1. Album: Sick of It All- Based on a true story (Century Media)
As if any other album was going to make it as number one in this list. Released in April, this album is flawless and proves yet again that this band has all the elements to make a perfect record. With the catchiest tunes and hardest riffs, the band show the younger generation how it is done right. Supported by extensive touring all over Europe and a live show that puts some of younger bands to shame, this record remained at number one throughout the year. Check out the video for “Death or Jail”
here.. it should get you going, unless you have no heart or soul.
2. Festival: Ieperfest:Yet again, this Belgian festival holds the title for most incredible hardcore fest in Europe. This year saw the likes of All Out War, Madball, Cruel Hand, Agnostic Front, 7 Seconds and Breakdown playing to a particularly merry crowd in a field in the middle of Belgium. This is the one festival that London Calling recommends to everyone each summer, and it did not let us down in 2010. We recommend you take the trip over next year!
3. New (ish) band: Breaking PointOne of the few bands that we rated as being any good and actually made us sit up and take notice was breaking point. Whilst we are well aware that the band has been around for longer than a year, they are still relatively new, but are tighter than ever, with influence ranging from old New York Hardcore to the more recent bands such as Down to Nothing and Terror. 2010 saw the band release 7”s on TDON and Purgatory records and we look forward to seeing them numerous times in 2011, beginning with the Bracewar and Foundation tour in January.
4. Best label: Rucktion RecordsRucktion has always released the best in not only London hardcore, but worldwide. This year saw the label release some of the best records currently around, including Ambush- Forward to Hell, Injury Time- The Vex (which will be featured later), and the long awaited Prowler debut full length, Strictly 3.5. Along with their monthly shows at the 12bar, this label is the leading force in UK Hardcore.
5. Person of the year: Steve KardynalWhilst Julian Assange obviously gets an honourable mention in this list for revolutionising what the internet is actually used for, Steve was the person that made most people we know smile this year. Just click on the link above and watch
6. Album: Injury Time, The Vex (Rucktion Records)Mixing Wisdom in Chains with Dropkick Murphys with a dash of Blood For Blood thrown in, this album was on constant rotation for months after it came out. Injury Time are one of the best current bands to come out of London, and this album was by far the best release that came out of the UK in 2010.
7. Joke of the Year: Touche AmoreIn 2010, Touche Amore played the Old Blue Last in London. The show was put on by Lydia, one of the well respected promoters in this town. Now, ignoring the fact that a supposed hardcore band have chosen to give themselves one of the least hardcore names in the history of hardcore, the band have now become synonymous with the biggest hissy fit this city has seen since the Frank Turner incident over a decade ago. Posting the promoters phone number on twitter, claiming that she had ripped them off (for £20, although they claim it was £50 "but we need to pay for our flights, maaaan!"), claiming the show was sold out when it was far from that, and then claiming that Lydia had pocketed over £1000 from the show (an impossibility, even if she hadn’t paid their ridiculous guarantee, hadn’t paid the venue or any of the other bands). The band were laughed at for being cry babies, and were basically blacklisted by any real hardcore promoters in the UK.. The band never formally apologised to Lydia, and we suspect will return to the UK riding on the coattails of a far superior hardcore band in 2011, to try and regain the little credibility that they lost with this incident.
8. Album: Bitter End: Guilty as Charged (Deathwish Inc)Released on Deathwish records earlier on in the year, this has received more critical acclaim than any other album in recent memory. Even now, people are still listening to the album and commenting on how good it is, as if it is the first time that they have heard it. The band took a lot of influence from old Madball records and earlier NYHC. The statement “I was listening to that record and it made me want to punch people in the face” was made for records like this. The band toured in 2010 to support this album over summer, drawing in the biggest crowds and experiencing the largest reactions from the European festival circuit. If you haven’t already, pick up this record, which is, by far, one of the best records released in 2010
9. All dayer: Final Dead and Gone show featuring Dirty Money (Underworld, London, May 2010)Dead and Gone are dead. These were the words that were resounding around the UK Hardcore rumourmill at the beginning of 2010. The label were to put on a a final show which was also a send off for Dirty Money. Since forming, DM held the torch for UK hardcore.. one of the few bands over the last decade that managed to break the scene in america, as well as being one of the most popular UK bands, they decided their final farewell was to be at the Dead and Gone all dayer. Bringing Justice out of retirement and putting on some of the best of old and new UK and European hardcore on the bill, D&G managed to put on possibly the best show of the year. The atmosphere was something that London hadn’t felt in a long time.. Kids were excited.. stagediving, dancing and actually looking excited about hardcore again. Everyone left exhausted but happy. Well done D&G. You are totally missed.
10. Best New Band: Nails (Six Feet Under/Southern Lord)Seriously. Maybe at London Calling, we are slightly biased as we think the sun shines out of Todd Jones’s arse, but this band was the only new band that was worthy of a mention in 2010. Thrashy, hard, fast and simply awesome, Unsilent Death was on heavy rotation in 2010. They also played an astounding set with Rise and Fall and Harms Way in November at the Islington Academy 2. The band have signed to Southern Lord records, but their debut can still be picked up from six feet under records.
Honourable mentions go out to:
- Rico and the 17 Stiches crew for doing awesome fun all dayers and fests in Germany!
- Hang The Bastard for being incredible, and the hardest working band in the UK.
- Ceremony at the Purple Turtle and Unbroken at the ULU
- Trash Talks awesome performances at Reading Festival (throwing bins into the crowd, climbing scaffolding) , Ieperfest and..
- "Alleyway crew" (AKA Sick of It All) at the Borderline. Support from Trash Talk and Gallows. One of the best shows of the year.
- Persistence Tour 2010- Sick of it all were awesome and seeing Blood for Blood again was great. Billy Biohazard did an awesome job filling in Robs shoes.
- Cock Sparrer, Street Dogs and Agnostic front- first Cock Sparrer show in 10 years in their hometown.
- Floorpunch at the Underworld- made a Murphys Law joke.. noone got it. Sort it out kids!
Worst shoutouts-
The England football teams abysmal performance at the 2010 World Cup.
And finally-
Please take a minute to remember a wonderful friend not with us anymore. Iain Burns aka Eze lost his life this year. We all love him very much and miss him very much. You are in our hearts.
