The Plan - Discography (1999-2002)

    The Plan was a post-hardcore band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Members of the band were also in the excellent Equation Of State and North Of America. Starting out in 1999, The Plan broke new ground and immediately made huge waves in the Atlantic Canada hardcore scene. Throughout the bands 3 year active period, The Plan managed to release a host of impressively written and tight songs that displayed their mastery of controlled chaos, angular riffs and moody-math rock driven songwriting.

    The Plan expertly melded syncopated and staccato rhythms with blistering punk energy to create an entirely unique sound that would later influence countless punk, math-rock and post-hardcore bands, particularly on the eastern seaboard here in Canada. Although they might not have been the most popular band, they certainly made a splash and imprinted on all those who saw them live and bought their records. 

    The Plan's sound, style and love of experimentation should not go unnoticed or be forgotten anytime soon; revisiting this band's discography really has made me realize what a intense, creative force they were. I can definitely still hear their sound reflected in more recent Canadian post-hardcore bands and I doubt their creative influence will lose hold anytime soon. 

Discography

Demo 1999

Demo 2000

7" 2000 (The Jesus Sanchez Endeavour)

This Time Is Not The Place CD 2000 (Matlock)

Only These Movements Remain CD/LP 2001 (Matlock/Rewika)

Nothing Left To Grasp - Discography (1994-1995)

    Nothing Left To Grasp was a hardcore band from Augsburg, Germany who were active for only a couple brief years in the mid 90s. They released one 7" and one split 7" with fellow German hardcore band Kassiopeia and played a handful of shows before splitting up. 

    Despite their disappointingly small discography, Nothing Left To Grasp stands out from the crowd of mediocre hardcore of the time. I have found it hard to get into the German hardcore scene quite frankly, bands like AcMe or the other "Bremencore" style of metalcore have never quite clicked for me, but Nothing Left To Grasp has quickly become one of my recent favourites. Their ear piercing shrieked vocals and violently fast and loud instrumentals make for a sound that's hard to stay still while listening to. 

    For the most part Nothing Left To Grasp sticks to the fast and heavy, but they throw in some softer, melancholy guitar riffs in between the chaos which, combined with the distinct high pitched screams, balance their sound into something that could be described as "emo" rather than just straight up hardcore. 

    I wish they had been able to release a full length album before they split because these guys were absolutely nailing the emotional hardcore sound I can't get enough of. Their 7" is a killer release but it always just leaves me wanting more. Because of their small discography and because the members never really played in any other similar bands, Nothing Left To Grasp flies far too low under the radar for how good they were. In terms of the German hardcore scene they're definitely a favourite of mine along with Age and Stagnation's End

    Note: I have both their 7"s on the way so better scans will be coming eventually. 

Demo and 7"

Kassiopeia / Nothing Left To Grasp

...The Monotonous Beat Of nothing New 7" 1994 (Emotion X Records)

Kassiopeia / Nothing Left To Grasp split 7" 1995 (Outlet Records)

Killsadie - Discography (1997-2001)

    Killsadie was a post-hardcore band from Minneapolis who were active in the late 90s into the early 2000s. Members of the band were also in Pretty Girls Make Graves, Sharks Keep Moving and These Arms Are Snakes, 97-Shiki and My Lai. Killsadie released one 12"/CD, three 7"s, a 10"/CD, a split 7" with Brand New Unit, a CD and appeared on a few compilations. 

    The name "Killsadie", according to their bio on Discogs, came from an incident at a party in which founding drummer Erin Tate's brother was "almost killed" by a girl named Sadie. Tate responded with "someone should Kill Sadie". Though there has been some debate over how the name was chosen and from what I can tell this hasn't been confirmed by the band. 

    Killsadie was fast, frantic and abrasive. Their vocalist's ragged, almost desperate sounding screams along with an intricate cadence carried by their drummer's perfectly executed beats and circled by spiralling, heavy guitar makes for a sound that feels like a crash of noise in the best way. 

    In their later work (Experiments In Expectation) the band moved to more professional sounding production and began to incorporate some elements of space rock and electronic into their sound but without losing their former frantic energy and ragged shrieks.

Discography

Experiments In Expectation 12"/CD 2001 (Dim Mak Records)

EP No. 2 7" 1998 (THD Records)

Traitor 7"/CD 1998 (One Percent Records)

Half-Cocked Concepts 10"/CD 1998 (One Percent Records)

Killsadie + Brand New Unit split 7" 1999 (Modern Radio Record Label)

A New Make 7" 2000 (Redwood Records)

We're All A Little Sick CD 2004 (Satellite City)