� � The Baltimore-area punk band Grey March was a bit before my time, already broken up by 1987 or so, but I was still really surprised to have just now discovered this band. Never heard their music before Early Works 1984-1987 found its way into my stereo, a fact even more shocking in that these guys play a gloomy strain of hardcore punk that really stands out from the rest of the MD/DC scene, with an ominous sound that owed a lot to the darker side of British post-punk, in particular the gloomy sounds of Joy Division and pre-JD outfit Warsaw. The Early Works 1984-1987 collection compiles the band's self-titled 1986 12", a track that appeared on the Seedy Sampler compilation on Merkin Records, and previously unreleased demo recordings, all of which surfaced back in the mid to late 80's. The 12" tracks are probably my favorite, opening with the morose stomp of "Vertical", droning synthesizers backing the buzzsaw roar of the guitars while the singer's disaffected moan drifts overhead, bearing a striking resemblance to Joy Division's Ian Curtis. The song "An Interesting Observation" follows suit with more of that haunting goth-tinged punk, but then some of the other songs on the 12" have more of an angular, off-kilter dirgey feel like "Way of the Cross". Grey March's hooks tended to be understated, going for more of a brooding, ominous sound than simply busting out hardcore anthems, but there's still some pretty catchy stuff in here. There's a cold production style that fits the music well, layering the band's killer flange-heavy leads and throbbing bass across the wall-of-sound roar of the guitars, with acoustic guitars and keyboards added for atmospheric texture, the occasional burst of howling, acid-drenched wah-guitar soaring into the overcast sky. The songs occasionally burst into speedy aggression, but for the most part stick to a driving, mid-tempo pace that keeps with Grey March's themes of isolation, loneliness and desperation. Man, I loved these early Grey March recordings, they almost seem to exist in that strange zone between American hardcore and death rock/goth rock that has produced some of my favorite bands. Very recommended if you're into bands like Mighty Sphincter, Burning Image, Samhain and more contemporary grave-prowlers like Lost Tribe and Blue Cross. The disc comes in a in a full-color wallet sleeve with a four-panel printed insert.