Turmoil

With seemingly every hardcore band from the mid-'90s resonance reforming for their shot at a currently more lucrative (for a very few as of yet, keep in mind) underground, it's nice to see a reunion by one who didn't suck, who were hugely under-appreciated, who were leaders, not followers, who were insanely influential even if few know their name today (they most assuredly know their imitators) and who, judging by their new material, haven't lost the plot. Killadelphia's finest, Turmoil, have reformed, and to commemorate, Abacus has released this two-disc discography, which includes three new tracks, their landmark The Process Of... full-length, the long out of print From Bleeding Hands record, the Anchor EP, and some rarities, as well as some of the most frustrating layout ever. Presented in reverse chronological order, Staring Back allows you to experience Turmoil's progress from the nascent, more straightforward hardcore band of their early days to the unstoppable killing machine they became. For completists, it's nice to be able to experience the hard to find From Bleeding Hands tracks, but the earlier material lacks both the crushing metallic fervour of prime Turmoil and the emotional resonance. Obviously, while the three new songs do nothing to diminish their legacy, the gold is the The Process Of..., which, despite being recorded in 1999, is one of the greatest metallic hardcore records ever released and easily wastes the bulk of what is coming out today. Long overlooked, hopefully this time around Turmoil will get some of the respect they earned the hard way so many years ago.