Major Conflict

This definitely sounds like 1983. More specifically, it’s a collection capturing the tumultuous life, times and sounds of an early-’80s, pre-Cro-Mags/Agnostic Front era NYC thrash band. Major Conflict exhibit the raw grit of this early hardcore sound crossed with the melodic punk of Stiff Little Fingers and perhaps a dash of Black Flag. This band should have received wider recognition when they were around, but as much as they embodied the youthful aspirations and motivations of the times, self-destructive and reckless behaviour came as part of the package. However this genuine mix is what sets them and the scene they represented apart from the contrived Disneyland punk rock of today. There are 14 tracks of reality here, interspersed with some hilarious sound bites from live performances; there’s even a short but sweet enhanced video for the song "NYC” on the disc. You can’t go wrong with this.