Cro-Mags Albums (6)
What The Critics Say
Appearing nearly a decade after the previous album, the largely disappointing Near Death Experience, Harley Flanagan resuscitated the Cro-Mags -- at least temporarily -- and issued a few albums in 2000. Revenge, a disc of studio material from the newest incarnation (also with original guitarist Parris Mayhew and Suicidal Tendencies' Rocky George), is surprisingly good hardcore. Fortunately for long-time fans, the Cro-Mags, with Harley singing in place of the deposed John Joseph, who were often considered the toughest of the New York acts, have not mellowed with age, nor followed any crossover metal/rap hybrid trends. In fact, Revenge is stone-solid, and as beefy as a slab of Angus. What's most peculiar is the sudden emergence of more melodic aspects beneath the imposing tough-guy veneer. This is melodic hardcore along the lines of early-'80s Misfits, and bears immediate sonic resemblance to Walk Among Us. Assuredly, Flanagan's vocals are menacing, which, of course, is what one would expect and probably hope for. ~ Patrick Kennedy, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The Age of Quarrel was a veritable monster of a hardcore album, seething with vitriol and threat, and shot through with massively chugging metal riffs and galloping drums. Easily the Cro-Mags finest hour, and probably tough-guy hardcore's as well, it was a crossover sensation, appealing both to the tried-and-true punk and hardcore crowd, as well as folks from the metal camp. Case in point, Motorhead elected to take the Cro-Mags on the road with them during the tour for this album. Age of Quarrel hit like a bomb, and despite the fact that a few waves of East Coast hardcore bands had already issued their debuts (Agnostic Front, Minor Threat, SSD, DYS, Bad Brains, SOA), it quickly set the pace for albums to follow. The sounds was brutal, caustic, honest, uncompromising, and musically engaging. Unfortunately for the band, its legacy is often obscured by the bizarre trappings of Krishna thought, and the thuggery of skinhead violence. Before the Quarrel brings the band's highly sought after early demo tracks into the light of day. Essentially little more than raw versions of the album proper, Before the Quarrel nonetheless proves a worthy companion to Age of Quarrel, and a must have for diehards. ~ Patrick Kennedy, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The pressures of hardcore success and influence took a constant, heavy toll throughout the tumultuous history of the Cro-Mags. Shortly after releasing their first (and perhaps the hardcore genre's most important) release, The Age of Quarrel, the constant personality conflicts and lineup changes began, setting the outfit into a slow, downward, creative spiral. The mixing and matching of New York hardcore veteran musicians was unceasing, and the band never released successive discs with identical lineups. At the eye of the storm, founding member and "The world's first skinhead" Harley Flanagan hired and fired almost a dozen musicians (including himself) during the Cro-Mags' tumultuous career. Age of Quarrel vocalist John "Bloodclot" Joseph left the band before the follow-up, Best Wishes, only to join up with Flanagan years later for two releases, including Near Death Experience, giving the disc two-thirds The Age of Quarrel troika representation before another breakup led to six years of inactivity. It's often assumed that the teaming of Flanagan and Joseph was key to the band's early success, but careful credit inspection reveals guitarist Parris Mayhew's significant music-writing contributions on The Age of Quarrel and Best Wishes, clearly the Cro-Mags' best and most influential recordings. Although Flanagan and Joseph muster a little of the old-time magic, Mayhew's absence is noticeable from Near Death Experience. While the band's trademark lyrical preoccupations with urban violence and modern man's separation from nature, the past, and spirituality are fully present and accounted for, this 1993 release lumbers through too many bad metal clichés and never reaches the level of musical intensity fans of Mayhew-era recordings will expect. The already low creative standard of Near Death Experience reaches its nadir as Joseph forces some bad Steven Tyler yelping during the "Mr. Brownstone" rip-off "War on the Streets" and reaches rock bottom again during the Dokken-style metal chunking of "The Other Side of Madness." Flanagan and company salvage a few decent tracks like the epic "Time I Am" and "Say Good-Bye to Mother Earth," keeping Near Death Experience on rickety life support. Missing the intensity of earlier, better work, this late-career release from the legendary Cro-Mags is just a cooling ember, left over from New York's '80s hardcore fire. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This partial assemblage of the classic Cro-Mags lineup features bassist Harley Flanagan and singer ohn "Bloodclot" Joseph together again after years of separation. The two musicians had last joined forces on the band's seminal hardcore debut, The Age of Quarrel. Dave Holland (guitars), Gabby (guitars), and Dave DiSenso (drums) fill out the lineup for this, the group's third studio recording. With music penned by Flanagan and original guitarist Parris Mayhew, this 1992 release delivers a steady stream of straightforward metal. Alpha-Omega bears only a small resemblance to the frenzied, more destructive style that embodied '80s East Coast hardcore and on which the Cro-Mags' reputation was solidly built. Standout tracks "The Other Side of Madness" and "The Paths of Perfection" have a relatively subdued, melodic texture that furthers the band's career-long gravitation away from its hardcore roots. While certainly a decent offering, this record falls short of it's creators' best work. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Formed by New York punk child prodigy Harley Flanagan and guitarist Parris Mayhew, the Cro-Mags helped define the East Coast hardcore movement with their now legendary debut, Age of Quarrel. Originally released on Profile Records, the 15-track collection was later combined with the band's 1989 follow-up, Best Wishes, as a single 22-song package. Joining Flanagan (bass) and Mayhew (guitars) on Age of Quarrel are vocalist John "Bloodclot" Joseph, drummer Mackie Jayson, and co-guitarist Doug Holland. Together, these musicians are considered the quintessential Cro-Mags lineup and this is their only recording together. Near record-setting member changes plagued the band and the considerable momentum created by this debut was never capitalized on. Age of Quarrel is loaded with hardcore classics like "World Peace," "We Gotta Know," and "Street Justice." On these cuts and throughout the record, Mayhew presents what were at the time cutting-edge post-Motörhead punk/metal riffs, and the entire group execute their roles with passion, dexterity, and extreme focus. It's practically impossible to understand or appreciate New York hardcore without first spending time listening to Age of Quarrel. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
What would Lemmy Kilmister and Motörhead have sounded like if they'd been influenced by the Hare Krishna sect and the beliefs of Hinduism? They might have sounded like New York's unorthodox thrash metal/punk outfit the Cro-Mags, whose Best Wishes rocks ferociously while expressing a very Hindu viewpoint. The CD's cover contains some distinctly Indian art, and songs like "Age of Quarrel," "Crush the Demoniac," and "Days of Confusion" were clearly inspired by the Bhagavad-Gita and other Hindu scriptures. The New Yorkers may see the violent, chaotic world around them as a living hell, but their overall message is one of hope and optimism. The Cro-Mags do see better days ahead -- even if one has to go through various reincarnations in order to find them. Of course, a headbanger doesn't have to embrace Hinduism in order to appreciate Best Wishes -- whatever one's spiritual beliefs, this is a band that rocks without hesitation. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
