When it came to 80's throwback hardcore, Toronto was quick to export. I think that Terminal State's Your Rules 12" stands as the pinnacle of nostalgic Toronto hardcore bands. I don't this this record gets half of the credit it deserves, which is a damn shame. Everything about this record from the front cover (a classic black and white shot of the suburbs), to the artwork on the insert (two fold-out chairs facing a television in an empty white room), to the catchy riffage screams early 80's California. The record's lyricism is even better. With songs like "Fuck You Sid", reminiscent of the Teen Idles' "Fleeting Fury" and lines like "I don't care what you say or what you think of me, I don't care about your rules or your society", it's difficult to believe that this record was not made in 1981, let alone that it was made in 2005. As for the songs themselves, they are short enough to keep you interested (longest song is a minute and fifteen seconds), and as previously mentioned, super catchy. I know this gets thrown around a lot, but these riffs genuinely sound like refined pre-Damaged era Black Flag. Great stuff. Half of this band now plays in my favorite current TOHC band, School Jerks.
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