Figure Four & Point of Recognition split!

Figure Four & Point of Recognition Facedown Records Promo CD (2001 - Facedown Records)



(The only artwork we can find for this)

Thanks for the rip Brian!

Focused's "The Wheels of Progress"

The Wheels of Progress (1999 - Facedown Records)



I don't know a lot about this release, mainly because I never could find it until a rip of it was recently sent my way online for the blog. Please comment with information on the record and I'll update the post. Stuff like: the year it was released, dates of the material compiled on the record, etc. Thanks!

Thank you Seth for the rip!

Point of Recognition, Cast in Stone, & Torn in Two 3-way Split

Split with Point of Recognition, Cast in Stone, and Torn in Two. Thank you Guy for the rip!

Now the Tables Have Turned (2001 - Facedown Records)

No Innocent Victim

San Diego, California's No Innocent Victim began playing in 1992. So much more than just a "Christian hardcore band", they have released records with several different record labels; including Rescue Records, Victory Records, Solid State Records, and Facedown Records; and have toured all over the U.S., Japan, and Europe, playing big hardcore acts of many sorts, both Christian and not, such as; Hatebreed, Madball, Agnostic Front, xDisciplex, P.O.D., and so many more. The first of their records that I ever heard was their Flesh and Blood record and was blown away, especially by the song "My Beliefs". The couple times I have seen them, it was always an experience. I'm pretty certain the biggest circle pit I have EVER seen was during a No Innocent Victim set when I was a freshman in high school. They were one of the few bands that I heard back then that played a Christian version of straight up hardcore style that I was used to secular bands playing like Madball, Agnostic Front, Sick of it All, and Hatebreed. What I have always found great about No Innocent Victim was how big of a deal they have always been, in both the Christian and non-Christian hardcore scenes. They are one of the few bands that don't keep their Christian values under wraps, but are adored by both Christians and non-believers. THAT is a true achievement of a Christian hardcore band, not playing in front of Christian kids all of the time, preaching to the choir. No Innocent Victim has released several records in their time, on a few different record labels, and all of which are AMAZING. As many bands, they've been through TONS of members, but always stuck to the hardcore sound that has made them great. They haven't released anything since their 2005 To Burn Again record, but have toured as recently as last year. I haven't seen them since a few years ago an hour north of where I live, but would LOVE to get to see them again. What sucks is I'm still trying to get my hands on their more rare records, such as their '93 demo, their split with Phanatik from '98, their '98 self titled record, and their first Victory Records release titled The Crazy Engler Brothers from '99. If anyone has copies of these that they can rip and send my way, please let me know! Anyway, here's a few of their records that I do have.

"I would die tonight for my beliefs"

Strength (1995 - Rescue Records)



No Compromise (1997 - Rescue Records)



- Thank you Matt M. for the rip of this record!

Flesh and Blood (1999 - Victory Records)



Tipping the Scales (2001 - Victory Records / Solid State Records)



To Burn Again (2005 - Facedown Records)

Even more Overcome...

Thanks to Guy for his uploads he has recently sent over to me, I can now share with everyone Overcome's The Life of Death five song ep released in 1998 on Facedown Records. This ep was one of the kickstarting records for Facedown Records' success in the hardcore scene. This particular record contains songs that would later be featured on More Than Death, which you can download from my first post on the band. Check it out. Thanks again Guy.

The Life of Death (1998 - Facedown Records)

Torn in Two

Southern California's Torn in Two came and went pretty quickly. Rather than debuting in the Christian hardcore scene with a record of their own, they hopped on board with Facedown Records, being put on a three way split with other early Facedown Records bands, Point of Recognition and Cast in Stone, in 2000 titled Now the Tables Have Turned. A year later, they released their now out of print full length, Soli Deo Gloria, on Facedown Records, receiving mostly positive feedback. Torn in Two was on board with the dual-vocals hardcore style that was around for awhile in the 90s and into the early 2000s. Hell, even two of my earlier bands had two vocalists, glad that trend went away. It was decent at times though, and Torn in Two, I believe, was a great example of what having two vocalists can really achieve. I saw them play only once at the Cornerstone Music Festival when I was in high school and I thought they were great. Their only flaw, however, was that I didn't think their record had much replay value, so I lost interest in the band pretty quickly. But, after having listened to it for the first time since the record came out, I must say it's definitely heavy. I have not been able to find my copy of the Now the Tables Have Turned three way split, so I put it on my list. If anyone has a copy of that, and would be able to send it to me, that would be amazing! So, as requested by Endy from Indonesia, below is the download of Soli Deo Gloria. By the way, I apologize for the lack of pictures of Torn in Two and the shitty image of the cover art for the record. The only image I even have of the band is on an old Facedown Family page from when Facedown Records was still a baby in the hardcore scene, but I don't have a scanner, and the cover art I had to just pull off of Facedown Records' website.

Soli Deo Gloria (2001 - Facedown Records)

Figure Four

Winnipeg, Canada's Figure Four has been around for about 14 years now. After over a decade of playing music, they have only released three full length records. Their first record, No Weapon Formed Against Us, was released on Southern California's Facedown Records in 1999, being one of the label's earlier releases. This record blew them up, offering the Christian hardcore scene it's own version of Buried Alive. They continued their aggressive, heavy hardcore sound in their 2001 follow up, When It's All Said and Done, which probably became the record that would define the band. The first time I ever saw them was just before this record was released at a small show here in Cincinnati, OH. I loved it, but I definitely could notice that they were appreciated, yet. Figure Four made a big move from Facedown Records to the infamous Solid State Records, famous for branching from Tooth & Nail Records, who had released some the greatest Christian hardcore records of the 90s. Solid State Records has become a haven for lame Christian hardcore bands, but some still use the incredible promotional value of the label to keep their drive in the hardcore scene alive. On Solid State Records, Figure Four released their third, and final record as of now, titled Suffering the Loss. Since then, the band has been on a major hiatus, with members being involved in other major projects, including: Comeback Kid, Gravemaker, and Cancer Bats. Suffering the Loss was a great record to leave kids with for now, having a much more aggressive sound, and having a production that really shows how heavy Figure Four can really be. Being a big fan of them from the beginning, I look forward to seeing what they may have to offer in the future, if anything. Be sure to check out Comeback Kid and Grave Maker online.

No Weapon Formed Against Us (1999 - Facedown Records)



When It's All Said and Done (2001 - Facedown Records)



Suffering the Loss (2003 - Solid State Records)

Dodgin' Bullets

I've pretty much been into every Quiggle project. I still love xDisciplex and Shockwave and listen to their shit frequently. Being a big fan of No Innocent Victim as well, it simply makes sense to love Dodgin' Bullets. Here's why:

(from their MySpace page)
"True friendship was born in the Summer of 1998 when No Innocent Victim toured with Erie, PA's xDisciplex AD! Ever since that tour, the two bands have been close knit and best of friends. It only made sense to bring the two coasts together and join forces to create a fun band but at the same time dealt with serious issues. DODGIN' BULLETS was then born and released their first 5 song CDep "Soundtrack to the end of the World" in September of 1999. It was Facedown's 6th release and came out at a crucial time of the label's history and growth period along with the debut full length from FIGURE FOUR as well as OVERCOME's final full length "Immortal Until Their Work is Done"! The band has now recorded three different times and most all of the tracks can be found on the "Earn Your Respect" CD out now on Facedown (because both "Soundtrack To The End Of The World" and "World Wide War" were out of print). DODGIN' BULLETS is and always will be about friendship and a solid bond! Musically it is best described as a perfect mix of California's No Innocent Victim and xDisciplex AD. Heavy and straight forward New York influenced hardcore with heavy Quiggle influenced breakdowns and flavors thrown in! They were never a full time band, and that was never the goal or point of it. DB played shows in So Cal, Erie, PA and Cornerstone Festival in Illinois. Note: this page is NOT maintained by former band members. It's just a tribute to this great hardcore band, that sadly is no longer around."

Soundtrack to the End of the World (1999 - Facedown Records)



World Wide War (2000 - Facedown Records)



Earn Your Respect (2002 - Facedown Records)

xDisciplex

Erie, PA's xDisciplex (now known as xDisciplex A.D.), formerly Disciple, was such an influential Christian and straight edge hardcore band. Around from 1995 until sometime in 2004, xDisciplex put out a good deal of records for kids to love, because most of them are amazing. They are mostly known nowadays for their founding members, the two Quiggle brothers Dan and Dave, who have been in a number of projects and Dave having a huge reputation for his artwork and tattooing. xDisciplex are a band that will never be forgotten, and definitely never be grouped only in the Christian scene, but the entire hardcore scene. I think I can say that their record, No Blood, No Altar Now, is their best, but all of their older stuff seems to be their best. I believe I have gotten my hands on their entire discography, but may be missing things like demo's and small things, and I know I am missing their Blood Feud record, so if anyone has that please get at me. Out of all of the bands that will ever be featured on this blog, xDisciplex will be one of the best. I only ever had the opportunity to see them two times, which I totally took advantage of, and each time I loved every second of their set. It was always insane. Well...onto their records.

Lantern (1996)





Scarab (1997)



Imitation of Love (1998 - Goodfellow Records)



No Blood, No Altar Now (1999 - Goodfellow Records)



Heaven and Hell (2000 - Triple Crown Records)



Doxology (2001 - Facedown Records)



The Revelation (2003 - Triple Crown Records)



Benediction (2003 - Angelskin Media)

Sleeping by the Riverside

Tampa Bay, FA's Sleeping by the Riverside was around from 1996 until somewhere in 2003 or 2004. Being from Florida, of course they are going to have that melodic hardcore sound, which I love. Check out their MySpace page for lineup, discography, and live pictures. I have always put Sleeping by the Riverside in the same category as bands like Strongarm and Shai Hulud, but they incorporated more than just the melodic sound, and kept hints of the 90s metalcore sound. Members of went on to be in bands such as: Underoath, Further Seems Forever, Motion to Strike, Nothing Promise, Affix Bayonets, The Sugar Oaks, and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. The band had their music distributed amongst several different companies; releasing music carried on compilations with Steadfast Records, Takehold Records, and Facedown Records; releasing splits with Carry the Dead on Takehold Records in 1999 and with Sward on Takehold Records and Foreland Records in 2001; and finally releasing their full length, A Breath Between Battles, on Indianola Records in 2003. I only have their split with Carry the Dead and their full length record, unable to ever find their other releases, but have always been content with the material I do have of their's.

Split with Carry the Dead (1999 - Takehold Records)



A Breath Between Battles (2003 - Indianola Records)

More Born Blind stuff

As promised, I have posted Born Blind's debut release, Pressing On, which was released as one of Facedown Records' earliest releases in 1998. Same hardcore punk sound that continued on through their next record, One for All, which I posted before. Not much more to say about Born Blind that I haven't already. For more info, check my previous post on this blog of Born Blind.

Pressing On (1998 - Facedown Records)

Indwelling

As promised, I've posted Indwelling, the three piece death metal act featuring three members from Overcome: Thomas Washing, Ethan Pajak, and Jason Stinson. Forming sometime in 2000, Indwelling signed to Clenched Fist Records, releasing a demo, but after some time dealing with issues with the release of their full length, headed over to Facedown Records and released And My Eye Shall Weep in 2003. They unfortunately broke up shortly after, never playing shows outside of California and Arizona I believe.

And My Eye Shall Weep (2003 - Facedown Records)

Overcome

Before I get to the bio, let me just say that anyone who loves good Christian hardcore (which mainly came from the 90s era, like most hardcore) has to know and adore Overcome. If you're ever in a hardcore band for the right reasons, it's to gain the notoriety that Overcome did. Overcome didn't have to tour a bunch and over publicize themselves to gain the HUGE impact they had on the scene, their music did it all. Besides the fact that their lyrics are intelligent and profound, their music heavy, hardcore, metal, punk all wrapped into one sound with these vocals that could last forever. I always viewed Overcome as a pretty intimidating band, never played much, I think maybe I have seen ONE Overcome shirt all these years, and I had to hear of them through word of mouth and coming across them on a comp. Below I have posted most of their records, but I have more being uploaded in the very near future which I will, of course, post on here. Before ever becoming the first band to sign with Facedown Records in the late 90s, Overcome went from Boot to Head Records where they recorded a split with No Innocent Victim and Clay, to Life Sentence Records where they released their As the Curtain Falls record, then over to Tooth & Nail Records where they recorded several records but were dropped due to not touring, then to Facedown Records where they released an ep and their last full length record. Sadly, Overcome broke up in 2000 after going on only their second, and final, tour. They did however reunite for Facedown Fest 2003, which you can see on the Facedown Fest dvd. To my knowledge, the only notable projects to come from Overcome members after the breakup was death metal project Indwelling, who signed with Clenched Fist Records but were forced to head over to Facedown Records to released their one and only record, a full length titled And My Eye Shall Weep. I will post Indwelling soon just for the sake of it being related to Overcome. Overcome is one of the few bands that will always last for years and years even after they no longer play. My band is even going to be covering Overcome's "Reconstruction" from their full length album When Beauty Dies. And if anyone has an Overcome shirt (the only one I've seen was the black tshirt with with white ink) or knows where I can gets my hands on one, please let me know.

Blessed are the Persecuted (1996 - Tooth & Nail Records)



When Beauty Dies (1997 - Tooth & Nail Records)



Immortal Until Their Work Is Done (2001 - Facedown Records)



More Than Death (2001 - Facedown Records)
Part One
Part Two

Ceasefire

All I know about Ceasefire was that they were from Australia, and I got two of their three releases, I'm just missing their first one titled Statement. They released Statement and Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness on Boot to Head Records and in 2001 released their last record, The Cycle of Unbelief, on Facedown Records. Here is a decent, but kind of lengthy, bio for Ceasefire from CDBaby.com:

"In 1996 Matt, from Australia old school hardcore act Minute Minder, and Daniel from Scum of the Earth, Sydney punk rock, joined forces and started Ceasefire. They recruited metal head Pete, and indie rocker Dave and went on to blend the best of the oldschool and newschool hardcore with socially, politically, and spiritually minded lyrics, which expressed the interests on their heart. This set Ceasefire apart from the landscape of bands in Australia, but surprisingly didn't hold them back, Ceasefire thrived, quickly becoming one of the most well known Australian hardcore bands ever (not to mention the first Australian hardcore band ever to tour the USA).

In their day they embarked on more than a few tours. They toured with Strife (at Strife's request), Sick Of It All, and Good Riddance, and turned down (all for good reasons) tours with Agnostic Front, Madball, Snapcase and Fear Factory. Ceasefire also shared the stage with the following bands: Zao, Strongarm, Blindside, Pensive, Fugazi, Toe To Toe, Pitfall, Burn It Down, xDisciplex, Mindsnare, No Innocent Victim, and many, many more.

Ceasefire, though not prolific in the amount of songs they wrote, came up with gems in the ones they did complete. Their first release was the album Statement and the title certainly did them justice, it was a statement to the masses that these guys had something to say and here it is, like it or not. The cd received rave reviews from across the globe for its healthy mixture of oldschool hardcore and just enough metal hardcore to keep it interesting.

After touring the States on this release, they began to write for their second record and it was not simply a step above, it was a leap, and to many peoples surprise. It included guest performances by Lou Koller from Sick Of It All and Russ Rakin from Good Riddance. This masterpiece was entitled Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness.

This release opened the ears of countless record labels and offers came rolling in, soon enough though the band settled on Facedown Records, where it stayed for one album, The Cycle Of Unbelief, before the band called it a day. "

Oppression, Toil, Friendlessness (1998 - Boot to Head Records)



The Cycle of Unbelief (2001 - Facedown Records)

Anchor

Before the other bands of the same name around nowadays, Anchor was one of the many Quiggle projects. Out of Erie, PA, they only released one record, Shipwrecked Life on Facedown Records in 2001. The band had that same sound that a lot of the Quiggle brothers' bands do (Shockwave, xDisciplex, Dodgin' Bullets, etc.) mixed with some H2O similarities. It's good stuff, pretty catchy old school sounding hardcore. I don't know too much more about them, never got to see them if they toured, pretty sure it was pretty much just a side project.

Shipwrecked Life (2001 - Facedown Records)