Look on the ‘Brightside’ and Make Old Killing Time Vinyl Reappear

When you’re talking late ’80s New York hardcore, you’d have to be crazy not to position Killing Time way in the forefront of your potted history. There was something in the synthesis between the original lineup of new school ruffians Breakdown and original Token Entry vocalist Anthony Comunale that created an almost supernatural perfection. Maybe it was their matchless mid-tempo crunch. Maybe it was their pragmatic lyrical content and Comunale's no-nonsense delivery. Whatever the fuck it was, there’s no doubt they hit upon creating the ultimate soundtrack for violent lament. When the band unleashed this formula via their 1988 demo under the name Raw Deal, it soon became the framework for many new bands on the scene, but none of them ever came close to hitting the mark.

Their 1989 debut full-length, Brightside, garnered both praise and harsh criticism from some of the more stringent elements of the hardcore scene — regarding the latter, myself included — for its metallic production and slick presentation. In the rearview, not only do I consider the record just as essential as their demo, but I view my prejudices to be very juvenile and petty. But hey, kids are stupid. I think we should all know that by now.

For decades now, an original copy of the demo could set you back a good chunk o’ change, while Brightside stayed out of print. So, it’s a bit of good luck for all of us that the band is taking it upon themselves to press their classic demo onto vinyl, along with repressing Brightside and shooting the whole thing direct to you and me through the PledgeMusic site. Poke around the site and take one step forward and no steps back to get these essential elements of the history of NYHC into the hands of you and yours.