A Record a Week: Bread and Circuits/Former Members of Alfonsin

SIDE 1. (BREAD AND CIRCUITS)
BLOODBATH
SHAMEFUL LIBRARY
DYING BY DEGREES
NUREMBERG PRINCIPLES

SIDE 2. (FORMER MEMBERS OF ALFONSIN)
KINETIC
DEVIL'S VOCABULARY TEST
HURRICANE
MAGIC MAKER

I bought this record because Bread and Circuits had members of a band called Yaphet Kotto, whom I really liked. The record is energetic, but not very much like Yaphet. They were more of an emo/screamo fast paced band and Bread and Circuits (and Former Members of Alfonsin) are more 90's Hardcore/Punk/Melodic Hardcore. Bread and Circuits also had a guy who was in another band I liked at the time, Swing Kids. I had actually thought this was a post-Yaphet Kotto band, but research tells me they were first. Based on the sound of the two bands, I probably should have been able to figure that out.

The first side of this record plays out like your typical punk hardcore record from the 90's. Straight forward drum beats with the style of guitar and screaming you'd find in bands like Snapcase, American Nightmare, Madball, etc.

The second side is much of the same, though they make motions towards a later era of hardcore that was more tuneful, or at least in the melodic breakdowns. As well, they employ a mixture of male/female vocals which was just getting going (Palatka, 1905, etc.).

As much of the punk hardcore movement encompassed, this record has a political tilt to it. I find the better music from this style came from the revolution theme, rather than the emotional theme, though they both had their place.

As happened all of the time in the late 90s, early 2000s world of Ebullition, 31G, Troubleman bands, each of these bands released a split or two and a handful of 7"s and maybe a full-length and then broke up, only to immediately form other bands of similar sound with other members of bands from within their label or local scene. In the case of this record, it had already happened by the time of the release. In the liner notes it even says 'Bread and Circuits was' and 'Former Members of Alfonsin was'.

It's a decent 90's hardcore record that I probably wouldn't have stumbled across if I hadn't been into Yaphet Kotto. Just goes to show it always pays off to check out what else the people in the bands you like have done.