Varsity/
Bloodpact- split LP review
These two bands were part of what I
would call a lull period for punk and to an extent, hardcore- the late 90s to
early 00s. However, in this time, these
two bands on this split LP were just a couple of the bands holding down the
fort, and they weren’t too bad; they brought in numerous out-of-state bands and
got many people in Michigan involved in hardcore. The most notable part about this time is that
it preceded the widespread use of the internet, though e-mail was somewhat regular
by then. This was when word-of-mouth was
still the rule and flyers were still in use on a physical format; this sounds insignificant,
but following this era, social networking exploded and how we would communicate
with one another would be changed forever- last of the Mohicans, so to
speak. That’s what makes this release
significant- it was among the last of the DIY pre-internet bands for the
Michigan branch.
The two bands’ music is decent, but
different- vastly different.
Varsity, the A side of the record, has nine tracks of earnest, youthful,
downright cliché and cheesy youth crew.
Truth be told, this is the picture-perfect band to listen to if one
wanted to get an idea of youth crew’s best and worst traits- naïve, simple
lyrics, gang vocals, quick but not blisteringly fast beats, a mid-song
breakdown, and collegiate font logo lettering.
These are honest and heartfelt positive hardcore songs written by
high-school punks- for youth crew revival of that era, it’s middle-of-the-pack,
par for the course, about what one would expect if Youth of Today had still
been in high school and were from a better neighborhood, i.e. a more
conservative, suburban one. Fun to sing
along to at times, but can grow old fast.
Side B is Bloodpact, who come with
11 songs of hardcore with a raspy powerviolence influence and a level-headed,
slightly left-wing political lean. I
feel like the songs are here, but I absolutely hate the mixing done on this-
the drums are WAY too loud, the guitars are hardly distinct from one
another, and the vocals are too soft to be heard very well. A slightly personal grip would be the
peculiar names of the song titles, but with the lyrics and explanations listed,
it’s not as big of a problem, as those are more important than the title of the
song. The music is not unlike the
political hardcore of the time, played on a 45.
Short and simple music with long and complicated meanings behind the
songs- another product of the time. It’s
impossible to overlook the mixing job, however- I’d be intrigued to hear the
songs remixed and re-mastered.
DIY at its finest- always earnest,
usually cheesier than Nachos on a Saturday night, and ultimately a fun package
of 90s-era music. I’m not an avid fan,
but merely an interested one. Definitely
a piece for Michigan punk/hardcore collectors and so-called “noobs” to check
out for this kind of music.
-Aunty Social
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