A compendium of recorded material from a N.Y. band that existed during the period identified in the title. The opening salvo of tracks, from the Grudge Against the World demo, stick primarily to the tried and true circa-’82 thrash-o-rama sound, and they’re quite proficient at it, zipping along nice ‘n’ tight. The remaining stuff, from ‘85’s Pilgrim State LP, shows marked progression in structure without sacrificing speed when they get a good head of steam going. Lots of tempo changes, creative structuring, and a clear effort are made to not to fall into the dreaded “generic hardcore” well of misery. One o’ those bands that managed to slip by my ears back in their heyday. It was nice to get a chance to catch up on what I missed.
–jimmy (Welfare)