Four Hundred Years was a hardcore band based in Richmond, Virginia but originally from Tucson Arizona. They played many shows across the US, Japan and Europe including with Fugazi and Sleepytime Trio. Members of the band were also in Policy Of 3 and Groundwork. Their discography includes two 12"albums, a 10" a 7", a split 7" with Sleepytime Trio, a split 7" with Seein' Red a compilation CD and a few appearances on compilations.
Four Hundred Years is one of those bands that really just embodies the meaning of DIY hardcore and the so called "emotional" hardcore of the 90s. They have their sound worked down to a perfect science, combining elements of intricate mathy instrumentals, chaotic eruptions of choruses, and passionate, intense vocals. They use musical dissonance like its a form of art and they know exactly when to stay tight, rhythmic and accurate and when to ramp things up into a frenzy of disorder and mayhem.
They are similar to Sleepytime Trio or Maximillian Colby in their precision with instrumentals and the math rock influenced guitar riffs, but different in the sense that they have more versatility. Sleepytime Trio stays within its self-established tracks in their sound, while Four Hundred Years surprises listeners with their lack of conformity and tendency to go back and forth between soft and loud, and organized to chaos.
Overall Four Hundred Years is just a must listen for any fans of hardcore. They bring a sound and style unique to them and luckily put out lost of content including three full length albums which is not often the case with the best bands from this time. I think their song Lifesupport might be on of my favourite hardcore songs of all time.
Four Hundred Years / Sleepytime Trio split 7"
Four Hundred Years / Seein' Red split 7"
Suture 12" 1997 (The Great American Steak Religion)
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