By guest writer Connor Els
Over the last couple years, “brutal Hardcore” has become a widely embraced and celebrated expression of the style. The bands who get celebrated under this umbrella range from Metallic Hardcore to Beatdown and maybe even steaight up Death Metal. The term isn’t anything new and if you look back through the years it has come and gone from the consciousness of the scene. Probably the best example of it would be NEXT STEP UP who embraced elements of Doom/Death and incorporated it into that rough rugged and raw Baltimore style. For every first step, something will always come along to push the boundaries. 1999’s “SELF INFLICTED” by ONE SECOND THOUGHT is that next evolution.
ONE SECOND THOUGHT is apart of the infamous 90’s Queens, NY scene- a scene that gave us bands like EVERYBODY GETS HURT, SWORN ENEMY, FIVE MINUTE MAJOR, DENIED, and the CASTLE HEIGHTS bands of infamy like IRATE, DEHUMANIZED, and BILLY CLUB SANDWICH. While all these bands definitely had some elements that broke the norms of their scene and style, OST embraced a much deeper focus for their marriage of dark and oppressive brutality. Alongside their peers in DENIED, the two bands would become hugely responsible for continuing to develop the sound that would become BEATDOWN HARDCORE, however similar they were, the two bands were very much mirrors of one another.
It is important to discuss DENIED’s album “TOGETHER AS NONE” when discussions OST, not only were the two bands very similar- members from OST were involved in the creation of DENIED’s debut. OST vocalist Eric pops up in the album and provides an added layer of ferocity. DENIED’s approach to the sound was more rooted in HARDCORE and really continued the evolution of what BULDDOZE began. OST would draw from wider ranges and was closer to NEXT STEP UP. DENIED’s entire energy through “TOGETHER AS NONE” is rooted in the internal struggles, the mental suffering that life in a violent environment, being isolated, and anhedonia. From the opening sample, the song titles, lyrics, and all of the imagery of the album. “SELF INFLICTED,” despite the name feeling resonant of the same themes, OST explores the opposite side of the coin.
Instead of a mournful somber tone, there is a greater emphasis on malice and cruelty. Where DENIED used a STAR WARS sample that explored the challenges of combating problems alone, OST uses a SPAWN sample that demonstrates the intent perfectly- dominance, submission, and power. The dynamics of OST’s music is fully driven by this sensation of oppressive and unrelenting aggression that is explosive and cruel. From the opening of the album, gone are the mournful and powerful bagpipes- replaced with the unsettling and sinister Pennywise sample from “IT” the intention is made clear, this is dark and violent music. The instrumental tone is much more oppressive, while it still feels like a Hardcore album- the guitars feel more weighted like in Brutal Death Metal, drums are much more powerful and verge on flashy, and the bass rattles and clanks everything together like a busted CV Joint. This all combined with the vocals delivers an experience that imposes itself on listeners and serves only to loom & revel in its presence.
“BRING IT ON” outside of the incredible sample sets the listener up for the entire experience to come. The album basically builds off the moments of this album, from the darkness that the tension builds in “ALL THERE IS” to the explosive and snarling pace of “SHOW NO RESPECT” the first song really highlights a full range of experiences. The album’s flow is well done in that it feels complete, the opener really demonstrates some of everything with the following songs reflecting the Hardcore elements, the metal elements, building to the climax, and again finishing with songs that demonstrate the two pillars and a devastating NEGLECT cover.
The Hardcore elements definitely are more rooted in the primal and animalistic side of NYHC and Beatdown, but also show some of the elements of NJHC & the Baltimore scene that were coming into their own during this time too. “EVERYONE BLEEDS” is a pure Beatdown juggernaut that weaves together elements of the Pittsburgh sound that bands like NO RETREAT were developing and the OG BULLDOZE sound. “LIVE AND LEARN” has some of the best dynamic flow, allowing every moment to be showcased completely and still afford dancers a chance to show out and the fists to land in the end when it finally comes together.
Metal influences in Hardcore, especially in the broader spectrum have always been rooted in THRASH and BLACK METAL it’s more Punk driven approach, but some bands really embraced the brutality of other extreme styles like DEATH METAL & DOOM METAL. “SHOW NO RESPECT” has the subtlety of a LONG ISLAND Slam/BDM song but with the attack of a Hardcore joint. “STEP BACK” is dark, menacing, and builds like a PYREXIA song or like a more thugged out MACHINE HEAD. These elements really make the album feel cohesive because the marriage of Metal & Hardcore can often feel very singular by the prominence of styles like CROSSOVER. That said, no song brings the worlds together quite like “ALL THERE IS”
“ALL THERE IS” serves as the climax of the album. The darkness and the more oppressive elements are on full display alongside the punishing violence. The opening bass line feels lifted from someone like BURNING WITCH or ELECTRIC WIZARD, but the themes of outward cruelty remind you that this isn’t from that world, this is from the streets. The ending even features a full on “Slam” moment which alongside DYINGRACE’s “INSANE” would be among the first, and best examples of a BEATDOWN HARDCORE song embracing this riff. Although eventually bands like WITHOUT REMORSE, NO ZODIAC, and 38SNUB would experiment with it- this is where it all began.
The parallels of the OST & DENIED dynamic go beyond reflecting mirror images with themes and sonic attack, their structure feels the same too. Both feature an exaggerated dark central climax, songs that showcase specific elements of their sound, and both end with incredible covers. Eric from OST is on DENIED’s BULLDOZE cover, but for the NEGLECT cover- OST has Sal from SWORN ENEMY, this provides an even greater contrast between DENIED’s sinking and bleak consuming turmoil and the savagery of OST. “THE LSS” is already an unhinged song, but this version feels truly unstoppable.
With the increase of bands flying under its banner, “BRUTAL HARDCORE” deserves more recognition for what it truly is. It is that balance of heavy & hard in perfect harmony, not letting one element shine more than the other. Brutality is unstoppable, and ONE SECOND THOUGHT demonstrated that quality harder than anyone else. “SELF INFLICTED” might not have the popularity of albums like “11:34” or “CHIN MUSIC” but it alongside DENIED “TOGETHER AS NONE” serve to reflect the more concentrated attack of the QUEENS STYLE sound. Not only did OST help to further the influence of hundreds of bands in the present, they also brought elements of extreme music that Hardcore bands had been forgetting existed. Long live BRUTAL HARDCORE, hopefully soon we can see OST return like many of their contemporaries have found success in.
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