You can place pre-order for the upcoming Ruckus album, 'Of Malice And Man', as well as Bottom Out 7-inch Ep, 'Mourning', at Harvcore webstore. Ruckus should be well know to anyone visiting this site, and Bottom Out is a new Long Island five-piece band with influences from bands like Merauder, All Out War and Hatebreed.
Harvcore launched pre-orders for Ruckus and Bottom Out
You can place pre-order for the upcoming Ruckus album, 'Of Malice And Man', as well as Bottom Out 7-inch Ep, 'Mourning', at Harvcore webstore. Ruckus should be well know to anyone visiting this site, and Bottom Out is a new Long Island five-piece band with influences from bands like Merauder, All Out War and Hatebreed.
Hometown Hate - S/T Ep
This is debut ep from Hometown Hate. Four guys, all from various Pittsburgh PA hardcore bands, got together and made this monster. Straight up rugged and raw beatdown hardcore. Download it!
Respect Few & Fear None, new album from Senseless
Greece-based Senseless has released new album 'Respect Few & Fear None' on Spook Records. The album contains 11 tracks of beatdown hardcore with guest appearances from Pelbu (Knuckledust / Bun Dem Out), Nikk (Overpain), Vincent (Alea Jacta Est / Trough My Eyes) and Tito (Surge Of Fury). For fans of CDC, Six Ft Ditch, TRC or Nasty.
.45 Stainles - OGBD
The album starts with a short intro which sounds like 15-minutes of heavy Fruity Loops engineering but when finally drums and guitars jump in it’s not that bad actually. Dual vocals get definitely the job done, guitars sound heavy and strong while the rhythm section lays down some tight grooves. Nothing ultra fast here, but the pace and tone pick up surprisingly often for that type of music. Two first songs after the intro, Endless and Hated, are probably the best on the album. The vocals deliver strong attitude and the tight performance by the band shows off their skills to create some memorable moments. Orighetto State Of Mind starts with a massive mid-tempo passage, but the energy somehow gets lost as the song progresses. The same goes for Wardrumz, the song got some powerful build up at the beginning and then progresses into some mediocre NYC-flavored hardcore. The tempo kicks up during the last song, At War, which delivers more bite with strong vocal performance while the rest of the band provides a solid and tight background.
The album surprisingly is better that I initially thought and after couple of spins I start to appreciate what they do here. I wouldn’t say it is spine chilling experience or anything ground breaking, but I doubt they had such aspirations anyway. All in all, I don’t care that it’s predictable, generic and there is rarely anything that would make you mosh around your room. Very often experimenting with its sound is the worst thing a hardcore band can do. Consciously or not, the band has definitely not fallen in this trap. My biggest gripe with this album however is that the band’s attitude is not entirely convincing. From the band’s name, to the lyrics and sound samples of gunshots between the songs, it’s all to much gangsta for my taste. Is living in Turku really that hard? On the other hand, it might be a joke, a gimmick, but if it is, it ain’t funny.
BDHW, 2011
Review by Dloogi
Face Your Enemy Interview
The first thing that you immediately notice about this band is how dedicated those guys are – without a big label behind their back and with limited resources they managed to record couple of albums, make couple of videos and got facebook page filled with some high quality pictures. Sure, I agree, hardcore goes much deeper than visual appearance, but it still tells you something about the band and how serious their attitude is. Check out the previous interview we did to learn more about the basic info on the band, this one has been done after their last album ‘Message In A Bomb’ dropped. Even thought it might have taken me some time to finally put it online, it’s still a good read!
The first thing that you immediately notice about this band is how dedicated those guys are – without a big label behind their back and with limited resources they managed to record couple of albums, make couple of videos and got facebook page filled with some high quality pictures. Sure, I agree, hardcore goes much deeper than visual appearance, but it still tells you something about the band and how serious their attitude is. Check out the previous interview we did to learn more about the basic info on the band, this one has been done after their last album ‘Message In A Bomb’ dropped. Even thought it might have taken me some time to finally put it online, it’s still a good read!Could you tell us what’s been happening with Face Your Enemy Since we last talked?
Hi Bro, I'm really happy to hear from you again! It's unbelievable, but during only one year many things are changed in FYE. It would be difficult to explain the entire story in few words but I'll try anyway:
new drummer, new tattoos, new energy, new shit.
So the Message In A Bomb is finally out. What can you tell us about this album? How does it differ from your previous albums?
We are so proud of “Message in a Bomb”! I think that the title describes very well the sound and the lyrics. In this album we've reached a more personal groove than the previous ones.
Lyrically, what are some of the things you sing about on the album?
We don't like intellectual stuff. We sing about the typical hardcore themes: life experiences, hardcore scene, friendship and loyalty but in a personal style. Through our words we push to face life in a positive way. Don't forget that the energy to survive in this fuckin' hell is within yourself.
What is CBC about?
CBC means Caserta Beatdown Commando. Caserta is the city where we come from, Beatdown is our attitude and Commando is a crew about 30 persons, who believe in the same values. We organize shows, make parties and we play in different bands: Face your Enemy, Still in Da Game, Da 4th, One Shall Stand. CBC is not only about music, but also about writing, photography and tattoos (Rockin' ink, Deep Down Empire). Check it out!
How did the Beastie Boys and rap in general influences come about?
I think that rap and hardcore are very similar, especially in the message and the attitude. When we started to listen music, we didn't care if it was metal, hardcore or rap, so a lot of influences came from Beastie Boys ,from Madball or Slayer as well.
You guys did an European tour last year with Embrace Destruction. What do you remember the most from this experience?
It's been a wonderful experience, thanks to Luca from Embrace Destruction, we'll remember it forever. 25 gigs in 25 days across the Europe. It has been difficult but the pleasure to play every single day demonstrating our own style and attitude, have no price.
Any plans for more shows in Europe in the upcoming months?
We've just shared the stage with Terror and Madball last summer, and played some gig in Belgium and Netherlands. We are planning some shows in Europe and maybe in Russia. We really wanna come back in Poland! There is a very cool scene.
What’s your opinion about the Italian hardcore scene nowadays? Bands like Vendetta, Purification or Rise Or Defeat are real good and making noise on the international level…
In my opinion the worldwide hardcore scene is in crisis. The eye of the music trend is now on other scenes. I love this situation because only the true bands survive, and also in Italy there are some bands that have dedication and passion. I know Carlo and Rise after Defeat and they are really good, but we like and support also other italian bands like Straight Opposition, Embrace Destruction, As A Drop Of Blood, Don't Forget, Attitude, To Ed Gein(RIP), Sikspak, Behind The Mask...check them on the web;)
And are you into classic Italian hardcore like Wretched or Raw Power?
Oh! Cool man! Italy has a big tradition in hardcore! We love a lots of bands from 80's and 90's, Negazione and Raw Power first of all! Also in Caserta there is a veteran band called Bandiera dell'Odio, we know and respect them. Without this kind of bands maybe we will never have existed.
Thanks for the interview. Anything you’d like to add before we wrap it up?
I wanna thanks you for the support and good luck with Hard Boiled. Like Mogwai say “hardcore will never die but you will”! Face your enemy remember the name!
More about the band: http://faceyourenemycbc.blogspot.com
Six Ft Ditch signed to Goodlife. New album in the works!
Six Ft Ditch signed to Goodlife for new seven inch ep and next full length. Singer Peachey Sixftditch released following statement: "12 Years of Terror - a Six Feet Ditch Official Trilogy, will be recorded in 3 weeks, featuring guest spots from No Zodiac, Search Bloc, An Aborted Memory, Full Metal Jacket, Cast Iron Jaw to name but a few, gang shouts by Fort Vallance FVHC & Protect Ya' Neck BHHC . Commin on GOODLIFE" According to Goodlife newsletter, three different, limited edition 7"s will form this Trilogy, followed up by a full cd containing a ton of bonus material!
No One Is Safe to Release First Full-length
No One Is Safe, a Finnish hardcore band from the cities of Lappeenranta and Helsinki, will release their long-awaited debut album "Strike First - Strike Hard" via a DIY hardcore/punk label Poolside Records (Turku, Finland). The release date is February 22, 2012. Expect 11 tracks of aggressive and metal-influenced hardcore. The album will be released as a package with both 12" vinyl and CD included. A couple of songs from the album have been posted on the band's website and Stereokiller page.Tracklist
A1. Intro / Luulot Pois
A2. Dead in a Second
A3. Family First
A4. Die Hard
A5. Hated for the Truth
A6. Loyalty Takes Its Toll
B1. Strike First - Strike Hard (feat. Sakke Bleeding Heart)
B2. Prevail (feat. AJ Worth The Pain)
B3. Respect
B4. Resist Forever (feat. Eme, Ville Breamgod, Matti Cutdown, Abu Hammertime)
B5. No One Is Safe
No One Is Safe will be doing as many shows as possible during 2012. On the record release week they will be doing two record release shows sharing the stage with Providence:
22.2.2012 Pigfarm Beatdown vol. 2 @ Club Rockstars, TALLINN (EST)
w/ Providence (FRA), NMR (EST), N.C.B (EST)
25.2.2012 Kovisteluiltamat vol. 2 @ Pelikenttä, HYVINKÄÄ (FIN)
w/ Providence (FRA), Out For Justice (FIN), Fit My Crime (FIN)
Ten of Swords - Wages Of Sin
Ten Of Swords was brought to existence when Enemymind’s frontman Mike McGuire and Sanctify Her Death guitarist Derek Kovacs decided to start a band with a mission to “become one of the heaviest, most negative bands to ever hit the underground”. The band’s style brings to mind some classic 90’ metallic hardcore sound but is updated with some modern licks and kicks. Hardcore at the base, lots of thrash riffing on top of it and a good deal of mosh to round it out. You can hear those guys know how to handle their shit, but even though they don’t overdo any technical tricks and that type of boring shit. Instead, each song is focused and goes hard and heavy driven by the urge for revenge and destruction.The band is a proof that sometimes it’s all about the feel. The vocals get the job done as well, I guess if the guy didn’t sound as vicious and angry as he does the record would be wholly lacking much of its energy. The bottom line is that this is very solid release if you’re in search for some heavy, metallic hardcore. Yes, it’s generic in many parts, but it doesn’t change that Wages Of Sin is a monster of an album. In tarot, Ten Of Swords means complete destruction, suffering and being stuck in a hopeless situation. Listening to these tunes makes you think about fucked up shit like this.
Review by Dloogi
Label: Fight for the Cause Records
Year:2010
Death Grip to release "Forever In Doubt" in late February
Pennsylvania-based Death Grip plans to drop new album at February, 20th. "Forever In Doubt" will contain 8 tracks of heavy, hard-hitting hardcore combining old school sound with fast parts and heavy breakdowns. You can order the CD here.
Strikedown Records has launched pre-orders for new Hardway CDEP
Towards The Light, new EP from Italy-owned Hardway, will contain five songs of heavy and reckless hardcore. "More intense, visceral and relentless compared to the debut album, such as the lyrics more gloomy, describing anger, hope, pain and dreams in drastic vision," as described in the press release. The songs were recorder in February/March last year and mastered at Swift Mastering (London - UK). You can place your order, as well as check out one of the new songs, here.
Sentenced To Fight Interview
I did an interview with Sentenced To Fight when they back in 2009 just short time after they released their first demo. Fast forward to 2012, they’ve already released two albums and plans for 2012 include a split with Hold It Down from Indonesia and next Insurreccion, new full length expected to drop this Fall. Not bad for a band with no label support, huh? You definitely gotta give them props for sticking to do-it-yourself mentality. On the other hand, it puts to shame all the lame ass bands crying about not getting proper support from the labels. Anyway, here’s the recent interview I’ve done with the band. It’s about their current activities, the past and the future, but also gives pretty cool insight into Puerto Rican hardcore scene.
I did an interview with Sentenced To Fight when they back in 2009 just short time after they released their first demo. Fast forward to 2012, they’ve already released two albums and plans for 2012 include a split with Hold It Down from Indonesia and next Insurreccion, new full length expected to drop this Fall. Not bad for a band with no label support, huh? You definitely gotta give them props for sticking to do-it-yourself mentality. On the other hand, it puts to shame all the lame ass bands crying about not getting proper support from the labels. Anyway, here’s the recent interview I’ve done with the band. It’s about their current activities, the past and the future, but also gives pretty cool insight into Puerto Rican hardcore scene.It’s been a while since the last interview we did. What’s been happening with the band during that time? Tell us something about the latest album, Declaracion – why kids should check it out?
Well I think our last interview was back on 2009 , and we where about to release Jauria Guerrera our first album. During that time we continue playing at shows and representing until late 2010 . We took a new member on our family Jose Moran . we called him "Goldo" hahaha wich is of the best musicians we had in the band so far. While we where working on something new , we didn’t know that our first album was traveling the world via internet . Then When we decided to release a preview the new album , one of us wrote Sentenced To fight on google and the support was amazing . People from places like Indonesia, all Latin America , US , Japan and Europe knew about us we had messages in Greek , French , Japanese , French we even got to use google translate to write those brother back. We never thought that LA JAURIA will grow that big.
In July 30 2011 we released our second album "DECLARACION" WICH IS AN EP. It has 6 songs . Kids should check it out because this album defines what STF's all about . Declaracion is full of positive hardcore made for achieving supremacy of self esteem and to make people remember what HC is about. The songs we all in the band had a particular favorite song , but we all have in common two songs : LOS MUERTOS VIVEN which is about the old school people from the scene all around the world are coming back to make scene kids remember what this was all about from the beginning. The other song “Union y Fuerza” , this one is very special because talks about our believe in LA JAURIA our family , strength and union , respect , honor , loyalty values that had been forgotten. Overall The album is sick.
How has your sound developed since the first demo?
Sentenced To Fight has evolved into a more complex sound , more fast roaring riffs mixed with a little touch of beatdown . It has been a long work but finally we are hearing how we have been changing our sound through the years to a more complete sound.
Declaracion is a strong name for an album. What is the meaning behind it and what message you want to convey with it?
We have seen through all these years how people passed a long our scene and leave and never learned a damn thing about life . Declaracion is a clear as water statement , its a war declaration to ignorance and iniquity. We wrote this to make people understand that our moral values those forgotten thoughts must be brought back by ourselves. This album is about achieving self supremacy and learning how to achieve a better way of life without losing your pride.
Although Declaracion is just out, you told me you already work on new release. Tell us something about the songs? How are they sounding?
Yes actually we have two releases to make on 2012 . First is a split album with indonesian band Hold It Down . This record will be great this band reminds me somehow of nyhc style. Right now we are working on whats gonna be our third album "INSURRECCION". So far the new songs are incredible, we are making better music each time we sit to make new sounds. Its going to be a 10 song album. So Stay tune "INSURRECCION" FALL 2012.
What are some of the struggles you have to face when running a hardcore band in Puerto Rico?
Since our scene is strong but little , its not easy to get money together to produce albums and merch, but we still do this you know. It's hard but if you like this you do it period. And this has never been abut the money but unfortunately it is necessary to make some things happen.
Do you have and defined goals to achieve with this band?
I think every band even if hardcore or not had always goals to achieve. Ours is to continue delivering good sounds with a positive message to “LA JAURIA” worldwide. And of course we want to travel and play at shows in different countries and we are looking forward to do it this year. Make people know PRHC through the words of STF's music. But the most important goal is never forget where we came from and what this has always been about . That’s the main goal.
What artists/bands or albums changed your life? Why and how?
Man , first time I heard Madball it blew my mind it was back in 2000 when at school my best friend's father put the record “Demonstrating my style”. I just loved the sound and avery part of the music speaked for it self. From that day on I knew I was gonna do this for the rest of my life . Other bands like Agnostic Front , Warzone , Cro-Mags , Skarhead , Minor Threat and 25 ta life. Local band “Golpe Justo” make awesome music and shows when we were younger , and keep that “ I live this shit” going on always.
What is the hardcore scene in Puerto Rico like nowadays? What band we should check out?
Hardcore scene right now is crossing some difficult times but later on 2011 people start going to shows again and old bands are coming back Hardcore still Lives , We fought to maintain it alive and now is coming back there a lot of people working on making things happen again and its good for the scene once again. You should check local bands like : Clear Convictions , Quejidos del Seol , Bajo Presion , Rise in Sorrow , With Open Force and Golpe Justo is back in business one of the pillar bands on hc on the island you should check them out!!
What are some of the best and worst hardcore albums of 2011?
Best albums probably be: of course it’s our opinion: Lionheart- Built On Struggle, And Agnostic Front – My Life My Way. Worst album : any album that was not make this year , we support hc worldwide if you doing something to keep this alive its good!!
Face Your Enemy - Losing Control
Latest Face Your Enemy video for Losing Control from the "Message in a Bomb" album.
Far Beyond Our Depth, debut EP by Providence, re-released at Rucktion
Since the beginning of December you can order a re-release of 'Far Beyond Our Depth', first EP by French war machine Providence at Rucktion webstore. The album has been sold out since 2010, so if you still don't own it here's your chance. The new version includes newly improved artwork! The other news from the band are that there's a new line-up: xReggiex of the 90' legendary Parisian band Drowning (BTB, RPP) joined as guitarist and Mika168 from Third Man Down( Hellsinki, Finland Hardcore) joined as bass player. Drowning is one of my favorite bands ever so can't wait to see the band live! And while you at Rucktion webstore, check out the CD version of King Of Clubz/Providence split! Other Rucktion news: South Wales heavyweights Chains Of Hate are teaming up with Belgium's hardcore veterans Surge Of Fury for a new split CD coming out on Rucktion very soon! Watch this space.
Face Your Enemy to drop new album - Message In A Bomb
Message In A Bomb is new album but Italian powerhouse Face Your Enemy. It will be released by Urban Discipline Records. The album includes nine tracks which sound is pure beatdown/hardcore with some rap influences. If you're a fan of Madball, Deez Nuts, Beastie Boys and Nasty this might appeal to you. You can listen to all of the new songs here.
Lifeless
Lifeless hails from New Jersey, US and plays that heavy style of hardcore that is tough as nails but also fresh and interesting. There are some Merauder, Strength For A Reason and even Bulldoze influences in it and that's not a bad thing in my book at all. Keep your eyes and ears open as the band just got signed to Harvcore, USA and Filled With Hate, Germany and plasn to release debut album called "NLFTW" this year!
Let’s start with the beginning, how did Lifelesss come together?Our two prior bands (When These Days End/Dead and Buried) weren't really going anywhere and always playing the same shows together. A lot of laziness and conflict played into them not going anywhere... it just seemed like the right place at the right time to join the positive elements from both bands that were and roll with that. the formula seemed to really work, so we went with it and here we are today.
For those unfamiliar with the band - what do you want people to know about the band and your music or message?
We're real hardcore kids who aren't involved in the politics and poison ivy that infects the hardcore scene... we just do us and don't represent anyone's interests but our own. as for our message... i guess when you give up on everything and lose hope, life isn't so disappointing. there's not much good left in this world, so we'll do this because it's pretty much the only thing that really keeps us going in our otherwise dead end lives.
For those who have not heard anything from you how would you describe band's playing sound?
A wild cross between 100 demons and merauder. heavy, aggressive, real and mean. we want our music, by itself, to pretty much speak for how we feel overall about everything and everyone everywhere.
What are some key elements and influences that have shaped the band style? And where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the lyrics?
Our own personal struggles... whether having to deal with shit we're currently going through or shit from our past that haunt us. dealing with bullshit every single day from fake people who put up fronts and try to be somebody they're not.
What have you released so far?
A demo that no one's ever really heard and a newer 2 song demo that we handed out at This Is Hardcore 2010.
What is your current label situation?
We are currently on Harvcore out of West Chester, PA and Filled With Hate out of Germany. Both labels have been a great help to us and we appreciate what they've done.
Being a relatively young band, what are some of the road blocks you just remember?
Not having a van REALLY sucks and is holding us back a lot. we hate being the band that has borrow everything when we play far away but it's our only option right now and we're just lucky to have had so many people and bands willing to help us out along the way. we all pretty much live paycheck to paycheck and it's hard to afford the things that would help us the most... but we're trying to make it work the best we can.
What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned in hardcore?
When you're younger, hardcore kinda influences you that your friends are there for you no matter what through everything... then they stab you in the back and let you down. so overall, you realize there aren't many people you can really trust. Just be REAL don't be one of those politically correct, try to be liked by everyone type of people. be 100% yourself and just like anywhere else in your life don't settle for less or let anyone walk all over you.
What are the next steps for the band? Plans, gigs and releases planned for the upcoming months?
We are releasing a full length on Harvcore/FWH "NLFTW"... we are trying to play as many weekends as possible as far out as we can before we go to europe in late may. we will probably record mid to end of summer for either and EP or a handful of splits. sometime in fall or winter we plan to try and do the US for a month (maybe a lil less) with Ruckus.
Domestic War - Ad Noctum
I highly recommend this. This album is fucking great. I admit that xSeventh Daggerx can get repetitive. And i do not love most of Facedown or Strike First, as they tend to get too metal - or too christian. Well, this is hardcore. Straight up and down. Just heavy fucking hardcore.Thick, strong, no bones about it, Metallic SXE HC ("Put the fucking bottle down!")Lyrics are a bit more elaborate than typical SXE platitudes; but the subject matter is the same. Angry, vengeful, bitter, unapologetic lyrics. Killer, vicious riffs; fast to breakdown, kung-fu inspiring madness. I anticipate being scared at a show. And, amongst all these breakdown bands shoving Christian rants down my throat, i applaud Track 7 - decrying the ultimate crutch, that Jesus guy. Also, i like them reppin all 3 X's, and not letting that 3rd one slip. Calling out fools who do not abide to the SXE credo of self-respect. *("Fucking everyone you see. "Don't smoke, Don't Drink, Don't Fuck." - What is it that you don't understand?")
FFO:
More Next Step Up than Strife for song 2; but that goes away. Buried Alive. Path of Resistance on Steroids. xTyrantx and Seventh Star, obviously. Thick as Blood, Figure Four. Harm's Way.
Review by Hutch (Empty Hands blog)
Label: Seventh Dagger
Year: 2011
Band's website
Line Of Scrimmage interview
The new album, Denounced, from these Brooklyn heavyweights has just been released by Filled With Hate and it's must have for all the kids into heavy side of hardcore. The label describes it as a mix of traditional New York beatdown a'la Bulldoze or One Second Thought with the modern sound in vein of Shattered Realm or even First Blood. Check for yourself what bands got to say about these new songs, the mindset behind the album and some other interesting stories!
The new album, Denounced, from these Brooklyn heavyweights has just been released by Filled With Hate and it's must have for all the kids into heavy side of hardcore. The label describes it as a mix of traditional New York beatdown a'la Bulldoze or One Second Thought with the modern sound in vein of Shattered Realm or even First Blood. Check for yourself what bands got to say about these new songs, the mindset behind the album and some other interesting stories!It’s been some time since we heard from Line Of Scrimmage. What has been happening with the band since the split with Enemy Mind came out?
After the split dropped we kinda just wanted to keep writing and thats what we did. We had a few songs that were kinda tossed aside so we figured we would build it from there. Aside from writing and recording we have just been playing as many shows as possible trying to spread the word.
Tell me something about the upcoming release. When it’s gonna drop and what should we expect from it?
Our new release is gunna be called "Denounced". Its currently in the mail and will be in my hands within the next few days. What you can expect is the most raw shit we have put out. We took a look back at our old stuff and saw that theres not much of what we listen to in it. For example i dont like alot of epic metal so this time we focused more on the music we would want to hear instead of settling stuff we arent 100 percent into. This cd is heavier,more pissed of and a huge step up from our previous releases.
What about the lyrics of the new songs? Is there any message you want to get across in your music?
To put it simply this cd is about myself. Alot of bands worry about how tough they look and dont write things that actually have to do with there life. Alot of the songs is me kind of calling myself out for all the wrong i have done and mistakes ive made and trying to use what i have left in me to bounce back from whatever comes my way. Instead of a 20 minute long tough guy record i tried to just go along with what was inside my head. Some songs have different topics but alot of the cd deals with my own personal war with myself.
How it is being on the Filled With Hate label?
Axel has stuck to his word and been very reliable so far. We are glad to have the chance to work with the label. Alot of our friends have put out there music on FWH and it was an easy decision to make.
What is it about beatdown sound that does it for you? What bands do you think are at the forefront of beatdown hardcore genre nowadays?
Most of my favorite bands are not beatdown bands but as you can see our music comes off very heavy and i think its easy to get into the beatdown thing if your looking for something thats in your face. If your talkin about newer bands ide have to say world of pain, ten of swords,lifeless,unit 731 and bands like that. Bands like Bulldoze and Stout are also still going strong and putting younger bands to shame. Im always glad to see alot of activity from the heavy bands.
If there’s one thing that you would want people to know about Line Of Scrimmage, what would it be?
We are here to play music and have people enjoy it without any bullshit. We also love to party and make new friends.
What are some of the moments that stand out to you when thinking back about the band’s history so far?
For me one of the best moments that came from being a part of this band was going to to the west coast and getting a good reaction. I never thought that i would ever get to travel so far for music i make and it was beyond a good time being out there with our boys in CDC. Also getting to do a small tour with first blood was pretty trippy as well.
Gigs are the essence of . What can people expect at your live show?
Alot of energy and violence.
So, apart from the new album, what are some other band’s plans for the future?
We plan to hit the ground running after this and write more. We also plan to come to Europe and do a tour after the cd has been out for alittle while and tour the states as well so look out for that.
Thanks for your time doing this! Anything you would like to add before we finish?
Support all the bands i have mentioned and buy our new cd. By the time you read this it will be available im sure. nyhckev8@aol.com for booking/info
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.
