Location: New Jersey, US Release: Parts Unknown Records, 2004 Recently, while going through the now defunct Parts Unknown back catalog, the ones responsible for putting stuff out by the likes of Omegas, Iron Boots, The Gate Crashers and so on, I decided to give a go on a discography CD release by a band called THE WORST. The name itself put me off many times in the past because there's a LOT of bands named after this but trust me when I say this is the best The Worst out there!! RADIO RAHEEN, famous for re-releasing obscure first-wave hardcore stuff gave them the deluxe vinyl treatmen ..read more

Location: Brighton, UK Release: Brainrotten Records, 2022 The IMPOSTERS are back with 3 new joints but this time they came angrier than ever, armed to the teeth, ready to gut anyone in sight. These are short and mean tracks Mongrel stylee!! Cassette tapes are already available here through this promising new label Brainrotten. The full-length will hopefully appear later this year on Quality Control HQ.  DOWNLOAD '22 Promo by Imposter ..read more

I've said over the years "this bands sounds like (insert old school band name)" a thousand times, but what the heck IS the old school hardcore sound? The fast and angrier cousin of punk rock. I'm gonna leave this article for future generations as a statement of some of the realest groups that ever played this sub-genre in this very tiny corner of the internet, dedicated to the old school. For the 13th and final anniversary of ALL THINGS OLD SCHOOL I came up with the Ultimate Guide To Old School Hardcore (or Old School HC for dummies) picking up my favorite 13 songs (+2 bonus) by decade, nam ..read more

12th anniversary of All Things Old School compilation edition (originally due out in 2022) - We have quite a handful bands in the hardcore punk nowadays surfing the Thrash wave, which is dope (and they should keep that way) but their sound were most likely not solely based on the so-called Big Four of Thrash. A lot happened so that we can now stage dive to Dead Heat, High Command and Foreseen. My aim for this compilation is to shed light on the GOLDEN ERA of underground Thrash Metal scene which, in my humble opinion, lasted from 1986 to 1993. In a time without proper internet, when tape tra ..read more

Location: Arizona, USA Release: In Your Face Records, 1988 Time to dig out another hidden old school jam/gem, Phoenix's LAST OPTION! During their first run, they lasted from '86 to '91 with 3 recordings out, right after the demo they've put out in 1987 the Over Time EP which was the first release by SOUL FORCE RECORDS (same label that put out Insight and Breakaway) and in 1988 the Burning LP came out on IN YOUR FACE RECORDS ran by Kalvin Piper from Heresy. Expect fast paced hardcore inspired by Southern California sound, many bands come to mind but you will find similarities in groups ..read more

The DEMO ZONE is back one last time folks, hitting hard on the chin with another batch of freshly angry old school demos/promos from the first half of 2023. It seems the Florida scene is planning a worlwide assault, invading the boomboxes of many hardcore knuckleheads out there, crude music for crude people: CALIBER - Demo (Fortress Records) Demo by FORTRESS Records Wow! If you are longing for the next Painkiller Records release, pressing F5 on their page constantly, FORSTRESS RECORDS may be the medicine you're looking for. Straight forward mean and fast hardcore is what is ahead of you her ..read more

Location: Sverige Release: Flubber Zine, 2022 Y'all been expecting new SPEEDWAY material since that Revelation promo cassette came out last year, wait no more cuz FLUBBER is here for the rescue with a bunch more Swedish goodies! This cool online Zine put together in january 15 exclusive tracks showcasing the country's up-and-coming hardcore groups and that's always a great idea, it makes a lot easier for those eager to hear new stuff and follow those which appealed the most (and there's plenty here). Despite the usual suspects in Speedway and Existence that were on my radar for a while, ne ..read more

Location: San Fernando Valley, USA Release: Justice Records, 1989-1992 Born out of a common passion for graffiti, hip-hop and hardcore, the Garcia brothers and Rey Oropeza plus a couple of friends from the valley formed SOCIAL JUSTICE. The band quickly gained notoriety in the local scene which led them to sign with Mystic Records through their sub-label Safe-Side. The deal resulted in the recording of the debut 10-song LP Unity Is Strength in 1989, it was recorded in Bad Religion's HQ with engineering by Brett Gurewitz. The group soon disbanded but Rey (aka X-Ray Messenger) wanted to keep g ..read more

Location: New Hampshire, USA Release: Self-Released, 2022 It’s been quite a long time since I last caught up with Valentino Valpa and seeing his name recently on a streaming platform while browsing for new music brought me back a few years. More precisely to 2016 when I interviewed him for the Infernal Diatribe debut LP. Six or so years later we are back at it again, much older and still committed to hardcore punk. Today we will discuss Tino Valpa’s newest solo effort Live Or Be Lived All Over, an album that surprised me from the get go, starting with the minimalistic yet catchy artwork ..read more

Location: UK Release: Self-released, 2022 OVERPOWER from South West UK presented last year their 5-song debut EP and it's the bomb! I remember hearing their promo 3 years back and held high expectations for them. It was an easy pick for the All Things Old School 2022's best of selection, another true hidden gem for all crossover maniacs out there. Many new groups claim their sound is Thrash hardcore nowadays but in reality they're delivering beatdown-ish metallic dull hardcore. Don't be fooled, accept no substitutes, here you really get what's advertised, only the real deal, OVERPOWA! DOW ..read more