hello
from
So I’m going to print this issue as soon as I’m done typing this last note thing. Hopefully my girlfriend helps with folding or something.. on that note, search her [upcoming] zine on facebook, ‘Double Dare Zine’. Anyway, I hope everyone digs this issue. Email me feedback if you’d like! This week should be awesome. I’m going to see my buddies in Light Years tomorrow which should be stage dive heaven, then going to southern Ohio to hang with Austin Sparkman & he’s having a house show, then heading to This Is Hardcore. Hope to see you all there. Oh I do graphic design for bands, go to brianbarrgraphicdesign.com
thank you Thank you to all my friends who helped with this issue & just hung out, Cody Johnson, Ryan Wade, Margie Byrne, Richie Peterson, Aron Smith, Andrew Greene, etc.. Thanks a ton to Danny Trudell of Seventh Dagger for hooking me up with the Earth Crisis cassette interview from years ago., and thank you for reading this.
Leave out the spaces for answers and have
across
Advertising: Half or full page ads for around $10-$25. A Few hundred printed Distro: If you want to buy a bunch, I’ll sell you them at a ‘wholesale’ price. Email me for either at IsolatedYouth@Yahoo.com
fun!!
1. Town Austin Sparkman (Death Sent) is from? 3. What band’s on the cover of the zine that the vocalist of Weekend Nachos runs? 6. All I wanted was a _____ 7. What band’s song, ‘Chained Hanging Victim is on the Isolated Compilation? 9. To the left of what band’s interview is there a guy scratching his beard?
down 2.
Aaron Bedard says not to let hipsters ruin ______ 4. Hip Hop artist I’ve been jamming 5. What band’s photo is in the letters on the front cover ‘ATED’ 8. ____ Goes To College
E N A B band, BANE answered some questions Aaron Bedard, the vocalist for the Boston hardcore a nerd, and much more. Check it! being , scene for us honestly about the current hardcore Brian: Hello Aaron, can you begin by introducing yourself and telling us your opinion on ignorant and non-ignorant rap and what hip-hop artists you’ve been into lately? Aaron: I’m Aaron. I sing in Bane and I definitely fuck with the more ignorant side of rap. Ever since NWA and The Ghetto Boys dropped those early albums I’ve been attracted to that sort of style and attitude and tales from the streets. Lately I’ve been fucking with Juicy J, French Montana, everything Cam’ and Vado have been spitting lately has been fire. Real hyped to see what 2 Chainz has got for us, i love Roc Marciano. On the less ig’ side of things I also can’t stop listening to Azaelia Banks she’s been on fire this year. Has an amazing ear for beats. Brian: What would you say are the more recurring themes in Bane lyrics and what song still holds it’s meaning best and why? Aaron: I think there a few different themes that I tend to lean on lyrically. I write
about friendship a lot and how much I tend to overromantisize that stuff, how much I love HC for allowing me to do that as freely as I do. I think I deal with loss a lot which I guess in it’s own way ties into the whole clinging tightly to my friends thing. But if you’re gonna ask me to pick a song I guess it’d be Ali V Frazier 1. And the whole idea of digging deep and feeling worthy of living a heightened life. Fighting for what you believe and who you want to be. I think I hit the nail on the head with that one and still get so hyped when I see kids screaming those words with us. Brian: I find it funny that rumors always arise that Bane may be breaking up, maybe because it’s surprising that you guys are still together while most of the bands as old as Bane have fallen away. What’s the secret to rolling strong for so long? Aaron: Honestly, I think the secret is that we’ve spent as much time off the road and
away from each other as we did on it. We cherished our home life and that allowed being on tour and in the van to hold a special place in our hearts. It never became a job or somehing we did so much that it lost its shine for us. And I guess even more obvious than that is that we all have this same wierd inability to grow up and stop loving HC no matter how old we get we truly do still stay psyched on this life of hanging out at HC shows and meeting new kids and young bands and being in this van goofing off and eating junk food and traveling the world seeing how HC music affects every single corner of it. We never got bitter over this life because we never fooled ourselves into thinking it was something more. We were never trying to live some bullshit rockstar fantasy. We never lost sight of why we started this thing. And i think enough kids have embraced us for that fact alone that it’s kept us going. Kept us excited about whats around the bend.
FFO: H Verse, ave Heart, Champ tion
PHOTOS BY: MATTHEW GILL Brian: Knowing you’ve been in the hardcore scene for a while and you’ve seen so many changes, what would you say has changed the most through the recent years? And what would you change in the current scene? Aaron: Man, shit comes and goes in waves. So many trends and different phases, some cool and interesting, some completely shallow and poisonous and you get to a point where you try not to get too caught up in ANY of it, cuz it could go and change on you without warning. That comes along with not being 18 anymore and being able to look at things from a less childish perspective where every little detail or rumor or trend is like life and death. I am super excited with the overall state of things these days just from the sheer volume of cool bands with actual things to say and no interest in some bullshit alphamale fashion show. Band members going off to other bands. It really feels like that line between the popular bands and the kids
who are going off to them has been fully ripped down, which I love. Theres a real feeling that peeps are real tight right now and have a sense that this is special and that we need to appreciate it and get the most out of it. Incredible bands setting the tone right now Rotting Out, Expire, Power Trip, Stick Together. Then kids seem to be way more ready to embrace things that are a little bit more on the fringe like Tigers Jaw or Touche or A Loss for Words. I feel like kids are more focused on what is actually good and not so much worried about stuffing everything under some little umbrella of a label. So it’s honestly a little hard for me to talk about what I wish would change because for the most part I am really hyped with the core in 2012, bands, labels, feasts, dudes straight edge. I guess it would just be the usual stuff. Fights at shows, this whole sort of ‘me vs you’ mentality within our scene instead of, ‘us vs them’ which is really what drew me into this in the first place. I don’t wanna feel nervous about a fellow HC kid turning on
me (or anyone) and getting violent. I want us to feel connected and willing to work a little bit harder and more intelligently to work out our differences I feel like we chose to be here for a reason and there should be a mutual respect there, not busting each others heads over girls or rumors or some dancefloor nonsense. I want us to be greater than all that shit. I wish that the default setting of some people wasn’t so angry and aggressive. It makes it hard, it makes it difficult for some young, overwhelmed kid to navigate his way through this world of ours and mine all of the good and beauty that is buried in this scene just waiting to be found. The Beasties said it best (lighter in the air for MCA) “don’t be a dick” But, you know, I’ve been begging for that shit since jump street, not sure it’s ever gonna change, there may be just too much aggression and hatred woven into the very fabric of hardcore music for it to ever be completely free of violence.
Brian: Do you ever think about how your life would be different if you weren’t in a regularly touring and active band and what you’d be doing with your life? Aaron: Yeah of course I think about that stuff all the time. Before Bane i was working some dead end 9-5 in a print shop utterly miserable for half of my waking hours just counting down the hours til the weekend. I felt creatively stiffled, had all this stuff I wanted to say and scream and haf no real outlet, after Burn and Supertouch broke up I sort of went through a phase for a couple of years where I was completely out of touch with new bands in the scene. i wasn’t going to shows and losing my mind anymore and I was feeling myself getting pulled more and more into this adulthood that horrified me and that I was not at all prepared for. Thank fucking god I held out a little bit longer and got that phone call from Dalbec Brian: How’s the feeling different to play the Metal & Hardcore Festival alongside bands such as All That Remains and Dragonforce than a festival like This Is Hardcore where you’ve played multiple times alongside bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Lifetime, & H2O? Aaron: Its like night and day. One is goofy and annoying and I feel out of place but you do it cause you hope to maybe turn some young kids onto this music and attitude and sometimes it’s fun for the guys to play those big stages and have a big crowd cheering or whatever. The other is bliss where you’re literally surrounded all day by some of your favorite people from all corners of the country and it’s one sick band after another and kids are going buck and Ned is
stagediving his ass off and it all feels like this giant celebration of this lifestyle that we’ve all decided to cling to and defend.
Side. Things are as vibrant and exciting right now as they’ve ever been. We have great labels like Lockin Out and BBB cool small rooms doing all ages shows, great photographers It’s hard for me to compare it to other cities cuz I’ve never been so deeply engrained in a place like Boston, but there are definitely some amazing scenes in some other cities out there right now. Richmond, Wilkes-Barre, LA straight killing it as always, Baltimore is ridiculous right now.
Brian: How is the current scene in Boston and how’s it different from other scenes you’ve witnessed and toured through? What would be your all time favorite band out of Boston? Aaron: All time fave band is Mental with Eye For An Eye a close second. Boston’s always been real tight knit. Throughout every phase I’ve been witness to, thats been the one constant, from the, wrecking crew, Slap Shot, Eye For An Eye era, or the Said and Done, Kingpin, or the Reach The Sky, In My Eyes, Ten Yard Fight era, to the AN, Righteous Jams, Suicide File era. It’s just always reflected a very tight crew of friends, fully there to stand by and support each other as well as push each other forward creatively. It’s hard to come from that city and love HC and not be inspired by whats come before. From SS Decontrol to Have Heart. You have some expectations to live up to and I think it forces kids to dig a little deeper when it comes to bringing songs to the table. Right now there is a whole young crop of bands who are carrying the torch perfectly, Boston Strangler, No Tolerance, Free Spirit, Our
Brian: How do you keep yourself busy outside of Bane? Aaron: I like to gamble and is the one thing that I will pretty much drop everything else to go and do with my friends (‘sup, Dow). I have also gotten real into boardgames this year. Strategy wargames like Advanced Squad Leader and Paths of Glory and some lighter stuff like Dominion and Pandemic. I’ve always had a pretty serious nerdy side and I’ve really let it out this year and have been trying to spend more of my free time around guys who are real into some pretty nerdy hobbies. I still DJ a little bit although the recent explosion of dubstep has definitely left a pretty gross taste in my mouth. Ive never had something that I was once pretty hyped on jump the fucking shark so quickly. I got real into Fantasy Football last season and can not wait for this season to kick off. Draft day is coming up real soon. can’t wait. Brian: Thanks a lot for your time Aaron! You have any final thoughts you’d like to throw out Aaron: yeah, eat pussy, read comic books, don’t let the hipsters ruin skateboarding and listen to Title Fight. #
EMPIRE OF RATS
FFO: 100 Demon s, Ringworm, Merau de
r
r One Featuring ex members of Pitboss 2000 and Unde the Flag, Empire Of Rats has just recently came out ofg out comin hard, it g hittin and scene Ohio bus, Colum gh A389 with an EP late last year and debuting an LP throu Qs. Records soon. Ryan Wade sat down to ask Lee some
Ryan: Please introduce yourself to our readers, who you are, what you do, and your favorite beverage choice before playing a set.
helped this band so much, one of the most legit dudes out there. Now the hard part is trying to write another album that tops the No Peace one.
Lee: Well I am Lee West aka Jank West aka Vince Vegas, I attempt to play guitar in Empire Of Rats. My favorite beverage is a tricky one, it’s a tie between Budweiser and High Life but I side more with the High Life. I mean after all it is the champagne of beers and I am a classy dude
Ryan: The lyrics for this band are very pissed off, heartfelt, and personal. What influences and situations help you to continue writing such strong music?
Ryan: Now Empire of Rats is a relatively newer band with some seasoned members. Can you tell us how the band came together and what stirred its creation? Lee: We have been playing music together for about a year and a half, Zac and Dustin played together in a past band, Chris played in several bands as did I, and Kurt “4 fingaz” played strictly death metal until now but has all the talent so we got him like a hired gun. Ryan: You guys released the No Peace EP this past year and the reception seems to have been rather good so far. Tell me a little about that record and how it has helped to push the band further. Lee: That record itself is one of my personal favorite I have ever been a part of. We went into Paper Tiger Studios in Columbus and were blown away on the quality of the recordings. Bobby is a sheer genius. We threw up a couple tracks and it snagged the eye of Dave from Get This Right Records, he has
Lee: We wanted something that pretty much anyone can grasp, either it be the fact that everything just pisses you off and you have those days where “you wish a mother fucker would” or you are just fed up with how this entire world is full of shit and the majority of the people are fucking garbage. We wanted this to be real for us and the fans. Ryan: You guys have had the opportunity to work with A389 records recently. How did this come about and what are the plans for the future between the label and the band? A new release, tours, splits, another compilations, etc…? Lee: Well, Dom from A389 got a hold of us and basically said “I am putting out your next record.” We did not argue with it at all. Dom has been one of the best dudes to work with by far and he has some of the best releases out, I mean come on with releases from Seven Sister Of Sleep, Withdrawal, Homewrecker, Xibalba, EYEHATEGOD, it’s a no brainer. A new record is in the works as we speak, possibly a split in 2013, we are on several comps, some which are out now.
mean come on with releases from Seven Sister Of Sleep, Withdrawal, Homewrecker, Xibalba, EYEHATEGOD, it’s a no brainer. A new record is in the works as we speak, possibly a split in 2013, we are on several comps, some which are out now. The a389 one has a new song as well as the Toxicbreed Funhouse one. We try to play as many shows as we can but it sucks when we are all old(besides Kurt who is 19) and have full time jobs and families, but I promise if you want us in your town we will make it there! Ryan: You guys recently had a music video shoot at the Carabar in Columbus, how well did that show go over and how exciting is it for you guys to have the opportunity to do something like this? Lee: The video shoot was insane so much fun, so much beer. We were happy to have our friends in Rock Bottom and BENCHPRESS come in from Pennsylvania as well as local dudes in Carved Out to come and get wild with us for the show. Having an opportunity like that is amazing now everyone across the globe can see my fat ass on stage doing the only thing next to drinking and eating that i love.
Ryan: EOR happens to be opening the Saturday date of This is Hardcore this year and you guys were also a part of The Rumble in Chicago. How does it feel being recognized and involved with some of these fests and how have the kids been responding to you so far? Lee: It feels like the first time you are slow dancing with a girl in 7th grade, you have a boner the whole time. The Rumble was amazing. We got to see so many great bands and meet awesome dudes that I’ll never forget. A big thank you to Shane Merrill of The Killer for putting that together. Kids at the Rumble went wild and we were shocked to play that far from home and have a hometown vibe to it. When playing This Is Hardcore came up we were 100% on board and when we finally saw the lineup we all pretty much fell out of our chairs. It is a simply and honor to be playing it this year. And I know Philly will go ape shit. Ryan: Aside from being involved in the band, what types of activities do you involve yourself in to keep away from the monotony of the daily grind? Lee: Xbox 360, Boobies, Wings, and Beer. These things have helped me stay sane for so long haha. Ryan: Why should kids check out Empire of Rats and give you guys a listen? Lee: Because we are everything your parents hate and hope you grow up not to be... Stick it to the man! Haha. Ryan: Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. Any final comments?
‘No Peace EP’ - Ou through GTR Recot now rds
Lee: Well I must say this has been awesome and thank you for the interview. It’s an honor and you guys make this all worth it, well not Ryan . I’m just going to leave you with some GG Allen Lyrics have a great life. “Live fast, die fast” #
OUT CROWD JUST US 7”
VINYL & DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
FFO: Floorpunch , Stick Together, M ental
MIND MIND
I had the pleasure of speaking with Ev of the Baltimore youth crew edgers MINDSET who are releasing their debut full-length on REACT! Records this Fall. Get stoked! Brian: Can you start off my introducing yourself and let us in on what you’ve been jamming to in the car? Ev: My name is Ev and I sing in a band called Mindset. Lately I’ve been listening to rough mixes of our new LP, Caught In A Crowd, Lights Out, Nerve Agents, Minor Threat and Bruce Springsteen. I also really like this band called Terrible Feelings. I think in my car I usually listen to The Replacements station on Pandora. Brian: So Mindset’s coming out with their first full length, ‘Leave No Doubt’ on React! Records. Can you tell us a little about that? How’s it like to write for an entire LP and what’s your favorite songs so far? Ev: ‘Leave No Doubt’ is our first LP, not only for MINDSET but for all of the guys in the band. Writing an LP has been incredibly challenging, it took us nearly three years, but I think we’ve thrived under the pressure. As for the facts, ‘Leave No Doubt’ is 10 tracks in approximately 18 minutes. Nine brand new songs and a rerecording/ re-imagining of the song Waste. I think people will be surprised by the direction some of the songs take, but in the end this record is
definitely a MINDSET record and it captures the sound and vibe we’ve been crafting for a long time. My favorite song musically is a song called “War.” Honestly, I listen to that song almost every day and I’m still surprised we wrote it. You’ll just have to wait for the record to hear for yourself. Lyrically, my favorite song is “One Step Beyond”, which is probably the most personal song I’ve ever written and I’m proud that I was able to express myself in such an honest way. Again, it’s probably best to get a hold of the record and make your own conclusions. Brian: I’d like to ask how React!’s treating you, but also, how did Mindset get where it is now, being a successful youth crew band being on React!? Ev: REACT! Treats us incredibly well. We pretty much do whatever the hell we want. Aram (the guy who runs the label) is one of my best friends and our “business” relationship is exactly the kind of cooperation I dreamt of as a young punk. There are no contracts, no signatures, we’re close friends, we understand each other and we both have each others’ best interest at heart. They were the first label to
ever take notice of us, and the cool thing is that we’ve grown together. MINDSET wouldn’t exist without React!, and Aram is as much a member of the band as anyone in it. I hope that if we’re remembered for anything, if we’re remembered at all, people look back on this band as being sincere. We’ve never compromised our ethics, and we believe every word we say. Hardcore is incredibly important to us, and we take it very seriously. I think people recognize that. Brian: Outside of the hardcore scene, what would you change in the minds of our country if you could and had the power to? Ev: I think our country has, to put it bluntly, lost its balls. So much of what we do is restricted or limited by fear, no one is willing to take risks, and there is no sense of adventure. We’re all complacent and numb and seem to have accepted the self-defeating fate we’ve imposed upon ourselves. A lot of the lyrics on the new record actually discuss this. I’d like to see a shift in the overall mentality of our country. We’ll never achieve anything sitting around waiting to die, or whaiting for someone else to change things for us.
SET SET Brian: What’s it like to live around Baltimore? What are the cool things to do and how’s the hardcore scene? Any cool bands coming out right now?
Ev: I love Baltimore. I grew up in a very small town and when we were younger we’d drive down to Baltimore to go to shows and it was fucking terrifying. Baltimore can be a gnarly city, especially to the uninitiated. Oddly enough, people are incredibly friendly and welcoming. I’m glad we stuck around. The Baltimore punk and hardcore scene is incredibly inclusive and there are lots of awesome bands, venues, record stores and good people. Baltimore is the perfect incubator for artists and musicians; rent is cheap and people are laid back. There’s a new band called In Between that just released their first ep. They’re younger guys who have a lot of potential. Obviously the other React! Crew bands are fucking great, Peace and Praise. Sacred Love is working on their first LP and it will be great. Trapped Under Ice is taking over the world. I’m in a new band called Wargames, so keep an eye out for that. Brian: Do you ever run into the situation where people who don’t understand straight edge are wondering
why you’re “weird” and asking why you are that way? How do you feel & respond in those situations? Ev: I run into that situation all the time. The way I’ve handled it has changed as I’ve grown older. It used to make me very uncomfortable and I would react negatively. In college especially, I was a really angry person as a reaction to the kind of culture I was immersed in. Now, I think the best way to handle any situation where people think you’re crazy or weird for living your life the way you want is to be confident about your choices. Own it. Take a stand. Leave no doubt. Brian: I understand you do all of Mindset’s graphic design. Being a designer myself, I really enjoy the stuff you’ve done. Where do you pull your design influence from? Ev: First, thanks for the compliments. Art has always been an interest of mine, and design has become a huge part of my life. It’s my job and my hobby. I have a tendency to go to work all day and come home and sit at my desk and work on record layouts and shirts designs all night. What I love most about getting to do hardcore records is having an idea go from a sketch to a tangible, physical thing. It’s very satisfying. A lot
PHOTOS BY: DANIELLE PARSONS of my direct inspiration for records comes from Jazz records, specifically Blue Note records and obviously I bite hard on old punk and hardcore art. I think a lot of my graphic style comes from my architecture background, but really I can pull inspiration from anywhere. I like things clean and simple and bold. Brian: What are some other things you’ve designed outside of Mindset that you were proud of? and do you have a favorite font to use? Ev: I’ve done literally everything that has ever said “MINDSET” that isn’t a flier or something unofficial. I’ve designed all the Give records, all the Sacred Love records. The Peace 7”, the Police & Thieves 12”… I did a record for Outlast. Some other things here and there and lots of t-shirts. Right now I’m working on LPs for Mindset, Give and Hostage Calm. As for fonts I tend to stick to the classics; bold sans serifs like Helvetica, Futura, EuroStile. Stuff like that. You can’t really go wrong with those, but it really depends. Brian: Thanks a lot for taking out your time for this. Anything else on your mind? Ev: Thank you for keeping physical zines alive! Support your local scene. Buy records. Start a band. Be the spark.
ra go of: Anthony D
KILLING TIME &
BREAKDOWN Drummer Anthony Drago & KILLING TIME was absent from releasing new material for 10 years after ‘The Method’ was released in 1997. Now the last two years, Drago drummed for KT’s 2010 release ‘Three Steps Back’ and now joined back to write with BREAKDOWN in which he was the original drummer for. Check out the words he spoke with us! Brian: Hey man. Can you introduce yourself and what bands you’re in? Drago: Anthony Drago, drummer for Killing Time and Breakdown. Brian: How were you first introduced to hardcore and punk music? What about this music has kept you involved for so long? Drago: It could have been stumbling around “Mad Platters” record store in Yonkers, NY, or a friend turning me onto “Crucial Chaos” on WNYU radio, but it was really Chuck Biscuits drumming for the Circle Jerks on prime time television that did it. I’ve always seen that as a defining moment. Hardcore Punk has always been about energy and honesty for me. It’s a creative outlet that also gives me the opportunity and the voice to relate to others, meet new people and experience the world. I’ve built lifelong friendships around it. I’m not going anywhere. Brian: Breakdown formed in 1986. How did that band initially start?
Drago: I was sixteen when I joined the band. I was the last member to join the lineup that eventually recorded the “87 Demo”. I was a junior in high school at the time. One night, I was just sitting around when I got a call from Don Angelilli, who said that he had got my number from a mutual friend Tony Pradlik. Tony used to manage a record store called the “Record Stop” where my high school friends and I were always hanging out. We were either buying new records, discovering old records, checking the board for upcoming shows or “wanted” listings for local musicians. So Don and I talked on the phone for about an hour. He asked me what bands I liked and what shows I was going to, stuff like that. At one point he asked if he and Jeff and Carl could stop by my house and hear me play. I thought it was a little bizarre that these guys wanted to come without their gear just to hear me play but I agreed to it. They pulled up at my parent’s house about an hour later and he asked me to play whatever I wanted to.
So I did. Then they told me that I had the spot if I wanted it. We decided to set up a practice the following week so I could hear what they had and give Rich the bassist and me a chance to meet. We practiced in my parent’s garage, which eventually became the normal rehearsal space for Breakdown and later Killing Time. The first song we played together was “Life of Bullshit”. It all came together quick and I really liked the energy of the music. It was all pretty exciting for a sixteen year old. Brian: Killing Time ended up forming soon out of Breakdown. Can you briefly explain to the readers how that all happened? Drago: Breakdown split up over some beef between Rich and Don. Nobody really remembers what it was, not even them. My guess is that it was something really stupid that two 19 year olds thought was very important at the time. To make a short story shorter, I sided with Rich and Carl recruiting Anthony (ex-Token Entry) and Mike (ex-NY Hood) and
made Killing Time. Jeff sided with Don and kept rolling along with Breakdown. We talked shit about each other for a year or two then put it to rest. Brian: Killing Time released a new album ‘Three Steps Back’ in 2010 for the first time in over 10 years since ‘The Method’. I’ve read that you contributed to writing some of the lyrics. What were some of the topics that came to your mind? Drago: Writing lyrics has always been a great outlet for me and with ten years of being quiet, I had a lot to say. I got a chance to finally put down some thoughts about my relationship with my father and decisions that I made when I was younger. I also got to express my feelings about my relationship with my children and thoughts of the future. Brian: I read online you’re reuniting with Breakdown to release new material. What sparked this to happen with these band mates for the first time in about 25 years?
FFO: New York Ha rdCore
Drago: It started out as a joke that turned into a pretty serious conversation in the span of one week. It was cool to speak with Jeff again and actually track down Don who has been MIA for twentyfive years. The shows have already started. We recently played “Chaos in Tejas” and it was pretty extreme. Were playing “This is Hardcore” festival in Philly this month and setting up a New York show in the near future. We’ve already started on some new material. I don’t see Breakdown or Killing Time fans being disappointed. Brian: Through a different interview, I read you have a few kids. How do they feel about having a dad in an 80s punk band and what’s their favorite KT song? Have they gotten to see you play any shows yet? Drago: My son is 7 and my daughter is 4. They both love “Three Steps Back” but neither one of them cares for “The Method”, go figure. They think that it’s cool that I’m in a band but still give me a hard time whenever I leave to practice or play out. Their
favorite song is “Lookout” because it’s basically about them. There’s no way I would expose them to a live show at their ages. I’m not that fucked up. Brian: Now that we’re in the internet age, bands promote themselves much differently than years ago. What ways do you remember getting Breakdown & Killing Time’s out when you were first starting up? Drago: Having a demo tape in circulation was huge back then. You had to have enough cash as a band to put together a decent tape then run off copy after copy. We would give demo tapes to promoters, club owners, college radio stations and fanzines. We got those early shows, the airplay and written reviews by pushing those tapes hard and talking to whoever would give us the time of day. We would sell cassettes through Duane at “Some Records” in NYC and “Record Stop” in Westchester. We put mail order ads in fanzines and whatever money that was made went right back into making more. After the demo, you needed a t-shirt. The best form of advertisement for the time. Walking and talking billboards that traveled from venue to venue. We used to sell and give away loads of shirts. Brian: What are your interests outside of the punk & hardcore music scene? What sort of ‘day job’ are you living and how’s that going for you?
PHOTOS BY: DANTE TORRIERI
Drago: My interests are all dying off. I lost Vonnegut in 2007 and Carlin in 2008. Besides my family, my job as a Police Sergeant in NY and the two bands, I also operate a web design and development business. I always have time to read though, it’s fundamental.
RICHIE SON PETERAORD INAIRE ARTIST EXTR
Richie’s been a good friend of mine for over a year and is easily one of the nicest dudes I’ve ever known, and also one of the most artistic. If you’ve gotten issue 1 or 2 of Isolated Zine, you’ve seen his drawings in those. I smile everytime I see a new cup or drawing of his. His instagram is @richthepotter. Brian: What influences all your drawings and the characters? Richie: Honestly the characters just kinda happened, i don’t know where they came from and I think that’s why they mean so much to me. But I draw a lot on my clay and that’s a lot of Ron Myers and Aumi Hori. She’s nuts and super funny. But Jay Howell, Mike Furbie for sure are some of the coolest illustrators around right now. Oh and Bob Motown, coolest guy. And can’t forget Gonz (Mark Gonzalez), he’s my hero in more ways than one. Brian: You mentioned drawing on clay. When and how did you realize you wanted to pursue pottery? Richie: Tenth grade man. I’m always drawing. I think I have 6 full sketchbooks, but I took a clay class and fell in love so fast with it, just really in clay with the cups and bowls and plates I make... It makes it so much easier for me to kind of sneak into your life in a little way of everyday usage of a cap that says something stupid and makes you laugh.. I think that’s really it and anyone who knows me would understand that... If I didn’t make you laugh, I failed. But Clay is unlike any material you can work with truly.
Any reasons why you use a lot of rats in your art I really love rats. I have had two. William was my first if you see an old looking rat, that’s him. But there was Lily, I miss her man she was my homie for sure. I really love my rats more than anything. haha. I actually made a shirt for Lily when she died, I think you have one.
What’s your favorite beverage? Pepsi. haha. most of my drawings have someone holding a Pepsi somewhere What bands have you been listneing to lately? Drive By Truckers... Jason Isbell.. Spraynard... and Backtrack Favorite memory skateboarding? Too many man. I have made some of the best friends and had some of the most fun in my life skateboarding. Recently I actually got to skate alongside Andrew Reynolds and Collin Provost and met the whole Emerica team. But to think I had a skate sesh with some of my best friends and Andrew Reynolds, I still don’t think it really happened... If someone’s interested in getting artwork or pottery by you, how would they? email me for sure richthepotter@yahoo.com. I’m going to make an etsy soon, and I’m not expensive because I really just want people to have my work, so definitely get a hold of me!
THE LOST INTERVIEW WITH KARL FROM:
While I was trying to interview Karl from Earth Crisis, Danny Trudell of Seventh Dagger Records told me he’d been sitting on an audio interview with Karl for years that Karl sites as “the best interview he’s ever done” and it was mine to use for the first time if I transcribed it. I was stoked to get this out there for people to read. it took me a solid 5 hours to transcribe it as the audio wasn’t best but here lies about 75% of that interview between Danny and vegan straight edge activist from Earth Crisis, Karl Buechner. D: Name, date of birth, and how long you’ve been straight edge Karl: Karl Buechner, 12/23/1970. I think my straight edge birthday was may 7, 1986. D: Briefly, how was family growing up? Karl: A lot of my family’s from the south. My grandma was vegetarian. She lived to be 96 years old. She brought me up to be respectful towards animals and as I got older I understand why she was vegetarian. Then I got into it and became vegan when I was 18. D: How did you find out about straight edge and how did it change your life? Karl: I never experimented with drugs or alcohol or promiscuous sex. When I was younger I got into skateboarding and hardcore through my cousin. I was in my early teens and kinda
followed his lead. Bones Brigade movies, Agent Orange, Youth Brigade, Black Flag; after I got into them, I discovered DYS and SSD and Minor Threat. That was what I’ve been looking for. Even at that time a lot of the kids I was around was starting to experiment with drugs and alcohol. A lot of the kids I grew up with were dealing and one of my friends got killed, two went to prison, so I saw an example of what could happen with their behavior and it made me deeper into straight edge hardcore. So I got my first bass when I was 16 and taught myself how to play and that’s right around the time we first started a band. D: What band were you involved in? Karl: We were in a grindcore type of a band and the guys I started Earth Crisis with did a band called Forefront and we all kinda gravitated towards each other because we had similar beliefs. I re-
member I met Scott and Ian at a skate demo. Then we started Earth Crisis in 1991. D: How do you personally feel about people who sell out? Karl: Well, we have to take into consideration that a lot of people when they’re young are searching for an identity and they want to belong to something cause maybe, quite honestly, they weren’t getting a lot of things they should’ve from their family. They weren’t being cared for or brought up with any type of real guidance or anything. So they see the positivity in straight edge and hardcore and they do gravitate to it for the right reasons but after a while, I think for some people it just become a clique and they say “well we don’t need straight edge anymore, we have our own clique, we’re hardcore” you know what I mean? I don’t think that’s enough. I think people are selling themselves short.
We should strive to be our best. And I do think some of those early guys were getting it right. They wanted animals rights to be apart of it. They wanted people to question authority and recognize it when it was corrupt. What we did with Earth Crisis was trying to take things to different levels. D: Straight edge seems to embrace the idea of crews, there’s so many involved in straight edge and it always seems to gravitate towards it. Do you have any personal involvement in any crews and what is it about straight edge that drives these kids to be part of them? Karl: Well it’s important for kids to understand too, that in the early 1990s, things were different than they are now and this scene was a lot smaller than it is now. I think that when you go to bigger cities, things are very trend driven and oriented so it might be harder for something as challenging as straight edge to take root and build itself up and grow with time. But it has here. And the whole 305 crew wasn’t like we were out splitting people’s heads open, we were the crew that kept the scene up and running. We were doing the magazines, doing the labels, putting on the shows and doing the bands. It wasn’t like we were marauders. But there were fights with very rarely with hardcore kids. There were fights with gangster kids but it’s part of the reality and history that it happened. But it wasn’t like a mob of kids out there pushing people around. Absolutely nothing like that.
“SOME PEOPLE REALLY CARE MORE ABOUT
FILLING THEIR CLOSETS WITH
SHOES THAN
OTHER’S LIVES” D: What was the mindset you were in when you wrote the lyrics to Firestorm? Karl: Well a lot of the industry that was in Syracuse left in the late ‘80s and 1990s. So there was a lot of unemployment and misery to come with that. (24:50) They were taxing businesses so much that it was cheaper for them to set up shop in other parts of the country. So Syracuse for a while looked like it was becoming a little Flint, MI. And for years we had a very high murder per capita rate. And there was a lot of drug related violence. I saw people that I grew up with getting into drugs and dealing. People that I knew were being held up at gunpoint, they were getting robbed, places were being broken into. I think a lot of it had to do with drug culture being glorified at the way up. I read a book around that time about a former gang member in Los Angles who at one time was a part of the problem and when he got out of prison he actually ended up shooting 2 drug dealers. There was another incident where a man in Florida burned down a crack house after the police didn’t do anything. In a way, I’ve always admired people that
the media would label as vigilantes, who realized that there are certain neighborhoods that the police have drawn an invisible line around and said listen ‘we can’t say what’s inside of it is too far gone.’. So those were the types of things. My friend knows the kid that got beat to death by three guys over drug money. These are things that affected all of us. I went to school with kids from the city and worked at a factory for a while. It’s important to understand that some people really do care more about filling their closets full of sneakers and fancy clothes than they do about other people’s lives. Because I saw that happen to people I knew and it disgusted me. and I do believe in eye for an eye justice and that’s what that song’s about. When my guitarist’s little brother was born, he went to the hospital and they had a wing of it where they had infants that were born addicted to drugs who were just shaking in their incubators. And you gotta think, why did that happen? It happens because some guy was walking up to a visibly pregnant woman and selling her some chemical narcotics just to put money in his pockets. That’s disgusting. That’s the place in my eyes that deserves death, you know? I’m not telling kids to go out killing people… because I don’t want them to throw their lives away, but those are some of the things that were going on in our minds when we broke those songs. A particular lot of those things have affected a revolutionary through the clarity of mind that I have seen.
“THE WORLD IS DEFINITELY A DISGUSTING PLACE”
D: I see from that, that you see straight edge as not the pinnacle of everything you can do and things you’ve retained and a launching pad for positive changes in your life.
Karl: Once we can see things for what they are, we can recognize that unfortunately at this time the average person because of the way that they’ve been brought up and the idea they’ve been nurtured with is just to make them a better consumer. People aren’t really raised with that much guidance or morals. and I think that we’re seeing the results of it now with kids throwing their own lives away or hurting other people. The world is definitely a disgusting place. It really is. People are living the way they’ve been trained which is to be selfish and concerning themselves primarily with finishing their own desires whatever they need be regards of what that does to the people or beings around them. And I want to be useful. I value my life and I value the lives of innocent beings whether they’re humans or animals and that’s why I’m straight edge and that’s why I’m vegan. D: About the All Out War EP, we talked about sellouts earlier, but specifically are these directed to people who betray this movement? Karl: They’re directed to people at one time professed to be apart of it and believe in it and rather walk away with it and say ‘it wasn’t for me’, they turn
their backs and they mock the people who live true and mock the idea itself. They’re disrespectful. It’s sickening. Cause straight edge is sacred to me. It’s given so much back and seems that we’re all apart of it. It helps us with so many different things. It should be held high. Those lyrics are not looking down on people or wanting to hurt them. It’s just very disgusted with their decisions and their disrespect and the end of friendships. D: In the album ‘Destroy The Machines’, there’s some lyrics that could definitely be taken, especially from an outsider looking in, as threatening. “A bullet for every demon” and “Into the street and shot as flames engulf the laboratory”. How would you explain these lyrics to somebody from the outside looking in? Karl: I’d want them to understand that the suffering animals go through in these laboratories are real. Their lives, they are hardly lives. These animals exist in complete misery. These animals are burned, they have limbs dismembers, they have eyes filled with chemicals, they’re intentionally given diseases that are basically going to leave them with the remainder of their lives in unbearable suffering. The reality of the situation is there are probably hundreds of thousands of people out there who have terminal illnesses who would love to try a cure for aids or cancer in an experimental stage of
development because they have nothing to lose. Unfortunately that medicine isn’t being given to them because the public is told the lie that it must be through animal testing first. And while that happens, people are losing their lives, as well as animals. What is all boils down to is first and foremost, getting people to come to terms with that. If this ended, it would end up saving more human lives in the long run. That’s what that song’s about. The lyrics in the song “Destroy The Machines” are about anti-poaching teams in Africa that were fighting, literally, these people who were killing animals like rhinos and elephants to grind up their body parts to sell to people in Asia. That’s demented. But the point more than anything of Earth Crisis is to forward ideas that are going to motivate people to recognize animals as the individuals that they are. And their lives are worth and humans shouldn’t be infringing on their rights. And that’s why we never had anything in our records about how to build a bomb or how to ambush someone or links to websites that would teach people to do these things. We never did that. We’d rather you read about treating people with respect, you see what I’m saying? We have all kinds of lyrics about nuclear war, governments, all types of things. But at the core, Earth Crisis is a vegan straight edge band and that’s what we wanted to promote because that’s the way we lived.
D: You guys have accomplished a lot through your career. What aspects are you most proud of? Karl: I’m most proud of the ‘Slither’ record, especially the ‘Breed the Killers’ album. That was the time where we pretty much accomplished what we set out to do, which was to be the best vegan straight edge band that we could on the biggest label that would put us out and allow us to be ourselves at the same time. And that record like I said before, had straight edge songs, anti-drug songs, and a 4 paragraph essay about vegans before you even took the CD out of the tray. Off that record we toured with Misfits, Sepultura, we played with machine head and fear factory. So we reached well beyond hardcore to other people and introduced them to a lot of ideas, ones to them were new ideas.
D: Being in your 30s, having a wife, having kids, straight edge shifted in your life from being younger. When you’re younger you don’t have those responsibilities and you’re doing the band full-time. Now that you’re older, is it just kinda second nature, it’s not something you have to push. Karl: Well I’m proud to wear my straight edge jacket even when I’m having people ask what it means. I’m proud to live this way and be apart of it. and I’m glad we’re doing Path Of Reistance and writing words that we got. We’re going to continue forward with that. and I’m glad that hardcore’s changed too in the sense that a band like Kanteria can get promoted enough to get into it. That was one of the things that hardcore missed from the beginning. If it didn’t sound
like a Revelation or Dischord band, or if it wasn’t straight edge or wasn’t hardcore. I definitely think we played a big change in that. D: Is there anything you’d like to be added? Karl: Thanks to everybody out there that has supported me and what I’ve done with music. Remember, just don’t give into your anger. There are times to fight, there are time to stand up. Acts of physical violence is not going to work. Somebody you might hate right now, 5, 10 years from now, they could wind up being your closest brother in the world that you’re gonna do a band with. Keep that in mind. Keep your tempers in check. #
PHOTOS BY: MATTHEW GILL
zine reviews SPILLED BLOOD #1 (ILLINOIS) interviews: Mind Eraser, Punch, Dead In The Dirt, Soul Search, The Ropes. Pick this up from the vocalst of Weekend Nachos when they played Cleveland. Cool dude doing a cool zine. It’s probably one of my overall favorites for being a real cut & paste zine done well and the fact he interviewed some rad bands and asked interesting questions that makes the zine a good read. I love when I actually get into a band from reading a zine which is what happened with Dead In The Dirt after reading this. Awesome band. Oh & Jon’s got quite the inspirational intro write-up. Good job, Jon. Acquire: spilledxblood@gmail.com FIXED FREQUENCIES #1 (LONG ISLAND, NY) interviews: H2O, Foreseen, Johnny Milano (photographer) As the name was taken from a Propaghandi song, it’s got all the goodies, which makes it definitely worth the buy. The interview with Toby Morse of H2O is a whopping 8 pages. The interview with Johnny Milano is a great read as he talks about how it’s affected him doing a photo series around the lives of a couple, both with down syndrome. You can’t forget that the front cover is screen printed and the compilation CD attached featuring some Long Island bands which influenced me to do the online Isolated Compilation. Can’t also forget the vegan recipes, & the editorial on things that suck. Stoked for issue 2. Acquire: blackrats.bigcartel.com JUST SAY YO! #5 (FRANCE) interviews: Silent Majority, Birds In A Row, Rearranged, Mitch Clem (cartoonist), Raindance, Remission, Unveil It’s too bad there’s not zines this good in the USA, or at least that I know of at the moment. 70 pages at A4 size (slightly bigger than 8.5”x11”). The design of it all it awesome and it’s got that cool cut & paste look but done on the computer and at a great high quality print as well with very sharp photos. It would’ve been just perfect if they could’ve bound the zine like how real magazines are bound because of how big it is, but I’m sure that would’ve gotten costly. The columns are great opinion pieces leaving you wanting to reply back and all the interviews are good reads. It’s worth the shipping from France! Acquire: justsayyozine.bigcartel.com LOCAL GHOSTS # 2 (PENNSYLANVIA) ‘Art & Poetry Collective’ I don’t only read zines that are hardcore fanzines. Cody Roggio does Local Ghosts which is a collective of art by various poets, artists, photographers, designers, authors, etc. I’m not the first to usually read poetry, but some of the stuff inside is really good. He’s also recently launched a website which has artist/ poet features, interviews, editorials, and other cool stuff. I think it’d be cool if the zine has more of what the website’s got such as interviews to help get to know the artists that have work done in the zine, but regardless it’s an interesting zine. Acquire: localghosts.org
IT’S STILL OK NOT TO DRINK #7 (AUSTRALIA) interviews: Dead In The Dirt, Deathbed, Wolf Down, Risk And Reason, Sick People, Make A Change Foundation Seventh issue out of Australia! You know they’re doing things right. It’s a full size zine done by cut & paste. It even has a crossword puzzle & word search! The interview with Thomas Hill who started Make A Change Founadtion was an interesting read about his goals on the foundation, positive change in hardcore, and veganism. The zine could’ve been a bit more ‘personal’, possibly albums reviews or editorials or something, but still a good zine! Acquire: waitingonrevolutiondistro.bigcartel.com (or our store!) ISOLATION ZINE #1 (CORONA, CALIFORNIA) interviews: Ceremony, Sam of Triple B Records, Boston Strangler, Zero Progress, Our Side, End To End You may be thinking, Isolation Zine? Isolated Zine? I’m confused. So was I when somebody told me about Isolation Zine. Turns out Matt Torres didn’t know about my zine and named his a similar name. Well I guess great minds think alike because this is a cool zine. The layout was all done cut & paste. The interviews aren’t super in depth but still good, short reads. The End To End interview was a good one and talked about skateboarding for a bit so you know I’d dig that. Other highlights besides the interview was the ‘4 Tips For Your Band’ and of course that Charlie Brown comic pasted in. Good one. Can we add Matt is only 16! Acquire: isolationzine.bigcartel.com
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local reviews LOCAL REVIEWS
DEATH SENTENCE TRAPPED FFO: Foundation / Anguish Do you like heavy music? If the answer was “yes” then to prepare yourself for this demo. Imagine throwing Foundation, Chokehold and
THINGS FALL APART KEEP CALM EP FFO: Pianos Become The Teeth / Caravels
DOG DAYS - VIA DOLOROSA FFO: Trap Them / Nails
a huge chunk of 90s death metal into a blender. Death Sentence is a 4 piece hardcore band from Barnesville, Ohio & released a 4-track demo in July. After the first track smacked me in the face I could tell I was hardly ready for it to unleash on my ears. The demo is jam packed with riffs on riffs and a lot of the time are bouncy for maximum headbang ability. The vocalist spits pure anger the whole demo telling of the misery he’s been through. To me I think the drums on this demo make it something else, with exceptional fills and they seem to have a different mindset than the typical hardcore drummer, who
happens to be THE Austin Sparkman. The riffs give off a huge death metal influence which is a strong plus for me. Personally I think track three, “Liberation”, is the best one on this demo. It’s has unrelenting anger and fury for the entire three minutes and 12 seconds, it makes me want to smash my head into something. Production wise this demo sounds fantastic which you don’t hear a lot in the hardcore scene these days. Overall I would say this is an awesome demo to be put out there from the blue and I can’t wait to hear more from this Ohio Valley hardcore band. - Aron Smith
If you’re not into sad music, Things Fall Apart probably isn’t for you, in fact, they definetly aren’t for you. Things Fall Apart is a sad band at it’s core, screaming about depression, relationship troubles, lost friends, and even the song ‘Virginia Woolf’ takes it’s lyrics straight from a famous suicide note.
musical talent or passion. The instrumentals are well done and all very melodic but atmosphereic at times. The first song, ‘Sun Dress’ is a good start to the EP and is my favorite musically. Another good one is ‘Earth Day’ that opens with lyrics “Do you think I am happy watching you destroy yourself, watching you change what I love the most?” If you’re into this, they also have a newer 3-song EP titled “Tim” in which a song from that is featured on the Isolated Compilation (see page 2). - Brian Barr
If you’re into sad music or you’ve just come out of some relationship with resent give these 5 songs by the Columbus, Ohio post-hardcore/screamo band a listen. You can also not deny their Kent, Ohio’s own Dog Days recently put out for free via band camp their first full length record, Via Dolorosa. I have been a fan of this band since their inception and have followed them ever since. This record is everything a fan of dark metallic hardcore could hope for. They mix doom, hardcore, and metal together perfectly to create their own beautifully chaotic sound. The vocals are abrasive, the guitar work is colorful and interesting, the drums accent everything perfectly, and
the production value is top notch. Sam Hunter and Chris Williams play off of each other perfectly when composing guitar riffs. One of them brings the slow sludgy riffs to the table and the other fast and complex. The composition of this record is brilliant and is something you don’t find too often with hardcore records. Do yourself a favor and download this record today, you won’t be disappointed. - Ryan Wade
FRONT PORCH STEP SO HELP ME GOD EP FFO: depressing acoustic stuff
Jake Mcelfresh is the very real dude behind the acoustic project, Front Porch Step from Newark, Ohio. His 6 songs on this EP are very raw, honest, and full of passion, and also pretty depressing. He’s been featured on Straight Edge Worldwide.com and has even had the #1 best selling EP on bandcamp for a week. I don’t normally get hooked to acoustic stuff, but after a listen to this EP, I kept it going all day. ‘Drown’ is definitely my favorite on the EP which
speaks of heartbreak. It almost makes me want to be broken up with so I can listen to this song at it’s full potential, but I won’t wish that upon myself. Anyway, the EP’s great if you can take some acoustic jams every so often. The song ‘So Help Me God’ is an honest one about regrets in life and calling out for help. Check it out, check them all out. He’s also got a new single on his bandcamp, ‘Island of the Misfit Boy’. Yep. - Brian Barr
not-local reviews
Xibalba has sort of become a hardcore powerhouse and household name in the past few years. Their debut record Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias quickly became a fan favorite and their next release Hasta La Muerte is sure to do the same. With elements of Sunn O))), Disembodied, and modern day hardcore this record will not disappoint. I was pleased to see that Xibalba chose to add more Drone/ XIBALBA - HASTA LA MUERTE Doom influence to their music on this release which is very
GAZA - NO ABSOLUTES IN HUMAN SUFFERING FFO: Converge / Trap Them
I remember back in 2006 when I heard Gaza’s first full length release, I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die, for the first time. It singlehandedly opened the door to the genre of fast, angry grind
that many of us, including myself, love today. Well they are back with their third full length, No Absolutes In Human Suffering, and they are angrier, heavier, and more precise than ever before. Where in previous release’s they have sounded jumbled and noisy, the band is as crisp and on point as possible, even in the most technical barrage of guitar and drum blasts. This could also be somewhat do to the fact that they had the man, the myth, the legend, Kurt Ballou (Converge, Old Man Gloom) behind the production of this one. They transition from technical grind to sludgy, bleak, almost droning parts with ease. Lyrically, Gaza has always strongly opposed
evident in the track “Lujuria.” Every track on this one is hard hitting and leaves no room for disappointment. They also chose to add “Stone Heart” from their split with Incendiary and “Cold” the fan favorite from their debut record to the tracklisting for Hasta La Muerte. Needless to say this record is a large step forward for Xibalba and if they keep making strides like this they will be destined for great things in the future. - Ryan Wade religion, but in this release vocalist Jon Parkin seems to be focusing a wider view of doom, gloom and hatred towards mankind in general. His furious vocals however are not overdone (as I feel many bands in this genre tend to do) and leaves plenty of space for the other instruments to crush through and punch you straight in the head. Overall No Absolutes In Human Suffering has proven to be the strongest release of the band’s career and my pick for best album of 2012 so far. It’s out now digitally. Physical copies will be out through Black Market Activities/Deathwish August 28th. - Andrew Greene
last words So I went to a fair today in ‘downtown’. The crowd was the type of crowd where guys in ‘Tap Out’ shirts zipped past us on their crotch rockets with green neon lights attracting all the 16 year old moms. It’s the crowd that reminds me that I hated high school and I never wanted anything to do with normal society and Lil Wayne and partying it up and needing to look cool to have friends and high school football rivalries. My town pretty much looked down on you if you weren’t a football player or rooting with all your heart for the football team. It all reminds me of ‘normal society’ and how much it sucks, and that just reminds me how much life sucks in general. There’s people who love to see the celebrity drama on tv every day. There’s parents who abuse and control their kids physically and/or emotionally all the time. There’s cops who get satisfaction out of your misery and hope to see you parked illegally at 4am to fine you. People who get satisfaction out of others’ misery in general disgust me. There’s guys who’s best part of their day is cracking open a beer. There’s people addicted to meth, all kinds of drugs, and can’t even survive without them, and there’s our own government who traffics the drugs and helps them circulate just to see it’s people fail. There’s shootings, there’s gang violence. There’s trillion dollar corporations that force local businesses to close down. There’s groups who form solely to hate others. We’re born into a society that teaches us to consume. Life just sucks. But this all reminds me of how different we are. If you’re reading this, you probably see and feel how I do. Many of us grew up not wanting anything to do with the society around us. We were disgusted by the way people acted and were found to be “out of step” with the world, without that even meaning about straight edge… we were just different or ‘rejects’. I don’t know where I’m getting with this, I’m not very good at writing so I apologize. I find it all interesting what made us the way we are. Why did most of my high school treat others different if they weren’t wearing the latest name brand clothes and why did I not want anything to do with any of that? A lot of my current friends were all from different high schools where they didn’t get along with the majority. I just find it interesting that some people just naturally flow with society and others naturally fall away from it. What makes us different? I think us ‘hardcore kids’ or whatever “kids” we are, stand together because we’re all the rejects, screw ups, or just kids who are against the world, against society, and we’re all in it together. I don’t really know where I’m going with all this, but I’m stoked that for some reason I skewed from the mainstream society and found others that felt the same. We’ve found a place where things makes sense and so before you start your next arguement about ‘true hardcore’ or what bands you think suck, chill out and remember how stupid that is because there’s so much that sucks much more.
- Brian Barr
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