Propagandhi became so fucking godly I'm glad I never stopped following them. Failed States is pure fucking hardcore punk with touch of thrash and the lyrics are amazing, the last song Duplicate Keys Icaro is def about a DMT trip and questioning reality too.
Also, I've bought the reissues of Lagwagon's first 2 albums and those guys were so fucking awesome, perfect melodic hardcore punk (real melodic hardcore punk, not whatever came out past 97), it brings me back to my teenage years and that reminds me of how better things were for me then. Duh and Trashed are the most essential albums and their demos on Duh are the shit.
Another little known band called F.Y.P from Torrence, Calif (1988-2000) was also and still remains one of the best obnoxious skatecore/pop-punk (really depends on the songs/albums with those guys), they've done a few reunion shows but in places like San Antonio...still they were the first band I saw live at a Hell's Angel's bar basement called The Purgatory where I shouldn't have been ( I was 17) at their peak when Dance my Dunce came out in the 90's, people who know F.Y.P. and that album will agree with this with me.
Both last bands I mentioned started to be not so consistent when their original drummers left. Derrick for Lagwagon was a master at drums but heroin took him away,from life also eventually...
Bad Religion also wins at being the most consistent band from the original days with lyrics as smart as Propagandhi except more academical, if one knows Greg Graffin and what he does other than being the singer for BR, you'll know why.
Also Jello and his new band Guantanamo School of Medecine is fucking A. It is just like fucking Dead Kennedys never broke up, the musicians he put together really wanted to bring back their unique sound back. The Audacity of Hype is one of the best albums of the '00's easily. Electronic Plantation...it's what we all are now...
Fuck ska-punk in the dick. Except for a few songs by NOFX (which they now disregard as crap generally), and the hilarious Ska Sucks on Propagandhi's first album. People who were so into ska-punk in the 90's are those who suddenly switched to emo when it became trendy, anything but having any message but integrity, we just wanna party!
Skanks.
The Descendent's only good album "Milo Goes To College" has some (juvenile, but their heart was in the right place) angst btw. And their only good stuff since then took forever to come out as the 'Merican EP in 2004 or something. Too bad Milo is so obsessed with singing about girls all the time.
I'm Not A Loser is their best song.
I could name drop tons and tons of good shit, but I might as well give my soulseek ID and have some of you come talk to me
To counter the best punk album from the 80's....it's impossible...I only see ties with :