It was in April 1990 that Revelation Records, the independent record label known at the time for accommodating the brightest contributors to the New York City hardcore scene, released a landmark four- song EP. The recording, which was the collaboration of four individuals known collectively as Quicksand, didn't subscribe to the traditional, often chaotic hardcore sounds associated with Revelation artists, nor did it completely abandon them. Instead, Quicksand opted for an unexplored terrain best summarized in the band's own expression of "feeling so excrementable." This lyric from the track "Unfulfilled" denotes the same hardcore anguish, but in a more reserved and sophisticated manner.

The Quicksand EP quickly became a popular subject among underground circles. This initial interest was sparked by the fact that one of the band's members, Walter Schreifels, had been part of the now- defunct hardcore band Gorilla Biscuits whose legendary LP, Start Today, had just been released the previous year. The consumers driven by this incentive consequently discovered a new world of music, one that was at the same time both hard and sensitive, rough and polished, raw and musical. Anticipation was high for a full- length offering, and the band responded with Slip.

The Slip journey begins with "Fazer," a driving stomp- fest in which lead vocalist Schreifels criticizes some unknown for "taking on shapes not too selective, just what you find." "Head to Wall" maintains a similar intensity as it uncovers the plight of American society: "We all want everything but we all can't fit in the door." The squealing guitar line of "Dine Alone" complements the song's bizarre request to "pass the salt and pour it in my wounds." The title cut loses itself within the odd rhythmic meters, but "Freezing Process" puts the band right back on track with its slow and soothing tempo.

Aggression reaches its musical peak in "Lie and Wait," a scorching outcry against unjust wages for working women. "Can Opener" is a quaint commentary on vanity which finds itself settled comfortably between new interpretations of two Quicksand EP classics, "Unfulfilled" and "Omission." "Baphomet" is an eerie instrumental which highlights the band's penchant for atmospherics. "Too Official" grabs the listener from its opening guitar riff, which is one of the finest on the entire recording, then "Transparent" puts the finishing touches on a masterful album with the intriguing metaphor of "treating your days like a countdown/ Seconds pass by waiting just to blow up."

The only substantial shortcoming of this entire collection is the remake of "Unfulfilled," which seems to slightly pale in comparison to the original. However, this weakness is quickly discarded when one considers the inherent brilliance of the song itself, as well as the fact that most listeners have never heard the original version. The remake of "Omission" shatters any claim that this shortcoming is the result of "selling out" to the major labels; the new rendition actually increases the intensity and fury of the original. It is this aspect of Slip that makes it such a remarkable album: Quicksand has made a drastic transition from a small independent label to one of the largest in the world without compromising their sound in the least.

With the release of Slip, Quicksand proves they have a unique voice to offer to the world of music, regardless of category. The band approaches their music with a Victoria's Secret subtlety that speaks volumes. Sure, pornography is more explicit, but Victoria's Secret speaks to the imagination, and the response is more stimulating by far.

-Kevin Ruggeri