I guess I'm really spoiled living in New England and all. Being so close to Massachusetts, and not a far cry from New York City, it's almost impossible not to catch any up and coming hardcore act. Hell I don't even have to leave my home state of Connecticut to see a fair number of the heavy weights that reside here - Death Threat, Palehorse, and Living Hell. And almost all of the Massachusetts contenders, of which there are far too many to even begin naming, make frequent stops since its right next door. Perhaps this is why upon listening to the new split from Get a Grip and Hammer Head I yawned and thought "No need for exports when New England's got it all right here." But then I decided to give it a second thought.
When thinking of Richmond, Virginia the only "hardcore" acts that came to mind were Strike Anywhere and Avail, surely nothing as brutal as what Get a Grip is offering up. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the heaviest thing coming out of the river city. In truth the songs could use some work, often cramming in too many mosh parts, between the fast sections. But as far as I know they're still a young band. Lyrically they are hate-filled and misanthropic, but what else did you expect? Musically Get a Grip reminds me of Integrity and older No Warning. Get a Grip earns a 6.5/10.
Hammer Head is my preferred band on this split, playing slower hardcore similar to the style first trademarked by Negative Approach. You know the shit I'm talking about; where you want to HB strut from one side of the dance floor to the other only to dive on top all the people who didn't want to get involved. These guys hail from Philadelphia but don't sound anything like any of the heavier Philly bands like Blacklisted or Punishment. Perhaps a slight comparison to Damage. In the lyrical department, they fall short, the worst being "Fed Up", a song most likely about child molesters. Again not a bad band, they could really blossom with time. A score of 7.2/10 is in order for Hammer Head's side.
