AM (EST)

    stop bringing up atreyu in a comment thread about NEGATIVE APPROACH...its like having a conversation about your parents genital deformities while having sex with a supermodel. don't ruin the moment.

    NEGATIVE FUCKING APPROACH

    -boring chris

    Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 at 7:49 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    Wanna hear the best Negative Approach-styled band in recent history? Check out Brandon, Florida's FAILURE FACE. Their track "I've Won" is probably the angriest song I've ever heard (and that is saying something). Soulseek that shit if you don't believe me. Your band will be covering it in a week, I guarantee.

    -Ken

    Shut tthe fuck up Ken

    Posted by BrandonSideleau on 2006-02-07 14:37:50
    My Score:

    I never knew it was "cool" to hate Atreyu........personally I always thought they (and every band that has copied them) sucked terribly. I mean, come on, how can you listen to that shit........cut the bullshit, I really wanna know HOW. Anyway, NA was a great band........very intense- "Dead Stop" & "Nothing" are my favorite songs. The Laughing Heyenas are awesome as well........great stuff.

    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 at 2:14 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    NA is so great...still more in yo face than most of the so called hardcore bands (but why does every compilation have so many shitty live recordings)

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 10:37 PM (EST)

    One of my favorite hardcore bands ever.

    Posted by BizzleBrizzle on 2006-02-06 21:32:02

    any fag that thinks that The Locust is better than Negative Approach needs to quit coming to this site. And I even like The Locust, but for christs sake they can't hold a candle to Negative Approach, and i'm sure that they would all agree.

    Posted by BizzleBrizzle on 2006-02-06 21:30:18

    did some faggot actually just say The Locust own you?

    Posted by crazytoledo on 2006-02-06 19:28:18

    The Locust own you.

    Posted by kenfuggit on 2006-02-06 19:25:35

    "Time has shown them [the locust] to be probably the more intelligent, original, art-minded bands in the whole 'hardcore' genre."

    Okeeee....lets pick a song at random....

    "Seemed like the right thing to do at the time / but Dr. Quackenfish is in the driver's seat now. / Canadian bacon-y self-fulfilling prophecy / take the time to drown in you own spit."

    Wow. How intelligent. How Artistic.

    The Locust is not only the wackest shit on the planet, but they have inspired this depressing wave of art-douche-core kids running around with duct tape on their nipples crying into the microphone over cerebral palsy blastbeats. They are the herpes of hardcore.

    -Ken

    Posted by feeeding5000 on 2006-02-06 18:34:59

    YESSSS!!!

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 6:07 PM (EST)

    pick up the laughing hyenas "life of crime" album while you're at it

    Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-02-06 18:00:20

    Damn, i really don't want to post again but..

    ..The reason i said this was a bad review was because of the last lines bashing the current trend and atreyu. Listen to a band because they're good, don't listen to them to be cooler than someone who listens to something else.

    Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-02-06 17:56:54
    My Score:

    Man, are you joking or just the most pc person ever?
    I don't tear any band to pieces, actually in fact, i'm willing to say i don't mind 99% of the bands this very site reports on, including fall out boy, avenged sevenfold or whatever. And if i don't mind it, it means i like it. You have absolutley no idea about my taste in music and to say i rip everything to shreds is just stupid, because i like almost every band i've ever heard.

    Just curious, what bands do i tear to pieces and what bands do i like?

    Hell, i feel bad for making this post in this thread and pollute the comment section of one of the best hardcore albums ever.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 5:45 PM (EST)

    "givemeamuseandfillit thinks the Locust are one of the greatest things ever."

    LOLOMG ARE YOO SERIUS?!@ THEY ARE LEIK SO GHEY< IT"S NOIZE NOT 4 PUNKZ!@! LOL! MORONSS!

    I think it's funny that there are people that still think the Locust are somehow this irredeemably awful band. Time has shown them to be probably the more intelligent, original, art-minded bands in the whole 'hardcore' genre. I don't understand anyone's beef, it's damn fine music. Go listen to some shitty posi band or something.

    Posted by johnnydanger on 2006-02-06 17:36:54

    love it

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 4:59 PM (EST)

    You just come off as a huge prat sometimes. You blow your load over whatever artsy shit is cool, then tear down everyone else. I respect your taste in music, but question why you'd want to be part of the messageboard community.

    Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-02-06 16:10:40

    Yes i do. So what? Not even my favorite 31g band at all, but i like them alot, generally i like everything that sounds like a circus gone absolutley muckluck, I'm also into that sort of thrash they used to play so yeah, they're sort of my "blink 182".

    I just said this was a perfect 10. Probably my 3rd favorite hardcore album, so what's your problem?

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 12:50 PM (EST)

    givemeamuseandfillit thinks the Locust are one of the greatest things ever.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 12:50 PM (EST)

    givemeamuseandfillit thinks the Locust are one of the greatest things ever.

    Posted by skolarx on 2006-02-06 12:08:54

    if you like this check out Easy Action, its John's new band with Tony from the Trash Brat's playing bass. I avoided them for a long time figuring i'd be disappointed but they blew me away. I'm fairly certian they put out a disc last year

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2006-02-06 12:05:56

    Was that Diana Gone Wrong joke ever funny?
    Jesus and Kanye West both say no.
    -Dante
    (now it's a running gag, that makes it funny right?)

    Posted by givemeamuseumandillfillit on 2006-02-06 08:05:32
    My Score:

    Score is for the review.

    Inverted score is for the cd.

    Posted by Anonymous on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 1:11 AM (EST)

    FAILURE FACE sounds nice, but last week Orange County did the biggest story ever on a punk band DIANA GONE WRONG (did i mention it was the biggest story) so cum check us out thankx!!

    Posted by kenfuggit on 2006-02-06 01:08:45

    Wanna hear the best Negative Approach-styled band in recent history? Check out Brandon, Florida's FAILURE FACE. Their track "I've Won" is probably the angriest song I've ever heard (and that is saying something). Soulseek that shit if you don't believe me. Your band will be covering it in a week, I guarantee.

    -Ken

    Posted by Nick_V on 2006-02-06 00:28:18

    TOS - Listen to what sounds good to you, no matter what some wise-ass reviewer says.

    Posted by the_other_scott on 2006-02-05 23:12:26

    that's bullshit. unless you've never listened to music, then that logic would apply.

    Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2006-02-05 23:05:33

    Short answer - Yes.

    Long answer - No, with a but...

    Posted by the_other_scott on 2006-02-05 22:19:34

    wait. so if i don't like this, i'm an atreyu fan?

    Posted by FuckYouOiOiOi on 2006-02-05 17:47:18

    great review. i wanna get this on vinyl.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 5:07 PM (EST)

    what the hell took so long for this to get on the site? this is a must own. same goes to the 7 seconds record under this review. stop reviewing bad indie/emo/rock records and get going on all the must own classics.

    Posted by BrandonSideleau on 2006-02-05 16:36:13
    My Score:

    great great great

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 4:14 PM (EST)

    this is so fuckin great

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 3:20 PM (EST)

    correction who ever said these guys were the best mid-west hardcore band they were amazing but Zero Boys were better.

    Posted by gladimnotemo on 2006-02-05 15:12:30
    My Score:

    Perfect fuckin' hardcore. The live stuff on this is bad quality, but Bannon's voice totally makes up for it. Pure hate.

    Posted by TheOneTrueBill on 2006-02-05 14:49:31

    This is so amazing, I was kicking myself for not getting into these guys earlier than I did.

    The live shit on this sucks but pick up that "Ready to Fight - Demos and Live" cd as a companion to this. It'll be totaly worth your money

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 2:41 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    this band was as much OI as much as HARDCORE.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 2:41 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    this band was as much OI as much as HARDCORE.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 2:12 PM (EST)

    I think they were actually from the Ann Arbor area. Not that it really matters now I guess. Amazing hardcore band though.

    Posted by xrobotcorex on 2006-02-05 13:48:31

    awesome band. "whatever i do" is a sweet song.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 1:26 PM (EST)
    My Score:

    classic. i don't think that's a statement that needs to be explained.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 12:43 PM (EST)

    Okay, I don't think they're the best midwestern hardcore band (sorry, die Kreuzen kinda do that for me), but they are definitely the most essential.

    The only bands I can think of that have ever matched this same sense of speed, urgency, and disgust have been Infest in the later 80's and D.S.-13 in the 90's-2000's.

    -Will

    Posted by Anchors on 2006-02-05 12:21:22

    Essential.

    Posted by Dante3000 on 2006-02-05 12:16:54

    One of the best Schwarzenegger movies ever.
    -Dante

    Posted by wehavecomeforyourchildren on 2006-02-05 12:12:59

    when i saw erik funk wearing a negative approach shirt at the fest, i knew they had to be good. i almost mail ordered this cd last night, but it was a little too pricy so i figured i'd wait til i heard some of it. this review is making me think i need to hurry up and do that.

    Posted by kenfuggit on 2006-02-05 11:51:52

    Michigan represent.

    -Ken

    Posted by BizzleBrizzle on 2006-02-05 11:36:21

    One of the best hardcore bands ever.

    Posted by joeg on 2006-02-05 11:12:18
    My Score:

    negative approach is fucking great. the piss and speed in this record ranks up there with some of the best.

    Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 11:05 AM (EST)
    My Score:

    one of the most overlooked hardcore bands

    Posted by ILOVESCOTT on 2006-02-05 10:56:06

    great review. i'm going to check it out.