CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - JUNE 2018: ALL OUT WAR - "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED"

CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - JUNE 2018:

ALL OUT WAR - "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED" (1998)
(Running time: 49:08 minutes; 13 songs)
("Victory Records"; CD):

Tracklist:
(01.) "SOAKED IN TORMENT"
(02.) "BURNING SEASON"
(03.) "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED"
(04.) "RESIST"
(05.) "CLAIM YOUR INNOCENCE"
(06.) "FALSE SALVATION"
(07.) "REDEMPTION FOR THE INNOCENT"
(08.) "WITNESS THE END"
(09.) "INTO THE FLAMES OF PROGRESSION"
(10.) "AFTER AUTUMN"
(11.) "ENEMIES OF CREATION"
(12.) "TRUTH IN THE AGE OF LIES"
(13.) "APOCALYPTIC TERROR"

Oh boy, is this very one here and now long, long overdue, god damn it, I sort of honestly nearly forgot about the still pending "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" post in its "JUNE 2018" edition, yes, no other "story" behind it or what the hell else ever and so today there's no need for any further-going secundary smalltalk as an introduction here and now, yes, and so just let's go - better late than never, I guess.

This month I have something… okay... I have again something damn great for you. We will stay like the last past three months before this very one here also in the world of (1990's) Hardcore musick and this time we will take a trip to New York and to be more precise to Newburgh, New York and I or we or how-ever will pay and give respect and honour via this tribute to a back then and of course still today to/for me very special and important band  and this band is none other than the almighty ALL OUT WAR and here and now it will be all about their outstanding chunk of pure hatred titled "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED" from back then in 1998, yes, released via the then damn mighty "VICTORY RECORDS" on CD as well as on LP. (I have the CD version and so all here and now will be about this very one.) Back then in the glorious 1990's 'things' were getting heavier and harder and simply more and more devastating in Hardcore with a lot of bands back then starting massively to incorporate more and more and/or maybe (just) more prominent than before more or less 'style-foreign elements' from for example Crust and Grind but also Rap/Hip Hop and also especially Metal into their style'n'sound with for example 'stuff' like Holy Terror Hardcore, Metallic Hardcore, more and more metalized NYHC, new School Straight Edge Hardcore and then some day also first real proper Metalcore like we know it today all too well appearing stronger and stronger and time after time more often and again  even more often on the scene and latest from the middle of the 1990's this all happened far more frequently again and again, especially (or at least) in my 'retrospective-percepetion' with sort of experiencing this development first-hand and discovering a huge load of great bands and records back then that should have and still have a pretty lifechanging as well as, so it seems, a lifelong-lasting impact on me, yes, and ALL OUT WAR surely were one of this bands and to me also one of the most prominent and most important ones, too. I discovered them in 1997 via their mighty full-length-debut-album "TRUTH IN THE AGE OF LIES" that was back then released via the (then active, don't know right now if they are still around) german label "GAIN GROUND RECORDS" and they conquered me heavily and "TRUTH IN THE AGE OF LIES" is (also) still today pretty frequently put on heavy rotation here in the Manslaughter Headquarters. Then in 1998 ALL OUT WAR released their second full-length-album "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED" and this time then they conquered me in an absolutely overwhelming way and personally for/to me it is definitely the most important release of all by ALL OUT WAR and this without a single doubt. It was even more heavy, hate-filled, harsh, forceful, devastating, and simply even more compelling and conquering and in total even more greater than the already damn great debut. Some songs of the debut they also rerecorded and reused on "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED" and this 'newly-done-versions' add only further proof to what I've said right before. What is really fantastic is the fact that ALL OUT WAR's "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED" is still today as strong, as harsh, as fresh, as alive-lively, and as relevant as back then in 1998. And this should tell you already a lot if not even more. ALL OUT WAR are still around and still active, formed in 1991 and still going strong today. Now in and with the next chapter of this article let us have a look a bit more precise on their musick.

ALL OUT WAR played harsh Metallic Hardcore or Metalcore and developed especially already with their first proper full-lengths they should become sort of godfathers of Metalcore that should be continously on the rise latest from the late-middle/late 1990's on with more and more Hardcore bands discovering and incorporating especially Thrash Metal, the then current New School Thrash Metal, and Death Metal into their musick forming a strong own scene with bands like for example EARTH CRISIS, TURMOIL, DAMNATION A.D., DISRESPECT, SWORN ENEMY, HATEBREED, and DAY OF SUFFERING beside ALL OUT WAR leading the pack back then. Each of this bands or more or less each of this bands had back then a pretty distinguishable style'n'sound and this also was (and still is) valid also and especially for ALL OUT WAR and their "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED" is only (further) proof of/for this. Melting a lot of different Hardcore and Metal elements incredibel liquid'n'fluent(ly) together and creating one hell of a devastating thunderstorm of prime Metalcore that also not shies away from some Sludge influences. The Metal on here was and is even more prominent than on a lot of current Metalcore releases and also often more present on here than the Hardcore parts - even the Hardcore roots run anyhow very deep. Especially the guitar work is filled with very fresh Metal riffs throughout the whole album and also the drumming showcases a lot of brilliant done Metal styled moments full of a quick snare drum work directly from the Metal department around the block. In general expect devastating guitars, razor spitting harsh and highly aggressive vokillz, and a every and any opposition into the dust crushing rhythm section as well as loud gang back-ups and all melted together by very intense and grapping, rousing and exciting everything killing songwriting and all done'n'delivered by very (high) skilled musicians and all in an excellent way. This was and still is and probably will always be and remain a very rich and intense masterpiece of a groundbreaking and lifechanging album that anyone into really heavy (and metallic) Hardcore, Metalcore, and surely also a lot to everyone into Thrash Metal and probably also some into Death Metal should desperately and definitely call their very own and it was and still is a damn characteristic and pretty unique album in sound'n'style and a true legendary masterpiece of an album and if you really don't own or even know it you should by any means change this as soon as finally possible. Very outspoken and damn strong lyrics, a fantastic artwork, and a heavy bombing production-sound round it all finally up, yes, and the final song is a damn great medley of cover-tunes that also wait to be finally discovered by you. Enough said, get it and then play it loud!!! ALL OUT WAR's "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED", truly a real timeless classick. HARDCORE!!! FIST!!!

Okay, that's it for now, yes, expect the next "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" article, the "JULY 2018" edition, to come up here early next month in August of 2018, yes, because for today this will be all and tomorrow on Tuesday and also on Wednesday I will be in Munich, yes, visiting a good friend and hailing the almighty JUDAS PRIEST tomorrow live on stage and so from Wednesday or Thursday this week on you can or you should expect new stuff up here. And now, yes, a have a nice summer-evening.

ALL OUT WAR - "APOCALYPTIC TERROR" (1998, "FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFIED")

https://www.facebook.com/Alloutwar666/ (-the link to the facebook site of the band)