Murphy’s Law
The Party’s Over
Artemis
I suspect that as long as there’s a heart to the New York hardcore scene, there will always be Murphy’s Law. The Party’s Over picks up the ball, tattoos it, and runs with it. Which is, of course, exactly what we should expect from Murphy’s Law: hardcore that moves you, that makes you want to, to, to• march! And indeed I do. I’m hardcore goose-stepping right now, in between sentences•
“Maximum Lie” starts off this massive (fifteen songs) album, and it’s got to be about “authority” telling the lies it always does to the next crop of children-sheep. Well, Murphy’s Law is here to tell you the truth! “Vicky Crown” is about a chick, I think. I don’t know who she is, but I suppose I should meet her. That ties in well with “Bitch” and the cover of Symarip’s “skinhead reggae” classic “Skinhead Girl,” though the latter has a lot of dub and is more of a love song (OK, a “like” song). “Wasting My Time” and “Know Loyalty” are classic speedy hardcore anthems that, just by the titles, you’re tracking• The most amazing song, one that transcends hardcore and perhaps is a taste of hardcore for this new century, is “Woke Up Tied Up.” Keep repeating that title, let it sink in• Are you laughing? Or is it a dire warning?
One thing for sure, their 1996 Dedicated is in the top ten best albums of the 1990s, The Party’s Over has made the list for this decade already. An absolute must for hardcore kids and their parents, who probably will buy it for themselves first•
Artemis Records, 130 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011; http://www.artemisrecords.com, http://www.hardcorenyc.com