Disembodied working on new album

Disembodied are working on a new album which will be out through Good Fight Music late this summer/early this fall. There are also plans for releasing remastered versions of their three Ferret Music albums, 1997’s “Diablerie“, 1998’s “If God Only Knew The Rest Were Dead” and 1999’s “Heretic".

South Impact - From The Street

Here's a track from South Impact new MCD, Res A Provar. If you don't know - the band is from France and they play NYHC influenced hardcore with a metallic touch.

Trench War

Trench War is a metallic hardcore band consisting of 5 dudes from Missouri. They will have their first Ep out sometime this summer so keep an eye on them. They have couple of shows in their pipeline so make sure you check em out if you're based somewhere in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio...

Name: Trench War

Location: Eastern, Missouri

Active since:
Garrett: With this line-up since early march of this year, but i guess, we've been a band off and on since October '08.

How do you define your overall style?
Garrett: Heavy hardcore with a some metal influence, the metal shows up more in some songs than others.

What’s your goal with this band?
Nathan: money, bitches, fame and thats it. haha
Garrett: haha, I'd say to play a lot of places with a lot of bands and just get our music out.

What do you have recorded so far?
Nathan: Three Songs off of our EP are finished, were going back April 23rd doing two more to finish up the album.

You’re planning to release your debut EP this Summer. Tell us more about it. What kids should expect from this release?
Nathan: Well, its going to have some dope as fuck artwork from a friend of mine named Aaron. He does vocals for an Illinois band called outgrown,it's really gonna be a mixture of hardcore and metal that we have always listened too, put into one record i guess? no song is really like the song before it, though it may have similarities.

Garrett: Hardcore that manages to get really heavy without getting boring and staying intesnse throughout.

I’ve heard only Outnumbered from the upcoming EP and no doubt it’s a powerful track. How would you describe the rest of the songs? Do they follow the same Line?
Garrett: I think that if you heard one of our songs and then heard another you could probably guess it's us, but there is some variety to them, like with how much of the metal influence comes in and what not.

Nathan: Outnumbered is just the opening track to the record, yeah the other songs have similarities, like i mentioned before, but we try not to just stick to one sound on the entire record though, i am really happy with outnumbered and the way it turned out, i would say the other songs have the same effect, without sounding the same.

Is there a theme that runs throughout your lyrics or music?
Garrett: it goes 50/50 i guess, some songs are more about something that's happened to me and then some are about things i care about going on in the world, like the situation in Palestine. Musically, i just try to write the songs to be really intense and heavy .

How did the collaboration with Rob McCarthy from Lionheart come about?
Nathan: Well, ive seen lionheart play a few times, they are all really good dudes, fun to be around and everything, so when i mentioned it to him, he was stoked to do it, unfortunatley,things have recently happened to where rob isnt going to be able to do his part on the song. Weve got a few other people in mind right now, that were talking it over with to take robs place, so hopefully everything works its self out this close to the end of creating our album.

Who are your strongest musical influences and why?
Garrett: I think a lot of the late 80's early 90's thrash/speed metal influences me a lot. 80s Metallica or really old Sepultura, but with modern bands the influences are from all over. every style of hardcore.

Nathan: Garrett is responsible for all the music we play,id agree with what he said, id say we take some influence from a lot of bands we grew up listening to,
anything from martyr ad and sacred pledge to bands still around like thick as blood, terror etc.

Tell us a little bit about the history of Trench War. So how did you guys find eachother and decide to start a band?
Garrett: Nathan and i have been friends for years and in early 08 we started a band with a couple of our other friends. He was the drummer then and i was the vocalist. We went through a line-up change and some sound changes. and then in october of 08 our current drummer Dayton started playing and nathan became a vocalist also and we consider that the first line up of this band, but we were called Blood will Follow back then.

Nathan: Yeah weve had a lot of member changed throughout the past three years, The original Trench War(Blood Will Follow) was with our friends at the time Travis Newkirk and Kyle Petty, when we came back a long time friend of mine, Aaron lewis , our current bassist, was playing guitar and Steve Nabors played Bass, we ran into some bad luck at a show in poplar bluff with liferuiner and, after that we all just kind of quit talking to each other for a while, now were back and i d say were stronger than ever, weve deffinetley got a lot more going on.

When did you first discover hardcore music, and your love for it?
Garrett: 15. i started claiming straight edge when i was still in to punk and got to know some of the dudes from the Stl hardcore scene, went to a throwdown show and was hooked.

Nathan: I was around the same age ,15-16, i went and seen hoods and Garrett's old band xTO MY GRAVEx at a local venue called bob-a-rino's, from then on out, it was just my life.

Tell us about the Missouri hardcore. What’s the scene like out there at the moment?
Nathan: The all over hardcore scene in missouri is great, st. louis and springfield i would say have like the most active actual hardcore scenes with bands like a death and a promise, hit list(RIP), A Thousand nations, Last ounce of courage, Resolve ETC and booking agencies like balls deep productions, and everybody who books in st.louis. they are deffinetly more well known as far as hardcore goes, though metal is a more commonly sought out genre in Missouri.

Garrett: It's awesome i think, there's quite a variety of styles all over the state. In our location, it's mostly metal bands and then us, but I know springfield, stl, kc all have great hardcore bands.

The hardcore is all about live gigs so what’s your recipe for a good show?

Garrett: Just go all out, i think bands look weirder if they don't get into it, and i think some people worry that getting way in to it is going to make them look like douchebags or something.

Nathan: Agreed

Fights at shows – are there many of them in Missouri?
Nathan: Fights happen at shows everywhere, it's going to happen, some for better reasons than others, its just an inevitable thing.

Garrett: haha yeah, i've seen a couple.

And are you following what’s going on in European hardcore? What are some bands from over here that you’re feeling?
Nathan: Actually here lately ive been really into bands from europe, Providence are a really good band from paris, and i have some good friends from germany in bands liked Watch My anger grow and count your days, Call for blood is also a band from over there ive been really into, i follow the scene in other countries just as much as i do here.

Garrett: I just found a band called Decades of Blood who are european, i dig them a lot.

Ok, before we finish – what are band’s plans for the future apart from getting the EP out?
Garrett: We have a ton of shows set up with all kinds of great bands from 25 ta life to xRepresentx, so a lot of shows.

Nathan: Yeah, we have a lot of awesome shows booked, were also in the early stages of booking a midwest tour,after the e.p is done were going to be shooting a video with my friend robert. and aside from the ep, were also looking into collaborations with other bands to do splits, were doing as much as we can to promote and get our name out there so hopefully more people hear about us and get into us.

Any last comments?
Garrett: Thanks a lot for the interview! And i guess just check our myspace for shows and songs and junk.

Nathan: Check us and All the other bands mentioned out, keep hardcore alive by supporting your local scene, and other scenes everywhere, and thanks a lot hardboiledzine for what youre doing.

Check out Trench War at Myspace

Face Your Enemy - Steal The Crown

The new album from Face Your Enemy basically picks up where By Force in Your Face left off. Their music is still somewhere between heavier NYHC bands like Madball and straight up beatdown sound. From breakdowns to gang vocals to faster parts, you get everything you would expect from this type of release.

The band is making a lot of effort to sound angry on these tracks with lyrics exploring the science of living in the city, getting by day by day and other real life issues. From time to time lyrics dive headfirst into tough guy territory, with a promise of a revenge to everybody who cross their path. Yeah, it may sound generic but I’d rather listen to this type of stuff than another song about how we all should get together and hug each other. Fuck that, this is South Italy and that positive shit don’t fly over there. You can take it as a warning for those who are not necessary down with this kind of stylistics – this is not album for you.

Musically, this is not a particularly unique or especially life-changing release. Most of all, Steal The Crown is limited by its combination of played out hooks and tired themes. It’s very predictable and the moments where the band displays a real nerve are few and far between, which unfortunately makes much of the album rather characterless. Moreover, the flat production is keeping these songs from sounding as heavy as they should. But it’s not that bad as you might be thinking right now. The bottom line is that it’s still a decent piece of hardcore, yet with couple of factors working against its strengths.


Author: Dloogi
Label:CBC Records
Year: 2009

Check out the band at Myspace

Trapped Under Ice - Believe

Killing Time

There are simple rules to this game and one of them is that you just gotta know how to sing along to any of the songs from the Brightside album. If you don't, you might as well give up on hardcore and live the rest of your life in shame. Kids who know what's up are already aware that NYHC veterans, Killing Time, are back with new album, Three Steps Back and it smokes! Read more to find out what's happening with the band now, what's the motivation for the new album and other stories.

There are simple rules to this game and one of them is that you just gotta know how to sing along to any of the songs from the Brightside album. If you don't, you might as well give up on hardcore and live the rest of your life in shame. Kids who know what's up are already aware that NYHC veterans, Killing Time, are back with new album, Three Steps Back and it smokes! Read more to find out what's happening with the band now, what's the motivation for the new album and other stories.

How does it feel to finally have an album out after all these years? Are you happy with the way Three Steps Back came out

Obviously, it is exciting to have a new record out after all of this time. And any time you put so much energy, thought, and creativity into a project, it’s good to see it come to fruition I think it’s also good to get back in the game and show some of the younger bands what we’ve got left, because we think we’ve still got something to say and can still bring it.

As far as the sound of the record, we are very happy. It’s definitely a raw, punk rock sounding record, and that aspect was intentional. We wanted to go in knowing the songs and just blast them out. There wasn’t a lot of “polishing” done in the mixing stage. I think it’s a shame that most modern hardcore records are so overproduced, so compressed, and kind of lifeless. We wanted it to sound loud, raw, and live, and I think we got what we wanted. Basically, we wanted it to sound like records used to sound.

What was the writing and recording process like for Three Steps Back? When did you start writing it and then when did the recording take place?

We began writing on January 1rst, 2008. Carl showed me some riffs he had been kicking around, which became the basis for the song “Inheritance.” Things just kind of took off from there. Carl and I would write a couple songs a week, record them onto our repective computers with just guitar, and email the demos to (Drummer Anthony) Drago. Some got rejected, but the ones that everyone felt good about we started rehearsing and arranging. We brought all our equipment back to Drago’s parents garage, where KT had written and rehearsed all of the material from Brightside back in the ‘80s. It was freezing in there, and all we had was a shitty little space heater to try to keep us warm. We literally had to play with hats and coats on until the spring. But we also knew that it was important that we practiced there and not in some fancy place in NYC. Anyway, once the arrangements were solid, Drago started writing lyrics like a mad man, though I think he may have had the lyrics for some of the early songs like“24” and “Mingus” before he had the music to those songs. We went into Electroluxe Studios in Brooklyn in June of 2008 to record. Throughout the fall/winter of 2008-09, we did all the guitar solos, some overdubs, and vocals.

Give us some insight into the record and the meaning behind its title?

Like I said, it’s just a loud, raw hardcore punk rock record. No filler, no bullshit, no shiny production values. It’s kind of a bummer that you don’t hear a lot of hardcore records that fit that description anymore. Lyrically, I think Drago step it up to the next level. The stuff he wrote is just amazing. Thematically, I think it’s still covering the ground that any punk band would. Getting old hasn’t really cured us of anger and frustration. We may have a slightly different perspective now that we’re older, but that doesn’t mean that life gets any easier. So in that sense, I think any fan of KT’s older stuff will find plenty to relate to on the new record.

In terms of the title, we had been kicking around a few ideas that nobody really loved. We were talking about it after practice one night, and Rich came up with the idea “Three Steps Back.” We all thought it was perfect, because it seemed to fit on a few levels. It’s obviously a reference to “Backtrack,” but it also the third KT full-length. It also fit the idea of going back to a more basic, raw, punk approach, instead of following whatever trend there is in the sound of modern hardcore.

When you look at all your classic records like Brightside, was it difficult to get past those and put out new music when kids hold your classics in such high regard?

I think it will always be difficult to get past a record like Brightside, simply because it is such a classic record. I wasn’t even playing with them when it came out. I was playing guitar in Uppercut, and both bands were made up of good friends. But even as a friend I remember being so stoked and impressed by how fucking great that record was, and clearly it has stood the test of time to become a definitive NYHC record. When they were making The Method, I was in the same situation, and I (as well as many friends close to the band) thought that record was brilliant. I still do. But Brightside cast such a long shadow, some people will always want to hold you to a standard based on it. And when I record is as classic as that one, you will disappoint no matter what you do. That being said, we didn’t worry about what people would think, because that kind of thing is out of our control. We thought it best to make the record that we wanted to make, and knew that if our hearts were in the right place, the record would be good and people would like it.

So for people who are familiar with earlier material, but haven't heard the new album yet, what would you regard as some of the major differences?

There aren’t many major differences. A lot of the reviews have mentioned that it sounds like something that could have come out in 1988, and for the most part, I agree. I think it has a lot in common with Brightside, but also the Method. But I do think it skews to an older sound, and with more sing-alongs than the songs on The Method. Overall, it’s a bit more punk than any other Killing Time record.

I guess New York City had always a big influence on your music. How do you think the changes that occurred in New York since the 80’ are being reflected on the new album?

New York as a city has changed immensely since 1987. I don’t think it affected the material one bit, because KT has always been a band that wrote from a personal perspective and avoided any political or social commentary. That’s great for some bands, and it definitely has a place in the pun k scene, but it’s just not for us.

On the album the music sounds a lot more punk rock influenced then on your previous albums. Is that route you were trying to go?

Yes, but not consciously. Like I said before, we wanted the way we recorded it and the sound of it to be more punk, but that was mostly in the sense of HOW it was done. We didn’t set out to wrote songs that were more on the punk rock end, though. But for whatever reason, that’s what was coming through. I think it’s safe to say that most of what we all listen to is more punk rock stuff that we grew up on, and I think that’s just the vibe that we had while writing. It ended up fitting in with what we were shooting for in terms of how me made it. I don’t know—maybe the way we went about it made us write stuff that was more punk rock, now that I think of it. But either we didn’t say “ let’s write songs that are more punk rock.” It’s just what came out.

Killing Time never had luck with going on tours. Is there going to be touring planned for the promotion of the new album? How realistic are shows in Europe this year?

Killing Time has never toured extensively, but it’s not bad luck. They have always been there for us to take, but circumstances have always gotten in the way. The band went to Europe in the early’90s, and we went back in 2006. We did Japan/S. Korea in 2007, and we’ve played quite a bit in the States the last couple years. There are some more shows around the U.S. this spring and summer. As far as making it back to Europe soon, I have my fingers crossed. We know the demand is there, and we especially want to play the new songs over there and show people what this new record’s all about, but it’s not that easy to make happen with us, for various reasons. But we really would like to get back there as soon as possible.

Hardcore has changed a lot since you started out. What’s been the biggest change in the scene since you came back?

There have been lots of changes in the scene. I guess the biggest might be how popular hardcore is. It’s not quite the “underground” thing that it once was. I guess in some ways, it’s a bit trendy. I guess the rise of the Internet has also made it easier to find out about bands or get records and for bands to promote themselves and gain a fan base. It used to be that you had to travel and play shows to spread your music, but now, a band can become “big” pretty quickly without having to put in much time playing. I guess that’s both good and bad.

How has the landscape of the New York hardcore scene and music changed in your eyes? What are your favorite current hardcore bands?

The NYHC scene has changed in the sense that there is no central “scene” any more. There is no CB’s matinee or other club that hosts a weekly show. There are scattered shows, and most of them take place in various clubs around Brooklyn, rather than Manhattan. I also think that there’s not as much creativity and variety in terms of the sound. As much as people think that there’s a NYHC “sound,” many of the early bands were quite diverse in terms of their sounds. I think the more metal-influenced stuff, like Cro-Mags, Leeway, and KT, kind of became what most people think of when they refer to NYHC, but there was more to it than that at one time. I think that metal-influenced stuff kind of went off in a bad direction and produced a ton of copy-cat bands that all sound alike. It seems to now be more about having cliché beat-down parts and a scooped, metal guitar sound, without any trace of the punk part of hardcore. I guess it’s more of the metalcore thing now, which isn’t really what we’re into. And it’s a shame, but I don’t think many of us listen to current hardcore. Everyday Dollars is a NY band that I really love and listen to, but they are old friends of ours and their music sounds like something out of the mid ‘80s, so it’s not particularly “new” sounding.

Do you find yourself being influenced by new styles and subgenres coming up in the scene? I’m talking stuff like metalcore, beatdown, deathcore…

I guess my last answer can apply to this question. Those subgenres are something that hardcore morphed into sometime in the later ‘90s. We don’t listen to any of that stuff, nor are we influenced by it. We still listen to the kinds of punk and HC we did when we were teenagers. It’s just what we were raised on.

Being veterans in the scene, is there anything you wish the younger generation knew about hardcore? Is there anything that in your opinion kids are getting wrong these days?

I guess we would say just do it for the right reasons. The music has become big enough for it to become a commodity, and in some ways, it has. I don’t think that has to be a bad thing, as long as you are still doing it out of love and not some desire to make money. I think maybe some of the younger bands expect to form, write a few songs, and play huge shows and tour. Maybe some of them even pull that off in a short amount of time. I would just hope they would remember all the bands that came before them and how hard it was to do it when there wasn’t as much money and support available. Other than that, I’d love to see some younger bands try to find a way to do something original that still fits into hardcore. It’s tough to maybe strike out in a new direction in a genre that is so narrowly defined, but it’s not impossible. I just think too much of it sounds the same these days.

So what are some future plans for the bands?

We don’t think too far ahead in this band, but I know we are playing a bunch of shows to support the new record, and then we’ll take it from there. It’s great to know that there are so many KT fans out there who still want to see us play and check out any new material we have, so as long as we feel like we can bring it live and write good songs that we’re happy with, we’ll be around. Other than that, no predictions. When things don’t seem to be working with this band for whatever reason, it becomes “break time,” which frustrates a lot of the fans. But that’s just how it has always been. That’s the nature of Killing Time, for good or bad. Right now it’s going well.

Anything you would like to add before we finish?

Just thanks for the opportunity to talk about the band and the new record, and thanks to all the fans who have stuck by the band through all these years. We’re incredibly lucky to still have the chance to make the music we like and have people enjoy it. So thanks to all the fans.

Backlash - Through Different Eyes 2x12" discography pre-orders are up

28 songs spanning the entire existence of this mainstay of the New Jersey hardcore scene. Includes everything from their demo, 7"s, LP, and all comp tracks all presented on a double LP in a beautiful gatefold cover with insert & digital download. Choice of vinyl colors: white, clear and black. Ship date 5/18/2010. Brought to you by 1124 Records.

Spook Records released Blindside discography

Sudestra Familia is a compilation of all the recordings Blindside (Poland) did during their existance. It contains never previously released 'My Sweet Vengeance' album, their first MCD 'Kickback' and couple of demos. 35 tracks altogether, almost 80 minutes of hardcore. For fans of Sheer Terror, Warzone, Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags...

Ill Intent - Crash Test

Ill Intent is all about fourious and powerful hardcore. They keep it fast, but know how to lower the pace and add a good amount of groove here and there and it really suits the music very well. Check out their Myspace for the lyrics.

Strength For A Reason / Bleed Into One - Europe Tour 2010

Stronger Bookings presents Filled With Hate / Stillborn recording artists Strength For A Reason and German hardcore powerhouse Bleed Into One this August 5th - 15th for their 2010 European tour. For the complete list of dates and up to the minute info / news on this tour check here!

Vista fanzine #3 is out

Vista Fanzine #3 is available right now! Interviews with: Converge, Caliban, These Three Poisons, Wrench In The Works, Candiria. Brian Peterson/"Burning Fight" book author. Plus a special feature called, In The Rear view: interview with, Bloodlet. 63 pages in all. 8 1/2 x 11 zine. Music reviews, live photos & some other cool stuff. This zine ain't gonna be around forever, so get your copy here!

Renegade - Corporal Punishment

Here's the new track from Renegade called Corporal Punishment. The band is currently working to get their new album, Break The Boundries, out this May. You can preorder it here.

Copykill

As most of you already know, Copykill are back together and they're out for blood. The name of their latest full length, Fucking Restless, says it all. We thought it would be good idea to get in touch with the guys and check what they're up to nowadays. Here's the outcome!

As most of you already know, Copykill are back together and they're out for blood. The name of their latest full length, Fucking Restless, says it all. We thought it would be good idea to get in touch with the guys and check what they're up to nowadays. Here's the outcome!

As every now and then both "Victim Or Witness" and "Conceptions of Mayhem" get their share of spins in my CD player, I was really excited when I heard you’re planning to release new album. So what's the reason behind this move? When did you decide it’s time for Copykill to hit the stage again?

Boris: Well actually it was more of a party mood that we decided to run Copykill again. It was Kevin from End of Days' birthdayparty and we all got together and had some drinks and a good time. Then someone was joking around "hey, lets ressurect End of Days and Copykill and let´s do a split release!"... At that time End of Days were still broken up, my band that I was running at that time, Deadsoil, was more or less done anyway and Clobberin Time had a hard time. At first I wasn´t too much into the idea to do Copykill again but i figured that we all get along so well again now and the idea became serious after a couple of days. That was sometime at the end of 2008.

We all hit the rehearsal-room to pick up the old songs first and started to write new songs kinda quick. Mid 2009 we started to record five new songs and four old, overworked songs that would be our new record "fucking restless". Unfortunately the idea of doing a split release with End of Days didn´t work out yet, but we will see what the future holds for that!

So what’s been happening with band’s members since 2002 when Copykill was put to rest?

Boris: It was me who quit the band after some bad things happend to the band and things pushed up inside the band. After quiting, Chris, Stefan and Sascha decided to go on but chose another name, Clobberin Time was born. I had plans to do a more metal orientated band with some old friends of mine and we found Deadsoil. Since our friends in Drift - the band we did the split CD with - also broke up at the same time Copykill did, I asked Marcel to join Deadsoil on vocals what he did for some time. Holger who left the band some months before we broke up found Machinemade God.

How do you think the experience of playing in bands like Deadsoil or Clobberin Time added to the strength of the music you make with Copykill?

Boris: We all became more aware of how to write songs and how to run a band. Our Song writing became more mature due to the experiences that we all made by playing in all the other bands. You also learn how to set up your gear and how to play better live-gigs.

Your brand new album Fucking Restless has been released recently. How do you feel it compares with the rest of the Copykill catalogue? How do you see the evolution of the band?

Chris: As mentioned before, the song writing turned out to be more mature. We all worked in other bands until they split up, so we all brought new experiences into the song writing process.
We just wanted to start where we left in 2002. Again we wanted to bring the best of old school and metal -everything we like- back together into the new songs, like we did in the past and I guess this worked out very good. I guess we just do what we wanna do.
We don’t want to limit us to one special sound or style.
Sure we wont do some weird experiments and become a hardcore-metall-dancehall-whatever band I guess we just keep on writing music we love and we will see what the future brings.

How important is the message in the lyrics for you. Could you describe some of the principle themes that drive the Fucking Restless?

Chris: Lyrics are very important for me. Sadly most of the kids nowadays don’t notice the lyrics in a way I noticed them back in the days. Lyrics always were very important to me. The first thing I still do when I get a new cd or 7inch, is check the lyrics to the songs. I wanna know what drives the band and what message they wanna bring to the audience and listener.
We write lyrics about our daily life, things we see and feel. Some of the lyrics are pissed about nowadays society, how people close their eyes to the problems surrounding us all, some of the lyrics deal about friendship.
I use the Lyrics to show the listener some of my views and things that pisses me of in daily life. Some of the lyrics show the fear about death and the end of life. I see the world and the society like hypnotized roboters, controlled by the TV and media. We all must reflect ourselves and view how we live life everyday. I don’t want to be dictated by the media so for me theres nearly no tv. Mostly I use the Internet to inform myself and don’t watch all the crab on TV nowadays. All the fucked up shows like “Germanys next Topmodel” or “Germanys next superstar”, all this casting shows. I hate it.
So what is the writing process for you? Do you have a theme in mind or do you start with the music and then write the lyrics?

Chris: First we write the music the we write the lyrics. I write some stuff here and there in my black book and use the ideas for new lyrics.

Tell me about Copykill’s performance element. During your sets, what type of response from the crowd you are most glad to get?

Chris: We don´t care how the crowd reacts when we play as long as they have fun and feel the energie. Everything is welcome, stagedives, singalongs, moshpits... you name it.

Do you ever notice an overly aggressive crowd? Does it get too violent?

Chris: The kids want to get their aggression out in a positive way. That’s what I did and that’s a good thing about hardcore and one thing that thrilled me nack in the days. First show I was and i saw the people get crazy and dance hard It really was a blast. I was so smashed that I wanted to go to the next show asap. Hardcore is a way to express yourself and the dancing at shows is one part of the scene. The people wanna fuck shit up and get all the negativity out in a positive way and not try to set up fights. But sometimes the wrong people come together and a fight breaks loose. Most of the time fights happen cous new people or people that aren’t involved into the scene don’t know how to act during a show. They stand in the first row and get pissed if they get hit. So when this happens many of the people in the audience try to explain them that they should better stand in the back. If they don’t wanna listen, okay their problem I guess. Everyday you learn.

You guys are proudly representing Ruhrport scene. What’s happening over there in terms of hardcore? What are the most active bands, labels and venues?

Boris: We are glad to be a part of the Ruhrpott Hardcore Scene! Its a good location to live at, you can reach everything really fast since we live close to the Netherlands, Belgium, France and also England is reachable within 5 hours. Some of the most active bands (not only Hardcore) from here are Black Friday 29, Caliban, Kreator, In Blood We Trust, Zero Mentality, Reduction, Fallbrawl, Blastout just to name a few. Even if Filled With Hate Records is not located in the Ruhrpott, they still are very connected to our scene, Rico 17Stiches frequently sets up very good organised and good frequented shows and festivals. The Proberäume in Duisburg is the hot stop for good shows. Also Marcel from RBS used to set up a lot of shows. We have a smaller label called "Massive Bloodshet Records" who for example released the Brothers in Crime CD. It really seems that it all is growing bigger again.

And what was life like growing up in Ruhrpott area? What are the best and worst aspects of life over there?

Chris: We all had the chance to grow up in one of the biggest parts of the german hardcore Scene. Every band back in the days and even now stops in this area during a European tour. So you get the chance to see a good show every week. Good aspects are like you heard, kinda every weekend a good show, you can reach many different countries fast and bad things ... hm I guess the same shit that goes on everywhere…

Could you give us the rundown, what do you have coming up? What’s next for Copykill?

We wanna play as many shows possible in 2010 and I hope we can bring you vinyl version of our new cd. I guess there will be a tour around June-Juli throughout Europe. So keep your eyes open for this.
If you wanna book us for a show just drop us a line.

Anything you’d like to say to the kids out there?

Support your local scene and keep hardcore alive and kicking! MOSH!

Injury Time "The Vex" debut full-length cd out now on Rucktion Records

Injury Time debut full-length 'The Vex' is out now on Rucktion Records. It's a follow up to succesful split with Wisdom In Chains. Here's a good description of their style: "Their rough, negative and hateful style, full of tales of urban conflict, nihilism and denied redemption has won them fans far and wide, and their impassioned and energetic stage presence never fails to convince that they are the real deal."

Prowler debut full-length out now on Rucktion

LBU New Blood! Long-overdue Prowler debut full-length cd called Strictly 3.5 out now on Rucktion. Better be ready for this! 13 tracks in total. Promoters get in touch, Prowler are currently booking shows, wherever u are...

New Feet First album out now

New Feet First full length called “Heaven Home Hell” is finally out! Be sure to get your copy and brand new merchandise here. Expect 11 tracks of brutal metallic hardcore with a strong message and lyrics in English as well as in German. The album includes features from Kevin “End of Days”, Matthi “Nasty” and Christian from “United and Strong” and a lot of other nice specials.

Still Fighting - GrimVisions

New Still Fighting track and they still go hard! Heavy and aggressive hardcore delivered by a highly talented group of guys who obviously love what they do. Labels, don't sleep, they're still unsigned!

Knuckle Up! have their debut Ep out

Knuckle Up got their debut EP ready for order at their webstore! Check out their Myspace for new songs. It's been released by the band themselves so give 'em a proper support!

Burning Season Festival - 17-18 July 2010

Burning Season festival will take place 17-18 July 2010. Two days packed with the best of what hardcore got to offer nowadays - from Hoods to Evergreen Terrace, from Death Before Dishonor to Arkangel. 2-day ticket costs €42,00 in pre-sales. Festival tickets are limited to 800 pieces every day. Info on location and directions are here. Click here for the festival's official website.

Here's the confirmed line-up so far:

SATURDAY 17 JULY 2010
bsr trennlinie
OPEN DOORS 12.30
FIRST BAND 13.00
END around 23.30

BEFORE SUNSET
SHOW YOUR TEETH
IN OTHER CLIMES
ANCHOR
BURY MY SINS
THE SETUP
PURIFICATION
MISCONDUCT
CONFRONTO
NO TURNING BACK
ANOTHER BREATH
FIRST BLOOD
MAROON
HOODS

SUNDAY 18 JULY 2010
OPEN DOORS 12.30
FIRST BAND 13.00
END around 21.30

GIVE EM BLOOD
CARNEVALS BLOOD DISASTER
A STRENGTH WITHIN
RUINER
NASTY
CARPATHIAN
MORDA
ME AND MARK
DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR
ARKANGEL
EVERGREEN TERRACE

New 7" from Down To Nothing out now on Reaper Records

Down To Nothing is a band featuring members of Terror and Trapped Under Ice brings 6 hard hitting tracks with their newest 7" called All My Sons. It's already out on Reaper Records. New songs posted on their Myspace profile.

Homicidal to release new album

New CD from Homicidal out soon featuring 16 tracks with guest star appearances by Danny Diablo, Jorge from Merauder, Eddie Sutton from Leeway, Puda from Agents of Man and Martin from BCS. Stay tuned for more news!

Hard To Split featuring Overcome, Through This Defiance, Grankapo and Twenty Fighters

Hard To Split is a split CD featuring 4 powerful HC bands. Overcome from Portugal, Through This Defiance from Los Angeles, USA, Grankapo also from Portugal and Twenty Fighters from Spain. The idea is to put 4 bands working together spreading what they do best: hardcore music. The split CD was released by HELL XIS Agency. Check out their Myspace profile here.

Those Who Fear - Revelation

Here's the new track from Those Who Fear outta Pittsburgh. The band sticks to the heavier side of hardcore but they maintain a good balance and the core element is still here.

Blind To Faith - Feast Upon

Pulling Teeth announces split 5″ with Shin To Shin

Shin To Shin is Aaron Melnick's from Integrity/In Cold Blood/The Inmates new band.

Official info from A389 Records:

"The final pieces are coming together for the upcoming PT split 5″. The unannounced band on side B has been finalized and are called SHIN TO SHIN. Aaron Melnick from Integrity/In Cold Blood/The Inmates new band. You may have heard a taste of the PT side ‘Grudgeholder’ already, look for a taste of S2S’s side ‘Extinction’ very soon. Ripping riffs and leads all over this record. Info coming soon. We’re stoked."

Throwback Thursday: Biohazard - A Lot To Learn

Human Demise - The Odditorium

Human Demise brings us their new album and they are here to blow us away with some of the most powerful tunes I’ve heard lately. I like their mentality on this album – ne time is wasted on bullshit, the band is getting straight to the point from the first notes. The moment the first song busts out of the speakers you can feel the music coming at your neck and it never lets go.

The overall feeling of the album is somewhere between brutality and darkness. Comparisons have been made between Human Demise and names like Ringworm or Integrity and it’s not far from the truth. Too much of a good thing can be a curse, and that also goes for the whole Holy Terror trend we’ve beet witnessing lately. One can’t deny that it gave us a lot of dope bands that really know how to do this shit right, but it also spawned bunch of copycats that are just lame and silly. Luckily, if you look at Human Demise in this way, they definitely fall into the first group and hold their own in this crowded scene. While they do have a lot in common with Cleveland sound, somehow they also manage to have a style that’s all their own. From creative but heavy guitar riffs and solos, to intense drumming and sick vocals, every piece come together flawlessly. A lot of good things can be said about the vocals. I think Maurice is doing a great job here, putting a lot of emotions in every line he spits. Much of the albums grasp can be credited to him.

It’s good to see this band getting better and better with every release. Their sound is richer and songs more complex, but at the same time they still know how to hit it where it hurts.


Author: Dloogi
Label:WTF Records
Year: 2010

Check out the band at Myspace

New Keep It Real (no.9) fanzine is now available

After almost 2 years since the release of issue 8, issue 9 hit the streets on 19th March 2010. A huge 48-pages publication dedicated to the hardcore / punk music & attitude. Place your order here.

Featuring interviews with:
Greg Bennick (Trial), Birds Of A Feather, Lewd Acts, Confronto, Vitamin X, To Kill, Pulling Teeth, Poison The Well and Despite Everything.

Plus:
6 pages photo report of Fluff fest '09, a thought provoking article concerning Krishna Hardcore Consciousness and tons of reviews.
Cover art by Peio.
Layout by Ultra Grim Disign.

Circulation: 500 copies
Format: A4 b/w (2-colors cover), pro-printed
Wholesale prices / trades: hxf_prodaxionz@yahoo.com
No paypal? hxf_prodaxionz@yahoo.com

First 50 copies will be accompanied by a World's Appreciated Kitsch patch.

Strength Through Determination by Unstable Foundation is finally here

Unstable Foundation posted 3 new tracks from the upcoming album on their Myspace. In December of 2009, Unstable Foundation agreed to a deal with "On The Attack Records" to release their debut album "Strength Through Determination". The album is available for order!

Legend posted new tracks on their Myspace profile

Legend have posted two tracks on their Myspace couple of days ago. “Harlot” and “Insight“ are from “Valediction” which is due out May 25th through Rise Records. The album was recorded at Planet Z Studios in Hadley, MA with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, The Acacia Strain).

Debut Ep from Trench War to be out early this Summer

Trench War is woking on their debut EP which should be out this Summer. The band is currently in the process of recording it and working on the artwork. Expect 5 songs of metallic hardcore with guest vocals from Rob McCarthy from Lionheart. As of now, the band is planning to release it by themselves, but all the labels are welcome to get in touch.

No title yet, but here's the initial tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Outnumbered
3. The Omen
4. Interlude
5. Untitled.
6. Unrivaled
7. Tell All Your Friends i Said Fuck Them Too

Purification statement on rumors about them being...

Official statement from Andrea Campanelli, Purification guitar player:

In reply to the false rumors that have been circulating, we want to make clear that Purification NEVER had, has or will have anything to do with any xenophobe, nationalist, fascist or nazist movement.

We are outraged by those people filled with envy and hate with nothing better to do that spread false news over the web to put Purification in a bad light.

We invite also whoever has any doubt or question about Purification to talk to us at any of the upcoming European shows.

Warm regards

Redound - Sam Sreshtu Vsichki (ft. Rijia)

One Strength! - Change By Chance

Here's new song from Australia based One Strength! Nice and moving hardcore with some melody thrown in for a good measure. I urge you to visit their website and read the lyrics to this one - it's worth it!

Still Screaming - From The Ashes Of A Dead Time

Still Screaming owes a great debt to the classic NYHC sound. Actually, it sounds more like an European interpretation of this style, bringing to mind bands like Only Attitude Counts or Backfire. It’s nothing new, but I can’t help liking this album. The band doesn’t try any new tricks, but if it works, why mess with the formula?

The album is filled with gang vocals, circle pit parts and breakdowns and it’s enough to make every fan of the genre happy. My only problem with this album is that I find it very hard to pick out a song or two that stand out from the rest. Basically, all of the them are sounding pretty much equal. I don’t even know if I should consider it as a minus here cause overall, the album is a good listen on a whole. I also got to mention the superb artwork on this one. Not only cover, but the whole insert looks great with lots of pics and all the lyrics. You’re definitely getting some quality for your buck!

Still Screaming have been around for a while and had time to learn their craft so you can expect quality hardcore from them and there’s no disappointment here. Check it out if you dig this style of hardcore.

Author: Dloogi
Label:WTF Records
Year: 2010

Check out the band at Myspace

Creeping Death - Demo 2009

Holy shit, this stuff sounds so powerful! Creeping Death play hardcore with a huge dose of thrash influences. Their sound is near perfection with complex song writing, tight musicianship and insane vocals on top of it. Riffs are razor shape and rhythm section always on point.

They even throw in some solos now and then. If I had to pick my favorite track, I would go for Turn To Dust – it is a truly great song and surely gets stuck in your ears quite fast. Actually I couldn't pick out a song here that's not awesome.The demo is all fluid and coherent and I’m really surprised they haven’t been picked up by any label yet.

Author: Dloogi
Year: 2009
Band's webiste

Copout - This Is The Time

Here's Copout from Philadelphia. This is a track off of their self released Burn The Bridge. The song is called This Is The Time and features guest vocals by Ziggy from Barricade.

Wolf City joined Double Or Nothing roster

Unchecked Aggression is a title for the debut LP from Wolf City. It will hit the store June 8th via Double Or Nothing records. Here's official press release:

This Reno, NV straight edge powerhouse caught our eye shortly before a west coast tour with The Mongoloids and we're extremely excited to be releasing their debut full length cd "Unchecked Aggression". Recorded with producer Andrew Glover (of Winds of Plague) at Sound Temple Studio in Rancho Cucamonga California, "Unchecked Aggression" will be available in stores everywhere and online this June 8th.

You can check out 2 tracks from the record right now on the bands official myspace page. www.myspace.com/wolfcityreno

American Werewolves joined Warbird Entertainment

Warbird Entertainment has inked a deal with Cleveland-based punk outfit American Werewolves. The band has a slew of albums under their belts and will release their latest full-length, Wanderers Forever, this Spring. Those unfamiliar can check out material from the band here.

Renegade to drop new EP in May

Renegade from Australia have recorded new songs for their upcoming EP The Boundaries. 8 mosh filled tracks is what to be expected here. It will be available from May 9. Keep updated with their myspace profile as the new tracks and layout should arrive sometime soon!