What else can we say? Reissuing The Abused "Loud And Clear" EP was one of the main reasons we at Radio Raheem started this label back in 2012. You can take your pick of urban legends as to The Abused's influences: some say the band stole a car with a Minor Threat cassette stuck in the tape deck, and others say they played their Black Sabbath records on 78rpm and tried to emulate what they heard. Either way, "Loud And Clear" is, in our not-so-humble opinion, the total package of early New York Hardcore — some of the best and hardest music combined with some of first-gen hardcore's greatest artwork courtesy of vocalist Kevin Crowley.

Since we're not content to do straight reissues, we expanded the EP out into an LP, adding the band's equally great 12-song demo tape, and a killer live cut of "Police Reign," a song that never made it to the studio. With this new 2026 pressing, have the privilege of adding one more non-studio cut — "Friend Or Foe" — taken from the same excellent quality live set as "Police Reign." If you didn't have the pleasure of hearing "Friend Or Foe" live back in the day or at one of the band's 2000s era reunions, think "Hole In The Sky" by Black Sabbath filtered through NYHC's class of '83. Truly one of the greatest lost NYHC tracks.

We've also updated the original 2013 LP packaging into a standard 2-pocket gatefold sleeve along with a revised 28-page, full-color booklet featuring all of Kevin Crowley's legendary flyers and artwork, meticulously restored from the original pen-and-ink drawings, plus many newly unearthed photos, lost lyrics and flyers not included in the original pressing.

What are you waiting for? Blow your brains out (with this LP)!

TRACK LISTING:
01. Loud And Clear
02. War Games
03. Just Another Fool
04. No End In Sight
05. Nuclear Threat
06. Watch Out
07. Blow Your Brains Out
08. Drug Free Youth
09. Friend Or Foe (Live at CBGB 1983)
10. Watch Out (demo)
11. Nuclear Threat (demo)
12. Just Another Fool (demo)
13. War Games (demo)
14. I Don't Know You (demo)
15. Rule On You (demo)
16. Senseless (demo)
17. Drug Free Youth (demo)
18. Aaargh (demo)
19. Kill And Destroy (demo)
20. We Need A War (demo)
21. Blow Your Brains Out (demo)
22. Police Reign (Live at CBGB 1983)