Show Of Force - Self Titled

The debut album by Show Of Force contains seven tracks of raging and tough old school hardcore. Hardcore is a genre where you can get away with taking a lot from other bands as long as it’s entertaining and that’s the case with this band.

Listening to these tracks it’s hard not to think of classic acts like Madball, Killing Time, Agnostic Front and such. They may lack the depth of Set It Off, Brightside or Victim In Pain, but nonetheless the band flawlessly executes all the aspects that define the NYHC genre and they do it with skills and practice. The songs sound catchy, fast and pissed off. The production is superb, but at the same time the clean sound doesn’t strip the rawness of the band. Musically, they’re head and shoulders above lots of other bands that play with this style. Lyrically, a large portion of the album deals with topics such as personal struggles, dirty politicians and fucked up society, all presented with an in-your-face delivery. I know it may sound cliché, but as long as they sound honest it’s cool with me. If I had to choose my fav track, I’d definitely go for Worst Case Scenario, a politically themed monster of a song with the chorus that will stick to your head for days. If you’re into NYHC, this is a must!

Review by Dloogi
Label: Real Recognizes Real Records
Year: 2009
Band's website

New EP from Harbour 81

Harbour 81 returns with a new 7″, following up their 2008 debut album ”Live Your Dreams”. The band features two ex-members from the legendary Dutch old school hardcore band SECOND CHANCE who broke up in 2007. Harbour 81 plays old school 80′s style hardcore in the veign of bands like Sick Of It All, Warzone, Slapshot & (early) Agnostic Front. The stream of the entire new EP can be found here

Edge Of Spirit sign with Demons Run Amok

Demons Run Amok Entertainment and Lucifers Legions Records offered bigger distribution to Japanese hardcore band Edge Of Spirit who recently signed with Lucifers Legions, and the band re-signed with Demons Run Amok, that caused release date change from October 27th into December 1st. The album titled Edge Of Spirit by Edge of Spirit will be released through Demons Run Amok Entertainment on December 1st, 2010 in Europe. The price will be 12EURO. For more infomation about the release, visit www.demonsrunamok.de

Pre-orders underway for 2nd press of Outbreak's self-titled album

From Think Fast Records: Pre-orders are underway for the second pressing of vinyl for Outbreak's self-titled album! If you missed out on the first press, don't miss the boat this time as the entire press is limited to only 500 copies. We're offering two different colored-vinyl variations including blue/black swirl (limited to 200) and white/black swirl (limited to 300). Each vinyl pre-order will come with a free digital download coupon (for high quality, 320 kbps mp3s of the album) as well as a free, full color poster for the upcoming Think Fast! Records & Think Fast! Booking Showcase Tour, which Outbreak will headline!

We've also thrown in the option to pre-order your vinyl with a discounted CD version of the album. Check out all the Outbreak pre-sale packages in our webstore here. You can stream 10 songs from Outbreak's self-titled album via MySpace. You can stream Outbreak's entire album from Think Fast! website here.
Here's some press the band has received since the album's initial
release back in November:

"Outbreak succeed at issuing a merciless hardcore assault while
sounding like they're having the time of their lives. ...tighter,
smarter and livelier than most current hardcore, Outbreak deliver
another impressive round."
- Alternative Press

"The odds were against them, but they said "fuck the odds" and wrote
the best album of their career. Punk as fuck, right? ...when a band
writes a self-titled album, it's assumed their intent was to define
themselves -- their sounds and their politics. Outbreak does this
while producing relentless punk rock tunes in the process."
- PunkNews.org

"Yes, Outbreak are releasing their new album both on Think Fast!
Records and on Universal Music's Trustkill. Yes, they're on the 'Saw
VI' movie soundtrack. Yes, they've chosen a more punk way for their
sound. But fuck no, they haven't got soft."
- Daily Music Reviews

"The artwork is brilliant, production is solid, and the tunes are
pretty much how they are meant to be in this genre from start to
finish. Everything a fan of the band would expect, and then some.
Fifteen songs, twenty minutes, one solid album."
- Bombshell Zine

"While I recognize, and appreciate more, the punk angle of Outbreak,
others who are into the omnipresent hardcore element running rampant
in rock and metal today will enjoy their raw, caustic edge. The pace
is unrelenting without being monotonous ...Outbreak's latest is a fast
and furious, ripping good time."
- DangerDog.com

"Outbreak does a fantastic job defining themselves with this album.
...it appears that they may have finally released an album impossible
to ignore. Their former releases, You Make Us Sick and Failure, while
hailed in the hardcore scene, can now be seen as mere stepping stones
to this release that may be the pinnacle of their career."
- Outburn

"What sets Outbreak apart from the pack of hardcore is while they
serve up all of the elements of good hardcore, they are not dogmatic
in bowing to the rules established for hardcore. There is a melodic
punk energy throughout the album that really pushes them over the top
for me."
- 410 Media

Ill Roc Familia Tour with Danny Diablo, Skam Dust and Shotblockers

Danny Diablo will be on tour in Europe between late October and early November 2010. Skam Dust, Panic, DJ Stress and other members of the Shotblockers will share the stage with the king from Queens for this 2 week tour around Europe! Check the show list below. A few more shows will be confirmed really soon so stay tuned.

October 22: Bulle - Ebullition - Switzerland
October 23: (FR) to be confirmed
October 24: Watrelo - La boite à musique - France
October 25: (FR) to be confirmed
October 26: Lyon - Transclub (after-show SOIA / Madball) - France
October 27: (FR) to be confirmed
Ocotber 28: Hengelo - The Innocent - Netherlands
Ocotber 29: Zizers - Eventstage - Switzerland
October 30: Torino - United Club - Italy
Ocotber 31: Gorizia - Pieffe Factory - Italy
November 01: Slovakia (venue to be confirmed soon)
November 02: Brno City - Czech Republic
November 03: Prague - Club 77 - Czech Republic
November 04: Wroclaw - Klub Senso - Poland
November 05: Warsaw - Klub Harlem - Poland

New merch from Xibalba on ColdCuts Merch

Coldcuts Merch got couple of new Xibalba designs in their webstore. Click here for more info! Also, do not miss the upcoming split featuring the band that will be out on BDHW Records.

By My Hands

By My Hands has been steadily making a name for themselves in the scene both on local and international level. With couple of succesful tours and releases behind their belt, things can only get better as the new album, Growing Older, Getting Colder, is a major step forward in terms of writing heavy and catchy songs that makes you wanna kill everybody in the pit. Read the interview, buy new album, buy creatine, go to their show!

By My Hands has been steadily making a name for themselves in the scene both on local and international level. With couple of succesful tours and releases behind their belt, things can only get better as the new album, Growing Older, Getting Colder, is a major step forward in terms of writing heavy and catchy songs that makes you wanna kill everybody in the pit. Read the interview, buy new album, buy creatine, go to their show!

There is a few year gap in between each of your albums. What’s been happening with By My Hands since the "Another Lesson Learned" came out?

CHRIS: Another Lesson Learned came out 2005, so quite a lot of shit has happened since then!
First thing we did since that release was tour with CDC and In Blood We Trust in the UK, then we release a 8 track split cd (4 from each band) with CDC on the now defunct Zone 6 Records. After this we toured east coast, central and southern USA with Leavenworth. That was one of the best times of our lives - we got to play with some many cool bands, cool shows, and hang with really cool people. We even played Dypshorias reunion show, and How It Ends last ever show, so that was extra special.
After this all we have been doing was writing new songs, and playing shows. We toured the UK a couple times over with Palehorse and xRepresentx too. That's about it!

Can you give us a little background on the new album? How do you think it compares to your previous record?

CHRIS: I think it sounds totally different from the split, and definately completely different from Another Lesson Learned, but still ultimately sounds like By My Hands. Of course, we think it is more mature and greater than anything we've released before, but bands always say that, otherwise, what'd be the point in writing new shit?
The metal influences definately don't shine through as much as they did in 'A.L.L' but, instead these sound more hardcore, more groovy, if that makes sense. There's definately more groove to this record. I think if you listened to all 3 records starting for the earliest to the newest you can definately hear the progression happening.

Is there anything different on this album that people might not expect to hear?

CHRIS: There's some sweet samples, a solo, some guest appearances, and a whole lot of heavy hardcore. I think more of our hardcore influnces shine through than the metal ones here, but it still definately sounds like BMH. Hopefully it has something that everyone can get down to or relate to.

How did you decide on the title, “Growing Older, Getting Colder”?

CHRIS: It's a lyric from the song 'Real' that appears on the album.
It just seemed perfect fit for the album name, given the lyrical content, and more importantly how we all feel/felt as a band during the writing and recording of the cd. It's been over 4 years since our last release, , we were having a lot of problems with recording the cd at the time, the hardcore scene was changing, the political climate was changing, our personal lifes were changing, the world was changing. The title means is exactly what it says, and a fair representation of how we feel as a band. You are supposed to mellow out as you get older, but we certainly dont feel that way, let's say.

In my opinion, one of the strongest points of the new album are the lyrics, with themes ranging from personal to socio-political issues. Care to tell us what inspired you when writing some of this stuff?

CHRIS: Thanks man, that mean's a lot.

As you said, a bunch of different issues are covered from song to song, and I tried to be as honest as I could about my feelings when I was writing, whether they were viewed as cliched topics or not. I really wanted to make my feelings clear to anyone who heard or read these words, I wanted the conviction to literally drip from the page. I didn't want to pull any punches, and I think I did that the best I could.

'The Hate', was inspired by a great dislike, shall we say, for organised religion. We live in a city, and indeed a country with a deep seeded religious divide and in-built intolerance. Vulernable people live, fight and die by this fear-obsessed fairytale right wing fascist-fed bullshit every other day all over the world, and I guess it's made me more than a little intolerant of it.
The song 'Trapped' touches on this vaguely but overall is more of a song about our city, the class war, and the state it's in right now.

'Worlds Apart' is more like a bit of a political statement on war than anything else. As you know, we regretably come from a country which hearlds an army that has been party to more than a few illegal occupations of other countries, especially in recent times, with the Iraq and Afghan wars. It's hard to live here, and see people, family members, friends.....sign up to these wars to escape their own struggles, the monotany of a jobless penny-less life on an estate, so that they vindicate their lives....made to feel like they've made something of themselves due to the pressure and praise heaped on them by national news and the like.....when in reality they are sadly used as political cannon fodder in this money-hungry horseshit that's used to divide the people. This song was written at a time the Palestinian land-grab war was prominent in nthe news too (even though the struggle continues, coverage has dwindled), so I guess it's my feelings, over all, on war and occupation.

Other stuff such as 'Real' 'Dead Words (The Truth Hurts) and 'Bad Beat' are more of the personal nature about feelings, opinions, and thoughts on events in and around life, and to be honest, I think I've rambled on enough about this subject...but if anyone is interested enough to want to know about the lyrics of the album, then I'd welcome any questions. Get at us via myspace/facebook or email; deadweightbookingATgooglemailDOTcom.



How did you hook up with Marked For Death records?

CHRIS: Well, Manuel at MFD emailed us, literally about 8 months before the album dropped, as he knew we were writing and looking for label.
From day one he was really into the music, our style, and our message as a band. He kept in touch with ideas he had for us, emailed constantly to check on us, and generally seemed really interested. We definately wanted a label behind us who shared our values and the same passion for our music as we do, so the rest is history.
Support a real label.
http://markedfordeathrecords.bigcartel.com/

SEAN: Yeah for sure, we've had a lot of good feeback from up and down the UK and Europe so far over the years, being from Glasgow hasnt been as much of a disadvantage as it may seem. In this day and age, location is becoming less and less important for bands. Aslong as your cd is floating about on the internet, people will hear it regardless of where your from, if they can get it for free they will probably listen to it, even if they've never really heard of you.
For us, we've always had good ties with bands in London and for a while it was a place that we had a lot of friends, and a fairly good following. Some of our first releases were on a London-based label, so our records were readily available. This was beneficial for us when bringing out a new record, because a lot of the older heads were famiilar with our earlier stuff, it meant that there was no hesitation for hardcore kids down that way to check out the new shit, and in turn, put us on shows down there. Something which can be hard for bands who are trying to book their own shows.

And how do you feel about the way UK hardcore has recently been represented overall? How do you feel about the bands that are currently active in the UK scene?

SEAN: At the moment there are a lot of really good bands in the UK, and conversely, a lot of completely garbage ones. Unfortunately, as with most places, when one good band pops up, so do a million other godawful carbon copies. On a global scale, the UK is being represented fairly well I think. From being over the states recently, Ive noticed that being from the UK is almost becoming an excuse to check out a band if your American, and as a result, people just cant get enough of UK bands.. Bring Me the Horizon, Architects, Your Demise, Gallows, You Me at Six, Dead Swans amongst others are all well killing it in the states at the moment, some more than others of course, but doing good none the less. OK so they may not all be hardcore, but have been in and around the hardcore scene and its fringes here at some point, like it or not. I remember Taking Names went to the US years ago too. That was a good band. Here in the UK, there are a lot of good smaller bands who are developing their own sound and have good ethics, which is refreshing to see in hardcore. For a long times theres been too much of an emphasis on how you look or how many tattoos you've got, so its good to see what Id consider "newish" bands (like us) like Brutality Will Prevail, Broken Teeth, Basement, Deal With It, True Valiance, More Than Life, Departures, Breaking Point, Deal With It, Cold Snap, Last Witness etc just doing whatever the hell they want, playing shit they like, not caring if people like it or not, while being supported by great DIY labels such as Purgatory or Holy Roar records.



How do you feel the scene in the UK differs from mainland Europe in general?

SEAN: I think the main difference would be the divisions in genre. In the UK, there isnt much of a crossover in genres, and people generally tend to stick to one strict style or genre of hardcore. In europe theres a much better sense of unity, and people will usually turn up to shows regardless of whos playing, simply to support music in their area. Also, from a musicians point of view, European promoters usually treat bands a lot better than UK promoters. Not that UK promoters treat bands badly, but promoters on the mainland go above and beyond to make sure you are fed properly, have plenty to drink at all times and have a nice place to stay. It makes a nice change from having to go around the crowd asking people for a place to stay, you know?


“No cheesey fake "endorsements", no "paid for" fancy myspace pages, No "band management" with fax & paging numbers.” – is it something you see often in UK? Do you think that increasing popularity of hardcore draws a lot of kids who are not getting it right?

CHRIS: I think its a "problem" worldwide, not only in the UK. I hate seeing bands who have more professionally taken "photos" than shows they've played, or more merch for sale than the amount of songs that band has written, bands with management and representation that haven't played out of their home town.....you know?
I see it all the time now-a-days. To me, it's totally crazy. Live fast die fast bands. They spring from nowhere looking for a fast rise to "fame" or whatever, get none, then change their name and start again.
For me, it all stems with the internet, and how easy it is to access things, like new bands....this was a great thing for me when getting into hardcore, but it also has its bad side...it also means that you can drop a band as quickly as you picked them up, for something new because of the saturation of bands trying to rise to fast.
Everything is disposable.
For me a lot of things are lost, for example interaction with a band, communication, you get me? Most of our friends, shows, and friends have came about from talking with real people directly rather than using management to send contracts and official bullshit to promoters and bands, while hiding behind an over-produced website with no substance.
A lot of unity is lost this way. It makes things more 'plastic'. Hardcore's more than just look or a "sound". It doesnt matter how much you "sound" like a hardcore band, hardcore is a mentality, and I think kids forget that.

So, in your opinion, what are some of the most important lessons in hardcore? What kids should keep in mind?

CHRIS: haha, I hate telling people what to do like I'm some kind of expert, cause I'm not, but in my opinion the best things you can do are;
Talk to people at shows, via email, whatever...be yourselves, and try and concentrate on the music first before you do anything else. Good music and real people stand the test of time.

Before we finish, what are future plans for the band?

CHRIS: Yes! We have been a band for 7 years, and 6 of those we've been playing shows, and all we have managed in mainland in europe is one show. We need to play on the mainland as soon as possible, so hopefully we will do this before the end of 2010, or at the beginning of 2011. Manuel from Marked For Death is currently oraganising a huge show for his label in Augsburg, so we can hopefully use this as a starting point for a tour.

We are also currently finalising a tour in South Africa with a band called Conqueror (http://www.myspace.com/conquerorhc) from Jo'burg. I really can't fucking wait for that.
Other than that, we are just going to continue as normal, play as many shows as we can, tour the album, and hopefully write some new shit.

If anyone is interested in booking us at any time, just get in touch.

Any last words for the readers? Anything you want to get off your chest?

Yeah - Big up to Dloogi and Hardboiled! Thanks for the support.
Support the zines, support your scene, and support real bands.

Unfinished Business

Unfinished Business is a new hardcore band from Syracuse, New York. Their sound is heavy and with strong mid-tempo passages and slick faster parts. They definitely are skilled at what they do and if you're into metallic hardcore some of their songs will get caught in your head!

Name: My name is Tom, and I do vocals for Unfinished Business

Location: Syracuse, NY

Active since: I think the first show was February 2009

How do you define your overall style?
Just hardcore. Heavy and straight forward.

What’s your goal with this band?
Eventually I think we'd all love to tour full time. But also just to give back to the hardcore scene, especially in Syracuse.

What do you have recorded so far?
Well, before I was in the band, they recorded a four song demo. Soon after I joined (June 2009) we recorded a 2 song demo. Then this past December we recorded the 5 song EP.

How did you all come together to form the group?
Our old drummer and I have been friends for a long time, and I would go to practice with him every now and I just happened to be there the day Mike, the old vocalist got kicked out. I had never done anything besides bass until that point, but decided to give it a try anyways, and obviously it worked out! As for drummers, we had some trouble for a while, but Ben Shaw's been playing with us since February and it's been working great!

Your new EP is out. Tell us something about it and how does it stand compared to the previous recordings?
Well, honestly we've really been slackin' about getting it pressed, which is why we have it up for download now. We're planning on recording a few more songs and releasing something more official that will include the 5 from this EP. I definitely think that it's all around our best so far though, from production to music.

Lyrics were always a very important part of hardcore. What do you want listeners to experience while listening to your songs?
I really think it's counter productive when bands have lyrics that are just filled with analogy after analogy, and it becomes so hard to really understand what the song is about and to relate. Whenever I write, I want people to be able to read it and know exactly what I mean.

What’s good happening in Syracuse when it comes to hardcore? Any good new bands around?
Our friend TomDom is actually doing a show where anyone who's never been to one gets in for free and anybody who brings somebody get's in half price. I think we're all real excited and hoping it brings some new faces out regularly. We definitely have some cool bands coming out though. Born To Expire, Violent Side, No Remorse, Ghost Ship, and Oak & Bone, just to name a few.

How do you think the current state of the scene in your hometown compares to that of 90’ when Syrcause was a straight edge Mecca?
I think things have slowed down since then, definitely, but it's still alive and well. I'm not sure if any of the new bands will be as influential as bands like Earth Crisis, Another Victim, and The Promise, but We've still got a lot of good things happening. I especially think we're lucky to have one of the best HC labels around in our city, Reaper Records.

And how do you feel about the hardcore scene in general? What’s worth attention and what sucks?
I think there's a lot of alright bands that get lots of hype, and a lot of great ones that are rarely talked about. Also, I think as a lot of older people are "getting over" hardcore, the younger kids need to step up and start their own bands, start booking shows, etc. I think a lot of great bands are coming out now though, Especially from Texas, Cali, Virginia, Wilkes Barre, and Long Island.

How would you descibre Unfinished Business show?
This is tough, haha. It really depends on where we play I guess. We all play our best, and however the crowd reacts is up to them. I mean, we've played shows where people barely moved, and we've lso done a lot where the whole crowd has gone ham. Haha

What are some other bands that really impressed you live?
I think True Life played one of the tightest and heaviest sets I've seen when we played with them in june. There's also Terror, Trapped Under Ice, Bitter End, Cruel Hand, Mongoloids, and a lot more.

What are some of the movies every hardcore kid should see?
Personally, I'm a big fan of Will Smith, so I'd say anything with him! I'd say also Sin City, the new Karate Kid, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and The Warriors.

What's next on your agenda?
We'll be recording about 5 -6 new songs in November or December, and we're planning a tour in the beginning of January with our dawgs in True Life.

Last words…
Wanna shout out to Hardside, Born Low, True Life, Double Dealer, PK and Cabal Screen Printing, Toxic Breed, and TomDom. And, anybody who ain't checked out our EP yet, quit sleepin and hit the pit! haha.

Check the band at their Myspace.

Alley Gods - Correcting Wrong Opinions

Correcting Wrong Opinions is pretty cocky name for an album but I’m glad to say that these tracks live up to the title. Just like on their debut 7” (which I reviewed some time ago), Alley Gods displays a style that is full of some classic 80’ hardcore influences but served with a modern twist. It’s nothing ground breaking, but those kids got skills.

They definitely have a solid foothold in the roots of hardcore which makes Correcting Wrong Opinions a solid tribute to a now distant era of hardcore when it was all about pissing people off, not giving a fuck and having a laugh. There are so many things that are right about this album - the tempos are fast and the song are sharp and short with occasional melodies, guitar solos and sing alongs. The meat of the album is made of pummeling riffs and shouting vocals backed up by a tight and fast drumming. The bass player is doing some crazy stuff with his instrument as well and thanks to the balanced production, it can be heard perfectly. Despite to straight forward approach, they somehow find a way to display their musical skills in these songs so it doesn’t get boring that fast. Sometimes even some classic Finish hardcore influences kick in (some old shit when punks still looked like punks with all the spikes and leather). I like their straight forward lyrical style –some songs are provocative, some touch serious topics while other are plain fun. It took me some time to get used to the screechy vocals. In the end, after couple of spins they don’t bother me that much no more, but still it’s not my favorite style of singing. Overall, it’s a solid old school album and the odds are pretty good that if you’re into this style you'll find plenty to like on here.

Review by Dloogi
Label: Poolside Records/Psychedelica Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

Harvcore to release new Burdens album

Harvcore Records is happy to announce signing Philadelphia hardcore band Burdens. The Philly area has a rich history of great hardcore, and the new crop of bands is no different...so you can imagine how stoked we were when Burdens approached us to release their next record. After some personnel changes, Burdens emerged from The Skylight Studio with five tracks that redefine the band's sound. Vince Ratti worked behind the controls to ensure that these songs were a true representation of the recently updated line-up.

Kingdom leaves Eulogy Records, new Ep in works

From the band: "We've decided to part ways with Eulogy Recordings. We feel honored to have been able to put out our last release on Eulogy, but as a band looking to release vinyl it just wasn't really a good fit.

"Second, after a year on hiatus (which we spent getting fat, learning new languages, and relaxing if you were curious), we're now in the studio recording 6 new songs. We haven't signed to a new label yet but we're hoping to make an announcement on that soon. After the new record comes out we'll be hitting the road again with a couple of US tours, a South American tour, and a European tour. (Details when we have them!)

"We really want to thank Eulogy for all they've done for us, and thank all y'all for your support while we've been on the road and off."

Casey Jones to release new album themselves

Straight edge punk-hardcore band Casey Jones has just entered the studio, after splitting with Eulogy Recordings, with plans of a self-release early next year. "Most of these songs have been written for over a year," said frontman Josh James. "We decided to release them ourselves because we all believe in them. They're some of the most intense, passionate songs we’ve ever written. All killer, no filler. We plan to take them on the road next year for Casey Jones fans, old and new." For now, fans can catch the band on their upcoming Florida dates followed by Persistence Tour with Sick of it All, D.R.I., Blood for Blood, Unearth, Evergreen Terrace and Cruel Hand in Europe.

Sawchuk

Raw and dirty hardcore from the depths of Michigan, Sawchuk is not a type of band to sing about holding hands and reading poems. Real men got no time for this shit! The main purpose of their music is to remind you how hard and nasty life can get and listening to their latest output, I can honestly say they accomplished this mission flawlessly. Check it out!

Band’s name: Sawchuk

Location: All over Michigan.

Active since: Sawchuk has been together sense 2007. but myself(brandon/Guitar) and jordan(Bass) joined in 09. After we joined the band we really changed our sound. Before me and jordan joined it was more punk rock with breakdowns. ha.

How do you define your overall style?
Sawchuk is hardcore, with negativity? im not to sure. I guess just angry hardcore

What’s your goal with this band?
Our goal is pretty much to just get the fuck out of michigan and play shows. Tour, Release shit. Have a good ass time on the road, away from home.

What do you have recorded so far?
We have an EP recorded. It is called "Miserable" we give them out at shows. and we have a free download of it up on our myspace (www.myspace.com/sawchukhxc) and its all over the internet thru blogs and shit. So anyone should be able to find it very easily.



When, how and why the band came to being?
In 07 Jerry and Tony wanted to start a hardcore band about drinking, hockey, and partying. So the rest is pretty much history

It’s not been long since the Miserable EP has been released. How do you feel about the release and what the response has been so far?
Its awesome. It came out better then we thought it would. Chris at "Stresstain Studios" does an awesome fucking job. As far as response to the EP, seems like everyone is liking it. Which is awesome.

What is it about Terry Sawchuk that made you name your band after him?
Jerry(drums) and Tony(guitar) were watching a red wings game, and hasek made some crazy save with his face. So jerry said " that was some fucking sawchuk shit right there" and then they started the band.

The overall tone of the lyrics is very dark and negative. Would you agree with that and is there any running message behind your music?
Yeah, Sawchuk is pretty negative. The overall message of our songs, pretty much is just, Tomorrow will be worse then the day before. Give up on life.

So how do you feel about the current state of the world and future of mankind in general? What are some of the main ills in the society that pisses you off?
This world is shit. Enough said.

How many shows do you play? What is the craziest thing that ever happened at one of your shows?
We play as many shows as possible. As far as craziest thing thats happened at a show, shit, i don't know. Matt gets drunk and talks a lot? He stood on some table at a bar and broke it? I don't know if that fits the definition of crazy. But it was pretty funny.



If anybody want to invite you to play the gig, what should they know?
They should know we'd love to. And that we're just lookin to have a good time. Whether that be, getting drunk, going swimming, whatever. Were just trying to have fun and play our music.

How is scene in Michigan compared to other states?
What are some good bands from over there? Im just going to skip this question.

What are some other future plans for Sawchuk? When can we expect a full length album?
Only time will tell for the future of sawchuk. We would like to tour, as much as possible. Maybe get a lable? And were going to be recording in Early October for another EP. Look out for that. its going to be probably 6 or 7 songs long. Also look out for some split EP's with some awesome bands. As far as a full length. We'll for sure be putting one out. Its just a matter of writing new songs and recording. Probably next spring, or summer, maybe fall.

Shout outs and/or last comments?
Listen to... Burdened, Stations Creation, Natural Disasters, Strength By Conviction, Life Exposed, Sleeptalkers, Straight Mangled, Mind Crimes, Reach The End, Some Mistakes, Lethal Scriptures, Full of Hell,

Add our facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/SAWCHUK/130234090329687?ref=ts

For some info on Terry Sawchuk, read this. http://sports.jrank.org/pages/4241/Sawchuk-Terry-Dark-Temper.html

First Blood to release new album

Roughly four years after releasing their last album, First Blood's latest record will finally be available next month. Titled "Silence Is Betrayal," the effort will hit stores on October 19th via Bullet Tooth. Pre-order details will be announced next week. The band is touring heavily to promote this stuff - check the show dates on their myspace.

By My Hands - Growing Older, Getting Colder

Just couple of days after I got this CD for a review I bought their previous album, Another Lesson Learned, on the Ebay just to learn that there hasn’t been any radical change in style between the two. By My Hands still delivers heavy, metallic hardcore with slick breakdowns, but somehow they sound less generic that most of the bands of this kind.

The first track, Real, is a strong introduction to the album and basically sets the tone for the rest of the songs. The riffs are heavy, the rhythm section lays down the tight groove while the vocals are on point and brutally convincing. The momentum continues on the rest of the tracks and the band manages to mesh the best elements of metal and hardcore. There’s not much variation here, but they focus on areas they best at so the outcome sounds strong after all. Content-wise the band addresses social issues like organized religion or corrupted politicians, but also find space for some personal stuff. The lyrics are written in dark and negative manner with no sidestepping about the ills of today’s world, luckily avoiding sounding pathetic or preachy. Let’s also mention the album features guests appearances from Derek Ski (xRepresentx) & Lee Marshall (Broken Oath).
This was released by young but promising label called Marked For Death and they put a lot of effort to make sure the package looks nice. Overall, it all gets down to whether you’re a fan of this style or not. If you can appreciate solid hardcore album that is packed with mosh and testosterone, Growing Older, Getting Colder is definitely for you. I hope, this release get the right level of attention as it certainly deserves it. By My Hands proves that hardcore is strong and kicking in Scotland.

Review by Dloogi
Label: Marked For Death Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

Terror - Stick Tight

H8000 book is in the works

As it was posted on H8000 Central blog, in 2011 a book covering H8000 crew will be released. From the original post on this subject: "The H8000 book will see the light of day somewhere in 2011, there's a ton of work on this project. There's too much great history to just let it slide in obscurity. There's a ton of pic's, the one and only record collection list, flyers, posters and a ton of writing and interviews..it's basically history from the late 80's to the mid 90's. There's some interested parties to put it out as a good looking book, stay tuned for this one.." Moreover, all of the H8000 zine issues will be brought together into one book and released later this year. Sounds exciting as H8000 bands are vital part of European hardcore history!

Burdened - Loose Screws

Loose Screws is new song from Burdened taken off of their new 7 song EP called "Tasteless". Being so lucky to be able to hear the full material already, I can honestly say that it is going to be massive! Fast and angry hardcore the way I like it!

New Negative Approach 7" is due out on Taang!

Negative Approach have posted three songs from their upcoming 7-inch, Friends of No One. The 7-inch and CDEP is due out on Taang! Records and actually represents material recorded in 1984 but (officially) released for the first time this year. Check out the title track as well as "Genocide" and "I Got a Right" from the EP on their MySpace page. The band's 10-Song EP is being reissued on October 12, 2010 by Touch and Go Records.

Rick Ta Life testing vocals for new Comin' Correct album

It seems like Rick Ta Life is working on a new Commin' Correct album that is slated for 2010 release. At least there's a youtube video with Rick testing vocals for some new track. Last 25 Ta Life album was pretty cool and this new stuff sounds good as well so hopefully this upcoming album won't dissapoint.

Colombian Necktie - Black Ash

Colombian Necktie is a metal/punk band from LA with some chaotic vibes and hardcore twist. Sounds like a combo of His Hero Is Gone, Converge and Blacklisted; all with their own spin.

Backflip! - Give Your All

From the band: "Four guys from a small town wanting to bring the raw style of music that's just full of energy and full of passion that we have for it. This is what we live for, making the music that we love to listen to and that we love to write. Stay updated for new songs and throw a banner on your page and support"

Sheer Terror show in Europe!

This is the most important gig of the decade, century and quite possibly, millennium. On 22th of January 2011 the one and only Sheer Terror will appear on stage in Antwerpen, Muziekcentrum Trix! I don't feel we need any introduction here, if you don't know the name - hardcore is not for you! Along with the New Yorkers, the bands list include Rise And Fall, Supertouch and The City. Tickets can be purchased here.

8Control - new album in works, new merch out now

Exciting news are coming from the 8Control camp! After having toured europe this year (Deez Nuts, TRC, Sick Of It All, Strife, Agnostic Front, Knuckledust, Ghost Inside, Pay No Respect to name but a few) the band is currently mixing their new effort to be out soon in Europe and UK on 2 labels (soon to be announced). They will be working now with SGR Artists Management (Gallows, TRC, Heart In Hand) for all the press and management stuff in UK. From the band: "This is a true and positive good thing for all of us... basically it means more exposure, more shows and more mosh parts around Europe in the months to come.". Make sure you also check new merch available and some lastings in their webstore.

Vow Of Hatred - Vow Of Hatred

Here’s a self titled album from Pittsburgh based hardcore band practicing the heavier side of the genre. Starting things off with a slow and heavy intro, the band sets the tone for the rest of the material. Vow Of Hatred falls into beatdown category and they’re pretty good at what they do.

I mean, with so many beatdown bands around nowadays, it’s really hard to come up with some style of your own. These cats are not yet there, but still, this shit lives up to the standards of the genre. The quality of the recordings is decent, the musicianship is not that bad and the vocals are strong and hateful. My only gripe is that the band is bringing nothing new to the game. With every song here I’ve got a feeling I’ve heard it before. Maybe I got too picky when it comes to beatdown, but breakdowns and double bass doesn’t make up for lack of good ideas. On the brighter side, there are couple moments here that really do it for me. Let’s just mention ‘We’re Glad You’re Dead’ with its vicious mid paced groove, nice built up and a powerful fast part made for some serious ass kicking in the pit. This is a type of stuff I want to hear more from them!

Review by Dloogi
Label: Clandestine Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

Bloodstained - Saligia

One of the most promising Polish hardcore bands comes back with and they’re breakneck sound is heavier than ever. This time Bloodstained dishes out a collection of sick tunes that melt some beatdown influences with Kickback-like depravity.

This album holds nine tracks (including intro and outro) of furious, metallic hardcore with monster breakdowns, sick riffs and drums that hit like thunder. Avoiding any clichés, complex, yet brutal. Compared with their previous effort, by which I mean 3-way split with Crawling Ground and Envy, the overall tone of their music got darker while the lyrics are soaked with sickness and all the nasty stuff humanity is capable of. You know, those little filthy thoughts you try to hide in the darkest corners of your mind but you know they creep waiting for the moment to explode. The only difference is that these guys got the guts to scream it all aloud. The cold aggression and rawness of these songs set them apart from much of the competition in their weight division. I also gotta give them props for using Soul Contre Tous movie samples as there is a strong connection between the music and how Philippe Nahon’s character went insane in the movie. Highly recommended!

Review by Dloogi
Label: Ratel Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

New merch from Six Feet Under records

Six Feet Under records have recently added couple of new items to their pre-order section: Two new Rival Mob shirts, two new Ink and Dagger shirts, Foundation red Judge Schism ripoff longsleeve and Floorpunch Bold ripoff.

No Reprieve to release new EP soon

California based No Reprieve are in currently working hard to get their debut EP out. The band has been around for 3 years now and they're still unsigned. As Erick, their guitarist, told us: "at this point and time we arent sure if thats a bad thing or not. Very mixed feelings about labels seeing as how we come from DIY roots." Commenting on the upcoming release, he added: "This new E.P is the center stone of everything this band has worked hard for. It not only shows the hardcore world that we are ready to contend amoung the heavy weights and not just be the backyard hardcore heroes that everyone has come to know and love. But it also introduces our new darker tone. We wanted to keep the same aggression in our music but add a creepier, sinister sound to it all. The songs all give out a similar message. The realization of ones self regret, inner tourment, and complete self destruction. With lyrics like "My once beating heart turned dead cold. bargained my soul for some silver and gold. take a look in the mirror, and regret what I see. Anger, hatred, and lust. Become the better part of me." This E.P is meant to bring out the demons in everyone. And it allows them to embrace them and use them to their own advantage. Don't get us wrong we are still a bunch of hardcore kids. But we wanted the whole Idea of this new release to be very theatrical." EP will be avaliable for sale soon on band's Myspace website.

Full Blown Chaos signed with Ironclad. New album in 2011.

Full Blown Chaos have signed with Ironclad Recordings. The band will release their new album through the label in early 2011. Ray Mazzola, vocalist: "We have reinforced our style of writing with a more prevalent sound while keeping to our roots of audible mayhem. We are a 5 piece now so we are capable of doing so much more."

Danny Diablo and Grizz Rock present Kaos 13

In 2008 the unstoppable “international hardcore superstar” Danny Diablo and the legendary rapper Grizz Rock from Ruff Ryders crew created a new music project named KAOS 13. Crossover that combines heavy guitar riffs and dark atmosphere with hardcore metrics and hip hop beats. Both frontman define the KAOS 13 project as their most varied and most successful project of recent years “With KAOS 13 we managed to create a perfect mix of all our influences from New York Hardcore to heavy metal, passing thru the hip hop. Tha KAOS 13 sound is something revolutionary!”

In the next weeks we will announce the official release date of their new album named “Street Warrirors” on Countdown records – Real Recognizes Real records. “The recording sessions of “Street Warriors” lasted more than a year” adds Danny Diablo “During this time we worked in the studio with several friends such as Ill Bill, Slaine, G-Fella, DJ Apokalypze and many others. Soon you’ll have in your hands the result of this year of work, and nobody will be disappointed!”

Pending further information, visit the KAOS 13 pages on Facebook and MySpace:

www.facebook.com/kaos13dms
www.myspace.com/kaos13dms

Hardcore press review

Here's a short recap of stuff that deserve your attention: Check out Integrity live in Holland 1995 videos that were posted on Grace Of The Unholy blog. Don't miss an interview with Tony Rettman, author of the upcoming book "Why Be Something That You Are Not!" about Detroit hardcore scene that DFPS posted. A Riot Of My Own got nice Right Idea interview. Brainwrecked is an awesome blog with a lot of info about 90' hardcore scene, like Inhuman, Clubber Lang, Cold As Life and much more! The official diary of the in-progress Rob Lind ("White Trash Rob" of Blood for Blood, Ramallah, Sinners & Saints) can be found here. AsIce brind us a nice review of this year's Black'N'Blue Bowl. On the non-musical side of things, Opium website got interesting interview with Vincenzo Natali, director of “Splice”. Horror Porn: Can We Take It Seriously? Horror-movies.ca got the answer.

Rap appreciation post

Life is not only about hardcore so here's a short collection of rap videos you're not gonna see on MTV anymore. From old to new, from Nine to Jada, this is for the kids who can appreciate a good beat and skilled rhyming. And if you enjoy Freddie Gibbs track that was posted here, make sure you pop his new album, Str8 Killa No Filla! Anyway, enjoy!

Jadakiss - Who's Real ft. Swizz Beatz, OJ Da Juiceman



Nine Feat. ARL Da X'rsis - Ova Confident (Remix)



Tucka Da Huntaman - Watch Your Back



Freddie Gibbs - The Ghetto

New EP from Earn Your Scars will be out this year

The new Earn Your Scars EP is titled "Play Your Cards" and it will most likely be released in October. What you can expect is same old hardhitting style with lyrics about friendship, betrayal and loss of people close to you. Earn Your Scars represents Kolding and Fredericia in Jutland, Denmark and as a part of the FAF-crew.

Hatred

Hatred as a band is a relatively new name in the Quebec hardcore landscape, but the guys behind it have been active in the scene for years playing in various bands, promoting shows and doing other stuff to keep this shit alive. They've recently released a debut EP entitled 2010 filled with dope grooves and neck breaking breakdowns so it's good reason to find out what's their all about.

Name: Gates Pompizzi, Bass player of Hatred.

Location: We are from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Active since: 2009.

How do you define your overall style?
Heavy, Catchy, Hard.

What’s your goal with this band?
To tour, and see the corners of the world we haven't already seen in other bands.

What do you have recorded so far?
We have recorded a 4 songs EP entitled "2010" with works for a full length in early 2011.

For all the kids out there who may not have heard of you, could you give us a short introduction?
We are 'Hatred' from Canada, and if you haven't heard of us, just listen and you'll make your decision, We are 4 dudes out to have a good time and play some heavy, catchy shit. www.myspace.com/hatred514 or just download our EP for free online @ http://www.mediafire.com/?q2nmmfoz3jm

What are some of the moments that stand out to you when thinking back about the band’s history so far?
We joke and laugh about all the shows we've played together in other bands, cause this band is pretty new, but funny shit thats happened to us on tours, and people that just make us laugh by being alive.

You guys just dropped 4 track EP called "2010" recently. Could you tell us something about and what’s been the response so far?
The response has been awesome, kids love the songs, we are having a lot of fun stepping on stage for people that love our music and just sweatin it out. As long as kids are partying, hanging out and digging our stuff, we don't plan on stopping.

If you had to compare your musical style to any other band, what would it be?
Well the obvious would be First Blood, Reign Supreme, Hatebreed, Terror and there are a couple more that I've been told we sound like. But so far no bad ones, so I'm cool with that! hahaha

For anyone who has never been to your hometown, Montreal, can you describe it for us and how the hardcore scene is there?
It's not so bad, we like it, only I really live in Montreal, Justin is from right outside the city, Slim is from the native reserve, and Ben is from Granby, QC, but as per Montreal, the scene is really on and off, but most of it is bullshit politics for the most part.

Gigs are the essence of hardcore. What can people expect at your live show?
A lot of bouncing, mosh and sing alongs.

What would you consider the best album of all time?
Oh man, there are a lot, But I won't comment, cause I listen to more rap/hip hop then hardcore most times, but I have a lot of personal favorites.

Anything you would like to add? Future plans? If you wanna talk shit, here’s your chance!
Yeah just shout outs to everyone who listens to our band, supports us and downloaded our album and passed the link on, Shout outs to my brothers in Liferuiner, TooPureToDie (RIP), FTFD, Ghost Inside, WLFPK Crew, all the MTLxHC local bands we are down with, TNS, www.headrushbrand.com, and dont forget to add us on facebook, myspace or whatever and download our EP and pass it on. We want to be in your city ASAP!

Check out band's Myspace

Domination - Reborn

Hailing from San Francisco bay area, Domination brings a deadly mixture of hardcore and metal. This one is called Reborn and is taken from the upcoming EP!

Cold Blooded - Ten Years

Cold Blooded from Portugal has been around since 2009 and if you like hardcore that's heavy and on point, give it a listen!

Nasty - Just Kind

Feet First - Heaven Home Hell

To be honest, I didn’t pay much attention to their previous album but I remember it being heavy and harsh with pretty much straightforward approach. Now, three years later, we get ‘Heaven Home Hell’ and while it obviously follows the same script, you gotta give them a credit for working hard to make their music more dope and vibrant.

The tone of the album is intense and heavy hardcore, always from an attack position. Dual vocals work pretty well for them and backed by skilled musicianship, it makes this CD pretty enjoyable. Musically, it is well sequenced and while the music doesn’t necessarily switch too much, the emotions and dedication they put into these songs make it a good ride throughout. Feet First has managed to stay relevant by not chasing trends. Compared to their previous album, they didn't change the recipe that much: you can still expect tons of hardass beats good for kick-boxing. This is a type of band that can incorporate metal into their music and still manage to maintain a hardcore attitude. With songs like Your Churches Still Burning or Widerstand Feet First comes out swinging with powerful hooks and neck breaking mosh parts, but they also got a knack for more old school flavored songs like Beast From The East. Is Heaven Home Hell by any means a classic album? No, but it is dope and heavy and is going to be a good piece for your collection if you like when hardcore makes you wanna break your bench press record or just punch some Nazi in the eye. Approved!

Review by Dloogi
Label: Demons Run Amok
Year: 2010
Band's website

New Lionheart album out this November

Lionheart is prepping to embark on "The Built On Struggle Tour" to promote the new full length album coming out this November on Mediaskare Records. Lionheart with be joined by Donnybrook, Call to Preserve, and Stand United for a U.S. trek beginning on September 3rd and ending on October 11th. Band's new record "Built On Struggle" is by far the bands most innovating release to date. It also features guest spots by Karl Buechner (Earth Crisis), Lord Ezec AKA Danny Diablo (Icepick/Skarhead), Brandan Schieppati (Bleeding Through), Bruce LePage (orignal singer of 100 Demons), and a guest guitar solo by Dave Nassie (ex-Suicidal Tendencies).

Panic Records welcomes Casting Curses to the family

Established in 2007, Casting Curses initially set out to spread their brand of heavy meets melodic Upstate New York Hardcore while attending school together. Casting Curses new EP, Cold All Over Again is the culmination of years of progress made possible by years of friendship. Bringing various elements to the table, Cold All Over Again displays uniquely crafted songwriting that brings to mind 90's hardcore bands like Burn and 108. Expect Preorders to launch soon so pay Panic Records website a visit from time to time. Visit the Casting Curses Myspace to hear the first track from Cold All Over Again entitled American Ignorance.