Bringin’ It Down

Judge was a band formed by vocalist Mike “Judge” Ferraro and Youth of Today guitarist John “Porcell” Porcelly; in their earliest days, Ferraro played drums, too. Eventually, they became a full-on four-piece and released this, one of the heaviest albums in NYHC history. Porcelly’s chugging, metallic riffs, bolstered by Matt Pincus’s almost postpunk bass and Sammy Siegler’s drums (mixed to sound as John Bonham-esque as possible), provided a backdrop over which Ferraro roared imprecations against those who would dare to drink, do drugs, or disrespect him and his crew. The Cro-Mags were the first band to really push hardcore in the direction of metal, but Judge truly embraced the heavy; they even covered Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks” on their farewell EP.