Restraining Order – Self-Titled EP

Among many other things, 2018 was the year that marked the 30th anniversary of the California’s seminal hardcore label New Age Records.

Ever since 1988, the label has been releasing some of the best straight edge hardcore from all over the States, and label’s founder Mike Hartsfield has also played an active role in the scene with his involvement in notable bands like Outspoken, Freewill and Dear Furious. However, we haven’t included a single New Age release on our Top Straight Edge Records of 2018 list, and that’s a shame.

Hailing from western Massachusetts, Restraining Order made my hardcore list in 2017, shortly after releasing their first demo. Following up with the Something For The Youth EP, they had established themselves as one of the tightest of the new breed of 1980s-influenced straight edge bands.

Restraining Order’s musical direction is simple, they are determined to bring back the golden days of hardcore punk! The six tracks on this EP are filled to the brim with buzzing riffs and old time straight edge vibe. Minor Threat and SSD are the most obvious influences, but there’s also a fair share of ’77 and ’82 punk-rock touches that will make this record even more appealing to aging skins and punks.

Now, we’re a little late to the party writing about this August 2018 banger, but there are certainly folks out there who haven’t discovered it yet. This is one of the best old-school hardcore releases of the past year.