Tag: sofa records

The year was 1999. Metalcore was only a few years old, but was now in full swing, led by pioneers like Zao, ArkAngel, Disembodied and a handful of others. Hailing from New Jersey, Redeem were early adopters of the sound, influenced as much or more by death metal (especially in the vocal department) as by hardcore. Whereas their secular counterparts seemed to be developing a lyrical inspiration in subjects like evil and the occult (perhaps borrowed from metal), Redeem followed their older brothers in Zao by adopting poetic lyrics filled with worshipful overtones.… Continued →

Pensive was a short-lived but brilliant and unique emocore band from West Virginia, active in the second half of the 1990s. The band ended when half of the members wound up in Zao. Shortly thereafter the remaining members joined Brett Detar in The Juliana Theory. These are some serious credentials for a band that has remained fairly unknown/obscure. The music might have had similarities to the members’ other projects, but it was distinct as well. It was an unusual mix of clean guitars and clean singing interspersed with distorted guitars and raspy screams.… Continued →

Oh my gosh, why is it that sometimes the best bands have the shortest-lived careers?!? Pink Daffodils released one 3-song EP and then a follow-up single (literally a one-song CD) and then disappeared. Their style of female-fronted semi-melodic yet intensely screamy hardcore scratched my brain in very particular way. To this day, their Listless EP is one of my favorite and most unique hardcore releases ever. There was one more Pink Daffodils track, offered on the Trampled compilation from Boot to Head Records. Hailing from Philadelphia, the band shared some members with punk mainstays One-21, but with a very different sound.… Continued →