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I was doing some backtracking, trying to think back to any old 90's Hardcore/post-Hardcore that I may have forgotten along the way of years (especially post-Hardcore.) After a long bout of distaste with the Hardcore scene that began at the closing of its golden renaissance, I've finally reconciled with Hardcore over the last couple of months. Once, it was everything to me, fuck, it was the only thing to me. Then, disillusionment hit, or what I have labeled as Ian Mackaye Syndrome, or IMS. It happens! This is when you just reach a certain age and your eyes become a little clearer and you start to question all of the bullshit ideals (such as the notion of "scene unity") and all of the macho posturing that Hardcore is engraved with. As a result of IMS, a whole lot of Hardcore records from my personal collection got sold or traded away (some nice treats too, rarities, colored vinyl, you name it.)
That was a big mistake, because now I've come to terms with the fact that deep down, underneath it all I'm just a Hardcore kid who has gone astray. The fact is that I miss my old records. They were/are tokens, keepsakes of a part of me that I've learned to accept and even cherish.
This has given me an activity to pursue amidst my divorce and simultaneous midlife crisis, the recuperation of certain Hardcore gems that I had no business disposing of in the first place. Also, it has opened up the floodgates for the acquisition of material from many bands who were in my orbit throughout Hardcore's golden age but yet remained overlooked.
I was reminded of two bands in particular, 1.6 Band from Long Island, New York and Merel from New Jersey. I remember reading about both of these bands in old issues of Maximum Rock N' Roll -I'd say circa 1992/93 or so, when I was still more Punk than Hardcore kid. Once I went full-blown Hardcore in early '94 Merel and 1.6 were distant memories to me. Coincidentally, after doing my research for this article, I found that both of these lesser-known bands are label-mates on Gern Blandsten Records. So that is where our story begins.
Gern Blandsten Records Logo
Gern Blandsten was founded by Charles Maggio, front-man of New Jersey quasi-Grind, Thrash/Core band Rorschach. Hopefully those of you who may be reading this are familiar with them, I suggest you hook up pronto if not. They have a discography titled Autopsy that has all of their stuff on it and I assure you there will be no disappointments. Some members of Rorschach went on to be in Deadguy and Kiss It Goodbye, but I never gave a shit about those bands. Maggio's label has/had an extensive roster, a very diverse one at that; but stylistically the only acts on the label that appeal to me are of course Rorschach, 1.6 and Merel.
Rorschach had a following, a cult one at that, but 1.6 and Merel were lesser known in my opinion because the national focus was locked into the bands that frequented venues like Coney Island High, the Wetlands and of course CBGBs. There was a whole other scene going on, one that revolved around bands like Rorschach, 1.6 and Merel who set up shop at joints like ABC NO RIO and some other spot that seemed to pop up in a lot of old flyers called Mountain Lodge No.5.
1.6 Band
1.6 Band features Kevin Egan (vocals) and Lance Jaeger (Bass guitar), former members of NYHC band Beyond. This is the band that gave Vic DiCara of 108 his start. 1.6 band takes no cues from its predecessor, though. The straight ahead Hardcore of Beyond is far from what you may expect to hear on a 1.6 record. I have read a review of them in preparation for this post where their sound is described as "the Minutemen in a very nasty mood". OK, I can see it. 1.6 throw a lot of these tight, travelling grooves that are reminiscent of the aforementioned, only 1.6 do it with much more intense tremolo picking and occasional chaotic/emotional bursts. The use of strategically manipulated feedback abounds throughout their work. Sure that's a played out guitar technique of '90s Hardcore, but since 1.6 really doesn't quite sound like anybody it doesn't wear out your ear. Lance Jaeger's bass lines are superb, and as a whole the rhythm section is tighter than yoga pants. I would say Minutemen meets Fugazi is a little better fitted as a descriptive. Kevin Egan himself has professed a reverence for DC bands in several interviews so to surmise Fugazi as an influence is no stretch. Also, 1.6 was affiliated somehow to another DC post-Hardcore band from the '90s called The CrownHate Ruin whom were on Dischord Records and are also worthy of a trial spin at the very least. Incidentally, 1.6's last show was played in DC at the Beta Punks Warehouse, another venue that seemed to pop up frequently in flyers of that era.
Gern Blandsten Records put out this band's discography, titled Broke Up. It consists of recordings compiled from four separate studio sessions. Tracks 1 through 17 were recorded by Wharton Tiers at Fun City Studio in New York City and tracks 18 through 23 were recorded in May of 1994 in Baldwin, New York at Dare Studios. The layout and art direction of the disc is real simple but classy in that early '90s vein and it's nice to peek at while listening.
Merel
Merel was really dope and I'm not quite sure why this band wasn't a little bit more known, even considering the previously hypothesized fixation that the scene had on Coney and CBs bands. These kids (or so they seemed) rocked out in a noisy, emotional vein with bewildered, surly vocals and many chaotic outbreaks in between. I won't refer to them as Emo, because that would be a huge pigeonhole. Emotional post-Hardcore is a good way to describe Merel. I would have loved to have seen this band live to see if the emotional content of the music compels the band physically to act out. If so, quite a sight that must be for one such as myself that has a discriminating eye for stage presence. I couldn't imagine being one of the perpetrators of the sound Merel creates and not just go berserk during that emotional bloodletting.
As with the 1.6 Band, the layout for this discography is also cool but a little different on the motif. Whereas 1.6's layout was of a neater vein, with cursive print fonts and the whole shebang, the insert booklet includes the lyrics with some grainy, old black and white shots of circus freaks that give the graphic direction an odd, surrealist vibe. Between both of these bands I take preference with Merel. The emotion seems to be coming from a darker place which appeals to me, and their sound isn't all neatly tucked and compartmentalized, rather, it often just seems like a free for all. Avant Garde Core! Holy fuck, I just coined a genre... Avant Garde Core, I like that!
This is an image of the discography below, it's a partial picture of St. Michael the archangel defeating Satan on the upper left corner of the cover. Never fear, I'm sure this is an irreligious band. Even if they are, as with most post-Hardcore the lyrics are abstract and nonsensical at times so big whoop if they are, who'd know?
So don't waste time and pursue these rarities, if post is your deal especially seek these out. Your Quicksand records are played out already... Now if you'll excuse me, I have to begin work on a poem about cunnilingus titled "Eat Before It Gets Cold". The literary process never ends. Smooches!
