We have a limited-edition "olive green" vinyl variant of Return of the California Takeover — as well as classic Strife albums and other hardcore essentials — over at our shop.
In 1996, Victory Records released a soon-to-be iconic live album called The California Takeover, which featured recordings from a three-band bill in L.A. that boasted Earth Crisis, Snapcase and Strife — three of the most popular and influential hardcore bands of the Nineties. The live LP took on a legendary status in the halls of hardcore, and in February 2020, it happened again.
Dubbed The Return of the California Takeover, those three pillars of metallic hardcore teamed up at the Teragram Ballroom in L.A. for a night that honored their legacies and proved that all three of them still got it. War Records were there to document it, and today we're stoked to be premiering the album in full ahead of its release this Friday.
Naturally, the tracklist— featuring four songs from each band, just like the first Takeover — is a celebration of the era these three bands would come to define, so they were banging out the old shit. Strife played classics off of In This Defiance and One Truth, Earth Crisis culled from Firestorm and Destroy the Machines, and Snapcase featured bangers from Progression Through Unlearning and Lookglasself. Listen to the whole thing below via Bandcamp.
"I'm really glad we were all able to get together again and give the younger folks an opportunity to see something they missed out on, and also the older people the chance to relive the good old days," says Earth Crisis guitarist Scott Crouse.
"I am so glad that the tape was rolling and that we were able to capture the energy and positivity of that night," adds Strife guitarist Andrew Kline. "The Return of the California Takeover shows were not about living in the past, but rather bringing the past full circle to the present. Having younger bands like Magnitude and Hesitation Wounds on the bill really solidified the fact that the style of hardcore that we play is still important and still running through the veins of the new generation of hardcore kids."
Snapcase frontman Daryl Taberski chimes in, "The California Takeover is more than just a snapshot of Nineties hardcore, it brings out the best in each of our bands and also our audience as well. There are a lot of laughs and camaraderie when our three bands get together, but more importantly we spark an increased energy on stage for each other."
The Return of the California Takeover is officially out this Friday November 19th and you can snag it on limited-edition "olive green" vinyl from our shop.
