Various Artists "T.O. Hardcore '83" LP

Back in 1983 there was an amazing tape compilation pulled together by Brian Taylor of YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH. Brian started to get used to working in studios and he wound up convincing all the bands back then to come into a studio and record a couple of songs each. Then he released it on a tape on his label at the time NRK. I think Brian still had all the tapes and it has been 25+ years so those masters are probably starting to decay. So Brian went and prepared these for a vinyl pressing. And it's about time that this comp gets the vinyl treatment. It deserves it. It was an incredible comp back in the day and it is an incredible comp now. Think of it as Toronto's version of "This is Boston, Not L.A.". So these are the core bands of what has been referred to as the Toronto hardcore scene. This is it at it’s inception. DIRECT ACTION, YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH, YOUNG LIONS, CHRONIC SUBMISSION and these recordings are all unique to this comp only. So if you have DIRECT ACTION’s “Trapped in a World” and you have “19 A.D. 4” on that you don’t have this version which is a lot rawer and more scrappier. This comp is incredible. So the comp. starts out with a butchering of the Canadian national anthem a la Hendrix. Then A.P.B. get things started. They were a band that featured members from other bands. Andy Ford played bass and would go on to play in NO MIND and start NOTHING IN PARTICULAR. Buzz, from DIRECT ACTION, played guitar in A.P. B. as well. And so did Paul Newman who would go on to drum in NO MIND and the DOUGHBOYS. They were a three piece and I saw them open up a lot of shows. They contribute two tracks. CHRONIC SUBMISSION are one of my favourites from this era. They were the a bunch of teenagers a lot younger than the kids who made up the scene at the time. They were in tune with the new style of stop and start hardcore that was just developing at the time. Their songs were a lot shorter than the other bands and as a result they contribute four tracks. I don't know much about DEAD END but I do know they released two full length cassettes. We hear three songs that were re-recorded for the "Youth Now" cassette. DIRECT ACTION were one of the most well known bands from our scene. They would go on to influence so many local bands in the next generation of hardcore. I thought of them as our version of Discharge. The songs they do are early versions of songs that would appear on "Trapped in a World". YOUNG LIONS were Toronto’s first hardcore band. These tracks are even better then the “1982-’84: From the Vault” LP and were songs written around the time of their first demo. YOUTH YOUTH YOUTH will always be my favourite local hardcore band. There is a mix of tracks from “Sin” and comps but these were recorded earlier. It is amazing to make out the lyrics to "Wanderlust" for the first time. They also do a YOUNG LIONS song “Made in England”, which I would find out that YOUNG LIONS were suppose to cover a YYY song but never recorded it. Too bad. I never heard YOUNG LIONS record the song so I’m glad YYY did. It’s a great song trying to bring attention to the local scene. And ZERO OPTION would round out the comp. ZERO OPTION also appeared on the “Something to Believe in” comp that BYO put out, but I think their participation had something to do with this comp. The ZERO OPTION material reminds me a lot of “Group Sex” era CIRCLE JERKS meets early YOUTH BRIGADE. I don’t know where you can get you hands on this but seek it out. It is labelled as the second NRK release. Don’t write me to get you a copy because I have already broken the bank buying 7 copies for other people.

MRR Review - Chronic Submission "Empty Heads, Poison Darts" cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the second Chronic Submission cassette. This appeared in issue #18, which came out in October 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

Chronic Submission "Empty Heads Poison Darts" cassette

Like most cassette releases in Toronto at the time Brian Tailor produced and recorded them at Accusonic. N.R.K. also released this second cassette. Chronic Submission was made up of Tyler Ripley on vocals, Christian Wagner on guitar, Hamish Young on bass, and Ruston Baldwin on drums. Chronic Submission formed in 1981 and broke up in 1988. The band thanks Direct Action and Quarantine in the liner notes of the cassette and the songs found on here are:

1. Four Points

2. Chronic Submission

3. Living to Kill

4. Go-4-It

5. Cops Ain't Tops

6. Modern Hell

7. Chasing the Dragon

8. Kids, Krime, and Kaos

9. Not at All

10. Bad Trip

11. Narc

12. World of Change

13. Tight as a Vice

14. Bulldozer

15. Glutton for Punishment

16. Psycho Path

17. Urban Violence

18. Sick of Reality

Making Time for Thoughtcrime has a download of this tape.

MRR Review - Various Artists "T.O. Hardcore '83" cassette

Tim Yohannon write this review for MRR of the T.O. Hardcore comp. This appeared in issue #11, which came out in January 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

MRR Review - Chronic Submission "Sick of Reality" cassette

Tim Yohannon wrote this review for MRR of the first Chronic Submission tape. This appeared in issue #11, which came out in January 1984. Click on image to enlarge it to a readable size.

Various Artists "T.O. Hardcore '83" cassette

This was a compilation put together by Brian Tailor, the singer of Youth Youth Youth. Brian was very active in the early Toronto hardcore scene. He was able to record bands for short sessions at Accusonic, which is how this comp came together and has unique recordings for all these early hardcore bands. As the cover says, 7 bands for 23 songs featuring A.P.B., Chronic Submission, Dead End, Direct Action, the Young Lions, Youth Youth Youth, and Zeroption. The track listing is as follows:

1. Bonehead Music – Oh Canaduh
2. A.P.B. – Constant Threat
3. A.P.B. – Know My Name
4. Chronic Submission – Go For It
5. Chronic Submission – Cops Ain’t Tops
6. Chronic Submission – I Hate Preppies
7. Chronic Submission – They’re Fucked
8. Dead End – Youth Now
9. Dead End – We’re Not Dead
10. Dead End – Government vs. You and me
11. Direct Action – 19AD4
12. Direct Action – U.X.B.
13. Direct Action – Eat the Rich
14. Young Lions – Shithole
15. Young Lions – Progress
16. Young Lions – Lizard for a Day
17. Young Lions – Defy the State
18. Youth Youth Youth – White Reggae
19. Youth Youth Youth – Wanderlust
20. Youth Youth Youth – Made in England
21. Youth Youth Youth – Domination
22. Zeroption – Traitor, Red
23. Zeroption – Live Your Life
24. Zeroption – Rain of Terror

Chronic Submission "Sick of Reality" tape

This came out on Brain Taylor's tape label N.R.K. This was the fifth release by the label or it was labelled NRK 005 as a category number. Tim Yohannon described the tape as "one with some rippers. Chronic Submission mainly produce mid-tempo punk. The high-quality recording highlights the guitarist's fine licks." MRR #11, January / February 1984. This was released in 1983.

1. Sick of Reality
2. Walked Away
3. Kill the Press
4. Pantyhose
5. Plastic Punk
6. Streetcar Windows
7. Baby Killer
8. No Remorse
9. Bulldozer
10. Get Lost Bitch
11. Psychopath
12. In Hiding and On the Run
13. Death Squad
14. Whose Right Is It?
15. Chronic Submission
16. Narc
17. Go 4 It
18. Cops Ain't Tops
19. Kids, Krime and Kaos
20. Nuclear Threat
21. Take Action
22. Running with Anger
23. They're Fucked
24. I Hate Preppies
26. Oscar

Making Time for Thoughtcrime has a download for this tape, but the songs are in a different order.

Toronto H.C. '83 ad in MRR

Here is an ad that appeared for the Toronto H.C. '83 comp when it first came out. The ad appeared in Issue #8 of MRR which came out in September 1983. Click on the image to enalrge to a more readable size.