URBAN WASTE PRESS & REVIEWS:

At long last, this essential slab of New York Hardcore has seen the light of day once more. It had been long out of print (for quite some time only available in a bootleg 7" format), and this CD re-issue of Urban Waste's self-titled EP is an invaluable testament to the shredding that defined early "A7-era" New York Hardcore. Along with a handful of others, Urban Waste stood tall as one of the most unabashedly raging, abrasive units of that time, yielding a frenetic blend of razor riffs, caterwauling vocal screeches, and a jittery raucous structural framework always on the brink of total combustion. Incensed, dogmatic condemnations of authority, society, and urban living are voiced with vitriolic a simplistic force, as these eight pulverizing anthems rumble on. The stripped down vitriol embedded in every nuance of this recording is extraordinary, and these spastic noise escapades should be considered absolutely essential. (Jersey Beat #74)

Until the end of time a pissing match will engage when the topic of what punk scene was better, east coast or west coast [is broached]. While I tend to lean toward the sunnier part of America with Blank Flag and the Dead Kennedys, bands like Urban Waste always make you rethink your ideals. This band from the bowels of New York was the epitome of raw with their performances and the rerelease of their self titled debut cements that statement. The five songs on this disc sound like they were put to tape and then repeatedly stabbed with a jagged piece of glass. Vocalist Kenny Ahrens puts forth some classic early-hardcore vocals. You can envision him screaming up blood during the recording of "Public Opinion" and "Wasted Life." This is a timeless record and if you love punk rock as it's meant to be, let Urban Waste be your salvation. (Fat City #7)

This EP was originally released in 1982, so for any punk/ hardcore fans of yore, this collection of songs including "Police brutality" and "Wasted Life" will take you back to those angst-filled days of your youth. Can't call it easy listening since all the low fi screeches and mono sounds have been left "as is", but rather, this is a wake up call to remind you that life is not always the stuff of high gloss magazines and sly Republican charmers. Forever timely. (Sentimentalist; Fall/ Winter 2003)

I remember this one-- I do. What you got is a legit reissue that looks like a bootleg, blown up from a measly 7" to a full-bodied 12" EP (something of a rarity itself in the 21st Century). The original '82 issue of "Police Brutality" is a minor classic of throat-shredding head-shaving New York 'core, with its speedy 1-2-1-2 attack. "I'm not inta punk rock, Im' not inta hard core, dontcha try to label me..." it's real and authentic, like most of the early piledriving releases that cracked the hardcore code. The impact of "No Hope" or "Wasted Life" hasn't been dimmed much by the passage of 21 years (good Christ!), and still sounds a lot tougher and fresher than most of what followed. Reagan still lives, Urban Waste still kill. (Maximumrocknroll; November 2003 #246)

Early NYHC band finally get a reissue of their classic seven-song (sic EP. All '80s hardcore-lovers should own this disc, and this is the first time you can get it on CD. They are reforming to tour and record, like many other bands who broke up nearly 20 years ago. (Punk Planet; November/ December 2003 #58)

Urban Waste kick in with some pure NYC hardcore. Wasted, fucked up, sick of it all. Take it to the streets and tell it like it is. "Police Brutality," "Public Opinion," "No Hope," "Wasted Life," "Reject" are just a few of the dischords of life Urban Waste want to bring your attention to. (New York Waste; September 2003)

This is the best vocals on a hardcore record, ever. You can quote me on that. It doesn't matter that the music is a little generic, it doesn't matter that the sound quality is really crappy, it doesn't matter that there's background noise over the whole thing... Urban Waste had the most amazing singer who just goes off into another fucking world when he's singing. Best vocals ever. As for the rest of the record: the music is in general good, especially "Ignorant." Any song that starts out with that slow drumbeat is almost guaranteed to be great ("Wolfpack," "Night stalker," etc.). And aside from "BNC," the lyrics are cool too. In "Public Opinion" he screams, "I'm not into Punk Rock, I'm not into Hardcore, don't you try and label me..." and "if you want to find out, you'll ask me what I'm about, really I'm just crazy and - don't want to be - figured out..." I think it's cool that when he thinks hardcore has become trendy he doesn't just sing about how he's the most punk and everyone else is a "poser" - instead he says he's just an individual.
This 7" has been bootlegged and reissued several times, on vinyl and on CD - once again it's available on either format on Mad At The World Records.
(Review from Kill From the Heart Website by Chris)

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