Various

With this release from Basement, it's starting to become obvious that the label is trying to get the word out on as many bands as possible - at once. This four-way split features two bands from the Los Angeles area (Bullet Treatment and Walk Proud), and two bands from the D.C. scene (Latchkey and The Homeowners). All four fall roughly into the old-school hardcore punk vein.

Latchkey play a '77-style punk with hardcore overtones, a relatively anthemic effort that's slightly hurt by the distortion and echo the lead vocals constantly run under, but a style good in its own right. Throaty and hoarse, Walk Proud tread mud with their raw and rugged, underproduced quarter of blandness. The Homeowners pick it back up with a dirty, dirty street punk / hardcore hybrid, and dueling vocals, best expressed in the shouting, rambled "Camo Van." The 17th version or something of a band known as Bullet Treatment play simple chords and loops that move around at differing speeds, and resemble 7 Seconds or early Good Riddance.

The problem with the disc is its length - at 24 tracks and 55 minutes, it's not quite a train wreck, but the songs run into each other a little too hard. With all the bands essentially playing very similar music, I found myself drifting towards the latter teens as if it was an hour-long full-length. If you favor a particular band on this, then by all means pick the five-dollar comp up.