E-Mail This Article to a Friend Rucker's world Best of Boston BY CHRIS RUCKER

When I was interviewing my current intern earlier this year, I asked him why he chose Boston over the rest of the US. He had been accepted at various top-tier schools on the East Coast, including a university close to his home in Philly. His answer should tell you something about Boston’s national (and international) reputation: "I came here for the Boston metal and hardcore scene." And you can be sure he isn’t alone. This was the year for metal and hardcore in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Killswitch Engage, Unearth, Isis, Cannae, Diecast, Converge, and Shadows Fall all dropped crucial records, and all of them were well received. It’s hard to overstate the influence that this region has had on the rest of the American metal scene. We have a Grammy-nominated artist, and no one is talking about it on your local message boards!

Please do not look past the very respectable Boston hardcore scene. Bands like Mental, Righteous Jams, Blood for Blood, Bones Brigade, R’N’R, Colin of Arabia, Sex Positions, and (from Maine) Outbreak all put out some sick music. We saw the demise of Give Up the Ghost/American Nightmare and the Hope Conspiracy (more or less) and the birth of the South Shore as a Boston hardcore satellite. Brockton and Rockland are the home to Roman’s (the bar whose "Sucka Free Fridays" played host to the likes of Death Before Dishonor, Stand Accused, Death Threat, 100 Demons, the Hope Conspiracy, and Cannae) and to the hardcore/skateboard shop Mission Rockland. Local friend-of-hardcore Jimmy Flynn introduced us to the Cambridge Elks Lodge, which quickly turned into a home away from home for many kids in the Boston ’hood. Finally an all-ages venue that lasted for more than a year! It is good to see that such a dedicated following will not allow a great scene to die.

The best of the rest? 7L & Esoteric have emerged as the leading Boston hip-hop group; their sharp Dangerous Connection 2: Bars of Death (Babygrande) might be my pick of the year, since it saw both 7L and Eso rise from the ashes and jump to a new record label that has the master tapes of Jedi Mind Tricks and Brand Nubian, among others. The Explosion did not lose this fan when they signed to a major label. The very hooky and impressive Black Tape (Virgin) might have scared away some diehards, but if you could strip away the glossy production and slap an indie-label sticker on it, you and your super indie-jerk-off buddy might’ve been a fan of this record. Freezepop put out a clever electronic-pop disk that made our office dance and scream. Fancy Ultra Fresh (Archenemy) surprised the hell out of me and those who listened to my radio program. The calls were endless, and "Super-Sprøde," from their Hi-Five My Remix, showed me the way to the dance floor on my off nights. The return of Mission of Burma was sweet. OnOFFOn (Matador) made it seem they’d never left — not that I was around when they did leave. Kimchee Records came out with its usual slew of stellar releases including music from the Skating Club, Willard Grant Conspiracy, and Tigersaw. Please respect this small label from the farms of Ipswich.

What about the bands with no record labels? The demos came rolling in all year long, but the one that stands out to me is the release from Stand Accused featuring former Reach the Sky frontman Ian Larabee. I thought Larabee would never be able to mirror the excellent career he had with RTS, but he’s done himself solid: Stand Accused are political whiplash. When one of my producers walked in with the demo from a band called Shanghai Valentine, the name had me expecting a glam-metal band. Dead wrong: SV are Boston’s answer to Dag Nasty and the Bronx, a straight-ahead four-piece who can tear your club to shreds by the third song.

Some favorite records of 2004: Converge, You Fail Me (Epitaph); Shanghai Valentine (no label); Outbreak, You Make Us Sick (Bridge 9); Righteous Jams, Rage of Disciple (Broken Sounds); the Explosion, Black Tape (Virgin); Mission of Burma, OnOFFon (Matador); Read Yellow, Radios Burn Faster (Fenway Recordings); 7L & Esoteric, Dangerous Connection 2: Bars of Death (Babygrande); 4x4 Lunch Records Compilation (Lunch); Shadows Fall, The War Within (Century Media); Unearth, The Oncoming Storm (Metal Blade); Freezepop, Fancy Ultra Fresh (Archenemy); Willard Grant Conspiracy, Regard the End (Kimchee); Sex Positions (Deathwish Inc); Stand Accused, demo (no label).

Chris Rucker is the host of New England Product, Sundays from 9 to 10 p.m. on WFNX 101.7 FM.