''Direction of Things to Come'' was the debut full-length album from New Jersey

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

band

Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...

. It was released on Indecision Records in November, 1997, and it followed two 7-inch vinyl EPs. As well as being released on CD, Indecision Records continued their tradition of making limited edition vinyl production runs and this release appeared on 3403 black, 515 grey and 400 purple discs, the latter released to coincide with a European tour, with a different cover.discography: indecision records
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Overview

On this album, the band exhibited all the characteristics of the

New York hardcore New York hardcore (also known as NYHC) is both the hardcore punk music created in New York City and the subculture and lifestyle associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by ban ...

community of bands with which they were often associated, although they came from

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

and were signed to a Californian record label. Songs are invariably fast-paced with an intermittent slow refrain (called breakdowns). They are also of short duration with only one track lasting more than three minutes. It is basic, straightforward

in contrast to the metalcore leanings they exhibited on later releases. Hardcore is generally defined in terms of its vocal style, short songs and lack of guitar solos and, although at times melodic, Ensign had all these traits on this release.

Track listing

* All songs written by

#"Page 32" – 2:25 #"Foundation" – 1:52 #"Day By Day" – 1:50 #"Direction Of Things To Come" – 2:00 #"Blueprint" – 1:59 #"Furthest From The Middle" – 2:24 #"Where Did We Go Wrong" – 1:41 #"Revolutions End" – 1:19 #"Tomorrow's Shadow" – 2:12 #"Tourniquet" – 1:46 #"First, Last, Only" – 2:51 #"Hold" – 2:19 #"Image" – 3:05 * Tracks 7 and 10 were reprises of songs which were recorded after the '' Fall from Grace EP'' session * Track 12 is a reprise of the song which was recorded in the same session as the ''Fall from Grace EP'' * These three tracks can be found in their original form on the retrospective release, '' Three Years Two Months Eleven Days''

Credits

* Tim Shaw – vocals * John Fraunberger – guitar * Nate "Edge" Gluck – bass * Ryan Murphy – drums * Recorded June 1997 at Trax East, South River,

, USA * Produced by Steve Evetts and

* Assistant Producers: Pete Tabbot and Steve Cunningham * Engineered by Steve Evetts and Eric Rachel * Mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side Music

References

External links

Indecision Records
{{Authority control 1997 debut albums Ensign (band) albums Indecision Records albums Albums produced by Steve Evetts