Seconds Of Peace is a new band from Germany which really impressed me with their debut demo they dropped not so long ago. Those five tracks displayed just the right balance of different influences ranging from classic NYHC to crossover sound, and everything was delivered with force and conviction. So, check out the interview I did with the band lately where they talk about the origins, influences and idea behind the band and some more stories. 
New Blood: Seconds Of Peace
Seconds Of Peace is a new band from Germany which really impressed me with their debut demo they dropped not so long ago. Those five tracks displayed just the right balance of different influences ranging from classic NYHC to crossover sound, and everything was delivered with force and conviction. So, check out the interview I did with the band lately where they talk about the origins, influences and idea behind the band and some more stories. New Blood: Scarred Mind
Germany’s Scarred Mind has just recently released Heavy Mental ep which is sure to make all the fans of heavy hardcore happy. The band takes a lot of correct NYHC influences to create some massive sound. Everything is pretty much in place, from thrash-infused groove parts to vicious breakdowns. Aggressive but well thought out music with the right attitude. The guys were kind enough to answer couple of my questions so check it out!New Blood: Drowning
Drowning is a new Chicago-based band that delivers that sweet metallic hardcore that makes you wanna start some violence. Guys are about to drop new EP on BadAss Records and since we’re always down to support the young talent, here’s the interview with Bryan (vocals) who explains what’s the idea behind the band and what to expect from the upcoming release. New Blood: Bad Terms
Game On, the latest output of the West Virginia-based Bad Terms, has been on constant rotation all day for me and I still can’t get enough of this shit. Menacing and dark hardcore that delivers some serious heavy-ass groove. Show hardworking band some love and like their page, go to their gigs or just listen to the demo!
Game On, the latest output of the West Virginia-based Bad Terms, has been on constant rotation all day for me and I still can’t get enough of this shit. Menacing and dark hardcore that delivers some serious heavy-ass groove. Show hardworking band some love and like their page, go to their gigs or just listen to the demo!For those that don’t know you, please introduce yourself and tell us where you’re from? How was the band formed?
The band consist of Trent, Nick, Tj, Eric and Bozeman. We are from Huntington west Virginia. We started in late 2010 and our first show was with OUTBREAK in our home town on feb 1st 2011. The band formed in a garage after most of us had broken ties from our previous bands. A few of us had been in bands together over the years.
Game On sounds fucking powerful, there’s lot of anger and hate in these songs. What were your major influences when writing this stuff?
When you live in a city such as Huntington WV you learn a lot about life and how you don’t have to live in a big city and know people just to play hardcore. And when we see all these little kids with their parents money only going to fest and not coming to local shows it sucks because when we were growing up we only went to local shows.
Do you guys have a certain aim when it comes to your sound?
We just want people to enjoy what we like to listen to. We are a hardcore band and just want people to bang their heads.
Who writes the lyrics and how important is the message to you?
Nick our vocalist writes most of them with some insight of the rest of us. They mean to world to us. Were not trying to send any messages, we want people to know what we go through and the struggle that we battle every day.
You did a tour across East Coast recently with No Zodiac and No Regrets. How did it go?
Both of those bands are solid dudes and have our upmost respect for what they do. It was a successful 6 day tour and everyone that helped us through it, we owe the world to.
How is hardcore doing in Huntington, WV? Any favorite bands from out there right now?
Hardcore around here use to be awesome, our scene has died over the years like most. There is still people that book shows and know what its about. we as a band have played with just about every band we could ever want to in our hometown. Its really just us and a band our guitar player Trent plays in now called Hard Times that just the locals.
What is the hardest thing about being in a band?
Working full time jobs and being able to get on the road to get our music out to the world. Its takes money to get to places and we all work hard as fuck to get to where we need to be.
What’s the most underrated hardcore band in the history?
Under One Flag and Forfeit.
What are the plans for the band in the near future?
To tour as much as possible and write our new lp for the fall of 2012
Last words or shout outs?
Our last words will be, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Fuck the world. Shout outs to: Hard Times, David Dunlap, Jacob Westfall, No Zodiac, No Regrests, Mind Crimes.
Pics by Drew Mistak
New Blood: Impulse CV
Impulse reps vibrant Chula Vista scene and if you like hardcore that’s raw and fast, their demo should be on heavy rotation right now. Here’s a short interview which should shed some light about what this about, what are some other bands from CV to follow and some other shit you might find interesting.
Impulse reps vibrant Chula Vista scene and if you like hardcore that’s raw and fast, their demo should be on heavy rotation right now. Here’s a short interview which should shed some light about what this about, what are some other bands from CV to follow and some other shit you might find interesting.There is not much info about the band on your FB page so tell us what Impulse CV is all about? How long the band has been around? What is the line-up?
We got together in summer 2007 while were still in high school and took a long hiatus after 2 years of playing shows off and on. Back then the lineup was Alberto Aguilar on guitar, Alex Alvaro on drums, Guam on bass, and Nick Gonzalez on vocals. We just got back together this summer with a different bass player, MASON HATTTAM.
Is this your first band or have you been in other bands?
Yeah, this is our first band. We also share most of our members with SLEEP WALK which was started shortly after Impulse’s break.
Tell us something about your first demo. I dig your style which is all about playing it fast and fucking angry. What influenced you most when writing this stuff?
Old school hardcore, Infest and Straight Ahead.
Chicano Violence – is the any deeper meaning behind the title?
It’s the title of one of our songs and the vocalist felt like it was necessary to pay homage to the fact that our scene is mostly composed of first generation immigrant families from Mexico and the Philippines.
The pissed off and somehow pessimistic lyrics make the package complete. Where does it come from?
Our vocalist Nick committed suicide before the bands third show back in 07. But he’s ok now. BADASS. Some of his songs were written before and some after the fact.
Is there anything you’d like listeners to get from your music?
Nothing. Just making free music for the dawgs, take it or leave it.
Take Offense is the band that put Chula Vista on the map for the folks like me who didn’t even know the place exists before Tables Will Turn came out. Do they get much support from the local scene and how do you think it helps other bands out there to get attention?
Yeah the local scene in Chula Vista and most of San Diego have always supported Take Offense. Our scene is tight as fuck and better than everyone else’s.
So, what are some of the bands, zines and labels from your local scene kids should check out?
Mind disease records, 1039 records, SLEEP WALK, DEADWEIGHT/BACKSTABBER, STOPPING POWER, DOWN AGAIN, DEADLINED, TANTIVE IV, THE ROSICRUCIANS, COLD STARE, P$O, Linkletter and a bunch more we forgot.
And how is living in Chula Vista like? What are some places to go, things to see?
Boobs, Burritos, and Mexicans. Go to Tijuana and check out Zona Norte. Sexta y Revolucion, and of course Lolitas on Telegraph.
As a band, what do you want to achieve over the next 2 or 3 years?
We don’t think that far ahead. We just want to get one more release in before this summer is over and our guitarist joins the air force and our vocalist goes to school up north.
Anything you’d like to add?
Pregnant bitches shouldn’t drink Monster energy drinks.
New Blood: Ante Up
Things seem to be going good for Ante Up in 2012. After couple of years of hiatus, the band got their shit together, started playing shows and released 3 song demo called ‘Prelude To Hell’ which sets the bar high when it comes to that heavy, streetwise Detroit hardcore. The new full length ‘See You In Hell’ is planned to drop this year, and judging by the three songs already available, it’s gonna be hell of a record. Here’s an interview with Matt C who handles guitar duties for the band.
New Blood: Life For A Life
Life For A Life are couple of dudes from Cali who are really pissed off at the world right now and did the best thing to do when you’re in such situation – started a hardcore band. Two demos released last year were promising, but when the band put out the Identity EP I knew this shit is serious. Tight as hell hardcore that delivers a perfect mix of groove and heaviness. This is interview I did with the singer, Jabril, just before the EP was released. Make sure you check Identity out after reading this interview!
Life For A Life are couple of dudes from Cali who are really pissed off at the world right now and did the best thing to do when you’re in such situation – started a hardcore band. Two demos released last year were promising, but when the band put out the Identity EP I knew this shit is serious. Tight as hell hardcore that delivers a perfect mix of groove and heaviness. This is interview I did with the singer, Jabril, just before the EP was released. Make sure you check Identity out after reading this interview!Tell us something about Life For A Life? Where do you come from ad how did the band originally get together?
Life For A Life is a Hardcore Punk band from Lancaster, Ca. We originally started as a 5 piece band in Jan. of 2010 with two vocalist. Christian Resendez and Jabril Ward singing, Dylan Frye playing bass, Brennen Mann on guitar, and Charlie Marotta playing the drums. Our current line-up is Jabril Ward singing, Cole Patterson on Bass, Brennen Mann on guitar, Charlie Marotta on drums, and recently we added another addition to the band, Rene Resendez who is Christian's older brother
Identity is brand new song from LFAL and it serves as a teaser for the upcoming EP. Wanna tell us something about it? How representative is this song to the rest of the material?
The single Identity was released in March of 2012 and is also the name of our EP set to be released in late May of 2012. The song on it's own is about walking forward into the unknown future. Without the knowledge of who you are, and what you stand for, the point of view on your own "identity" is altered. The past of someone does indeed define a man. The EP can be looked at as a story being told by a youthful mind. The EP "Identity" hopefully can be relatable to many listeners based off the fact that everyone does have the fear of the future. We can't wait for the EP to drop, and can't wait to hear feedback from fans.
There seem to be a lot of NYHC influences in your sound. What are some of the bands you draw your inspiration from?
The single Identity was released in March of 2012 and is also the name of our EP set to be released in late May of 2012. The song on it's own is about walking forward into the unknown future. Without the knowledge of who you are, and what you stand for, the point of view on your own "identity" is altered. The past of someone does indeed define a man. The EP can be looked at as a story being told by a youthful mind. The EP "Identity" hopefully can be relatable to many listeners based off the fact that everyone does have the fear of the future. We can't wait for the EP to drop, and can't wait to hear feedback from fans.
Do you think that the lyrics and the message in LFAL are of the same importance as the music?
We definitely do believe that the lyrics are as important as the music. Hardcore isn't just a sound, but it's a lifestyle. If you are able to preach your personally experiences with it, then your message will reach out to many kids.
I am kinda curious is there any deeper story behind the band’s name? It sounds quite serious.
Hahaha. The band name. This is a question we get a lot. The name LIFE FOR A LIFE started out as a phrase that we use to use in high school. Our vocalist Jabril is an only child and values friendship very much. He wanted the security of friendship, as well as giving out the same security. We all made a pact to stick together no matter what, and we would throw the phrase around once up against the wall. It eventually turned into the band's name, and it became known very quickly in our town.
You guys played with plenty of well established bands, from Donnybrook to Madball to Trapped Under Ice. Is there a lot of pressure opening for bands like these and how supportive are kids to up and coming bands like yours?
Opening up for major bands such as Madball and Trapped Under Ice is indeed very nerve wrecking, but pressure is everywhere in life. Sometimes you have to just brush off the thoughts of self-doubt and give it your all. We believe that you only get one chance to shine, and that chance is now. Usually the kids in our home town scene and local areas are very supportive. Sometimes it feels like the pressure slowly leans off of us the more we play shows. We start to see familiar faces each time, and it starts to feel like home wherever we are.
What bands would you like to play with in the future?
Even though we are susceptible to play with any band no matter the genre or location. We could all agree that playing a show with Terror would be a great pleasure. Just the energy that they bring to every show they play is so exciting. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that.
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?
Advice that we would give to anyone new getting into hardcore is that the best thing to do is let down your guard, open your eyes, relax, and get ready to be understood by a wave of people from different places, different past, different futures, but all the same shoes.
What are your favorite current hardcore bands?
Record labels to check out would be 6131 records here in California, Reaper Records in New York, and some smaller labels such as Life to Live in Florida & Learn to Trust in Malaysia. Currently some of our favorite Hardcore bands would be Fire & Ice, Backtrack, Rotting Out, Downpresser and many more. Bands that should be checked out would have to be Down Fall from down here in Lancaster, Always Try from down here in Lancaster, Relations from Oxnard, The Black Path from Lake Elsinore, Iron Grip from Denver, and Losin' It from Florida.
What are your hopes and dreams for the future of the band?
We hope to show fans that no matter their thoughts, that they are never alone in life. We also want to spread Hardcore music and the lifestyle as far out as possible to different people no matter their ethnicity, faith, and point of views.
Check out band's Bandcamp
New Blood: World In Decline
A new force to reckon with if you’re into heavy-ass hardcore delivered with finesse and witty skills. And when it’s coupled with hard-edged vocals which spit nothing but no-bullshit real-life stories, the package is complete. World In Decline succeeds in combining street-smart attitude that’s some important in hardcore with deeper message to stay awake to the ways of the world. This is interview with Jason who handles guitar duties in the band. “Frustration is what we capture because we know that there are people like us who just need to get it out and we honestly don’t feel like singing and holding hands is a good way to show that.” If that quote does not convince you to continue reading, you’re on a wrong website.
A new force to reckon with if you’re into heavy-ass hardcore delivered with finesse and witty skills. And when it’s coupled with hard-edged vocals which spit nothing but no-bullshit real-life stories, the package is complete. World In Decline succeeds in combining street-smart attitude that’s some important in hardcore with deeper message to stay awake to the ways of the world. This is interview with Jason who handles guitar duties in the band. “Frustration is what we capture because we know that there are people like us who just need to get it out and we honestly don’t feel like singing and holding hands is a good way to show that.” If that quote does not convince you to continue reading, you’re on a wrong website.Could you give us a rundown on World In Decline – who is who, how did you guys get together and what was the reason to start a band?
World In Decline is myself (Jason)- guitar, My little brother Eric on Vocals for his first time singing in any band. Tom C –guitar, and Nick on Drums not his first band but his first time playing in an HC band. We had a bassist (Tom J), but he decided to leave on his own. He is a good dude, he just has other priorities. He rec. on the EP as well though.
The way we got together is kind of cool I guess. Almost like a script for a cheesy movie haha. My current other band Reckless has been kind of on the outs and our singer also plays bass in Rude Awakening(sick band) full time now, so I was looking to start my own thing and give it one last balls to the wall effort.
I am from Waltham MA which is a city right out outside of Boston. This chick who I have been lifelong friends with graduated college and had the usual grad party with friends and fam in our hometown. Her cousin showed up with her boyfriend at the time (Tom C )and it turns out he played guitar and was in bands and we kind of traded stories. We ended up just talking about music and life for most of the night and I told him about how I was trying to start something and he was right with me on it. After that I remember that my little brother would always bother me about trying to start something, but I was always busy with other bands…… so I asked him if he would want to sing and his response was as if I handed him a million dollars. So that is three members down.
Tom and I then discussed drummers because they always seem to be the tricky ones or have an ass ache about something. Maybe it is because they have the most equipment to carry I don’t know but anyway we found our drummer (Nick P) and the kid is a machine. He never played this style before and he just is constantly blending his background with funk/jazz and making us sound unique. He has the best attitude you could ask for. Tom J the former bassist was a good friend I approached for the last piece and was a kid I met from some mutual friends in college. We all mesh very well and have gotten about 10x better since the EP. The music has given us a friendship that spreads beyond the band, We sort of have a get together of friends down in Middleboro every weekend where we practice now and consider all our friends WID members because a lot of times they will be at a practice and give feedback. Two kid’s that especially help out are Mike and KC. It’s crazy because every weekend the group seems to get bigger and bigger and we are really grateful to be surrounded by so much positivity right now.
I dig the demo you guys put out just recently. It’s violent and heavy, just the way I like hardcore. What type of response have you been getting so far?
A lot of people seem to dig it. Some of the first responses I got which I have never heard before in bands I’ve been in was about potential. People dug what we did and said keep it up because it is only going to get better. I took that as a huge compliment and also being compared to Buried Alive at least 10 times haha. I tend to like heavier Hardcore and everyone will have different opinions of genres but I consider us an HC band. I also recognize and respect older more traditional styles of HC, but I like my music to be crushing so you won’t really catch me jamming out to Bad Brains or Slapshot. I am actually a huge Devourment fan to be honest.
Force Fed paints a pretty bleak portrait of life in the USA and the social and current political and social situation over there. Could you expand on this topic? What are some of the things that are most fucked up right now out there? Any hope for the change for better with the upcoming elections? What are your thoughts on that?
My first thoughts on that were complete surprise on my brother’s writing ability and lyrics themselves. Eric is 5 years younger than me and we are very close. We both have intense personalities and have the ability to understand and empathize with most people, but we also seem to have similar opinions of disgust with how the world works. Knowing my brother it was still very surprising to see how well he was writing lyrics and the thought he was putting into them such as this song.
To put this song in simple terms I think people are honestly just tired of trying to have hope in a world where that’s all it is. Hope, Trust, Change, are all tainted words used not only by politicians but most people. Also, did you ever notice how every time there is a crisis in our own country we always get distracted by something stupid like knitting sweaters for whales or something completely Insane. America gets captivated by so much stupid shit, but we can’t even fix ourselves, because we all have 2 second memories and yearn for attention from social media. Everyone’s mouth has turned into a second asshole in this country basically and everyone wants to be serious about the stupid things like how offensive it is to tell a poop joke. The people we look up to are letting us down and we are letting ourselves down. Most people will never stray from their social groups and I feel like playing in a band and seeing all walks of life and trying new things have really helped make me street smart, which is hard to say for a lot of people. I think my bro is just tired of seeing the same ignorance we all see, and the blame get tossed around, while the problems continue to worsen in any aspect of life whether it is politics or shitty friends or even catching yourself slipping. We all just need to man the fuck up sometimes and come to terms with things.
Is there a theme that runs throughout your lyrics in general? Is there anything you hope listeners to take away from your music?
Again I will try to speak on my bro’s behalf and the band’s the best I can because we have all talked about this a few times. We have all had more than your usual trials in life. Most of us have all had near death experiences which is also weird about us forming this band together. We have seen the very shittiest parts of life that you could possibly witness without being in a war probably. This comes from our own stories and other’s that have come in and out of our lives and influenced us. Some might say yea right, but there are bad areas and bad stories everywhere, even in the most prestigious/glorified areas there is always something dark that has happened. I think with our lyrics we tend to focus on the pain life brings but only as a way of venting. Everyone feels extreme emotion and I think it is a beautiful thing to let out on stage with a bunch of pissed off kids who need an outlet for a couple of hours, but these are the same kids who are most likely to hold a door open for an old lady or who are the first to welcome you at a party or something which speaks miles to how people perceive things. Frustration is what we capture because we know that there are people like us who just need to get it out and we honestly don’t feel like singing and holding hands is a good way to show that.
What inspired you to become a part hardcore scene and how long have you been in the scene? Do you have an particularly good stories connected with hardcore - great shows, awful shows, stupid stuff, etc, that you'd like to share?
Since being in Reckless I have been intensely immersed in the scene for about 3 years, but recently took a step back to work on this band. I have played in bands since 8th grade and on. I am 24 now so I have gotten to jam with some good guys who only helped me get better. I played in a metalcore band in high school called Whispers Shatter the Air and we got decent recognition and we got to play with The Acacia Strain. I just remember thinking how cool that was that I could play a show with one of my favorite bands and then not only watch them but have the singer give me the mic to scream in. It was just crazy to me and seeing everyone flip out was just so awesome. So after that band I was hooked, but didn’t really understand the genre differences until I got older. I would always mix up metal and HC which didn’t really matter. I know kid’s always do that now and get shit for it haha. It’s all heavy guys! So my transition from being more metal influenced to HC was when I had a bad accident as a laborer where my left hand got crushed on a job site by a front end loader. I had to jump out of the way because the guy let go of the brakes when I was chaining something to the bucket of the machine and the first thing I moved was my head but my hand got caught and crushed/ severed to pieces. The first thing I heard in the ER was amputation, but there was a hand specialist there and he wanted to try and save it because he heard I played guitar and 14 hrs that day and about 20 hrs total he did. It was very hard to move at first but then after a few months I got the itch to play guitar and slowly re -taught myself finger by finger. Then I had the sudden urge to start or join a band again, found these guys in an HC band called Few and Proud which we later turned into Reckless after I joined and A few months after that got picked up by Frequency Deleted Records out of Western Ma.
My best show moment was playing my first show in Few and Proud with Death Threat and the pit was crazy for us and it just felt so good to be back at it again. Haha and the ambulance had to come for our set too.
Also a crazy side note to this is that the other guitarist in WID, Tom C, burnt his hands really bad right before we made this band and together we have a lot of scars haha.
As far as the hardcore scene goes, what do you think about the current state of it?
The Hardcore Scene is on a definite upswing and has been being supplemented with some of the best bands to ever step on a stage right now in my opinion. This is the Revival era of HC and is where all of us will make our stamp. The sense of unity is back.
Whats playing on your stereo the most at the moment?
Surprisingly,
God Forbid-Determination, Also There is this slam band from overseas called Abominable Putridity that I am really into.
As far as Hardcore I am loving War Hound right now, and then Backtrack, First Blood, This is Hell, Terror, Shai Hulud, Incendiary, Rock Bottom, Suburban Scum, and new Stick to Your Guns (which surprised me) seem to have a good amount of play in my car as of late.
My go to album though for the past 2 years has been Oceano-Depths. That cd is just magic to me. So pissed and so good.
My all time favorite bands are The Acacia Strain and Devourment.
Tell us something about South Shore, MA? What are things to do or see over there? What are some other hardcore bands from your area people should give a try?
The band practices in Middleboro and it is a lot different then what I am used, being located right next to Boston where I am from. There is so much land there haha. Everyone has there niches there just like anywhere, it’s just shit is spanned out way more. We also chose so say south shore at the time because out bassist was from Quincy so he was the tie breaker.
The Home Base for any good MA band is Anchor’s up in Haverhill MA which is up North towards NH. So many good bands come out of and are a result of the Valley. Since I have been a part of it, Anchor’s Up has turned from just a venue to a brotherhood as well, Everyone is welcome there and everyone goes off to all the bands and pays respect. Just talking about it I miss it because I haven’t been there in a month or two since the Carriers last show there, before they played the Lido in Revere. I hope that World In Decline’s first show will be there, because I have had a lot of fun playing in Reckless at that Venue and have a lot of friends there.
Bands to watch out for are: Rude Awakening, Black Sheep, Hostage, Revenge, Apes of Wrath, Dry Heave, Colony, Abomination, Anti-Venom, East Beast, Word For Word, Street Sweeper, The Fake Boys, Powerwolves and The Bonus Army.
Also Labels that always give back to the scene and bust their ass are Frequency Deleted Records, Arrest Records, Shoe City Records, and RTF Records.
What future holds for World In Decline? I’ve heard you have started working on new songs already, what should we gear up for?
Honestly, The new shit is really good and I feel for the first time it’s something that will be able to stand on its own without me having to be like well we weren’t sure about this or we should of did that. Our first recordings we knew were only a stepping stone and it was just to get some shit out there and make a first attempt. We took a serious listen to the EP and all knew where we could improve and what we wanted to do and it has been a crazy change. We have so much fun with it and know the potential is there to make a monster. These next three songs are what will define our true start and help us make our mark.
Thanx for the interview, any last words?
If you hide behind a group you’re a coward.
Anyone who gave a shit about this interview and music in general- Thank you
And to you man, what you do for bands, fans, and and anyone who enjoys music, we appreciate it more than you know, so thank you for giving my band and many other bands a chance to be seen and heard.
World In Decline will be starting to play shows in the beginning of summer and recording 3 new songs around the end of this May so be on the lookout and add us on FB to follow us.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/World-In-Decline/190917647681682
New Blood: 9th Step Interview
9th Step is a relatively young band out of Salem, Oregon that brings straight in your face music which draws as much from the roughest classic hardcore sound as from the meanest punk rock. So you can hear in their music familiar elements from bands like Agnostic Front or Negative Approach and even Discharge or Last Resort. Even if they are not at the level of any of those bands yet, they still go hard tho. I hope every one of you has checked their demo which we recently uploaded, Tear Me Down track is a banger plus you get ACAB cover as a bonus.
9th Step is a relatively young band out of Salem, Oregon that brings straight in your face music which draws as much from the roughest classic hardcore sound as from the meanest punk rock. So you can hear in their music familiar elements from bands like Agnostic Front or Negative Approach and even Discharge or Last Resort. Even if they are not at the level of any of those bands yet, they still go hard tho. I hope every one of you has checked their demo which we recently uploaded, Tear Me Down track is a banger plus you get ACAB cover as a bonus.First off, tell us something about 9th Step. Who is who in the band and how long you've been around?
The idea of the band and where we all met was at a local (Salem, Oregon) all ages venue called the Wasteland. It was owned by a guy named Jared and a few others it wasn't like most venues it became like everyone's home and everyone became friends. Unfortunately, it had to close due to financial reasons.
9th Step is like a mix of a few of the bands played there. I, Tony Morse, came up with the name 9th Step because the 9th step of any "12 step program" is to make amends. I felt this would fit because everyone in the band past and present has gone threw some shit, done some fucked up things, and all you can do at the end of the day is try to make amends. I'd like to clarify that we are not an straight edge band. The line up is Tony Morse (vox) Austin Zepeda (drums) Andy Dornon (bass) Steve Smith (guitar.) I'd also like to thank past members who got the ball rolling Hyatt, "Spoon" and Sam. We have only been a full line up and playing shows since December 2011.
9th Step is heavily influenced by some of my favorite bands like Blood For Blood, Madball or Discipline. What draws you to that type of sound in particular?
Blood For Blood is personally my favorite hardcore band it embodies everything I love about music. The dual vocals work with each other perfectly, their hatred and contempt for society, and the music flows so well while staying so raw. That's where I draw a lot of my influence. But the theme behind all those bands is their raw old school, to the point, and draw a lot of influence from "oi" music, which I like hence; ACAB the 4 Skins cover. We basically take influence from all referent types of heavier music.
What about the lyrical content? Where do you go for inspiration?
Mostly feelings of struggle and oppression, battling with my own morals and with who I want to be. As well as many other social subjects but that's the basis of it.
Playing in a hardcore band can be rough, what gets you going to run 9th Step and how do you manage to balance personal responsibilities with the band?
Music is the only thing that I've really gave a fuck about, so I stay pretty motivated with managing responsibilities. We are not so good at this, Double A, Austin, and I are all jobless not counting random hustles of course. Steve is really good at this, he has a job, a girlfriend, and 3 bands I don't know how he pulls it off but I admire him for it.
What aspect or which band embodies the best of what's happening in hardcore currently?
There is a lot going on, but I would have to say Terror. They are always on tour, always putting out good albums one after the other, and keeping it raw and real! No fluff no gimmicks all while staying humble they deserve every drop of recognition they're getting.
And what embodies the worst aspect of hardcore scene of today?
Unnecessary violence! None of us are pacifists, but when it gets venues shut down and cops called its not cool, just take it down the street!
What are some other bands from Oregon you’re down with?
Get Wise (Hardcore/Punk) and Tides (Hardcore) are very promising new bands from Eugene! Proven and The Athiarchists, are also awesome bands. We played a few shows with a band called Buck Williams from Portland. Very good stuff. They deserve a lot more recognition! We also got all our Salem bands most of which not hardcore but homies all the same; Fuzzy Thunder (Psychedelic Stoner Rock) Skatter Bomb (Ska Punk,) Neversleep (Metal,) Tetramorphic (Metal,) ect.
This one is going to be hard, but what are the most defining albums in hardcore history in your opinion?
I don't know about defining but I'll put some albums that define hardcore for me; Agnostic Front: Another Voice, Blood For Blood: Revenge on Society, and Vietnom Death: Is the Outcome. There is a compilation album called The Worldwide Tribute To The Real Oi Volume 1 and 2. There are amazing Agnostic Front, Cocksparrer, Madball, Last Resort, Sick of It All, and Blood For Blood albums, the list just goes on!
Can you remember what the first hardcore record you bought was?
The first hardcore vinyl I bought was agnostic front Live at CBGB's.
Thanks for your time doing this! Anything you would like to add before we finish?
Hey thank you man your website is a real public service for bands, and your judgment and reviews are spot on. Everyone keep an eye out for our full length demo coming in the next few months. For the readers check out our Facebook. The demo is free in the download section of this sight. Thanks and as always, Fuck the police.
New Blood: Tirade
London has for long been a breeding ground to some of the hardest bands in Europe. Not only big city life creates a need for creative release of everyday anger, stress and frustration, but also the presence of notorious bands like Knuckledust, Ninebar or TRC creates a good environment for this type of sound. Tirade is one of the newest addition to London scene having been around since 2010, although the guys involved in the project have been active in number of household bands like Injury Time and Ninebar. Here’s what Tom, who does vocals for the Tirade, had to say in an interview we did recently.
London has for long been a breeding ground to some of the hardest bands in Europe. Not only big city life creates a need for creative release of everyday anger, stress and frustration, but also the presence of notorious bands like Knuckledust, Ninebar or TRC creates a good environment for this type of sound. Tirade is one of the newest addition to London scene having been around since 2010, although the guys involved in the project have been active in number of household bands like Injury Time and Ninebar. Here’s what Tom, who does vocals for the Tirade, had to say in an interview we did recently.Listening to the demo it sounds like the band was born out of a fascination with the raw and heavy side of hardcore music – can you tell me about that?
Well we originally came together with the aim of playing heavy mid tempo hardcore. Over the course of writing our first 6 songs our sound has strayed a bit from that, but as you can tell we definitely are influenced by some of the older dark and heavy bands eg Sheer Terror, Breakdown, Merauder.
This is some of the stuff that really got me deep into HC back in the 90s. Of course as you can probably hear we have some elements of more typical straight up HC and maybe a couple of beatdown type moments too, that definitely describes what we are into as a band.
How would you describe the lyrical content of the first demo? Is there any advice or knowledge that you would like to get across to the listeners?
The first demo lyrics are all quite personal, dealing with topics such as overcoming everyday struggles, people who are all talk and image but no action, growing older and more disillusioned, fighting against whatever holds you back. So not really looking to put across too much of a specific message with my lyrics, they are a vent for the experiences, frustrations and realities of everyday life and about getting beyond them, something I think everyone can relate to.
London hardcore has always been a breeding ground for heavy, tight sounding bands. What do you attribute it to?
Don't know really, some pretty diverse bands have come from London and continue to emerge, but I guess acts like 50 Caliber, BDF and in more recent years Prowler have been instrumental in exposing the metallic beatdown style that our city became notorious for. Newer bands like Crippler seem to be keeping this sound going for the next generation. You are definitely right in thinking there is an affection for the heavier end of things here!
The other thing about London based bands is the longevity of the bands, something not that common among other scenes. You have Knuckledust as a good example. It deserves respect, especially taking under consideration the high cost of living in London. What’s your opinion about it?
We have a core of older heads in London, of which I am proud to say I am one, who have been going to shows and playing in at least one if not more bands for well over a decade with no sign of quitting, that's what I would attribute the longevity of many London bands to.
Knuckledust are definitely an inspiration and I am proud to say Tirade's first show was their 15 year anniversary show, an amazing night for many reasons. I guess their consistency and dedication as well as that of other bands helps to keep the spotlight on London.
Can you recall any challenges you faced while balancing the personal life with being part of hardcore?
Its an ongoing challenge, balancing life, work and relationships with rehearsing, recording and playing shows, obviously I spend a lot of time looking at schedules so that we can book practices as we are still writing new material. We are all older guys who still devote lots of time to HC so we have outside pressures like work or looking for work, and our guitarist Si will be getting married in a few months.
So everything we do has an element of challenge in it, we are all fully committed to Tirade though so all these outside pressures are just something we have to deal with in order to further ourselves as a band, we will never let them get in the way of something we love.
Have you ever felt like giving up? What kept you going?
Not sure if you mean giving up on life in general or HC? I guess the two are linked very closely in my case, hardcore really has always kept me going and given me something to look forward to. I love to play, write or just go to shows and this has stayed constant with age, continuing to inspire me along with the obvious things like family and friends.
Do you remember what stirred the desire to be in hardcore band in you?
That is going back a while, I guess it was the mid 90s when everyone in London was quite new to hardcore, first getting to know each other, realising what was possible and making connections. The whole 'support your scene, Do it yourself' aspect of hardcore was fresh in everyones minds and it was a very different time to now.
As for nowadays and what started Tirade, we are all good friends and longtime hardcore fans who spend plenty of time together anyway, our bassist Paulie, drummer Ammo and guitarist Si had been jamming together in one way or another for a while, I was looking for something else to get involved in having finished the new Nine Bar album, and we first got together and started writing in November 2010.
Do you still follow any new bands in the scene? What are some UK bands we should check out?
Yes of course, both on a UK level and also worldwide I am always keen to hear new bands.
In the UK I would urge people to check out all the Rucktion Records acts such as my other band Nine Bar, also Kartel and Diction who both have new releases in the works, Chains of Hate who have a split CD with Surge of Fury about to drop, as well as True valliance, Deathskulls, Prowler, Injury Time.
Cold hard truth and Pay the Price are some other bands from around the UK I would definitely recommend.
What are the plans for the band? What should we except from Tirade in the future?
We plan to keep on writing, we already have a couple of new songs well on the way to being ready so we are at the early stages of thinking about a followup release. Also hoping to play as many shows as possible in 2012. I'm also gonna be designing shirts in the next few weeks.
