• News
    • Essential Tracks
  • ReviewsAlbum Reviews
    • Albums of the Week
  • Features
    • Beginner’s Guide
    • Blueprint
    • Celebrate the Catalogue
    • Greatest Hits
    • Hall of Fame
    • Interviews
  • Columns
    • Da Art of Storytellin’
    • Endless Playlist
    • Full Disclosure
    • Left of the Dial Top of the Charts
    • Out of Range
    • Pop Life
    • Remake/Remodel
    • Shadow of the Horns
    • Treble Roundtable
  • Lists
    • Best Of
    • Treble’s Top 10
  • Podcast
  • Videos
  • About
10 Essential 90s post-hardcore albums
Feature, Treble's Top 10

10 Essential ’90s Post-Hardcore Albums

By: Jeff Terich

This weekend, a bunch of our favorite bands are playing for two days in Los Angeles at FYF Fest. And several of those bands – such as Quicksand, Hot Snakes and Refused – have been missing in action for quite a few years. This got us nostalgic for some of the abrasive and heavy-hitting post-hardcore albums of the ’90s, which in turn have us stoked to hear some veteran bands who know how to rock a stage better than most. So, in what may eventually turn into a two-part top ten, here are 10 essential ’90s post-hardcore albums. And for the record, narrowing this down was nearly impossible. We know what we missed, just don’t even…


The Jesus Lizard – Goat
(1991; Touch and Go)

The Jesus Lizard built up a pretty notorious reputation back in the early ’90s, based mostly around frontman David Yow’s whiskey-marinated yawp and propensity for dropping trou. But focusing entirely on Yow’s antics slightly undersells the ugly rawness of the band’s noise-rock churn. Beating out a sludgy and noxious byproduct of punk rock later that came to be known as “pigfuck,” The Jesus Lizard, for the first several years anyhow, stayed away from playing anything too commercial or friendly. And I don’t even mean radio friendly; some Jesus Lizard songs are outright hostile. But they are performed with a knowing grin. The syncopated stomp of “Mouth Breather” comes with an amazing punchline: “He’s a nice guy, I like him just fine… but he’s a mouth breather.” And “Lady Shoes” may or may not have had the working title “The Aristocrats.” Crude, tasteless, vile — Christ this is a great record.


The Nation of Ulysses – The 13-Point Plan to Destroy America
(1991; Dischord)

Given how high demand was for Refused and At the Drive-In reunions, it would only make sense that the single biggest influence on both bands’ sounds — The Nation of Ulysses — would be high on everyone’s wishlist as well. Not that the Washington, D.C. underground legends ever approached mainstream success. Nor did they even make it to the mid-’90s. But sometimes that which burns brightest burns fastest, in this case incendiary being a key word. The band not only played searing, confrontational and, for that matter, often quite funny punk rock songs, they did so with a uniform aesthetic, manifesto and the put-on of a domestic terrorist organization. But mostly they just railed against poor dental hygiene and stool pigeons. Still, few albums start with a bang quite as energizing as “Spectra-Sonic Sound,” and “Today I Met the Girl I’m Gonna Marry” almost made it onto the playlist the day my wife and I exchanged vows. Not sure why we didn’t stick with that idea.


Quicksand – Slip
(1993; Polydor)

I remember for a brief period back in the early ’90s when Quicksand actually could have been heard on commercial radio. Granted, the local alt-rock station was a little more adventurous back then, and the song the DJs most frequently circled back to was the band’s cover of “How Soon Is Now?” Nonetheless, Quicksand had a kind of accessibility to them that some of their peers had yet to embrace, simply by nature of being excellent songwriters. Certainly a track like “Fazer” or “Omission” destroys, but does so with hooks and something the listener can sink his or her teeth into. Walter Schreifels’ ability to intensify their melodic hardcore assault via some pitch-perfect screams made those melodies hit like a sack full of bricks, which may have been why some confused marketers labeled the group as “alternative metal.” Not so much, but we can all agree that Slip is all kinds of awesome.


Drive Like Jehu – Yank Crime
(1994; Interscope)

While post-hardcore’s hubs were centralized mostly around the Great Lakes and Eastern Seaboard, the West Coast held its own on a smaller but certainly not any less impressive scale. To wit: San Diego’s Drive Like Jehu, who released two albums and called it a day, though guitarist John Reis and singer Rick Froberg would later continue playing together in Hot Snakes. Yank Crime, the band’s second and final album, was inexplicably released on Interscope Records (which was also home to Reis’ other, more radio-friendly band, Rocket From the Crypt… thus making it explicable), yet among its nine tracks are four vicious songs longer than seven minutes apiece, one instrumental intro, and absolutely nothing resembling a single, save for maybe “Human Interest,” which slays concisely and melodically. Commercial appeal hardly seemed to be the point, however, when the band was capable of rhythmically complex and menacingly elegant epics like “Luau.” Those churning, twisting guitar helixes go on for nearly ten minutes, and somehow, it’s not quite enough.


90s post hardcore girls against boysGirls Against Boys – Cruise Yourself
(1994; Touch and Go)

Two bass players is generally redundancy in practice, unless you plan to really own it. Get low, embrace it, get kinda dirty and sexy. Girls Against Boys took that to an even greater extreme later on, it turns out, but with Cruise Yourself, they found the sweet spot between their earlier, raw grind and later forays into more danceable industrial-goth sounds. When they rocked, as on “Cruise Your New Baby Fly Self,” they did so with both heaviness and swagger. When they wanted to get a little goofy, as on “Kill the Sexplayer,” amazingly, they turned out something even more impressive. But pretty much every minute of this stylish, dark and mysteriously cool album kicks complete ass.


Jawbox – For Your Own Special Sweetheart
(1994; Atlantic)

For how noisy of a band Jawbox were at times, particularly on third album For Your Own Special Sweetheart, the D.C. foursome wrote some of the most conventionally and surprisingly pretty songs of the ’90s post-hardcore era. The album’s one hit (sort of), “Savory,” jangles and clangs with a slow-moving rhythm and a dissonant sensibility that doesn’t lend itself well to easy digestibility. And yet, it all comes together so brilliantly, J. Robbins’ and Bill Barbot’s guitars transitioning from yin and yang sparring partners to a more fluid, harmonic convergence. It’s stunning, to say the least. They go more aggressive on “Chicago Piano” and “Cruel Swing,” play it a little more straight on “Cooling Card,” take off and soar with “U-Trau.” This is desert island disc material here.


90s post hardcore shellacShellac – At Action Park
(1994; Touch and Go)

Shellac are minimalists but not in the Terry Riley sense of the word. They just don’t have a lot of room for unnecessary fluff getting in the way of their brawny Midwestern post-hardcore crunch. Frontman Steve Albini is known for engineering work that’s clean, unfussed, but ultimately pretty damn heavy, so when it comes to his own music, it’s not just an aesthetic, but an ideal. I’m not even sure Albini uses more than one or two pedals on the whole of At Action Park, but it hardly matters. The trio’s songwriting is so strong, and their performances so intense, that sonic clarity is a must. At times At Action Park borders on post-rock territory, with tracks like “Pull the Cup” and “The Idea of North” diverting from more straightforward punches. But whether expressing restraint or going balls-out, Shellac plays it heavier than most.


90s post hardcore shudder to thinkShudder to Think – Pony Express Record
(1994; Epic)

At one point in time, Shudder to Think played a fairly straightforward, if more melody-driven style of D.C. post-hardcore. But then a strange thing happened — they got a major label contract. The band certainly used the bigger advance to their advantage, creating a more polished sounding effort in Pony Express Record. If anything, though, it’s far weirder than anything they ever did in their Dischord days. Equal parts Gang of Four and Queen, Pony Express Record is a labyrinthine gauntlet of jerky guitar riffs, rhythmic change-ups and Craig Wedren’s operatic falsetto. In spite of all this, however, it’s a remarkably catchy record, from the epic one-chord chorus of “X-French Tee Shirt,” to a soaring and heroic refrain on “Earthquakes Come Home” that seemingly comes from out of nowhere. For as much as STT were an acquired taste, those that acquired it were treated to something unique and refined.


Fugazi – Red Medicine
(1995; Dischord)

Any number of friends, readers or rivals are going to tell me that this spot should be reserved for Repeater or one of Fugazi’s other good-to-outstanding ’90s albums, but those are all close runners up to this piece of heavy hitting iconoclasm. The irony of being the standard bearers for D.C. post-hardcore is that Fugazi were also the first to fuck with the formula, incorporating elements of dub, shoegazer and other styles with their meaty punk rock energy. There’s some of that here, for sure, “By You” standing as one of the most artfully dense noise rock tracks in the group’s repertoire, and “Version” reappropriates the rhythm from “Long Distance Runner” into a psychedelic remix. But even when going back to basics, like the furious “Bed for the Scraping,” Fugazi pulls it off with an effortless, yet dramatic flair.


90s post hardcore chavezChavez – Ride the Fader
(1996; Matador)

I’ve never understood why people called Chavez “math rock.” Certainly, the New York foursome knew their way around a complicated time signature, but when applied to Chavez, “math rock” seems condescending and reductive. As far as I’m concerned, the combination of brawn and soaring rock melodies is what makes the band so uniquely amazing. Their second album Ride the Fader, which I’m loath to call it their “final” album (they never broke up, but they’ve been … we’ll say, less than prolific), is all the promise of debut Gone Glimmering crystallized into 12 brilliantly crafted and unexpectedly pummeling gems. Matt Sweeney is a surprising gentle ringleader among the more destructive moments, such as the literal-roller-coaster opener “Top Pocket Man,” or the whomping ultra-low tuned tremors of closer “You Must Be Stopped.” But I’d hate to stop here without mentioning drummer James Lo, whose nimble yet powerful skills here landed him on our 50 Favorite Drummers list.


You might also like:

Unwound

Unwound interview

Treble's 50 favorite drummers

Treble’s 50 Favorite Drummers

Fugazi

Celebrate the Catalog: Fugazi

Aug 30, 2012Jeff Terich
Interview: Peaking LightsFYF Fest 2012
Home 10 Essential ’90s Post-Hardcore Albums
August 30, 2012 Feature, Treble's Top 10Chavez, Drive Like Jehu, Fugazi, Girls Against Boys, Jawbox, Jesus Lizard, Quicksand, Shellac, Shudder To Think, The Nation of Ulysses
Album of the Week
Diat Positive Disintegration review Album of the Week

Album of the Week: Dïat – Positive Disintegration






The Australian/German post-punk group emerges from cold storage with a compelling, stellar set of gloom.

Category: Album of the Week, Album Reviews

Top Stories
  • Moving Forward in a World of Anxiety: A conversation with Hell
  • Ministry to play early material on Wax Trax! Experience tour
  • 10 Essential Bristol Albums
  • Martin Gore, GAS, Tim Hecker to play Moogfest 2019
  • Stereolab announce tour, reissues
  You Might Also Like  
 
News

Quicksand and Glassjaw announce co-headlining tour

<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons above -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" addthis:url='https://www.treblezine.com/quicksand-glassjaw-tour-dates-announced/' addthis:title='Quicksand and Glassjaw announce co-headlining tour' >
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_2"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_3"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_4"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_compact"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a>
</div>Two post-hardcore titans team up for summer tour dates.<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons below -->

 
News

Quicksand announce fall tour dates

<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons above -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" addthis:url='https://www.treblezine.com/35745-quicksand-fall-tour-announced/' addthis:title='Quicksand announce fall tour dates' >
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_2"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_3"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_4"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_compact"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a>
</div>New York post-hardcore outfit touring for the first time in a few years.<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons below -->

 
Best Of, Lists

The 30 Best Bands of the Past 30 Years

<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons above -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" addthis:url='https://www.treblezine.com/38482-30-best-bands-of-the-past-30-years/' addthis:title='The 30 Best Bands of the Past 30 Years' >
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_2"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_3"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_4"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_compact"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a>
</div>We surveyed music since 1988 to determine the best groups in the game.<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons below -->

 
Lists

Treble’s 20 most anticipated albums of fall 2017

<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons above -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" addthis:url='https://www.treblezine.com/36635-20-most-anticipated-albums-of-fall-2017/' addthis:title='Treble’s 20 most anticipated albums of fall 2017' >
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_2"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_3"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_4"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_compact"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a>
</div>Twenty albums you need in your headphones this fall.<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons below -->

 
Lists, Treble's Top 10

10 Essential Indie Rock Guitar Solos

<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons above -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" addthis:url='https://www.treblezine.com/38480-10-essential-indie-rock-guitar-solos/' addthis:title='10 Essential Indie Rock Guitar Solos' >
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_2"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_3"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_4"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_compact"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a>
</div>When shred meets lo-fi.<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons below -->

 
Best Of, Lists

Treble’s Top 100 Punk Albums

<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons above -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" addthis:url='https://www.treblezine.com/37108-100-best-punk-albums/' addthis:title='Treble’s Top 100 Punk Albums' >
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_2"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_3"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_4"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_compact"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a>
</div>Loud, fast rules!<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons below -->

 
News

Chavez announce first new music in 20 years, share “The Bully Boys”

<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons above -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" addthis:url='https://www.treblezine.com/32754-chavez-new-ep-first-new-music-in-20-years/' addthis:title='Chavez announce first new music in 20 years, share “The Bully Boys”' >
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_2"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_3"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_4"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_compact"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a>
</div><i>Cockfighters</i> EP out in January.<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons below -->

 
Best Of, Feature, Lists

True Alternative: The Top 100 Songs of the ’90s Underground

<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons above -->
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style" addthis:url='https://www.treblezine.com/24302-top-100-90s-alternative-underground-tracks/' addthis:title='True Alternative: The Top 100 Songs of the ’90s Underground' >
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_1"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_2"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_3"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_preferred_4"></a>
<a class="addthis_button_compact"></a>
<a class="addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style"></a>
</div>The best tracks that flew under the radar in the "alternative" decade.<!-- AddThis Sharing Buttons below -->

  • News
  • Album Reviews
    • Album of the Week
  • Features
    • Interviews
    • Best Of
    • Celebrate the Catalog
    • Hold On To Your Genre
    • Treble’s Top 10
  • Columns
    • History’s Greatest Monsters
    • Remake/Remodel
    • Perversity
    • Pet Grief
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • About Us
2018 © Treble Media