Roadrunner

Roadrunner has spawned from the crowded Massachusetts scene but hold their own when it comes to dropping some seriously heavy hardcore. The band brings some awesome grooves, all big drums and down to life lyrics; 'I want kids to hear our music and realize that life is tough on all of us in all different ways, but eventually you will overcome any obstacle...'

For those unfamiliar with the band - what do you want people to know about the band and your music or message?

This band means a lot to all of us, I feel this world is a rough place and you often think that your alone in your struggle, but the truth is your not alone. I want kids to hear our music and realize that life is tough on all of us in all different ways, but eventually you will overcome any obstacle.

Massachusetts has a strong scene with a tons of good bands around so it must be hard to get your name out. How has the local hardcore scene treated you so far?

Your right, getting your name out there is a tough thing to do for a new band like us. The Merrimack Valley scene has always been a great thing. Josh Hynes runs a great venue Anchors Up! in Haverhill, MA where we have played quite a few times.

What's the toughest struggle for the band like yours? What's the biggest wall to get over?

Any group of kids with any musical talent can throw together a few songs, but I think the toughest thing is finding the chemistry between you and your band and getting comfortable with one another.

For those who have not heard anything from you how would you describe your band's playing sound?

Aggressive and Hateful. I've always been an angry kid, so it's good to be able to get on stage and just scream about what hits home the most.

What have you released so far?

We recorded our demo back in 2009(I know it's not too long ago, but damn it feels like yesterday). This past fall we recorded our new EP with Ryan Stack of Andrew Lanes Recording Company(Hammer Bros, Word For Word, The Effort). We have nothing but good things to say about him the cd came out great. You can download the 2010 EP for free on mediafire.
http://www.mediafire.com/?banm34bzglrypyc

Who are your strongest musical influences and why?

I'd say my musical influence comes from Glenn Danzig and Henry Rollins. The Misfits and Black Flag were some of the first bands that I heard that lead me to my future with hardcore/punk genre. With Danzig's dark lyrics and Rollin's crazy stage presence, it always made me want to sing for a band.

And where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the lyrics?

As corny as it sounds my inspiration comes from my hate of the world, the ignorance of society disgusts me. I find myself constantly writing about my anger towards others.

Tell me about band's performance element – what should kids expect from your live show?

Evil.

Tell us what you have coming up that we can check for. Plans, gigs and releases planned for the upcoming months?

We just recently parted ways with our original drummer Dan. Our friend Tom is going to be playing for us from now on. We're currently practicing and getting ready for the new year. 2011 is a new year for RoadRunner. Be on the look out for new tracks, merch, and news.

What is your favorite year/era of hardcore?

I wish I was born in the 80's. I would kill to have seen many of my favorite bands before their rise to fame.

Favorite Sheer Terror album?

I love that this was mentioned! Can't Hate Enough easily, nothing will top that in my eyes.

Any closing thoughts?

Keep your eyes open this year for us, we're hoping 2011 is going to be a great year for us. Thanks to dloo

x A Call For Revenge x

xA Call For Revengex fly the Straight Edge flag high in Mexico, which is not easy in a country so severely affected by the drug related violence. Hardcore comes from different places and bands like this one goes through a lot of shit to keep their local scene alive. So it's important that you support their shit - read the interview, check out their website, spread the word around!

For those unfamiliar with the band - what do you want people to know about the band and your music or message?

xACFRx’s message is quite contradictive in comparison with the “unity” premise that other straight edge bands promote. We do believe unity is very important, but our lyrics talk about the discipline to achieve your own expectations without relying on no one else but yourself, the willingness to fight your way through standing up by yourself without letting adversity overcome you, and assemble the strength to remain firm even when everyone had turn their back on you. We want to spread a message about the fact that nothing should be more important than committing with your own decisions and goals. If you’re pulled down during your way through and fall, you stand up and strike back with everything that you got.

How did you all meet and how long have you all been a band?

Originally xACFRx came up as a side project blending members from Wanted for Murder and xGeneracionx. WFM has been around for much longer than xACFRx and for a while I talked with my homeboy Lalo (WFM drums) about giving me a hand composing the drums for some ideas I had. The time seemed right to give the project a name when my hommie JC came from Merida (far far away from our city) to take the microphone duties, that’s how xACFRx started out in 2008. We had a couple of bass players that were really not working out, until one day we placed a bass guitar into our merch guy’s hands, and magic simply happened, that’s how Cesar came along.

JC had to move to Canada and the band entered some kind of recess for some months, until Alex came along to take the mic. I knew him from a couple of shows WFM played with his formed band. I talked with him just for a few minutes and immediately I realized he was perfect for xACFRx.

What's the toughest struggle for the band like yours? What's the biggest wall to get over?

Well, the hardcore scene in Mexico has been around for quite a while but no one outside Mexico seems to take it seriously, at least that’s my impression. I don’t know if maybe that’s because it’s something too local and people outside Mexico can’t really get it. Recently, some new school bands are taking off strongly, especially within their local venues. However, some of these great bands are not even noticed outside our country. As a Mexican band, it feels really difficult to get any attention outside our circle. We have no relevant labels in Mexico (mainly because the budget to start a formal label is none existent) and no international Labels seem to give the slightest credibility to Mexican hardcore, which is really upsetting man. There is a lot of heart in Mexican hardcore, what we do lack is production. There is not one single Mexican band promoted by any relevant hardcore label.



For those who have not heard anything from you how would you describe band's playing sound?

xACFRx’s sound is as raw as it gets. It comes out full of energy and almost instinctively, as a punch to someone’s face should be.

What have you released so far?

One single demo/promo, or as you wish to call it. There will be an EP coming out soon!

Who are your strongest musical influences and why?

We all got a great portion of metalheads inside us, so it would be fair to name Pantera and At the Gates just as much as Agnostic Front and Madball. We like lots of things old school and new school. Personally I would say Madball, the day I discovered that amazing band, and understood the attitude inherent to the music, I knew that was my thing.

And where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the lyrics?

Some lyrics deal with many things I learned serving in the IDF under Bislamach Brigade in Gaza Strip and Beirut. But mainly, more than inspiration, I would call it a raging derision for all this immeasurable decadence impregnated all over this city…. unrestrained impunity, corruption filtered in all branches of authority, kidnapers destroying innocent people life’s, drug addicts mugging people to buy more drugs……… and we’re sickened by the state of conformity around us. We are fucken tired of watching this crap everyday and we’re fucken pissed off.

Tell me about band's performance element – what should kids expect from your live show?

What xACFRx offers at shows is to convert the stage into a fucking battleground. We really take this seriously and we demonstrate it with tons of energy.

Tell us what you have coming up that we can check for. Plans, gigs and releases planned for the upcoming months?

We’re shooting a video for “Bringer of Deliverance” in December!! So be sure to check out our myspace and “upcoming” facebook pages, we’ll be posting news about the video and shows!!

Any closing thoughts?

Thanks a lot for your interest man, you have a great site running up. Keep up the good work and keep supporting the underground.

Check out the band at Facebook and Myspace

Blood & Ink will release Figure Four on vinyl

From the official press release: Blood & Ink Records is extremely pleased to announce we have started working on a vinyl pressing of FIGURE FOUR’s seminal hardcore album Suffering The Loss! Details are still coming together, but we plan to have the LP out in time for their planned reunion at Rain Fest 2011 in May, if not earlier. That’s right! They’ve announced plans to play Rain Fest in Seattle the last weekend of May alongside Trial, Madball, Most Precious Blood and many more awesome bands!

For those unfamiliar with Figure Four, the band still stand as one of the heaviest hardcore bands to ever come out of the Spirit-filled scene. Featuring members who would later form such fan favorites as Comeback Kid and Grave Maker, Figure Four were distinctly treading their own path with previous releases on Facedown Records and Solid State Records. Stay tuned for more details and pre-order information to be announced soon.

United Blood 2011

United Blood Fest 2011 will take place on Friday, April 1st and Saturday, April 2nd at Canal Club in Richmond, VA. Admission is $55 for a weekend pass, or $30 for an individual day pass. Go to www.thecanalclub.com to order tickets. Once they're gone they're gone. Bands announced thus far are as follows: Terror, Piece By Piece, Down To Nothing, H20, Bracewar, Backtrack, Foundation, Rival Mob, Swamp Thing, Death Threat, No Values, Dry Spell, Stick Together, Mother of Mercy, Alpha & Omega, Fire and Ice, Dead End Path, Heathens, Naysayer, Born Low, Rotting Out, Lockdown, Soul Search,
Take Offense and Mindset.

Mountain Man "Grief" pre-orders are underway

Get the limited vinyl before it's all gone! For the collector-nerds Think Fast! have discounted packages which feature all 3 of the colored-vinyl variations. All pre-orders come with a digital download coupon and a free Mountain Man poster!

Strike Hard - Demo 2010

I've posted an interview with the band couple of days ago and it's time to share their first demo now. There are 3 songs in total here with style that can be described as beatdown, but with enough twist to keep it interesting. The band acts in the mid-tempo range mainly with vocals spitting some hard and pissed off lines. There is some work to do in terms of songwriting skills and sound, but all the right influences are here and this demo is a pretty solid effort to get their name out there. Download it!

Hardside - Born To Lose

Here's the new Hardside song from the upcoming Crucified EP. This is the heaviest shit they've recorded so far and if you're into bands like Merauder or Biohazard, make sure you pre-order the new EP at at the Hellfish Family webstore.

Nervous Breakdown - Thrash FM

This is pretty fuck up mix of hardcore, grindcore, jazz and other stuff I can't even name. I don't know if I'm really this type of stuff but I'm sore someone might be. Nervous Breakdown are from Jakarta, Indonesia and already have released Never Green EP (2008) and God Save The Freak EP (2010).

Take Offense - Tables Will Turn

Here's some NYHC worship. A definite '90s Crossover feel - but more AF than Ludichrist. Leeway, Cro-Mags and Crumbsuckers nods. Then you get the '85 - '87 Suicidal Tendencies feel - direct emulation of M Muir's crooning and all. There is a SubZero influence; and the riff writing comes in straight off of an Inhuman Best "of...". So here is a band that loves its NYC Crossover. You can bang your head, you can mosh to it. All bases are covered.

All that said - you can think contemporary bands as well; Naysayer, Rival Mob, Trapped Under Ice, Alpha & Omega, Bitter End, Mind Eraser, etc. So the stomp is there. Big riffs to plod along to and a few straight ahead parts, but not two-step here *(short of a small bit in "Beware the Path" and "Can I Do It?") - fast parts are for circle pits abound! They can write a gang vocal cheer like their peers, so the kids will have a chance to finger point. But the focus is the gee-tar - with dive bomb squeals and lots of scrambling leads.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"In the Face of Disaster"
"Hand of Time" - especially with its breakdown. This is destined to be a classic.
"Beware the Path" - strongest song
"What Goes Around" Anthrax intro and all! Super tight riffing into big chords to chug to - then a solo.

FOR FANS OF:
Late '80s Crossover NYHC.
2010 American Hardcore bands that worship Late '80s Crossover NYHC.
Inhuman
Suicidal Tendencies (he sounds exactly like Cyco Myko - this is the album from 1987 that ST should have made to garner maintain HC kids' respect!)

BOTTOM LINE:
If Mike Muir sang for Inhuman.

Review by Hutch (Empty Hands blog)
Label: Reaper Records
Year: 2010
Band's website

I've Lost All Faith In Myself EP by Venia available at Blood & Ink

Venia’s “I’ve Lost All Faith In Myself” EP is now available on 7″ or as a digital download at Blood & Ink Webstore. All 7″ versions of the EP come with a download code for the four songs on the record plus one bonus outtake track as well. While there, check out new shirt designs available for Thirtyseven and Thin Ice, plus tons of new distro items (with more added almost daily)!

If the digital route is more your thing, Blood & Ink has launched a Bandcamp where you can buy the new Venia EP, as well as most of the other B&I titles (all should be available soon). Or, if you’d rather, you can buy the EP on iTunes.

During a relentless tour schedule over the past year (including runs with Bitter End, The Mongoloids, Donnybrook, Grave Maker, and Call To Preserve), VENIA crafted 4 new songs of intense hardcore that once and for all prove their genuine tenacity. Drawing influence from the likes of Buried Alive, Madball, and Merauder, this newest taste of VENIA's musical direction will impress both fans new and old. Recorded by Mike Reaves (Swamp Thing, Bracewar, Down To Nothing), mixed by Chris Dowhan (Down To Nothing, Bracewar, See You Next Tuesday, Worn In Red), and mastered by Kim Rosen (La Dispute, Capital, Jeremy Enigk, Saints Never Surrender) plus featuring guest vocals by original Strongarm singer Jason Berggren.

Word For Word design from Joey South Side

Original description from the Arrest Records webstore: I am proud to finally launch the Joey South Side/Word For Word design! This is his interpretation of Word For Word; a angry skinhead, GT/VC banner, and our death bird logo redesigned. We hope you enjoy the design(and tees) as much as us! This shirt is available in Small-XL. Anyone who needs a larger size please feel free to message us and I will gladly accommodate you on our next merch order.

New merch at Bridge 9 webstore

Bridge 9 got some new merch in their webstore. Here's what to expect: "New shirts from H2O - as most of you know, due to inclement (to say the least) weather on the east coast the last couple of weeks, H2O had to cancel the shows they had planned there. Unlucky for H2O, they were stuck with a ton of merch they didn't get to sell. Lucky for you, we have it available on our webstore! New shirts from Polar Bear Club - some old designs and some new designs for your purchasing pleasure! PS we'll have some exciting PBC-related announcements for 2011 coming soon! New shirts from DYS - DYS! What more needs to be said? Scope the new shirt. I love it. I also love dogs.

New CDC record and Euro tour in 2011

PA´s one and only CDC is writing new songs for the follow-up of their 2009 MCD "Burn". On the second weekend in January 2011, the band will start with a practical recording session of the new songs. So far, CDC has written 7 new hard-hitting moshing anthems. Later the year in August 2011 CDC will return to Europe to play some bigger festivals for example Filled With Hate Festival. The booking of the tour will start in a few weeks. The feedback so far is awesome, so watch out for further information.

Defeater Announces Empty Days & Sleepless Nights - Available March 8, 2011

Official press release: Massachusetts-based Defeater is proud to announce the title and release date for their forthcoming album: Empty Days & Sleepless Nights, available March 8th, 2011 from Bridge Nine Records. The band's second full-length is a double LP, kicking off with ten of the heaviest and most intricately-written songs (Empty Days) Defeater has done to date. Following those ten tracks are four acoustic songs (Sleepless Nights) that sound a lot like Rocky Votolato and Ryan Adams.Guitarist Jay Maas said, "This new album was a very natural progression for us. We'd cut our teeth on an acoustic track on Travels ("Prophet in Plain Clothes") which is one of the most well-received songs we play live. And Derek (Defeater's vocalist) had written some lyrics that worked beautifully against an acoustic canvas so we decided to follow the heavier tracks on this new album up with these songs, resulting in a double LP release." Fans of heavy music should not fret - the first LP features 10 tracks that are incredibly dynamic and huge-sounding melodic hardcore songs. Maas continued, "Empty Days & Sleepless Nights is truly our most realized work yet. While we wrote this record, we really incorporated all of our musical tastes and creative talents. There are some surprises on this record for sure, but also plenty to love for fans of Defeater. We couldn't be more proud of how this album turned out."

Empty Days & Sleepless Nights carries on the narrative songwriting style the band has developed about a family set in post-WWII America in a working class town in New Jersey. We were first introduced to these characters in Defeater's debut LP, Travels, which was released back in 2008 and received great critical acclaim. The album was hailed with such bold accolades as "a new artistic peak for hardcore" (Punknews), "brilliant" (Absolutepunk) and "the perfect definition of modern hardcore" (Lambgoat). Travels was followed up in November of 2009 by the equally well-praised EP Lost Ground, which followed a man's (the "Prophet In Plain Clothes") journey from the military to post-war life. Empty Days & Sleepless Nights traces back to the family setting from Travels, but focuses on the older of the two sons and at times runs parallel to Travels, yet the events now unfold through the older sibling's eyes. Empty Days & Sleepless Nights is another chapter in the conceptual opus that is Defeater.

Empty Days & Sleepless Nights was once again recorded with Defeater's guitarist, Jay Maas, at his own Getaway Recording Studios in Wakefield, MA, throughout Fall of 2010. Maas commented on pulling double duty on the record as guitarist and producer by saying, "It's nice to be behind an idea all the way from it starting in your mind to actually shaping the way it will be heard as a final product. At the same time, there is an extreme level of stress that is reached when working so hard to both write AND record an album. But I wouldn't trade it for the world." Fortunately, Empty Days & Sleepless Nights has benefitted from such TLC and turned out to be an absolute masterpiece.

Check out two songs off of Empty Days & Sleepless Nights by pre-ordering the Dear Father EP, which features one acoustic track ("I Don't Mind") and one heavy track ("Dear Father") from the album now on B9Store.com. This album teaser hits streets on February 8th while the ED&SL full length will be available everywhere on March 8th, 2011. Defeater will tour Europe in February and March with Carpathian.

Colors to drop new 7" on Irish Voodoo Records

California hardcore band Colors new 7" titled Constant Struggle is on sale now - pre orders are up at Irish Voodoo Records. This record will have five different cover colors and the vinyl color is random mix of light purple with black and light pink swirls, every record different. First pressing is short run of 100. If you order four records, you get the next one free, so you get all colors.
If you order the set, Irish Voodoo Records will throw in a free All Your Might 7". A CD of the songs comes in this package!

JSS Designs

JSS Designs is a new hardcore brand which was established in 2010 by Roman Laris aka xJesusx nickname. They've got some nice, old school tattoo inspired shit put in their webstore. Here's a short description from Roman of what they're aiming for: "I dont like all this Ed Hardy shit, JSS Designs are bringing this culture back to underground, keeping the prices low and keeping the punk attitude/message alive! Its all about art not money - even we fucking need the money haha, but they are not the driving force here." There is no bullshit behind it - those are designs for all the lonely wolves out there!

Embrace Destruction to release new album on Strikedown Records

Embrace Destruction has joined the StrikeDown Records Family to release their 3rd full length called "Reign Of Terror". The album will be recorded and produced by Danny Giordana (European sound engineer of Madball, Hatebreed) at One Voice Studio (Italy) and Stevan Van Neerven (ex Born from Pain) at Heart Work studios (Holland) in March 2011. Reigh Of Terror will be released in a Cd version by StrikeDown Records in mid April 2011. Embrace Destruction will be on Tour across Europe from April 16th to May 1st to promote the new Album. A large number of Release Shows and week end shows are planned all over Europe to reinforce the promotion of "Reign of Terror",to check the dates please visit: Strikedown website and band's Myspace

Rise After Defeat - Maieutica

I have always had a soft spot for the Italian hardcore - no matter if it’s Negazione, Wretched, Reprisal, Da Sect or whatever. It seems that no matter what style of hardcore, Italian guys almost always get it done right. Rise After Defeat is from Cagliari and aims for heavy, metallic sound that bridges the intensity of hardcore and a good amount of metal. Despite being around just since the 2008, they already have released a full length in 2009 which I reviewed some time ago on this website. Ok, so I wasn’t blown away by their self titled debut but I still wanted to give Maieutica a try.
This EP has been released in October and contains 4 brand new tracks. What is immediately apparent is that the band has made a big progress since their previous album. I’m glad to say they’re moving into right direction - Rise After Defeat finally delivers a solid piece of hardcore and gives a valiant performance throughout the majority of this short MCD. Their sound has much more focus this time, something that lacked on the previous material. Maieutica demonstrates some good ideas backed by a foundation of solid technical skills. Maybe it's thanks to way better production, but the music is sounding much heavier. The band crafted a fair dose of decent thrashing riffs, double bass, breakdowns and creative drumming. This is metalcore, but the type of metalcore you'd listen to when going to war not when going to buy tight pants or get a douche haircut. For the fans of metallic hardcore sound, this is generally a EP to check out. And all the vinyl freaks keep in mind this shit has been released on 7 inch format!

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

Hold Down - Demo 2010

Honestly, I am pretty impressed by this demo. Hold Down is from Cologne, Germany plays hardcore that is both aggressive and very catchy. The band certainly has a flair for a proper hardcore sound without any cheap tricks. They stick to the basics of the genre but still keep it fresh and powerful. The guitar work is impressive and the rhythm section is tight as well. My favorite track would be Caught Inside - it sounds so good as almost taken from One Voice album. The quality and effort this band has managed to put into just their first demo is amazing and I can only hope they continue in this trend on their future releases. Download it!

Rehen - Bogota Beatdown

Bogota, Columbia is not the nicest place to live in so all the anger and hate that pours out of these songs is understandable. Rehen describes their music as beatdown and this is pretty accurate. There are a lot of metal influences and fast parts, which kind of stands out in breakdown-driven beatdown music of today. The songs are actually pretty well executed and there's a good balance and flow throughout the demo. Dual vocals also get the job done. Since all the info about the band is in Spanish, I don't know much about Rehen itself. They joined Myspace in 2007 and since this is usually the first things hardcore bands do nowadays when they form, I guess this is a year they started out. Download it!

Strike Hard

Strike Hard represents Connecticut hardcore scene and their style of choice is probably best described a beatdown hardcore. It took me ages to post this interview online so the big news is: the EP they're talking about here has been already recorded with Kurt Zikaras, the lead singer and guitar player of The Tired And True. I'd suggest you keep attention to what they're up to and when the EP drops, you check it out!

For those unfamiliar with the band - what do you want people to know about the band and your music or message?

We are all about having a good time and having fun! Regardless of how hateful our lyrics may be hahaha

How did you all meet and how long have you all been a band?

Well three of our members were in a previous band together.. That band ended and like 8 months down the road we decided to bring that band back but after listening to the songs again we figured we would just start a new band. We still play one song from when we were the previous band. But we have all been a band for around 8 months so far.

What's the toughest struggle for the band like yours? What's the biggest wall to get over?

Biggest struggle.. I would say sticking out from all the other bands out there right now. And I think our biggest wall is people saying we sound like Recon hahaha I think we are a bit different but personally I like Recon so its kind of a compliment..

For those who have not heard anything from you how would you describe band's playing sound?

This is a hard question to answer.. Beatdown hardcore I'd say.

What have you released so far?

So far we have only released a 3 song demo.

Who are your strongest musical influences and why?

Well our band draws influence from a ton of different bands but some are

Terror
Hatebreed
Death Before Dishonor
The Acacia Strain

I could go on forever but those are some of the main influences.. and all of those bands are just super awesome hahaha

And where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the lyrics?

From everyday life and all the people who surround me friends, family, and enemies too haha

Tell me about band's performance element – what should kids expect from your live show?

Lots of energy! Lots of fun! If you come out to one of our shows expect to laugh at some of the shit we do on stage haha and you might get rushed by our bassist if you're not moving and to most likely get hit if you're standing anywhere near the dance floor! hahaha

Tell us what you have coming up that we can check for. Plans, gigs and releases planned for the upcoming months?

Well we are recording our first EP in about a week with Keith Holuk of Ligeia.. Planning on some merch soon and lots of shows! We are really really stoked on a show we have coming up on January 21st with DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR, CASEY JONES, THE MONGOLOIDS, HUNDREDTH, AND MANNERS!

Any closing thoughts?

To anyone who has listened to us, watched our set, danced at a show, or even told us we suck! Thank you for giving us chance at least and checked us out! and to the kids GO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSIC SCENE!!!!

Upcoming 7" split featuring Black Friday 29 / For The Glory / Last Mile / City To City

Black Friday 29: Directly from Ruhrpott (Germany) they present their NYHC with a melodic edge riffs blended with its most raw, direct and strong riffs. Recently the band called it a day but left behind an interesting journey, one of the biggest German hardcore bands ever and one of the oldest in Europe. For fans of Death Before Dishonor. For The Glory: The Lisbon-Porto connection makes this project unique. Currently one of the older bands of the Portuguese hardcore scene launches this song as a preview of what will be in their next full length. Expect hardcore with loads of flow, good deal of balance and fast parts that will make you wanna dive and circle pit like hell. For fans of No Warning / Terror. Last Mile: Featuring members and former members of separate projects as Hatesphere / Barcode, these Danish guys do not give a truce in the intensity with which practice their hardcore. Fast, furious and with breakdowns that will make you go crazy for sure. For fans of bands like Sick Of It All / Madball. City To City: From the cold, gray streets of industrial Germany, they deliver a dose of heavy hardcore, with lyrics about everyday life and living in this society governed by money. With great flow and attitude, C2C can transport the listener into their reality ... For fans of Breakdown. Orders: info@hellxis.com.

Overcome has returned

Official band's statement: Overcome has returned. But, this is not a reunion. This is a new era of the band. As time moves on life will always have its challenges and changes. Jason Stinson the front man and main song writer for Overcome lead the band through 7 years of these challenges and changes. All of them rewarding. For the last several years it was time to focus and do "life" apart from this band. Now a new opportunity has once again become a reality and Overcome has returned with new members and new music. More important than all of this isn't what has changed, but what hasn't and will never change. That is our purpose and our message. Be ready... a new flame is burning.

New Providence song: Vengeance Over Victory!

French war machine Providence has posted new song online on its Myspace some time ago. The new track is called Vengeance Over Victory and is taken from upcoming 7" King Of Klubz/Providence split which is due out in January 2011 on On The Attack Records. This will be limited edition! Mastered by Len Carmichael ( Shattered Realm, Nothing Left 2 Mourn, Barricade, CDC, Steel Nation, Barricade...) Providence has also announced "Time For Grievance Tour" in February, when they gonna play Belgium, France, Germany and Poland to promote this release.

Think Fast! signs No Turning Back - "Take Control" out April 19th!

Think Fast! Records is extremely proud to announce the signing of European's reigning hardcore kings, No Turning Back. The band just wrapped up recording their new full length effort, "Take Control" which will see a release on American soil on April 19th.

"I've known Martijn (vocals) for many years and have always admired his inability to slow down" comments Think Fast! co-owner Ryan O'Connor. "He doesn't seem to let anything or anyone keep his band from moving on and you have to respect that. We're very much looking forward to working with Martijn and the rest of the guys for the U.S. release of their new album."

Having previously released a slew of noteworthy material, including two albums under the belt of Bridge 9, No Turning Back is no stranger to the american hardcore/punk scene. The band has also logged countless miles of tour history, including support for modern contemporaries and legends alike - Sick Of It All, Hatebreed, Ignite, Gorilla Biscuits, Terror, and Bad Brains to name a few. Territory has never been hard to cover either. Last year alone, No Turning Back became one of the first ever European hardcore bands to hit exotic locations like China, Costa Rica, New Zealand and even South Africa.

Describing the album and meaning behind the title, vocalist Martijn Van Den Heuvel notes: "The record really is about us taking control not only as a band but also as individuals. This last year we had band members starting a van rental company for bands, a booking agency and even a workshop for custom built drum kits. The music and the lifestyle have become absorbed in our day to day lives. We feel Take Control is us documenting growing up and becoming adults while still remaining true to the ideals we had as 15 year old kids playing rudimentary music in our parents' garage."

With the release of "Take Control" on limited LP and digital formats, look for the non-stop work ethic to continue to be a driving force behind No Turning Back. Stay tuned for tour updates and more details on the release. Also, as a side note, this marks the first release of a European band on Think Fast! Records. United Worldwide.

Worlds Below - 7" and merch available now!

Worlds Below is a hardcore band from San Antonio, Texas with a members of Hardside. The band plays hardcore with a dash of metal, just in time for winter. You can pick up the Worlds Below hoodie,shirt, and 7 at Irish Voodoo Records webstore.

Pre-order for Hardside - Crucified 7"

Pre-orders are up at the Hellfish Family store for Crucified, the debut 7″ from Hardside. You can check out the title track on the 6131 Records blog. The release date is set for January 11th. The official info: Hailing from San Antonio, TX, Hardside play a no-frills version of their favorite bands like Biohazard, Meurader and Leeway. Bursting onto the scene in 2009, their demo spread like wildfire online and captured the attention of many the world over. Poised to release their debut seven inch entitled "Crucified", this will surely be at the top of many year end lists.

Boruta - Try To Tread Us

I don't know much about the band except they're from Poland, have not been around for long and this is their first demo so far. The cover artwork is one of the coolest I've seen lately - more creative way to let you know this is not a stuff for sissies than putting a big brass knuckle or a machine gun. When it comes to music, there's not much thinking to what they do - Try To Tread Us is in your face hardcore with a metallic twist, shouting vocals and all the usual stuff. Not to say that I don't like it, Boruta is not that bad but it's plain they need to put more practice and thought into their effort. The potential is here, let's see what can they do with it in the future. For now, this demo is ok, but could be better. Download it!

Parasitic Skies

In a brief description, Parasitic Skies is about veganism, straight edge and 90's metalcore throwback sound. The band has released a 7" Ep and full length album for Seventh Dagger where they execute some grim and gritty hardcore which takes as much from Earth Crisis as from straight up metal. Hardboiled caught up with the guys for a short interview about the new album.

In a brief description, Parasitic Skies is about veganism, straight edge and 90's metalcore throwback sound. The band has released a 7" Ep and full length album for Seventh Dagger where they execute some grim and gritty hardcore which takes as much from Earth Crisis as from straight up metal. Hardboiled caught up with the guys for a short interview about the new album.

First of all, thanks for doing this interview. What is the latest in the life of Parasitic Skies?

Mike: Well we are trying to put together a couple tours for this coming year. We will have a short NW tour soon followed by a larger East Coast tour w/ Withdrawal and another small NW tour in there as well. Hopefully we will also get to some other places we havent been to yet. But we will see.

So let’s get right to it – your new album is called The Descent. What brought about the name?

John: The Descent is the name of one of the instrumentals on the record. The song best represents the feel of the rest of the record and we didn't want to use one the names of the lyrical songs.

What did you want listeners to be able to pull from this album in particular? Do you think you have any social or political role as a band?

John: I don't really want to make people to feel good, I want them to be uneasy and unhappy with themselves. If you eat animals I want you to feel like shit about it. Our socio-political role is that we think we're right about everything and we want to rub everyone's faces in it.

How do you feel straight edge changed your life for better?

Mike: Well for me its the only way I can live. I was a drug addict and alcoholic when I was a teenager,So besides my distaste for it for other reasons. Its simply not an option. Moderation isnt something I can do.

John: Like Mike said, I can't do moderation. So straightedge keeps me focused, keeps me alive.


Your music is heavily rooted in metal sound, but in the way hardcore bands were doing it couple of years ago. Were there any specific bands or albums that influenced the writing of The Descent?

Mike: I listened to alot of Sepultura, Crowbar, Morbid Angel and Slayer and just created our own sound combining different influences.

And what currently active bands you admire these days?

Mike: I would never use the term admire. But I like alot of hardcore these days. Bands like Harms Way, Withdrawal, Lockstep, Losing Skin and Wolf City are all really good. But I still love bands like Earth Crisis, All Out War and Disembodied. There is just alot of good music going on right now in hardcore. I listen to alot of metal as well. Bands like Crowbar, Bolt Thrower and Immortal.

John: Burning Love.

Do you have any hardcore quotables that you live by? Any song lyrics that deeply touched you?

John: Our own.

How do you feel about the state of hardcore nowadays? And what do you think about the Seattle scene in particular?

Mike: Like I said before there is alot of really good music. Nothing revolutionary but
just good music. Seattle and the NW in general have alot of really good bands right now. Bands like Losing Skin, Unrestrained, Envision, Cascabal, the Helm, Heiress, Ill Intent, etc...And alot of newer bands coming up as well..

Seventh Dagger is a label that is in hundred percent dedicated to promoting sober, drug free lifestyle, did this play into your decision to work with them?

Mike: Not really, we dont necassarilly need to be on a label that we have much in common with, but its nice to have some similarities. Seventh Dagger treats their bands really well. And thats really important Because I have had some bad experiences in the past with labels.

John: Danny's a good guy who also knows how to run a business. That's exactly what I want from a label, that's all they have to be.

Is there any band you would like to see reunite?

Mike: I would love to see Prayer for Cleansing they never played the westcoast. And I could never make it out to their east coast shows. Other than that maybe Until the End. Alot of older bands I would want to see,I dont wanna see them as sellouts,so it wouldnt really work. Most bands that I like I have already seen. So there isnt much out there that I wanna see reunite. I am more stoked on current bands.

John: I already got everything I wanted.

What should we expect from Parasitic Skies in the future?

Mike: More touring here and there and eventually more music.

John: We're going to be a lot more focused with our activity this year- touring smarter not harder. It's gonna be a really good Summer.

Do you have any shout outs or anything that you would like to say?

Mike: Thanks to our friends and anyone else who has ever come to a show or helped us out on tour. And to anyone that does or supports direct action. Veganthis.org

Hardside

There is a long list of great hardcore bands that came out of Texas and Hardside is to make sure that flame never dies! Taking cues from bands such as Merauder, Life Of Agony and Madball, Hardside blends fast, aggressive riffs with a tight groove and sick hooks. The band is currently on tour across USA so make sure you check them out if they come any near your town.

For those unfamiliar with the band - what do you want people to know about the band and your music or message?
We are a hardcore band from San antonio texas, playing old school hardcore. no bullshit

How did you all meet and how long have you all been a band?
We've been friends for a while now, since fall 2009

What's the toughest struggle for the band like yours?
I guess it would be there is so many new bands and alot of bands touring so just getting out there and people giving us a chance.

What's the biggest wall to get over?
Probably it would be touring it s hard to tour when your a smaller bandwhen your doing it on your own its even harder.

For those who have not heard anything from you how would you describe band's playing sound?
Id say we sound like a mix of leeway desperate measures and merauder master killer if that makes any sense ha.

What have you released so far?
We have released a demo (welcome to hell) a two song cassette and a new 7 inch coming out in January on 6131 records called crucified.

Who are your strongest musical influences and why?
We all like a bunch of different kinds of music, some hardcore some not as a band id have to say kinda what we sound like.

And where do you draw your inspiration from when it comes to the lyrics?
Lots of different things man, past experiences to just things going on in the world today.

Tell me about band's performance element – what should kids expect from your live show?
We defiantly do our own thing something you just have to see for yourself i guess ha.

Tell us what you have coming up that we can check for. Plans, gigs and releases planned for the upcoming months?
We got a west coast tour coming up in december with our 7inch coming out in january then a run in march with our brothers in bitter end.

Any closing thoughts?
Thanks for the interview man. keep doing what your doing i support it

Keep It Real fanzine #10 out now!

The 10th issue of Keep It Real fanzine is out now! And what's inside? 52 A4 pages with colored cover and tons of hardcore goodness. Interviews with Fucked Up, AC4, Antimob, Lemuria, Ruined Families, Integrity, Bitter End, Throats, Glasses, photo report of the last Endstand & Manifesto Jukebox show in Finland, and perspectives featuring people from the scene writing on a topic they choose. Tons of reviews and usual stuff as well. Circulation: 700 copies. 3 euros for a single copy, 2 euros in wholesale.

Defiance, new album from Tear It Down out now

Tear It Down has come a long way since their first rehearsal somewhere in 2003, yet the line-up changes and different influences made them what they are today: a metal-core band that’s not afraid of trying out new stuff and blending different styles of music. With a lot of shows and 2 tours of Spain done, you know they’re skilled enough to make every show a fucking great one. You like trash, you like hardcore, you’re into beatdown, you like metal in every way…you found the band! 2010 will be an important year for TID: a demo, an MCD and a PromoCD were their first little steps towards the ‘bigger picture’ but this year they proudly present their first full length album Defiance! Recordings were done at the brand new Red Left Hand Studio by Sven Janssens (Aborted, The End Of All Reason, etc…) and mastering by Kris Belaen at CCR studios. The album is a mix of slow, fast and mid tempo. So you can expect a lot of alternation in and between songs. The album also features two guest-vocals being Wim (Crimson Falls) and Gebo (Strike With Vengeance). This also gives a whole new dimension to the band.The album is released on Clenched Fist records.

Seven Sisters of Sleep - Self Titled 12" pre-order

Giving nods to the horned one from the land of California, Seven Sisters Of Sleep (ex-Takkata/Arm and Sword of a Bastard God) deliver 8 devastating tracks described by Mike Cheese (Gehenna) as “stoner jams for people with short attention spans.” He’s not wrong at all, as this is one of the best new bands I’ve heard in a long tine...and I have a short attention span. Vinyl: red or black (100 available for sale/50 to band). Should be shipping sometime in December but check with the A389 label on the album status.

Sick Of It All, Outbreak, Alpha & Omega tour

Sick Of It All, Outbreak and Alpha & Omega tour has been announced to start in January 2011.

1/12 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
1/13 Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
1/14 Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class
1/15 Toledo, OH @ Headliners w/ Suicide Machines
1/16 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
1/17 St. Louis, MO @ Firebird
1/19 Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
1/21 Lincoln, NE @ Knickerbocker's
1/22 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck
1/23 Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
1/26 Dallas, TX @ The Loft w/ Bitter End
1/27 Corpus Christi, TX @ House Of Rock w/ Bitter End
1/28 San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit w/ Bitter End
1/29 Austin, TX @ Red Seven w/ Bitter End
1/30 Houston, TX @ Walter's On Washington w/ Bitter End

Wisdom In Chains, Grave Maker, Expire tour dates

Wisdom In Chains, Grave Maker, and Expire will play a couple of shows in the U.S. and Canada in late-February.

2/20 Chicago IL @ The Beat Kitchen
2/21 St Louis MO @ The Venue
2/22 Louisville KY @ Keswicks Democratic Club
2/23 Cleveland OH @ Peabodys

dates w/ Backtrack
2/24 Windsor ON @ The Blind Dog
2/25 Toronto ON @ The Hard Luck Bar
2/26 Montreal QC @ Underworld
2/27 Quebec City QC @ Cafe L'Agitee
2/28 Gatineau QC @ The Warehouse

Mediaskare Records signs Knuckle Up

Knuckle Up has joined the Mediaskare Records roster. The band plans to release their debut full-length, titled "Motivation From Misery," in early-2011. Martin Gonzales (Billy Club Sandwich), Scott Vogel (Terror), and Andrew Neufeld (Comeback Kid) will be doing guest vocals on the album!

Let It Burn sign The Haverbrook Disaster

Offical press info from Let It Burn: As the year 2010 is slowly coming to an end we have yet another great announcement to make: Let it Burn Records has signed the youngest and by far one of the most promising bands in its 10 year history: The Haverbrook Disaster.

Coming from Karlsruhe, Germany The Haverbrook Disaster has been an “insider tip” among hardcore kids for months now. With their amazing mixture of melodic hardcore and heavy (!) mosh they’re at the very cutting edge of how hardcore music should sound like in 2011. We are very much looking forward to working with an ambitious but at the same time “down-to-earth”-like band.

The band about their signing: “We’re so excited and proud to announce that we have signed to Let It Burn Records! Hands down, Chris is not just a good ‘labelboss’, but as well a very good friend, so we couldn’t feel more comfortable. We will hit the studio on the 25th of December to record our very first full-length and we can’t wait to release this via Let It Burn Records, one of the hardest working Hardcore labels in Europe.”

We have already heard the band’s preproduction plus we got an insight view on their plans on artwork, mixing and mastering. To cut this short: This album is going to be one of the best debuts every released by a European Hardcore Band.

Hardcore rarities #1

We picked a five blog posts with links to rare and obscure hardcore albums, compilations and demos that every hardcore connoisseur will appreciate. This time we have complete Stigmata discography, some rare Earth Crisis tracks, first Strength For A Reason demo and some other cool stuff. And while you checking it, make sure you subscribe to the blogs that posted these gems!

Earth Crisis Rarities (Path To Misery)

A nice collection of rare Earth Crisis songs - bonus songs, compilations, live recordings. A nice treat for all the fans of this legendary Syracuse band!

Stigmata Discography (Path To Misery)

Yep, probably the complete Stigmata discography - all albums, songs from compilations and demos. I don't see Merauder split tho...

Abnegation (Severed Forever)

three of the band's seven inches - Extinguish The Sickness, In The Eye Of The Storm, and Sown In The Remains.

Strength For A Reason - '97 Demo (Severed Forever)
One of my favorite bands ever and this is their first recording ever. Well, they couldn't fail even if they wanted and this demo still holds it own!

Reckless Aggression - Demo (Fashionable Activism)

I think the guy behind Fashionable Activism blog said it best: "This is hot hot hot. Reckless Aggression hailing from down under in the land of Australia. 9 tracks of boot boy hardcore for the alike. Singer Meatdog is a reckless aggression alone, he has "MEATDOG" tattooed on his head, and above that, a fucking spider. Killer. If you were missing the sweet licks of 86 Mentality...." Drop everything and get it!

Neverfall - Symbols Of Inner Self (Keystone Hardcore)

"Members went on to play in SHOCKWAVE and current Erie band Bridgeburner"... any more questions?

Disturbing The Peace - Demo (Chula Vista Hardcore)

This is a band combined with members of PC Deathsquad and Take Offense. Drummer of PC, Johnny Nevada will be on lead guitar. Guitarist of PC, a CV legend, Anthony Guzman will be on bass. Ill be on the drums while Vince (Vance) Cardova takes vocals.

Roadrunner - EP 2010

This debut EP from Massachusetts, US based Roadrunner is all about straight up no frills hardcore. There's a plenty of aggression and energy here and you can hear they're mad pissed at the world. Nut it's not all harsh and heavy, they know how to add some melody to the mix so the things are enough diversity to keep things interesting for a while. The sound quality is superb and i'm pretty much surprised it wasn't put out as a proper release. Anyway, make yourself a favor and check it out! Download it!

Cold Steel - Cold War

Cold Steel hails from Strasbourg, France and play tough hardcore that is sure to keep fans of bands like Fury Of V or Bulldoze happy. Dual vocals got the job done and they deliver some heavy stuff - sometimes they slow down, but the meat of the demo re tight, mid-tempo grooves. My only complaint would be with sound quality, but guess you shouldn't expect much from the demo. Download it.