2024

I must confess that I‘m not that well versed in the current hardcore scene. Nowadays it feels like I‘m always at least two steps behind, which is fine because hardcore should always be primarily a young people‘s game. However, I don‘t want to become one of those old guys living only in the past, so I‘m trying my best to keep up to date, but with every passing year this seems to be getting harder. 
Having said that, there was a bunch of releases this year that I really enjoyed. The first row are probably my top 3 records of the year, the rest could follow in any given order, depending on the day you ask me. 

I‘m particularly happy that there are so many awesome bands from Germany right now. I‘ve been more excited about German hardcore these last two or three years than in a long time before. And there are so many bands for me to check out that I only know by name as of now. I feel like things are looking pretty good for 2025, music that is. 

Desire Line - Life‘s Between Us
Prim - Move Too Slow
Wonderful World - Universal Tension (+ Demo 2023)
Karate - Make It Fit
One Step Closer - All You Embrace
Force Of Denial - Times Of Strife
Echo Chamber - s.t. 
Spiral - You‘re Not In This Alone
Praise - Coming Up For Air
Face The Pain - Demo 2024

I didn‘t pick up a that many collectibles this year. The only real heavy hitter I managed to acquire was 7 Seconds’ The Crew on blue vinyl, but what a gem that one is. Probably one of my top 5 records to own. I‘m also really happy with the progress I made with my I Against I collection. Getting three colored versions was pretty cool. And the Punk Note edition on the band‘s own label made a nice addition as well. I’d been after this version of the second Blacklisted LP for a long time, so finally getting one - and in a trade with a friend nonetheless - was great. 

Yes, the flood of represses can be annoying, but if there‘s one band I‘ll make an exception for my own rules it is Bane. Not only did I get to see them a bunch of times again, they also had a special tour version of Don‘t Wait Up. More bands need to do this again. Special vinyl or a special cover, I don‘t care. Just do something for a tour. Of course, you need a test press for a repress and I was lucky enough to be able to add one of these to my collection. That was not the only repress Bane did this year. The remixed version of their debut LP, It All Comes Down To This, sounds so awesome and at least one version I have so far also looks great. 

The Underdog Demos LP, the Toots & The Maytals album, the Stop And Think tape and the Adventures / Pity Sex split may not be actual collectibles, but I was really happy to be able to get a copy of those and enjoyed the hell out of them in 2024. I could have included those in the next picture as well. 

Bad Brains - I Against I - Punk Note Edition (Coke Bottle Clear) + Various Colored Versions (ca. 1990)
Underdog - The Demos - Black 
7 Seconds - The Crew - Clear Blue
Blacklisted - Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God - Clear w/ Black Haze
Toots & Maytals - Funky Kingston - Black 
Bane - Don‘t Wait Up (2024 Repress) - Tour Version + Test Press on End Hits
Bane - It All Comes Down To This (2024 Repress) - Pink
Stop And Think - Demo Tape
Adventures / Pity Sex - Split - Orange / White Marble 

Last, but certainly not least, I listened to a bunch of older stuff as well in 2024 of course. Some of these bands/records are pretty old, some are relatively new, some I‘ve known for decades, some I only got to know this year. But (re)discovering old bands and records is part of the fun. The Wugazi record is one of the best things I‘ve ever heard and is the record I listened to the most this year. 

Spiritual Cramp - s.t.
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Merauders
Karate - In Place Of Real Insight
Sunstroke - Bloom At Night
Blondie - Parallel Lines
Wugazi - 13 Chambers
The Movielife - This Time Next Year
Adventures - Supersonic Home
One Last Wish - 1986
Bad Brains - I Against I
Planet On A Chain - Boxed In (plus their second LP)
The Beatles - Abbey Road (bunch of their LPs)

So, that’s another year wrapped up. Thanks everyone for checking out my blog and interacting in some way or the other. I‘ve really enjoyed my first full year of doing this blog again. 

2025, let’s go!

XXX

Ralf