Faith / Void Split

This is one of the classics of early American hardcore punk. The Faith were a four-piece band in the summer of 1981 and featured Alec Mackaye on vocals, who had formerly sung for the Untouchables, as well as Michael Hampton of State of Alert on guitar.

After recording a demo, the band released a split LP with fellow DC hardcore band, Void. It featured the song, "You're x'd," which addressed the straight edge philosophy popularized by Minor Threat and SOA.

Void are on the flip side and they were one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal in a way that was accepted by punk fans. They were also the first band signed to Ian MacKaye's Dischord label that wasn't from Washington, DC; instead, they hailed from suburban Columbia, Maryland.

The 12 songs on the album are ferocious, barely controlled chaos rife with tortured vocals and shrieking guitar feedback. The CD version also contains The Faith's 'Subject To Change' 12" EP as a bonus.