Go Vegan!

Yeah, if you feel like it. I guess. I like cheese though. This is actually what the back cover of the All Out War EP from 1992 says in big-ass neon green letters from Syracuse hardcore kings Earth Crisis. Metal before there was metalcore. Hardcore before it was cool to high school kids and fucking awesome before thousands of other bands shat up their territory. If you didn't know about the California Takeover show/CD from 1993, then you weren't shit. EC, Snapcase and Strife. That was hardcore for the new breed of bands back then. EC was for the metal fans, Snapcase was for the Helmet/Quicksand peoples and Strife was for the old school hc lovers. It was really ALL GOOD back then.

Earth Crisis, now reunited, were a force to be reckoned with. They sang about animal cruelty, drugs, society's ills, etc but never let the music take a back seat. The riffs were just pummeling and they came one killer riff after another. The drumming, which got better and better with each release, was stronger than anyone in the hardcore world. 1995's Destroy The Machines was where I came to the party. "Born From Pain" didn't leave my CD player that entire year. Gommorah's Season Ends is the record that catapulted them into the spotlight, but it was 1998's short-lived Roadrunner stint that kicked my ass, the near-death metal Breed The Killers. The heavist hardcore record ever released. You know within 10 seconds of thre first track that you're in for it. "Drug Related Homicide" is MY cut on that disc. Sick stuff.

As Nu-Metal unfortunately came in to the picture, EC shifted with the times for 2000's Slither, a fan-bashed LP. I love this record. I don't give a shit if he raps, sings, screams, whatever...It's a complete album, not just a bunch of songs. Slick but not too slick production and seriously quality songs. "Escape" is one of my favorite tracks by any band and they even got MTV play on the SINGLE (!) "Nemesis". Gasp! After Last of The Sane, a covers/b-side record, they called it quits in 2001. Karl and Bulldog started Freya (who continue today as a seriously underrated metal machine about Vikings and Norsemen...Awesome) and they also keep up their other side project, The Path of Resistance. Check out Freya's split with Hoods and their 2 LP's.

In 2007, EC returned to the fold and is now on a US headlining tour with Terror. New record in the works for Q4 of 2008. Take notice, Mallcore bands/kids...Your shit is through.

"Provoke":
"Firestorm" 2007 Reunion shows in Germany!: