M.N.P. — Mindecision Demo '85

Surprisingly good 80s hardcore from right nearby in ol' Virginy. Apparently Roanoke actually had a thriving little scene back in the day, and these dudes (M.N.P. – what that stands for I don't know) were one of the better bands. Vaguely reminiscent of the Landlords, but that has more to do with the style of punk at the time and recording style than anything else. But it's fast tunes, snotty vocals, political lyrics, and played by highschool kids. All pretty impressive. More of a full-length than a demo really, and the song structure on some of these is really tight. You need this if you care about southern hardcore at all.

M.N.P. — Mindecision Demo (1985)

Track Listing:

1. Aftermath
2. Assassination
3. Bloody Slaughter
4. Danse Macabre
5. Ending Faster
6. First Impressions
7. Hand In Action
8. Mindecision
9. No Return
10. Silent Screams
11. Sorrow
12. What's War For

From The Roanoke Times: "Мир was a South Roanoke-based foursome of politically conscious high school kids possessed of a rare degree of musicianship for a Roanoke punk band in those days. They were perhaps Roanoke's first touring punkers, playing shows in Richmond and Raleigh. They disbanded in 1985 when three members left for college, and one for prep school."

The band doesn't really have a website, but someone from The Roanoke Times made this interesting site about the punk scene there in the 1980s. Pretty cool stuff. Check it out here: http://www.roanoke.com/extra/punk/mnp.html