The late 90s were an interesting but rich time for hardcore. Regions began to develop distinct styles and sounds, and thanks to touring, distros and mail order, the distinct sounds of one region started to travel to locales far removed from their origin. With the major label feeding frenzy of the early 90s subsiding in favor of rap metal and pop punk, the music industry’s level of interest in the underground was lukewarm at best. Hardcore continued to thrive on small independent labels and a strong commitment to the DIY ethic that the genre was built upon nearly two decades prior. By then, hardcore knew no boundaries, and in the working class city of Milwaukee existed a band whose tireless work ethic and commitment to self-sufficiency helped establish the working-class city as a destination for many other like-minded acts. That band was Seven Days of Samsara.
Forming in 1998, Seven Days of Samsara formed from the ashes of various short lived punk and hardcore bands in the Milwaukee and Chicago area. Alongside fellow midwestern contemporaries like Forstella Ford, Since By Man and Kungfu Rick (which they shared a member), Seven Days of Samsara played heavy and emotive hardcore that fit well alongside many contemporaries of the era. Unlike many of their contemporaries, though, Seven Days’ unique take on hardcore was not as easy to classify as others. The band was too metallic to be considered screamo, too melodic for the mosh crowd, and the term “metalcore” had yet to be invented. Blurred lines aside, a close listening to the band can reveal a handful of influences, which ranged from Converge and Neurosis all the way to Braid and Hot Water Music. Eclectic, yes, but Seven Days of Samsara took their wide influences and created something that was as heavy as it was beautiful, as hook-laden as it was abrasive. While many bands of the day could easily be seen as following in the footsteps of the acts that preceded them, Seven Days of Samsara managed to sound familiar and unique all at once.
Double LP containing everything that they released including:
Fuck Work 7"
Split 7" w/ Cobra Kai
Split 7" w/ Akarso
Split LP w/ Since By Man
A Reason to Sing CD (first time on vinyl)
The Instrumental (first time on vinyl)
Live on WNYU 7"
22 songs total all recently remastered by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios.
The record is packaged with a 20 page booklet with a silkscreened booklet cover, a 18" x 24" poster and a download code.
Limited to 300 copies. Self released by the band. FUCK YES IT WAS!
