Age-9, Gross Times (Resurrection A.D., 1996)

It's been a while since I posted some good ol' fashioned New Jersey metallic hardcore, so here's another underrated gem from way back when. I know pretty much zero about Age-9 other than the fact that Gross Times was their sole full-length—the first release on Resurrection A.D. Records back in 1996. I don't think they released anything else, but I could be wrong, I just remember seeing ads for this disc all over damn near every fuckin' zine out there 10 years ago. While certain aspects of straightforward mid-'90s metalcore are prevalent within these tracks, the band actually had their own take on it—opting for more subtly rocked out rhythms (and occasionally some not-so-subtly rocked out lead breaks) and dissonant melodic tinges as opposed to midpaced chug and whatnot. The basslines stand out a hell of a lot more than most acts of the time period as well, drawing attention to some of the rhythmic flare that the percussion was messing with, too. Some of the vocal patterns sort of play into that aesthetic as well, so the end result possessed a different type of energy than much of what was going on at the time, though without sounding particularly "out of place" being tied to the hardcore scene. There's a heavy, chunky vibe to elements of the material, but they certainly weren't going for that brutal breakdown kind of thing at all. I'd be curious to hear where they would've gone beyond this album for sure...

Age-9 "You're the Man"
Age-9 "Rejection Injection"

This one's out of print and can be pretty damn hard to find these days, but you can actually buy the tracks via iTunes and that kind of thing, which I hate, but... I guess in cases like this it's better than nothing, eh? Other than that, check eBay and shit like that.

I wish I knew more about these guys, but I just don't have a clue on this one. If anyone reading this knows something more, shed some light!