Start Today – Nothing To You

Rebirth Records

As Long Island legend Billy Joel once sang, “I go to extremes.” The album tracklistings that get me the most excited are either 4 songs in 90 minutes or 24 in 9, give or take. So when I heard that Los Angeles hardcore band Start Today was releasing a 10-minute LP, I was in from the jump. Nothing To You is hyper-direct, to-the-point hardcore music that recalls the Youth Crew era of the 1980s, suitable for anyone’s introduction to the genre. Not powerviolence, not grindcore, nor anything fast for fast’s sake, just a record with megawatt electric energy packed in nine songs, none of which are longer than 90 seconds.

Start Today takes their name from the iconic 1989 Gorilla Biscuits album, but they don’t share a ton of sonic or straightedge similarities. Although, Bob Wilson, impresario of Start Today’s label Rebirth Records and the diabolical genius behind the annual FYA Fest in Florida, confirms the band is “99.9%” straightedge. Instead, the lyrics on Nothing To You center around scene criticism and frustrations with fake contributors, a tone set immediately with the opening tracks “No Space” and “All Along.” The latter’s final line, “The kids with pride, the ones who care, have been here all along,” is a crucial message for those who have dedicated their lives to the core.

With every song ripping into the next, the entire tracklisting feels like a highlight reel, although my personal favorite moment is the title track “Nothing To You,” which feels like a hardcore dissertation by true students of the art. From the fist-pumping, fast-paced first half to the mosh breakdown in the second, it’s a cornerstone genre anthem for the current generation, and certainly worthy of holding the album’s title.

Following their 357 demo in 2024, and their self-titled 7” in 2025, Start Today continues their yearly streak of sharply crafted, no-nonsense hardcore that certifies them as a band to watch for the rest of the decade. Nothing To You is raucous, rife for replay, and an early contender for one of 2026’s best aggressive albums.