Spazz 'Sweatin' to the Oldies'

Originally released by Slap A Ham Records in 1997, Sweatin’ to the Oldies is the definitive document of Spazz’s early years, collecting 64 tracks recorded between 1993 and 1996.

The set pulls together material from the band’s splits with Charles Bronson, Brutal Truth, Rupture, Floor, Toast, and others, alongside their debut 7", compilation tracks, cover songs, and live recordings from KFJC and 924 Gilman Street. It’s essentially a full excavation of the era when Spazz were helping define the sound, humor, and sheer velocity of Bay Area powerviolence.

Featuring Chris Dodge, Dan Lactose, and Max Ward, Spazz pushed hardcore into shorter, faster, stranger territory, combining blast-speed aggression with abrupt tempo changes, samples, inside jokes, and a personality that made them immediately recognizable in a scene full of extreme bands. Dodge’s connection to Slap A Ham Records also places the band directly at the center of the label and community that helped establish powerviolence as its own distinct corner of hardcore.

Everything here was remastered, or in some cases mastered for the first time, by Dan Randall at Mammoth Sound. The current Tankcrimes vinyl edition spreads the collection across a double LP, giving one of the most essential powerviolence archives a proper physical edition.