02/2011 | HARDBOILED | hardcore webzine

Hobson's Choice - Indivisible

New Hobson's Choice (Bosna Herzegovina) output brings hard and heavy hitting hardcore with dual vocals and tough as nails riffs. The music is not your average beatdown, NYHC or deathcore shit. They take a lot from classic thrash or even some old school death metal sound and blend it with 90' hardcore influences (there's also cover of Reflections by Trial here!). Invisible is pretty much solid offering after all. It's not gonna be a classic, but doesn't disappoint as well. If you're in a mood for some metallic hardcore that's not that ground breaking, but at the same different than a lot of stuff you here nowadays, Indivisible might be a good choice. Download it!

Anti You -Two Bit Schemes Cold War Dreams

Looking at the cover I expected some straight up dirty and raw crust or anarcho punk but in the end I got some upbeat and fast old styled hardcore/punk. I can’t say I wasn’t pleasantly surprised. The album starts off with a bang – Lobotomizer Man is a fast and damn catchy piece of hardcore with powerful, yet melodic guitars and tight beat. The rest of the songs don’t let down in intensity either, resulting in an aggressive hybrid of the best elements of hardcore, punk and rock’n’roll. This CD combines the new album, as well as Johnny Baghdad Ep and Pig City Life Ep. There’s not many musical or sound quality differences between the releases which means it’s all fun from start to finish. The true highlight of the album is the ability of the band to perfectly blend the positive punk aggression with melody. There's a whole load of catchy hooks, decent leads, crazy sing alongs and some absolutely brilliant vocals. Man, I tell you, some of these gang choruses can stick in your head for days! The tunes are ridiculously simple and catchy but far from being cliché. From the break-neck tempos to more melodic passages, this albums is pure win from start to finish. I can’t believe they’re not from Cali!

Review: Dloogi
Label: Six Weeks Records
Year: 2011
Band's website

Burning Streets - You're Alive Today

Hammerfist interview

Hammerfist is your band if you're into some real hard-hitting stuff. The band can merge fast old school beats with crushing breakdowns that are sure to make every hardcore kid happy. They seem to have gain a strong following in their local scene and now it's time for the kids outside of Cali to recognize their shit. And if you still have not checked out their latest offering, Dead Dreams, do yourself a favor and correct that mistake as soon as possible.

Hammerfist is your band if you're into some real hard-hitting stuff. The band can merge fast old school beats with crushing breakdowns that are sure to make every hardcore kid happy. They seem to have gain a strong following in their local scene and now it's time for the kids outside of Cali to recognize their shit. And if you still have not checked out their latest offering, Dead Dreams, do yourself a favor and correct that mistake as soon as possible.

Your new album Dead Dreams is out now. What do you think makes it significant and what can kids expect from it?

Im not sure how significant it will be, but i feel it is definitely a record a lot of people will be able to identify with both sonically and lyrically. Listeners can expect the fast parts to be fast and the breaks to be hard. Our style might lack in creativity slightly, but i feel we compensate well with raw power.

What were your expectations about that release?

Certain bands have released records that have withstood the test of time. Classics if you will. I have always wanted HF to leave a permanent mark on the hardcore scene's history and that was my personal goal with this recording. To make the best record possible for where we are as band right now, and i feel we did just that.

Dead Dreams – what does this title mean to you and how would you describe lyrical content and theme of the album?

There is no theme to this record, however the concept of the title is one that could be tangible to a lot of people. Quite a few people have aspirations of making money and gaining fame and success from being in a band. Rock star. Being in HF has been and still is fun for me. But it reaches a certain point with any band where you look at your dudes and say, "Alright, lets really do this." And then the work begins. Long drives, playing in front of the staff only, having to steal to eat or having to fight the staff to get paid your guarantee. Cold hard truth. The dream is dead. There is only the work and feeling of being alive every time i step on the stage and play as hard as i can. I would not trade this for anything. That is what dead dreams means to me. Lyrically, I go through topics ranging from critical self examination to dealing with emotions like depression and rage and a few songs about questioning faith as well.

There seem to be a lot of NYHC influences in your sound. What are some of the bands you draw your inspiration from?

Above This World, Built Upon Frustration, Knuckledust, Clenched Fist, Stampin Ground, Merauder, Earth Crisis, Life In A Burn Clinic, Helmet and Life Of Agony make me want to hurt people for sure.

From your perspective – what is your opinion about European hardcore scene? Has European bands influenced you in any way?

The Euro scene consistently puts out awesome bands. It blows my mind. I have not toured there yet, but our bassist Tom did with his old band Skare Tactic, and he said the experience was unreal. Same as all my other friends who have toured there. No Turning Back, Embraced By Hatred, Knuckledust and Stampin Ground are definitely some of my favorite Euro bands.

What has been the craziest pit you have caused?

We have had quite a few awesome shows and we have had quite a few bad shows. A good one that stands out for me is 2005 in San Jose at this venue called The Cave. Awesome lineup. Hoods, On A Warpath, Worlds Apart, and us with a few others. Massive crowd with everyone losing their minds. The way it should be.

If you knew someone just getting into hardcore, what advice would you give them about the whole thing? What bands, records, labels, zines they should check out?

Don't. Just kidding. Hardcore is one of things where you get what you give. The kids that show up to hang out and meet chicks or just be seen or show up, mosh and leave are typically the ones that do not last. There is nothing wrong with doing any of those things at all, but Im just saying there is no giving in that relationship. Everyone who is still in the scene past a certain age contributes in some way, shape or form. They are in a band, work for a band, do something for a zine, work at a venue or work for a company that prints band merch just to name a few. Get involved and you will stay involved.

You guys seem to stay away from politics in your lyrics, at least you don’t touch this topic directly. What’s your opinion about bands advertising their political beliefs?

Every band should be able to say exactly what they want all the time. If people do not like what they are hearing, they should just turn it off.

Tattoos are substantial part of hardcore and I see some of you got some ink under your skin. what do some of your tattoos represent to you?

Im scared of snakes. So I got some tattooed on my arm. I love Dantes Inferno. So i got the Forest of Suicide tattooed on my other arm.

What are the future plans for the band?

We are going to continue as we always have. Everyone has jobs and both my brothers are full time students. So we tour when we can and stay busy locally when not touring. We will be on tour in the States this June. Check the dates on Facebook or Myspace. And we are also working on our first Euro tour for this August. Those dates will be up as well.

Thanx for the interview, anything else you would like to add?

Thank you for the interview as well. Go pick up a copy of Dead Dreams or check it out on Itunes. We are on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.

Let Jason Die

You might have never heard of Chihuahua, Mexico but next time you think or hear this name you would only have one thing in mind,,, “Let Jason Die.” Being a young band but running on a fast going paste and standing strong, this hard working and very promising quintet brings you melodies that will have you singing along as well as give a musical explosion after explosion with brake-downs that are quick to make you shake and get inside your brain cells. Hardboiled magazine is proud to introduce to you Chihuahua, Mexico’s own Let Jason Die.

You might have never heard of Chihuahua, Mexico but next time you think or hear this name you would only have one thing in mind,,, “Let Jason Die.” Being a young band but running on a fast going paste and standing strong, this hard working and very promising quintet brings you melodies that will have you singing along as well as give a musical explosion after explosion with brake-downs that are quick to make you shake and get inside your brain cells. Hardboiled magazine is proud to introduce to you Chihuahua, Mexico’s own Let Jason Die.

TM: Well first of all would you like to introduce your selves, and what you do in the band.
David: Hi I am David and I play guitar.
Alonso: I am Alonso I play bass and I sing background vocals.

TM: Where does the name come from and what does it mean?
David: It comes from a movie that’s called Jason and the Argonauts and… yeah we took it from there we though the name Jason was interesting.

TM: How long have you been a band ?
David: We started in… Was it June or July
Alonso: I don’t remember very well but I think its been about seven or eight months.
David: Well the first show we played with this band was in August.. August 21st actually so yeah its going to be seven months.

TM: It seems like every band goes through some line up changes before it finds one that works. Tell us about that process for you guys.
Alonso: Well I knew David since about four years ago and he invited me to play bass in his band but when I joined that band they were about to brake up and stuff like that, what was that band called David?
David: We were called January, but since we broke up after Alonso joined we started a band called Axis and since then Axis didn’t have much luck so then Alonso and I keep looking for new members until we met Beto (singer) then Beto introduced us to Dany (drummer) then Dany introduced us to Isra (guitar)
Alonso: well another thing is that its very hard that thing to find members for a band and we got tired of looking around for members for the band to the point where I was the singer for Axis then I jumped to bass so we wouldn’t have to find another bass player that way we just had to find another guitarist and the vocal that was pretty much screams and then it a drumer.

TM: Chihuahua is notorious for having some of the toughest crowd, how has been the response from the people in your hometown?
Alonso: Well I say at the beginning people would say “this dudes again” they are trying to make another band but we also have a few fans that they are very few yeah but they are always there to support us and they like what we play also a good bit of people has told us that we should be playing out of this city because its like that saying that “No one is a prophet in his own town you know how? (giggles as he scratches his beard)
David: Yeah its true that Chihuahua has a tough crowd but I think that’s because of the connection that it has with the U.S. and people here always want to see more at shows but its that little extra that we cant give at this time that puts us in the position of crabs in a bucket and that’s the weird thing that the very same people from here holds you back, it doesn’t let you shine it even happens between some bands, they throw bad vibes with each other and when someone is doing something good they cross you out to be stuck up or that you are ashamed of being Mexican because we sing in English and yeah just Alonso said you cant really be a prophet in your own town. That’s why its so hard to get known being from here a city that its not as strong as Monterrey, Guadalajara or Mexico City and its sad that most of the time is the same people from here that wont let you get to the next level.
Alonso: We also have to mention that there is a rock movement here , some people from other countries think that there is only “Chero” music and things like that but there are rock bands that are making their effort to make Chihuahua known.

TM: What inspires your lyrics?
David: A lot of our lyrics talk about keep on going and don’t give up, to leave behind what has already happened and move on no matter how hard it can be and it doesn’t matter the obstacles that come your way “Always, Always move forward and done give up, so yeah don’t give up.
Alonso: As far as me goes, every time we play and more people follow us and we get more into it (with the live show) the lyrics get stronger with things like fight, not referring to getting in a fight with someone or nothing like that (laughs) But more like lets move forward and that we are going to be triumphant with whatever issue it might be.

TM:What is your inspiration for making music?
David: Well I don’t know the rest of the guys but the majority of the inspiration that I have found is to do things different that what we already have in Mexico and a lot of people think that we are just a bunch of markets and gangsters dancing and the truth is that, that is not the case with Mexico, Mexico has a lot to offer but the chance has never been given to Mexican bands, even the fact that a lot of bands don’t come to Mexico because they think that there is no people that’s into this genre of music or they might think that is not safe here and the truth is that there is a big enough scene to choose from. We don’t want to follow a trend of a genre, we want to innovate whatever we can, don’t do the same that everyone is doing and change the direction that Rock is taking, people that has never heard this genre of music even less from a Mexican band. We want to make Mexico known for having good bands from this genre.

TM:What do you hope to get out of being a band?
Alonso: I have always wanted to travel and know new places and things like that and what better way to travel than rocking and yeah I would like to play in big stages and know other cities I want to know other places I want to see how people respond to our rock
David: I want to see it as I just simply play, I want to play and devote my self to this, I want this to be the decisive movement for me so I can do better things latter on I have a lot of faith in this project and its my biggest hope to do something good with it.

TM:LJD just recorded their first EP, tell us about your studio experience?
Alonso: It was very satisfactory but at the same time it was somewhat hard, we had never recorded, we would make a lot of mistakes and things like that but when we heard what we had done at the end, the end results we all got stoked, we found out what we stood up with each of our instruments, I felt very happy with the bass lines that I played being that I wasn’t really a bassist before.
David: At the beginning it was… the first few tracks I did fell like everyone expected me to play everything really good for that same reason I would feel a bit pressured its because of that, that sometimes I wouldn’t achieve what I wanted but after a while I got comfortable especially Jerry that gave us the confidence to feel like we were at home, he handled him self very professional but at the same time he made us feel like we were at home, we were at the studio kidding around, talking, laughing and I think that influenced a lot in a good way with the end result.

TM:What band(s) would you consider as some your influences?
Alonso: He is legend woooooooo (laughs) and I think Haste the day, Funeral for a friend, Alexis on fire, As I lay Dying and Static Lullaby lately.
David: I think that the band that influenced me the most was Thrice the album Artist in the ambulance, that was the album that I said I want to do something like that, I like the way Thrice works because they don’t stay static with a genre they change and they change in a good way. I think that is very difficult to do in a band, to change something and people like it, I do think that Thrice is my biggest influence. Alexis on fire and I think Soil work, Inflames. I think I like them because they add a European touch to their music and I think that’s a very interesting genre, It doesn’t sound generic it sounds different.

Are you guys only inspired by music or does life events also inspire you?
Alonso: We have come across some bad events in our lives for example my dad passed away that’s why I am clinging to this hoping that everything will come out right, if everything ends up working out that’s proof to him that I did something good with my life and I would feel proud that he would see me, because since I was little I was the black sheep of rock at home (laughs as he scratches his beard) and that’s my inspiration not only music.
David: I believe that is everything. You can hear it in our music, the energy I believe that we project it from the events that happens to us, our music is a reflection of our feelings and everything that happens to us leaves a mark, such as I been working in a song that talks about the passing of my brother and also recently my grandfather passed and I believe those are things that make you stronger and that’s what gives one the streng to move forward and now it’s the time when I have to do everything for them. I know they are taking care of us the people that are no longer with us and I believe that they will feel good to see that we are doing things the right way.

TM:What do you do when not playing or doing band related things?
Alonso: Dang bro only if you knew (we all laugh) Well right now because of this band ?I haven’t really looked for a job but my hobbies would be mmmm… I spend all day with the computer watching movies, I love going out so party, party is my life outside the band (laughs)
David: I really like filming it calls my attention a lot, we have been trying to work in whats filming, we have made a few shot films. I also like to run and I practice parkour, that’s something that help me clear my mind overall because its kind of a philosophy and that’s something that helps you in your everyday life to resolve your problems etc, truth be told Im not going to say no I love parties (sais it with a smile on his face. we all laugh). Photography fascinates me as well, we did our own video and the art work for the album, everything from pictures to lay out and design, besides that we have the means to do that it fascinates us we love to make videos.
Alonso: Yeah outside parties I really like exercising as well I do dedicate a lot of time to that and just like David said we are all graphic designers and that’s why we know how to do the job of designs and things like that. We even get jobs sometimes for a video or photography and we get each other involved that way we can make some sort of money and we do.
David: Beto, Alonso and I graduated from the same school. Alonso and I graduated together we were in the same class the singer graduated a bit after we did but it was from the same school the drummer is studying in the same school, so we sort of know each other from there.

TM:What bands would be your perfect mega tour?
I would love to go on tour with Thrice they seem to me like they are very interesting people and very dedicated to what they do it would be cool to learn from them, on the other hand looking at it from the party’s perspective (giggles) judging by the type of music they play I think that He is Legend is a band that they would have the same kind of humor that we have and may be we could get along very well I imagine it tha we would spend hours laughing our asses off doing a bunch of dumb things, filming stupid stuff, and I think also Protest the hero I would love to see whats up with those dudes.
Alonso: I think that Thrice as well because I would love to see them live from up close, also how they get ready before they play what they do. May be Story of the year also because of the way they move they are a living traveling circus, I think it would be awesome to see their whole show. He is Legend clearly He is Legend, He is Legend. Static lullaby I have seen some videos of the band how they operate as friends in the band It would be cool to talk to them

TM: Do you guys have any plans for tours in 2011 to promote the new album?
Alonso:Well we have the release show coming up in March we are selling the CD with the cover of the venue, you get some booze the EP when you pay the cover. Also our manager has some friends in the states since he used to play with the chariot and we are going to send some over there so they can pass it around.
David: The one that’s making all those moves is our manager he’s been calling his old friends from the States to see who can help out get the album more exposure, and to be honest I think the album would sell more over there because people here is not used to it. There is been some talks about going on tour with our friends from the band Monitor that will include the northern part of Mexico or even the entire country and we would be the pioneers that would do longer tours in Mexico.
15.TM: What country or city would you love to go play at?
Alonso: I would love to go to Europe and while I am there get to know around, party there and those kinds of things you know rock n’ roll, ladies and Canada as well. Before I got in this bands my plans were to go to Canada and I kept the desire to go there. I still want to go there but mainly Europe, (girls Hahahaha)
David: any city in Europe would be an achievement but where I do see my self culminate what we started would be in Mexico city and for them to see that we are Mexicans as well, that’s something that I think its very hard to do here in Mexico to get the support from people, I would also like to play Las Vegas.

16.TM: What would you be doing if you weren’t playing?
David: I would be floating on the Chuviscar river with two shots in the back of my head.(we all laugh) Well no with all seriousness mmmmm..Hold on you caught me off guard with that question I am blanked out what about you Alonso?
Alonso: I would definitely be a possum (laughs all around) But seriously I would first go to Canada, first thing because that’s kind of the plan with this band as well to travel and get to know new places. I would love to visit the US and get to know it so yeah if I didn’t have this band I would go Canada.
David: From the get go Alonso and I had spoke about going to Canada after we finished school to try luck over there and why not?! live there as well for a bit but we started the band and those plans got screwed (Alonso Laughs) No but really we have been postponing that and we hope that we do good with the band otherwise Canada we will be seeing each other.

17.TM: You guys are currently unsigned, what label would you like to sign to if any?
Alonso: Of course dude it’s main thing here, I would like to sign with Victory Records or Epitaph something like that those are the ones that have some of my favorite bands I’ve always liked the videos they come out with and I would love to be with them out of conviction.
David: I think Epitaph because all of the bands that I started to listen to punk and rock too they were all from Epitaph then I saw Epitaph as a big accomplishment and to signed with them would be the reward to all of my efforts.
18.If LJD was the lovechild of two other bands, which band’s would’ve gotten it on?
Alonso: I think we are a combination of As I lay Dying with… well it would have been more like a three-way (laughs all around) So it would have been As I lay Dying, Soil Work well now that I think about it, It would have been a four-some (laughs again)
David: I think As I Lay Dying, Haste the Day mmmmmm….. And I think that Killswitch Engage some of the chorus we have we would be a good rock n’ roll baby.

19:What does the name of the album is and what does it mean for you guys if it has a meaning?
David: The name “In the Modern black sea” was borne when we started the band we had in mind for all the lyrics to be about the movie Jason and the Argonauts the Black Sea is where the movie takes place at and we named a song like that but then we changed the name I am not sure why, so we got the name from there but it also has its metaphor. The Black sea is the problems that we all as humans encounter in life and things that go on in our world specially here in Mexico, we all have gone through a lot of things but there is nothing new under the sun so the modern part of it means that we are living it now so we are not the only ones that have gone thru this kinds of things, you hear people complaining about the things that go on in our country and the way we live and that’s the idea of it instead of complaining, its first realize that you are not alone on this then do something about it. I think that would be there metaphor with that.
20. Where do you see the band in five years from now?
Alonso: I hope in God and the virgin Mary that we could just be playing show after show, tours it doesn’t matter if its not a super mega tour with millions of dollars but something cool that could keep us, I hope that we could live of off this and that’s where I hope to be in five years from now.
David: I hope that in five years I’m still standing in my own two feet, if things keep on working good for us, I don’t expect to have millions I only want to have the meanings for me to eat and live comfortably and if its possible working doing this it would be the ideal thing, I do see my self living in a house with some of my friends living not too fancy and luxurious but just comfortable without complaints .
TM: Well guys thank you very much for your time its been a lot of fun talking with you guys we wish you the best of luck with the release of your new EP and your musical career, but before we go you guys have any last comments
Alonso: We are very stoked to be doing an interview for magazine from Poland and we hope that people from over there can get to know us and our music as well and you guys can always go to our face book (www.facebook.com/letjasondie) and our my space (www.myspace.com/letjasondie) and we also have a website that we just got the domain so we thought that was cool it is www.Letjasondie.com add us say hi I don know (laughs) and hopefully one day we can go play there for you guys. Cheers.
David: Thanks to Hard boiled magazine for the space and time we hope and wish that a lot of people can visit the site frequently also that we can make some of you headbang a bit with our music. Thanks to Dloogie because of him a lot of bands can now have another space in the global scene and for what the hardcore is and yeah its really cool that someone took the ride to do something like this which is not easy, and Its very cool that we ca make the world look at Mexico and not for the violence, there is something good on this side of the world thanks.

Harm's Way, Venia, Expire tour dates

Harm's Way, Venia, and Expire tourdates are:

4/27 Chicago, IL @ TBA
4/28 Cleveland, OH @ Now Thats Class
4/29 Albany, NY @ Bogies
4/30 Revere, MA @ Club Lido
5/1 Garden City, NY @ Ethical Humanist Society
5/2 Brick, NJ @ The Brick Mooselodge
5/3 Linthicum, MD @ Christophers
5/4 Newark, DE @ Perkins Center
5/5 Richmond, VA @ The Warehouse
5/6 Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11 Tavern (Breast Fest)
5/7 Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11 Tavern (Breast Fest)
5/8 Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway
5/9 Whitesburg, KY @ Letcher County Tourism

Mountain Man on tour this winter!

This Winter, Mountain Man will be hitting the road in support of their debut album "Grief". There are select headlining dates as well as dates with All Teeth, and Kills and Thrills. Also, don't forget about the Mountain Man record release shows this weekend - Saturday's show will feature a reunited Reach The Sky! Expect more tour dates to surface soon, but here's the latest schedule:

2/19 Wocester, MA @ Club Oasis (Record Release) w/ Reach The Sky, Soul Control
2/20 Pawtucket, RI @ Machines With Magnets (Record Release) w/ Soul Control
3/3 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium w/ The Wonder Years, Man Overboard
3/28 Syracuse, NY @ Badlands w/ All Teeth, Kills and Thrills
3/29 Wakefield, MA @ UU Church w/ All Teeth, Kills and Thrills
3/30 New London, CT @ EL N Gee w/ All Teeth, Kills and Thrills
3/31 Brooklyn, NY @ Party Xpo w/ All Teeth, Kills and Thrills
4/1 Philadelphia, PA @ Broad St Ministry w/ All Teeth
4/2 Cincinatti, OH @ B Dog's w/ All Teeth
4/3 St Louis, MO @ Fubar w/ All Teeth
4/4 Kansas City, MO @ Scion Lab w/ All Teeth
4/5 Denver, CO @ Blast-O-Mat w/ All Teeth
4/6 Bluffdale, UT @ The Fearless Zone w/ All Teeth
4/9 Omaha, NE @ The Sandbox
4/11 Cleveland, OH @ The Church
4/12 Plains, PA @ Jumper Road
4/23 Wallingford, CT @ Fest w/ Reign Supreme, Crowns Of Kings

TRC - Go Hard or Go Home

Look My Way

Look My Way was born in the summer of 2010 with the goal to create heavy, blood pumping hardcore with origins based in classic east coast hc bands such as Agnostic Front, Judge, Madball, MerauderR and newer bands such as Death Threat, 100 Demons, old Hatebreed. Each member of Look My Way comes from different kind of background and bands (Another Victory, Kill This Dream, Cheap Thrills etc.), but everyone shares the passion for grassroots hc, it was just a matter of time until they found each other to do this band..

For those unfamiliar with the band - what do you want people to know about the band and your music or message?

LMW is a hardcore band,no gimmicks,no bullshit,no silly pants,no metrosexual hairdos!we play the music we love and not what may be the next big thing!

How did you all meet and how long have you all been a band?

The actual lineup exists since september 2010! i knew tommy from local shows.tommy and low met rene in summer 2010 and started rehearsing.they were looking for a singer,i was kinda frustrated with my project at that time and gave it a chance. micha joined the band on 2nd guitat in september,we recorded the demo in november!yo

What's the toughest struggle for the band like yours? What's the biggest wall to get over?

We are still a very young band so still we got hard times,struggle and strife ahead of us haha. we got some good shows in the future and so on. ask me again in a year or something haha

For those who have not heard anything from you how would you describe band's playing sound?

Heavy metallic NYHC with lots of old school influences..sounds a bit odd but yeah,i would describe it that way.people brand us as "tough guy" hardcore,well..it could be worse haha

What have you released so far?

A demo on save my soul records.the tapes are sold out but we repressed a couple cds to sell at shows.you can download the demo!check the link on that webzine

Who are your strongest musical influences and why?

We all listen to different kind of stuff but mostly east coast hardcore bands are our biggest influence, madball, sick of it all, merauder, judge,agnostic front,some metal stuff, punkrock, oi!, we are pretty open minded. we are combining all these sounds with a modern approach

And where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the lyrics?

- most of my lyrics have a rather negative vibe cause i see my band as an outlet for my personal issues i have to deal with!real life issues!that`s what it`s all about.fuck the world before it fucks you!

Tell me about band's performance element – what should kids expect from your live show?

Kids loosing their shit,punching people in the face,throwing chairs and tables at people,retards moshing with sleeveless soul crew shirts,timberland stomp,ignorant mosh in general and so on..hook us up!

Tell us what you have coming up that we can check for. Plans, gigs and releases planned for the upcoming months?

A couple of weekends to play,playing some fests,death threat weekender,some more.we will record a lp in summer,maybe a split release with another band. we wanna stay busy

Any closing thoughts?

Thanks for the interview and supporting the band! we really appreciaite it! look out for save my soul records putting out the sweetest records in 2011!and remember: bands who pay to play suck and are NOT hardcore!DISEMPOWER!!

Stay Hungry interview

Stay Hungry started in the summer of 2008 as four veterans in the Swedish hardcore and straight edge scenes teamed up to show the kids what's up. Fast and in your face straight edge hardcore was on the agenda. Stay Hungry has just released new output, "Against the wall", which offers just everything the band is recognized for - powerful music and meaningful lyrics delivered with all the intensity hardcore got to offer!

Search Bloc hails from the city of Cleveland in the great state of Ohio and their sound is fast and pissed off hardcore, totally in vein of One Life Crew or Confront, laced with tight grooves and heavy hitting vocals. Read the interview to know why they're backed by Seventh Dagger and what should we expect to come out of this collaboration in the future.

Could you tell us something about “Against The Wall”? What were you aiming for with this album and are you satisfied with the end result?

I'd say that one aim we had was to make a more focused hardcore record, compared to the 12” on Reflections. That record kind of went in different directions, not knowing where to lay the focus. There's some metal parts in there. Those are gone with the wind on ”Against the wall”, which in my opinion is a true hardcore record from start to finish. We were aiming for a feeling of “positive aggression”, and I think we did a pretty solid job. I am very happy with the outcome.

Lyrically, is there any main focus with the new songs? What do you want people to take from the album?

As I said we were aiming for a positive aggressive feeling. There are a lot of fucked up things going on, so we didn't want to do a LP with overly positive lyrics, sugarcoating all the crap we see. But we also didn't want to be completely pessimistic and negative. I guess the title seems like that, but even that lyric ends with some hope. There are a few songs dealing with hardcore, a few dealing with straight edge topics, a few more political ones, one animal rights track etc, and then it ends with a true posi lyric, “Loose ends”. It's pretty varied. I guess I'd like for people to be angry, but also feel like there's something that can be done.

You new album is widely available on blogs and P2P networks. How do you feel about it as a band when most of the kids today rather download the album off the Internet that support the band and the label?

Is it really? We put up a four track promo ourselves and we will put up the whole album soon. So I guess that kind of answers your question. You know, I used to trade tapes back in the 90s. What's the difference, really? Except for that blogs are less time consuming. I am not in this to sell a certain amount of records. We have done 500 copies of “Against the wall”, and if that's all we'll do, I'm fine with it. I am proud of the record, it's something we've accomplished together, and it will allow us to tour. And having the album on blogs will let a lot of kids know about us. If kids come to the shows and sing along and stage dive, I don't give a fuck if they downloaded mp3s or bought the vinyl. We also have to realize that so far we've only done vinyl, and a lot of kids don't even own record players.

And how do you feel about how Internet is changing hardcore scene? I mean, it’s a great tool for getting information and keeping in touch, but on other hand, you don’t see that many paper fanzines around these days and shit talking is getting out of hand on message boards…

Like everything else it has its pros and cons. I have written about this in Law and Order zine #1. For a band like ours, it has made things a lot easier. I have just finished booking a tour. Without internet, that would've been immensely harder. And sure, there's all the crap on message boards, but fuck it. Let's just feel lucky that forums and stuff like that weren't around when we were fourteen and new in the scene. Because let's face it, we would've made asses of ourselves too from time to time before we learned better. I am obviously a fan of paper zines since I invest a lot of time and energy into Law and Order zine. I wish more kids would be into it, but things are the way they are. All we can do is push ourselves and do something that kids might be into.

Hardcore can have such a great influence on the lifestyle and mindset of its followers. What's the biggest life lesson that you learned from being a part of the scene?

Oh that's a tough one. I mean apart from the lessons I learned from “No thanks” by Uniform Choice, which kind of meant everything to me as a teenager, I dunno. Lessons from the hardcore scene can't be completely cut off from things you experience and go through in life in general. It's all a part of the package somehow. But being a part of hardcore and straight edge for so long definitely made me embrace the fact that I'll always be sort of an outcast. I will never live a normal life. I will always be into doing stuff that others can't understand. I've tried explaining how hardcore and DIY works to co-workers, and it just doesn't come through to them. They keep asking if we get a lot of girls and make money and play in front of large audiences. Like I could give a fuck.

And how do you feel about hardcore becoming more mainstream?

There are different sides to this. In the mid 90s hardcore was BIG in Sweden. Refused could play in every fucking small town and have large turnouts. And that was pretty fucking cool. Nowadays there's a lot less kids. I think hardcore and punk needs to keep a certain level of vigilance to keep out forces that stand opposed to the DIY ethics. But I would also like to see more people at gigs. I mean, it hurts like fuck to stage dive if there's no one there to catch you. I am not really afraid of hardcore becoming more mainstream. Trends come and go, we'll see who gets washed away when the tide retreats.

What part of Sweden you’re from? Tell us about the scene in your area and bands from that area.

Me and Andy live in Gothenburg on the west coast. We have some cool bands here, like Fredag den 13e, Repoman, the might Commitment Crew and several others. The scene is quite divided, though attempts are made to lessen these divisions. We organize shows in a pretty large crew called Gothenburg straight edge. The other three in the band live in Linköping, which is three hours away roughly. This has always been a central point for hardcore shows in Sweden, cause it's located in a good place and has had many influential bands, like Outlast, Nine and Section 8 (the latter came from a village outside the city, but still). There are still fests there a couple of times a year.

I know you cancelled your tour because of the new album. Are there any plans to hit the road now when the record is coming out?

Yeah, when we realized the record wouldn't be out when we were supposed to tour, due to various reasons beyond our control, we had to pull the plug. It sucked so much ass, but it was the right thing to do. We can't take time off from work etc if the LP isn't out. And it sucked cause we desperately wanted to tour with Skull Crusher. Their 12” is incredible. But we have booked a 16 date tour in April 2011. We will be going by ourselves this time around. We'll be playing Germany, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. I have a feeling it's going to be fantastic. It's been pretty easy to book, there are a lot of caring and nice hardcore and straight edge people out there, for sure. It's been a quite humbling experience to book it. It still feels weird that people give a shit about our old asses.

Are there any future plans you would like to share with us before we finish?

Come out to the tour, check out the record. Have a look at www.swehc.com. Check out the bands on the “We support Swedish hardcore, do you?” sampler CD. Be on the look out for new LPs by Anchor, Undergång and Angers Curse in 2011. Check out Boston Strangler, they did one of the best hardcore songs of 2010, “The truth”. KOTF 2011!

Madball to tour Europe in March and April

Madball March and April European dates include:

18/03 Paard / Den Haag - NL
19/03 Alter Stadtbahnhof / Schweinfurt - D
20/03 Szene / Wien - A
21/03 Alibi / Breslau - PL
22/03 Proxima / Warschau - PL
23/03 SO 36 / Berlin - D
24/03 Grünspan / Hamburg - D
25/03 Iduna / Drachten - NL
28/03 Universal Dog / Lahr - D
29/03 KuFa / Lyss - CH
30/03 Universum / Stuttgart - D
31/03 Backstage / München - D
01/04 Club Vaudeville / Lindau - D
22/04 Cabaret Electric / Le Havre - F
25/04 Tavastia / Helsinki - FIN
26/04 Alcatraz / Mailand - I
27/04 Init Club / Rom – I

Other

Human Rights Watch
International Fund for Animal Welfare

Billy The Kid - Ed Gein

Irish Voodoo Records interview

Irish Voodoo Records is a DIY label out of Southern California with bands like Ruined Tongue, Results, Birth And Burial, Colors and many more. They're pretty busy right now, with new releases in the pipeline and distro full of hardcore goodness. Here's an interview with the guys behind the Irish Voodoo who drop some knowledge on what is it like to run a label, future plans and more.

How did Irish Voodoo Records come about? What encouraged you to set it up and how long was it gestating before taking flight?

I never wanted to start a label, at the time i was in a band called A Witch's Distance, after we recorded and released a demo, we were back in the studio again to record new songs to shop around, but as a band, we decided to self release it. I had no funds to start a label, no name for the label, no logo, just had nothing.

And the label name, where did that come from?

So around 2004, I was thinking, if we are going to self release it, I want it under a name, so since I'm Irish, I said IRISH VOODOO RECORDS. At the time, and even now, I think it sounds good. I was into lots of punk style music or underground, so I didn't want a name to sound like a hardcore label, or just be a hardcore label, cause I'm into metal,post hardcore,or some form of punk. So the first release was the A Witch's Distance CD, It didn't have a logo or release number, cause I wasn't sure yet about doing a label.

You have quite a few cool bands lined up for the label now, like Results, Decisions, All Your Might or Birth And Burial among others. What plays into your decision when choosing which bands to work with?

Results changed to Worlds Below, great songs, great band, pick up the new 7" lol nice plug, anyways when my band was playing shows, I would see other bands on the bill with us. I would say, they are cool, they should have a release out, but lots of the bands are young kids and don't have the money to make a demo, let alone self release a cd or vinyl. So I started setting up DIY shows, at any place that would let me, with bands i liked, that we played with to make a relationship with them and to get to know them better. That's when I decided to start this label and release music, in my opinion, should be heard.

Based on your experience of running a label, what advice would you give to someone interested in doing the same thing? How to go about finding new bands, promoting early releases etc.?

Well if your serious about doing a label, do it for fun. I love hardcore, If i wanted to make money, I wouldn't do hardcore/punk/metal label. I don't make money, my goal is to make my money back for future releases and merch. I still go to shows, so sometimes i see band, and keep tabs on them from the bands myspace,twitter, or facebook, that way i can see if they are serious and play lots of shows and tour. I still get demos in the mail, and I listen to all of them, a little fact, the bands Shadows and Ruined Tongue are two bands on the label that emailed me or sent in a demo to check them out. So bands, email me too, or send me music, it never goes to the trash, I listen and keep everything. As far for promoting, I don't do big adds in magazines, so the bands playing as much as they can and touring is the best way to promote a release. I wont lie, Myspace helped with sales in the beginning, I still use Myspace, but Facebook and twitter is better, or online fanzines.

Has running a label, which obviously gives a lot of satisfaction but also means dealing with some bullshit as well, changed a way you look at hardcore scene in any way?

Well I'm a little guy, DIY all the way, so I don't deal with as much bullshit as bigger labels, but I'm a positive kind of guy, so I can look pass the bullshit. I have been involved in hardcore since 84, I'm 38 now. I hate saying "back in the day", but it's hard sometimes. I just change with the times.

What’s the biggest mistake to avoid when running a label?

That's a good question, I am too nice sometimes, I hear it all from bands, for example, "we want to tour and make this full time" "We have big things coming up" I did that once, and spent lots of money on a band, and they break up week after the release, so its a learning process for sure. Don't just jump on every band, keep tabs on them, to make sure they will work hard for you, as you will work hard for them.

You must be getting a lot of submissions from the new hardcore bands. What in your opinion is the state of hardcore music nowadays?

I love it, I get lots of submissions from good bands, just sometimes I don't have the funds, or I would release a record for every band that sends me a demo. I'm a old school type of guy, and I'm hearing more and more old school style hardcore which I love.

What are your thoughts on hardcore nowadays, when did you first discover the genre and what exactly is it about this type of music which makes you happy?

My first show was in 84, My oldest brother took me to see Black Flag, I was scared for my life seeing a bunch of older bald sweaty guys killing each other, but the music was real, nothing I heard before. Then I got a tape of Minor Threat, that turned me on to straight edge. Till this day I'm still edge and proud of it. I like the fact that hardcore was about crowd participation, a brotherhood. I still feel the same about hardcore now that I did when i was younger, sure things change, but still love it. I know we have the internet now, but I like paper fanzines at shows, That's how I found out about bands, its cool, cause kids I see at shows are bringing it back, even doing cassettes again.

What’s next in the Irish Voodoo pipeline? Anything else you'd like us to ask? Or anything you'd like to plug/mention?

Lots going on for 2011, COLORS new 7" is out now, SHADOWS double 7' is in the works, RUINED TONGUE 7" dropping very soon, new bands, and our website got a make over. I think what your doing with with HardBoiled is great, we need more people like you. If your not in a band, start a zine, label, pass fliers at shows,book shows, anything to keep hardcore alive.

Cold Steel

Cold Steel from Strasbourg, France offers hardcore that is deeply rooted in the 90' sound of bands like Next Step Up or Bulldoze. I know a lot of you have a sentiment for these old times and pioneer bands that were tearing shit down back then. And if you remember that France was producing bands like Stormcore, Drowning or mighty Kickback, you know these guys have mosh in their blood and the outcome sound is never less than compelling.

For those unfamiliar with the band - what do you want people to know about the band and your music or message?

For us it’s easy: friendship, open minded lifestyle and passion are what it is all about.

Friendship is what keeps us stuck together since day one. It’s been almost 10 years so far that we’re all playing music in different bands together.

Open minded life style is because one of our most important struggles is to be open to new points of view, new perceptions and to diversity. We believe in changes, in alternative ways to act and live. Some of us are really into travelling for instance.

Passion because it is the most powerful engine. Passion is definitely what drives us. We don’t only mean passion for hardcore. We mean passion for music in general. We believe that it’s a chance for us that most of COLD STEEL’s members are not only into hardcore music, and all the other influences we have do influence the songs we write.

That’s about music; let’s talk a bit about the message. We’re absolutely not into politic nor into religions. Mostly the message which is to be understood in our songs is about the most valuable thing we have in this world, which is the present moment. We believe in human relations and exchanges rather than in material possessions. We believe in the power of now rather than in past memories or unknown future.

How did you all meet and how long have you all been a band?

As we mentioned earlier, we have been knowing each other for almost 10 years and we met in our local underground music scene in STRASBOURG (FRANCE) as we were all starting playing in bands. (we started with bands such as SOLSTIS, BATTLING SIKI, SPITFIGHT you should check them out on MYSPACE). Then we started COLD STEEL like one and a half year ago when some of our bands splitted up.

What's KEUS LIFE CREW about?

KEUS LIFE CREW (KLC) is our local crew. It’s the informal part of our local activism. We’ve got our musical association called ACTS NOT SPEECHES as well for organising shows, promoting bands and realising stuff. KLC would not really mean anything in English, but it’s a mix of English with some French slang. It’s roughly a way to tell that we don’t give a shit about judgements; we don’t pretend to be better than anyone; we don’t say we’re some kind of musical geniuses (haha). We’re just people, friends, a family who want to share great times, have fun playing shows and backing us up anytime.

For those who have not heard anything from you how would you describe band's playing sound?

Well, it’s sometime kinda hard to describe the music you’re playing but we would say that it’s a kind of mid 90’s mid-tempo hardcore. That means there are also quite a lot of metal parts played with a single guitar. Even if we got a lot of respect for all what’s going on today, and in Europe moreover, we don’t want to play something that you can find on any MYSPACE band page.

Your first demo has been released recently. How the response has been so far?

The response so far is positive. We only burned a few copies for free promotion and people seem to enjoy something that is not so common these days.

We would like to make clear that as well as our latest video clip (HARD COMMITMENT check it out), this demo is 100% DIY shit: we recorded, mixed, designed and released everything ourselves thanks to everyone’s effort in the band.

Who are your strongest musical influences and why?

Our strongest musical influences are like we said earlier:

- Mid 90’s metal hardcore crossover, think about bands like NEGLECT, ALL OUT WAR, NEXT STEP UP or CONFUSION because this is what we are listening the most to.

- We’re also big fans of trash metal from SLAYER to PC DEATHSQUAD for the evil metal touch!

- Hip Hop as well, cause it’s such a good way to get inspiration for powerful punch lines! We would mentioned artists from DUCK DOWN RECORDS, or PSYCHO REALM for example.

- But also some jazzy, blues and soul music for the intensity and intimacy we find in it. By the way we are currently working on a BILLIE HOLYDAY cover, stay tuned…

And where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the lyrics?

The inspiration when it comes to the lyrics mostly comes from our personal experience, lives, aspirations and determinations. We got a bunch of positive songs which are to be heard as a spiritual help when the tough moments show up. They deal with friendship, partying, street life, love, travelling…

But as well we got some really dark and negative songs which reflect the inner dark passenger we try to cornered most of the time, but who sometimes reaches the surface, poisons our lives and distorts our perceptions. We think this dark part exists in every single one, but we also assume there are ways to get rid of. Our own way is to release those dark and shadowed songs.

We write down quite a lot thanks to the two singers together, and we’ve got something like 5 or 6 songs already written and ready to be used!

Who should start a hardcore band: Dirty Harry or Donnie Darko?

Haha, definitely Dirty Harry!! Even if Donnie Darko is pretty smart, he’s way too negative and too lazy to play any good music. And how could his friend, a gigantic rabbit play drums??

Stormcore vs. Kickback?

First of all you’ll have to know that we love both of them, from a musical point of view. They both released some masterpieces (think of TO THE POINT and CORNERED), and they’re both French so…! We believe they did a lot in the French underground music scene and we can only be respectful for that.
Maybe we should ask every member which one of these bands they would prefer, but this is not really worth it.

Tell us what you have coming up that we can check for. Plans, gigs and releases planned for the upcoming months?

Yes of course! We’ll play a show in AUGSBURG (GERMANY) in March for some good friends we’ve got there. We would love to play anywhere so if promoters are interested, get in touch with us. We hope to start touring in 2011.

Early in 2011 we also plan to hit the studio in order to record a 7 tracks MCD with a selection of our finest tunes. We still got some shirts and are currently working on a new design.

Any closing thoughts?

Well, first of all thank you very much for the interview and the support! We hope it will help people to know more about us and to get in touch with us for anything. We’ll be more than happy to share cds, stages, beers, parties, BBQs or any constructive thoughts with cool people worldwide.

Last but not least: never forget we’re only tenant of our organic shell, we don’t belong to any flag, any country or any continent. We belong to the earth as a part of it. Whatever happens we survive, we move on, and we overcome.

For The Worse announced new album - For The Good, For The Bad, For The Worse

B9 veterans For The Worse announced that their new full length titled “For The Good, For The Bad, For The Worse” will be coming out on Arrest Records! This release will come in 10″ vinyl,CD and digital formats and will be available this winter!

Pound for Pound - Dystopia

Barcadia - Violent Means, Violent Ends

One thing that is obvious about Barcadia is that they got their own opinions and are not afraid to voice them. They’re clearly comfortable with their chosen, non-conformist lane and they are not about making compromises. Hate them or love them, many people have been waiting for Violent Means, Violent Ends to drop.The band has poured loads of attitude and confidence to this album. Compared with their prior record the music seems to be more mature, with much more twists, but still maintains high energy and high impact. The band mostly wanders in mid-tempos now, with lengthier, drawn out songs, but there's a good combination of different styles with some faster, straight up aggressive parts as well. Everything seems to fall into place musically. The album is filled with menacing and dark atmosphere it suffocates and scrambles the senses of the listeners. The sound quality is heavy, bur raw. It’s not a type of music that needs to be that slickly recorded and I dig that aspect as well.

The standout aspect of this album is definitely in the lyrics. Barcadia tackles every form of sexual abuse or act of violence against the innocent. It’s really surprising this problem is so rarely taken up by hardcore bands. As the band explained in the recent interview; “The more I looked into sexual assault and saw how prevalent it is, the more disgusted and pissed off I became. I decided to use my band as a vehicle to drive all of this information into the heads of people who might not be thinking about it or who might not know about it. I also wanted to be a band that lets anyone who's ever been sexually assaulted know they are not alone and there is at least one band, one group of people in this world who care and who actively stand up against what ruined their lives.”

Violent Means, Violent Ends is a good album for Barcadia. Both the music and the message maintain the high energy level and it makes each track a strong and powerful statement.

Review: Dloogi
Label: Seventh Dagger
Year: 2011
Band's website

New merch and planned releases from Beatdown Hardwear

"We've got tonz of new apparel with rad designs and a short feature in the coming 'Streetwear Today' magazine. Got new Beanies, Shorts, Baseballjackets and all that stuff.. planning new Caps.." - this is the massage I got from the good folks at BDHW. Check out their webstore for more info! It seems they've got a lot of going for them now with tons of new stuff and releases. Red Eyed Devil with members of EGH signed to to BDHW Rec. The Releasedate of their upcoming full length will be the 20.04.11. Also, Twitching Tongues from California with members of Alpha Omega, Ruckus, Nails… will release their first physical output on BDHW Rec. Other news is that you can download nearly all BDHW Rec. Releases via several Download Stores as iTunes, Amazon…

Wisdom In Chains and Naysayer - pre-orders are up at Reaper

Reaper Records has launched pre-orders for new EPs from Wisdom In Chains and Naysayer! Pennsylvania-based Wisdom In Chains with Pocono Ghosts. The pre-order is available in a gold or a red vinyl, and you can check these three new tracks on Stereokiller.com. About Naysayer's release, here's official press release: "From Richmond, VA's decades deep hardcore tradition comes Naysayer, the area's newest offering to the international stage. Following the footsteps of old school legends such as 4 Walls Falling and newer heavyweights Down To Nothing, Naysayer's mission is to keep the faith and make their hometown proud. Their brutal signature sound, coupled with their youthful enthusiasm for hardcore makes them a strong addition to the ever-diverse Reaper roster."

Circle Of Death - Immutable

Mediaskare Records signs It Prevails

Mediaskare Records has signed Portand, Oregon band It Prevails. Formed in 2004, the group has released two albums, one with Rise Records, followed by another with Rain City Records. It Prevails is currently at Undercity Studios in Hollywood, CA recording a new full-length titled "Stroma," due out this summer.

'H8000 HC - a decade and more' book details

H8000-Central got some news about the 'H8000 HC - a decade and more' book! As they wrote: 'Yes folks...things are getting organised, while 2011 had to be the release of the book, there's a change that 2012 will be more realistic. A ton of work and organisation is part of the deal here. Interviews are been taken this weekend with some h8000 veterans by Willem, as he will be the main man to do this job...which is awesome of course. The working title for the book will be ' H8000 Hardcore 'a decade and more'....things will be starting probably from 1990 on, which is the pre-h8000 period, but the base for everything afterwards..' Read more here.

Summer Of Hate - first info and partial line-up

Summer Of Hate V will take place July 9th at Peabody's in Cleveland, OH. So far, the following bands were announced for the show: Bulldoze, Stout, Suburban Scum, Crowd Deterrent, Harm's Way, Ten Of Swords, Taste Of Steel, Line Of Scrimmage and Homewrecker. More names to come for sure! Taken from Hard-Ass Records blog: Here is a partial line-up for the show, There will be more bands announced, but don't expect anymore bands to be announced for another month or 2. Just because there's not 15 bands announced doesn't mean the slots are not full/booked, so please don't bombard us with requests to play the show... although we'd like to have every band play the show (and some very good bands ask us) the fact is that we only have so much time (and money) to work with and sometimes even bands that we are good friends with cannot play as a result.

Pay No Respect - Moving On

Moving On is highly anticipated follow up to the band’s self released debut Fear Profits Man Nothing. Once again, Pay No Respect shelved out a collection of hard hitting songs saturated in a hostile sound and raging aggression. The album has its share of catchy hooks and memorable moments and even with the limited diversity of sound and style, none of the tracks are skip-worthy. The music seems to be more detailed than on their prior release, which shows that the band is progressing and actually made an effort to live up to the expectations. The riffs are bone crushing, the drumming is heavy and forceful and the bass completes the sound. The delivery is razor sharp and consistent, with one track flowing seamlessly to the next but never slowing down its adrenaline pace. And when you combine it with ‘not to be fucked with’ vocals, it’s hard not to imagine broken noses and black eyes during their show. Lyrically, the band pledges the alliance to the lifestyle based on holding your own and not caring what society says. It may seem cliché but I still enjoy stuff like this. Overall, Moving On is a decent album that offers something enjoyable no matter if you are invested more into breakdowns, faster parts, or both.

Review by Dloogi
Label: Spook Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

Edge Of Spirit - Edge Of Spirit

If you know anything about Japanese hardcore there’s a big chance that the name Edge Of Spirit rings the bells. The band has been around since 1997 and during that time has released a shit load of material – four big albums, couple of splits and appeared on countless compilations. With their fourth, self titled album, Edge Of Spirit brings to the table one of the more violent metalcore albums I’ve heard in a long time. It is packed with rage filled riffing, double bass played like an assassin, soul raping vocals and ultra mega breakdown grooves. The songs are complex and excellently executed. The band is focused on all-out brutality, taking you on a ride down the memory lane to the times when passion and honesty were a must in a metalcore game. They might be not the most technically skilled band around, but somehow I can’t be bothered by that. The guitar work here is pretty impressive anyway, delivering shredding riffs as violently as possible, but also laying some groove now and then throughout the album. There's a pretty heavy melodic, Swedish influence going on in the riffs as well, but they still know how to make it bite. Throat ripping vocals only boost the level of adrenaline, while the rhythm section is precise and on point. Production and sound are top-notch with every instrument and vocals having the great placement. I also gotta mention that the whole stuff is packed with a dope artwork.

The band may not be pushing any boundaries, but they surely know how to unleash a beast of an album. I am not that familiar with their previous releases, but it would be hard for me to believe this new album is not their strongest effort yet.

Review by Dloogi

Label: Demons Run Amok
Year: 2010
Band's Website

Most downloaded demos in January

Here's what people have been downloading the most in January. If you still have not checked out the following bands, make sure you do correct that mistake as soon as possible.

1. Desperate Times - State Of Mind Ep - no holds barred heavy hardcore out of Ontario, Canada.

2. Hold Down - Demo 2010 - heavy, but slick hardcore from Cologne, Germany.

3. Roadrunner - EP 2010 - Massachusetts, US based Roadrunner is all about straight up no frills hardcore

4. Losing Grip - Self Titled EP - Losing Grip are from Texas and with their first EP bring nothing but sharp and harsh hardcore that bites hard!

5. Fight Alone Today - Mari Berkawan Ep - brand new EP from this Yogyakarta, Indonesia based band.

x Burning The Fallen x - Keeping Edge Alive

I don’t know much about xBurning The Fallenx except that they hail from Medellín, Colombia. It seems the band is heavily into straight edge lifestyle, but because of the language barrier, I can’t tell much about their lyrics and the overall message. As for the music, I’ve seen them being compared to bands like Nueva Etica or Point Of No Return and it pretty much nails it down. xBurning The Fallenx offers heavy, metallic new school hardcore that ranges mainly in the lower and mid tempos, with only occasional faster parts now and there. While the band has some potential and their gigs must be a blast, there’s still some work to do in the song-writing department. In the future I want to hear from them more intense and hard hitting tracks like the intro song or Verdadera Libertad. Download it!

On Parade - Demo 2010

On Parade are from Bakersfield, CA and with their 2010 demo bring five slabs of fast, raw old school hardcore. There’s a strong SSD, Judge or DYS influences throughout the demo so prepare for some adrenaline pumping tempos with occasional powerful breakdowns now and there. That’s the beauty of it – they don’t fuck with heavy metal, there are no double bass breakdowns, nor tougher-than-thou attitudes. This stuff has been released on 7” by Desensitized Records. Download it!

Search Bloc interview

Search Bloc hails from the city of Cleveland in the great state of Ohio and their sound is fast and pissed off hardcore, totally in vein of One Life Crew or Confront, laced with tight grooves and heavy hitting vocals. Read the interview to know why they're backed by Seventh Dagger and what should we expect to come out of this collaboration in the future.

Search Bloc hails from the city of Cleveland in the great state of Ohio and their sound is fast and pissed off hardcore, totally in vein of One Life Crew or Confront, laced with tight grooves and heavy hitting vocals. Read the interview to know why they're backed by Seventh Dagger and what should we expect to come out of this collaboration in the future.

For those who don’t know, could you just give a short introduction of Search Bloc and tell us a little about your background?

First of all, what's up Hardboiled, thanks for the support and giving us this interview. Search Bloc started 5 years ago here in Cleveland, OH with the goal of playing that fast Straight Edge brand of Clevo hardcore along the lines of Confront, Face Value, and OLC. Back then, and even still now, bands are trying to play beatdown, and metal, and trying to out evil each other, but that's a bunch of crap, we like hardcore, so that's what we play. After numerous line-up changes, the current line-up is Anthony Jochum and Rich Millard on guitars, hometown anti-hero Frank McGhee on drums, Large Robert on bass, and I'm Chopsey and I sing. Anthony's two older brothers used to be in Integrity until recently, when I don't know what happened, maybe they wouldn't drink the kool-aid and Dwid kicked them out because of that haha, but in any case I'm name dropping Integrity so in case you like them, their younger brother's in our band and you can check us out.

Give us a rundown on your collaboration with Seventh Dagger,. How did it come about?

We have to thank Joe Riverside of Rhinoceros a lot for that. Back in 2008 he put us on the bill for Seventh Dagger Fest and put in a good word for us. He's a really good dude, and we appreciate him for helping us out always. We got to play in front of a lot of people, including Danny Sober who runs Seventh Dagger Records. He liked us back then, and now three years later, we reconnected and he asked if we'd be down to do some things, and we said hell yes.

Apart from the t-shirt, there’s also 2010 demo included in the Cleveland Confidential package. Are there any plans for future collaborations? Any chances to record a new full length with them?

Definitely, the Cleveland Confidential: The Final Report demo are songs we recorded in 2008 and 2009, Seventh Dagger re-released it to get the word out about us in anticipation of our upcoming full length we're putting out in 2011. We're currently in the studio right now working on it, it's gonna have 16 new songs of the hardest shit you've ever heard come out of Cleveland in a long time. It's gonna be all out, all Straight Edge, full on gas pedal to the floor with no brakes, and no spooky stuff, no sad shit, just the sweetest shit you're ever gonna hear. It'll be the best thing that Seventh Dagger has ever put out.

Cleveland has been a breeding ground to some of the hardest bands in history of hardcore. How do you think being from over there affected your song sound?

Well, if you've heard us you can totally tell we're ripping off the old Cleveland bands, it's what we like, and been listening to for years now. It's what we wanted to do, keep that style going.

What were the first records and bands that influenced you when you were starting Search Bloc?

Well, it more less came down to this idea, what if there was a Cleveland band, that was actually really Straight Edge, and sounded like OLC, but wasn't a bunch of hillbillies saying dumb, racist, homophobic, sexist shit to get attention? So from that, Search Bloc came about to fill the void.

There are a lot of great bands aiming for that evil Cleveland sound, but most of them are not even from the city or even States. Compared to the days when Integrity or In Cold Blood were around, does it feel like there is a strong scene in Cleveland right now?

Actually none of those bands that jock the holy terror sound are from Cleveland. We have the real people who are the architects and innovators of that style out here, nobody's gonna put up with second rate knock-offs doing their best "in contrast of sin" impression. Nobody really gives a shit about out of town holy terror bands around here. Seriously, we can just go see the real Ringworm instead.

For you, what year represented the best time in hardcore for Cleveland and in general?

Hardcore is never as fun, exciting, mysterious, and scary as it was when you first got into it. So the best time for me, and I'm sure a lot of people, was not a specific year or era, it was that very first show I went to. You're a little nervous, a bunch of sketchy characters there so you're a little intimidated, but then once the band played those first chords, and that big rush of pure energy hits you, there's no other feeling like it. It's a life changing moment, for a lot of us it marked the moment we knew hardcore was going to be the rest of our lives.

Is there anything in the current hardcore scene you would want to change or something you'd like to see get better?

I don't really care too much what the current crop of young kids are doing. Hardcore's for the young people though, so I just ask that whatever you do you leave the hardcore scene in a better place than where you found it, 'cause sure enough most of you are gonna drop out, and then there'll be a another group of young kids who are gonna come along and fuck it up even worse than before.

What’s on your wish list for 2011 and what do you hope to achieve?

In 2011 our new record's gonna come out, hopefully with Seventh Dagger behind us it'll get us more exposure. Get out there and play more shows in places we've never played before. Put us on the map, make sure Cleveland stays relevant, and just have fun and enjoy the ride, it's really not that serious.

Anything you want to add to people who haven’t heard of you yet?

If you like hardcore, check us out. Up The Straight Edge, fuck sell outs.

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Razorblade Handgrenade interview

Since NJ Bloodline I haven't heard anything that fresh and dope coming out of NJ area. Razorblade Handgrenade combines catchy as hell songs with attitude-filled vocals to make music that makes me wanna mosh around my room like I'm young again! The guys has just put out their second full lenght, it's called Tales from the Bricks and all the signs on heaven and earth suggest it's gonna be one of the dopest albums of this year!

Since NJ Bloodline I haven't heard anything that fresh and dope coming out of NJ area. Razorblade Handgrenade combines catchy as hell songs with attitude-filled vocals to make music that makes me wanna mosh around my room like I'm young again! The guys has just put out their second full lenght, it's called Tales from the Bricks and all the signs on heaven and earth suggest it's gonna be one of the dopest albums of this year!

Can you tell me the story behind your new album Tales from the Bricks?

The name itself is a play on tales from the crypt, which much like that show the album is dark, definitely darker and heavier than the first album. THe songs on the album are street tales of past and present times. It's not a concept album or anything but more of a looking glass into a day in the life, living in Newark, NJ. Much like our first album TFTB is a mix of different styles, we have a punk oi joint on there called "We all Grew Up," a hip hop influenced "Page 472," which we also have a video for and 8 other Old school NJ/NYHC hard hitting joints like they were recorded in 88.

With your new album that will drop in matter of days, how do you see the evolution of the band? Will fans of your previous album get the traditional sound or are there some new experiments we can prepare for?

We have been experimenting with different sounds and trying some new shit as far as writing goes while not deviating far from our core sound. The album isn't a exact repeat of the first but rather a more grown continuation.
We went back to Wild Artic in long island city, NY to record with Dean B, who is pretty much on top of the hardcore game. To us the new album should satisfy our core fans and at the same time bring in some new listeners.

Your style runs from hardcore to hip-hop to punk rock including plenty of other influences. Where do you get the inspiration to write the type of material you do?

All the members in RBHG have different tastes in music but all love punk and OG NYHC e.g. Cro-Mags, Breakdown, Agnostic Front, especially Warzone, and many more. But seperately Sean(bass) and Wes love Hip Hop while Frank(drums) and Joe Pop(guitar) are into more metal type shit. It's a culmination of sounds and styles.

What is the writing process like when it comes to working on your music?

When we write we try to stay away from that formulaic process of creation where, we have to do this type of song or have a song that resembles some music fad. Mostly someone will come up with a riff and we will build from there. It's funny a lot of our songs will come from something randomly played in between songs during practice. Wes will be like play that shit back and than we will build it up from there.

I’m guessing from the album title that it ain't no fairy tale. Is there any main lyrical focus on Tales from the Bricks?

The main lyrical focus is on our last four years and the conclusions of our lives and music. We aren't the same kids we were when we wrote the first album. Were not trying to be hard or fit into any catagory, just stand out on our own. Hardcore music isnt about being an asshole to anyone around you. Hardcore music is what you see and believe in your life.

What are some of the topics you spit about this time? How do you go about writing lyrics?

Our song titles are like chapters of my life. We speak about alot of different shit on this album. Some things I care to talk about it and somethings I won't. So, go out get the album and read the lyrics. I think you won't be disappointed by the musical content and lyrical flow. I'm going to quote myself on this one, "My blood pumps concrete and my heart beats bricks and that's what it is." Brick City Hardcore style to the casket drops.

How does coming from NJ shape your attitude to the music and hardcore culture in general? How much of an influence was the environment you grew up in, on your music? What’s the hardcore scene like out there in New Jersey at the moment?

NJ is kind of a hard place for shows. There's alot of DIY type shows at VFW and any other rentable spaces but few really good spots. With this lack of good venues comes an inconsistent scene as far as people coming out to shows. Don't get me wrong there are cool spots like Dingbatz in clifton which always has great HC bands and shows. We used to get alot of people who thought we were a NY band because we were always playing the city when we first started in 2006. All of us grew up going to shows at the cove(rip) in roselle, NJ. Seeing great jersey punk/HC bands like One4One, Etown Concrete, NJ Bloodline, Mainstreet Mayhem, thulsa doom, The Usual Suspects,Bulldoze, For the love of, and many many more influenced us to start making our own music. NJ gets alot of shit because people think it's all suburbs or something or everyone out here is rich, which anyone who lives in North Jersey knows this isn't true. Hardcore is street music and coming from Newark and Elizabeth has definetly had a heavy influence on us. Plus there is alot of newer Jersey bands out killing it right now like Hub City Stompers, Suburban Scum, Plan B is Dead, Mongoloids, and Homicidal just to name a few.

What can we expect from the band in the near future?

Lots of shows and more music. We plan on putting out a cover album with our verison of songs that probably you wouldn't expect us doing probably over the summer. But look for us on the road this summer to support the album. Right now we are playing a couple random shows like Feb. 27th with DRI at Starland ballroom in NJ, and Jan 22 with Wisdom In Chains and Maximum Penalty at Moosehead lodge in Brick, NJ. Keep checking the facebook and myspace if peeps still do that.

So, final question to wrap up the interview: what's your pick for best hardcore release of 2010?

The new Bulldog Courage holds shit down.