The Crimson Curse - Both Feet in the Grave | Screamo Hall of Fame Class of 1998 Nominee

Release Information:

1998
Three One G Records
San Diego, CA (SoCal)
Runtime: 12:24
Tracks: 9

Band Members:

Justin Pearson (Vocals)
Jimmy LaValle (Guitar, Keyboards)
Christopher Sprague (Guitar)
Damean Alexander (Bass)
Michael Cooper (Drums)

Genres, Influences and Characteristics:

Sass, Screamo, Chaotic, Noisy, Gothic, Spastic

Musical Analysis:

The Crimson Curse's sole LP effort is another entry in the sacred lineage of spastic San Diego Hardcore; the song structures are unpredictable, the dissonant guitars are messy and noisy, the drumming is fierce, precise and dynamic. That isn't even to mention the Gothic synths that harmonically haunt the songs or the manic half-shouted, half-screamed vocal performance from Justin Pearson that ties the album together. Behind the chaotic facade of this release, there are layers of personality and charm.

Historical Analysis:

With ties to San Diego bands like Swing Kids, The Locust and Guyver-One, as well as Michaganders Conststine Sankathi, this brand of playful, frenetic music makes a lot of sense.

Sass was rapidly developing at this point with bands like Brainiac, Blood Brothers and The Locust infusing the genre with Noise Rock, Post-Hardcore and even Powerviolence. Sassy Screamo was coming into its own heading into 1998 with this release being one of the true gems.

Lyrical Analysis:

Cynicism and nihilism are sprawled all over the prose of this album, with decay as the only possible growth humanity has left. Human presence kills nature, pain is routine, the human body is fragile and nostalgia is poison - these are the ramblings of a man who has never seen San Diego sunshine. Paradoxical lines and repetition are used to hammer their points home.

Swing Kids - Swing Kids | Holy Grails 1997

The Artifact:

1997
Three One G Records
Runtime: 19:58
Tracks: 9

Artifact Characteristics:

Post-Hardcore, Screamo, Proto-Sass, Hardcore Punk, Eclectic, Frantic, Chaotic

Artifact Archeologists:

Justin Pearson (Vocals)
Eric Allen (Guitar)
John Brady (Bass)
Jose Palafox (Drums)

Artifact Contents:

Every track from their 1994 s/t
Every track from a split with Spanakorzo
An original track that would feature in a future comp

Artifact Echoes:

Spastic, experimental and playful Screamo is all you're going to find on this record, documenting every song from the band thus far. Although you can still piece out the traditional Hardcore influence, dissonance, rhythmic unpredictability and general chaos are all elements these early pioneers utilized to keep listeners on their toes. The band can transition between a rapid-fire verse fueled by unhinged screaming and overwhelming drums to a sarcastic jazzy number played with great skill and technicality.

Artifact Legacy:

Justin Pearson is an important figure to underground music, especially in San Diego. He started Three One G Records, starred in Swing Kids as their vocalist and went on to form Sass and Hardcore legends The Locust. However, Swing Kids’ Discography is enough of a reason to celebrate; the mark this band left on San Diego, Hardcore music, Screamo. Sasscore and underground music as a whole cannot be ignored. Swing Kids achieved levels of pandemonium very few before them could have hoped for while injecting heaps of personality, a brutal and fun concoction that we are still enjoying the influence of over 30 years later.

Artifact Value:

Originally released in 1997 in CD format, there were several reissues, including a notable one in 2002. The original CD is pretty obtainable, though a 2003 vinyl pressing could be difficult to obtain these days. The band made a few random comebacks in later years, releasing two new songs along the way and necessitating another compilation release in 2020. Whether or not that makes this release less valuable, it's absolutely worth obtaining for fans of the band, early Screamo or the San Diego sound.

Antioch Arrow - In Love With Jetts

Release Information:

1994
Gravity Records
San Diego, CA (SoCal)
Runtime: 13:46
Tracks: 9

Band Members:

Aaron Montaigne (Vocals)
Jeff Winterberg (Guitar)
Andy Ward (Guitar)
Mac Mann (Bass)
Ron Avila (Drums)

Genres, Influences and Characteristics:

Post-Hardcore, Proto-Sass, Screamo, Noise Rock, Eclectic, Dynamic, Chaotic, Playful

Musical Analysis:

Anxiety-inducing music from trailblazers Antioch Arrrow in the form of noisy, chaotic, quirky Hardcore, In Love With Jetts is THE seminal Sasscore album. This quintessential release is playful, effeminate and downright weird at times, aimless and formless at others. The pandemonium pendulums between tense quietus and manic outbursts, exploding with personality all the while. This is one of the most absurd releases of this time.

Historical Analysis:

Avant-Garde is an overused term these days, but by 1994 standards, this was quite the leap forward for Punk and its many subgenres. It not only added more dimensions to Post-Hardcore mythos, they further established the more chaotic and dynamic aspects of Screamo. Calling this a Screamo release feels a bit disingenuous considering most lyrics aren't screamed, but these mischievous clean vocals, along with the general recklessness of the songwriting and performing, basically introduced the world to the wonderful world of Sasscore, Screamo's sexy redheaded stepsister.

Lyrical Analysis:

Antioch Arrow's lyrical themes and meanings are almost unimportant compared to the flamboyant diction, nonsensical imagery and lighthearted tone. The stream-of-consciousness writing style is rife for interpretation, but general themes of uncertain love, lost spirituality and desire for genuine connection creep into light. These lyrics contrast the confessional, confrontational lyrics of early Screamo thus far, veering into territory often covered by Sass.

Swing Kids - Swing Kids | The Shape of Screamo to Come

Release Information:

1994
Three One G Records
San Diego, CA (SoCal)
Runtime: 10:23
Tracks: 5

Band Members:

Justin Pearson (Vocals)
Eric Allen (Guitar)
John Brady (Bass)
Jose Palafox (Drums)

Genres, Influences and Characteristics:

Post-Hardcore, Screamo, Proto-Sass, Hardcore Punk, Eclectic, Frantic, Chaotic, Jazzy

Musical Analysis:

Early on, Swing Kids live up to their name with a jazzy little number before launching into chaotic and unpredictable Hardcore territory. Such is the nature of this whirlwind release, at times sounding like Emoviolence with frenzied drums, breakneck chord progressions and unrestrained screams before delving into more traditional Hardcore territory. Other times still you can piece out sassy vocals over quirky music, all wrapped in a bow of bedlam.

Historical Analysis:

With a fleeting but scintillating run as a band, Swing Kids left an indelible mark on Punk's DNA. With their sole solo release, Swing Kids further etched Screamo fundamentals in lto stone, became progenitors to the Emoviolence movement with their frenetic musicianship and sewed the seeds for Screamo's redheaded step sister genre Sasscore. This s/t marvel advances San Diego's reputation as a bastion for forward-thinking Hardcore music.

Lyrical Analysis:

With a cover of Joy Division's Warsaw prominently positioned on this tracklist, the political undertones are inescapably sprawled across the intense lyrics on this album. However, much like Screamo contemporaries of the time, the turmoil is turned inward and the laments are of a more personal nature. Yes, humans are a disease, but there is an inescapable dread that comes with being part of humanity. Its high price includes pervasive numbness, yearning for authenticity in life and wanting to be put out of your misery.