Damn, this remake thing has been getting on my nerves for way too long and it breaks my heart to see all those great horror movies getting the remake treatmant to fit in today's weak standards of Hollywood. It’s just another lazy attempt to make a bit of easy cash with no regard to the true horror fans. Yep, I know I've said nothing new here, but just had to get it off my chest. So “A Nightmare On Elm Street” is next and the trailer is not looking very promising. The fact that the director Samuel Bayer's work experience is based mostly on doing music videos doesn't help either.
“A Nightmare On Elm Street” Trailer
Damn, this remake thing has been getting on my nerves for way too long and it breaks my heart to see all those great horror movies getting the remake treatmant to fit in today's weak standards of Hollywood. It’s just another lazy attempt to make a bit of easy cash with no regard to the true horror fans. Yep, I know I've said nothing new here, but just had to get it off my chest. So “A Nightmare On Elm Street” is next and the trailer is not looking very promising. The fact that the director Samuel Bayer's work experience is based mostly on doing music videos doesn't help either.Revenge
"We also played a show with a bunch of posi/youth crew bands in the kitchen of a loft apartment in a warehouse somewhere in Brooklyn, the PA wasn’t working so I was just screaming at people and the posi kids lost their minds and shoved someone into a hole in the wall."
The thing that hit me when I’ve heard your band for the first time was that you music got this dirty and raw punk rock feel to it, sometimes even close grindcore sound, but at the same time it’s still hardcore. Was it something you planned and where do you draw your influences when writing music?
First off I just want everyone to know this is Dan. I can’t really answer for the rest of the band but I will do my best when I need to. I don’t think we ever really planned on our songs being what they are, to me this is a form of expression or a lashing out at the things I see as wrong or fucked up. We all listen to many many hardcore bands and sub genres of hardcore so musically we draw from a lot of places. Black Flag, Napalm Death, Integrity, Crossed Out, and Left For Dead are a few but it goes far beyond that. Lyrically as I kind of stated before; whatever is bothering me, whatever fucked up experience I had for the day, whatever problems I'm dealing with is what goes into my lyrics.
There has been a plenty of bands lately who name Integrity as their influences but you guys stand out somehow. What do you think it is about Clevo sound that have such an impact on the scene lately?
I think the attraction to the Integrity/Ringworm/Holy Terror/Clevo sound is that it is dark and angry. We are kind of hitting rough times so I think more people are upset and angry and may have dark things going though their heads.. also Integrity and Ringworm are amazing artists and deserve any recognition they get.
What is the meaning behind the religious themed artwork of the album? The cover art of your demo was based on Begotten, an experimental movie which, as many interpret it as so, also deals with religious issues with the main theme of the biblical story of creation. Was it something you planned and does it have any relation with the lyrics of the songs?
Well I have personal issues regarding organized religion and for the most part I see it as corrupt and disgusting. Too many wars, deaths, broken homes, and other terrible acts have been the result of organized religion. Its only natural to have similarly themed art work to reflect the content of our songs.
Talking about movies, what type of stuff you like and does it happen that some flick you see or book you read is an inspiration for your songs?
We watch a lot of different movies. I know that George happens to be a big fan of really fucked up and obscure horror movies. Movies and books don’t really inspire me to write lyrics that much. I did write a song very loosely based on Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, but it is a very very loose reference.
As you recall it now, what made you start a band in the first place? How do you think your attitude changed since then? Do you think you look at the hardcore scene somehow different since you started playing and get to know the scene from the this point of view?
I was actually not with Revenge when they originally started. They had another singer but he lived in New York. I was in this other band that wasn’t really working out for me, but it happened that the guys in Revenge came to one of our shows and asked if I would do fill in vocals for them afterwards. Things worked out so I ended up recording the demo with them and becoming full time vocals. We haven't been a band that long.. just under a year now.. I feel it would be pretentious of me to say how much the scene has changed since we’ve been around... so I won’t.
What is the hardcore scene like in Massachusetts? Any bands or labels you would recommend?
The scene in Mass, as far as I can tell since I started going to shows anyways, has been a little bit rough for a while. I have been pretty excited to see what bands out of mass have been doing as of late though. Bands like Shoot To Kill, Debaser, BearTrap, Inhibition, Pitfall, Think Again, Abomination, and Can’t Heal have all been killing it. As far as labels go keep an eye on Frequency Deleted Records and Neutral Territory, so many good releases are coming out on both.
You guys played with a variety of bands, small shows and festivals. What are some most memorable gigs?
Both shows we played at the Montrose Basement in NY have been insane, we played Significant Fest in tampa after an all night drive with Tyson from Think Again on bass (do to some travel disasters) he was a trooper and learned our songs about an hour before we had to play and pulled them off pretty flawlessly. We also played a show with a bunch of posi/youth crew bands in the kitchen of a loft apartment in a warehouse somewhere in Brooklyn, the PA wasn’t working so I was just screaming at people and the posi kids lost their minds and shoved someone into a hole in the wall.
Since the 2012 is the next date for the end of the world, at least the way we know it, what are your plans with the band till then? What do you guys want to archive?
I personally don’t believe that 2012 is the end of existence, according to religious leaders and other crazies we should all be dead by now, the world was supposed to have ended in 1992, 97, 98, 99, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and that is in recent years, I see it as an attempt to scare us. However despite out impending doom we plan on recording some new material within the next year, playing as many shows as we can, and hopefully attempt a full US tour in the summer
Anything else you would like to add?
Keep an eye out in the future, I have some details on some shit, I’m just not sure if I can drop that knowledge yet so be on the look out for announcements. Keep an eye on FDR and the bands I mentioned, I'm sure that good things will be coming out of them. Buy the LP we owe Anthony money now. Thanks.
Check out their myspace profile.
The thing that hit me when I’ve heard your band for the first time was that you music got this dirty and raw punk rock feel to it, sometimes even close grindcore sound, but at the same time it’s still hardcore. Was it something you planned and where do you draw your influences when writing music?
First off I just want everyone to know this is Dan. I can’t really answer for the rest of the band but I will do my best when I need to. I don’t think we ever really planned on our songs being what they are, to me this is a form of expression or a lashing out at the things I see as wrong or fucked up. We all listen to many many hardcore bands and sub genres of hardcore so musically we draw from a lot of places. Black Flag, Napalm Death, Integrity, Crossed Out, and Left For Dead are a few but it goes far beyond that. Lyrically as I kind of stated before; whatever is bothering me, whatever fucked up experience I had for the day, whatever problems I'm dealing with is what goes into my lyrics.
There has been a plenty of bands lately who name Integrity as their influences but you guys stand out somehow. What do you think it is about Clevo sound that have such an impact on the scene lately?
I think the attraction to the Integrity/Ringworm/Holy Terror/Clevo sound is that it is dark and angry. We are kind of hitting rough times so I think more people are upset and angry and may have dark things going though their heads.. also Integrity and Ringworm are amazing artists and deserve any recognition they get.
What is the meaning behind the religious themed artwork of the album? The cover art of your demo was based on Begotten, an experimental movie which, as many interpret it as so, also deals with religious issues with the main theme of the biblical story of creation. Was it something you planned and does it have any relation with the lyrics of the songs?
Well I have personal issues regarding organized religion and for the most part I see it as corrupt and disgusting. Too many wars, deaths, broken homes, and other terrible acts have been the result of organized religion. Its only natural to have similarly themed art work to reflect the content of our songs.
Talking about movies, what type of stuff you like and does it happen that some flick you see or book you read is an inspiration for your songs?We watch a lot of different movies. I know that George happens to be a big fan of really fucked up and obscure horror movies. Movies and books don’t really inspire me to write lyrics that much. I did write a song very loosely based on Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, but it is a very very loose reference.
As you recall it now, what made you start a band in the first place? How do you think your attitude changed since then? Do you think you look at the hardcore scene somehow different since you started playing and get to know the scene from the this point of view?
I was actually not with Revenge when they originally started. They had another singer but he lived in New York. I was in this other band that wasn’t really working out for me, but it happened that the guys in Revenge came to one of our shows and asked if I would do fill in vocals for them afterwards. Things worked out so I ended up recording the demo with them and becoming full time vocals. We haven't been a band that long.. just under a year now.. I feel it would be pretentious of me to say how much the scene has changed since we’ve been around... so I won’t.
What is the hardcore scene like in Massachusetts? Any bands or labels you would recommend?
The scene in Mass, as far as I can tell since I started going to shows anyways, has been a little bit rough for a while. I have been pretty excited to see what bands out of mass have been doing as of late though. Bands like Shoot To Kill, Debaser, BearTrap, Inhibition, Pitfall, Think Again, Abomination, and Can’t Heal have all been killing it. As far as labels go keep an eye on Frequency Deleted Records and Neutral Territory, so many good releases are coming out on both.
You guys played with a variety of bands, small shows and festivals. What are some most memorable gigs?
Both shows we played at the Montrose Basement in NY have been insane, we played Significant Fest in tampa after an all night drive with Tyson from Think Again on bass (do to some travel disasters) he was a trooper and learned our songs about an hour before we had to play and pulled them off pretty flawlessly. We also played a show with a bunch of posi/youth crew bands in the kitchen of a loft apartment in a warehouse somewhere in Brooklyn, the PA wasn’t working so I was just screaming at people and the posi kids lost their minds and shoved someone into a hole in the wall.
Since the 2012 is the next date for the end of the world, at least the way we know it, what are your plans with the band till then? What do you guys want to archive?
I personally don’t believe that 2012 is the end of existence, according to religious leaders and other crazies we should all be dead by now, the world was supposed to have ended in 1992, 97, 98, 99, 2006, 2007 and 2008 and that is in recent years, I see it as an attempt to scare us. However despite out impending doom we plan on recording some new material within the next year, playing as many shows as we can, and hopefully attempt a full US tour in the summer
Anything else you would like to add?Keep an eye out in the future, I have some details on some shit, I’m just not sure if I can drop that knowledge yet so be on the look out for announcements. Keep an eye on FDR and the bands I mentioned, I'm sure that good things will be coming out of them. Buy the LP we owe Anthony money now. Thanks.
Check out their myspace profile.
Surge Of Fury - In My Tox City
Surge Of Fury - In My Tox CityRucktion 2009
Every now and then, I find myself thirsting for dope hardcore album to set me in this ‘fuck the world’ state of mind with some vicious breakdowns and cocky lyricism. And when it happens, it’s good to have bands like Surge Of Fury dropping a new album that helps quench this thirst.
The records kicks off with a short, slow paced intro with the whole gang shouting ‘Surge Of Fury’ and this kind of lets you know what you’re about to witness here. Groove is indeed the name of the game and some parts of this album sound very much influenced by bands like Fury Of Five or Billy Club Sandwich. Surge Of Fury’s strength lies in the fact of how organic their mesh of NYHC vibes and breakdowns sounds. Let’s face the fact, metal parts and heaviness in hardcore are not a novelty anymore so it’s all about the delivery. There’s no point in reinventing the wheel, it’s just important that when kids are listening to your album, it flows naturally and the sound is not forced. Like, when you do a breakdown, do it for a right reason, which is giving a song a punch, not because it’s a hype to pack you album with tons of mosh parts. Hopefully, in case of this album it ends up sounding natural, and the band uses that to their advantage to amp up the heaviness of their sound to a level but never really loose the groove factor. No one would call this album cheesy the same way a lot of beatdown bands sound tacky now. Overall, the album is consistently great throughout with good hooklines, beefy sound and menacing vocals. I highly recommend picking up a copy.
Author: Dloogi
Surge Of Fury at Myspace
Rucktion at Myspace
Because it's weekend!
“Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime.”
- Potter Stewart
EU funding 'Orwellian' artificial intelligence plan to monitor public for "abnormal behaviour" - [Telegraph.co.uk]
‘Project Indect’: An A.I. to police all of Europe [The Raw Story]
HARDCORE/PUNK LINKS:
Death Before Dishonor video interview - [Youtube]
Baltimore City Paper on Gut Instinct - [Baltimore City Paper]
Coregasm on Reality "something hurts" 7" - [Coregasm]
Day21, new rock'n'roll band of Jimmy Pursey - [Myspace]
Old Shirts Renewed! - [Severed Forever]
Maximum Penalty videos - [An Attitude Exhumed]
Abhorrence and Under 18 interviews - [All Year Summer]
OTHER LINKS:
Lust for Lowlife: Ricky, Julian and Bubbles don’t stay out of prison long in Countdown to Liquor Day - [See Magazine]
From Russia With Hate - [Current.com]
If you think you got any interesting links I could post next weekend get in touch: jacco.hc[at]gmail.com (or just post them as a comment!)
- Potter Stewart
EU funding 'Orwellian' artificial intelligence plan to monitor public for "abnormal behaviour" - [Telegraph.co.uk]
‘Project Indect’: An A.I. to police all of Europe [The Raw Story]
HARDCORE/PUNK LINKS:
Death Before Dishonor video interview - [Youtube]
Baltimore City Paper on Gut Instinct - [Baltimore City Paper]
Coregasm on Reality "something hurts" 7" - [Coregasm]
Day21, new rock'n'roll band of Jimmy Pursey - [Myspace]
Old Shirts Renewed! - [Severed Forever]
Maximum Penalty videos - [An Attitude Exhumed]
Abhorrence and Under 18 interviews - [All Year Summer]
OTHER LINKS:
Lust for Lowlife: Ricky, Julian and Bubbles don’t stay out of prison long in Countdown to Liquor Day - [See Magazine]
From Russia With Hate - [Current.com]
If you think you got any interesting links I could post next weekend get in touch: jacco.hc[at]gmail.com (or just post them as a comment!)
Human Demise/Worth The Pain - Split 7"
Human Demise/Worth The Pain - Split 7" WTF 2009
Here’s the split 7 inch of two very promising European bands. Human Demise is a classy blend of fast and upbeat hardcore metal crossover with powerful riffing and gruff vocals. Along the way the Clevo influences are quite present in these songs s and since nowadays it seems like there are millions bands playing this evil style of hardcore, Human Demise is doing it the right way and is a good listen for those who can’t get enough of this kind of stuff.
The beats are aggressive and grimy, the vocals are on point and the lyrics are more than adequate. Worth The Pain, hailing from Finland is next with two tracks. The band hasn’t disappointed with their take on metallic hardcore. They manage to combine the heavy side of hardcore with the old school vitality into a total package. The music is metallic, groove oriented with tough, gruff vocals. Both the music and lyrics are incredibly well-written and I can't even find anything that bugged me. The production is raw but clear, making it easy to hear what's going on, and this goes to Human Demise side of the record also. All in all this is a split record with some good things happening. As far as I know both bands are planning to release more music in the near time so I suggest you keep your eye on them.
Author: Dloogi
Human Demise at Myspace
Worth The Pain at Myspace
WTF Distro at Myspace
Un prophete Trailer
This is the new movie from the director of The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Jacques Audiard. From the trailers and first reviews I've read, it's gonna be dark, ugly and honestly violent in a way only French can do it. As far as I know, it's nominated to run for an Oscar.
"When it comes to hard-bitten crime cinema, Jacques Audiard has few equals in Europe, and his violent, gripping prison drama A Prophet shows him extending his range with unimpeachable command. The story of a gauche young inmate who rises through the criminal ranks to become a formidable player, A Prophet works both as hard-edged, painstaking detailed social realism and as a compelling genre entertainment." - Screen Daily
The official site of the movie:
http://www.un-prophete-lefilm.com/
Cut Your Losses
Cut Your Losses is putting Oklahoma back on the map! The band delivers nothing but the pissed off, no bullshit hardcore that hits you in the face like a brick. They've already put out an album on Ghost Town Records called 'Where's Your God?' and believe me, it's brutal!
First of all, could you give us a rundown on Cut Your Losses – who is who, how did you guys get together and what was the reason to start a band?
Jonny Mal- Bass
Jeramie Mal-Vox
Brooks Whiteside- Guitar
Adam Guerra-Drums
Cut Your Losses started as some down ass brothers who quit fuckin around and formed a hardcore band with some real members instead of "just joining a band." We all grew up together, we've all shared some crazy stories in this city of Altus. Each of us knew one another had years of experience in what they did too. So we felt pretty good about it.
Your debut EP has came out this year. Are you pleased with the way it turned out? How has been the response so far?
Very pleased. Tom Tactic (Skare Tactic) hooked it up with the sickest producer in L.A. (Roger Camero) and we couldn't thank him enough. Responses are good and people seem to like the Cd a lot. CYL is very pleased with the outcome however it may continue.
Your music gets mosty compared to bands like Terror and Hatebreed. Do you agree with that and what are some other bands that have influenced your style?
Yes you could compare us to them. If you're in hardcore and wanna make it a job then pretty much your fighting to sit next to them. If you want to be a master, learn from the masters.
A lot of other bands have influenced such as: Rhinoceros, XRepresentX, Will to Live, Death Threat, Crowns of Kings, Hoods, Barricade, Blood Stands still, and yo I gotta shout to the locals such as: Break Yourself, Cannonball, Low Blow, South Paul Victory etc. Even just playing with some of these bands is like a dream come true. It's been inspirational throughout.
Is there a theme that runs throughout your lyrics or music? Is there anything you hope listeners to take away from your music?
Not really a theme. Each song is a portion of teaching. Telling people we've seen the deception of others just as we all have and to not get frustrated with the way they are and continue your dreams and goals. If someone is to tread on you making that goal then make sure they don't ever do it again. People should know the difference between beliefs and truths. Just showin people how pissed I am about the worlds filth. But hey living in this world I got a little filthy myself.
Many of your lyrics, like for example Down And Out or Only The Strong seem to have a negative attitude, would you agree with that?
I would not agree with that at all. Down and Out is about the man who speaks so highly of himself and swears his loyalty to his God and plans. Tells people he'll deliver and no one can harm him cause "God's" on his side and uses him for selfish gain but when/if shit hits the fan, He's out of pocket or someone comes by and cocks back a 45. stainless and puts it in that fools mouth he'll sell out and decieve every belief he was ever taught to get that barrel out of his mouth. Just sayin don't be the one with the barrel in your mouth and if you are? Better be ready to die for your beleifs.
Only the Strong strictly goes out to my brothers in CYLC who stayed true and who are still here today. Mainly I wanted to throw it in peoples faces that the word "friend" should not be thrown around so easily. I can understand how people might take these songs negatively cause they have a concrete guard to them. I want people to know that it takes years to acquire a "friend".
You guys stick with the heavy side of hardcore. What is the response to your music from the metal crowd?
We get a lot of good responses from the metal side. I just as a few other members in the band like metal. Check out the local band bearseekingbear! Those are our bros. Anyone who thinks it's a war between hardcore and metal needs to get the fuck off the frontline cause real men are shooting, Ha ha.
What is the scene in Oklahoma like?
Dead, there was a good scene in Tulsa but the only hardcore band was Sworn Against and they called it quits. We've been bookin shows forever tryin to keep the scene alive. Cut Your Losses is the spawn of O.K.H.C.
To be honest, I don’t know many bands coming from over there, it seems like East and West coast are the most active when it comes to hardcore, the Midwest is strong as well, but the further you get to the middle of the continent there’s just almost nothing happening there. What bands, labels, crews are the most active in your area?
Not very many at all. We're the foundation of this area and that's what CYL wants to do is take a stand and get some good bands spread throughout this area and get some corporate moves goin around here. There's many good local bands here. Not a lot go and push to get noticed though. AS far as labels in hardcore around here. NONE. Hardcore crews: CYLC, crew of brothers who love hardcore, got mad respect for one another,and grew up together.
Do you think that the fact that you’re based not in the one of the coasts have any impact on how you are running the band, i.e. when it goes to find a label, book a show or tour?
Somewhat, OK isn't really known for a lot of anything. Unless you like country or the All-American Rejects. We usually just hit people up like everyone else. "Hey, here's my Cd, info, tour dates, contact number and address. Can you help us with this?" We'll let them judge for thereselves if they want to do business with us. I don't think saying I'm from anywhere would improve our status. Just need to get people to hear us and if anything they'll say "Holy shit these dudes are from OKLAHOMA?!" lol.
As far as the hardcore scene goes in general, what do you think about the current state of it?
I think it's fallin off but the real men are still holdin it down. Too many fashion victims standin on the walls holding their girlfriends. But it's all good cause when the lights go out and the curtains drop we'll see who's pickin their feet up.
Nobody can doubt that tattoos are an important part of hardcore. What are some of your favorite tattoos you’ve got and what’s the meaning behind them?
I think tattoos are over-rated. I got some and love them for my own personal reasons but some kats now-a-days think that cause some guy has a tattoo on his head or face that he's a hard ass or "he's been there." I don't think anyone is hard cause they can take scratches on their skin. My tattoos are self explainatory.
With shows like Miami Ink and growing number of celebrities displaying their body art, do you ever feel that it’s losing its shock value? How do people in the States react when they see your tattoos?
Man, we get looked at like some freaks. It's more excepted in places such as Cali, Flori, NY and now more then 10 years ago but here in this state if it's not a rebel flag or a cross on your arm your an outcast. Ha ha.
Hardcore have always been more or less connected with politics and social issues. Does it happen that you guys share a stage with a bands with more politically charged bands and what do you think about the divisions some people try to create between political and nonpolitical bands?
As far as Cut Your Losses goes, we take the stage as some kids who fuckin hated the way people are in general and . No matter what type of label or name you give anything people are people and we are born into a class of which was inevitable. We know we have no control over a lot of the big decisions so until WWIII breaks out we'll stay on our side of the fence as long as they stay on their's. Fuck politics and social issues. People just want the chance they were promised. People who never got that chance are very pissed off.
If you could change one thing in a society, what would it be?
Personally I wish we could start over.
Whats playing on your stereo the most at the moment?
100 demons, will to live, rhinoceros, S.P.M, Slipknot, Brother lynch, Z-ro, Flawless Victory, Hoods, XrepresentX, Since the Flood. Variety is the spice of life homie.
What's next for Cut Your Losses on its way to the top?
Connections and hook-up with some more peeps and get some bigger deals goin and bigger shows booked. We just wanna play big shows. You can keep your money, to some people respect is more imporatant.
Where do you see your band in the next 5 years?
Hopefully progressing with the recognition of our band and Oklahoma Hardcore.
Thanx for the interview, any last words?
Thanks for the interview. We appreciate your interest in our band and would like to hook-up again any way possible. CYLC
Make sure you check out their myspace profile:
http://www.myspace.com/cutyourlossesokhc
First of all, could you give us a rundown on Cut Your Losses – who is who, how did you guys get together and what was the reason to start a band?
Jonny Mal- Bass
Jeramie Mal-Vox
Brooks Whiteside- Guitar
Adam Guerra-Drums
Cut Your Losses started as some down ass brothers who quit fuckin around and formed a hardcore band with some real members instead of "just joining a band." We all grew up together, we've all shared some crazy stories in this city of Altus. Each of us knew one another had years of experience in what they did too. So we felt pretty good about it.
Your debut EP has came out this year. Are you pleased with the way it turned out? How has been the response so far?
Very pleased. Tom Tactic (Skare Tactic) hooked it up with the sickest producer in L.A. (Roger Camero) and we couldn't thank him enough. Responses are good and people seem to like the Cd a lot. CYL is very pleased with the outcome however it may continue.
Your music gets mosty compared to bands like Terror and Hatebreed. Do you agree with that and what are some other bands that have influenced your style?
Yes you could compare us to them. If you're in hardcore and wanna make it a job then pretty much your fighting to sit next to them. If you want to be a master, learn from the masters.
A lot of other bands have influenced such as: Rhinoceros, XRepresentX, Will to Live, Death Threat, Crowns of Kings, Hoods, Barricade, Blood Stands still, and yo I gotta shout to the locals such as: Break Yourself, Cannonball, Low Blow, South Paul Victory etc. Even just playing with some of these bands is like a dream come true. It's been inspirational throughout.
Is there a theme that runs throughout your lyrics or music? Is there anything you hope listeners to take away from your music?Not really a theme. Each song is a portion of teaching. Telling people we've seen the deception of others just as we all have and to not get frustrated with the way they are and continue your dreams and goals. If someone is to tread on you making that goal then make sure they don't ever do it again. People should know the difference between beliefs and truths. Just showin people how pissed I am about the worlds filth. But hey living in this world I got a little filthy myself.
Many of your lyrics, like for example Down And Out or Only The Strong seem to have a negative attitude, would you agree with that?
I would not agree with that at all. Down and Out is about the man who speaks so highly of himself and swears his loyalty to his God and plans. Tells people he'll deliver and no one can harm him cause "God's" on his side and uses him for selfish gain but when/if shit hits the fan, He's out of pocket or someone comes by and cocks back a 45. stainless and puts it in that fools mouth he'll sell out and decieve every belief he was ever taught to get that barrel out of his mouth. Just sayin don't be the one with the barrel in your mouth and if you are? Better be ready to die for your beleifs.
Only the Strong strictly goes out to my brothers in CYLC who stayed true and who are still here today. Mainly I wanted to throw it in peoples faces that the word "friend" should not be thrown around so easily. I can understand how people might take these songs negatively cause they have a concrete guard to them. I want people to know that it takes years to acquire a "friend".
You guys stick with the heavy side of hardcore. What is the response to your music from the metal crowd?
We get a lot of good responses from the metal side. I just as a few other members in the band like metal. Check out the local band bearseekingbear! Those are our bros. Anyone who thinks it's a war between hardcore and metal needs to get the fuck off the frontline cause real men are shooting, Ha ha.
What is the scene in Oklahoma like?
Dead, there was a good scene in Tulsa but the only hardcore band was Sworn Against and they called it quits. We've been bookin shows forever tryin to keep the scene alive. Cut Your Losses is the spawn of O.K.H.C.
To be honest, I don’t know many bands coming from over there, it seems like East and West coast are the most active when it comes to hardcore, the Midwest is strong as well, but the further you get to the middle of the continent there’s just almost nothing happening there. What bands, labels, crews are the most active in your area?
Not very many at all. We're the foundation of this area and that's what CYL wants to do is take a stand and get some good bands spread throughout this area and get some corporate moves goin around here. There's many good local bands here. Not a lot go and push to get noticed though. AS far as labels in hardcore around here. NONE. Hardcore crews: CYLC, crew of brothers who love hardcore, got mad respect for one another,and grew up together.
Do you think that the fact that you’re based not in the one of the coasts have any impact on how you are running the band, i.e. when it goes to find a label, book a show or tour?
Somewhat, OK isn't really known for a lot of anything. Unless you like country or the All-American Rejects. We usually just hit people up like everyone else. "Hey, here's my Cd, info, tour dates, contact number and address. Can you help us with this?" We'll let them judge for thereselves if they want to do business with us. I don't think saying I'm from anywhere would improve our status. Just need to get people to hear us and if anything they'll say "Holy shit these dudes are from OKLAHOMA?!" lol.
As far as the hardcore scene goes in general, what do you think about the current state of it?I think it's fallin off but the real men are still holdin it down. Too many fashion victims standin on the walls holding their girlfriends. But it's all good cause when the lights go out and the curtains drop we'll see who's pickin their feet up.
Nobody can doubt that tattoos are an important part of hardcore. What are some of your favorite tattoos you’ve got and what’s the meaning behind them?
I think tattoos are over-rated. I got some and love them for my own personal reasons but some kats now-a-days think that cause some guy has a tattoo on his head or face that he's a hard ass or "he's been there." I don't think anyone is hard cause they can take scratches on their skin. My tattoos are self explainatory.
With shows like Miami Ink and growing number of celebrities displaying their body art, do you ever feel that it’s losing its shock value? How do people in the States react when they see your tattoos?
Man, we get looked at like some freaks. It's more excepted in places such as Cali, Flori, NY and now more then 10 years ago but here in this state if it's not a rebel flag or a cross on your arm your an outcast. Ha ha.
Hardcore have always been more or less connected with politics and social issues. Does it happen that you guys share a stage with a bands with more politically charged bands and what do you think about the divisions some people try to create between political and nonpolitical bands?
As far as Cut Your Losses goes, we take the stage as some kids who fuckin hated the way people are in general and . No matter what type of label or name you give anything people are people and we are born into a class of which was inevitable. We know we have no control over a lot of the big decisions so until WWIII breaks out we'll stay on our side of the fence as long as they stay on their's. Fuck politics and social issues. People just want the chance they were promised. People who never got that chance are very pissed off.
If you could change one thing in a society, what would it be?
Personally I wish we could start over.
Whats playing on your stereo the most at the moment?100 demons, will to live, rhinoceros, S.P.M, Slipknot, Brother lynch, Z-ro, Flawless Victory, Hoods, XrepresentX, Since the Flood. Variety is the spice of life homie.
What's next for Cut Your Losses on its way to the top?
Connections and hook-up with some more peeps and get some bigger deals goin and bigger shows booked. We just wanna play big shows. You can keep your money, to some people respect is more imporatant.
Where do you see your band in the next 5 years?
Hopefully progressing with the recognition of our band and Oklahoma Hardcore.
Thanx for the interview, any last words?
Thanks for the interview. We appreciate your interest in our band and would like to hook-up again any way possible. CYLC
Make sure you check out their myspace profile:
http://www.myspace.com/cutyourlossesokhc
Still Screaming - Reality Ain't The Truth
Still Screaming - Reality Ain't The TruthWTF 2009
Still Screaming deliver heavy handed hardcore with four songs of their own and a Warzone cover (which I think I remember from the tribute album). ‘Reality Ain’t The Truth’ lies heavily on classic old school sound with fast tempos, catchy but aggressive guitars and pissed off dual vocal attack spitting out honest and real life lyrics.
The beat is a most of the time straight-forward, old-school arrangement but they do spice it up with some metal vibe or kinda rap styled vocals now and there. This music is definitely dated, but with a strong foothold in the roots of the genre and that’s the main reason I like it so much. The lyrics are very honest and packed with the stuff like believing in yourself, hardcore pride and real life situations. The package of the record is awesome, with a hard cover and an artwork drawn by Spiller with a strong hardcore feeling to it. This type of stuff really adds a value to the overall offering. This is a 7” that deserves a shot from anyone who likes the old school sound. ‘Reality Ain’t The Truth’is an aggressive, attention-grabbing piece of hardcore.
Author: Dloogi
Still Screaming at Myspace
WTF Distro at Myspace
The Ice
Band’s name: THE ICE
Location: Cologne, Germany (that’s where we were founded as a band. some members come from other areas, though)
Active since: Well, our first demo was released somewhat in 2005. Some line-up changes, blab bla bla… I guess the recordings for our second demo in 2007 would be the real starting point of our career. From that demo on, we had an old member leaving (Heiko – bass) and two new members joining the band (Peter – bass, Andy – 2nd guitar).
How do you define your overall style?Tough question… Musically, we get a lot of inspiration from different backgrounds. We are all heavily into NYHC and bands from the mid 80ies and early 90ies. Mix that up with some classic Rock ’n Roll elements and a good amount of Heavy Metal and EBM like Sisters Of Mercy or Depeche Mode. There you have it. Overall style…? That’s pretty tough, too… I guess, we are all deeply involved into media, art and fashion. That is and always has been a huge influence for the band. It resulted in various shirt designs, that went really well, our reputation as a band with a strong affinity for sneakers and not to forget, our collaboration with Florian Bertmer, an awesome artist, who designed our Demo and our 7inch.
Furthermore, we see ourselves as a band with a really high work ethic. This might surprise some people out there, cause we had to cancel so many good showcases in the last two years. But believe me, it is just, because we always try to be the best THE ICE we can possibly be. That leads to long periods of work behind the curtains. After all, we want to be understood as a band, that always tries to set themselves off this mediocre hardcore scene, with all the look-alikes and random songwriting or images.
What’s your goal with this band?
See my last answer… We do not want to be famous or whatsoever. We want to stick out of the masses, artistically. Plus, we would be deeply satisfied, if we broke up some people’s stereotypes when it comes to the definition of a hardcore band (stylistically and musically).
What do you have recorded so far?
As I mentioned above, we recorded a demo in 2005. But forget about that demo. We really started off in 2007 with a five song demo, that got released as a 7inch in the same year. You don’t own it, yet? Get the free mp3 through our myspace profile.
We just finished the recordings for our upcoming EP. Great stuff, that went way further than I had expected it before! I truly believe that we achieved something special with these recordings. You just wait and listen to the stuff in the near future!!!
What can we expect from The Ice and what does the name represent?
You can always expect excitement. Whether it will be on stage or at home, when you listen to our tracks. Boredom is death, so we try to break things up and present something fresh. The band’s name could stand as a good metaphor for that. But to be honest: we just tried to give a little tribute to two of our favourite bands, when we picked the band’s name.
It also represents the coldness in our hearts and our society. A cold and harsh atmosphere – mirrored by our songs.
How did you meet each other and how long have you been a group?
We did not really meet. We were all friends before we started the project that soon was to become a real band.
Your new Ep should be released somewhere soon. Could you shed some light on it? What kids should expect from it? How are the new songs different from your first demo?
I already said, that we mixed up some musical inspirations on this EP. And we wanted to set the whole recording process back in the past, to honour the way and the aesthetic bands from the late 80ies recorded their material with. No Pro-Tools, no trigger sounds. Pure music in its natural state. Listen to the old records from that era (Icemen, Danzig, etc.) and you get a good idea, what the new tracks sound like. People evolve. We all evolved as individuals. And so it is just common sense that the band evolved with us. We all grew as musicians and that really went into our recordings. We used to play straight up riffs with a lot of quotes from bands like the Mags or Judge. On our new record, we slowed down a bit and gave it more ambience, more atmosphere, more emotion. In the end we picked up the pace, again, and finished up with a good balance between melody and quickness. You can expect to be positively surprised.
So what is your label situation? What label is releasing the EP?
We just signed to COUNTDOWN RECORDS from Italy to telease the EP and we are very happy out it. Its a hard working and passionated label. The EP is coming in november. So watch out for it!
What bands influenced your sound?
I listed up some names in the answers above.
Lyrically, where do you find your inspiration?
Since I usually write all the lyrics, this question is easy to answer for me. Well, I listen to old Crowbar material and copy and paste the most from that. Ha ha ha
Seriously, I studied literature and right now I work on a thesis on space and time in narration. That’s why I read a lot about philosophical and ethical approaches towards the concepts of being, time and space. Some inspiration derives from this reading. I try to pick up the atmosphere from the songs and reflect it through the words I write down. In the end, most of the lyrics tend to have some wider concepts involved. They also reflect my experiences as a living human being.
Make sure, you read our lyrics. That really means a lot to me.
How did you get into hardcore music?
I can speak for myself only, at this point. Well, typical hardcore vita, I guess. Got into Metal and Punkrock, when I was 13/14 years old. Quickly went from Metal to Trashmetal. Liked the political and critical approach of the bands from that days. Looked up the booklets for further bands to check out, stumbled over the name Cro-Mags a couple of times, got the records… the rest is history, hahaha…
Well, I had a NewSchool phase in the mid 90ies. That’s it. Started a couple of shitty bands, some cool bands, now I am here, playing guitar for The Ice. I really enjoy what I am doing with this band. I all aspects, that is!
What are your thoughts on current state of hardcore music and the scene?
Too, close minded, to self-restrictive, too young! Old people don’t get off their asses anymore, youngbucks are too braindead to check the roots. But then again, a lot of very promising and fresh acts are around, today. I guess European Hardcore has outrun US Core in the last couple of years.
What excites you about hardcore in 2009?
That I am still a part of it. I am 31 years old now, and you know, life starts to become quite serious. Haha. I wouldn’t want to miss out on the scene, though!
What's next on your agenda except for the new EP?
We are working on our live performance, right now. We want to give it a bit more event-like character. Well, some little touring could fall into place, also. Let’s wait and see…
Any additional comments or shout-outs?
Never stop creating, never slow down. Evolve and reinvent yourself every day.
Thank you for interviewing THE ICE.
Touch the void!
Check this awesome band here:
http://www.myspace.com/theicerules
Download the demo here.
