Blade signed to Seventh Dagger. New album in the works!
Blade, Belgian Straight Edge hardcore band, is now part of the Seventh Dagger family. The collaboration will result in the release of band's new album, "Armed with Abstinence". Blade describes its sound as "bleak, dark and aggressive hybrid of hardcore and metal, but still staying far away from the current metalcore style. In fact everything about Blade is influenced by the earlier, angrier days of new school hardcore." The band has so far released a split with the German band Golddust on Break Out records, and a 7” named “Lambs To The Slaughter” on Ugly And Proud records.
Show Of Force posted new song, 'Left Behind'
Show Of Force has posted new song on their Facebook profie. "Left Behind" features Jonne from New Morality on guest vocals and can be heard here.
Bitter Taste Of Life Interview
The Swedish band has been around since 2008 but it was last year when it dropped its debut album, ‘Trapped In Lies’, on World vs Cometh records. Bitter Taste Of Life’s influences are pretty broad, you can hear some modern elements in their music, but they have a firm foothold in more traditional sound as well. They have a tour all across Europe, from Portugal to Poland, planned for May so make sure you show them support when they come to your area. The interview was done some time ago but for various different reasons is being published just now so please excuse if any questions seem to be outdated. It’s still a good read though, and the band is definitely worth checking out!
The Swedish band has been around since 2008 but it was last year when it dropped its debut album, ‘Trapped In Lies’, on World vs Cometh records. Bitter Taste Of Life’s influences are pretty broad, you can hear some modern elements in their music, but they have a firm foothold in more traditional sound as well. They have a tour all across Europe, from Portugal to Poland, planned for May so make sure you show them support when they come to your area. The interview was done some time ago but for various different reasons is being published just now so please excuse if any questions seem to be outdated. It’s still a good read though, and the band is definitely worth checking out!Let us know some basic info about Bitter Taste Of Life? How and when it all started, who’s in the band etc...
First of all, we'd like to say thanks for the support and giving us this interview. Keep up the good work with Hardboiled. It all started in late spring 2008 when Olle contacted us. Niklas, Niva and Rickard had another band that weren't going that well, so there was no doubts, we teamed up with Olle. Olle knew two other guys Joel and Marcus who where into hardcore so they tagged along. Unfortunately for us Marcus who played bass at the time had to leave for studies in the US. So we played our first show without bassplayer and for the upcoming shows Niklas and Joel took turns playing bass. After a bunch of shows and a quite unknown demo, Niklas went away for studies as well. Then we decided to put the band on hold for a while. Then in early 2010 Rickard, Joel, Olle and Niva started talking about reviving Bitter Taste Of Life again. During this period we got to know Simon, so he joined us. And by then Niklas was finished with his studies in Portugal and moved back home to Sweden, so we asked Niklas if he’d like to team up with us again and here we are. So now Bitter Taste Of Life is Rickard (vocals), Olle (vocals), Joel (guitar), Niva (drums), Simon (guitar) and Niklas T (bass)
How did you guys come up with the band’s name? Is there any deeper meaning behind it?
We were just brainstorming for a band name and when Bitter Taste Of Life came up we just felt, "this is it". So no, there's no deeper meaning behind it, just a band name that we felt fitted us.
Has anyone of you been in any other band apart from BTOL?
Olle, Joel, Rickard and Niva played in a band called Negative Vibes. Simon was in a band called Orson Sparks and is currently playing in the metal band Arreat Summit.
Can you tell us something about “Trapped In Lies”? What kids should expect to find in there?
It's a 6 track MCD with the signature Bitter Taste Of Life groove, grit and pit starter, with political and angry lyrics.
Lyrically, is there any concept to the album? Can you touch on some of the lyrical focuses of your songs? The lyrics is related to things you encounter in everyday life, what we've been trough and what is happening around us. We think it's very important to be aware of what's going on in our society now a days and how it affects us. Religon, addictions, exclusion and antifascism is some of the thing we touch in our lyrics.
How did you hook up with World vs Cometh?
Christian (also known as "Boris", "Chris") who runs the label is one of our best friends and we asked him if he was up for releasing the MCD and he said yes. And nowadays our guitarist Joel is part of World vs Cometh too. Make sure you all check it out and support them!
You guys are quite different from stuff I usually hear from Sweden. What’s your opinion about the scene in your country and what local bands you support?
A few years back the scene was insane every show was well crowded and everyone went insane when the bands played, but then something happened and the interest in the scene grew a bit cold for a while, not saying that people stopped putting shows up and so on but it felt different and many people you used to see at every show just stopped showing up. Big ups to all the elder ones who's still in the game and going strong. At the moment the scene is on the uprise again, at every show you see new kids, there's loads of new bands coming up and bookers who putting shows up. Shout outs to Norrköping Hardcore, SSE, GBG SXE, Sunpower Bookings, 026 Hardcore, KF Stationen, Västerås SXE and all the others who's putting shows together. There's loads of good bands coming outta Sweden you better check them out! Dead Reprise, Vulture Mob, Decades Of Blood (RIP), Stay Hungry, Elapse, Lose The Life, Keep Rising, Chain Reaction, Guilty, Angers Curse, Kaos, Kris & Helvete, Anchor is some of them.
What is your opinion about Refused? Would anyone get lynched in Sweden for saying their music sucked balls?
Haha! Personally I (Rickard) don't like them at all and I hasn't got lynched yet so I think it's ok to say that they sucked. But there's other ones in the band who likes them. And no question that they was and is a very important part of the Swedish hardcore scene and the development of it.
Let’s get political. In case Greece eventually falls down, followed then by Italy and then probably Ireland, Spain and so on, do you think we should gear up for Mad Max scenario in Europe in any near future?
Well, there's a chance it could get to that point, maybe not as extreme as Mad Max. As long as all the greedy fucks craves for more and can't see the effects of their actions, there will always be people who's going to make their voices heard, whether it's through violent actions, civil disobedience or on a political level.
So another year has ended... what were the best albums of 2011?
Expire - Suffer The Cycle, Grankapo - The Thruth, Vulture Mob - Feeding Time, 45 Stainless - O.G.B.D, Alley Gods - North State Of Mind, Q-Unique - Throwback, For The Glory - Some Kids Have No Face. That some of them… can't remember them all, haha.
What are the next steps for the band? Any chances for European tour?
We're playing at an awesome festival (Killing The Legacy Fest) in Turku, Finland in january, then we're going to focus on writing new songs for a upcoming 7" split with our brothers in 45 Stainless from Finland who will be released sometime around April or may on World vs Cometh. We're going on a European Tour in May between 11/5 and 26/5. It's going to feel good to be on the road again. Otherwise we got some shows planned here in Sweden and in the end of July we're going to play Zvera Fest in Latvia. And during the autumn we're going to work on a full-length cd and try to sort out a mini tour i east Europe.
Ghost X Ship - Cold Truth
Good hardcore doesn’t have to be too fancy. All it takes is substance, sharp delivery and some hard-hitting lyrics. And that’s what Ghost Ship delivers with its debut release. Cold Truth contain all the necessary elements that make a solid hardcore album, from raging guitars to seriously pissed off vocalist to insane breakdowns, all executed with a vivid flow and passion. The album’s sound is loosely possessed of the early Hatebreed or Throwdown but for the most part they keep it pretty fresh and avoid clichés. With no unnecessary tricks, distractions and experiments, I guess it’s the realness and commitment felt in those songs which are essential to what makes it work as a whole. My favorite songs must be Enough, with very well crafted arrangement and catchy hook at the chorus. Monster of a song! On the production level, the album sounds just as it should – not too much raw, not too polished either.
When you pick a Seventh Dagger release you basically know what to expect messagewise and Ghost Ship is no exception. They take a strong and uncompromising straight edge stance but are pretty creative about how they get the message across. While some songs are more on the positive side describing band’s commitment to living a sober life, other will take you to the depths of the dark world of addiction and degeneration. The aforementioned Enough reminds us that addiction is not only about drugs and alcohol but it can affect a person on many different levels. Especially when money is involved, mass media and big corporations will go out of their way to fill your head and body with crap. As a person who tries to make conscious decisions about what to eat and what to buy, I can totally relate to the message in this song. And if you’re ain’t doing it, maybe you should? Everyone got a right to live their live as they want to but being smart is probably one of the best options.
To sum it up, Cold Truth holds all the tricks that make a good hardcore album. If you’re into stuff that’s heavy and aggressive, but still does not lack passion, don't sleep on this.
Seventh Dagger, 2011
Review by Dloogi
Pre-orders launched for debut Ep by Redemption Denied
Save My Soul Records has put up the preorders for the Redemption Denied EP, hardcore from Belgium and the Netherlands, featuring (ex-)members of Blade/World Gone Mad/Blindside. There will be 3 colors: 50 on gold vinyl only available in the preorder package with a 2-sided RD shirt, 100 on white for a upcoming release show and 150 on black vinyl for regular orders. These should be ready to ship late April / early May. Check out band's new song "life sentence" here.
Harvcore launched pre-orders for Ruckus and Bottom Out
You can place pre-order for the upcoming Ruckus album, 'Of Malice And Man', as well as Bottom Out 7-inch Ep, 'Mourning', at Harvcore webstore. Ruckus should be well know to anyone visiting this site, and Bottom Out is a new Long Island five-piece band with influences from bands like Merauder, All Out War and Hatebreed.
Line Of Scrimmage Working on New Songs
Line Of Scrimmage is recording new stuff. The band has couple of new songs ready for the upcoming split, more info will drop soon. Here's what band posted on their Facebook site: "New shit is so hard. Not beatdown hard. NY Hard. We may loose a few fans but we are sticking to our roots. Be on the lookout for the groove and flow that is the new improved LOS."
War Charge to drop its debut self-titled EP
War Charge are a 5 piece hardcore band from Edinburgh, Scotland. Influenced by bands like Bitter End, No Warning, Trapped Under Ice and Down to Nothing. The band recorded there debut 7" with Tom Mitchell in Perth which will be released on April 7th by Demons Run Amok Records - Germany (Trapped Under Ice, 50 Lions etc) and Spook Records - Poland. The debut tour for the 7" will take place during April across Europe, visiting Poland, Germany, Belgium and the Czech Republic, events can be found here .
Pre-orders launched for new Wisdom in Chains album
I Scream Records has launched pre-orders for new Wisdom In Chains album,"The Missing Links". The album will contain 13 new songs, including My Friend and Ghost Of Buddy for which videos have been recently released. The pre-orders include exclusive shirt and limited green splatter vinyl edition. CD bundles start shipping April 13th, LP bundles start shipping end of April. You can place your order here.
Brawl Interview
Brawl is Boise, Idaho-based band which delivers some straight up in-your-face hardcore with a nice NYHC touch. The band has been around for some time already and their dedication has seem to earn them a household name status amongst the local scene. Brawl has released its debut ep ‘The Bitter End’ all by themselves in 2010, which was quickly followed by a split with Black Cloud in 2011, also self released. And the band is not slowing down at all. While the new ‘Punishment’ is already available at Westcoast Worldwide and Irish Voodoo Records, the ‘Back Biter’ is expected to drop just by the end of this year.
Brawl is Boise, Idaho-based band which delivers some straight up in-your-face hardcore with a nice NYHC touch. The band has been around for some time already and their dedication has seem to earn them a household name status amongst the local scene. Brawl has released its debut ep ‘The Bitter End’ all by themselves in 2010, which was quickly followed by a split with Black Cloud in 2011, also self released. And the band is not slowing down at all. While the new ‘Punishment’ is already available at Westcoast Worldwide and Irish Voodoo Records, the ‘Back Biter’ is expected to drop just by the end of this year.First of all, congratulations with the upcoming seven inch, Punishment. Could you tell us something about the release? What can we look out for?
Thank you we are happy to have it released by two labels. Irish Voodoo Records for the 7" Vinyl with two cover options and Westcoast Worldwide Records for the CD/Digital formats. Our presale of the Test Press and bundles sold out so we couldn't be happier.
Having heard couple of new tracks at your facebook profile I must admit this shit sounds hard! What is the driving force behind your music?
We are a heavy Hardcore band. We have many influences and take a strong approach musically and lyrically to our friends, scene, politics, government, war, religion, environment, and shitty people. We spit out aggressive, no sugar coated, direct in your face lyrics.
Have you had a chance to perform those songs live? What type of response have you been getting?
We have had a chance to perform them and the response is great for us. No matter what we will play anywhere and we will always have a DIY approach to shows. We are doing a mini tour with MDK starting March 8th and we will be playing the 5 songs off Punishment plus 3 brand new songs that we are super stoked to finally play live.
How important are lyrics for the band? Did you have any specific topics in mind when you wrote lyrics for the ep?
Lyrics are important but we are not a poetic hardcore band. They are pretty self explanatory but we hit on many topics from protecting our rights, freedoms, free speech, way of life, weak ass friends who fuck over people they call friends, environmental depletion, solid friends and crew. We don't really have topics that are off limits.
How did you hook up with Westcoast Worldwide and Irish Voodoo Records for the release?
We were talking to Joey from IVR about doing a 7". Then we went on a mini tour on on the West Coast and recorded at Pitbull Farm with Pitbull Dan (Murder Death Kill, Blood Stands Still, Donnybrook). We played a show in SoCal with Terror and Alpha & Omega and he came to the show to meet us in person and here we are. Westcoast Worldwide hit us up soon after and fortunately they were cool with a dual label release. Both labels are great for us. They get it.
No doubt vinyl holds a special place in the hardcore culture. How is it important for you to have your music released on this format?
We will not do a release with any label that doesn't do vinyl or at least let IVR put out the vinyl version. It is a great newer label and we are dedicated to their growth. We are not a band in debt. We own all our stuff. This is not an option.
The ep is going to be officially available in couple of days from now and then you are going to hit the road for bunch of shows with Murder Death Kill. What is it that keeps you excited and motivated about being in band and moving forward?We love playing shows, booking Hardcore bands in Idaho, writing music, and we have all been in it for a long time. It is a way of life for us. It is who we are when we go about our day to day lives. Touring is the best when you are prepared. Meeting new kids and bands in different cities never gets old.
How do you manage to balance involvement in the band with family and day job commitments?
Well that is something we have worked on for years. We have set ourselves up in business or work to where we can make money at home while on the road. We all own businesses or work jobs during the week. We take time off when we want. We practice 3 nights a week. We spend lots of time with family and friends. They support us and understand that it is as much a part of our lives as they are. However, nothing is more important than family.
What are some other hardcore bands in your area we should follow?
Idaho is really lacking in music. Always has been. That being said we have some really good bands out of here. Not all Hardcore but we can all do shows together. Compromised, Black Cloud, Bone Dance, Gernika, Sinews, Reverie, N.F.F.U., and Hummingbird of Death are some of the best bands in town.
Before we wrap up, tell us something about Boise? Apart from right wing militias, what’s to see over there?
Boise is a family town. Very Mormon here. I am not from here but it is a great place to raise a family for the most part. The militia's don't exist here anymore. Racist extremist were all were ran out. The police force is still bullshit though and this is the drunkest city in the west so congratulations Boise.
Barcadia has called it quits
Damn, I missed this sad news when in January the band has announced they called it quits. Here's the update from the band's official FB site: "It's been a hell of a ride since 2005 and a lot of people have helped us along the way and supported our every move but we're going to be calling it quits. I (Michael) don't feel up to doing the band anymore and the rest of the band didn't want to continue on without me. There are way too many people to thank but a huge thank you to all of Reno hardcore and Reno straight edge...you made us who we ...are and without this city and all of the people here we would have been nothing. And thank you to everyone who checked out RAINN.org and did their part to help out a great cause. Continue to support what Reno puts out because there are some incredible people here. Thank you to everyone who supported us." You can still get some of their merch here.
Hometown Hate - S/T Ep
This is debut ep from Hometown Hate. Four guys, all from various Pittsburgh PA hardcore bands, got together and made this monster. Straight up rugged and raw beatdown hardcore. Download it!
Sawchuk interview
There’s a lot of happening In Sawchuk camp nowadays. The band has just put out a ‘How can you live like this’ ep, toured East Coast, and its near term plans include another ep and split in the summer. Here’s a short interview about their current activities, bit if you want more background info about the band check out the previous interview we did with them.
There’s a lot of happening In Sawchuk camp nowadays. The band has just put out a ‘How can you live like this’ ep, toured East Coast, and its near term plans include another ep and split in the summer. Here’s a short interview about their current activities, bit if you want more background info about the band check out the previous interview we did with them.For those who don’t know – Sawchuk has just recently released "How can you live like this" ep. How did you guys come up with this title?
Without getting too deep into it, it's the title of the song that we felt best described the overall feel of the ep.
Where do you get the inspiration to write the type of music you do?
Living in Michigan (or the midwest in general) can be real shitty sometimes, we come from a very beautiful place that has become littered with abandoned factories and disheartened people. We just take everything around us that makes us upset and we put it in our music. we're not always as depressed or angry as our songs make us out to be, we like to have fun.
I’m not really familiar with Prospect Records. Tell us what this label is about, what they have released so far etc?
Prospect is a pretty small label based out of Boston, besides us everything they've released has come from the east coast. We're grateful that they decided to work with us and put out our record, they did a great job with it.
‘I Give No Fucks’ has some nice footage from band’s live action. What’s the craziest stuff you’ve seen during your show?
That's a hard one for me, nothing's really sticking out right now but i know i'll think of something later and feel like an idiot for not remembering. Everytime we play flint things get pretty crazy.
And have you ever had a show which totally sucked? The type of gig when the crowd is not moving, the vibe is not there and you just want to get over with it and go home…
Haha yeah, I think everyone has those shows, you just have to learn how to have fun with it.
If you were on death row what would be your last meal?
Philly cheese steak from Pats. Hands down.
Should hipsters be allowed to enter hardcore shows?
Yes. Everyone should be allowed into hardcore shows. If you're there to start fights or be a dick you gotta go, but no one should be turned away for anything but behavior.
What are the next steps for the band?
We're getting ready to leave for a week of shows right now, immediately after that we're gonna go record our new ep, then we're going to be hitting the road again in may.
Before we wrap up, do you have any shout outs or anything that you would like to say?
The Michigan hardcore scene is the best it's ever been right now, do yourself a favor and check out Fisherking, Solid Snake, Ante Up, Out of Step, Smash Your Enemies, King of Monsters, Bearfoot, Traitor, Gateways, Grizzlies, Natural Disasters, Brains Out and Slaves to the Pavement.
Blood For Blood working on a new album
The band has announced the news on its Facebook profilesaying: "Blood For Blood just started working on some preproduction recordings for the new album at Mad Oak Studios in Boston today. The mixing board behind them is the same board that Black Sabbath recorded the "Sabotage" album on!"
Benchpress - Stay Hated
Lewistown, Pennsylvania-based hardcore outfit with a heavy-ass sound and obnoxious attitude. Probably one of the meanest and strongest demos I've heard in a while. I've heard that the band got physical copies of it for sale but I'm not sure how to get them. If you're interested, the best thing to do is checking directly with band. Download the demo!
Terror announced new album in 2012, 'Live By The Code'
Terror will hit the studio this spring to begin recording a new full-length entitled "Live By The Code." The news around the net say that the album will be recorded by New Found Glory's Chad Gilbert (Trapped Under Ice, A Day To Remember) and should be available later this year. Century Media Records will take care of the CD and digital release, while Reaper Records will handle the album's vinyl release.
Ballistic, new band with members of Billy Club Sandwich, Wake Up Cold and Treason
Ballistic is a new band which features Martin Gonzalez from Billy Club Sandwich and members of Wake Up Cold and Treason. With a longtime lull in activities with Treason, and Martin Gonzo's move to Baltimore, it was only a matter of time before the two forces joined up to create an unholy alliance in the spirit of the long fabled "Baltimore/New York connection". Ballistic arose to do nothing more than play hard music with good friends, and here is the result. The band states likes of Buried Alive, Death Threat, Brujeria or Madball as their major influences. Check out their Stereokiller profile or Facebook site. [Photo: Kate Frese Photography; link, link ]
Raw Meat - Demo 2012
Raw Meat hails from New York City and features members of The Rival Mob and Nomos. This is raw as fuck straight between the eyes hardcore. Don't know nothing more about the band except that this demo rules all the way. Get it or die in shame! Downloat it.
New Havenside album set for release in April
Sacramento, California hardcore outfit Havenside is all set to release their much anticipated new album entitled “Nemesis”, April 3rd, 2012 via Westcoast Worldwide Records. “Nemesis” is the follow up to 2010’s critically acclaimed “Recognition”, and is the bands third release. The album was recorded at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, California, and was engineered/produced by Zack Ohren (All Shall Perish, Arsonists Get All the Girls, Suffocation, Conducting from the Grave). “We really feel that “Nemesis” is more than anything, a statement of our roots”, states vocalist Brandon Wells. “This record is just a wall of sound that will make you feel like you are getting assaulted from beginning to end. It’s a big, heavy sounding record, and we can’t wait for people to not just experience, but really feel it”. Check out the lead single from “Nemesis” called “Resilient” here.
Tom Barry talks 'Balance: European Hardcore' book
Recently released Balance: European Hardcore book takes you on the journey across the European hardcore scene presenting number of people devoted to keep it alive and going even at the price of sacrificing free time, money and hard work. The book tells the story of dedication above all and reading how much heart these kids put into hardcore, no matter if it is France, Poland, Portugal or UK, gives your real motivation to carry on. After all, we are all fighting the same struggle to stay true to values which we hold dear in our lives while busting our asses off to provide the food on the table and pay the bills. And as the times get more hectic, it’s even more important to focus on such positive examples. The book was put together by duo; Sophia Schorr-Kon, responsible for the visual side of the book, and Tom Barry, who handled the writing duties. We caught up with the latter for a Q&A session about the project.
Recently released Balance: European Hardcore book takes you on the journey across the European hardcore scene presenting number of people devoted to keep it alive and going even at the price of sacrificing free time, money and hard work. The book tells the story of dedication above all and reading how much heart these kids put into hardcore, no matter if it is France, Poland, Portugal or UK, gives your real motivation to carry on. After all, we are all fighting the same struggle to stay true to values which we hold dear in our lives while busting our asses off to provide the food on the table and pay the bills. And as the times get more hectic, it’s even more important to focus on such positive examples. The book was put together by duo; Sophia Schorr-Kon, responsible for the visual side of the book, and Tom Barry, who handled the writing duties. We caught up with the latter for a Q&A session about the project.Balance deals with individuals in European hardcore scene who commitment, dedication, enthusiasm to the hardcore scene while struggling to make ends meet and dealing with personal life challenges. What was your motivation to do this book?
The motivation came from our respect for such individuals and the need to get them documented NOW! Once myself and Sophia’s two worlds collided, all of the necessary elements were there to capture this scene in some way. Sophia’s first shots of the Belgian scene made it clear that an opportunity to photograph DIY hardcore in a beautiful and honest way – to give it the props it deserved – was there to be taken. How we would tie this together thematically was not clear at first. It was on a trip to visit the Portuguese scene that we decided that the work/hardcore balance was what we were interested in. The motivation then came directly from the scene and those elements you’ve listed – the enthusiasm you feel being around someone like Tonr from Providence can only add to your own motivation.
Writing book about real people and real situations seems like a huge responsibility to provide honest and sincere story. What is the key to telling a good story without compromising that person’s privacy?
I can’t speak for the individuals featured but hardcore is not a great “hiding place” for the most part, so those involved tend to be more honest and trusting with people tied to them through the culture. They had to trust that I respected them and I think that comes through in the book. If I screwed anybody over I would expect to be called out, but I live for it as they do - I would be fucking myself over to disrespect what I love. I think people understood that. All of the people I met were strong individuals who believe in hardcore and the decisions they make around it and have no problem letting people know that.
In terms of the story being good, well there was no need to be creative ‘cos it was all there – passion, suffering, dedication, alienation, community, anger, love. All the elements of a good story are there when people step out of the mainstream to pursue what they believe in. Having to live between two “worlds” will always be interesting to an observer. I just needed to listen and observe.
Saying all of this doesn’t mean I wasn’t stressed about getting everything ‘right’ - I couldn’t go back to the south of Poland and hang around Adam’s mine waiting for him to finish his shift so that I could check over everything. Both myself and Sophia needed to be open and aware to ensure that we didn’t miss stuff.
How much time did it take you to gather all the stories and how much time did you need for the writing and editing the book?
It was a short period of time – months. After we had presented our initial pitch to the publishers it was a case of wait…wait…um…wait…go, go, go! There was a period of time that we thought it might not happen ‘cos our contact, Buzz (great name, great guy) had to clear it with other people at the publishers and they weren’t going to email to tell us about each meeting they were having. We weren’t sure what was going on and then suddenly it was on and we had to get the whole thing done hardcore style! The speed helped keep everything “true” to our original plan - we had already decided to move through a number of countries quickly, shooting what we saw and documenting as honestly as possible. With the pressure to hand in for publishing, that speed was even more important and helped immensely with focus! The support of those in the scene made the whole thing possible. I also have to send a shout out to Balance’s designer, Siaron Hughes as she really helped us with her advice and guidance.
How did you choose the people to be featured in the book?
We worked out that on our budget we could hit a number of countries in the required time frame. It was then a case of making contact with people in the scene – we needed to capture people at work and performing/promoting, only being able to spend one or two days in each place before catching a train or plane to the next! Word spread through those who were down to support the project - like Joerg in Germany and Tonr in France - and the Balance tentacles found their way into the lives of strangers in the countries visited. We tried to capture a cross section of Europe but didn’t have the time to get to places like the Nordics, which was a real shame. I’d love to do another book and hit a load of the countries we couldn’t get to.
Which part of researching for the book was the most personally interesting to you?
Poland’s experience of the modern scene was of great interest because it was happening at the same time as I was getting into hardcore yet the experiences were both very different and very similar in a way that wasn’t the case with other Western European countries. Aside from the subject matter I was writing about, I was also very interested in how we would capture the people and music in photographs. Standing on speakers with a lightbox held above my head while Sophia dodged spin-kicks looked chaotic but we knew that the resultant lighting would capture the subjects in a more intimate way.
Was there anything that surprised you when dealing with hardcore kids from totally different parts of Europe, like Poland, Portugal, Germany, France… ?
There were cultural elements that informed some behavior and attitudes – the Southern Europeans were a lot more open and warm than their Northern counterparts for example, but ultimately hardcore people are hardcore people.
Were there stories that you would have liked to include, but they just didn't make into the final book?
Due to the speed that we were moving at, there were a few cases where a person was playing a show but it was impossible to catch them at work while we were in their country. There were also a few cases of vans breaking down and potential subjects not making shows – typical low budget DIY hardcore stuff. We could only cover two people per country so it was hard when you’d interview and hang out with somebody and they’d have another angle but there was no room to include them. Essentially there was a cut-off point - if we didn’t catch a full snapshot of that person at that time then it wouldn’t do the project justice.
It would have been amazing to include every country in Europe but it would have been impossible in the timescale. The book had to remain honest to its creation. As I explain in the introduction – this isn’t the ultimate guide to European Hardcore in 2011/12, rather it is a snapshot of the lives of some of its participants. There will always be those who can’t accept that and want the book to feature pages and pages of their favourite bands. This project came about to highlight what living a hardcore life means – if you can’t see yourself in some of these subjects and their experience than what are you doing calling yourself hardcore?
Hardcore is still an unusual topic for a book. Was it easy to find a publisher?
No. We learnt a lot wandering around book fairs and asking questions but it helped that we pitched the project to Buzz; somebody who was already familiar with hardcore. When I explained what we were going to be doing he half joked, “is this gonna be about FSU?” and I knew that we’d been given a lucky break and we had to nail it. Thankfully we did. Some of the other publishers would smile and nod as you went through presentations and suddenly reel back in horror when they saw a tattooed “thug” swinging their arms in a pit. Hopefully they can now read about these people and not be so quick to judge them. Strangely, a common brush-off was, “we’re concentrating on cook books.” I guess that was the most un-hardcore subject they could think of. I think there was actually a hardcore cookbook put out a while ago with Sick Of It All and maybe Agnostic Front donating their favourite recipes. Maybe I dreamt it…
What was the publishing process like with this book?
As you can tell from our stress waiting for a decision from the publishers, we were both novices to this world. We decided that, no matter how hard it was to convince people, it was important to do this on a scale befitting of the subject matter and work. We were confident in our work and believed in what we were doing, even if we took a few knock-backs.
What’s your own history or relationship with hardcore? What's the most important lesson you've learned throughout your involvement in the movement?
I got into hardcore in my teens because it was the perfect fit. I didn’t fit in with the metal and rock scenes, and they didn’t connect with me in anything like the way seeing people of my own age, dressed “normally”, and screaming about stuff with sincerity did. Everybody around me listened to dancehall and rap (which I still love), but Knuckledust was the same age as us and made music that crushed all of that dead! It was completely crazy. I was full of aggression and I needed something real to listen to that had that rage running through it. I love all types of street music but hardcore has THE sound. The first show I went to had my future singer, DBS on the door – 15 years old but a tough kid! Knuckledust were playing alongside Stampin’ Ground, who Ian Glasper played with. Ian’s balancing act of running labels, working a day job, raising a family, playing in bands, and writing, would go on to inspire me to do something. The fact that he writes the foreword for the book is amazing - he was playing onstage at my first hardcore show which cemented my love for the music - and then writes the foreword for Balance all these years later. Would that happen in any other “music scene?”
I started my own band, Kartel after attending shows, so my relationship with hardcore then became even more involved. The most important lessons? Wow. The real power of co-operation, of trust, the importance of channeling negativity into something positive without compromising your beliefs, the power to go beyond the limits society places on you through building your own communities and art. Aggressive music is no less valid than other forms of music – humans have different experiences, hardcore is one type of music for those who’ve been pissed off by theirs. It definitely acted as an anchor in my life growing up.
Respect Few & Fear None, new album from Senseless
Greece-based Senseless has released new album 'Respect Few & Fear None' on Spook Records. The album contains 11 tracks of beatdown hardcore with guest appearances from Pelbu (Knuckledust / Bun Dem Out), Nikk (Overpain), Vincent (Alea Jacta Est / Trough My Eyes) and Tito (Surge Of Fury). For fans of CDC, Six Ft Ditch, TRC or Nasty.
Escapist Records signs Territory
Escapist Records would like to welcome Tucson, AZ’s Territory to its roster. We are quite excited to be working with the band on the release of a 12” in the coming months. Drawing influence from the likes of Ringworm, Obituary, and Buried Alive, in their brief span as a band Territory has played alongside many of today’s brightest in hardcore including Foundation, Xibalba, Harms Way, Alpha & Omega, 50 Lions, and countless others. Territory is currently in the midst of recording the album at guitarist Ryan Bram’s Homewrecker Studios. The release will be comprised of brand new songs as well as re-recorded material from the band’s demo and split cassette with Dead Hours. In the interim, the Territory’s recently released cover of Carcass’ “Buried Dreams” for Toxicbreed’s Funhouse covers compilation can be streamed online here.
Beat Down - pre-order for "Missing In Action 7" started
Beat Down found some lost songs and Demons Run Amok is about to release it on a limited to 150 7" with tons of specials. Keep your eyes open the pre-orders are up now. Don't sleep on this these copies will be sold out soon! Check the song Life is a Bitch on soundcloud!
Animal Instinct released Unfinished Business on Take It Back records
Take It Back proudly presents Animal Instinct’s debut long-play album Unfinished Business. Animal Instinct considers itself to be a traditional hardcore band, with its homebase in the greater Zurich area (Switzerland). The band features ex and current members of Solid Ground, Vale Tudo, Play to Destroy, and Liferide to only name a few. Similar to the band’s 7“EP, the eleven original songs on Unfinished Business are heavily influenced by the band members’ favorite New York hardcore bands such as Straight Ahead, Outburst , Raw Deal, and Warzone. So it does not come as a surprise that Animal Instinct chose to include a Killing Time cover tune on Unfinished Business.Take It Back offers a limited version of Unfinished Business, available only via pre-order, along with a strictly limited shirt and various package deals. The album is going to be available on white, red, and black vinyl, and includes a download code.
To celebrate Take It Back’s 10th release, our back catalogue will be on sale for the pre-order phase. Offer good while supplies last.
Pre-order starts on 31 March 2012. The release date is scheduled for 29 April 2012.
To pre-order Unfinshed Business, please visit our store at http://takeitbackrec.bigcartel.com/
Become our friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TAKEITBACKREC
Stream Unfinished Business for free: http://animalinstinct.bandcamp.com/
Summer Of Hate 2012 Details
Summer Of Hate festival will take place 07/14/2012 at Peabody’s in Cleveland, Ohio. The line-up includes 100 Demons, Shattered Realm, Death Before Dishonor, Nasty, Suburban Scum, Numb, World Of Pain, Clenched Fist, Palehorse, Sand, 10 Of Swords, Life After Death, Copykill, Lifeless, Cold Existence and Psycho Enhancer.
.45 Stainles - OGBD
The album starts with a short intro which sounds like 15-minutes of heavy Fruity Loops engineering but when finally drums and guitars jump in it’s not that bad actually. Dual vocals get definitely the job done, guitars sound heavy and strong while the rhythm section lays down some tight grooves. Nothing ultra fast here, but the pace and tone pick up surprisingly often for that type of music. Two first songs after the intro, Endless and Hated, are probably the best on the album. The vocals deliver strong attitude and the tight performance by the band shows off their skills to create some memorable moments. Orighetto State Of Mind starts with a massive mid-tempo passage, but the energy somehow gets lost as the song progresses. The same goes for Wardrumz, the song got some powerful build up at the beginning and then progresses into some mediocre NYC-flavored hardcore. The tempo kicks up during the last song, At War, which delivers more bite with strong vocal performance while the rest of the band provides a solid and tight background.
The album surprisingly is better that I initially thought and after couple of spins I start to appreciate what they do here. I wouldn’t say it is spine chilling experience or anything ground breaking, but I doubt they had such aspirations anyway. All in all, I don’t care that it’s predictable, generic and there is rarely anything that would make you mosh around your room. Very often experimenting with its sound is the worst thing a hardcore band can do. Consciously or not, the band has definitely not fallen in this trap. My biggest gripe with this album however is that the band’s attitude is not entirely convincing. From the band’s name, to the lyrics and sound samples of gunshots between the songs, it’s all to much gangsta for my taste. Is living in Turku really that hard? On the other hand, it might be a joke, a gimmick, but if it is, it ain’t funny.
BDHW, 2011
Review by Dloogi
Wisdom In Chains - Ghost of Buddy
Wisdom in Chains Celebrates Puppy Love with "Ghost of Buddy", a tribute to Mad Joe Black's dog Buddy.
World In Decline - Self Reliance
World In Decline is a new band hailing from South Shore, MA with a heavy, yet slick sound. The band has been around since September last year and this is their debut EP which they share for free. These for songs are full of mosh, breakdowns, angry vocals and some more mosh on top of it. The execution is tight, everything flows together seamlessly and culminate as an energetic vibe. If you're into bands like Buried Alive or Death Before Dishonor don't sleep on this one. I've heard the band got ex-members of Reckless which is good recommendation cause Reckless was a solid band. Download it!
Life To Live records launched Provider 7" pre-orders
Life To Live Records have launched preorders for the forthcoming 7″ EP from New York’s Provider, entitled Wasteland. . Provider is from Long Island, NY and is influenced by a lot of stuff like Madball and Outburst.
Final Prayer to Release New Album in May
European Hardcore's pack leader Final Prayer will release their new album "I Am Not Afraid" on Let it Burn Records on May 25, 2012. Chris (Let it Burn CEO) comments: "I am absolutely stoked to have Final Prayer officially back on Let it Burn Records. Infact they never really 'left' the label. Both the cooperation and the friendship easily outlasted their short 'excursion' in 2009. Since releasing the band's debut album in 2006 I had known that Let it Burn Records and Final Prayer is a perfect match and I am tremendously looking forward to releasing and promoting the band's new album which is spinning on my computer in this very moment."Final Prayer about reuniting with Let it Burn Records: "After some very busy months, a lot of hard work and intense songwriting and studio sessions, we're more than happy to announce, that we're ready to release our third studio-album called 'I Am Not Afraid'. With our buddy Dennis (Black Friday '29) on board, the new songs are much more varied with a lot of styles and influences. Catchy melodies meet heavy breakdowns and epic sing-alongs. Over and above we're supported on two songs by two very charismatic voices - be prepared! All in all the 10 songs of this album start where the "Berlin" EP has ended and are by far the best ones we've done so far! Label-wise we feel very comfortable, that the record will be released by Munich's famous Let It Burn Records. This might appear like a big change to some people, but after a quite moving period for the band, working together with our old friend Chris feels just like coming home. We're extremely satisfied with the songs and think that he's the right guy to spread our message. But enough words for now. The Releaseshow of the album will be on May 26th at Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin. We're psyched to see you there and show you what this album is really about. - the final prayer collective"
"I am Not Afraid" was recorded and mixed at Daily Hero Studios, Berlin and mastered at Time Tools Mastering, Hannover. The artwork was created by the Design Armada. Expect our promo-mailout and more info within the next days.
ThugxLife 'All eyez on you' 7-inch on Refuse Records
I Want You Dead Interview
As a brief introduction, during almost four years of its existence, the band has released a successful album in 2010, ‘We Are The Legions of Scums’, which was followed by ΑΩ EP that came out just January this year. The seven inch definitely bands and showcases that the band is getting steadily better. As the situation In Greece gets worse, the music of I Want You Dead seems to get more dark and tense. The new ΑΩ Ep is a massive slab of brutal and sinister hardcore that cleverly makes use of metal elements but still pays its homage to the roots of the genre. Here’s the interview which hopefully sheds some light on underlying intentions and ideas behind their music.
As a brief introduction, during almost four years of its existence, the band has released a successful album in 2010, ‘We Are The Legions of Scums’, which was followed by ΑΩ EP that came out just January this year. The seven inch definitely bands and showcases that the band is getting steadily better. As the situation In Greece gets worse, the music of I Want You Dead seems to get more dark and tense. The new ΑΩ Ep is a massive slab of brutal and sinister hardcore that cleverly makes use of metal elements but still pays its homage to the roots of the genre. Here’s the interview which hopefully sheds some light on underlying intentions and ideas behind their music.What would you say about the music and the lyrics of the “We Are The Legions of Scums” album? What was your main inspiration?
Musically speaking it is an album of heavy, agressive music. We believe that dark lyrics suit our music in the best way and create a suffocative and intense atmosphere. Our debut is a hardcore album made by people who love hardcore music. We got inspired by the bands we love of course (Slapshot, Integrity, Cursed, Carpathian, Reign Supreme, Celeste among others) but also from other non-music stuff such as movies or situations we are involved in. You can drag inspiration from anything actually. We prefer dark concepts.
What feedback have you received since its release and how are these new songs coming along in the shows?
We have received a quite positive feedback. Kids seem to dig our music and the shows are getting better and better! We tested our new tracks on tour and all is good! We think it is very important to be able to play live everything you listen in the record and this is something we always have in mind when we compose new songs.
What is the meaning behind “We Are The Legions of Scums” and how did the band decide on this title?
Actually it is a cool in-your-face title that we think gives you a good impression of what you are about to listen in the record. There's no big meaning behind it. It is just our way of telling you we play aggressive music. Plus it suits the “apocalyptic” concept we so much adore!
The ÁÙ 7inch is a big step for us, a critical release. We had a line-up change between this and our debut full length, specifically in the vocalist position. We also made a pretty observable change in our sound towards darker, more intense, black metal influenced hardcore. We worked hard on the new songs in order to achieve this and fortunately our new vocalist turned out to be a perfect match for our sound. We are really satisfied we the outcome of this 7inch and we believe it is the first step towards forming our own unique sound.
Lyrically, those new songs bring some really dark and intense tone. What was your inspiration during the writing and what do you want to convey to the listener?
Even though we live in a country known for its sunny weather, there are stuff going on here on both national & personal level that affected and inspired us, in order to write those lyrics. For the past years we have been receivers of bad news and cruel reality due to the situation our country is in. This affects literally everyone. Our families , our friends & ourselves.
Financial crisis and state suppression are now part of our everyday life and these are things we can't ignore. We try to be positive on a personal level (which is difficult) in order to deal with the situation but our anger and despair builds up inside us and expressing this through our music and lyrics is inevitable and kind of a vital matter for us.
To those who have opposing viewpoints from yours, what do you hope they take away listening to the album?
We don't really hope for anything. We make the music we want to make and we sing about the stuff we like. Sure we know that some people may not agree with our views/lyrics. But this is the message we want to spread. Embrace it or reject it.
How do you feel about the fucked up situation Greece has found itself in? It seems there are millions of explanations about why did it happen, but what’s your perspective as someone from there?
The explanation is pretty simple...A few people took decisions for the lives of millions and the only thing that mattered for them was personal profit. Capitalist pigs took advantage of a whole nation in order to make money. They borrowed money, on behalf of all the greek people, and now they can't pay back their debt. This is something that now affects everyone over here. They actually ruined our future as we have to pay for their mistakes. People of Greece are innocent, they are casualties of a financial war they never took part in. Politicians are cunts and deserve the worse ,for the impact of their greed destroyed our lives.
So, how do you feel about the future?
We can't really say we're optimistic about the future...Every single day major changes happen over here. New laws, new restrictions, suppression. We believe in the freedom of people and we are against all kinds of oppression. It is dark times for us here but we are not willing to lose the control of our lives even if this means conflict with the state and the police.
Is there any political or social movement that you sympathize with or that you're a part of?
All four members of IWYD are involved with political and social movements. We support the squats of our hometown and we are active on several levels. We live in a country where many things have happened the last years. It is almost inevitable to be involved in sociopolitical stuff. We, as a band and individually, despise any form of oppression, authority and racism.
Your music is hard to pin dawn – was it the idea from the start to combine different styles of hardcore? Where does I Want You Dead draw their inspirations?
Well, we listen to various styles of music and inspiration -as told before- can come from anything.Though we don't really have rules for our music, the plan is to sound pissed off. We love hardcore in general and we take the elements we like from any style of it. This just happens ! We listen to a lot of the old classic Boston stuff but we also dig modern bands such as The Banner or Rise and Fall and their approach to hardcore. Our sound is a combination of our influences plus the personal element of each one of us. In the future we won't hesitate to use in our music anything that satisfies us whether it's hardcore or not.
We formed in 2008 in order to play the music we love, tour and have a good time. The four of us study in Patras University and knew each other a while before forming the band. We had a different singer at the beginning who quit the band in order to focus on other stuff. He now is replaced by Michael, the singer/guitarist of Fields of Locust (excellent post-metal/sludge outfit! Check 'em out!). We are more than satisfied with this choice, the dude rocks!
Would you like to say anything to the readers?
Yeah. Come to our shows and don't go to church.
MPO - Deny Life
Band’s music is best described as metalcore, but the one along the lines of All Out War, Sentence or Arkangel and not the one which is about tight pants and pig squealing bullshit. It might not deliver the apocalyptic atmosphere as the mentioned bands, but still it doesn’t lack a bite. Since the first notes on the album the band lays out pretty dynamic and heavy sound coupled with intense and forceful vocals. All the elements seem to blend together seamlessly and the music is thought out and well played, but sometimes it lacks some catchy hook to hold on to. MPO can write really incredible and complex tracks, but what this album needs is more diversity between the songs as sometimes it’s hard to tell one from another. But that doesn’t take away that Deny Life is a solid effort. MPO isn't really breaking new ground here, but the mosh parts are solid and do the job and in the end, it’s good to see that metallic hardcore can still be played with a focus on passion not fashion. Anyone into that type of sound should give it a try, there are good odds you will find something you like.
Giant Leeches Attach, Cruzade Records, 2011
Review by Dloogi
In Clear Sight released debut album on Clenched Fist Records
