INITIAL STATE – “Abort The Soul” LP

Politicised hardcore punk from Dallas, circa 1994. Linked by membership to other Texas bands of the time – .fuckingcom, Damad, Guyana Punch Line – but primarily Antischism, a great peace-punk hardcore band who were active players in the early 90s scene that included the likes of Born Against, Struggle, Econochrist and Neurosis. And Initial State represented a direct continuation of the Antischism legacy: urgent, passionate DIY hardcore noise, that became aligned with the likes of His Hero Is Gone, Talk Is Poison, Spitboy etc (and later-on, a style that was continued by No Static, Kylesa etc.). I stocked this album back in the 1990s and old original copies are still in circulation (at old ’90s prices, too!). This is a reflection of the quantity pressed rather than the quality – Prank Records, to their credit, avoided collectability in favour of accessibility, pressing up thousands of (cheap priced) copies of their releases, the majority of which were of a very high standard of DIY punk music. I love it that they are still available…