Homicidal inks a deal with Eulogy

Homicidal was formed from the ashes of some of the most influential hardcore acts of the 90's. Homicidal brings violent music to violent people of all ages. Homicidal is the soundtrack to mayhem! The members weigh in at over a half ton of pure hardcore.
Eulogy Recordings brings you the release of their debut album "State of Mind" in Spring 2011. Homicidal shows will be known as the some of the most chaotic dancefloors hardcore has seen. "State of Mind" features appearances appearances by some of the most influential vocalists in hardcore. Lord Ezec of Skarhead, Jorge of Merauder, Eddie Sutton of Leeway, Puda of Agents of Man and Martin of Billyclub Sandwich. Without a doubt "State of Mind" will be remembered as one of the most brutal releases of 2011.

Facedown Records signs Overcome

Official press release: "We are proud to announce the return of Overcome to the Facedown Family! The partnership between Overcome and Facedown Records goes all the way back to the birth of the label in 1997, and now Overcome is back to release their new album on Facedown. Release number 100 will be titled The Great Campaign of Sabotage and will be Facedown's first release of 2011. The Phoenix hardcore legends lead by Jason Stinson have returned with new music and new members, but their message remains the same. Says Stinson, "Be ready, a new flame is burning."
Facedown founder, Jason Dunn had this to say about Overcome and the significance of their return album being Facedown #100: I first saw Overcome in 1994 when they only had a demo tape out. Before I played drums for No Innocent Victim, I would travel with them and sell merch for them. NIV went out to play a couple of shows in Arizona and Overcome was the band that was also on the show. We instantly connected and have remained friends to this day. I always say that I don't think Facedown Records would be around today without Overcome. They were the cornerstone of the label in its early years and teaming up with them instantly put our name out there for hardcore fans worldwide, both Christian and non. It's an honor to be able to still work alongside these guys and to be able to release the new album as Facedown #100. I could not have dreamed of a more appropriate release for this landmark in the label's history.

Overcome's The Great Campaign of Sabotage will be released on February 1, 2011."

The Last Stand to drop 7" on 1124 Records

NYHC band The Last Stand, with the members from Shutdown and Inhuman, will be releasing a five song 7″ on 1124 Records in January. The band recently put together a limited edition demo CD with four songs – it’s unclear right now if the 7″ will be all new material or if it will include the demo.

Hellfire Reign - new album from Hang The Bastard

Hang The Bastard possesses that rare ability to genuinely cross over to different genres of music fans - within an ever-more divisive musical landscape - without compromising who they are one jot. You've heard all the individual elements before (hardcore breakdowns, lumbering stoner riffs, fast thrash attacks), but you've never heard it combined like this. Hellfire Reign is new record that shows the band writing a collection of songs that work and flow together, pushing their hardcore/metal sound out into doom, black metal and horror film soundtrack territory - an achievement clearly more than the sum of its parts. Vinyl version limited to 500 copies.
NOTHING slows Hang The Bastard down. Having released a rapturously received EP and two split 7”s within the last year and a half, as well as an appearance on the ‘Happy Holy Roar 3’ Christmas tape – the band have also put in approximately 200 shows during this time throughout the UK and Europe (including festivals in Poland and a tour of Romania amongst many others!); a work rate clearly not to be sniffed at.

With guest appearances by Nick of Dead Swans (vocals on 'Levitation Lessons') and James of Rolo Tomassi (all keyboards), ‘Hellfire Reign’ is more than the culmination of all this work. This is a record that shows the band writing a collection of songs that work and flow together, pushing their hardcore/metal sound out into doom, black metal and horror film soundtrack territory – an achievement clearly more than the sum of its parts. All hail the ‘…Reign’!

Biohazard: new album with original line-up

The original line-up of one of the most influential hardcore punk metal bands, Biohazard, is gearing up to release their first album together in sixteen years. The as yet untitled album will be released in Spring 2011 via a new partnership with Nuclear Blast Records for the world outside of North America.

Jaap Wagemaker, A&R for the label says, "We at Nuclear Blast have been longtime fans since we first saw Biohazard on tour with WARGASM and at the legendary Dynamo Open Air where they played no less than four times! Judging by the sheer power, enthusiasm and pleasure that I have seen them unleash live by playing their classics, the new album promises nothing less than another milestone in their career."

Formed in the late eighties in Brooklyn, New York, the foursome achieved national and worldwide success with their albums Urban Discipline on Roadrunner Records in 1992 and 1994's State of the World Address on Warner Brothers. Both albums sold over 1,000,000 copies each. Founding members Billy Graziadei, Bobby Hambel, Danny Schuler and Evan Seinfeld are currently in the studio with legendary producer Toby Wright (Alice In Chains, Metallica, Korn).

Drummer Danny Schuler says, "Finally, we are in the studio recording our first record together with the original line-up since 1994! 16 years! Feels like a lifetime since we last did this together, and the experience has been amazing. We've recorded over an hour of music, and we are extremely excited and grateful to be able to share it all with you."

Bassist Seinfeld says the new album promises "bone crushing riffs fused with dark melodies and uncompromising lyrics rapped at you like only Biohazard can deliver… the danger is back."

Toby Wright adds, "This is the BEST hardcore band in the world, and this is going to be a kickass record that proves that is a fact." The album is slated for a Spring 2011 release.

Source: Official press release

Dead And Gone Records dead, but there's a blog

Dead And Gone records seems to be officially dead but there's the blog to "to post up videos, interview, pics of all things D&G". Looking forward to next updates as the label has been working with likes of Trapped Under Ice, Ironclad, Iron Age, Deal With It and other cool acts.

Pay No Respect - Game Over

Official Right Direction blog

This is new blog about one of the coolest European hardcore bands back in the days: "Right Direction from Maastricht was Holland's best Hardcore band and pride of the M-Town Rebels. They're one of the founders of Eurocore proving that it's possible to compete with the American Hardcore scene. They gave it up in 2005 after 16 years of existence, their last reunion show I know of was played in 2007." Website includes info on biography, interviews, discography and lyrics!

x Barcadia x

xBarcadiax is one of the most uncompromising straight edge bands with fierce sense of integrity and fearlessly outspoken. Their main focus of their brand new output Violent Means, Violent Ends is domestic violence and sexual assault, a topic that has been ignored by many bands. This is time to take a stand!

xBarcadiax is one of the most uncompromising straight edge bands with fierce sense of integrity and fearlessly outspoken. Their main focus of their brand new output Violent Means, Violent Ends is domestic violence and sexual assault, a topic that has been ignored by many bands. This is time to take a stand!

Could you tell us something about Violent Means, Violent Ends? What should we expect from it and when it will finally drop?

We approached everything with the attitude of "if we like it, we don't care what anyone else thinks". A lot of the music was influenced by bands we love like No Retreat, Built Upon Frustration, Grimlock. Lyrically, I wanted to bring things I think are important to light. There aren't too many "heavy" hardcore bands who confront rape, child molestation, human trafficking. I don't understand why that is.

So it’s coming out on Seventh Dagger. Is it important for you guys to be on the label that is backing up your message and promoting the same sober lifestyle?

I think it's important for people to realize they can get a lot more done if they are sober. We have stayed with Seventh Dagger because Danny has always been really awesome to us. I can call him up any time with any problem or question and he's always there with a solution.

The album’s running theme is the sexual assault, domestic violence and life trafficking. What prompted you to touch this import ant topic? Were there any specific stories or people that influenced the lyrics on the album?

A while back a really good friend of mine was raped. I would say that's what set me off. The more I looked into sexual assault and saw how prevalent it is, the more disgusted and pissed off I became. I decided to use my band as a vehicle to drive all of this information into the heads of people who might not be thinking about it or who might not know about it. I also wanted to be a band that lets anyone who's ever been sexually assaulted know they are not alone and there is at least one band, one group of people in this world who care and who actively stand up against what ruined their lives.
Members of this band have also had to confront sexual assault head on. One of us was born out of a rape. What we are about isn't just some front or some way for us to get a pat on the back. I used to wake up every day sick to my stomach because of the horrible shit human beings do to each other. We are actively participating in a fight against sexual assault and those who would violate others. This band is just one part of that fight, a weapon, a tool.

Are there any new insights into this topic that you've gained when you prepared for this album? What do you think the biggest myth is about domestic violence?

I have always tried to get some sort of understanding about the effects of sexual assault. I am always reading stories from woman who survived brutal rapes or children who were molested. The thing that got to me most is how fucking damaging sexual assault is to people. It tears them to pieces. It fucks up so many different aspects of their lives.
I think the biggest myth about domestic violence is people who are abused thinking it is in any way "acceptable" or "okay". I wish people could understand that people who love you do not hit you and if they do, you deserve someone better, someone who won't hit you.

What do you think is the most critical helping factor for someone who has fallen a victim to sexual violence?

Just being there for them. It is their decision whether or not they want to report it or come forward. But I think standing by them, being there are much as humanly possible with love and support can help them through it and help them get the justice they deserve.

Your “Zero Tolerance” t-shirt is strong. What is your view on a capital punishment for a violent sexual crimes?

I think convicted rapists should be killed or locked away until they die. And if locked up, they should not be afforded anything other than the minimal amount of food and water needed to survive. They should be treated like the fucking filth they are. Child molesters, child pornographers, pimps...these "people" should be castrated. I don't care if it's barbaric or inhumane. And fuck chemical castration which requires ongoing injections. Cut their balls off. The worst offenders should be killed without any of the appeals bullshit red tape that costs everyone so much money. These assholes deserve to die. The words "repeat offender" should not exist. And if the law won't do it, there are people in this world who will and there are ways to do the necessary things without being caught.

Have you received any controversy for this t-shirt?

No. Everyone I've seen with one always says that people agree with it and are all about it.

So, after the album hits the streets, what’s next for the band?

Most likely us stealing a van and going on tour until the police stop looking for us. Hopefully that includes Mexico and Europe.

Any final thoughts that you'd like to share?

Thank you for the interview. If anyone has any questions they can contact us. If anyone needs help or wants to help, they can go to www.rainn.org or call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE

More on Barcadia here.

Pacto De Sangre

Pacto De Sangre has been on the forefront of the beatdown hardcore in Spain. The band has been working hard to spread their music around and they deserve to be heard. With their latest output out (read the review), it's only right that we check what they're all about.

Pacto De Sangre has been on the forefront of the beatdown hardcore in Spain. The band has been working hard to spread their music around and they deserve to be heard. With their latest output out (read the review), it's only right that we check what they're all about.

First of all, how was 2010 for Pacto De Sangre so far? You guys have released a new record so I guess there’s no reason to complain?
It’s been ok, but it could have been better. For personal reasons, we have been separated until August, but in September most of us came to Madrid and we are currently living here so the band is active again. We would have liked to do more gigs than we have actually done, though now our main priority is going to be the band. We are quite focused at the moment; we hope that our jobs and studies allow us to do gigs abroad.

Now that the new album hit the streets, how do you feel about it? Are you satisfied with the outcome?
It seems that the new album is successfully reaching to many places. We have been sending Cds to people and some Record labels have helped us too. We are quite happy about it. The album can be found either in Europe and America.
It took a year to get it fully recorded, but we are content with the result though we would have liked a more kind of aggressive sound as a final result; that’s why it took so long. However, we did our best but it’s quite difficult to get the sound you originally had in your mind.

What has been the response so far?
The response from people has surprisingly overcome our expectations. Most people did not expect that such a band could come up from a southern Andalusian area in Spain, the poorest region of Spain regarding financial and cultural issues involved in Hardcore. We are getting more and more orders not only in Spain but abroad too. We are glad to have more outsiders interested in our music.

How did you come up with that title "Sangre Joven”? What does this name represent to you?
“Sangre Joven” means “young blood”. We chose it because we are one of the youngest HC bands in Spain, We truly believe that we bring a different and fresh sound compare to what we are used to listened to in our region.

What is the main inspiration when writing lyrics and is there a theme or themes behind the writing of this record?
Our lyrics are inspired in many different issues of our lives, we just need to have quick look around and we can realize about the shit we are surrounded by. The main message of our lyrics is strength and courage to face problems in life and never allow anyone to step you; we also talk about the family, friends and values involved in punk and Hc.

I really like the fact that you sing in your native langue. What was the reason for this move and why do you think so few bands do that?
I think the main reason why we chose Spanish is because any of us feel confident enough to sing in English, we wanted to do something really good and we work much better in Spanish. We know that because of that we are somehow closing doors to many people, but we do also know that there are a lot of Spanish native speakers that like fact and we want them to fully get our message. We have also thought about doing some songs in English for future works but, as we have already said, the main reason for English to be used is that it gets to more people.

When you look at the layout of the album, not only the music itself, but also the image of the band seem to be infused with violence. How much of it is real you and how much is just for the shock value?
Lol, this is not the first time we have been told this. We do not consider ourselves a violent band, you have to look further than a simple image, it portraits a fight against unfairness and the rest of the things we have previously mentioned. I’m sure that many people have searched for the album just because of the cover without even listening to it in the first place (lol). Our music is forceful and aggressive so the cover has to match that too.

What are some of the most memorable gigs you played and what is the craziest stuff kids did at your show?
Of course our local gigs with our people that always support us. We also remember good gigs such as the one in Salamanca (middle Spain) and Murcia (southeastern Spain) though people usually mosh and get on it wherever we play.

What would you say to people complaining about violent dancing at hardcore shows?
We believe that each type of music has its own dance, and when it comes to HC mosh pops up. If you don’t like the dance you can either step aside or go to a pop concert instead.

Tell us something about your other bands, Truth Through Fight and Second Division?
‘Truth Through Fight’ are quite influenced by youth crew bands from the late 80’s and mid 90’s. We have been a quite active band since 2005; we’ve got 3LP and one 7”, besides, several European Tours, South American and the United States. ‘Second Division’ is a tribute to NY bands from the 80’s such as Cro-Mags, Warzone, Judge…we only have one EP.


What is hardcore scene in Jerez like? Any other good bands coming from over there?
The HC scene in Jerez is really small, it could be said that we triggered it with ‘la otra opción crew’ (the other option crew). It’s not a big crew and we are pretty much the main members of it. The good thing of the gigs that we organize is that not only HC kids come to them, but also punks, heavies, rockers, etc., However, since most of us are leaving in Madrid, there has been an important loss regarding ‘la otra opción’s issues’ and we do not know if someone is going to carry on with it. Apart from the bands that belong to the crew, there is another deathcore band and one melodic hc one, but they have just started.

What inspired you to become a part of hardcore scene and how long have you been around?
It all began when we were thirteen years old; we all listened to punk and hardcore bands and some kind of metal ones too. We set our first bands at that age too, ‘primeros sintomas’ (anarkopunk/ska) and ‘NHOM’ (HC punk), there were some more aside projects but they remained like that. Little by little, at the same time we grew as a band, we never stopped going to gigs and seeing other bands from the scene, bands from different provinces and towns, the HC feeling took us over and we couldn’t stop it, so we decided to set ‘la otra opción crew’.

What are some of the albums that have made an impression on you in 2010 so far?
Nasty - Give a shit
Alea Jacta Est- Gloria Victus
Kickback - No surrender
First Blood - Silence is betrayal
Six Ft. Dish – Recreational violence
...

How do you feel about the current state of beatdown hardcore music in Europe? What bands do you support?
We would love it if the beatdown scence ever got here. The Eurpean Beatdown Scene ain’t that big either and we live too far from the countries where most important gigs take place. We know people from the European Beatdown Scene such as Germany, France, England and Belgium and we also know for a fact that they are quite active and there are more bands coming up. We would like to be part this European Scene but we believe that we are more part of the African scene (lol).

Big business and hardcore? As a band that used to release their first recordings DIY, do you feel hardcore scene can benefit from big labels and media hype?
We have never thought that bands that belong to this scene could ever become rich, this is so underground; only in the case that this music went so in fashion for some unknown reason, there might be some big record label interested, but we really like the way it is now.

What are the future plans for the band?
Now that we all live in Madrid, we want to tour around; we are also working on some new stuff and new merch. For next summer, we want to go to America; we would also like to play some gigs in Europe. We are open to any possible offer of someone who is able to set any gig no matter where in Europe.

Any closing comments?
We are really pleased with this interview and thank you guys very much for you interest. We hope that PDS can get into the European HC scene little by little; we are full of hopes about it.

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