Summer of Hate '09

Summer of Hate '09
Saturday July 11th @ The Vineyard in Kent, Oh

Expect the same as always... the hardest bands form NEOH/Western PA region plus some of the best HC bands the rest of the US has to offer for a reasonable price... plus all the BBQ you can handle. The show is right around the corner from Samoan Rob's DEFIANCE TATTOOS so there will be plenty of BBQ and fun!

Confirmed To Appear:
STOUT (MD)
CROWD DETERRENT (OH)
KNOW THE SCORE (FL)
BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT (IN)
CONVICTED (IL)
AMERICAN WEREWOLVES (OH)
SUBURBAN SCUM (NJ)
TASTE THE STEEL (PA)
NO END IN SIGHT (MN)
ENEMY MIND (PA)
EMPIRE (OH)
DEATHRIGHT (PA)
NOT WITHOUT RESISTANCE (PA)
THROUGH TRIALS (KY)
RELENTLESS (MN)
Plus Special 2 Guests!!!

MORE INFO: http://www.myspace.com/summerofhate2009

Eden Demise

'You know, we ve been through a lot of shit all these years, so the album title is more like a statement, a message to all these people who caused us so many problems. Something like 'Go fuck yourselves! We are takin' over!'...

First of all, congratulations on the new record. I’ve been listening to this stuff for some time now and I’m definitely feeling this album. So how long did it take you to put it together, and how do you feel about the results?
Thanx bro, i m glad you like our stuff! We started working the songs for the album right after we released the "Scars of a shattered world" EP and we entered the studio in June 2008. We are 100% satisfied from the results! Everything went better than we expected.

If you had to advertise the new album to somebody who never heard of Eden Demise, what would you say to them? What do you feel you’re bringing to the hardcore world and what separates you from the next band?
Well, The Takeover gives nine tracks of furious hardcore with thrashy riffs, urban grooves and heavy as hell breakdowns! We made an album that we'd like to listen. After all we are fans ourselves so we d like to create something that could make us bang our heads! I believe that we made a tight hardcore album, and although our influences are obvious, it's absolutely Eden Demise.

What can people expect from The Takeover and what does the name represent?
They can expect straight, in your face, brutal beatdown hardcore! You know, we ve been through a lot of shit all these years, so the album title is more like a statement, a message to all these people who caused us so many problems. Something like "Go fuck yourselves! We are takin' over!"


Lyrically, your album doesn’t fall into one category. There are some personal songs, as well as some political stuff. So what's the message you are sending through your music?
I have some personal lyrics with battle attitude. As i told you before, i had to express some negative feelings cause we ve been through tough times. On the other hand i wanted to share my thougts about where this world is heading. We live in "organized" societies and we are forced to follow a specific life model without knowing that we are forced. We are like the chained dog. You give it some hugs and some food and it s happy. It s happy cause it doesn't know how is to be free. Anyway, the message in general is simple. Respect yourself so you can respect others. Thats the start of everything. From being a better person to changing the world.

You guys use a variety of influences, from hip hop to rap. What are some key elements and influences that have shaped the band over the years?
Look, we all listen to hip hop a lot. We also do shows with local hip hop bands. But what really made us want to play this kind of music is that late 90s /00s sound, from bands who merged thrash riffs with ultra heavy breaks and kept their hardcore attitude without being metal! Bands like Shattered Realm, Stampin' Ground, Shockwave, Kickback, Figure Four etc.

Do you think that taking influences from the other genres is something hardcore needs in order to stay fresh?
I think that hardcore music have been always related with other genres like metal or hip hop. From Madball and Biohazard who put some metallic riffs and rap style vocals, to all these Slayer influenced beatdown hardcore bands. After all, Hardcore is about attitude, not just a music genre!

How did your relationship with On The Attack Records come about?
We really wanted an underground hardcore label with respect for the scene and the bands. The guys from On The Attack are very cool and they have some really awesome bands in their roster so when they told us that they were intersted in releasing our album we made the deal. Nice and simple!

How would you compare your first EP, Scars Of A Shattered World” to your first full-length album The Takeover?
First of all The takeover was recorded, mixed and mastered more professionally and that's obvious! I think The takeover is more aggressive, more brutal, more tight. Although I like them both, and some of the EP's tracks are my favorite, it s like comparing a Ford Mustang with a Fiat Punto!

Where do you think the hardcore scene is heading? What's next for the scene?
I guess that hardcore is getting more brutal, more aggressive and heavier. Beatdown, beatdown, beatdown!

How do you feel about the state of Greek hardcore? And who do you think are the best bands from your area?
Actually we don't really have a solid hardcore scene in Greece just people and few bands who are tryin to create one. We have noumerous great acts who play extreme metal, death metal, sludge, metalcore etc but not hardcore. But the efforts are really hard and more and more kids are getting into that whole hardcore thing.

How did you get into the hardcore scene in the first place? What are some of the bands you were listening then?
I used to listen to a lot of hip hop, thrash metal stuff like Slayer and Vio-lence and some hardcore stuff like Biohazard, Madball, Agnostic Front when i was at school. But the band that really blew me away and put me for good in Hardcore scene was Kickback with their "Forever war" album. That stuff made me see the world different! For real!


Having song like Chains Of Slavery and Self-Destructive World, how do you feel about the recent riots in Greece?
The occasion for the riots was the murder of a 15 years old teenager by a cop. But it wasn t the only reason. Economic scandals and cases of political corruption had come to light recently. The government was falling apart. Our education is going from bad to worse, and the period before the murder incident, Police was uncontrolled and officers were acting like a bunch of bullies by harassing young people and making unreasonable arrests. All these things brought people to the edge and led them to act violently against everything. The question is if after all these street fights with the Police and destruction, things are goin' better. Actually the results are more surveillance cameras in the streets, more police power, more "control". That leads us to the conclusion that every action has its consequences and every move you make, someone will try to use it against you. That doesn't mean that we have to stay and watch without doin' anything, just that we have to think twice before we act and consider the consequences. That doesn't mean though, the message hasn't been delivered. What happened these days is something that the government should keep in mind seriously. They have to know that people are not blind and patience has its limits!

Any final thoughts or statements for the readers at Old School Hate?
Have your eyes open, support your local scene and don't forget to get "The takeover"!! Stay safe, cheers!!

Eden Demise at myspace

Dead Vows - Bad Blood

Dead Vows - Bad Blood
Refoundation 2008

This is my first experience with this band, and I must say that I am impressed. Dead Vows pull off truly aggressive and meaningful hardcore.

Judging by the cover, I expected some dark, apocalyptic hardcore with strong metal influences but it’s nothing like that. Instead, it strikes the perfect balance between old school sound and the modern hardcore with some rock’n’roll twist to it. That’s what I like about it - they manage to stay true to the roots of hardcore while still putting their own spin on it. Bad Blood has no shortage of great moments. The music is mainly fast but often band slow down to do awkward things. Usually, I don’t like this type of experimentation and rockish passages but this time it fits the music pretty well. At some moments it reminds me of Sick Of It All from the Scratch The Surface era, especially with the vocal department. The lyrics are well written and have a deeper meaning to them so you're actually hearing and hanging on to every word the singer is spitting. All of these aspects combine to make Bad Blood an album worth checking out by every hardcore kid who can appreciate some fresh ideas but still wants their hardcore to sound as it is supposed to.


Dead Vows at Myspace
Refundation Records

Crooked Ways "Crime Of Passion" to be released soon

Brand new 5 Song 7" EP Recorded and Mastered at 8 Houses Down Studios w/Artwork by Mike Bukowski. Click here to order!

Shattered Realm/Toe Tag - split CD

Shattered Realm/Toe Tag - split CD
Eulogy/Alveran 2008

I don’t think this record needs any introduction. Shattered Realm is the band that gets most of the attention here and that’s understandable. They established themselves in the forefront of the metallic hardcore style and are one of bands who can’t fall off musically if they tried. Toe Tag is a new name in the game but don’t let it fool you. Those guys have been around probably longer than most of the kids reading this, having been previously involved in classic acts like Until The End or Mourning Again.

The album kicks off with the 3 songs by Florida based Toe Tag. A split CD with a well established band like Shattered Realm is a huge start for the upcoming band like them but hopefully they live up to the expectations. Toe Tag brings nothing but fire and terror with their brand of heavy and aggressive hardcore. The band has all the right tools. A heavy and intense style, good song writing ideas, punishing drum and thick riffs. Toe Tag bring the groove oriented hardcore which makes me think of mixture of bands like Shattered Realm with more NYHC oriented stuff, like Until The End or Since The Flood. Overall, this is very well produced and each track is structured. They delivered songs that should rank very high on the every hardcore kid list and I hope to hear more from the in the future.
Next, we get 3 songs from Shattered Realm. Their last album hinted towards a more hardcore oriented style compared to their earlier records and that did it for me. This was definitely the direction I had wanted the band to take. Just like Toe Tag, they contribute here 3 songs and these are truly aggressive and thundering tunes. Expect some heavy and powerful riffs and angry, deep vocals with a surprisingly heavy production to back them up. There song writing is complex with pace raging from fast parts to twisted breakdowns and if this doesn't have you moshing violently then nothing will. The music is drenched in an evil atmosphere, with lyrics about survival in this cold and harsh world. They also contribute the best song on the album, Bring The Violence Back/Every Man For Himself, which sends shivers down my spine every time I hear it. Originally performed by Fury Of V cover, the vocal attack by Joe Hardcore, Joe None, Chris (formerly SR, now doing vocals in Suffer The Living) and Greg from Mongoloids makes it one of the best hardcore cover tracks ever. If you want the hardest shit out there, here is my nomination.


Shattered Realm at Myspace
Toe Tag at Myspace
Eulogy Records
Alveran Records

Bite Your Tongue

Name: BYT (Bite Your Tongue)

Location: Moorpark, Ca

Active since: May 10th, 2008

How do you define your overall style?
Punch

What’s your goal with this band?
Deliver the most energy-filled music & shows possible

What do you have recorded so far?
A 5 song EP that we recorded 6 days after being a band, one of the songs was actually written in the studio (Piece of Mind) & we were only in the studio for 12 hours.. & it was over a year ago..

To the people who don't know you, how would you describe your style and sound?
its not pop, its not happy

So, how did you guys find each other and decide to start a band?
Corey (drums) & TJ (guitar) had talked about making a band for years, & finally decided to jam (May 10th, 2008) we only played for about 45 mins, but thats all it took to write our intro on the 2008 EP. The next day TJ was at a friends house (Brennan) & remembered that Brennan used to play guitar way back when & asked him to play bass in a hardcore band (we made it clear & obvious that we didnt want '2-steps' or 'breakdowns'). We three then invited Steven because of his startling voice when he would yell out the window at oncoming traffic or pedestrians, then we let Wes join without even trying out... just cuz we like him, turns out hes pretty damn good at guitar..

Your EP is coming out this summer. What can someone expect from it?
Faster... Better. We dont even like any of the songs we have recorded because the new shit is just that much better, we definitely grew as a band all toward the same goal without even realizing it, you'll see.. Oh, & it might actually be a full length.. it'll just take a little longer.

Who are your influences? Who do you look up to?
No Warning.

Lyrically, would you say there is a running message for the Bite Your Tongue?
Most songs are about things we hate, pet peeves, or anything else that gets us going enough to write a song about it..

What's your favorite part of being in a hardcore band, creating new music or performing? And why?
creating new music, after every song we write everyone in our band says: "dude, thats my new favorite song"

What are some other Cali bands you’re feeling right now?
The Boondocks, brand new, but rad as fuck..

Hardcore scene in Cali seems to be blooming right now. How supportive it is to a new upcoming bands like yours?
i guess its cool, gives us a couple places to play our tunes

Do you guys listen to any bands from outside the USA?
No Turning Back.

Anything you’d like to add to the kids out there?
Party
Bite Your Tangue at Myspace

Hoods - MS

Hoods - "MS" from Will DaRosa on Vimeo.

Beg For Life - Means To An End

Life Or Death to release Abomination on July 14th

Official statement:

5 years after the release of "Sentenced" we are finally ready to release our new album entitled "Abomination" on July 14th 2009. This will be our most crushing and intense recording to date as we have spent the past 2 years writing, fine tuning and recording it. Tell all of your friends, your family, anyone you know.

http://www.myspace.com/lifeordeath

Bravestar

Bravestar is here to remind you that after the hard work of keeping it real, getting tattoos, shopping for Nikes and breaking the society rules, there's also some time for fun in life of the hardcore kid. So relax for a bit and chill out, Bravestar are having a BBQ and you're invited...

First of all, how, when and why did the band start?
We started our band in mid 2007 and played our first show in December the same year. We all were members of other bands and we knew each other a long time before we decided to start Bravestar as a band only to have fun with our mates. We don´t want to make money with our music, we just want a big party on every single show. We are only a bunch of hardcore-loving idiots who don´t take themselves so seriously.

What are the band's main influences?
The whole old stuff like Madball, Rykers, Slapshot, Warzone, AF, etc… but also a lot of bands like Shattered Realm, Reign Supreme, Weight of the Crown, Folsom and Death Before Dishonor.


Your debut album has just hit the streets. What should kids expect from the A Warriors Heart release?
You can hear that we had a lot of fun in the studio, while recording the new CD. There are guest appearances by Samis (Reduction), Tommy (Havok) and Chris ( Force of my Brothers). The 12 songs are quite diversified and very detail-loving. Someone who likes all the different kinds of Hardcore will enjoy this CD.

How did you come up with the BBQ theme? What is your formula for a great BBQ?
Look at us! We all love to eat a good steak…or two;) If you just take a look at our pics, you will recognize that the name “Full Blown Chaos” would go better with us;) Hardcore is all about having a good time with good friends and we think BBQs are exactly that. We enjoy our time together and have a big party.

If you could invite anybody to a bbq, living or dead, who would it be?
Maybe Raybeez! Eva Longoria would also be nice as a guest….just to look at her, of course;)

One of your songs deals with the subject of racism. How do you feel about racists coming to a hardcore shows and do you think it’s a problem nowadays in Germany?
We are absolutely against racism and Hardcore has to be a racist-free scene! We don´t tolerate these assholes neither on our own shows, nor on any other hardcore show. Here in Germany, many people work against racism and fascism and we go along with them, with our songs and our attitude. Although many bands sang many songs about this problem, we think, that this topic mustn´t be forgotten. We want to make our position clear.

What are some other themes in your lyrics? Where do you get your inspiration to write?
We deal with what we see in the world out there, on TV, what we read in newspapers and also with what everyone of us has to cope with. We talk about friendship, about people who talk shit about us, about the scene, about BBQs etc…


What’s playing on the stereo when Bravestar is having a BBQ?
Oh, there’s a lot of stuff playing on the stereo during a BBQ……we’re really into many kinds of hard music. We don’t listen to hardcore only…..we also listen to many metal-stuff. At the moment we listen to the new releases of Suffer The Living, Boxcutter, Dead End Tragedy and Bun Dem Out.

What does hardcore mean to you?
What does Hardcore mean to us? It means exactly the same to us, what it should mean to every “Hardcore kid”. It´s all about having a good time with good friends at good shows, like I´ve already said. It embodies everything that we stand for, as it is against racism and fascism. You can be straight edge, a vegetarian or a vegan, but you can also be beer-drinking, meat-loving guys, like we are. You will not be more “hardcore”, if you are straight edge or something, because there aren´t any criteria you have to fulfill.

You guys seem to be playing a lot of gigs lately. How important is for you to get on the stage and perform and what people should expect when going to one of your shows?
It´s very important for us to get on stage, as we can keep contact to our fans, to the people who like our music and to the other bands. As I said, we always try to have a big party on our shows. You will have a lot of fun, if you don´t take yourself too seriously. I think you can see how much fun we have, while we´re on stage. We love meeting new people and convincing them of our music.

What’s the scene like out there in Germany at the moment?
It´s still a really fast growing scene. There are many new kids, many new, cool bands coming up at the moment and so there are a lot of shows you can go to.

For somebody just getting into the German hardcore scene, what are 5 albums would you tell them to go get?
I think the must-have releases from Germany are the following:

Black Friday 29 – The Pursuit Of Happiness
Fallbrawl – Cold World
Dead End Tragedy – Unpreventable
Rykers – Brother Against Brother
Still Screaming – Continue The Fight

But nowadays there a lot of great bands here in Germany…..Force Of My Brothers, One On One, Reduction, Created Hate, Cunthunt 777, The Platoon, Circle Of Death, Butcher, With Open Arms, Today We Rise, Make It Count, SuckaPunch, Screamin Silence……just to name a few….


Thanx for the interview. Anything else you would like to add?
Check out our new songs @ www.myspace.com/bravestarbdhc2007!! Order our new CD “A Warrior’s Heart”!! Visit us at one of our shows!! Keep the scene alive!! Thanks!!
All the best
Marshall Bravestar

Bravestar at myspace.