It's been said that the first shall be last and the last shall be first. Due to their flexibly momentous moniker, Atlanta's First Day Out are last up on my No Echo docket.
Sliding in just under the wire is the timely premiere of "Ten Toes Down." The dirty South punks dropped a crucial demo in April that, while not going entirely unnoticed, had the distinct misfortune of debuting during the world's most preoccupied time on record.
Here to help us usher out the bullshit year that was 2020, the band has penned a sub minute rager in the form of the aforementioned track. Fuck going out like a lamb. First Day Out are burying the first of the roaring 20s beneath a rhino-like stampede of rampaging brevity.
Having sharpened their collective teeth in other acts Strangle You, Satisfied, and the recently covered on No Echo crossover troupe Living in Fear, the Georgian hardcore crew here hits the ground running.
At barely North of half a minute, there's nary a wasted moment. Its a ripping hardcore smash and grab that pulls no punches. Jabbing with bits of '80s US hardcore, Youth Crew, and a knockout punch informed by NYHC; this bunch is bruising. I hear everything from Restraining Order, Rotting Out, and SSD, to Mindforce and Slapshot.
For something so grounded in primitive bashing, it sounds absolutely massive if not cleaned up. Wisely, they went the route of intelligible lyrics and, when paired with bile-spewing vocals, it's a dizzying and thrilling combination.
First Day Out are nothing if not commited, the poetic barb of the lyrics is dead set on tearing down generational apathy within the context of the scene. Also "young til' I die," they perfectly captured the challenge of maintaining an ever-burning flame in the face of aging.
Whenever shows return is anyone's guess, but First Day Out would be a fitting band to lead the charge to normalcy. Much like the fierce commitment that inhabits the heart of "Ten Toes Down," nothing can kill hardcore. I can't think of a better first day out.
First Day Out on social media: Bandcamp
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Tagged: first day out
