"SO MANY SONGS ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, SO MANY STUPID PEOPLE BETRAYED BY A FRIEND! IF YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE TO PUT ALL OF YOUR TRUST IN A MORON, THEN MAYBE YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN FUCKED OVER IN THE END!"

AWKWARD THOUGHT - "FEAR NOT" ("Dead City Records" / "Grapes Of Wrath Records" / "Core Tex Records"; CD):

Yeahr, I know it, this record is already a big bunch of years old, released back in 2001. But as well as I know this, you all should also know that I don't really care about it in the end, 'cause if I feel the need to do a review of a record, even it's a review of an already older one, I still do it anyway, especially when I do have the feeling that this record's maybe an often overlooked one. And so this is the case with this record here, the 2001 CD EP record release of the NYC Hardcore roughnecks of AWKWARD THOUGHT. Coming from the city that never sleeps they do give us an very harsh and aggressive and forceful New York Hardcore sound that's coming with some huge Punk spirit in it. Very powerful and slam dance demanding, brutal and bone cracking guitar work, a sheer brute rhythm section (I love especially the sound of the bass and how it's played, that's the real deal, point and fact) with sometimes some good doses of Metal influences to it, and hectic and rest- and breathless, blunt and hard lead vocals, somehow to be pretty good described as being given to us in the shouted spoken words style of doing the singing, all very charcteristic and sheer brutal done. Fuckin' damn good shit, for sure, as well as back in the days, and so also still today. Hm, maybe you can describe them as a pretty stand-alone mixture out of SHEER TERROR, 25 TA LIFE, BLOOD FOR BLOOD (from Boston, I know, but damn it, haha;-)...) WARZONE and AGNOSTIC FRONT, so more the old school way of New York Hardcore music (what-ever this now may mean anyhow), but that's all more than just fine with me. Good and pretty diverse lyrics, from personal issues over scene reflections to lyrics that are very critical on society and the ruling class and it's politics, so thumbs up!!! Nice artwork (pretty cool cover artwork that really gives you a good impression of the attitude of this warhorses and roughnecks from New York City), and also a nice dity and heavy, very grounded (in a positive way) production sound. Best songs are "GOODWILL" (I fucking love this über-brutal and sheer heavy and aggressive, stoic staccato guitar riffng, that's awesome, and damn it, that's what i call music that creates pressure, great), "DOES IT MAKE SENSE" (great Sing-A-Long Hardcore Punk track, thumbs up), and the giant monster of a song called "THE FINAL VERDICT", but also the other four tracks on this little CD really rock!!! So, okay, if you still don't have it then do yourself the huge, huge favor and try to get your hands on one exemplar of this very fine piece of Hardcore music, if you still can get it from somewhere today (it should also be pretty cost effective today). Maybe not the 'oh-so-special' band at the end of the day, but who cares about it, 'cause it's really a damn good one, so check them out and also fucking better get this record here before you've missed your last chance to do so and to do it!!! Cheers & Oi!  (8 of 10 points)

(http://www.myspace.com/awkwardthought)