A Day and A Deathwish

It was once said that the only band in the Seattle scene of the ’90s that fit the term grunge was Alice in Chains. Following that line of logic, the band that best typifies the ideal of the term "Rose City Hardcore” is A Day and a Deathwish. Deathwish’s self titled debut is a blistering explosion of working class hardcore that ignores the trappings of its peers and concentrates solely on blowing its audiences’ heads off. The opening slam of "Outloud” ignites a frenzy that sustains though the final crash of "Strength Within” that never relents and takes no prisoners. Producer Juice Butty takes the unleashed chaos of the band’s live shows and trims all the edges off it — essentially compressing the beehive into a thimble — leaving nowhere to hide in the dense arrangements. Central tracks "Unbreakable,” "Take To Be True” and "To A Friend are the purest of hardcore punk documents; boasting screamed-yet-melodic vocals, grinding guitars and throbbing rhythms. A Day And A Deathwish leave no time for gimmicks, extras or, honestly, to breathe in the 22 minutes that make up their debut and are better for it. The band gets over on its adherence to its own principles and, in the process, stands as the only true hardcore band in the RCHC on sheer power and sound levels. No bells, no whistles, no frills; just punk rock.