The Walrus - Music With Big Fuckin' Teeth!

11/12/2007

The Middle Class: The First Hardcore Band?

First hardcore fist pump?

LA's The Middle Class have been crowned by some as the first hardcore band. They ignored the clownish gimmicks of the Sex Pistols but kept the relentless speed of The Ramones. They also seem to have adopted ideals from "post-punk" bands ala The Fall or Magazine.

The first title track on side one of the 7", includes a familiar hardcore recipe:

1 part chainsaw buzzing guitars
1 part pummeling drums
1 part politically charged call-and-response vocal chorus
1 part cheap twangy angry bass guitar

This same classic hardcore formula can be heard in the music of fellow forefathers Bad Brains, Black Flag and Minor Threat. The drummer plays so fast, one feels as though one's heart will explode by the end of the song. This is what authentic hardcore music sounds like.

Read more about The Middle Class, and grab some more mp3s, at Sailor Jerry.