New pics from Gore77 Graphics

Gore77 have posted couple of new pics on their myspace profile. This time it's all black and white but luckily they still stick to the horror and gore themes in their work. They're really good at giving these images that creepy look making you think of that sleazy old gore movie you've seen when you were a kid. If you're in a band, run a label or are a musician and are looking for a good, high quality design, check out their myspace profile and maybe you will dig their style.

Check out some more of their work:

xRepresentx - The New Inquisition

If you have a band with a name like that and the title on the cover says The New Inquisition you should basically know what to expect. XRepresentX is a type of band totally devoted to their clean and sober lifestyle and determined to get their message across.

Since the first notes on this album xRepresentx gets down to business with their no bullshit, no gimmicks brand of hardcore. Their style is straight-up raw ranging from aggressive fast parts to mid-paced grooves. Most of the beats on this album are very danceable and are sure to stir up some frantic pit action. The compositions in themselves aren't that complex but they maintain a good balance of fury, authenticity and testosterone. When it gets down to it, I don’t have anything against the bands when they use the same formula as long as they use it to create good music. I’m just letting you know xRepresentx are not the ones to experiment with the hardcore sound. It’s all about the feeling baby and you just cannot fake it. Luckily, these dudes sound pretty serious and devoted to their cause. So even if the album does no way sound original, they do have some good ideas. The band likes to throw in some metal influences now and then but you also get songs like Edgebreak, Facebreak, where pure old school grooves are dolled out with up-tempo beat and gang vocals. The production is way better than on the past material with thicker sound and a bit more punch.

The vocals itself are a take-no-shit type, spitting out straightforward lyrics filled with confidence, straight edge pride and despise for the moral degradation of today’s world. Lyricalwise, this is pretty aggressive stuff. Say what you want about the band but they aren’t shy about their beliefs and values and at least they got balls to take a stand for it.

This is overall another solid release from these guys and a record that most fans of their previous album will enjoy. They haven't made any radical changes to their music, but it all sounds more balanced and mature compared to the debut material.


Author: Dloogi

Label: 7th Dagger
Year: 2009

xRepresentx at Myspace

New t-shirt from xQuicksilverx

Electronic/breakcore/noise/whatever act xQuicksilverx got new tees with a strong straight edge flavor to it. I seriously can't get into their music but the tee looks pretty fine if you like to represent the movement when hitting the dancefloor.

[Un]titled hardcore photography book - an interview with Roman Laris

Here's the interview with Roman Laris and Patrycja Gagan who are one of the photographers behind the upcoming [Un]titled book. The album focuses on diy hardcore/punk photography and will be limited to 500 copies only. It should be available this winter. I really like the idea so I thought it's only right to ask the author few questions to give us some more info about the project and the basics of photographing hardcore shows in general.

Could you please tell us something about the Untitled project and how did it come about? What do you hope this book achieves?

Roman Laris: [un]titled european hardcore/punk photographers is a book of 6 diy photographers who are sharing same passion for hardcore photography. The idea came from me a year ago after I released my first paper photo book Black Sheep. I know Jan, Patrycja and Sheep from London hardcore shows, Marian is a friend of my Slovakian friends and Monika is a friend of Patrycja, and I know all of them are talking wicked pictures so I asked them if they would be happy to work together in one project, completely DIY it means that the book is paid by us, put together by us and its gonna be promoted and sell by us. There are no other parties involved apart of Shaun Ponton who helped us to designed the book and Adam Bobro who arranged the printing and professional advise.
I dont know what I want to achieve? Probably self promotion, promoting DIY ideas and letting people know that they dont need to have big names and labels behind them to achieve something. I love to keep things in my own hands and I love sharing it with others and I believe that whatever you do, you should share it with others, thats the only way to progress and go forward. On the end of the day I hope more young and diy amateur photographers will be inspired and start releasing their work or start to cooperate and talk.



Could you tell us who is involved in the making of the book and how do you think their style of photography differs? What type of themes should we expect from the book – is it focusing on gigs and bands pictures or did you also tried to portray other areas of the scene?

Roman Laris: You have to buy the book and see on your own eyes how different we are. Some of us are using digital cameras some of us analog, some of us are focusing on sing alongs, potraits or moshing parts, some on details or emotions...its all there and I love it! We are all different persons with different techniques of shooting. Jan is more into analog and old fashion cameras, Patrycja and Monika are more rockumentary orientated in this book, Sheep is a crazy man, in a good meaning of that word, and his photos are full of energy and driving force, Marian likes using fisheye lense capturing the sing alongs, and I love capturing energy of the gig, faces and emotions. This book is going to have it all under one roof! Promise!

Patrycja Gagan: Each of us have created a space for a so called short-photo-project, which I believe, defines individual style and presents the field of ones interests. “The scene” is a complex theme, so is capturing it. Therefore, [un]titled presents not only live shoots but everything which emerges from it. Each photographer’s section differs though. Roman Laris photography is all about being a part of the entire experience and his images are emotion orientated. I’ve seen him moshing and shooting at the same time, believe me. Monika’s section is a photodocumentary material presenting a Polish band called The Black Tapes. You’ll find images from shows, studio and backstage in her section. Marian Magdolen is a fish-eye-action man capturing gigs in, let me use this term here, “modern live shooting”. Sheep. When it comes to Sheep I’d love to mention that he’s been working on his individual photobook and I said to him “Look man, save your work for the book and try to came up with a short-photo-project which you could do for [un]titled without borrowing images from your main project”. We sat down in his room, started to browse images and I’ve noticed that he has got a massive collection of moshing people’s portraits. And I went like: “This is it”. Let’s look at it from the opposite perspective. Shows are not only what we see but also what bands see, how the crowd responds to their music and how the energy transforms. I’m calling Sheep’s section “Faces Of Mosh” and you better check it out, maybe you’ll find yourself on one of those images. My section is a tribute to a band called Sunrise. I’ve always wanted to give them something back since they gave so much to me. I own tons of Sunrise photos from shows, tours, studios, practice room, promo shoots, hang-outs etc. I have never managed to compile it into a separate project and I thought that [un]titled gives me enough space to finally present Sunrise’ images and let them know they were my family. Jan Urant is a photographic dino working with analogue cameras, which I adore in photographic context. He created a portrait vs. live shoot project with Down To Nothing and Have Heart in my opinion being his highlights. Jan is the last photographer, closing [un]titled with the sublime Dead Swans image, which I personally consider as the strongest hc photo of this decade.

What was the key to choose the right pics which would make it to the book?

Roman Laris: I can only talk for myself, because I have choosen mine and everybody else theirs. I did not have any key, I was simply selecting pictures I thought will represent my style and work. Because all of us are paying equal share of the book, we have chosen our own pictures, its our work and nobody else should not be telling us what to put in or not, thats the way we wanted it - total freedom of expression.

For the kids out there interested to know something more about being a hardcore photographer could you give a brief walk through your work flow? What they should keep in mind when taking pics at the show?

Roman Laris: See the term hardcore photographer is not really for me, because I am always saying I am not a photographer, I dont know shit about photography, I just set it up on the spot and then focus on shooting the right angles and scenes. Maybe its all about luck and timing, being on the right place in the right time. An a good show is a good show, if the bands and crowd is shit you probably would not capture the right energy and you will have only boring faces and bands in it...I love bands who are acting crazy, driving people nuts, where people are "losing control", but still care for each other.
You have to keep in mind moshing kids, cause you dont want your camera to be fucked up by some asshole who lost it completely. Hey kids, watch for shooters and take care of each other on the shows! Dont act like wild monkies, you can mosh and still have fun not hurting others!

Patrycja Gagan: We all have different backgrounds and different approaches to photography. Jan is studying photography at the London College of Communication, Monika studied photography in Poland and recently she came back to an art school again. Sheep studied at London College of Communication but drop it off at some stage. I'm studying portrait photography at Central Saint Martins in London. Roman and Marian are just extremely talented shooters. So, through such a reference you can easily tell [un]titled is multidimensional. In my experience of capturing live shows, I have come to realize how important it is for all, bands as well as the crowd, to be correctly attuned. Good image (when based on photographic skills) will be, therefore, the spark that emerged from such a collective experience. Personally, I love to think about photography as a process. So, it’s not only the moment you're trying to capture but also what is before and after. Before refers to photographer’s equipment and how he/she would select format of camera, lens, ISO sensitivity, camera settings to suit particular situation and by “after” I mean the whole process of editing and developing.

In general, during a session, how many pics would you say you take to find the right one?

Roman Laris: I normaly take 20 to 30 pictures for a bands set like a one film for a band, not usually more, depends on a band and their show. If there is nothing to shoot I usually take only portraits of the band members during the set. From a show I normally get from 5 to 10 worth shoots I am happy about.



What do you feel is the most challenging thing about photographing hardcore shows?

Roman Laris: Shitty color light effects fucking the white balance and stupid moshers who dont care for anybody else in the pit apart of themself.

Patrycja Gagan: Haha I love Roman’s answer to this question, especially that he’s shooter-mosher himself. I only want to mention that the hardest thing for me is compromising between being a show’s participant and show’s photographer. I’ve always found those two extremely hard to combine. Of course one can sing along and shoot at the same time, I saw that more than once and sometimes I’m doing this myself, but the question of someone's skills versus fortune is unavoidable in such situations. Hc/punk shows were and are a collective experience for me so being selective, or at least trying to be, is quite challenging.

Is there any band you would love to photograph but never had a chance to?

Roman Laris: There are bands from my hometown Bratislava or bands from Slovakia especially bands from the mid 90s, the era when I became part of our hard core scene and the energy of the mid and late 90s hard core in Slovakia were not captured properly. I was too young and broken not having enough money to buy camera, and even I had the money I was always in the pit going nuts hehe.

Patrycja Gagan: Swedish hc scene 1992-1995 era. Sunny Day Real Estate (not
that hardcore tho).

So when the book should be available for orders?

Roman Laris: If everything goes as it should, we are going to print it in mid November and I believe in the begining of December you can buy the book through us.
The book is limited to 500 copies divided between 6 of us which give us around 80 books each. People from Poland can order it via Monika or Patrycja, folks from UK can deal with Sheep, Jan and me and folks from Austria or Slovakia can ask Marian. I belive all of us can send and sell the copies via paypal worldwide. Just drop and get in touch with us, some distributions and small diy distros will be selling it too, but at the moment I cant tell you more. Check our myspace for more coming details.

Thank you for your time. Is there anything you would like to add?

Roman Laris: Thank you for your interest and help to promote our book. Its great people are starting talking about it and getting inspired by our work! Stay true!

Check out the myspace profile of [un]titled.

Check out also:
http://www.romanlaris.com
http://www.vivideyes.blogspot.com
http://www.xerinyescomingx.com
http://www.xsheepx.com
http://www.patrycjagagan.com
http://www.janurant.com
http://www.i-seedesign.com

New eagle design from 8Control

Here's the new tee from the French moshers 8Control.It can be ordered here. While you check out their webstore for more of the cool merch from the boys, don't forget to hit their myspace profile and download for free their latest EP called "You Should Have Cared".

About the band:
"Hardcore band from Toulouse / France playing metallic and moshing hardcore . Band started in 1997 with some line-up changes.

Over the years the band has played with such acts as Madball, Walls Of Jericho, Maroon, Born From Pain, Despised Icon, Cephalic Carnage, Arkangel, Bring Me The Horizon, Misery Signals, Most Precious Blood, Cave In, Your Demise, Shattered Realm, L'Esprit Du Clan, Providence, See You Next Tuesday among many many many others !!"

Danish Tattooing by Jon Nordstrøm.

Here's the book about the history and present tattoo scene in Denmark. It have been released in the recent months so it's still pretty fresh. The time span of the book is from the 1895 to the present and the book covers variety of people and tattoo venues important to the development of the tattoo art in this country. I haven't got a chance to lay my dirty claws on it yet but I sure hope I will get to read it one day.

Here's the official press release from the publisher:

"Danish Tattooing traces the visual development from 1895 up to the present day, with the Golden Age of the 1960s particularly rich on fascinating tales from a rough scene. The book is full of anecdotes and historical photographs of larger-than-life characters and tattooing hotspots: the raw Nyhavn, where sailors and drunk Swedes got their tattoos, and the even rougher Istedgade, which developed into a new tattooing hub in the 1980s. Actually, Copenhagen was the heart and soul of tattooing in Scandinavia until the mid-seventies. The book returns to the present by portraying 14 working tattoo artists, along with their distinctive artwork. "




You can buy this book here.

Cholo Writing by Francois Chastanet

If you're into graffiti you might find this pretty interesting. Cholo Writing is a graphic book by Francois Chastanet, mostly know for his book Pixação: São Paulo Signature, which is, is his own words, 'a photographic survey in São Paulo, Brazil, documenting the relation between urban signature, body and architecture'. His second book is a journey through the world of Latino gang writings in Los Angeles called Cholo, a form of art which is said to be the oldest form of graffiti.

Editor's review of the book:

"Cholo writing is the oldest form of graffiti in the 20th century, evident in Los Angeles long before the appearance of tags and pieces in the early 1970s New York. It is a Mexican American phenomenom with a unique aesthetic based on blackletter typography, used for street bombing by the latino gangs. In the 1970s, Californian citizen Howard Gribble photographed examples of Latino gang graffiti over a wide geographic area in order to encompass a larger variety of styles, with the simultaneous idea of portraying Los Angeles. More than 30 years later, French typographer Francois Chastanet travelled to the same neighborhoods to photograph the inscriptions of today."

The book is available both in English and Swedish and can be ordered here.

Hoods - Betrayed

Common Enemy - Beer Bong

Danny Diablo vs. The Vendetta - When Worlds Collide

Never been a great fan of hip hop and hardcore or basically metal crossover bands. Sure, I dig E-town, Bodycount or Son Of Skam albums, but let’s not forget that there are many bands out there who are tried to tie these worlds together and failed miserably. So this is why not without a little concern I popped this CD in and pushed the play.

Fortunately, the band definitely gets the job done on this album as it grabs your attention right from the start with its take on hardcore and hip hop crossover. Danny Diablo and Vendetta open the disc with We’ll Never Fall which is kind of mid tempo song with a nice vibe to it, gang vocals and some decent ideas in the guitars department. Danny’s flow is also pretty dope on this track. It’s definitely great opener. The same goes with Never Satisfied, which is heavier and it’s here that the straight up rapping vocals are introduced. I’ve never been a biggest fan of Danny’s solo rap projects, but this time his flow is raw, gritty and sharp. The biggest name on this album is definitely Beastie Boys. I knew they were going to be featured here and even if it’s just a remix of their well known "Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun” song, I like the hardcore twist the band gave it. Some of the other people who put in an appearance here are Vinnie D, Roger Miret, Puerto Rican Mike, Necro, Skinhead Rob. It’s pretty impressive list and I haven’t heard a hardcore album with so many guests on it since the Skarhead’s Kings At Crime and 25 ta Life’s Friendship, Loyalty, Commitment. It’s definitely giving these songs ‘all in the family’ feel and I would like to see some more of such collaborations in hardcore in the future.

While the first half of the album is filled with aggressive hardcore bangers, the second half show this more rap driven side of the project in tracks such as 2 In Your Fitted, Snow White or Storm Clouds. While the lyrical content is nothing original or innovative, these tracks flow pretty well and don't get boring that easily. The tempos are relaxed and the band base their music on grooving riffs and strong beat provided by the suggestive and dynamic rhythm section. Most of the songs are catchy and get to the ears very fast. It’s here, blending the hip hop vibe with some heavier tunes, is where the band shows a lot of creativity and versatility making each track stand on its own legs. My favorite song gotta be Ready 4 War with concrete hard rhymes from Underground Professionalz. Definitely one of the album’s choicest cuts.

This album is a huge stylistic departure from their earlier works but I’m feeling they really managed to cook up their best material so far. Concerning the wide range of styles they’re blending here, it’s pretty well balanced with hardcore songs sounding hard and rap songs making you wanna nod your head. Damn, it’s actually lot better that I thought it would be.

Author: Dloogi

Label: Swell Creek, Spook Records, Countdown Recs.
Year: 2009

The Vendetta at Myspace

OSH Press Review:

Innocent protesters' details collected for police databases - standard.co.uk

In Mexican Drug War, Investigators Are Fearful - NY times

In a war for democracy, why worry about public opinion? - Guardian

Father suspected of gunning down 'abusers' hailed a hero - The Scotsman

Drasius Kedys and the mafia – is he still free or is he dead? - Adrian Zyzik's Weblog

Helping Women Caught In The Global Sex Trade - seemagazine.com

Sucker Punch. New documentary highlights slippery ethics of London tabloids. - Pulp International

Google Wave Is Going to Create a Horrifying Dystopian Future - Gizmodo

Russia Gas Pipeline Heightens East Europe’s Fears - NY Times

The Suicide Capital of the World - Slate

Gulag: Online Exhibit - gulaghistory.org

G8 must do more help poor nations cope with climate change - Click Green

"A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep." — Saul Bellow

Honour Over Glory crewnecks on sale now

Honour Over Glory is a clothing brand from the UK with a strong foothold in the hardcore scene. They've just released a new unisex crewnecks in sizes ranging from small to xlarge.

Check out their webstore if you like the design.

Killer Ape

"I love the realness of it,the heart behind it, and the honesty,you cant realy top it.The things I hate are the fakes who just want to be on stage for attention or to be in a spotlight, and bands that dont support other bands, like the dudes you only see when theyre band is playing,you know who you are,HAHA,that shit is weak.people like that should be in some other scene."

Name: Jake(front man for killer ape)

Location: Houston,tx

Active since: March 1st 2009

How do you define your overall style?
Agressive,raw,honest,heavy and definitly some metal influence.

What's your goal with this band?
To put out songs people can relate to and to tour, play shows for kids in other countries and keep the spirit of real hardcore alive.

What do you have recorded so far?
Just a 3 song demo,its a real rough mix we banged out just to get the ball rolling.

When, how and why the band came to being?
Well I made the move from long beach,ca. last year to Houston which was a tough decision leaving my good friends in Hammerfist,and all my other cali friends,but was for the best as far as for the trade Im in and many other reasons.I have to play music to stay sane so it was a matter of time before I got somthing going here in texas.I already had many good friends here so it was fairly easy to network and get it going, the only hard thing has been the members I found that were willing to get it going live out in the San Antonio,tx area ,so the drive sucks for me haha,but thats how much I love this shit,Im not a lazy person so I do what it takes to make shit happen,Its been way worth it.I got in touch with Dailen(ex-drummer for sudden death) and Zak(current guitarist for Indisgust) and we slowly got it going,and now we have Jaun(bassists for flawless victory)who moved near where we practice and hes a good fit.Anyone in a band knows members are the hardest part of being in a band, with jobs,other bands,personalitys,etc. but we seem to bee making it happen for now.

Starting Killer Ape what bands did you listen to? Who influenced you as an artist?
I grew up on metal,death metal,punk,and hardcore, but probably the bands that influences us the most is Merauder, Crowbar, Death Before Dishonor and Biohazard. Merauder is hands down to me is one of the best bands ever, and we love the heavy sludge of crowbar. There is also some faster style music influence like A.F. and terror i guess.

Could you please expand upon "the killer ape theory" and what made you pick up this theme for a band? Does it stop at the name or do you dig deeper in this topic in your lyrics?
"The killer ape theory" was something my lady actually showed me when I was brainstorming for a name for the band. As soon as I read it it just seemed perfect. I wanted to have a name that was a little different then the average hardcore band name ya know, and for the day and age we live in it was perfect, In a time when mankind is constantly being lied to and controlled naturally he is going to become more and more aggressive and resistant to the powers that be and towards his fellow man.Its a twisted backwards world we live in so yeah It kind of stops at the name,but not all the way, because my lyrics are about real life and real aggression,pain,frustration,loss, and striving to live free. The e.p. thats coming out soon is going to be titled "INSTINCT TO SURVIVE" recession related theme so yeah its all kind of connected.

What I really admire in your band are down to life lyrics. Beside the killer ape hypothesis mentioned above, where do you get your ideas and inspirations when writing?
I get my ideas from my personal expieriences,truths and pain.

What are the best and worst aspects of being a part of hardcore scene?
The best aspects of being part of the hardcore scene are all the amazing friends and best times of my life,the worst is the politics,the egos,the competetition and the shady people with shitty attitudes who make it suck at times. What do you love and what do you hate?I love the realness of it,the heart behind it, and the honesty,you cant realy top it.The things I hate are the fakes who just want to be on stage for attention or to be in a spotlight, and bands that dont support other bands, like the dudes you only see when theyre band is playing,you know who you are,HAHA,that shit is weak.people like that should be in some other scene.Also bigger bands that dont check out new bands,that shit is gay too.Im kind of an asshole as you can tell,but there is a lot of bullshit that goes on that angers me,fuck it let time weed em out.

The hardcore scene is constantly changing in terms of music styles and ideas. Musically and lyrically do you feel like hardcore is in a good place today?
I think it just depends on what show youre at or what band youre listening to.Its how you look at it.I stick to the roots. To me hardcore was founded by people who had experienced life in the streets,jail,violence,death,drugs,broken homes,etc. Those are things ive expierenced first hand so I relate.I dont claim to be from the streets,but ive been through lots of crazy shit growing up so thats what I relate to.Im not saying everyone in hardcore has to have had those expieriences but I think its a little wierd that now days spoiled rich suburb kids are calling themselves hardcore.Everyone is welcome,but theres a reason its called hardcore,its not for the weak or the soft,to me its for those who know what real pain is,but who am i to say though,just my opinion,and hot topic is a realy bad thing that has intruded on it as well.shit is gay,but I probably wouldnt complain if our record was being sold there right?haha.Like most people who still believe in this I believe in honest from the heart lyrics, and a heavy straight to your face style is hardcore to me.I think theres a lot of trends or "styles" that come and go in hardcore,but a lot of it shouldnt be called hardcore,its a discrace,but I know when the parades pass the real people will always still be here.Like right now I gues the "posi" thing is or "metalcore"whatever the fuck that is.To me one band blows up with a certain style and then you have a hundred bands cloning them, so whatever, what ya gonna do.Every kid now days knows everything so you cant win haha.the tides will change again someday.You can call are music "toughguy' call it what you want,but the shit is real and you cant deny it.If you do youre probably gay.haha

What do u think of the hardcore scene here in Texas these days? What bands would you recommend for everybody to listen?
In texas right now its okay,of course not as strong as the WILL TO LIVE,PRIDE KILLS,TEN CROWNS days before I lived here,but theres still alot of shows and a lot of good bands,its always what you make of it.I think sitting around bitching about theses "new kids" or the "old days" doesnt help anything.I would recomend listening to the texas bands I mentioned above, and INDISGUST, GRAVEROBBERS, WEIGHT OF RESPECT, THE BURDEN, FULL CONTACT, FLAWLESS VICTORY, YOUR MISTAKE, BOTTOMFEEDER and many others that are the new"cool" bands from texas. Im sure some message board kid could tell you everything you need to know about every band from texas haha.

What's your definition of a real hardcore show?
Everybody going nuts and if somone gets clipped oh well. This is hardcore.

Your demo seems to have got a lot of positive feedback. Are there any plans for a debut LP in the near future?
E.P. coming soon,where hitting the studio this month to record 6 songs. "Instinct to Survive"e.p. coming soon. we're probably putting it out ourselves,then hopefully in 2010 a label will pick us up and put out a full length.

What are some other future plans for Killer Ape?
Record,more merch,and hopefully lots of shows outside of texas.

Shout outs and/or last comments?
Big shout out to you and the scene in Poland,hopefully we will make it over there someday to party with you guys, and big shout out to my GAMC family all over the world,all my west coast dudes ,and bands HAMMERFIST,COUNTIME,FORSAKEN,BEG FOR LIFE,HOODS,and the 86 family.thanks to anyone who supports KILLER APE.keep your eyes peeled for the e.p. ,shows,and new merch. Hardcore lives.

The Polar Ice Cap showing metling of the Norh Polar Ice Caps

With the use of water-based thermochromic ink, Webelow Wear is aiming to encourage environmental awareness with Green Wearable line. Their new desigin, The Polar Ice Cap, demonstrates the drastic melting of the North Polar Ice Caps from 1980 to 2009 and it's one of the most clever use of fashion to spread the good message.

"Using a water-based thermochromic ink and American Apparel Sustainable Edition organic shirts, the image of the 1980 ice caps will “melt” away as your surrounding temperature rises to 96.8 Fahrenheit. The 1980 ice caps will “melt” away as your surrounding temperature rises to 96.8 Fahrenheit. The image of the remaining ice caps in 2009 will then be revealed. These ice caps have been in place for 3 million years and in a 20-30 year span have cracked, divided and melted at alarming rates. These changes may lead to a dramatic shift in average global temperatures as the ice caps thin and sunlight directly passes through it to warm the ocean."

Check out the video below to see how it works:

Venia - Beginnings

Never In Life

"You remember that character in Mortal Kombat that when it said “FINISH HIM” they grabbed the person by the neck and ripped their spine out of their body? Well, that really isn’t comparable to our music but if we could do that in real life I have a feeling that spineless, headless corpses would be all over the place."

Name: Never In Life

Location: Peidmond Triad, North Carolina

Active since: February 2008

Special Move:You remember that character in Mortal Kombat that when it said “FINISH HIM” they grabbed the person by the neck and ripped their spine out of their body? Well, that really isn’t comparable to our music but if we could do that in real life I have a feeling that spineless, headless corpses would be all over the place. We just try to write music that we like and we try to write lyrics that have a purpose and a meaning that is relevant to the way we live life, the way we treat ourselves and others, and the way we treat this world.

What did you record so far?
We have recorded two small demos. A 3 song titled Waiting for Input. With Joe musten from Advent/The Almost doing guest vocals on the track “On the Boats.” Also Paul Genet from Deathblow/Aria/Azazel, did guest vocals on the track “The Drains.” We then recorded a 4 song demo in the middle of 2009 that we aren’t really content with. We put a couple songs on our myspace but we didn’t really push to have a lot of people hear these songs like we did the others.

What's the history behind Never In Life? How did you all get together?
Lots of history believe it or not. Lots of member changes. I’ll spare you the long version and just say that Aaron and another kid Justin, (who now plays in a band called Designer, (www.myspace.com/designer336), got to talking one day and decided that we wanted to start a band. We both had been in bands prior that we weren’t happy with. We scoured the metropolis of the Archdale/Trinity area and found a ragtag group of musicians to back what we considered was going to either be the thorn in the side of what was now considered the NC Music Scene or we were going to flip everyone on their heads and people were going to go ape for what we were trying to do. Seems like we hit the music scene not like the Mack truck we thought we were but more like a handful of grape jelly being thrown up against a brick wall. Decipher that how you see fit. So Justin decided to leave, the first drummer decided to leave, the first bassist decided that he wanted to play disc golf more than anything else in the world ever…I’m not joking about that either. Then the 2nd drummer realized that what we were playing was a little too much for him and he took the 2nd bass player with him. Now we have what we jokingly call “Never In Life v3.0.” We feel pretty happy about where the band sits now. We are talking about trying to get together the skrill to do a full length, and just trying to book as many shows as possible.



What is the main drive behind the band?
It may seem silly but there was a time in the late 90’s where every band you heard had a message. They stood for something. They cared, and were compassionate towards one another. We as a band realize that kids are missing out on an opportunity to experience that. To be able to rally behind a cause with every fiber of your being and stand up saying this is what we believe and we will not be moved. I know it seems cheesy and cliché but brotherhood, loyalty to one another, compassion, and respect still hold sway in all of our lives and we would like to see that relayed through our music.

Who would you say are some of your musical influences?
This could go on forever…haha. I’ll say, Buried Alive, Until the End, Hope Conspiracy, Indecision, Converge, Earth Crisis, Boy Sets Fire and many, many others.

In you guys’ opinion, what are some of the biggest problems or obstacles when starting a hardcore band today?
I would say the biggest problems are finding dependable, like-minded musicians that have the same commitment and drive that you do. At least that seemed to be our problem. No offense to the past members of Never In Life. They all did a great job and served their purpose while they were in the band. But they eventually realized that this wasn’t what they wanted to do. We have always had a couple big rules in this band. 1. If you don’t like it, speak up. You shouldn’ t have to play music you don’t like. 2. If you aren’t having fun then quit. We aren’t in this for money, or fame. We are doing this because it is fun.

How did you get into hardcore music?
That is a story for each one of us to tell because we are all different ages and got into hardcore at different times. I would say a lot of us got into hardcore through other styles of music though. We are forever telling stories about either listening to NOFX, or for others it was sevendust, or pantera, or even Korn haha.

What’s your favorite hardcore fashion?
Vans. We love em. Most comfortable shoe ever made. If you don’t own a pair of classics then you are missing out. Suicide Machines knew what was up when they wrote that song.

What’s the worst hardcore fashion you’ve ever witnessed at the show?
Recently I saw a girl wearing shorts so short that they disappeared into her vagina with ugg boots. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that.

What are some good hardcore bands from North Carolina?
You are asking for hardcore bands which there are few and far between as far as I’m concerned. Now the music scene in general here is wonderful. A wide array of styles are represented just in the area that we are from. We are fans of Advent, Torchrunner, Braveyoung, xhonorx, The Reaping, Designer, Between the Buried and Me, Resistor, Young and in the Way, Ill Will, and many others.



So what can we expect to see from Never In Life in the future?
I wouldn’t expect anything to be honest. Nothing is guaranteed. We would like to see a full length recorded soon. We would like to see a small tour up the coast. Other than that, we are doing what we love to do right now. We don’t want for anything. Seems depressing when I re-read that but it’s honest. Haha.

Any additional comments or shout-outs?
Thank you for your patience with us. We aren’t the best communicators sometimes and things tend to get a little muddy when it comes to stuff like this. For that I apologize. Other than that,… Go start a band. Start a zine, book shows, start a label, put a touring band up at your house for the night. There are so many things that you could do that seem so small and miniscule to you and mean to the world to others. Be respectful of every venue you walk into. Decent venues are few and far between and it is heartbreaking to hear about one of them shutting down. Be respectful to one another when you are at a show. The absolute last place to go fisticuffs is at a show. A show is a place where you should feel the most comfortable, where everyone is safe and accepted. We hate to see kids these days try to throw weight around and act tough when in reality they have to get up and go to school the next morning for a pop quiz in algebra. Just because everyone is accepted doesn’t mean that everyone is tolerated. Kids need to respect their scene and at the same time protect it. It is ours just as much as it is yours. It is up to us to take care of it.
Thank you,
NIL.

Check out Never In Life at Myspace.

Broken Fist - Ashes

Bolt

"One thing I´d like to see though is kids being less styleoriented, you know.. spend more money on records and less on nike sneakers. But when comparing now and then, the early days definately had their moments, ´cause everything was so new and raw and everything had to be done ourselves. That was cool."

Your latest record, Behind Obstacles Lies Truth, has been around for some time and I gotta say it’s really powerful stuff. I still love your debut album, but the new record is simply the best you’ve ever done. What are your feelings about it? What has been the response so far?
L: Thanks! We really feel that this album is by far the best record we've done so far. The response to it has been really good. A lot of people who knew our older stuff but also new people, both seem to like the record.

T: Yes, thanks! This one is a record that we´re happy with ourselves. I guess it turned out the way we wanted it to, or maybe even better? The response has been good and we´re thankful for that.

What do you think makes this album different from the other previous work that you have done?
L: I think the record is so much more whole than all of our older stuff. There are a lot more harmony and progress in the songs. And the structures of the songs are more thought out than before.

T: I guess we tried to learn from the mistakes we´d made with our previous releases. Also, we´ve all probably matured musically since our first releases and hear things a bit differently now (otherwise, we´re still the same “kids” as a decade ago. Never grow up, young ´til we die, haha!).

How was it recording the new album? How do you guys work through the process?
L: All our songs come around by jamming at practice. I think we had few of the songs floating around already a little after the Self-Made 7” came out. More seriously we started molding the material for this album in the beginning of 2008. The songs that made it to this record were picked out of 12 that we had done. The whole recording process took from the demo stages to the finished record a lot of hours. First we did the drum recordings in a real recording studio during one day. After the drums all the other instruments and the vocals were recorded at our rehearsal room in different sessions whenever we had the time for it. Our good friend Antti Malinen from Down My Throat recorded the album with us and was a great help.

T: It´s usually always a lot of work. Personally, for me, recording the vocals was at times fun and natural, then during other times it felt like shit. Try to get in the right mood and try to feel what you´re singing in your lyrics when you have a closet size room full of unneeded guys telling you what you need to do, when you know exactly what you need to do yourself and the only person you need in there is the one doing the recording. Then someone decides to bring a 3-year old daughter along to play while you´re screaming you´re lungs out(it was all done in the same room, we didn´t have a recording booth). That´s when it stops being fun and that´s when I lost my nerve. After that things started going smoothly and we got through the process without killing each other.

Your music is often described as heavily NYHC influenced. Is that a fair statement? What are some of the bands that have the biggest impact on your song writing?
T: That´s a fair statement. We take that as a compliment. I mean, we ain´t trying to be nobody else but ourselves, but it´s about the style of music. It´s hard to name certain bands, ´cause there´s so many hardcore and other bands that have influenced us. But we do have alot of respect for the roots, for the originators of this whole thing. A lot of bands today come and go and styles and trends change but “The Age Of Quarrel” and The Cro-Mags never grow old so to speak. It´s still the most relevant hardcore record to date. It worked for me more than twenty years ago, and it will still work after more than twenty years have passed from now. It´s timeless.

L: I guess it's fair to say we're influeced by NYHC. When we started out as a band that was where the main influences came from musically. As for writing songs I think it's more of a combination of all the music we listen to that influence our writing.

What tracks on this album alone have the most meaning to you lyrically?
T: Number 1 for me, without a doubt is definately “Truly Blessed”. It has maybe the most personal lyrics I´ve ever written. It´s about my son and how he came close of dying at birth. That experience changed a lot of things in my life and having a son changed the perspective I used to have on life in general. He´s three years old now and a really cool person. Anyone who has children of their own, can relate to that song. Another one is “Tapia” ´cause it´s a true life story of a boxer Johnny Tapia. He´s experienced more drama in his lifetime than anyone else pretty much. It´s all facts, no fiction. If you´re into survival stories of everyday drama, then check out his book, it´s entitled “Mi vida loca” The crazy life of Johnny Tapia. Then, “Forever Dedicated” means a lot too. It´s our way of thanking the originators of this music that changed our lives and also all the new faces who keep that fire burning.

L: To me I guess it could be two songs. Either the opening track “Always Outnumbered” or the last track “Forever Dedicated”. Because they both reflect very straight forward on everyday life and the music that we love. Which are the core elements of the existence of this band.

As far as I know this is your first album to be released on a vinyl. What does it mean to you? Are you vinyl collectors yourself and if yes what are some of the most important records in your collection?
L: It means a lot to us that we were able to release this record on vinyl. None of us are very fanatic collectors but all of us share the common opinion that vinyl is the best format for a true classic record. Because it gives so much more value to the artwork on the covers and insides not alone because of it's size. It just looks and sounds a lot better than a cd. All of my records are important to me, too hard to pick one.

T: That´s true, vinyl is better in every way. The sound, the graphics, the timelessness. I grew up listening to hardcore from vinyls and cassette tapes, cd´s came later on. So, it means a lot to me that we were able to release this record in vinyl too. I used to be a vinyl collector as a kid but nowadays when I´m an older kid I just buy vinyl every now and then. Some of the gems in my collection could be: Project X 7”(Not the bootleg!), Integrity: In contrast of sin 7”(piss yellow vinyl), A Generation Of Hope –Comp. 7”, Turning Point 7”, Rebuilding –Comp. 7”, Murders (Among Us)–Comp. 7”, Madball: Ball Of Destruction 7”, Cro-Mags: Age Of Quarrel 10” ...to name a few. And of course, not forgetting the Fury of V: Convicted and Condemned 7”, ´cause it´s da shit yo!

Speaking about it, how do you see the future of music distribution, especially when it comes to hardcore? It seems like less and less people are interested in buying cds, the vinyl freaks are still here but the majority of kids are only about downloading music for free. What are your thoughts about it?
L: I think it's a shame that kids don't see that they're belittling the efforts of making records by their actions. I mean it's cool that you can check out a lot of new stuff via internet but people forget too easily that there's much more to Hardcore music than how it sounds.

T: It´s cool that now vinyl sales are up and cd sales down. It seems that atleast some kids have understood the value of vinyl. Downloading hardcore sucks, ´cause hardcore bands really need the support. There´s no big labels backing up hardcore bands. Most bands have to pay releases out of their own pockets. If you want to check out bands, then it´s ok to download if you go and buy the record later on. But you´ve got myspace for that purpose anyway. A hardcore record is about the whole package.

I read a quote from your MySpace profile saying “they are the last band left of their ”era”, the era that has molded Helsinki hardcore into what it is today”. Can you expand on that further?
L: We're the only band from the Helsinki Hardcore scene that started out in the late 90's that's still around and active.

T: The diehards... never conform!

Another quote I found interesting is “the record reflects everything that has taken place in the lives of the individuals, and the maturing scene of their hometown of Helsinki, Finland.” How do you think the scene changed since you first started and how does it affect your music?
L: It's gotten bigger and in someways better. There are a lot more bands and people. And the people are keeping it alive and active for the scene.

T: It´s not just that there´s more people involved. It seems that alot of kids are in this music for the right reasons and not just because it´s cool or the trendy thing of the moment. Kids seem to know the roots and actually seem to listen to the same bands I grew up listening! To me, that´s rewarding to see. One thing I´d like to see though is kids being less styleoriented, you know.. spend more money on records and less on nike sneakers. But when comparing now and then, the early days definately had their moments, ´cause everything was so new and raw and everything had to be done ourselves. That was cool. Then again, there was moments too when we were ready to fold and felt like “is there anyone out there who understand what we´re trying to do and say”. Now it feels like “hell yes these kids know what´s up!”. We just keep trying to do our own thing.

You have been around as a band for about 10 years now; do you still find yourself being influenced by people and bands coming up in the scene?
L: Most definately. As I said before there are more people now. And the new generation that's already doing things on their own, are doing things for the right reasons. Some of the new bands coming up are really inspiring to us too. We wrote the lyrics to the song Forever Dedicated partly for the new generation.

T: If I wouldn´t be influenced by new bands and people, I wouldn´t probably be doing this anymore. It´s really cool sometimes to notice getting the same feelings from something new or old as I did when I was a kid.

If you had everybody in hardcore listening to you, what would you want to tell them?
T: You gotta know where you came from before you go anywhere. Keep doing you´re thing, be honest and be for real.
L: Be real and don't forget your roots!

For somebody just getting into the Finnish hardcore, what 5 classic albums would you tell them to go get?
L: Wow this is a tuff one. Five isn't enough... These are a few of my favourites. Lama: ...Ja mikään ei muuttunut (this is more punk than Hardcore but it's a true classic) Down My Throat: Real heroes die Security Threat: The order On a solid rock: Steal it back St.Hood: For the dead (brand new but bound to be a classic)

T: Yeah, sure it´s hard, but to me all these represent some sort of turning points in Finnish Hardcore.
Pelle Miljoona & N.U.S. s/t (This is Finnish pioneer punk from the year ´77)
Down my throat: Real heroes die
Cold Inside: The Things I Failed To Tell You
St.Hood: Sanctified
Security Threat: The order

You are guys with regular jobs and families so it must be hard sometimes to commit to the band and at the same time live a normal life. Was there ever a time when you thought, “Damn, this sucks, it just takes my time and gives nothing back”? What kept you going on?
L: I've never thought that the band would only take otherwise I wouldn't have kept doing this for so long. The shows and all the good people I've met through this is just amazing.

T: To be honest, there has been times when I´ve felt that way. During those moments all it really takes is one single person coming up to you when you least expect it, and say something like “this one song of yours really helped me out when I was going through some tough times” or that someone can relate to something we´ve done. That´s it, that makes everything worth it. Or then, during those times I´ve just been writing lyrics and making songs for my own personal therapy. It helps.

Any plans for the European tour in the near future?
L: We hope we get the chance play some shows in europe but we don't have anything lined up.

T: Yeah, like you said, we´ve got families to be with and regular jobs to go to. Sometimes that makes things a bit difficult. Sometimes we have to send like 50 SMS messages back and forth just to get 1 practise organized. So, we´d love to tour Europe but if we don´t get a chance to do a big tour, we´ll just try to organize long weekend tours to be able to play all over Europe.

Thanks for the interview. Anything else you would like to add?
L: If you haven't checked us out, go visit our myspace(www.myspace.com/boltstyle). Thanks a lot for the interview! Stay true!

T: Thanks for the interest in us and thanks for the interesting questions. See y´all when we get there. Hardcore lives 0-9!

Check out BOLT at Myspace

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua trains for the Belt UFC 104

Consequences

Band’s name: Consequences

Location: New London, CT. USA
Active since: September 08'

How do you define your overall style?
Beatdown hardcore with a slightly darker sound.

What’s your goal with this band?
We aim to play as many shows as we can, have a much fun as possible and make music kids can dance and fight their asses off to.

What do you have recorded so far?
We're recorded a four track demo that can be heard out on our myspace. We have plans to head into the studio with Eric Arena over at Stadium Sound in Agawam, MA within the next couple months to crank out a solid official release EP. Depending on our funding situation we might do a few more tracks and just do a nine or ten track full length. Check our page for updates and shit about that.

What has the response been like to your music in Connecticut?
I'd say we get an awesome response. You can usually tell by how hard the kids are dancing. Not to say that we haven't played any dud shows but its usually a great response.


How is the scene over there? What is the most popular style of hardcore over there?
The scene in ct was dead for a while but all of us out here are working really hard to bring it back and its becoming a really close knit type of scene, where some shows are almost more like a party than a show, everyones your friends and its just a good time. the most popular style of hardcore? thats tough dude, because everyone's different, the best way to put it would be to say that everyone here fucking loves hardcore, whether it be tough guy, beatdown, straight hxc, or even other stuff like deathcore or grind, its all about the mentality and having fun. if the kids see you having fun playing your music they're more likely to have fun.

So your demo is out and everyone can check it out. What would you say to all the lazy bastards over there who have not done it yet? Why is it worth a listen?
We would just want people to listen to it and take it with a grain of salt, it is a demo after all. its our earlier stuff so its a little less refined and we've matured a lot with our writing now so its going to be pretty different from what you hear at a show or on recordings to come. its worth a listen if you're into really heavy stuff, wanna bang your fucking head or support the unsigned scene.


What's your pick for best hardcore release of 2009 so far?
We might call it a toss up between Relentless by For The Fallen Dreams, Deceiver by xThe Miles Betweenx and Constellations by August Burns Red but who knows what the rest of the year has to offer. i can tell you right now that we're fucking stoked on the new Evergreen Terrace album, Almost Home, and a few of us are straight hating on the new garbage Emmure shit out in august. some of us think musically it's not all that bad. felony could be an awesome album with different production and tones used on guitar.

Is there anything within hardcore scene that sickens you?
Kids who come to a scene from somewhere else and just hatemosh. it's one thing to dance and hatemosh when you're local but when you show up outta nowhere and disrespect a scene it's just uncalled for.

Who are some of the bands from Connecticut people should give a listen?
Spit Your Game, End All Suffering, Black Water Blessing, Jackie Steele, Walk Away, Letters From Kenny, Bella Lagosse

Whats playing on your stereo the most at the moment?
Will: Sleepwalkers by Dead Swans and The Peoples Fallacy by Betrayal.
Ryan: Depths by Oceano, The Peoples Fallacy by Betrayal, The Ills of Modern Man by Despised Icon
Dylan: Relentless by For The Fallen Dreams and Heavy Lies The Crown by Full Blown Chaos. Kevin: Portals by Arsonists Get All The Girls, and Deceiver by xThe Miles Betweenx.
Steve: Jazmynes Lullaby by 7 Angels 7 Plagues, and Decimate The Weak by Winds Of Plague


Since the emo pleague seems to be defeated and is slowly dying out, what do you think are the future dangers hardcore scene will have to face?
Bands like bring me the horizon, new bury your dead, and emmure just trying to make a quick a buck and alienating fans of real hardcore.

Thanx for taking your time. Any last shouts out before we end this ?
We'll just tell all you people to check out our demo, and again check out Spit Your Game, Jackie Steele, And All Was Silent and our boys in AOS (Archaic of Styles). Also thank all y'all at Old School Hate for givin a couple schmucks from ct the chance to talk about how it is. peace!

Consequences at Myspace

Death To False Straight Edge tee by Dave Quiggle

Seventh Dagget in collaboration with Dave Quiggle brings you Death To False Straight Edge t-shirt to satisfy all your militant needs. Click here if you like the design.

Brand new 50 Lions shirts from Six Feet Under Recs

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Limited Halloween tee from Seventh Dagger

This is 2009 limited edition HALLOWEEN box. Each box is hand screen printed and numbered to a limited count of 50. Each box comes with one HALLOWEEN SEVENTH DAGGER shirt and contains one surprise CD and 7 inch record. It's first come first serve. Click here to order.

My First Failure - s/t

This is my first experience with this band so I’m not gonna compare this album to their previous work. To me it’s like a band that comes out of nowhere and the only thing I knew about the album before I pushed play is that it had a cool album cover. Well, the music itself is interesting and kind of different from your average hardcore band.

The most enjoyable thing about this album is how they fuse hardcore beats with some rock tunes. I know it’s just being me closed minded, but there are many bands that overuse rock tunes in their music and it can dampen the overall energy of the album. Thankfully, My First Failure successfully use these elements to enhance their music. The compositions are quite busy, combining solid musicianship and creative songwriting frequently embellished with complementary melodies and heavier breakdowns. The foundation of their style is crossover between hardcore and metal, but many other genres are also represented. Of course, there’s nothing perfect and throughout the album there are numerous times when they get too carried away with it which results in songs losing all the punch. I like to hear something I can remember the song by and with tracks like Until Today this does not work well to say the least. Sometimes the band just don’t quite gets it right but these moments are luckily few and far between. My First Failure is way more cooler when they decide to go heavy and that’s when things start to get exciting. The best song on the album is About Hearts with a powerful breakdown in the middle. There is a solid chemistry between the musicians on this track and the band tears it up with some chugging riffs and nice melodies. The mosh part in this one is just the best moment on the whole CD and they should stick more with this type of sound in the future. I mean, I like their willingness to experiment but they need to work on finding a better balance between clean melodies and heaviness.

The overall feeling of the album is rather dark and sometimes even nostalgic, but somehow it’s not that pessimistic as I expected it to. The lyrics are very personal and I think most kids can connect with them. Most of the songs deal with hardcore as a way of life, music, scene, friends and just doing something constructive with your life. Alexa is doing a great job with a solid and powerful vocal delivery. Her style of singing reminds me much of All For Nothing’s Cindy which is not a minus in my book at all. Actually, if I said this album is All For Nothing playing Poison The Well songs minus weak ass clean singing I wouldn’t be that far from the truth. Anyway, the band shows a lot of potential and even if they need to work a little bit more on improving their compositions it’s a compelling and interesting record with a great sound and songs to back it up.


Author: Dloogi

Label: Demons Run Amok
Year: 2009

My First Failure at Myspace