Strongarm

By the fall of 1996, I had fully immersed myself in punk rock. I had discovered many of the bands I still listen to today. Bands like Bad Religion, The Descendents, ALL, and Face to Face had become staples. Then while driving home one day, I discovered hardcore.

I had borrowed a cassette tape (yes, a cassette tape) from a friend. He has dubbed the first MxPx album, "Pocinatcha" on one side, and I really wanted to hear it. I was surprised at what I found as it was very different than "Teenage Politics" the only other album they had released up to that point.

Then, the tape flipped over, and for a few seconds, all I heard was the whine of a guitar. Honestly, I think I was expecting it to be some lame metal band, but at the first scream of, "Division!" I was floored. I had just discovered Strongarm, the first hardcore band I ever heard.

Strongarm was formed in Florida in 1993. They had self-released 2 demo tapes before being contacted by Tooth And Nail Records. In 1995, Strongarm released, "Atonement" their first LP. Over the next year, they had several lineup changes before releasing their second album, "The Advent of a Miracle." The differences in these two albums are huge. They went from simple guitar work and a low, bellowing yell to more complex guitars playing and a new-school, higher scream. While both of these albums are great in their own right, the 1st has always been my favorite.

Strongarm officially broke up in the summer of 1998, but soon after, their final lineup reunited with a new singer, Chris Carrabba who later formed Dashboard Confessional. Unlike many other bands of their time, since the style of the music was COMPLETELY different, they made the right choice to consider this a different band and named it Further Seems Forever (This is why, even though they put out some decent tunes, I never like Further Seems Forever. All I could ever think was, "Geez, I wish these guys would put out another Strongarm album).

In the end, Strongarm only put out 2 albums, but they are remembered as one of the most important spirit-filled hardcore bands of the 90s. That being said, I'm sure there are many people thinking, "Spirit-Filled hardcore? What the *#@&?" Yes, Strongarm is a Christian hardcore band. To anyone who would write them off because of that, I say this. I'm not straightedge and I love Minor Threat. Meat is delicious, and I think terms like "animal holocaust" are ridiculous on many levels, but I still listen to One King Down and Earth Crisis. Why should this be any different? If you like hardcore written and performed with passion and conviction, give Strongarm a listen.

"Atonement"
Track Listing:

1. Division
2. Trials
3. Take This Hand
4. Stand Together
5. Count the Cost
6. Gates of Atonement
7. Innocence Lost
8. Forgiven
9. Remaining
10. Strengthened in Faith

(Download Atonement)

"The Advent of a Miracle"
Track Listing:

    1. These Times That Try Men’s Souls
    2. Supplication
    3. Council of Perfection
    4. More Bitter Than Death
    5. Advent of a Miracle
    6. Measure of Consequence
    7. Sorrow Is a Sage
    8. Increase
    9. The Fall of Babylon   
    10. Together

(Download The Advent of a Miracle)

Teenage Bottlerocket

Teenage Bottlerocket is from Laramie, Wyoming and has been around since 2001. They released one EP (A-Bomb (2002)) and one full length (Another Way - 2003) before their original guitarist left the band due to tour schedules conflicting with obligations he had to the university orchestra. That's right. He skipped tour to play in the university band.

Enter the Kody Templeton. Formerly of The Lillingtons (more on them in another post), another Wyoming punk rock band, Kody's vocals and song writing brought the band to a new level. Since Kody entered the band, they have released three full lengths. Total (2005), Warning Device (2008), and They Came From The Shadows (2009), a live album and several splits.

Fat Mike once described The Lillington's album "Death By Television" as the greatest pop-punk album of all time, but I think it's fair to say that both Warning Device and They Came From The Shadows have both surpassed it. If you like simple, fast, melodic punk rock, then you have to give Teenage Bottlerocket a listen. If The Ramones had just started releasing music a few years ago, this is what it would've sounded like.

Track Listing:

1. "Bottlerocket"
2. "In the Basement"
3. "Gave You My Hear"
4. "She's Not the One"
5. "Pacemaker"
6. "Social Life"
7. "Welcome to the Nuthouse"
8. "Anna's Song"
9. "On My Own"
10. "Totally Stupid"
11. "Crawling Back to You"
12. "Warning Device"
13. "Wasting Time"

  (Download Warning Device)

Track Listing:

1. "Skate or Die"
2. "Don’t Want to Go"
3. "Bigger than Kiss"
4. "Do What?"
5. "Not OK"
6. "Forbidden Planet"
7. "Call in Sick"
8. "Fatso Goes Nutzoid"
9. "Without You"
10. "Tonguebiter"
11. "Be with You"
12. "The Jerk"
13. "They Came from the Shadows"
14. "Todayo"

(Download They Came From The Shadows)