OUT COLD
TWO BROKEN HEARTS ARE BETTER THAN ONE
Track Listing:
| MP3 | High Maintenance | |
| Energy Vampire | ||
| A Is For Asshole | ||
| MP3 | You'll Never Learn | |
| Skinned Alive | ||
| Dangerously Unstable | ||
| Nailgun Murder | ||
| Schizo | ||
| One Trick Pony | ||
| Crawlspace | ||
| Restraining Order | ||
| It Went Bang | ||
| Deviant | ||
| Spaceshot |
Reviews:
| THE NOISE #203 |
| 14 songs in an exhausting 19 minutes. Call it hardcore, despite a few numbers that go under 100 mph and over 60 seconds. I think there are about a dozen truly exceptional hardcore albums in the world. A good chunk of those are from Boston, and this is one of 'em. These guys mean it, and it comes through even in the wordless spots. Maybe even more so. Some things just convince on their own terms, and all personal predilections become meaningless. I mean, for once, I don't even mind that there are no actual melodies. This thing just seizes the air in the room and holds it hostage for the duration. I hate to toss off phrases like "blistering," "furious," and "shredded," but they're all that'll do. One of these guys, when he was around 15, was already making records with GG Allin, so it's safe to say there's no posing in the attitude department. Almost everything deals with someone who's about to snap, or just did, and there've been recent days--a few too many for my liking, really--when this was about the only thing around to provide any legitimate catharsis. Some kinda anti-masterpiece. I think a live set would probably finish me off for good. Brash, barbed, brutal, and beautifully ugly. |
| SUBURBAN VOICE #44 |
| Not too keep repeating myself, but Out Cold remain one of the Boston area's most underrated bands. Under the radar of even the punk and hardcore establishment, while they put out one ripping record after another. This is their first studio album in about 3 years, following a live release and a few 7" releases. Completely ripping and ferocious, really stripping it down to the basics. Alienated and violent lyrics howled out by Mark Sheehan, matching the music's aggressive nature. How else to describe song titles like "Skinned Alive" or "Nailgun Murder." Sick, twisted and psychotic, acting as a purgative therapy session. Out Cold mainly operate in a loud and fast vein, but they're equally effective for the mid-tempo rage of "You'll Never Learn" and "It Went Bang," the only two songs that top the two-minute mark. Persevering through a myriad of line-up changes and only getting better with age... |
| ARTCORE #15 (WALES) |
| Another 20-minute outing from Baahhston's Out Cold. It welcomes you in with a chilling B&W death scene shot from the '30s and there you enter the twilight world that is Out Cold. Frantic and shouting thrashed hardcore punk like all the east coast/midwest greats of old: Necros, Negative Approach, Negative FX and lots of other negatives! No metal, no holds barred, straight up hardcore that never fails to deliver. The rockin "You'll Never Learn" stands out cuz it drops the pace. These boys are deadset on destruction. |
| UNDERGROUND PUNK SUPPORT #7 (NETHERLANDS) |
| They keep on changing line-ups and keep on writing and recording stuff. The new line-up is Mark at vocals, John Evicci on drums, John Kozik on guitars and new bass player Jaye Toothaker (Muzzi choosed for Fit For Abuse). This new album is released in the US by John Evicci's label Acme and in Europe by Kangaroo. In 19 minutes they bring you 14 songs and if you know Out Cold, you know what to expect. If you don't know Out Cold yet then I'll guess you are not into (US) hardcore at all. In the songs You'll Never Learn, Crawlspace, and It Went Bang they slow down and sound more like their side project Alien Blood Transfusion. The rest is full-on speed, hate-fueled, old-schooled hardcore, with Deviant as the best song. |
| SLUG & LETTUCE #65 |
| Straight up, full speed ahead hardcore that sticks to the basics. They've got a strong sound and a pissed off attitude. Everything most "staying true to the old school" kids go nuts for. |
| OX FANZINE #40 (GERMANY) |
| Two Broken Hearts Are Better Than One, that's the complete name from the new Out Cold CD and you see on the cover a shot dead pair. The lyrics don't behave about freedom and happiness, and I think OK guys, too much hate is not bouncing. Musical are the Boston guys once again very good, but you can't expect something bad from guys who wear Necros t-shirts. This time they mixed their 80s hardcore inferno with some rockin parts and sometimes it sounds like they were the faster brothers from Zeke. OK, not really so genius like Zeke but definitely good. Another point of contract to Zeke is the length of the recording, but 40 minutes last too much. Nice. |
| PLASTIC BOMB #32 (GERMANY) |
| The guys from Boston strike back and without remorse. 14 songs in only 20 minutes. No nonsense hardcore, not any superfluous melodies, just straight Boston HC. The cover don't win any beauty competition but they kick your scum from the last months out of your ears. Extreme! |
| MOTION SICKNESS #10 |
| Old school 80s hardcore thrash that just simply blazes. You get 14 songs in 19 minutes and the pace never lets up. This is just relentless in it's assault. Well, they do slow it down on "You'll Never Learn" but the rest is cool thrash with no solos, no melodies, and no political posturing. Cool. |
| WHO CARES #9 |
| Out Cold's fourth studio album, and their best one to date. This album reminds me of Rambo in that it goes in, blows the place up leavin' everyone dead, and gets out without taking too fucking long. Just the way a great hardcore album should be. Tight, fast, spiteful, and to the fucking point. While I don't think anything will ever quite top their live album, this one is still right on. Pick this one up. |
| GROBADER #6 (FRANCE) |
| I knew OUT COLD was still alive but I had found no recent vinyl proof of that…so I was pretty happy when I found this one. On the band photograph on the inside, you have a Zeke shirt (when I did the interview with them a few years ago, Marky told me they were about to do a gig with you them the euro-tour and that he was really happy about that) and a Dahmer shirt. The musical styles aren't the same but these shirts give a clue of the intensity and the emergency of their records. Their punk-hardcore comes from an age where the way you look didn't have so much importance, so you go straight to the point. No style, all substance! The songs usually don't last more than 2 min and with the exception of a couple of them on each album, it's pure speed, and it kills. |
| HEXUS #2/3 (MACEDONIA) |
| Two Broken Hearts...' is an older edition, published in '99, but still worth reviewing. This is their forth album, comprised of 14 aggressive punk/HC songs, similar to early Agnostic Front style and great lyrics. The first thing you'll notice on the CD is the morbid cover. On the music side this band kicks ass. This edition also can be found on LP, published by Kangaroo Records. It's definitely an edition worth having. |
| THE CHICKENFISH SPEAKS |
| Ass kicking punk rock and roll here. I knew I would like this when I noticed that no song was longer than 2:13! Zeke, Supersuckers, Dwarves styled madness. I should get more stuff like this to review! I find myself bouncing off the walls looking for a pit to join! Good stuff here. Half way through and still no guitar solos! I particularly enjoyed "High Maintenance" and "Nailgun Murder" If you like your punk to beat you brutally about the head and shoulders then get this! |
Pressing history:
| FORMAT | PRESSING | DATE | QUANTITY | DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC |
| CD | 1 | April 2000 | 1000 |