“New York Hardcore: Where the Wild Things Are…” 1989. Blackout! Records. Nine bands, 18 tracks on clear gold vinyl, 20-page fanzine with band photos, info and lyrics.

I picked this up a few months ago, kind of excited to hear a sampling of the bands in New York scene from the late 80′s on the Blackout! label (New York Hardcore was the label’s first release). Some of it is OK, I guess: Gorilla Biscuits’ (love the name – they formed in ‘87 and are still around) cover of the Buzzcocks’ “Sittin’ Round at Home” is decent and the speed of Life’s Blood “Counting On” is impressive.  Also not too bad is Norman Bates & the Showerheads (N.B.S.H.) – I like their name, too – on “Hellminded” and “Desperate.” But a lot is really not my thing: Sheer Terror, probably one of the bigger names on the comp (they’ve been around on and off since ‘84 and helped pioneer east coast sludge punk metal), have two tracks: “Cup of Joe” and “Not Giving Up” and they are both heavy, black-tar sticky. Same goes for Raw Deal’s “The Brite Side” and “Backtrack.” (Raw Deal changed their name to Killing Time and were formerly members of the short-lived original lineup of Breakdown, who also are on this LP with three tracks, “All I Ask,” “Dissed and Dismissed” and “Kickback” all of which, not surprisingly have elements of speed and sludge metal coating a punk rock delivery.)