Volume 19
12/30/2025
Getting one last post out before the end of the year, and no better way to end 2025 then the pride of Minnesota EVERYBODY TAKES ONE dropping a new EP(that came out December 5th but it’s been a busy month) the demo was part of the changing of the tides in the scene* last year and the follow up record is an instant classic to me. I love everything about this band and you should too, look how sick the vinyl is gonna be cmon now
They’ll be playing my alter ego FYA FEST next week and this show in DC the week after
Line Of Sight- No Need the closest thing to a UC song in the last 30 years aka perfection, alongside FIGHTBACK and POSICION UNIDA(gotta be honest…ep being available isn’t lookin too good but maybe a 2026 miracle is in store) s/o the second street records squad for putting together a sick weekend in DC ending with the last Grand Scheme show that Sunday
Also squeezing in one of the best demos of the year at the last second ORDER OF LIVING from Texas put out a heater that’s almost sold out in the store. From the guys behind FREEZE OUT/GANGBUSTERS and ELI of Bitter End and a million other bands fame doing a True Blue/Icemen etc etc thing with Zack from Freeze Out sounding better than ever, definitely a band that would have fit in perfectly the first time I went through Texas in the mid 00s or so and saw Iron Age/Bitter End etc
Last up…the SCARAB LP is officially sold out of the first press so we put up the second press copies, if you’re in Australia or Europe there’s versions out of 100 and we have the rest coming soon. They went to the west coast and crushed it then played back to back legendary shows with COLD WORLD/STICK TOGETHER and then GB/AN/DM the next.The second night AN did Changes with Porter which activated me like the winter soldier and made me get a dive off for the first time since Obama was president probably ending with a predictable injury, would do it again. Anyways the second press is up for order now and should be arriving pretty soon
I already talked about a couple notable shows but since the last one I started doing some matinees at a new spot and it’s exactly what Philly has been missing to me since the Barbary existed, the Monkeyfellow/C4 show was packed and every band’s set was great followed up the next weekend by STEAMROLL/FROTHING MAD/THE SISSY BOYS/FLIP THE SWITCH/SQUARE ONE and KINGS COMMAND. FTS showed respect to their label CEO and covered the first track on the LD LP which had me deciding whether to mosh/grab the mic/or stand there and observe while feeling 1000 years old seeing teenagers cover a song I wrote in 2008. I chose the latter obviously but they were great and have a record coming in 2026, FM delivered after loving the demo since it dropped, Square One covered Supertouch which activated the pit,Kings Command delivered on my high expectations after loving the releases. The Sissy Boys have somehow become a philly hxc unity band which is sick to me and they were their usual chaotic mess in the best way possible. For some reason instead of Steamroll playing Vacante gave an impassioned 10 minute speech to end the night about how he officially thinks Philly>NYC and we have better food and better hardcore…was a strange but interesting end to the show.S/o Jack Sam and Macon for also pulling up to the TITR show the next week.
2025 was an insanely busy year for Rebirth and next year is already looking packed,I see a lot of familiar names everytime I ship stuff out who consistently support what I do so if you’re one of those people thanks for that and sorry if it looks like a wild animal got to it before it got to you, i’m all heart no skill with getting your order out.No billboards no Audiotree no PR team just sick hardcore
There’s much more eloquent and thoughtful lists of the best releases of 2025 by the Gods 185 Miles South
and the FW team
but here’s my in no order list of things I really liked(not counting anything I put out because that’s a given)
ALIENATOR-MEAT LOCKER(more crossover than the previous stuff but still great they need to stop playing Philly the only days I have shit planned already so I can stop feeling like a poser)
BARRICADE DEMO(possibly my favorite Florida band, vocals sound like Crippled Youth, A+)
C4-PAYBACK’S A BITCH(Unhinged Masterpiece)
DIRECT ORDER DEMO(my go to comparison is Step Forward but it’s just a perfect demo to me)
ENDLESS JOY(Shaun Dean>)
FEEBLE MINDS DEMO(extremely late in the year but such a great Out Cold influence can’t get enough of it might be demo of the year)
FROTHING MAD(as stated earlier they blew me away live can’t wait to see what they do next year)
GRAND SCHEME EP(band never got the love they deserved live somehow even though everyone liked them, great way to go out)
INMATES-ROLE OF GOD(the song “I need a handler”made me crack up instantly, good but not my favorite of theirs overall but still better than most things on earth)
LAUGHING CORPSE-BEYOND RECOGNITION(feel like this somehow goes over people’s heads but it’s just ripping hardcore)
MILTOWN-TALES OF LETTING GO(Handsome is the easy comparison but it’s just incredible music should be triple platinum, I don’t think people realize how crazy it is this finally came out)
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE-ABSOLUTION EP(Leeway and the singer can actually sing which makes it stand out)
NEGATIVE CHARGE(Poison Idea+Jerry’s Kids or something whole record is insane)
NEMESIS-CRUSADE OF HATE(texas style that reminds me of Rhythm To The Madness)
NISEMONO(only thing better than the tracks are the art,lazy comparison but reminds me of Totalitar)
NO IDOLS(loved the demo the ep might somehow be better)
PLASTIQUE PIGS(would have crushed at the height of No Way records)
PSYCH WAR-PSYCHOTIC WARMONGER(best Philly D beat band ever probably)
REASON WHY(severely under rated DC greatness)
STEROID-CHAINMAIL COMMANDOS(proud member of the Steroid army if they ever play America i’ll be running the pit like it was Bulldoze at the Wetlands)
THE FINAL AGONY-DEPRAVED FROM DARKNESS (A2 and Connor best combo since Jordan and Pippen except they’re both MJ)
TORMENTED IMP(Poison Idea+Burning Spirits)
WITH HATE(Please play more the songs are too good)
siked to see what By All Means/Gaining Ground/Get Wise/HITMAN/MOC/WMD/Wrecking Unit do next year
There’s a ton that i’m missing but 2025 was a great year for hardcore, obviously a lot of things that sucked too but I’d rather put over shit I think is worth checking out then publically trash something that won’t be relevant in 6 months anyways
"except they're both MJ" yuppppp
Unrelated. I need Dan Seely Short End recordings. I have all the Mindpiece & King Nine. New King Nine soon . Real cool. I can’t find the Short End video on you tube anymore someone took it down.