Customer Reviews

AGE OF QUARREL/BEST WISHES(Reissue)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

1986 was the year that hardcore got heavy thanks to the Cro-Mags. The two-guitar thrash assault of Parris Mayhew and Doug Holland(ex-Kraut axeman) combined with the growl and scowl vocals of John Joseph defined the sound of this band. The low-end theory provided by Mackie's drums and Harley Flannigan's base rounded out a sound that kept the gritty energy of hardcore, but polished up with some better song structure and production values. Their message was one of self-reliance and street-toughness peppered with a new interpretation of Krishna religion that stood out in a time when punk rock and hardcore were preaching Peace through Anarchy and other quasi-hippie philosophy. Age of Quarrel, is in my eyes, hardcore's finest hour. This record got you fired up and ready to take on the world and made no apologies of its philosophies.

some classic NYHC,this best of will surely make you a fan of this punk-metal crossover band,if your not already.

I bought these two huge hardcore albums more a decade ago (LP versions...) and I still find it to be essentials of that very special musical style... "So, don't miss the occasion to get them in one CD!" Just because Cro-Mags was at his apogee during the eighties, and these guys were real... and not fake! They were talking about what they were really experiencing : pain, anger and hunger! You should see these two albums as a testimony concerning the new york city hardcore scene of that period...

1 - The Age of Quarrel : If you like oldschool hardcore, I guess you probably have this one in your possession but if you are eager to discover what hardcore meant in the late eighties (raw, fury, political lyrics and INSPIRED music!), you shouldn't ignore 'The Age of Quarrel'... All is said in fifteen 'bullets'. John Joseph is the definitive frontman of Cro-Mags. He is really mesmerizing in it. With the help of Harley Flanagan and Parris Mayhew, he delivers an astonishing performance we can hardly forgot... This album is so good that it's really hard to name the best songs... Just an example : the intro of the 'We gotta know' is simply amazing... No less than that...

2 - Best Wishes : more metal oriented and Flanagan is now singing (quite good, I have to admit). The band clearly refused to do a "The age of quarrel : the return" or "part II..." and decided to explore new musical territories with excellent results. I had some difficulties to accept it then. But now, I think it was the best thing they could have done and "Best Wishes" contains superb hardcore-metal classics... ('Death camps' is my favourite but 'The only one' is a great and touching (!) song too...

Needless to say, with these two superb albums, The Cro-Mags influenced innumerable hardcore bands around the world...

Age of Quarrel is the best hardcore album to hit the streets. Few albums have captured the aggression, raw energy and strength of the New York City Hardcore Scene. This album will run chills down the spine of every hardcore old school head. Anyone who has seen the Cro Mags live in the eighties will tell you how the crowds reacted to all the cuts on this album. There is a reason why you won't be able to find this album in record stores that have any type of hardcore selection. Luckily, you've found it here. BUY IT NOW!

Never talk about NYHC without them!
Awesome record!

If Age of Quarrel were the only hardcore album you owned it would be enough... The Cro-Mags established themselves with this album and changed the NYHC sound forever. The BEST hardcore record EVER... Best Wishes doesn't do it for me. Harley always seemed like a complete loon to me and I always felt that with the in-fighting and general BS that surrounds this band since AOQ members were just trying to cash in by using the name. The history of this band may be some what jaded... but listening to AOQ will make it all disappear. Check out John Joseph's book "The Evolution of a CRO-MAGnon" brilliant!

I think that "Age of Quarrel" is the best hardcore, if not one of the best "Metal" albums ever made. Listen to the lyrics. It's the most truth I've ever heard out of any bands lyrics ever. I think these kids today should throw away their Korn and Limp Bizquik cds and check out a band such as the Cro-Mags. They might learn something about music.

Ok..''THE AGE OF QUARREL'' is one the most PISSED OFF ALBUMS EVER MADE!!! and is one of the most OVER LOOKED ''cross over'' albums..EVER!!!

The singer(Eric..right?) was one of the best vocalists I think I have ever heard!!! listen to the song ''LIFE ON MY OWN'' he sounds like he killed him self after that one verse ''You come INTOOOO this world..'' its AMAZING!!! that song is also like one of the best ever wirtten!!!HAILS!!!!!

This stars off with ''WE GOTTA KNOW'' which is a perfect starter GREAT epic intro and feel!! this is also the first thing I ever heard from the guys..saw the video of it on LOUD music.. many years ago!!

All of the songs are great..some better than others..but I think we all have our faves!!

And of course this was made in 1986!!!!!!!1986!!!!!!! you cant get more pissed off than that!!! THIS IS TIMELESS THOUGH!!!!! but the 80's did RULE!!!!!!!
MASSIVE STUFF!!!!!!!!

This can be downloaded for FREE!!! on their OFFICAL web site!! go to www.cromags.com!!!

ALL HAIL AND BOW BEFORE THE AGE!!!!!!!!!!

''WE GOTTA KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!''

Bands who try to make money off their music are sellouts and leaches, of course, but people who sell the band's old records at a 3,000% markup are totally punk rock, right? Anyway, I bought this CD about five years ago for $8. Seeing that it's now retailing at insane prices would be hilarious if it wasn't sad.

That out of the way, most of the Cro Mags back catalog is crap, but these two records are pretty solid. It's more hardcore than cheese-metal, and the drumming and vocals are especially punchy. The guitar is forgettable on some tracks, good on others, and downright menacing on a couple, like "Age of Quarrel". The lyrics are mostly moronic, veering between promises of violence and neo-Hindu preaching, but that's fine, it's written more for skinheads in the pit than lit geeks like myself. If you liked metal, punk, or 80s crossover, this is a pretty good set, or if you don't mind a couple solos thrown into your hardcore now and then. I'll (mostly) stick with Black Flag, Slapshot, Poison Idea, and Suicidal Tendencies for tough guy, metal-flavored hardcore.

the cro-mags allways broke the rule with the age of quarrel cd the brokdwn the walls of punk/hardcore/metal and then with best wishes they rewrote their own rules with new style and more radical religious believes and much more metal.the band went threw alot of choas and termoil with in the band it's self between these to albums and for the next 20 years then until they basically destroyed themselves and release 3 more cds that are less than memorible but i feel the revenge is the best sucussor to best wishes cd worlds better than alpha omega.chek out both worlds (john joesphs only cd release after near death experiance with ex-leeway guitarist and orange 9mm members)more krishna then hardcore but respectable)and harley war is quite impressive too but neither are the cro-mags.these 2 cd remain legendary and must own for any hardcore fans!