There simply is no justice in hardcore. One of the sturdiest and longest-running upstate N.Y. hardcore institutions, Stigmata, have been to hell and back since their initial formation as Displaced Aggression in 1986. Besides having the bulk of their releases either allowed to go out of print by negligent labels or sabotaged by the same very labels that offered their help, the Troy five-piece also changed multiple members over the years. However its core of Mike Maney on guitar and Bob Riley leading the charge upfront has prevailed through the decades, and thanks to the continued efforts of Brussels label I Scream Records, Stigmata lives to ride again in 2009 with “The Wounds That Never Heal.” While this release celebrates the band’s two most infamous recordings, the 1994 (formally released in 1997) “Hymns For An Unknown God” and their 2000 Victory Records debut “Do Unto Others,” the latter which was released in Europe on LP and CD at the time on I Scream Records, the band has continued performing shows sporadically since their last studio recording was unleashed on tough guys around the world. 2005, 2008, and most recently in 2009 has seen Stigmata deliver memorable, pit-stomping performances that show the band can still throw down with the youngest of heavy hardcore bands. While Stigmata was born far outside the heart of New York, over the years their fledgling local scene saw them quickly rise the ranks of controversy and popularity as they made a reputable name for themselves providing direct support to bands such as The Misfits, Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Hatebreed, Madball, Murphy’s Law, Leeway, Warzone, Uniform Choice, Corrosion of Conformity, D.R.I., Only Living Witness, Sheer Terror, All Out War, Candiria, Crown Of Thornz, and countless others. Through travelling to CBGBs and spending time in the city though frontman Bob Riley became part of the fabric of the NYC-based D.M.S. crew, and was featured in the cult Brooklyn magazine Mass Appeal’s 2003 feature on Lord Ezec and the D.M.S. family. And with Bob Riley’s sister having married the Cro-Mags’ Harley Flanagan years ago, it could be said that Stigmata literally married into the family of NY hardcore history. Musically, Stigmata were heavily influenced by east coast hardcore but their love for and roots in thrash metal and crossover resulted in their brand of hardcore being more aggressive and violent than the common band at the time. As old fans will recall and new ones will discover thanks to “The Wounds That Never Heal,” Stigmata sounded like the bastard child of Biohazard, Cro-Mags, All Out War, and Merauder, a potent and unmistakable hybrid of brutal street-level hardcore and catchy metallic moments. As a result of their 80’s roots, in addition to their dedication to achieving the purest strain of heavy hardcore one could possibly create during the decade in which they reigned supreme, the 90’s, Stigmata always came across as a familiar throwback band who refused to modernize their sound to cash in. As a result, while their devoted international fanbase never transformed into much commercial success, Stigmata’s recordings and reputation have remained intact over the years and unblemished by the latest trends nor revisionist hardcore historians.