‘I know that I lost the last time, but if I keep pushing I’ll end up fine, how can I feel free, when I’m my own worst enemy’ (Worst Enemy)

Hailing from Massachusetts, Restraining Order have been active since 2017, honing their own contemporary refashioning of their 1980s’ US hardcore inspirations, and releasing two full-lengths, 2019’s This World Is Too Much and 2023’s Locked In Time.  As the title implies, this 20-track compilation pulls together a raft of material from the band’s formative years, spanning demos, split EPs, and compilation-only tracks.  There are also three cover versions, taking in the early 1980s hardcore punk of The Fix, but also the less expected pop influences of Boyce & Hart and The Go Go’s.  The First Four Years captures the raw intensity of a band both energetically finding their feet and beginning to flex their sound with increasing confidence.