Endless Struggle/We Must Rebel/I Hate Myself offers 25 tracks of pissed as fuck, stripped down hardcore/punk, but not without melodic flourishes, rockish moments, and even some guitar solos. It’s almost primitive sounding by today’s standards, but I say that in the most complimentary way possible. So much that passes for hardcore these days just sounds slick, overproduced, with no sense of urgency. Offenders are the real deal! It’s hard to listen to these tracks and not draw some obvious comparisons to some of their fellow Texans, but I also hear some B’last!, Youth Brigade, and even some Ian Mackayesque vocals at times. Each track is a swift kick in the pants, with most tracks staying well under the 2 minute mark. The only track I could’ve lived without is their cover of “Keep Me Hanging On,” but that’s neither here nor there. With track titles like “You Got a Right,” “Get Mad,” and “Fight Back,” you get the picture.

I’ve really been enjoying the hardcore reissues Southern Lord has been producing with Offenders being another solid entry. They may not have been the most recognized band to come out of the Reaganomics era, but Offenders were much more than a footnote to the 80’s punk underground. They were a force to be reckoned with Classic jams!