Generation Of Vipers was a hardcore band from Little Rock, Arkansas; who were active for a short period in 90s. The band featured members of William Martyr 17, Crown Of Glory, Full Service Quartet, Hundred Years War, Chalk, Chino Horde and Thumbnail. Despite the members making their way well around the emo/hardcore scene in the 90s, Generation Of Vipers remains relatively unknown and underrated. Their discography only includes one 12" and a 1994 demo tape that includes the songs off of the 12".
Generation Of Vipers mixes fast paced, punk-inclined vocals and guitar with a scattering of slow, moodier guitar riffs that have a distinct "emo" edge. Their 12" is a perfect blend of heavier hardcore and emo; with screamed vocals and chaotic guitars mixed with slower, "emo" style song structures. It's easy to compare this LP to Unwound's Fake Train and it really is a hidden underground gem. The band really found that perfect medium with their sound. They also made great use a lot of samples of speeches or voices in the intros and outros to their songs. Their 12" packaging really stands out to me, the cover is handmade, with a painted print that looks like snakeskin and glued bits of paper with a title, a photo of the band and more. You can feel the effort and passion that went into making their music right down to the handmade covers.
It surprises me how little the band is talked about, especially considering the impressive list of bands the band shares members with. Thumbnail and William Martyr 17 are some of my favourites.
Generation Of Vipers 12" 1998 (Landmark)
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