What one hardcore/punk album has stood the test of time for you?

Peter with Dag Nasty at the 9:30 Club, DC, 8/21/1986, Photo: Scott Lubic

Peter Cortner - Dag Nasty

It's great you're asking this question. The great thing about punk and hardcore is that I can't think of a single back-in-the-day favorite that hasn't held up well. So I'm going to sing the praises of "Plastic Surgery Disasters" by the Dead Kennedys. Their debut is a classic, but I think that this second full-length is where they discovered who they really were . . . an amazing sonic death-scream marriage of surf and utter despair (and all the good sense of humor you'd expect from that combination). The band is on full-on attack mode, giving Bad Brains delivery to Dickies' pop structures. Jello is beside himself, rage eclipsing joy. "Well Paid Scientist" and "Moon Over Marin" float through my head every day, but there isn't a song on here that doesn't connect. I think this is their moment of pure genius.


Chris Cap at his tattoo shop, Last Chance Tattoo in Las Vegas

Chris Cap - Release / Journeyman / Bad Luck 13

Sheer Terror "Just Can't Hate Enough." Because it's been an album that I still play all the time. I bought it on vinyl at Some Records in NYC when it first came out and have owned it on every other format since (tape, cd and now iPod). It's the perfect statement of pure anger and frustration. It was recorded at CBGB's by Tommy Victor of Prong when he was the soundguy there (man I'm fucking old!). The sound is still clear and raw and if it wasn't for this album we wouldn't have Hatebreed, Blood For Blood, Wisdom In Chains, etc. It's a true classic and also because Paul Bearer is the most handsome man in hardcore!!! Haha viva la Bearer!!!!


Sean Taggart artwork used on a CBGB Record Canteen ad

Sean Taggart - NYC Artist

Killing Joke's 1st album. Sounds like it was recorded yesterday (not thirty years ago!). Also you can dance with your girl to this record. I also think it was very "punk" of them to embrace disco into their sound when that was totally verboten. Not to mention the proto-industrial-metal riffage!