A Fist In The Face Of God presents... Still Holding Strong - A Compilation by Brad

Alright. On Maniac Monday XX I previewed some tracks from my buddy Bradley Smith's latest hardcore compilation, and, well, here it is. I will leave the talking to Brad and his mix from here on in.
Apologies for the no-download on this one. Every time either me, Brad, or Vice tried to upload it it got taken down within seconds. Really lame, but the Soundcloud link will have to suffice, I am afraid. Big thanks to whoever kept taking down, though. Your work has not gone unnoticed...

"This mix starts off really metallic, even darker and harder than anything I've compiled before, yet finishes with an uplifting, spiritual side. And with the mix's central core, I wanted to show the old school roots that unite all branches of hardcore. Free yourself of the darkness of man by returning to your roots and there you will achieve enlightenment. Or, taken another way, let hardcore own your soul from one end of the spectrum to the other." 

Tracklist: Still Holding Strong
1. Doughnuts (Sweden) "My Black Days" (1995)
2. Liar (Belgium) "Winterseason" (1996)
3. Overcast (USA) "Absolute Threshold" (1994)
4. Integrity (USA) "Taste My Sin" (2003)
5. Jihad (USA) "War Machine" (1995)
6. Stabbed By Words (USA) "Words" (2005)
7. The Suppression Swing (USA) "Forgotten" (1997)
8. Insight (USA) "Walk Away" (1990)
9. Battery (USA) "Say It" (1996)
10. Brotherhood (USA) "Gain" (1989)
11. D.Y.S. (USA) "Wolfpack" (1989)
12. Youth Of Today (USA) "Thinking Straight" (1986)
13. Billingsgate (USA) "Hold Strong" (1990)
14. The Vows (USA) "Back from the Deads" (2006)
15. The Path Of Resistance (USA) "Broken Heroes" (1996)
16. Burn (USA) "Godhead" (1990)
17. 108 (USA) "Deathbed" (1990)
18. 4 Walls Falling (USA) "Culture Shock" (1991)
19. Shelter (USA) "Freewill" (1992)
20. Refuse To Fall (USA) "Soulfire" (1991)

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Oh, and if you missed them, below are the two previous volumes of Brad's ongoing punk and hardcore mixes.

Brad's HXC Comp (Vol. I)

1. Chain Of Strength (US) “True Till Death” (1988)
2. Strife (US) “What Will Remain” (1994)
3. Earth Crisis (US) “Firestorm/Forged in the Flames” (1993)
4. Turning Point (US) “Shadow of Lies” (1990)
5. Bold (US) “Today We Live” (1989)
6. Project X (US) “Straight Edge Revenge” (1993)
7. Judge (US) “Where it Went” (1989)
8. Sheer Terror (US) “Just Can’t Hate Enough” (1989)
9. A Chorus Of Disapproval (US) “Justice” (1991)
10. Cro-Mags (US) “Show You No Mercy” (1986)
11. Verbal Assault (US) “Anger Battery” (1989)
12. Worlds Collide (US) “Absolute” (1992)
13. Split Lip (US) “Unsolid Ground” (1992)
14. 411 (US) “Our Father” (1991)
15. Gorilla Biscuits (US) “New Direction” (1989)
16. Inside Out (US) “No Spiritual Surrender” (1990)
17. Outspoken (US) “Shadow” (1994)
18. Unbroken (US) “Curtain” (1994)

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Out Of The Dark/Into The Light (Vol. II)

 

1. Congress (Belgium) “The Darkside” (1995)

2. Morning Again (USA) “As Tradition Dies Slowly” (1998)
3. Integrity (USA) “Searching for Divinity” (1995)
4. Damnation A.D. (USA) “No More Dreams” (1995)
5. Unbroken (USA) ”Fall on Proverb” (1994)
6. Undertow (USA) “Control” (1994)
7. Lash Out (Norway) “Winteryear” (1995)
8. Outspoken (USA) “A Light in the Dark” (1992)
9. Trial (USA) “Quest” (1997)
10. Abhinanda (Sweden) “My Source” (1995)
11. Insted (USA) “Good Things” (1988)
12. Uniform Choice (USA) “Screaming for Change” (1985)
13. No For An Answer (USA) “Without A Reason” (1988)
14. Sick Of It All (USA) “World Full of Hate” (1989)
15. Slapshot (USA) “Firewalker” (1990)
16. Ten Yard Fight (USA) “Holding On” (1996)
17. Side By Side (USA) “Look Back” (1988)
18. Mouthpiece (USA) “Nothing There” (1994)
19. Champion (USA) “The Insider” (2004)
20. Sinking Ships (USA) “Auburn” (2006)

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Maniac Monday XX - Fight Back, pt. II

Alright. I said a new punk/hardcore/crossover/crust/d-beat etc. show was coming and I did not lie. Here it is, with an interview with Bradley Smith of Nocturnal Cult, talking hardcore and crossover. He also picked out five tracks from his upcoming mix, Still Holding Strong, the third in the AFITFOG presents... series. If you missed the previous two, part one is here, and part two here. The new mix will be up in the coming weeks, so keep checking back for that one.
Five more shows to go this year—anything you would like to hear, maniacs? I am maybe going to do another year show, 1985 perhaps, another demo, epic, or thrash show. Let me know.

Oi Oi!

Ohlo Seco (Brazil) Ohlo Seco (1984)

I found out about these guys via Ratos De Porão's cover of Que Verginha on their Crucificados Pelo Sistema album, which is also killer btw. I managed to track down the first two EPs online and the opening track of this kills me every time I hear it still. Has that War Of The Worlds-esque guitar tone and who knows, without these guys there may've been no Sepultura, Sarcófago et al. Also, I wanted to exclude the live tracks as I HATE live recording, but the crowd singing along to the intro of "Isto é Olho Seco" at the end of "Vida Violenta" makes me wish I had been there so bad.

1. Isto é Olho Seco
2. Castidade
3. Sinto (Live)
4. Lutar, Matar (Live)
5. Vida Violenta (Live)

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Unruled (Canada) Time Is Running Out (1984)

Last year, I saw this killer Inepsy acoustic video and in it they tear down all the lame posters in the backstage area, or wherever it is they are, and replace it with some of their own—one being an Unruled one. I'd never heard them so I checked out this and it's stuck ever since.

1. Time is Running Out
2. Forced Mistake
3. Lost Cause

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Besthöven (Brazil) More Victims Of War (2002)

No idea what attracted me to this, can't have been the half-arsed Discharge rip-off cover... or was it? Ha. Anyways, this is sloppy as hell, but in the best possible way. The Portuguese-lyriced tracks are vastly superior, for me.

1. Rest in Silence
2. More Victims of War
3. Multidôes Envelhecidas
4. Silêncio Macabro
5. Vale das Sombras, Vale da Mort

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After The Bombs (Canada) Terminal Filth Stench Bastard (2005)

Thanks to Sindre for introducing me to these guys when he included them on the crust mix he and Brad Smith compiled for me earlier in the year. The four tracks on here are all absolute rippers and every time I put this on, well, I want to smash up everything in sight, ha ha. Luckily, I haven't done so, yet. If you liked the Stagnation EP I posted earlier in the year then this is definitely for you.

1. Face of Brutality
2. This is Hell
3. Centuries of Genocide
4. Life in Fear

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A Fist in the Face of God presents... Out Of The Dark/Into The Light - A Compilation by Brad

After the success of Brad, of Nocturnal Cult‘s, first hardcore mix, he swiftly made me another one. Well, apparently the first one was kinda old, so he felt obliged to make me a new new one, if you follow. Anyways, I like to workout to hardcore–nothing too strenuous: some press-ups, a few sit-ups. I call it “the crucial workout”. I told Brad this and he said, “The first part of it won’t be much of a workout session. It is some of the darkest hardcore out there. Very Metallic! But then the workout session begins. Hehe.” Well, here it is, you decide.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Congress (Belgium) – “The Darkside” (1995)
2. Morning Again (USA) – “As Tradition Dies Slowly” (1998)
3. Integrity (USA) – “Searching for Divinity” (1995)
4. Damnation A.D. (USA) – “No More Dreams” (1995)
5. Unbroken (USA) -”Fall on Proverb” (1994)
6. Undertow (USA) – “Control” (1994)
7. Lash Out (Norway) – “Winteryear” (1995)
8. Outspoken (USA) – “A Light in the Dark” (1992)
9. Trial (USA) – “Quest” (1997)
10. Abhinanda (Sweden) – “My Source” (1995)
11. Insted (USA) – “Good Things” (1988)
12. Uniform Choice (USA) – “Screaming for Change” (1985)
13. No For An Answer (USA) – “Without A Reason” (1988)
14. Sick Of It All (USA) – “World Full of Hate” (1989)
15. Slapshot (USA) – “Firewalker” (1990)
16. Ten Yard Fight (USA) – “Holding On” (1996)
17. Side By Side (USA) – “Look Back” (1988)
18. Mouthpiece (USA) – “Nothing There” (1994)
19. Champion (USA) – “The Insider” (2004)
20. Sinking Ships (USA) – “Auburn” (2006)

DOWNLOAD

Click here if you missed the first mix.