When I was 13, I got my hands on a comp called Victory Style 2. This was back before Victory Records became the breeding ground for the nu-screamo explosion. Before A Day to Remember. Before Atreyu. Even before Thursday.

Yep, Victory 2 saw the label at its most respected: Deadguy, Strife, Integrity, Snapcase, Refused, Bloodlet and a Syracuse, New York band called Earth Crisis. (And yes, Baby Gopal, but I’d rock “Lost Generation” over Taking Back Sunday any day.) Most of these bands had some pretty hardline convictions they stood by. And most shrugged ‘em off at the turn of the century. But not Earth Crisis.

Still vegan. Still straightedge. Still raging against environmental destruction and political corruption. Still playing open, dropped-tuned breakdowns. New record drops July 12th. Hats off, homies. XXX