Into The Pit: 1990-2000

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90's OLD SCHOOL HARDCORE AND CROSSOVER

From

'75 to '78 Punk raged through the lands of Rock. The revolution didn't last long and the hype died down as the 80's dawned. During that decade, Hardcore – America's heavy version of Punk inspired by the English OI scene – kept the Punk spirit alive and would massively influenced Thrash Metal.

By the end of the 80's, several Hardcore bands (like Suicidal Tendencies and Agnostic Front) were mixing Thrash riffs into their own music creating Crossover Thrash, or Crossover Hardcore. This experimentation would ultimately lead to the creation and an explosion of Metalcore a decade later.

Although the early 80's will forever be regarded as the Golden Age of Hardcore with iconic bands like The Cro-Mags, Black Flag, and The Misfits, during the 90's the genre had a successful Silver Age. Many of the genre's biggest bands (like Biohazard, Sick Of It All, and Madball) were either formed or released their biggest classics.

Although Hardcore was a worldwide phenomenon in the 90's decade, it has been the New York City scene that has been the unofficial leader of the pack. Throughout the years NYHC (New York Hardcore) became a concept, not just in sound, but also in tattoo art, and moshing style.

The ultimate NYHC invention was the 'Wall Of Death'. Created by the scene's heavyweights Sick Of It All, the climax of Mosh Pit shenanigans where the audience divides in two sides and then charges at each other like wild berserkers, has become something that every Metal and Core band tries to imitate. Nevertheless, Sick Of It All remain the masters of 'the Wall', and you can't really call yourself a mosher until you've experienced them live.

In the end, it was not just the music, but the overall Hardcore scene – hand in hand with Skate Punk – that boomed as a true sub-culture during the 90's. Hardcore was truly raised from its marginalized 80's roots.

By the 90's end, the evolution towards Metalcore had already taken off and Hardcore would eventually break into the Metal mainstream in the new century with bands like Hatebreed. All of that is for later, here we bring you the true Old School underground anthems that made 90's Hardcore so exciting.

It's time to go back to the pit!

Playlist:

01. Biohazard: Punishment (1992)

02. Suicidal Tendencies: War Inside My Head (1993)

03. Sick Of It All: Step Down (1994)

04. Congress: Blackened Persistence (1995)

05. Ryker's: First Blood (1995)

06. Slapshot: 16 Valve Hate (1995)

07. Madball: Pride (1996)

08. Biohazard: Shades Of Grey (1992)

09. Sick Of It All: Scratch The Surface (1994)

10. Slapshot: Old Tyme Hardcore (1996)

11. Deviate: The Last Judgement (1997)

12. Madball: Unity (1996)

13. Pennywise: Bro Hymn Tribute (1997)

14. Agnostic Front: Gotta Go (1998)

15. Bane: Can We Start Again (1998)

16. Blood For Blood: Wasted Youth Crew (1998)

17. Barcode: Crossing My Line (1999)

18. H2O: Guilty By Association (1999)

19. Agnostic Front: Riot, Riot Upstart (1999)

20. Backfire!: Still Dedicated (2000)

21. 98 Mute: Slow Motion Riot (2000)

22. Ignite: Who Sold Out Now? (2000)

23. Vision: Close Minded (2000)

24. Stamping Ground: Office Down (2000)

25. Madball: Hold It Down (2000)

26. Agnostic Front: Pauly The Dog (live) (1998)


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