State- No Illusions 7" review

State- No Illusions 7” review

One of the first bands to use the black-and-white, politicized anarcho hardcore punk that managed to not be a Discharge clone (and even among the clones, they were still one of the first, as this was initially released in 1983)- even thirty years later, this still sounds distinct from the hardcore it gave way to.  Vocalist Preston Woodward has a characteristic growl, defying speed and going back and forth between fast and slow.  His voice is just removed enough to be a narrator, but is audible enough to sound like he is subject to the words he is singing about.  Though the bass drives most of the fast parts of the songs, the guitar drives the rest, sometimes seemingly removed from the rest of the music as it wails out a lead break, a loud-pitched riff, or a stray note here and there.  The music itself alternates between good old 80s hardcore from the Midwest (just as punishing and uncompromising as Negative Approach) and some of the proto-punk Ann arbor was famous for, a la MC5 and the Stooges- in fact, a little known fact is that the original mix of this record had assistance from Ron Asheton himself.  However, the version I have is not that mix- it is the regular mix most who have this record are familiar with.  Regardless, this is an underground hardcore classic that definitely doesn’t get enough love.  On top of that, most of these guys are still active with the band (Preston and Art, the singer and guitarist, respectively, and I believe the drummer they have is also the original drummer)- in their 50s, the same age as those of the first punk rock wave.  This is them in their prime.

-Aunty Social