Harsh TruthHarsh Truth is another lost gem from the Baltimore archives. The band lasted from 1989-1996, playing only a handful of shows and releasing only a few songs because of commitment issues in the band. The band's first lineup actually featured Rich who was the original singer of Gut Instinct. They also featured members that went on to join or play in Stout, Initial Reaction, Next Step Up, and Gut Instinct also spent time in the band.
This 7" is a two song release featuring the songs "Altered State" and "Lie To My Face". These guys were one of the only "hard" bands in Baltimore at the time aside from Gut Instinct. They play what you would call "tough guy" hardcore today and used plenty of chuggy breakdowns to get their bitterness across.
Lyrically, you can pretty much guess what the song "Lie To My Face" is about. And "Altered State" is about someone who will step on everyone that helped them get to where they are.
The production sounds obviously a little rough and raw considering the time it was recorded but it still holds its own. The guitar tone was decent but it was dry. The bass wasn't terrible but still low. My biggest gripe would've been the drums, the echo was way too loud. The vocals actually weren't too bad and were probably the strongest aspect of the recording.
Decent layout. The front cover sports a black and white wedding photo of a bride and groom cutting the cake, on the back it's another wedding photo yet this one was ripped apart and pieced back together. The logo looks pretty slick, using a fancy cursive font in white with black accent lines used to help veil the couples eyes. The inside of the foldout is again matte stock paper as opposed to the gloss on the front. I liked the fact they added a entire page to the history of the band with the bands classic logo over top. It also contains all of the lyrics and also the lineups the band featured over their lifetime. Also as another nice bonus they threw in a nice vinyl sticker with the band logo. The record itself looks good, using a grey splatter on black vinyl.
Rating: 3.5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Altered State
Thesis: Props to Dom from A-389 for giving another band from his local scene the recognition they deserve. You can't take a step into the future if you don't realize your past. This is a must have for any fan of Baltimore hardcore.