7 Seconds
Ourselves/soulforce Revolution
CD1 features their 1998 studio album 'Ourselves', which at the time featured a radical change of direction after the more conventional hardcore punk of earlier releases. CD2 features the cult follow up, the 1989 studio effort 'Soulforce Revolution.' Formed in Reno, Nevada in 1980, 7 Seconds are an iconic name in hardcore punk circles, a band that pioneered US hardcore alongside the likes of such luminaries as Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Black Flag and Bad Brains - however 7 Seconds promoted a straight edge lifestyle and by the late '80s had moved beyond hardcore's musical limitations, embracing a more straightforward sound, albeit with the same underlying core values. This pair of recordings are sometimes referred to as 7 Seconds 'U2 era,' a slightly derogatory term which overlooks the band's ambitious attempts to take hardcore in new directions, a path later embraced by the likes of Quicksand, At The Drive-In, Far, and in the modern era Turnstile and Angel Du$t. 7 Seconds frontman Kevin Seconds remains an inspirational figure in the hardcore scene, including carving out a formidable solo career, and as a somewhat reluctant figurehead for the straight edge scene and lifestyle.