Album Review // Never Say Never // Down This Road
4.5 / 5 stars
There are some records that stay with you. If you were a local punk or hardcore kid in the late '90s or early 2000s, you no doubt remember Never Say Never. Hailing from North East, the quartet was one of the top acts around, even playing the Buffalo leg of the Vans Warped Tour. They were also one of the relatively few bands to record and release a full-fledged album. This was just before the days of ubiquitous home recording and burned CDs, and long before online streaming. Recorded at Watchmen Studios in Lockport, New York (the main option for Erie bands at the time), the band released the album in 2001 with the help of Barcode Records. The band was composed of Dana Castaldo on guitar and vocals, J. Morey on guitar, Phil Iavarone on bass, and the late John Miller on drums. Now, 25 years later, Never Say Never's Down This Road has been pressed on vinyl. This special re-release is the work of PMA Syndicate. Formed by Dan Riefstahl and P.J. Wroczynski, this new local initiative is built on a positive mental attitude and a conviction to bring projects to life. This release in particular was born from a genuine love and appreciation for an album that helped shape their formative years and musical tastes, while also serving as a tribute to Miller. With a limited pressing, each record features a random color from recycled vinyl. In addition to the nine cuts that originally appeared on the CD, it includes two tracks from the band's demo recordings, "Your Own Way" and "What You Believe." Hardcore punk fit for the skatepark alongside bands like Millencolin, No Motiv, and Boysetsfire, Never Say Never is a band that absolutely deserves both revisiting and discovery by new fans (to order and for more information, visit PMASyndicate.com).
