Polaris - Discography (1993-2007)

     Polaris was a post-hardcore band from Leeds, UK. Starting out in 1993 Polaris created some incredibly atmospheric, compelling and dark music that could be likened to bands like Slint and contemporaries Bob Tilton. Polaris is often overlooked in the grand scheme of things. Too indie to fit nicely into the British hardcore scene and too obscure for American listeners; the band created a characteristic blend of slow, spidery post-hardcore, with half-whispered spoken vocals that would suddenly erupt into intense screams. As a British band, Polaris stands out as an anomaly, skillfully channeling the discordant sounds of the early '90s Louisville hardcore scene. At the same time, they add their own uniquely British influence, all while predating many of their overseas counterparts. 

    I am sure there is more Polaris material out there based on how long they were active for, if you happen to have any more of their material, or a better rip of the Belated LP, (unfortunately I just missed out on a copy) please let us know!

LPs, Demo, Live and Unreleased Session
Split 7" w/ Baby Harp Seal

Decade Of Dissidence CD Comp

Belated LP 1998 (Common Cause)

ST LP/CD 2004 (Gringo Records)

Baby Harp Seal Split 7" 1994

Headache - Discography (1994-1999)

    Headache was a hardcore punk band from Bradford, United Kingdom who were active from 1994-1999. The band released two live cassette recordings, a 12" album, a split with Recusant on 7" and cassette, and posthumously, a discography CD. 

    Headache's sound is hard to describe, spastic, dissonant and drawing influence from many places, they created a sound all their own. Their sound is hardcore, spazzy sound with abrupt, aggressive vocals and jagged guitar. Their vocals fall somewhere between"screamo" and a more classic punk "yell" with an undeniable chaotic energy. Moving from fast and sporadic, to slow and quiet in the blink of an eye, the mix of experimental guitar, and abrasive vocals leave the band with an incredible discordance that is hard to describe without hearing it yourself. 

    Headache had a unique cadence, constantly switching up tempos and sounds to what you are least expecting. Elements of anarcho punk, emoviolence and grindcore are all stitched together to create a jarring, yet enjoyable listening experience. They also used some pretty unconventional instruments for the genre including synths in some tracks. Overall the band's creativity stands out above all, their refusal to conform to any one genre or sound is admirable and their passion and energy is the glue that makes all the pieces stick together and work. 

    Headache played all over England while active, and have two live recordings from Slovenia indicating they toured outside of the UK as well. 

Discography

Headache / Recusant - 56 / Don't Submit To Or Obey Any Kind Of Authority split cassette 1994 (Self-released) 

Headache / Recusant - Headache / Government split 7" 1995 (Flat Earth) 

S/T 12" 1997 (Flat Earth)

Live in Slovenia cassette 1998 (Flat Earth)

Live at MKNŽ 3.1.1998 cassette (Mankind Disaster Records)

Discography CD 2005 (Life Is Abuse)

Baby Harp Seal - Discography (1993-1996)

    Baby Harp Seal was a post-hardcore/emo band from Leeds, UK, active for about three years. Members of the band were also in Bob Tilton, Polaris, Diesel Versus Steam, Brown Owl, Manfat and Month Of Birthdays to name a few of relevance. They released one LP, two 7"s and two split 7"s with Polaris and Kosjer D, respectively. They also had tracks on a few compilations.

    Baby Harp Seal played post-hardcore with a distinctive emo edge. According to Seth Bennett, the band "played kind of emo music but not really" and "were into Hoover and Fugazi and Heroin," which is evident in their style. With vocals reminiscent of Hoover and a refined sound to their instrumentals; Baby Harp Seal were certainly pioneers in their sound, but there were a few bands that shared their space, especially split mates Polaris. The UK scene at the time, mostly thanks to the legendary Subjugation Records, had a host of great emo bands like Bob Tilton, Fabric and Tribute to name a few.

    Their later releases, especially their self-titled 12" and self-titled 7", both released in 1996, had a much more refined and interesting sound. On their split with Polaris, they are much more pop-ey and upbeat, whereas their 12" moves much farther into the realm of moody, carefully crafted math-rock. Listening to their full discography, you can hear them evolve as a band. I like all their work, but the later stuff definitely clicks with me more than the early stuff, they really started to work together as a band, and you can hear their synchronicity. With the slow and jagged riffs, they almost begin to sound Slint-esque. 

12" & both solo 7"s
Split w/ Polaris
Split w/ Kosjer D
A Means To An End Compilation 12"

S/T 7" 1994 (Subjugation)

Polaris / Baby Harp Seal split 7" 1994 (Kwyjibo)

Baby Harp Seal / Kosjer D - Red Light Circles / New Bridge Song split 7" 1996 (Genet Records, Caught Offside Records)

S/T 7" 1996 (Chainsaw Safety Records)

S/T 12" 1996 (Subjugation)

For Want Of... compilation 2x7" 1995 (X-Mist Records) 

A Means To An End compilation 12" 1997 (Armed With Anger)