These were seperately released records, but can now be found together on cd format through killrockstars. Born Against was a hardcore punk band that existed between 1989-1993 in New York. The bulk of their compositions can be found here on these two albums and on the The Rebel Sound of Shit and Failure a collection of obscure 7", 8" and comp. tracks, that I also recommend. The thing that stands out about Born Against is a knack for creative songwriting in a genre that can sometimes reduce itself to bland "hero worship" and a reluctance to variety. Not unlike, guitar work you'd hear from Greg Ginn's Black Flag days, Adam Nathanson's guitar is both heavy and rhythmic, and given the freedom to roam within song structures, branching out at times, only to return crashing back into the driving rhythm maintained by the bass and drums. Born Against was strongly political, and singer Sam McPheeter's ire is turned on classism, sexism, racism, and well you get the picture. I"ve always found McPheeter's lyrics thought provoking at the least and when taken with the music, can be downright haunting.
Opening track, "Mount the Pavement" storms through with steady, yet vicious drumming, and some of the heavier guitar work on the album. The song remains fairly simple in form and because of this, remains formal and concise, but is a driving force in its own right. A few tracks later we come to "Nine Years Later".
Nine years into the future and we're still counting the dead and the dying
Still totaling the countless hidden victims of heightened state terror still
believing of a peace and prosperity of a peace with a hundred thousand
executed by disease of a prosperity with millions living on the streets
Born Against - "Nine Years Later"
Lyrics tend to be biting and direct to the point, often pointing a finger at the bystander, calling for action. Here we are starting to hear a pattern emerging amongst Nathonson's guitarwork in Born Against. As harsh an caustic as the sound the band produces can be, there are sometimes wonderfully catchy (in a good way) and captivating chord progressions and hooks created that individualize each song and create memorable moments within the anger expressed. "Nine Years Later", in its 2:22 minutes, builds slowly, explodes into one of the more emotionally enlightening riffs, and matches perfectly with the harsh vocals. "Mary and Child" takes on abortion, religion, and sexism all at once, taking a pragmatic stance about the life lost to improper medical procedures done under circumstances that hinder the access to safer and legitimate ones. "Well Fed Fuck" is mid-paced track, ending up being one of the longer songs on the album at 4:48 minutes. Short lyrics are repeated over and over and the guitar, drums, and bass follow suit creating what can be a tedious or pummeling experience (depending on your particular persuasion).
Born Against - "This Trash Should Have Been Free"
My favorite song on this cd is "This Thrash Should Have Been Free". The melodic guitar, once again appearing underneath the caustic exterior, catches me every time and rolls right into a strong song in its own right "Poland", which features McPheeter's wailing over build-ups and breaks in the music. The tail end of the disc suffers from some unecessary tracks ("Born Against are Fucking Dead", "Prank"), that derail the impression being left by majority of the album.
These albums have stood the test of time for me, and thinking about it, I believe it's because the songwriting creates distinct song structures and with enough variance within each song to remain interesting upon multiple listening.
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