It's with great excitement that we have a new compilation of early hardcore tracks from the Montville, New Jersey high school band of The Chrome Cranks' Peter Aaron (Wegele), stumbling through the first steps of punk, and dragging out an LP of jaw-dropping would-be classics. Formed in 1980 and this being the first band for all three teenagers, it wouldn't be until a year later that they stumbled out of the basement and into their first performances. At that point, there weren't many hardcore bands in New Jersey quite yet, and along with Adrenalin O.D. and Mental Abuse, Sand in the Face instantly stuck out in a suburban sea of normalcy, and on this LP collection, they lay out exactly the kind of punk that would soon be sweeping the nation in the wake of the underground national touring circuit that was being built overnight.
Gut-stabbing punk anthems, played at both mid-tempo, and break-neck capacity here will satisfy any fans of early hardcore as well as putting another piece of the early East Coast punk scene in better perspective. It's worth noting that these tracks were recorded in the same studio the Misfits used for the Walk Among Us LP, as well as the band were a direct inspiration for Mike Judge, of 1990s hardcore band JUDGE, yet Sand in the Face sadly never had a actually record released during the original lineup's tenure, but an LP from the second version did see the light of day in 1986. But luckily for us, they did contribute a handful of tracks to such compilations as the Master Tape Vol. 2 (Affirmation Records, 1983), and Hardcore Takes Over (Dirt Records, 1984), which are included here, along with a grip of previously unheard tracks that are ripe for a blast!
Check out a few tracks streaming below, and even if you're not up on the pre-history of the Chrome Cranks, (and by all means, pick up a copy of their 20th Anniversary debut LP+7" HERE), it truly stands on it's own quite well, so be sure to pick up a copy of the LP on Mad At The World Records, right here.
