Harmony As One - "No Elite" 12" 1989 & "White Darkness" 12" 1991

Pre Scalplock. England's answer to Straight Ahead (and I'm not just lazily saying that because of the Spirit Of Youth cover). Mildly chuggy, but mostly fast/thrash/core that gloriously wears Negative Approach on their sleeves (and another cover) as much as Tommy Carroll's beatdown bros. Name off most of the faster 80s East Coast bands, overlay blastbeats, and you've got two 12"s worth of solid shaved-head speedcore that'll get you goosestepping as much as pointing arthritic fingers at the aging youth crew.

Production on both releases is odd. The first 12" is noticeably over-bassy, especially in the deeper tones. Maybe they thought you would "feel" the thrash as much as hear it, but the effect is actually annoying on occasion. The 2nd 12" has a more "live" production as well as a mild stylistic change into something that nearly resembles earliest Crumbsuckers meets fuck-if-I-know experimentation (songs are still very short, if not very fast). I dug 'em, I still dig 'em, and I give no fucks if the bassist roadied for Skrewdriver (allegedly).