JUST CAN´T STAND IT!: TEAR IT UP

As I´ve promised in some previous post, here is my rant about the first Tear It Up seven inch. I first heard this on Havoc cassette sampler vol. 3 that Trujaca Fala released, which was Polish record label that among bunch of other international hc/punk bands, released these 3 series of Havoc seven inches from 1992. to 2001. All the series were released as double tape compilations and yes, I still have all of the 3 compilations. So, this third Havoc Sampler was released in 2001. or 2002. I´m not sure, just as I´m not really sure when I got this, 2001. or 2002. but never mind. I wrote review of this compilation in the first issue of my zine – IOSC which I put out in the fall of 2002. so I guess I got that compilation the same year. As I´ve wrote in the review, at the time I didn´t know who TIU were, wasn´t even sure if they are from NYC or NJ. But I did read somewhere at the time that before TIU, most of the TIU members were playing in some great hardcore band called Dead Nation. I imagined that this Dead Nation band must be something awesome because of all the talk about this new great band (TIU) that formed on the ashes of another great band (DN). And indeed Dead Nation were great but that´s another story. I remember that beside Code 13 and DS-13, Tear It Up were my favorite band on that compilation (other bands were: United Super Villains, Holding On, The Real Enemy, Spazm 151, Nine Shocks Terror, Kaaos and Cluster Bomb Unit. The good thing with this compilation was that there were lyrics from all the bands and I was very much into Tear It Up lyrics. Although they didn´t hit me as hard as few years later, because at the time I got this compilation, I was still in a happy relationship and a positive straight edge dude if you catch my drift. I mean, later I was still straight edge dude (and still am), but I was not in a relationship anymore and I was a little bit less positive and more frustrated with some emotional stuff and shit. Few years later I got the EP on vinyl on some show in Zagreb, don´t recall which one or on which distribution.

Havoc cassette sampler

The self titled Tear It Up 7˝ EP was recorded in September 2000. and that was their second recording. First was the demo tape from July 2000. which is the only TIU recording that doesn´t do justice to their songs, at least that is what I think. So, I often consider this September session as the first real TIU recording. Besides these 8 songs that got on their first EP, this session also include 13 songs that got released as Just Can´t Stand It 12˝ EP in 2001. on Deranged Records. The self titled EP was released in October 2000. on Havoc Records. I must say hats off and respect to Havoc Records for keeping all of their (or most of) records in press, so that way you can still find this great EP on various international distributions. Havoc is definitely still one of the best and honest DIY hc/punk records/distributions in this fucked up world.

The line up on this record was off course, the first TIU line up:

Dave Ackerman – Vocals

Andy Scarpulla – Guitar

Paul D´elia – Guitar

Doug Ensel – Bass

Matt Wechter - Drums

Production on this EP is nothing but amazing, it sounds so powerful without sounding over produced or something like that. Like all the other TIU records, this also has all the songs blending in and the EP is pretty much already over before you know it.

Cover is one of the best I have ever seen in hc/punk history. You could say I´m a bit exaggerating because after all, TIU is my favorite band, but tell me that the cover of this EP is not fucking great. The infamous Vertigo skull on some suit and tie business mans body and the spiral circle on the skull forehead and behind it makes the cover totally mesmerizing. Back cover has the band playing some show and Paul, Dave and Doug were shot while jumping but still you can tell that it´s not some typical youth crew band (well, nothing wrong with that, I´m all for good posi YC HC J). Also, it is clear on expression of Dave´s face, that he´s fucking angry and want to smash the microphone into your skull (well, at least that´s how I imagine it, ha ha!). So, just by the cover, you can tell it is some awesome fucked up and pissed off music. And just for putting the photo of band in action is a big plus for me. Inside you get all the lyrics, cred list and photos of each member that were photographed in the photo booth. The vertigo TIU skull was also with them in the booth, ha ha. Anyway, I think that this cover is done by good old hc/punk standards and as my friend Felix (not Havoc) would say: „majstori su objasnili“.

TEAR IT UP - Self titled 7˝ EP Halloween version

As I´ve said before, the EP have 8 songs in 9 minutes. The lyrics deal with hating all the shits around you and me. There are some personal self loathing themes like: I Fell Better Already, Deadly, Confused, Confusion and And In The End. Other songs are critics of capitalist yuppie scum (Life: Take One), sexual rapists (What Part Of No...), bands that want to make success using the DIY hc/punk network (Through Being Cute) and so called anarchists and activists that are only into it for a short trend (Not A Game). Again all the stuff that I can totally identify with. And musically the EP is just perfect. Just from hearing the beginning intro of first song you can tell that the whole EP is great. The songs are mostly very fast but not without a hooks, some cool breaks and catchy pumped up singalongs and angry group backups. I also love Matt´s back up vocals on some songs (something that I forgot to mention in my previous TIU posts) which are very distinctive as Dave´s vocals but in a totally different way so mixing their two vocals was a great idea. The slow bass intro of Life: Take One is sounding like something Black Flag should record in 1982. but were too busy with changing their style of music, ha ha. Deadly and Through Being Cute are great singalong punk anthems, What Part Of No, Confused, Confusion & Not A Game are blasts of pure critical anger and And In The End is great furious but also emotional song with the lyrics that I can connect in the most deepest way. „No sense getting close, then you´ll have no one to hurt. Why don´t I want talk to you, because it make things fucking worse. You always hurt the ones you love.“ So fucking true.

So, my opinion about this EP is that it´s perfect (as you´ve couldn´t guess that already). You get awesome cover, even better production, pissed off lyrics and top notch hardcore punk music. Can you ask for something more? I don´t think so.

TEAR IT UP on Fuck Work Tour 2001. with FAST TIMES

TEAR IT UP & HOLDING ON & Swank Roadie on TEAR IT UP/HOLDING ON - Road to Thrash Fest mini tour 2001.

Few more words about different versions of the EP covers. This time I didn´t put in download no extra music, only some photos from TIU shows and some flyers. Plus you get photos of various cover versions of this EP. Again some photos are mine and some I took from the net from various sources. So, if you download this, you will see the regular first press, Halloween show cover, California tour 2001 cover, 2002 Euro tour cover which is homage to Anti Cimex – Raped Ass EP cover and Road Rash Edition (which I´m guessing is from Road to Thrash Fest mini tour with Holding On in 2001.). There are also various vinyl colors of this EP but I´m not such a nerd about that stuff actually. Oh yeah, on first press there was TIU address which is later covered with black marker (that is the version I´ve got because when I got the EP, TIU was long gone and the said address wasn´t valid anymore).

I think that wraps it up. If you already have this EP, download this for extra tour covers and shit. In the near future I will put some more TIU goodies, I promise. I feel better already.

Snake: Take One

PS – The Tear It Up self titled 7˝ EP is still available on Havoc Records and you can get it here: https://www.havocrecords.com

And happy Halloween, ha ha!

Get it here:

TIU Self Titled EP