Before I started writing for VICE/Noisey, I was just a fan of the reporting and documentary coverage that the outlet has been putting out for years. As an old hardcore kid, one of my absolute favorite things they’ve done is the New York City hardcore episode of Under the Influence.
Recently, clips of the doc started recirculating on YouTube, which sparked a rewatch for me, and it’s wild how profoundly influential the 1980s and 1990s NYC hardcore scene was on music worldwide.
One thing that stood out this time around, too, is how many NYCH bands were just tragically underrated, and I’m referring to bands included in the doc, as well as ones that were not included. So, I decided to do something about it!
Scroll down to see a list of some NY Hardcore bands—beyond Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Madball, and Sick of it All—that you absolutely need to know.
1. Outburst
For my money, maybe the most underrated NYCH band, retrospectively, is Outburst. Hailing from Astoria, Queens, the band was founded in the mid-80s and made a name for themselves in the foundations of the scene through a handful of one-off songs and compilation tracks, eventually releasing their Miles To Go EP for Blackout! Records in 1989.
Outburst broke up not long after dropping their debut project, but since the mid-’00s, they’ve occasionally reunited for some shows, so keep an eye on their Instagram in case more pop up in the future.
2. Indecision
I want to be clear that I love Indecision for exactly who they were and what they did… a Brooklyn-born hardcore band, aggressive and confrontational, specifically in their stance on religion. The second reason… is that they directly spawned Most Precious Blood, a profoundly darker, more metal-inspired version of the controlled-chaos sound they originated as Indecision.
Listen to Indecision’s “Hallowed be Thy Name” above, but also, I’m begging you to please click here to listen to Most Precious Blood’s “Your Picture Hung Itself.”
3. Major Conflict
Representing the most punk of the bands on this list is Major Conflict, who formed out of the ashes of another NYCH band: Urban Waste. “So, if Urban Waste was right there, why didn’t you choose them?” I’m glad you asked! Because by comparison, Major Conflict is much less known but no less formidable.
They might only have one project—Sounds Like 1983 or NYHC 1983, depending on where you find it—but it’s a fucking GREAT collection of tracks that will transport you back to the early ’80s NYC hardcore scene, during an era when hardcore was being defined.
4. Judge
Here’s the thing about Judge: I could go into a whole history lesson about them, but there’s nothing I can say that another Vice documentary exclusively about them doesn’t already cover more in-depth.
They are iconic, and you can click here to watch the first part of that doc, but I highly recommend finishing all four parts.
5. Merauder
To be fair, Merauder has found a resurgence in popularity over the past decade or so, with a lot of current hardcore and metal bands acknowledging them as a huge influence, specifically their 1995 album Master Killer. But overall, I think it’s still accurate to say that Merauder has not received the full credit they’re due for being so far ahead of their time and the role they played in the ’90s NYCH scene.
You should listen to Master Killer in its entirety—because it’s a genuine no-skips album—but, for now, just jam “Life Is Pain.” I could be elitist and choose something more obscure, but there’s something so satisfying in the simplicity of vocalist Jorge Rosado growling: “Life is fucking pain!”
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