Blue Collar Criminals - Warrior Poets

Warrior Poets is a new album by Tucson based Blue Collar Criminals. Being very much impressed by their previous output and the way they combined punk rock vibe with hardcore elements, I’ve been looking forward to this album since before I even knew it was coming out!

The songs are still on the catchy side and what you get is booze infused melodic punk rock with hints of hardcore that maintains a perfect balance between raw force and melodic catchiness. Compared to their previous album, everything got better. The songs are tighter, more complex and some of the hooks will follow you around for hours. The music is varied and detailed, from fast circle pit parts to mid tempo passages there’s hell of a lot of good ideas going on here. The gruff vocal delivery from the singer Mike works well alongside laying out a tales of drunken nights, street fights, having fun but also touching on some personal issues. The production is much more cleaner, but it’s not overproduced and not stripping it of the edge. The album is laden with stand out songs, but if I had to pick the ultimate winners, that gotta be Tucson City Streets, where they demonstrate some pride in their home town and The Pressure, dealing with personal struggles. They still got a knack for covers, this time doing Warriors by you know who and classic Mommy’s Little Helper by Rolling Stones. These are so good that make me wish they would release a cover album in the future putting their own spin on some classic rock tracks.

Warrior Poets is one of the most energizing albums I’ve heard in a while and there’s a big chance that this one will end up as one of my favorites for 2010.


Review by Dloogi
Label: H8-Piece Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

Cold Existence

Cold Existence are carrying the SOSF flag high and proud in Sin City Las Vegas bringing much needed sense of loyalty and brotherhood with their debut album, Mob Firing/Six Terror Six (just recently released by Filled With Hate Records). Packed with heavy and brutal brand of hardcore, this is must have for everyone into harder side of things!

Cold Existence are carrying the SOSF flag high and proud in Sin City Las Vegas bringing much needed sense of loyalty and brotherhood with their debut album, Mob Firing/Six Terror Six (just recently released by Filled With Hate Records). Packed with heavy and brutal brand of hardcore, this is must have for everyone into harder side of things!!

For everybody who is unfamiliar with your band, could you tell us what Cold Existence is about…

Gonzo Blood: We are a band who is rooted in brotherhood first and foremost. It's a family mentality and a way of life for all of us in the band as well as our surrounding brothers. Our sound is derived from who we are and what we are about, and it's not easily accepted by most. Which is just fine by us.

Bobby Blood: Everyone in the band is related by blood or by crew or both. The music, touring etc is secondary to my purpose of the band which is to enjoy all the good things about being a musician and creating music, and avoiding all of the negative forces that plague music and every other art form.

As for a band who have been around for relatively short period of time and with no official release under your belt yet, you guys have been creating some buzz. Are you happy with the response you’re getting so far?

Gonzo Blood: Absolutely. It's a great feeling knowing that there are people out there who truly feel the way we do. People who are down with what's real and can see through the fog. There are alot of us out there for sure!!

Bobby Blood: It’s a great feeling, realizing you’re not alone in what you love. For a band like us to come from nowhere and have people connecting with what we’re about without anyone telling them that’s what they’re supposed to like…that means something. It means everything to me.

It seems like you guys are starting in a really good moment right now cause while this fake ass emo/screamo whining shit is slowly dying out, hardcore kids seem to be hungry for some raw and aggressive stuff. Would you agree that things are starting to look brighter for bands like yours?

Gonzo Blood: Without a doubt. Every so often some new type of sound emerges and the majority of people are drawn to it for some reason or another. Then a couple of years go by, and those same people drop that certain band or type of music altogether like a bad habit. While on the other hand, you have an ever-flowing, underground current of true music that will never be fully accepted by the masses, but will always remain stronger than ever as the latest fad dies out with a whimper. So I don't know what the future brings for bands like us. I just know bands like us are always going to push the envelope and are going to be around for years to come.

Bobby Blood: The “industry” has changed for sure and the ones who are benefiting are bands like ours who play from the heart. Why? Because we’ve survived through all the trends with no financial backing or media hype. The bands who have been dependent on major labels and trendy fans are the ones crying that everyone is downloading their stuff and God forbid they may have to get jobs some day. Blue collar bands like us have always struggled and have always had jobs. We can tour without eating for 3 days. Our egos are more satisfied with 25 of our fans on our stage in our face than with 20,000 Hot Topic fans or whatever 10 feet behind a crowd barrier worshipping us. I say that from experience. More and more these days kids are just responding to what is real, and not what they’ve been told to like. I’m not saying major label bands aren’t real or anything like that, more power to them. I’m just saying that bands like ours are doing well because now that people no longer tolerate radio stations and MTV or whatever, they’re finding a lot of real bands through technology like youtube that 10 years ago would’ve been buried by deep pocketed major labels who controlled and censored every major media outlet squeezing out competition to their manufactured stars with their kickbacks and power. Bands like our can also survive with no means. We’re happy with whatever we get because whatever it is and however few fans there turn out to be, it’s good enough for us. Quality over quantity, that’s one of my band rules.

You have recently released a video for "Fueled By Hate". How did this come about and what was it like shooting that?

Gonzo Blood: We chose this song for our first video because the message speaks loud and clear as to what we are all about. The concept for the video shares the same idea. We had played some killer shows in Las Vegas at a place called Eastside Joe's up until that point. It's the kind of place where bands like us can really thrive, especially since the kids that go there truly feel our brand of music. Our good friend Eastide Joe lent us the venue for the day, which was too cool. The vid shoot was awesome because we had our good friends come out on a weekday morning and get down with us. The whole day was alot of fun.

Bobby Blood: Again with the changes in the industry DIY is king! We wanted to capture the true essence of Cold Existence and that’s what we did. The place we filmed is where we did our first 4 or 5 shows. Just a semi abandoned house owned by a good friend. We brought in some of our crew and me and my good friend Juan Lara shot the footage. There’s even some live footage in there if you watch closely. I edited the video myself so nothing was lost in the translation. The song was chosen because it’s the epitome of what we’re all about as far as how we feel towards scumbags and backstabbers. Everybody knows a person the song could be about. For me it’s about a particular front man from Las Vegas who happens to be a complete piece of shit lowlife scumbag big mouthed gutless back stabbing chump. I wont say a name because I don’t want to spoil the surprise on the next EP. You’re day is coming though, faggot. You’re going to get your chance to make good on your big talk you didn’t think would ever come back to me. Then you have to deal with me all by yourself, and there isn’t a thing in the world you can do to avoid it.

Could you tell us a little bit about "Mob Firing/Six Terror Six"? What kids should be expecting from this release?

Gonzo Blood: It's our first release of any sort and it has the true feel of an E.P. Half of it is our original songs and the other half was recorded for an upcoming horror flick called Terror 66. It's definetly a hard hitting record that smacks you in the face, no doubt. I really dig how well all of the songs vibe together even though some of them are originals and some are covers. Expect a raw and intense form of expression.

Bobby Blood: My Dad does the Suicidal Tendencies “cat call” at the end of our cover of Two Sided Politics!

So you’re gonna do some shows in Europe this summer. What are your expectations from this trip? It seems like you have many fans over here, especially in Germany…

Gonzo Blood: I am really looking foward to this trip man! We have so much support overseas,
and especially in Germany. I can't wait to get out there and really let loose in a way that I can't even put to words! This will be our first trip as a band to Europe and I expect total mayhem when we hit the stage. No doubt.

Bobby Blood: I suspected we would be most accepted in Germany that’s one of many reasons why we wanted Filled With Hate Records to release the CD for us. The fans in Europe are just awesome. If they like you they act a fool for you! If they don’t like you, they just tell you straight up and then you can just be friends with them haha. I love that honesty. To appear at these festivals and on this tour is a personal milestone for me. I’ve toured the world many times in pre-established bands which is great, but Cold Existence is MY band. I started it, I named it, I wrote all the original songs, I hand picked the line up etc. This is more important to me than anything I’ve ever done in music or ever will do probably. My expectations are simple….to travel some of my favorite countries with my brother, my cousin, my brother from another mother and SOSF comrade Ant and play for 5 or 5,000 fans on any given night. Also to share the road with great bands like Pound For Pound and In Blood We Trust. We’re gonna have the greatest time!

For those who don’t know, what SOSF crew is about and what does it mean for you personally to be a part of it?

Bobby Blood: SOSF is the Swing On Sight Family it’s a worldwide brotherhood. What we’re about is not entirely public information but I will say what we are not about. We are not about jumping people or any of that kind of stuff which is a common stigma attached to organizations like ours. We support our own and we support those who show us respect and approach their craft with respect. We work together as our own community. We do our part to better the things we believe in whether it be hardcore music, venues, bands, record labels, etc. The violence is something easily avoided. You have to really go out of your way to experience that from us but of course you’re always gonna have people and groups who want to test you and we hold it down when necessary. For me personally it means I have family all over the world and they have me when they come to my side of the world. For what we do, touring and traveling through unknown and sometimes hostile territories pretty much living off the land, it’s a great feeling to know your back is gotten.

Could you tell us about your involvement in the upcoming 4th edition of Born To Hate video magazine?

Gonzo Blood: Cold Existence is proud to be a part of Born To Hate Video Mag For sure!! So many awesome bands, I'm blown away that we get to be a part of it. We contributed a live version of our song "Fueled By Hate". I can't wait for the release, it's going to be unreal!!

Bobby Blood: The guys from BTH are amazing dudes and we support what they do and what they’re about. We invited them to be a part of the Fueled By Hate video and they asked us to contribute to the newest volume and we are very honored to be a part of it!

What are your other plans for 2010?

Gonzo Blood: European tour coming up in August. We will definitely be writing new material after that!

Bobby Blood: I want to start writing soon but for 2010 the EP just got released (June) so we’re going to support that for at least the rest of the year!

Thanks for the interview and hope to see you in Europe this year. Any last shout outs?

Gonzo Blood: Just to my family and friends! I couldn't do this without you!!

Bobby Blood: SOSF World Wide what’s good!! My good friends in Europe looking forward to the summer! Props to our family at Filled With Hate Records big thanks for releasing the record and taking good care of us! Thanks to our brother Paul at Afire Studios in Las Vegas for capturing the rawness of Cold Existence and getting us kick started!

Check out their Myspace!

New merch in Seventh Dagger webstore

Seventh Dagger uploaded some new items into their webstore. Check out latest merch from Domestic War, One Choice and some other dope stuff.

Pre-order new Unit 731 album 'Res Ipsa Loquitur'

Res Ipsa Loquitur is brand new full length CD from Unit 731. Ten full songs w/ cover artwork by Angry Blue. If you preorder you will receive an exclusive 11X17 poster of the cover art! Place your order here. Shipping late June!

The last issue of Will To Speak is out

Will To Speak Issue #3 has been available since May. Here's the official release info:
Guess what, Will To Speak Issue #3 is finally out, should be finished at the printer as I am typing this. Long announced, we did not find the time and motivation to finish the zine for a long time, but it's done now. Get in contact with us personally or through will.to.speak[at]gmail.com if you want copies.

In other news, this will probably the last issue of Will To Speak. Thanks for your support. Please start your own zine and go read some books too. Team To Speak.

Interviews with:
- Debaser
- Lewd Acts
- Seed Of Pain
- Ian Wiles of Dead & Gone Records fame
- Ghetto Josh / Hexed Clothing

Plus:
- Photo Exhibition (rabbitriot.net)
- Columns
- Book Club
- Austrian Band News

Purification package deal

Pre-order for Purification package deal containing Banging the drums of war CD and T-shirt is available via Hurry Up Records.

The Killing Fields - new album from All Out War coming in August

“Into The Killing Fields” is official title for new All Out War album which is scheduled for an August 31st release date via Victory records. Pre-orders have already started!

Thin Ice - Revelation Through Tribulation

Back to the Blood & Ink stuff... Here we have the brand new debut EP of Texas' Thin Ice. It was released a couple of days ago and it's available as a digital release, if I'm right... You can get it from iTunes etc. and you know that I think that digital releases are so lame but, hey, we are living in the internet era, get used to it (even though I'll never get used to it...).

So, if you like bands like Buried Alive (ex-Terror, you remember them eh?!) , Shai Hulud and Figure Four, then this is your shit! Go and load your iPod now!
Brutal moshy hardcore that kicks ass from 5 guys that still attend school, holy shit! Oops, I guess this is a blasphemy, as Thin Ice is a Christian band!
To be honest, I'm just kidding, even God would forgive my bad sense of humor. I've no problem with Christian hardcore at all. On the contrary, I really appreciate Jesus Christ's words...
Back to the music, Thin Ice rule, whether you like Christian hardcore or not.
The EP includes 6 songs of intense brutal, metallic, hardcore; one song is a huge 5 minute lasting instrumental one, that I really dig!
The artwork is fine, too.
All in all, a nice release.

Review by Apostolisxxxfrom World's Appreciated Kitsch blog
Label: Blood & Ink Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

Integrity - The Blackest Curse

It's been ages since 'To Die For' was released (2003) and Integrity are back with a bang. The band that defined, along with fellow scenesters Ringworm, the heavy metallic hardcore sound and created the unique Cleveland, Ohio style, delivers their 8th (or something) full length album.

There's also a shitload of compilations and tons of split 7"s (i.e. w/ Mayday, Psywarfare, Kids of Widney High, Hatebreed, Lockweld and AVM just to name a few...) in their discography that starts back in 1989, that's why I cannot count exactly their full length albums! So, after the release of the 7" Walpurgisnacht, 2 years ago, Integrity, suffering a lot of line-up changes during the years, decided to finish 'The blackest curse'. It took them almost 5 years to unleash it to the world. Don't forget that Integrity fell in hibernation, after the release of To Die For, and only woke up for the 2008 European tour with Converge and Coliseum...
Back in 2010... Deathwish released 'The blackest curse' a couple of days ago ...and holy fuck!
This is a masterpiece and one of the best Integrity releases ever! The band returns to that awesome mid 90s sound they built with 'Those Who Fear Tomorrow', 'Systems Overload', 'Seasons in the size of days' and other classics. The music is so intense that nails you down, while Dwid's vocals are sick as hell once more, singing about his favorite and personal apocalyptic issues, including thoughts, religion, mental illness and the likes.
It'll be a sacrilege to mention any influences etc. when speaking about Integrity. Because Integrity is the influence. All this metal / hardcore scene that exists nowadays, with all those overhyped bands, wouldn't exist if Integrity hadn't paved the path. Integrity created a whole scene and the irony in this story is that bands that have been influenced by Integrity (let's say Hatebreed, Converge, Rise & Fall) get way more attention than Integrity themselves ...
Nevertheless, 'The blackest curse' is a cornerstone in the dark & twisted metallic hardcore scene.
Watch out for their upcoming split 7"s with Rot In Hell, Gehenna and Vegas.
And if you ever find a copy of Jagged Visions fanzine no.2, grab it immediately; it includes one of the best personal interviews with Integrity's Dwid ever.

Review by Apostolisxxxfrom World's Appreciated Kitsch blog
Label: Deathwish Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

New Life Or Death album coming soon

Abomination is a title of the upcoming Life Or Death album. If you remember Sentenced, you know what to expect - bone crushing hardcore not unlike Merauder, All Out War or Cold As Life. The band has already posted 2 new tracks on their Myspace profile!

Billy Club Sandwich - Bottom of The Barrel

Born From Pain - Survival state of mind tour in Asia

Massage from the band:
Mid July we will embark on our last leg of the SURVIVAL STATE OF MIND Tour, which will bring us back to Japan and countries and regions like Indonesia, Thailand, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Uncharted territory for Born From Pain. We are looking forward to finally play more of the Asian part of the world and happy to do so before we finish writing and recording our upcoming new album. Come check us out here:

JULY 16th @ ANTIKNOCK, TOKYO Shinjuku, JAPAN
JULY 17th @ DAY TRIP, NAGOYA Tsurumai, JAPAN
JULY 18th @ SENGOKUDAITOURYOU, OSAKA, JAPAN
JULY 19th @ FIREBIRD, CHIBA Shinmatsudo ,JAPAN
JULY 21th @ BEIJING, CHINA
JULY 22th @ WUHAN, CHINA
JULY 23th @ GUANGZHOU, CHINA
JULY 24th @ ROCK SCHOOL HONGKONG
JULY 25th @ THE ROCK PUB, BANGKOK, THAILAND
JULY 27th @ BANDUNG, INDONESIA
JULY 28th @ TBA
JULY 29th @ MU CAFE, JAKARTA, INDONESIA
JULY 31th @ WEST BORNEO CULTURE, PONTIANAK, INDONESIA
AUG 1st @ SINGAPORE

Moving On - new album from Pay No Respect

The follow up to "Fear Profits Man Nothing" is finally here! "Moving On" is packed with 9 songs of intense and heavy hardcore. Compared to their previous material, picked up a pace a little giving the songs more vibe. Pay No Respect proved they got what it takes to survive on this crowded scene! For fans of bands like Terror, Your Demise, First Blood, No Turning Back, Death Before Dishonor or TRC. Order it from Spook Records (Poland).

Setback - new singer needed, new album announced

According to Setback's Myspace bulletin, the band is currently looking for a new singer. You can message them for more details and to see if you qualify. The band also announced that new album should hit the streets sometime this year!

Carpathian – Wanderlust Tour

You still got a chance to catch 'em on this tour:

June 18 The Fort, Brisbane AA
June 19 Thriller, Brisbane 18+
June 25 The Fitz St Ives, Sydney
June 26 Cambridge, Newcastle 18+
June 27 Axis Youth Centre, Queanbeyan AA
July 1 Next, Melbourne 18+
July 2 Enigma Bar, Adelaide 18+
July 4 Seaford Community Hall, AA
July 9 HQ Skatepark, Perth AA
July 10 Amplifier Bar, Perth 18+

Red Eyed Devil to drop debut album

Red Eyed Devil, new band with Everybody Gets Hurt members, have been busy completing they're new up and coming album "Consequence Of Time". There's 11 tracks on the album, 1 is an instrumental. It should be released some time soon.

Bully tape release

Bully has found an awesome, interesting and fresh balance of punk rock, power violence, and hardcore. This 9 song tape will come with a real DIY version of a d.l. card as well as instructions on how to use it. There is only 100 tapes (45 - Blue Tapes, 45 - Yellow Tapes, 10 - Green Tapes) so don't sleep on these! You can place your order here.

Madball to release 'Empire' in the fall

New York City hardcore legends MADBALL will enter Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida in July with producer Erik Rutan (MISERY INDEX, CANNIBAL CORPSE, GOATWHORE) to begin recording their new album, "Empire", for a late September/early October release via Good Fight Music.

"I think [having Erik working on the album] is a good dynamic," states vocalist Freddy Cricien. "We did the last couple records with a different producer, [but] he was busy, so we were looking for an alternative and [Erik's] name was suggested. I got to talking to him and I found out he has a hardcore background, and he's a big fan of ours. I was really sold at that point because although he does a lot of death metal, he's really eager to approach this in a certain way."

Freddy is also looking forward to utilizing Erik's rich history in production with metal artists, and his fresh outlook on producing "Empire".

"[Erik's] going to use bigger production, and I like that, but he's not going to approach it like a CANNIBAL CORPSE record because the vibe is different, and sometimes that dynamic works," says Cricien. "He's a guy that's used to working with different things but he knows how we want our stuff approached. Erik wants to make a statement with doing a MADBALL record because he's so into the death metal background.

"I'm really psyched about it, really excited.

"If [Erik] was totally oblivious to who we were and what hardcore music was, I'd be skeptical. But that's not the case at all. He's more diverse than his resume shows, at least from speaking with him personally. He's a solid engineer and he has the ear."

Regarding the album's title, Cricien states, "'Empire' will play off of the name. MADBALL has come a long way from being street kids to becoming very established in our genre, and even beyond the music. We're finally at a point in our life where we're taking control of our things, whereas before we didn't have control of some things or didn't choose to have control. We have the feeling that we've built a little empire for ourselves with our band, brand, and different endeavors." He continued, "We get this reference that we're kings of New York."

"There are plenty of awesome bands that have come out of the city. AGNOSTIC FRONT are the godfathers of New York hardcore, SICK OF IT ALL are one of the undisputed champs of the scene... we were always known as more of the bad guys, but now people are calling us the kings. It's not a title we gave ourselves and it's not that we call ourselves that, but it's just a term of endearment and respect that people use and it plays into the name 'Empire'.

According to Cricien, fans of MADBALL should expect the sound that they have always loved, but some evolution as well. "There's a certain sound that we're known for, and as much as we want to evolve with the times, we also have to keep in mind that there's a certain standard and integrity with MADBALL, and we have to preserve that," he says. "Real-deal hardcore kids totally appreciate that. That said, the foundation always has to be a certain sound, but we always bring new elements into our sound. There has to be some evolution. It might appeal to people outside of the hardcore realm, but in the end, it's going to be a MADBALL record."

Since forming in 1988, MADBALL has been responsible for some of the most important releases in the hardcore genre, from the seminal "Ball of Destruction" EP (1989) to the landmark albums "Set It Off" (1994), "Demonstrating My Style" (1996), "Look My Way" (1998), "Hold it Down" (2000), "Legacy" (2005), and their latest release, "Infiltrate the System" (2007).

Source: Roadrunner

Ruined Families

Ruined Families is one of Greece’s best upcoming hardcore / punk acts. They combine their Cursed influences with a lot of Integrity / Rise & Fall parts and some 90s emo stitches. ‘Four wall freedom’, their first LP, is about to be released in mid-July. I had an, all-around, interesting conversation with T.Z., Ruined Families’ vocalist and lyricist. Enjoy.

Ruined Families is one of Greece’s best upcoming hardcore / punk acts. They combine their Cursed influences with a lot of Integrity / Rise & Fall parts and some 90s emo stitches. ‘Four wall freedom’, their first LP, is about to be released in mid-July. I had an, all-around, interesting conversation with T.Z., Ruined Families’ vocalist and lyricist. Enjoy.

Hey guys! Wanna introduce your band to Hardboiled readers?
We are Ruined Families, an aggressive musical collective from Athens, Greece.

Are your families ruined or something? Why did you choose such a name and what’s the meaning behind it?
As a matter of fact, none of our families is ruined. Ruined Families is a name we came up with that we believe it reflects the band's sound and aesthetic to the world that surround us. It's a reaction to the society, the misery and the happiness, the security that is offered for free to some and taken violently from others.

You are about to release your first full length, called ‘Four Wall Freedom’, as far as I know. Give us all the useful information for it please.
Four Wall Freedom is our first music endeavor. It's the first 8 songs we wrote as a band. It's a record written in winter. The title itself is a paradox. Privacy is really important and sometimes what we do in four walls might never be achieved in huge spaces in modern cities. Four Wall Freedom is the secrecy, privacy, actions, words and worlds held inside four walls that each one of us creates.

Musicwise, I dare to say that Cursed are a big influence for you. Which artists (not just musicians) do you admire and why?
Without a doubt, i could say that Cursed is a huge influence for all of us as a band, a purely amazing band. If you asked this question to each one of us, you would receive 5 different answers. All I could say is that we're influenced by good music, but, as well by ideals and aesthetics of bands and artists.
Here are some names:
Nirvana, Francis Bacon, Celtic Frost, Interpol, Paul Thek, Guy Debord, Planes Mistaken For Stars, Jawbreaker, Jim Carroll, Orchid, Modern Life Is War, Jim Carroll, Jack Kerouac, Coen Brothers, Integrity, Woody Allen, The Smiths, Kiki Dimoula, Ryan Eggleston, Danzig, Friedrich Nietzsche, Dadaism, Catharsis, Charlie Kaufman, Sonic Youth, Poison Idea, Louis Althusser, Jacques Lacan, Lightning Bolt, Hannah Arendt, Walter Benjamin, Infest, Socialisme Ou Barbarie, Darkthrone, Benedict Spinoza, American Nightmare, Cat Power, Trial, Pyotr Kropotkin, Unbroken, Rosa Luxemburg, The Situationist International, Black Flag.

There’s a philosophical / poetic approach in your lyrics. What issues do you cover and what feelings do you wanna arouse to your listeners?
As a lyricist, I try to do an observation in the world. Paradoxes, the study of the obvious, the uncommon familiar, privacy, losing faith in man, love and god. The world is full of things we see, but, don't pay attention to; it's full of ideals, situations, looks, silences that can't be captured. What I try to do is to reproduce these moments with cheap grace.

Do you think that today’s hardcore scene is way too safe & predictable? What’s your opinion about all those overhyped bands and the non-ending clichés surrounding our movement?
People divide themselves, categorize and watch selectively. In our selective vision, we set microcosms that are mostly often bigger than the rest of the world to us. There are always right and false leaders, but, I believe that this only affects the masses. There are always masses even in subcultures, minorities and movements.

And after all… is hardcore / punk a movement? Or is it just another outlet for 18years old kids to unleash their frustration & energy and then throw up their ideals and follow the ‘tie & suit’ way?
Hardcore/punk is like a cave. A cave can provide you a shelter, some place to sleep and some place to rest. A cave also may be wet, cold, may be dark or may have wild animals willing to eat you.
If you want to enter the cave, you might not know what you will face, but, it's always an unpredictable place to explore, rest or breed -an interesting place- but, it always contains the element of danger and uncertainty.
What matters is how you get out of the cave, if you manage to do so.

The financial crisis in Greece is almost at its peak. Why do you think that this happened? And what’s the solution you propose?
The situation in Greece is really sad for the citizens. Unfortunately, we are all to blame, everyone in a different level of course. Politicians have taught the people how to act, then people act like the politicians themselves, but, in their own smaller worlds. It's a really difficult situation and it will get even more difficult. People need to get together and organize.

By the way, what’s your opinion about the Greek hardcore / punk scene?
Hardcore and Punk in Greece has some really good bands and people trying for the scene. Everyone who gives a slight inch for this scene deserves credit. Of course there are people bringing this back with attitudes, but, as a matter of fact everyone that helps, loves or hates in any way is always doing something.

Even if you are a brand new band, you will tour Europe next month. You are playing in Fluff fest, as well. Which countries are you going to visit and what do you achieve with this tour?
We are siked to do this tour. It's a first time experience for us and we're playing shows with some great bands, as well as Fluff Fest. This would never be possible without the help of some amazing friends. What we really want is have a good time and meet new people and places.

Thank you. Any last words or closing comments?
Be humble, be conscious, educate yourself, talk when you have something to say, say thank you.
Thank you.

For more info:
www.myspace.com/ruinedfamilies
www.ruinedfamilies.blogspot.com

The interview was conducted by:  Apostolis - World’s Appreciated Kitsch
Photography: danai | icon – www.pictureperfectsmiles.blogspot.com

Bully - Split

Bully is a hardcore/punk band from Tacoma. If you dig fast and furious hardcore you should dig this.

Blood In Blood Out - You Keep On Praying

New songs from Blood In Blood Out. Yeah, that's right - they're back and stronger than ever! Can't believe one could not like these new tunes...

Harm’s Way - No Gods, No Masters

Whoever said hardcore can’t be dangerous no more obviously hasn’t heard No Gods, No Masters by Harm’s Way. There are no cheap tricks here. The band gets down to the business straight from the start and does not let up right to the end. This EP is all about primitive, sinister, cold and raw hardcore spiced up with thrash influences done in the right way. Everything is presented with such force that your respect is taken for granted.

Some of the names that pop to my mind when listening to this are Integrity, Poison Idea, Discharge and Napalm Death, but it’s really hard to pin down what’s going on here. Musically, they can’t be touched. Their style is pretty much straight forward and they are taking no prisoners. Most of the guitar work is very catchy and the drumming is on point and marks up the music’s rhythm to perfection. The vocals are dark and vicious. This guy’s hateful and deep voice is capable of raising the hair on the back of your neck. I like the obscure sound of this and the dirty and cold production is fitting the music perfectly. Grim hardcore straight from the mouth of hell mingled with mid to fast passages and enough diversity to keep you interested all the way. I fail to find anything to dislike here. These dudes must rip on stage!

Author: Dloogi
Label:Closed Casket Activities
Year: 2010
Check out the band at their Myspace

Crackdown - Enough Is Enough

Agnostic Front, Mother Of Mercy and New Lows tour

September 30th Peekskill, NY – Popeyes Pub
October 01st Albany, NY – Bogies
October 02nd Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock Cafe
October 03rd Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class
October 04th Lansing, MI – Macs
October 05th Toledo, OH – Frankie’s Inner City
October 06th Milwaukee, WI – Mad Planet
October 08th Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock Social Club
October 09th Des Moines, IA – House Of Bricks
October 10th Omaha, NE – Sokol Underground
October 13th St. Albans, WV – The Brickhouse
October 14th Washington, DC – DC9
October 15th Philadelphia, PA – North Star Bar
October 16th New York, NY – Santos Party House

New album from Terror to drop September 14th

September 14th is a scheduled date for North American release of “Keepers Of The Faith“, new Terror album. The album will see the light of day through Century Media. Here's an official update from the band´s vocalist Scott Vogel:

“This is the record we put everything we have into, from the music to the lyrics, the layout to the title and to the direct hand to hand street marketing approach, we are putting it all on the line. We took all the rules of what’s going on in the industry today and washed them from our minds. We wanted to capture those early days of hardcore. This is the record we were destined to make. This is TERROR at its best and I’m so excited to get this out and start touring surrounding its energy and passion.”

Blood For Blood is back for a tour in Europe

Blood For Blood will be returning to the stage with couple of shows in Europe later this year. The guitar duties will be handled by Billy Graziadei of Biohazard fame. The band issued the following statement on the matter:
“First off, we would like to thank all our fans for hanging in there over the last six long years. As of December 2010, Blood for Blood will embark on our first tour since 2004. Blood for Blood has agreed to join the Persistence Tour in Europe sharing a stage with long time friends Sick Of It All as well as other acts soon to be announced.

The decision to play again was not an easy one to make. Over the last few years we have tried time and time again to contact [guitarist & vocalist] Rob [Lind aka "White Trash Rob"] about a possible Blood for Blood reunion, but he has ignored every single attempt we have made. Therefore, we were left with no other choice but to find someone else to fill in for his BFB responsibilities. Now, let’s make this perfectly clear: We have no ill will towards Rob whatsoever. We wish him well and Blood for Blood will always be open to him.

That being said, we were left with the conundrum of finding a fill-in for Rob. After some careful thought we believe we found a perfect fill-in. We are pleased to announce that Billy Graziadei of Biohazard will be joining Blood for Blood on stage for Persistence Tour 2010.

Again thanks for all the countless emails and support letters from all our fans over the years. We are looking forward to seeing all your ugly faces again.

Skarhead cancels couple of European shows

Here's the official statement from the band:
"Due to unforeseen circumstances and matters beyond the band's control, we are all very sad to announce that the first couple of shows of the European Skarhead tour, which was supposed to start tomorrow June 18th 2010, are now officially cancelled.
Needless to say the band is extremely disappointed and want to apologize to all the fans who were looking forward seeing Skarhead.
Everybody is currently doing everything in their power to get the band to Europe as soon as possible.
We'll hopefully have a kick off day before the end of this week, and will get back to you asap with more news."

Bitter End / New Morality European tour 2010

07/29: Dublin, Ireland @ Life and Death Fest
07/30: Mol, Belgium @ Break Out Fest
07/31: Lichtenstein, Germany @ JZ Riot
08/01: Munich, Germany @ Sunny Red
08/02: Vienna, Austria @ Escape
08/03: Berchtesgaden, Germany @ Kuckusnest
08/04: Hamburg, Germany @ Rote Flora
08/05: Fredericia, Denmark @ Fredericia Hardcore Fest
08/06: Leisnig, Germany @ Sucks'n'Summer Fest
08/07: Essen, Germany @ Filled with Hate Fest
08/08: Hengelo, The Netherlands @ Innocent
08/09: Mannheim, Germany @ JUZ Mannheim
08/10: London, UK @ The Underworld
08/11: Nottingham, UK @ The Central
08/12: Newport, UK @ Le Pub
08/13: Canterbury, UK @ The Chantry Social Club
08/14: Ieper, Belgium @ Ieper Fest

Donnybrook Canadian Tour

7/31 Victoria, BC @ Victoria Arts Center (Van Isle Hardcore Fest)
8/1 Vancouver, BC @ TBA
8/2 Calgary, AB @ Albert Park
8/3 Edmonton, AB @ Avenue Theater
8/4 Saskatoon, SK @ Walkers w/ The Ghost Inside, Betrayal
8/5 Regina, SK @ The Buffalo Lounge
8/6 Winnipeg, MB @ Ragpickers

Smashrooms - The Wind Of Tomorrow

With The Wind Of Tomorrow from Italy owned Smashrooms brings 4 tracks of traditional hardcore which is aggressive and raw but still maintains some level of melody. It’s not the type of stuff I’d go out of my way to listen to but I’m pretty sure they will get a big and loyal following among the kids who are oriented more on the positive side of things and dig bands with political message in the lyrics.

With The Wind Of Tomorrow from Italy owned Smashrooms brings 4 tracks of traditional hardcore which is aggressive and raw but still maintains some level of melody. It’s not the type of stuff I’d go out of my way to listen to but I’m pretty sure they will get a big and loyal following among the kids who are oriented more on the positive side of things and dig bands with political message in the lyrics.

Author: Dloogi
Label:Epidemic Records
Year: 2010
Check out the band at their Myspace

Alea Jacta Est - Ceaser t-shirt

Caesar t-shirt from Alea Jacta Est in Useless Distribution webstore. Stedman t-shirt - 150g/m2 - printed in gold. And remember they've got new album coming!

Rise After Defeat - eagle vs. snake t-shirt

New t-shirt from Rise After Defeat designed by UomoTigre (Dagger Tattoo - Dagger Design). White, red and black print on white Fruit Of The Loom t-shirt. This item is a pre-order, the shipping date is June 20, 2010.

Backtrack, Fire & Ice, Dead End Path dates

7/17 Huntington, WV @ Fred Jr's
7/18 Indianapolis, IN @ The Dogo
7/19 Louisville, KY @ Keswicks Democratic Club
7/20 Kansas City, MO @ Scion Lab
7/21 Denver, CO @ Blast O Mat
7/22 Las Vegas, NV @ TBA
7/23 Oxnard, CA @ Sound & Fury
7/24 Oxnard, CA @ Sound & Fury
7/25 Oxnard, CA @ Sound & Fury
7/28 Tucson, AZ @ YCMA
7/29 El Paso, TX @ The Hideaway
7/30 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
7/31 Baton Rouge, LA @ TBA
8/1 Madison, AL @ The Venue
8/2 Atlanta, GA @ 585 Wells
8/3 Columbia, SC @ House Of Hardcore
8/4 Raleigh, NC @ Soapbox

Cold Snap - Bad Moon Rising 7" pre-order

ere's the message from Dead & Gone Records:
We are now taking pre orders for the last ever Dead & Gone Records release and it’s a great way to sign off. This band has got better with every release and every show. 'Bad Moon Rising' is progression from the 'Glaciers Incarnate' and the recent split with Cornered. Trust in us but listen to the title track here and get blown away www.myspace.com/coldsnaphc

Cold Snap have been working hard the past few years to develop their sound and hit as many corners of the island as possible. Spawned in 2007 from various ‘down south’ bands (dirty money, on thin ice, age of kali, out of hand) . CS delivers hard hitting NY style core and if needed reference points are Outburst, Breakdown, Crown Of Thornz. Mainland Europe is now in the bands sites with shows planned this coming summer. Anyone who saw this band at the RIP show on May 29th knows they are for real. Listened to BMR yet? Hard as fuck right? The Dirty South has risen once again

This is a split release with Carry The Weight Records (www.ctwrecords.com) check out their releases and upcoming hit list. This label is going place. Torch.
Help me out and buy this and buy it quick!

Thanks to everyone who has supported D&G over the years, everyone who bought records, designed flyers and merch, played on records and booked a show. Its been a very very good time. xxx

Pressing Info : 500 x Black, 200 x Black with yellow centre, 200 x Clear w/Grey, White, Yellow Splatter

www.deadandgonerecords.com
www.myspace.com/coldsnaphc
www.ctwrecords.com

Mother Of Mercy record Bridge 9 debut

Pennsylvania's MOTHER OF MERCY will enter the studio today to record their yet-to-be-titled debut album for Bridge Nine. Recording at Studio 4 with Will Yip (Blacklisted, Cradle of Filth, CKY), Mother of Mercy will be holed up Philadelphia for the next several weeks recording new material that "sounds like Only Living Witness and Megadeth", said bass player Drew Ferry.

He went on to say, "I'm personally excited to get back into the studio with Will. Gypsy recorded our Six Feet Under full-length there and it was quite an experience witnessing the stories of the history involved inside of Studio 4 as well as Will's current endeavors. Looking forward to seeing what we can do this time around."

Mother of Mercy released the critically acclaimed album III last year on Six Feet Under Records and has spent some serious time on the road alongside bands like Comeback Kid, Cruel Hand, Title Fight and more. Additionally, Mother of Mercy has played highly coveted sets at Chaos in Tejas in Austin, TX and New England Metal & Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA this past Spring. If their past work is any indication of what is to come from Mother of Mercy - raw, abrasive and dark metallic hardcore influenced by Samhain, Undertow and Obituary - their upcoming full-length album for Bridge Nine will be nothing less than stellar. Stay tuned for new music and news to be posted soon at www.Bridge9.com.

Alea Jacta Est - Morituri Te Salutant

Check out new songs from Alea Jacta Est upcoming album!

Forget Your Fears - Rugged & Ruff

"Rugged & Ruff" is the first extract from Forget Your Fears next EP called "This Distress Pushes Us To Rise" coming out this summer.

Upright - Face The Consequences

Upright was formed in early 2010. Demo '10 Cd is sold out, Tape version of the demo coming real soon on Street Survival Records. Split 7" with Foreseen coming later this year.

Danforth - Predator

Our Fight

Our Fight proves things are still going well in Cleveland scene with their powerful and aggressive hardcore, both in lyrics and music. While sticking to the principles of the genre, band's songwriting is awesomely honest and creative. Check out what Steve (vocals) had to say about the band, their music and Cleveland scene.

Name: Our Fight
Location: Cleveland Ohio
Active since: Feb 2010

How do you define your overall style?

We have a lot of influences from all over but really the only way to pin it down is just to say it's Cleveland hardcore. Cleveland has made a name for it's self over the years and we are just hoping to live up to that.

What's your goal with this band?

There hasn't really ever been a goal discussed. We have things we would like to accomplish like touring as much as possible and putting out music we're happy with want to hear ourselves.

What do you have recorded so far?

So far we only have a 5 track demo recorded that you can download for free or buy on cassette from us. We have just finished writing several more songs though and will be looking to put something new out by the end of the summer.

Can you give me a brief background on the band and what you guys are currently up to at this moment?

Everyone in the band is in one or more other active cleveland hardcore bands but i don't believe any of us consider it a side project. We all got together because in the current cleveland scene there are A LOT of bands but none of them were representing the side of cleveland that our fight is going for.

Lyrically what kind of themes do you deal with? What is the message you're trying to present to your listeners?

A lot of what i write about is personal. I've always believed in the philosophy "write what you know," so that's what i have stuck with. Everyone in the band is straight edge but that hasn't really entered into the lyrics just yet. Mostly what has been written about so far is loss of faith in god and people. I could elaborate on that more but it would go into some boring personal stories so i'll just shorten it to say that the world is full of shitty people with shitty ideas and they will do everything they can to make you like them. What i write about are my struggles with these people and my observations about them.

It's pretty obvious where the band's name came from. Starting Our Fight, did One Life Crew have a big influence on you?

This is something that i wish more people would research. Our Fight is actually a Confront song. We chose the name because the song speaks against racism. OLC did play this song as well but it was written by Confront and will forever be a Confront song. I have a hard time comparing anything we do to OLC because of how much i disagree with most of the things they stood for. That being said, musically the idea of Our Fight was to take a lot from Confront and early One Life Crew style hardcore, but we ended up abandoning that by the first practice and just started writing what we wanted to without any guidelines really.

The Cleveland sound is a brand and there are lots of bands all around the world trying to capture this sound. Being from clevo what's your perception of this? Does it make you proud in any way? Do you follow any bands in this trend?

I think it's pretty cool that people are catching on the cleveland sound more and more lately. It has made for a lot of integrity and ringworm knock off bands, but as long as you recognize your roots and where it all comes from i feel like there is no harm done. It does sort of give a sense of pride that so many people are recognizing the cleveland sound now, but even if they weren't we'd all still be proud to be from here and making music that represents our city. It's kind of hard not to follow some of the bands that are putting out cleveland style hardcore these days. Bands like Crucified and Rot In Hell have had my attention for a while.

When asked about Cleveland every hardcore kid will say Integrity, Ringworm, One Life Crew and In Cold Blood. Are there any bands from over there that you think went underrated but were as much important to the local scene?

I think when you say that most hardcore kids know about In Cold Blood you are assuming too much. Many people I've run into have never heard of them and that is a shame because they were such a great band. But the biggest area of Cleveland's history that goes overlooked is what we had going on in the early 80's. If you read "American Hardcore" by Steven Blush, in the back under regional hardcore acts the whole state of Ohio is pretty much left empty. But there were some great bands form Cleveland back then. (The Guns, The Plague, Zero Defects, and Starvation Army to name a few) also there are a few other bands from later on that were really great such as: Confront, Committed, The Final Plan, Grudge Match, Pale Creation, 9 Shocks Terror, and False Hope. I could go on forever but I've already said too much.

And what about the new generation of bands. What are some hardcore bands that are making noise right now in Cleveland?

Cleveland has a pretty tight knit scene right now that we are all proud to be a part of. All of the members of Our Fight have other bands and we are close friends with many more bands from the greater cleveland area. If you want a list, here you go : Search Bloc, Mad Minds, Masakari, Basement Boys, Horrific Dick, Wind Of Death, Rid The World (rip), Mammals (rip), and Ghost Breeder. There are a lot more that im forgetting but you get the picture.

What's your pick for best hardcore release of 2010 so far?

The album I've been sweating the most that has come out this year is actually "The Prophet Feeds" by Masakari. We are really good friends with these guys and share a guitar player but even if that wasn't the case this album would blow my mind.

Check out band's Myspace.