Warlord – Warlord EP (1997)

It is a shame when good bands end before their potential is reached. Seattle area band Warlord is one such band. Warlord released two albums on fledgling label Solid State Records. Their first album was a 4-song self-titled EP released in 1997. The Warlord EP is one heavy piece of sludgy, doom metal influenced hardcore. The guitars are tuned extremely low, giving the album that distinct doom-y, low-end sound that is synonymous with the strangely named genre of “stoner metal”. I know what you are thinking, and the answer is no, I did not just make up that genre identifier. Musically, the album leans more toward the hardcore side of things with the shouted vocals and noisy, sludgy instrumentation, however the song structures coupled with the low-tuned guitars add an experimental, doom metal edge to the album. While their labelmates were all going toward a sound that would eventually become metalcore, Warlord were doing something quite different, and dare I say unique. It is no surprise when considering that Warlord and Tooth & Nail Records band Roadside Monument shared a member or two. That fact would also help explain the more complex, math-core style that would take over on the bands’ next and final release, 1999’s Rock the Foe Hammer. The Warlord EP was a glimpse into the potential of this possibly great band, a potential that sadly was never reached. Thankfully we will always have this great little 4-song EP.

Training For Utopia – The Falling Cycle EP (1997)

No other label did more for heavy music in the christian music industry than Solid State Records. Although there were labels that focused on metal and hardcore before, R.E.X. Records and Intense Records come immediately to mind, no one did it as prolifically or as well as Solid State. While most of the label’s early releases were a brand of metallic hardcore that could be considered proto-metalcore, that all began to change with the release of The Falling Cycle EP by Northern California band Training For Utopia. The Falling Cycle EP was to that point the heaviest and most chaotic album that the label had released. Musically, the emphasis was definitely on making the album as chaotic as possible. There are tempo changes galore. Time signatures seem to be changed every half measure and favor the odd, and off beat. The chaotic song structures, coupled with the heaviness of the instrumentation, and intensity of the vocals give this short, 4-song EP the distinction of being one of the earliest examples of chaos-core or chaotic hardcore, in the underground christian music scene. It is only fitting that Training For Utopia rose from the ashes of one of the heaviest hardcore bands to ever grace our ears, Focal Point. The Falling Cycle EP helped take christian hardcore and metalcore to the next level of extreme.

Innermeans – Innermeans EP (1997)

Innermeans was a short lived metallic hardcore band from Riverside, California. A few members of the band gained notoriety in other projects; Sean Stopnik previously of Tooth & Nail Records’ emo-core band Bloodshed, and later Stairwell; and Steven Dail and Alex Albert of legendary Tooth & Nail Records band Project 86. Solid State Records released the band’s one and only self-titled album, an EP no less, in 1997. The album is an explosive, brutally heavy take on early metalcore. The speed of the album ranges from mid-tempo to fast, only slowing down for massively heavy breakdowns. The guitar work is a strength, with a few melodic, harmonic leads thrown into the mix at times. A heavy album deserves equally heavy vocals, and vocalist Alfred Pedrosa delivers. He screams with such intensity and urgency, as if the world would end if he didn’t get his message across. Unfortunately, this makes his screams unintelligible. The Innermeans EP is a great introduction to a band that we were never given the opportunity to ever really get to know. It is a shame that Innermeans called it quits before finishing and releasing their proper full-length album. Thankfully, we will always have this chaotic little number to look back and wonder “what could have been?” with.

Zao – The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation (1997)

Thanks to releases by Focal Point, Overcome, and Living Sacrifice metal started to become more than just a tiny influence to most hardcore bands, it would start to become a vital component to the future direction of the genre. Solid State Records played a major role in this morphing of hardcore into metalcore, as many of their bands and releases helped the genre take shape. There is no better example than Pennsylvania’s Zao. Having previously released a split EP with Outcast, and their debut album All Else Failed in 1995, Zao were already beginning to forge their path in the hardcore scene. That path was straight up no-holds-barred hardcore. So it was quite a shock the direction that their Solid State Records debut, 1997’s The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation took. Although leaning more toward their hardcore roots, the album incorporated a heavier, thrash-ier metal sound. Musically the album was nearly a 50/50 split of hardcore and metal. On the hardcore side, fans could enjoy the fast tempos and vocalist Shawn Jonas’ pained, high pitched screams/shouts. On the metal side, fans could enjoy the heavy atmosphere and more metal leaning instrumentation. As good as the album is, this is an album by a band in transition both figuratively and literally. One can most definitely hear the band transitioning to the more metal side that their later work featured. This is not a strange thing since drummer Jesse Smith, the primary songwriter of this album, was the lone remaining member from this album to move forward with the band. It would be a shame to consider The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation a transitional album, however that wouldn’t be entirely unfair. This is one of the most important albums in the history of christian hardcore, helping to shape the sound of hardcore and metalcore to come. A sound that the band would later perfect.

Focal Point – Suffering of The Masses (1995)

More than any other label, Tooth and Nail Records can be credited with assisting the growth of christian hardcore music. Although there were bands such as NIV and Six Feet Deep who flourished outside of the T&N family, the label brought us such pioneers as Focused, Unashamed, Strongarm, and Overcome, as well as the Helpless Amongst Friends compilations. One of the bands that helped push “spirit-filled” hardcore in a heavier direction was California’s Focal Point. The album cover says it all, Suffering of the Masses is brutality personified. Coincidentally, the album starts out with the soothing instrumental “Inception”. However, just like the calm before a violent storm, the song fades out and gives way to utter chaos. This is brutally heavy, metallic hardcore not for the faint of heart. I would argue that this album, along with Overcome’s When Beauty Dies, and Zao’s The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation helped bring a form of hardcore that was just as influenced by metal, to prominence in the hardcore scene. It is only fitting that Training For Utopia, a chaotic metalcore band, would come from the ashes of Focal Point. After the aural onslaught, the band then gives you a moment to breathe and start soaking in what you just experienced with the final song “Attainment”, another instrumental. On a side note, if you are a fan of Demon Hunter and are curious about Ryan Clark’s previous work, Focal Point is where it all began- at least as far as his work with Tooth and Nail/Solid State is concerned.

Overcome – When Beauty Dies (1997)

1997 was a great year for fans of christian based hardcore music. Not only did we get groundbreaking releases from the likes of metal kingpins turned metalcore poster boys Living Sacrifice and hardcore legends in the making Strongarm, but we were also treated to great releases from upstart bands such as Zao, Training For Utopia, Innermeans, Warlord, and veterans such as Overcome; all with a very distinct take on hardcore and metalcore. Arizona’s Overcome, who had previously released a solid hardcore album on Tooth and Nail Records with 1995’s Blessed Are The Persecuted, provided a massively under-appreciated metallic hardcore masterpiece with their 1997 Solid State Records follow-up When Beauty Dies. Where their previous work was heavy, paint-by-numbers hardcore, When Beauty Dies was an exercise in blurring the lines between hardcore and metal. While not quite a “metalcore” album, When Beauty Dies was definitely a harbinger of the genre; marking the beginning of a transition from “spirit-filled” hardcore to metalcore as the genre of choice for young christian hardcore kids. Not only was the album heavy as an anvil, it featured great lead guitar work, something in contrast with the simple, chugging riffs that were a staple in hardcore. The guitar work was in fact where you see the biggest metal influence on the album, and was the biggest difference from Overcome’s previous albums. The only knock on the album in my opinion is the production, or lack there of. I love my metal and hardcore sludgy and dirty sounding, but this is even thin when compared to similar albums of the time. That complaint aside, When Beauty Dies is one heavy slab of metallic hardcore. A vital piece of christian hardcore and metal history.

Strongarm – The Advent of A Miracle (1997)

This is the band and album that inspired a countless number of hardcore kids to pick up a guitar, bass, or set of drumsticks. With their 1997 Solid State Records release The Advent of A Miracle, Florida based band Strongarm continued to build upon the complex, melodic hardcore that was first hinted at with their debut full-length album Atonement. In my opinion The Advent of A Miracle took everything that was good about it’s predecessor, Atonement, and took it up a level. The melodic parts were more defined, while also containing a heavier, faster sound than anything found on the previous album. Other than a few production miscues, The Advent of A Miracle was superior to not only Strongarm’s previous work, but nearly every hardcore record that existed before it- christian or secular. I could go on for days about how amazing this album is, and how I feel that to this day no band has done for hardcore what Strongarm did in their relatively short life, but I won’t.  It is a shame that Strongarm didn’t get nearly the recognition that they deserved until after they were gone. However, it is only fitting that like all great artists, their work wouldn’t be fully appreciated until posthumously. All I can say is check out this album and all of the other work by this highly influential band.

Living Sacrifice – Reborn (1997)

If you are a fan of christian metalcore, you owe a huge debt of gratitude to Arkansas based metal band Living Sacrifice. It can be argued that their 1997 Solid State Records debut, Reborn, was what started it all. The album ended an over three year hiatus that saw the band lose their lead singer (read: screamer) and their record label, R.E.X. Records go under. The album was a huge shift in sound as the band’s previous death metal and thrash metal leanings were replaced with a hardcore edge to their metal onslaught. Rhythm guitarist Bruce Fitzhugh stepped up to the microphone to assume lead vocalist duties. His vocals were a sharp contrast to former vocalist DJ’s wide-ranging, ever-changing screams. Bruce utilized a mid-range growl that to this day has become his signature style. Musically, the band showed no sign of being a band in transition. Their sound was tight and cohesive, a testament to their veteran status at this point in their career. You would never have guessed that they were a band coming off such a long hiatus. With Reborn, Living Sacrifice helped to pioneer a burgeoning genre of music that would take both the metal and hardcore worlds by storm, while simultaneously reinventing themselves. A legendary release by a legendary band.