Hell No...

I love Hell No. What an underrated NYHC band. Just gets no face time when people are talking about that time and place. Hell No were part of the post "Youth Crew" ABC No Rio scene. Punk, but definitely branching out a bit more, absorbing the then emerging "noise rock" sound also coming out of New York from bands like Unsane, a little bit of Swans dirge, but sounding like their own thing. Some similarities to Quicksand as well, that rhythm heavy, percussion driven sound that seemed to start to define the term "Post Hardcore". Except Hell No were as far away from Quicksand as you could get. Hell No had a throat shredding singer in the form of John Woods, on par with Rorschachs' Charles Maggio. I just don't get how these guys weren't bigger. This CD has their first album, "Skin Job", and an e.p., "Reformer" on it. I love both, but "Skin Job" was first thing I ever heard by them, and has a special place in my heart. "Cut The Artery" in particular shines through, John Woods' voice growls and shrieks as though his was dependent on it. The quiet/loud/quiet/loud thing really works on this track. Seriously, it should have been the song that made them. None of the other tracks lag either. I particularly love "3 Sheets To The Wind", a rocking song almost in the vein of Swiz. Hell No did another album that I don't have "Adios Armageddon!". I found this one on Discogs for dirt cheap. I'm sure there are a lot more around, sadly. Dis I forget to mention that former hardcore guy, current indie whatever guy Ted Leo plays guitar on this? Crazy.

12 songs makes the count at 17859...