Roots of Refused

Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and vocalist/bassist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the "big four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Slayer's current lineup comprises King, Araya, drummer Paul Bostaph, and guitarist Gary Holt, who initially joined as a touring musician in 2011 before joining the band permanently after Hanneman's death in 2013; the drummer Jon Dette is a former member of the band.

Blood, Sweat, and No Tears is the debut studio album by the American hardcore punk band Sick of It All, released on July 12, 1989, through the Relativity Records imprint label In-Effect Records. The band recorded and mixed the album in three days with engineer Tom Soares at Normandy Sound in Warren, Rhode Island. Blood, Sweat, and No Tears is a hardcore punk album marked by heavy guitarwork and lyrics addressing personal and political topics. KRS-One makes a guest appearance on the album; future Sick of It All bassist Craig Setari also assisted during recording and contributed to the lyrics of "Bullshit Justice" and "The Blood and the Sweat".

Manliftingbanner is a Dutch, communist hardcore punk band. They are best known for their merging of the straight edge lifestyle and radical politics, particularly communism, anti-racism, gay rights, and the DIY ethic. The band has been referred to as the first communist-straight edge band. It was originally named Profound. Due to the pretentious nature of their name, it was changed to Manliftingbanner after a Communist propaganda poster.

The Nation of Ulysses was an American punk rock band from Washington, D.C., formed in spring 1988 with four members. Originally known as simply Ulysses, the first mark of the group consisted of Ian Svenonius on vocals and trumpet, Steve Kroner on guitar, Steve Gamboa on bass guitar, and James Canty on drums. Tim Green joined the band late in 1989 as a guitarist and the band became "Nation of Ulysses." Nation of Ulysses disbanded in the autumn of 1992, having failed to complete their third album. After the breakup, Svenonius, Canty, and Gamboa went on to form the short-lived Cupid Car Club and The Make-Up. Tim Green went on to join The Young Ginns, The Fucking Champs, and later Concentrick, a solo project with a focus on ambient music.