News August 2010: The new smoking RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA EP has been recorded and it will contain eight new hits. The release date is planned for late October and will coincide with the HeartFirst anniversary weekender thing. The HeartFirst anniversary compilation will also have a RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA song from the same session. The party will be held Oktober 22 and 23 2010 at the KOMA-F in Berlin and these bands are doing to play: NAILS (Berlin), NUCLEAR CULT (Berlin), OVERPOWER (Leipzig), PEACEBASTARD (Berlin), RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA (Vienna, Chile), SOTATILA (Vienna, Tampere). Afterwards there will be DJs both nights. In case you can read the Kanji, you can find an interview with me in the latest issue (No. 7) of the great EL ZINE fanzine from Japan.

Note: Lately I don't update this thing much. I dunno why. If you go to the mailorder you'll see that this section gets updated more frequently.

News June 2010: Since I update this thing very infrequently, some people started thinking that the label and mailorder might be closing down. This is not the case! But someone even placed an order, thinking this would be the last chance to order. So maybe this could be a good trick to drive sales?. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the HeartFirst label, the mailorder is five years older. So it's time to celebrate with two new records which should be out in October: A new RUIDOSA INMUNDICIA EP and a HeartFirst anniversary compilation ep. More details will be posted here once they materialize. There also will be a little anniversary party weekend, held at the KOMA-F in Berlin on October 22/23 with bands and DJs. There are tons of new records in the mailorder, for example the new FERAL WARD goodies (KVOTERINGEN, SYSTEMATIC DEATH, COMPLICATIONS), new NY VAG stuff (INVASIONEN, AC4, hopefully soon the new MASSHYSTERI) and the DAYLIGHT ROBBERY LP on the great RESIDUE label outta Chicago. Also highly recommended is the LP of Norwegian rockers/drinkers KNUSTE RUTER which is even better than the already great EP of last year.  

News September 2009: I am really sorry for not updating this more frequently. If you learned German you could realize that this part is updated more frequently. Also I have started a blog because the world needed one more: http://blog.heartfirst.net. But then I was too lazy in August oh well. The blog gets update much more frequently than this website. Summer is holiday season. But not for me because I spent my vacation days in spring. But in August I found the time to go to Norway for an extended weekend. Apart from being invited to great birthday parties and taking a stroll along the Oslo Fjord I got to see the first  KORT PROSESS gig in many years and they were totally awesome. One of the best gigs I have ever seen them play, and I have seen many of their gigs. And I was not the only person who thought that, some other friends who had seen them many times agreed on that. They will play again at the grand BLITZ re-opening in late September along with STATENS MENN and ALLTID JAGET. And while we are talking about re-unions: STRAIN will play one gig in Seattle on October 3 together with UNDERTOW and UNBROKEN. Not, it's really 2009 -- I just checked the calendar! Again with some BRAND NEW UNIT personell helping out in the STRAIN field as on their first Euro tour in 1995. Anway, let's look ahead. New smashers in the HeartFirst mailorder are the newish releases on the great SEARCH FOR FAME label run by the drummer of the great band SNIFFING GLUE. How many labels do you know which are run by drummers??? See! EPs by DISCO VIETNAM, LUST FOR LIFE, TERRORIZE KIDS. All three are extremely solid 80s-Retro-Ami-Hardcore-Punk outta Deutschland which sounds like it could have been on the FLEX YOUR HEAD Comp. Also new is the discography LP of Bostonians LIBYANS. Raw, somewhat melodic but not wimpy uptempo Punk with great femals vocals. The LP combines two 7" singles and their self released rather short 12". This quality band will embark on a European tour in 2010. Very solid Swedish hardcore from the TOTALITÄR camp is delivered by MAKABERT FYND on their YELLOW DOG LP, even though it is not as good as their EP. Several labels were fighting to release this one, esp. US ones. What would US labels do without Swedish bands, hehe. For lovers and other fans of softer sounds there are two new 7"s by MARVELOUS DARLINGS 7"s (featuring FUCKED UP, NO WARNING etc. members). You might remember their solid DERANGED 7". There actually is another new 7" of theirs out in Europe but I don't carry that one. They must love Europe and want to tour here or something. Even better is the new STATUES 7" on P.TRASH. I am constantly updating the "Rare" and used part of this website with various shit of the punk or more more pop kind. So buy lotsa shit so that the HeartFirst team can take a trip to Neuschwanstein!!!

News March 2009: The KRIEGSHÖG EP made it into many Best-of-2008 playlists in MRR 310. I am thrilled!!! Below is what the fans said, in short: If you like Hardcore Punk, you need this record!

Cissie Scurlock: I've already stated that Hardcore Hell is one of the most intense pieces of music that I've heard in a long time. Kriegshög ist best listened to alone and at full volume, so you can revel in the crazed, dense sounds. It continues to get better with every listen.

Martin Sorrondeguy: Drum roll, please.... This here is the best fucking record of the year!! I have abused my neighbors, lovers, and friends with the insanity that drips from this piece of plastic. I can't get enough of this record. It has brought chills to my spine, made me blow a speaker, and acted as the mental soundtrack to my imaginary drive-by-shootings at last year's Republican Convention. Fucking ridiculously good.

Golnar Nikpour: AUUUURGGGHH!!!!! This record is sick, sick, sick. I had to wait for an attainable version, since the Japanese press sold out faster than Martin can find a date in a laundromat, but it was worth the wait. Vicious, unheard of sounds make this record seem like it's from another fucking planet. Best hardcore EP in years!?! Andrew Underwood: Kriegshög is on fire. They can do no wrong.

Justin Briggs: Hands down the best new band on Earth. Perfectly executed, noisy D-beat crust done the way only the Japanese can. I don't really know what else to say -- it's so hard to explain perfection. And while I picked this EP for my list, everything Kriegshög put out this year (split-EP with Dog Soldier and a split 7" with Deathtribe [see next year's list]) was phenomenal, I listened to Hardcore Hell the most. I am stoked for way more material from this killer band.

Paco Mus: "Play loud and die" it reads the back sleeve of this hardcore monster. And that's just what I did, many, many times as a matter of fact. I am still alive though. Hailing from Japan, Kriegshög continues the tradition of Frigora or Framtid. Japanese noisy hardcore highly influenced by the early Swedish bands, that is. Kriegshög's recording makes them sound more like Zouo than most Swedish bands, mainly because the agonizing vocal delivery. The whole record sounds tense with the aggression and intensity levels in the red as soon as the war samples that open the A-side are over and remain that way for the entire duration of the EP. They also released a split 7" with Deathtribe that is just as good.

Vinnie La Russa: Tell me there's a band that sounds like Kuro and Anti-Cimex and I'll sell you my left (last) kidney. Read about them on a message board, ordered fifteen copies of this single for my burgeoning distro, received three and the rest of my money -- all sold out. Gave one to MRR for the library, one to Blind Justin, kept one for myself and the rest is Popsike history. Not sure on the accuracy of the original description but I don't fucking care; this record is pure insanity. The B-side starts with bombs, guns, and crying. Switch to the instruments and it's feedback and noise with everything in the red. "Play Loud and Die!" Thank you, my sentiments exactly.

Note from the manager: I just got the 2nd press of this classic disc in. This time, instead of the black inner cover there is a printed inner cover with a live photo. If you want to order, you can choose which one you want as I still have a bunch of the first press laying around. Besides the inner cover, both versions are exactly the same.

News January 2009: I wish you a great new year 2009! There are many challenges coming our way for sure. Good luck! The label will surely keep me busy with one great new release which is still secret. The KRIEGSHÖG 7" re-release keeps on selling really fast. I am very happy to see how well this great band is received around the world. There is also new stuff in the mailorder section, incl. the second ZYANOSE 7" on CRUST WAR and the AXIS OF WOLVES compilation LP with BURIAL, NIGHTMARE and CRUDE. The two BURIAL songs on this one are outstanding. Unbelievable but true: The German post has lowered some of their prices. Most notably is that I can now send some 7" EPs (4 or 5, depending on weight) for 3 Euros inside of Europe and 6 Euros world wide as an airmail letter. So stop your cryin' and start yer buyin'!

News December08: Kids, check out this awesome review from MRR #308, Januar 2009. Note: I totally agree with the description of the sound of the HÖG. Unfortunately they got the email-address wrong. The correct one is stuckinthe80s /spammersdie/ at heartfirst.net.