MAY EDITION
ISSUE 3
THANK YOU:
Milestone Fanzine, Thinking Clear Fanzine, Isolated Zine, Taylor Wadley, Jose Lopez, Cody Jones, Alvin Carrilo, Brian Barr, Wayne Ballard
“Open your eyes. Think for yourself. Be true to who you are. Speak the truth. Be open minded.We as an entire scene need to realize that no matter what style of hardcore we like or listen to, it all still comes from the same place. from Straight Ahead to Vietnom. It’s all hardcore.hardcore is based on individuality. But we are all individuals together. We hope kids can understand as hardcore kids we all have a responsiblity to make sure this scene continues to grow in the right direction. With its traditional morals and values we hope kids can agree to all of this ,as we all grow together in this scene" - Ronnie Vinal, War Hound
CONTACT IYC:
WORDS
FROM WAR HOUND
E-MAIL: ItsYourChoiceZine@gmail.com TWITTER: @Maximuspenalty FACEBOOK: facebook/ItsYourChoiceZine DESIGNER: brianbarrgraphicdesign.com
Take Offense I
f you haven't experienced the TO Zone, you're slippin. Here Is What Anthony Had to say. Check out Under The Same Shadow On Reaper Records.
For the readers, give us your name, age, what band you are in and what do you do? My names A.H., I’m 21 and I do vocals for Take Offense. Where are you from? I’m from chula vista california. How long have you been going to shows and what got you into hardcore? I’ve been goin to shows since I was 12. Met a group of people in middle school that listened to punk n hardcore and it went from there. How was the writing process of the new release? Nothin too complicated. It was almost kinda rushed. We didn’t actually finish writing til the day before the recording. Nick jett helped out a lot on producing a couple songs and it came up perfect. How was it having Nick Jett record this? No one else in the world I’d rather do it with. He’s an old friend of ours and he’s
FFO: Suicidal Tendencies, Cro Mags
and Soul Search. Heading to Euope with Terror after United Blood.
an easy person to talk to about music since he understands it so well and understands us and where we come from it makes recording a breeze.
Who are your favorite bands out right now? So many good things going right now its crazy. I could go on for days. Rotting Out put out one of my favorite records this year. Along with Backtrack and TUI. Soul Search is doing their thing real hard. I could go on for days.
CHECK OUT: ‘Under The Same Shadow’ on Reaper Records
What is your favorite track off under the same shadow? TO Zone. Which is funny because I didn’t actually come around to liking it so much til after it was recorded. But it embodies all of us lyrically and explains our whole purpose and why were doing what we are. How were your biggest influence’s for writing UTSS? Who? My self and everyone in take offense/chula vista. Most of the songs are about growing up in this city. But they are very universal. What are your current plans for 2012?more releases.tours fest’s etc Gotta full US coming up with Xibalba
For the readers who don’t know how dope is the TO zone? Hah, you tell me! Any final thoughts? There’s only one person in this world that can tell you what to do, that’s yourself. Believe that. Any final shout outs?thanks for doing the interview Shout to all our friends all over. Richmond, Baltimore, NY, the whole west coast, everywhere. Thank you, peace.
photo by: Amy Carla Nelson
LLIF IF IFEEEFFOORRAALLLIF IF IFEE
A
lot of good things for this band. Stoked to see whats in store for them
First and foremost can you give the readers your name and what you do in the band? I'm Cole and I play Bass and Back Up Vox. Also with me is our singer Jabril. Where are you all from? Cole: Lancaster,California How did you guys come up with the name life for a life? Jabril: The name first started with me and my friend Christian who was originally in the band as the second singer. He left for some personal reasons, but Christian and I came up with this "you fight for me, I fight for your mentality," which came with the Life for a Life policy we had, which meant you leave nobody behind and we take care of our friends and family. Eventually we just named our band Life for a Life.
If you can play with ANY band who would it be? Cole: We're honestly stoked for all our shows not to sound cliche in anyway. Jabril: Honestly every show with a hardcore band is something I look forward to. FFO: War Hound, Expire, Hardside CHECK OUT: “Identity� single on bandcamp
We all know its hard to classify a band into one genre .what would you guys consider your sound? Cole: We're a hardcore band.
Tell us a funny inside joke about the band Cole: Shawndook Jabril: Well if we told you, it wouldn't be an inside joke would it?We actually have a couple, a matter a fact we spend a lot of time joking with each other more then anything, But one big one is that we came up with Celebrities or animals we all look like and we pretty much call each other by them. For example our drummer Charlie looks like Adam Sandler and I (Jabril) look like Wacka Flacka Flame.
What should we expect to see from you guys from 2012.splits.demos.7"inches. full lengths etc. Cole: Right now we're finishing up writing for our first EP that we hope to put out before summer. We have a split or two lined up for the coming year. Besides that just expect to see us touring this summer.
What are your 5 favorite albums of ALL time .hardcore and non hardcore? Cole: Non Hardcore(In no order.) 1.Rancid-Let's Go 2.The Story So Far-Under Soil In Dirt 3.Ice Cube-The Essentials 4.The Clash-London Calling 5.The Gaslight Anthem-The 59' Sound
Hardcore(again,in no order) 1.Terror-Lowest Of The Low 2.Have Heart-The Things We Carry 3.Set It Straight-Live Your Heart & Never Follow 4.Black Flag-My War 5.Backtrack-Darker Half Jabril: -Top 5 Hardcore 5. Donnybrook- Lions in this game 4. Terror- One with the Underdogs 3. AFI- Very Proud of Ya 2. Ruiner- Prepared to be Letdown 1. No Warning- ILL Blood Top 5 non hardcore albums 5. Jedi Mind Tricks-Violent by Design 4. Linkin Park- Hybrid Theory 3. Tegan and Sarah- The Con 2. A tribe Called Quest- The Low End Theory 1. Common- Be Any last final thoughts? Cole: Thanks for havin us,anyone reading this go to local shows support your scene,mosh,buy merch,give bands a reason to continue doing what they want to do. See you all in 2012. Any final shout outs? Check out Losin It from Florida,Always Try from Lancaster,ill Vision from Australia,Fragments,Mata Hari and especially the Hardcore Collective.
O
ne of LA's Finest, Dynasty. Coolest dudes. This is what Joel had to say. Check this band out. Support everything they do.
For the readers introduce yourself age what band you're in and what you do in the band. Joel Muniz 26 vocals Where are you guys from? City of Angels When did you know you were going to your first hardcore show and what show was it? I think it might've been a Converge show right before they released Jane Doe. My ears were ringing for days. They're such a dope band.
FFO: Madball, Beastie Boys, Like It Or Not
CHECK OUT: Truer Living For A Youthful Vengeace
had a dream playing their fest and I decided to email Jason @Facedown and that's how it happened. You're currently writing new material.tell us more about this . We just left the studio do some preproduction and i'm super psyched on these jams.
How did dynasty form and when ? Somewhere at the end of 2005. We really just wanted gig with mass stagedives & that's all.
Who are your biggest influences ? -Spiritually: Jesus Christ -Musically: Biohazard, Warzone & Liquid swords
You guys are signed to strike first records ,how did that come about? We recorded a demo and we were sittin on it for awhile really not knowing what to do since its been over a year we really played a gig. Then one day Straight up
If you can see 5 of any band youd want to see who would it be? Doris Day, Electric Light Orchestra, Sade, Warzone, Leeway What are your plans for
2012?tours,new releases,etc 2012 Yes! We got some fest in the midwest lined up and hopefully touring spring/summer!! Tell us some interesting facts about the band readers would be surprised about. We're a spiritual band not a religious band. We'll play you S.K.A.T.E any day. We love ghetto workouts. We have no tattoos. Who are some of your favorite bands out? Terror, Dangerous Minds, Fire & Ice, TUI & Cruel Hand Any final thoughts ? Bad Company Corrupts Good Morals. Any final shout outs?thanks for the interview guys S/O to Killah Priest, dudes & dudettes who have been one of our gigs and gave us an ear to listen to us. PCBG,LA,Molca Salsa for the bomb grub. God is good yo!
I
was lucky enough to get in contact with Ned. Disengage is one of the coolest straight edge bands out right now.
Can you introduce yourself and what you do in the band? My name is Ned and I sing in Disengage.
it is now. It really fell off a couple years ago and over the past 5 years my friends and I really worked to get it back and I’m really proud of that. FFO: Youth Of Today, Minority Unit, Stick Together
You’re from Wilkes-Barre, right? What are some bands from there people need to know about? Yes I’m from Wilkes-Barre. I think all the bands from the area are bands people need to know about right now. Cold World, War Hungry, Dead End Path, United Youth, Perspective, Stick Together, etc.
What Do You Like To Do Outside Of Hardcore And Shows? Just do anything a person likes to do. Travel, read, hang out, collect things, and whatnot.
What Makes The Wilkes Barre Scene So Special To You Personally? The W-B scene is great right now. We have a great venue, a label, and a lot of kids who really care. What makes it so special to me is that we have really helped get the scene back to where
You’ve put out two releases on Back To Back Records. How did that all happen? Well I help run the label. Our first release was our 7”. I think we treat ourselves pretty well. We just do everything we want.
CHECK OUT: Expressions LP
Your Latest Release is “Expressions”Tell Us More About This.How Was The Writing Process And The Recording Process? The writing process was a little long but with a lot of breaks. We started writing in April and then wrote about half the record. Then we came back in August or September and fixed up the old songs and wrote the rest of the new ones. We recorded the first weekend of October down in Studio 4 with our good friend Will Yip. We ended up recording in something like 6 hours. What’s your favorite song to play? I like playing the song “Forget It” right now. Where is your favorite place to play on tour?
photo by: Danielle Parsons
I like playing home. But it’s always great to play Boston that’s probably my 2nd favorite. What does hardcore personally mean to you? It’s hard to explain. Yeah it’s a genre of music but it’s a lot more. It’s a real opportunity to say something in an important way. And the best part is you can say anything. I don’t think you can classify it into different things like youth crew or beat down or anything... It’s all just hardcore. It’s the same mentality with the same goals. It’s a community even though people’s ideas might be different. I think that is what makes it interesting, but the things that people have to say make it important. What Are Your Top 5 Favorite Albums Of All Time?
I change my opinion a lot but honestly the only two that always stay the same are Youth of Today “Break Down The Walls” and Jawbreaker “Dear You”. What Was The First Show You Attended Where You Knew You Were Going To A Hardcore Show? The first show I went to was when I was really young. My brother booked a show in ‘97 that I went to. He was into hardcore already so I knew what it was but I didn’t start regularly attending shows until I was 12 or 13. Where’s the best place for grub? Angelo’s Pizza in Wilkes-Barre, PA. I Was Lucky Enough to See You Guys At The After Show At The AP Tour In Pomona With Soul Search Disapproval And New Brigade ,How Awesome Was That Show?
That was so sick. It’s always cool when something like that comes together real last minute. It was cool to hang out with friends we don’t get to see too often and it was really crazy how many people showed up especially last minute. What Plans Does Disengage Have For 2012 Up Their Sleeve? We are just going to play shows. We have a song coming out in the America’s Hardcore Comp part II and other than that just playing shows around. Thank You Ned For The Interview Any Last Words? WBHC always on top. Any Final Shout Outs? All my friends everywhere.
FFO: Right Bregade, Chain Of Strength,
CHECK OUT: Won’t Get The Best Of Me
photo by: Drew Mistak
H
ere in my opinion is one of the BEST bands out right now, Beware. They Just released a new 7” called ”Won’t Get The Best Of Me”. I get to see this band this month & I couldn’t be more excited.
First off, can you introduce yourself? Robert Taylor Wilson IV , I’m in Beware currently and in the past I have been in Let Down and Mother of Mercy. I sang in all. How did Beware form together? Beware was a longtime process. I’ve been trying to do it since sometime in 2010 which is when I started Wilson’s War which only played twice and covered Side by Side and had like two actual songs. I wanted something more serious so I got a bunch of kids who I hadnt been in bands with previous together to start something up as basically a fuck you to everyone in our area that had been selling out /dropping out. Kind of like a “yo it’s ok to care about hardcore and straight edge past a certain age” because the local scene basically had fallen apart due to idiots. So me , Tim(bassist) justin(guitarist) jake(other guitar) and our friend scott(played drums) demoed a bunch of songs. I thought I had a pretty good crew of edge men and we decided on the name Stolen Mind( cool because of brotherhood, but sounded kind of funky) . Our first show was going to be the winter jam joe hardcore had out together that year but MOM got offered a sick of it all tour and I couldn’t pass it up. So we bailed on the show and in that time period Scott had broken edge. As opposed to keeping the songs I decided we should scrap them and start over, I didn’t want weak edges to be part of our band. So we recruited Kyle to play drums, and we made way better songs and decided on the name because we were throwing things out there one day and “beware NYC” was suggested. Obviously as cool as that sounds it also made no sense so we dropped the NYC haha. How do you manage to be in so many bands? I don’t know . People get lazy and are content with doing one band and not trying to create anything cool anymore. I basically start bands that I feel like theres a void in our immediate area for. There was no fast and in your face straight edge bands near us so I did let down. There was no bands with a heavier sound so I started MOM. There wasn’t a more classic sounding edge band so I started beware . No more than two have overlapped at any given time and I never really sleep or do anything so
I always have time to play shows/record stuff things like that. I can honestly say without Kyle none of these bands would have accomplished anything. I’m glad to have such an unreal talented kid always down to start something new with me Are you guys working on anything new for 2012? Just recorded a new 7 inch called “won’t get the best of me” which is half new songs and half re recorded and changed up demo songs. I want to write another 7 inch before the year is done but it’s always a slow process with that because of how busy the other people are How’d you end up on Back To Back Records? I live with Neil and we always had an agreement that whenever I started a new band it would come out on b2b. This Is back to back headquarters so most if not all the work gets done here How’s your hometown support? What’s one thing you would change in your local scene? Philly is always awesome and our friends always come out and support us and vice versa. If I could change one thing it would be to get the different sections of the city that all think the other section are idiots to come out and experience actual hardcore shows. I see kids with early to mid 2000s hc shirts I’ve never seen at a show I’ve been to because they wont leave their comfort cocoon due to having crazy ideas that all edge kids are gonna beat them up or the older scary Philly dudes will ruin their good time. Couldn’t be more wrong What does hardcore personally mean to you? Shows and hardcore are some of the only things that keep me happy in life. When I see a kid mosh hard or a kid dive off somethin crazy or my friends bands get awesome reactions I’m genuinely siked at least for that moment. I may not have the eagerness I had when I was 13 to hear every single band possible but if I went a day without listening to hardcore I’d feel weird. As I get older I’m just siked to see what new bands form, how people progress, things like that.
My favorite song on the tape is probably Changing Face. What song means the most to you? I guess where did we go wrong . I’ve written a lot of angry songs about friends fucking up/being disappointed or pissed off but I’ve never really sang over a song like that and tried to approach it from a different angle than usual. It basically just sums up the processes of growing up in hardcore. You and your friends all get into it, go to shows, check out new bands, burn copy’s of CDs for eachother, blow your bus boy /dishwasher money on new shirts and music. And then over time you see their hearts not in it and their interest fades. Not everyone is here for the long haul but it just sucks when the kid you were traveling to every show with is out doing other cooked things and you feel responsible for pushing them away in one form or another. My ex thought that song was about her and I which was funny to me , why would I say we stood together side by side? That would be so corny haha Where are your favorite places to eat on tour? Chipotle cuz its usually free. Chick fil a when I can find it, in n out in Cali, taco bell because usually its one of the only options after the show lets out. Del taco is always awesome too. What are some favorite bands right now? Perspective face reality soul search friend or foe clear peace praise cinder block no tolerance rival mob daylight black feathers disengage dep whirr Pegasus our side Any final thoughts? Dive off everything mosh hard I love philly. Stop trying to start “weird “ bands to be different, start hardcore bands . So tired of kids bands getting a little steam behind it and all you see is them promoting their cool new hip project. I won’t waste my time liking either of your shitty bands then since you don’t care enough to do as much as you can with your first band Any final shout outs? Joe hardcore and all the philly straight edge, Tuesday night bowling crew, Detroit Louisville and Boston friends.
getting a bunch of new material ready for a future release as we speak. Tell us a funny band inside joke We call our bass player Dr. Chud, it's perfect. Who are your current favorite bands? Face Reality, Outlast, Kicked In, Written Off, Out Crowd, Disengage, Title Fight, and United Youth to name just a few. There are so many good bands in hardcore right now, it's insane. FFO: Youth Of Today, Chain Of Strength CHECK OUT: Reaching Out
O
ne of the coolest bands out right now. Straight edge from Arizona.
Introduce yourself where you are from what band you are in and what do you do? My name is David Tartaglia, I play guitar in Step Aside, a straight edge hardcore band from Tucson, Arizona. How is the scene in where you are from? The scene in Tucson is awesome, there a ton of cool bands from here and the Arizona area in general. Bands like Move Forward, Run With The Hunted, Truancy, Territory, Busted Bearings, Red Son, Bad Vibe and a ton of others. Their is a ton of newer younger kids coming to shows lately which is awesome too, I am all about getting anyone and everyone involved. How did the name "step aside"come about? Our name came about in a mexican restaurant called Los Alazones after a late night practice this summer. We were brainstorming names and mid way through we spewed out Step Aside. We loved the way it sounded and we just stuck with it from there. How did the band form? Our vocalist Josh moved here from LA a little while ago, and he used to play in an awesome band back home called Injury. I met him at his work, and we started talking about Youth of Today & Gorilla Biscuits and all the classics. We talked about jamming a new band and I had already been trying to get people together to do a project like this for a while. We jammed a couple weeks later and wrote the Reaching
Out songs in like four REALLY long practices. He was one of the first guys I met in my area that was still nerding out on the early Rev discography and all those bands so it was only natural that we do this band together. You guys are signed to life to live records how did this come about? I talked to Dan (owner of LTL Records) quite a bit before we were on the label, we would always chat about the band and his band Truth Inside and what each bands plans were. He expressed that he would like to do a record for us, and things weren't really working out was we planned with our original label. We really liked all the bands he was releasing and his approach towards hardcore and really wanted to be apart of what he was doing. A couple of weeks later he said he wanted to press Reaching Out on vinyl and the rest was history. Since then I have formed a very solid friendship with him, Dan is an awesome guy and really gets what we are trying to do. Any new material you are currently working on? We have a couple of new songs written and we are starting to play them at shows but we don't have any definite releases planned yet. We are thinking about doing another 7"/EP later this year but that could all change depending on what writing/this new year brings. What should we expect for 2012? Expect a bunch of California weekends from us in 2012, a much longer tour this summer, and definitely another record whether it be a 7", split or both. We are
What does hardcore mean to you? This will totally sound cliche but hardcore is everything to me. It's been one of the only constants in my life since I was young, something I can always be apart of, something where I can express myself and feel like the things I say really matter. Hardcore is the best form of expression I have ever known. What bands influence step aside? Bands like Battery, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Dagnasty, Supertouch, Carry On, In My Eyes. All the greats, bands that really had something to say and got their message out there.
Any last words to give for the readers ? Be yourself and never let anyone tell you how to live your life or make you change things that make you happy because they think it isn't cool. Be your own person. Any final shout outs?thanks for the interview and thank you for doing it. Thank you! Shout outs to Maxwell Martinez, It's Your Choice zine, Life to Live Records, Daniel Cantarero, Nick & Like Glue Records, Dan & Iron Mind Crew records, Written Off, Perspective, Mindset, Erin Peters, Nado Galaz, Leo Galaz, Manny Mares, Keith Freeman, Alert, Bad Vibe, Move Forward, Red Son, Outlast, Better Times, and so many other people I could never mention them all. We love you all and couldn't show you how appreciative we are for all of you.
FFO: War Hound, Trapped Under Ice CHECK OUT: Takers EP
B
itter thoughts�a brand new band out of chicago.expect big things for this band dueds are putting MAD work in the scene.be on the lurk.heres what my boy anchit had to say.
First and foremost can you introduce yourself and what you do in the band? I'm Anchit and I play bass in the band. Hardcore, skateboarding, pizza my friends, and stone cold steve austin are all that matter in life. Where about's are you guys currently from? We are all spread out across the Chicago suburbs. How is the scene in your hometown ? Chicago hardcore is a rapidly growing community and family always finding ways to give back to hardcore. New bands such as this one are forming, more kids are coming out to shows, and the mosh is violent but no one complains. At the end of the day we all know we are a family and are here for one another. I wouldn't have it any other way. You guys are currently working on a split with no regrets and war hound tell us more about that? Two of our favorite bands out of our hometown and good friends of mine. Each band is gonna be releasing two songs on that split.. there's not much
i can say at the moment but it's gonna be badass. Cannot wait for everyone to hear it. What does hardcore mean to you ? Hardcore to me means doing shit your own way, a place for a group of people who don't fit in a certain place in society to get away from their bullshit lives and being surrounded by people that really matter to you. Hardcore has a message and a certain vibe at shows that no other genre of music could compete with. Hardcore is a gift and it's only right to give back to what's been given to you. What are your 5 favorite albums of all time? The Killer - Better Judged by Twelve Than Carried by Six District 9 - Schoolhardknox System of a Down - Self Titled Madball - Droppin Many Suckers 25 Ta life - Keepin' It Real (in no particular order) You guys are also working on a new ep how is that coming along? This is going to be our second release as a band. It will be our self titled consisting of three brand new songs
that will be out in late April of 2012. We really busted our asses on this release and did what we wanted with it. Having the raw pure hardcore sound while combining some Njhc and Nyhc influences within the mix. Were excited to have it out. What are your plans for 2012 and beyond? Besides getting this split and Self Titled out we plan to tour, play out more, write and then see what happens from there. Who are some of your favorite bands right now? District 9, World of Pain, Pegasus, Fahrenheit 451, The Killer, Noose, Pantera, and Terror Ave. Any final shout outs? Shout out to IYC Max, War Hound, No Regrets, The Killer, No Zodiac, Ablaze, Dog Years Records, Nick Nativo at the Nook for always keepin it real, the chicago hardcore scene, the ones who paved the way for new bands like us to play where we do, everyone who has supported this band thus far and my brothers in the Born To Lose Crew.
photo by: Mike Youngquist
Xibalba Xibalba
S
FFO: All Out War, Disembodied, Obituary
CHECK OUT: Split w/ Incedeniary
outhern California's Finest. They just put out a split with Incendiary on Closed Casket Activities.
First can you give the readers an introduction of you who are? The introduction goes like this: I’m Brian Ortiz, I play guitar in a band called Xibalba. Where are you guys all from? L.A., Long Beach, Pomona. We practice in Pomona though, in my mom’s garage, since the beginning. The Garage of Fear. How did xibalba form and how did you guys get the name? I was playing drums in a band and always wanted to do something heavier and on guitar. Bryan, Nate and me always talked about jamming and shit, so we finally did it. We all agreed we wanted to be just heavy and slow like Crowbar, Sepultura(Chaos a.d./Roots era), Obituary and Disembodied, but also add a touch of old school styled death metal in the mix. We got the name from the Mayan culture, were all Hispanic, sounds like a good ass idea. Our friend Scott found the name Xibalba which means “Place of Fear” and was the place where the condemned souls went after death. Evil as fuck, so we chose that. We all know it’s hard to classify one band into one genre ,but if you had to pick the best to describe your band, what would it be? Death Doomcore. Hahaha that’s a tough one, I don’t know, we have elements of death metal, sludge, and hardcore. So I guess that would be a good thing to call us. Call us whatever the fuck you want. We Xibalba! haha You guys recently just released a split
on closed casket activities ,with incendiary. how long has this been in the works.who recorded it and how was the writing process? Well the split has been talked about for about a year now. We recorded with Taylor Young at Young Bros. Studios. The writing process was good I guess, and went smooth. I just write what I feel and then I jam with Jason and then we structure it and build. We take shit out, put shit in, and what have you. What bands would you say have influenced your sound personally for the band today? From day one it’s been Crowbar, Sepultura, Obituary and Morbid Angel. To this day it’s the same. Those are the bands that we as a band listen to and identify with, and can agree that they rule harder than any band around. But we all have our own types of music that we like and shit. Shit I was listening to a lot during the Hasta La Muerte jams were Evoken, Type O, Dominic Chianese, Disma, My Dying Bride, and other forms of obscure metal. You guys are releasing a new release called hasta la muerte.tell us more about this.how has the writing process been, who recorded it .what song stands out to you the most. The writing process was really fuckin easy actually. Being a pissed, depressed and from Pomona definitely fuel a lot. But there are a few songs that we wrote during the split 7inch sessions that we didn’t use and put them on this record. I can’t really say which song stands out cuz they are all really good, I think and hope hahaha. And plus we don’t have titles for most of them.
Or all of them for that matter haha. But I would say track 2, track 5 are my personal favorites. This record is meaner, heavier, darker, and more evil then whatever the fuck nerds listen to now a days. Who are some of your current favorite bands out right now? Disma, Soul Search, Twitching Tongues, and Disgrace. What are xibalba's plans for 2012 .any more releases?tours?fests?etc We plan on touring the fuck out of the world, putting out that new full length, and playing the bomb ass fests! Rainfest is the only one I can say cuz I think we need to keep the others on the low at the moment. If you can see ANY band past or present who would it be? I’d take my Delorean with its daytons and flux capacitor and go back to see Black Sabbath when they started coming up. Or Crowbar in new Orleans during the Odd Fellows Rest era. The Cranberries circa 1994. I could seriously good one for days. Any last words? I hope kids like our new shit. We put a lot of work and souls into it. I love you Papa. Thanks for helping us out Its Your Choice. Sur Califas hardcore controlamos todo! Any final shout outs? Yes, First, thank you Max and I would like to say fuck you to the following bands: Soul Search, Twitching Tongues, Ruckus, Downpresser, Backtrack, Rotting Out, Beautiful Ones, Take Offense, Suburban Scum, Creatures, Disgrace and hardcore as a whole. FUCK. YOU. <3
photo by: Adam Otto
D
udes in Disapproval rule. Southern california representing great hardcore.
For the readers who are you what band are you in and what do you do? My name is Jesse Hernandez and i am the vocalist or whatever you want to call it of Disapproval. The other guys in the band are Art Toscano on bass, Andy Sanchez on guitar and Christian Ramos on drums. How did the band form and when? The band formed as an idea at sound and fury 2010. our old bands had broken up earlier that year, so at sound and fury we talked about starting a new band that sounded like think i care/xfilesx and other boston bands. Then around January of 2011 the idea was brought up again,but this time we actually jammed and then 2 months later we released our demo. The newest 7' is titled "El Monte Youth Authority"how was the writing and recording process? The 7” is actually not finished, we have 3 songs written right now and need 3 more and then we will record. It’s being put out by the coolest California label out right now, Thick Skin Records, it should be officially be out early summer. But you’ll be able to hear some of the songs before that on a promo tape that Like Glue Records is putting out for us. What are some big plans you guys have for 2012? The plans we have for this year are just put out the 7” and play and tour as much as we can. How was the reaction been for you guys thus far? It’s been pretty good and i’ll let this Jesus and Mary Chain quote answer why it’s been good: “Because we’re so good, we’re so much better than everybody else.” What have you been listening to lately? I dont know what the rest of the band has been listening to, but all i listen to is a bunch of shoegaze/dreampop bands and girl fronted bands from the 80’s and 90’s. Tell us a funny band inside joke Disapproval a todo madre o un desmadre
FFO: Think I Care, SSD, DIYC
CHECK OUT: El Monto Youth Authority on Thick Skin Records
Any last words or shout outs? Shout out to all of the El Monte Youth Authority. Shout out to the rest of the California New Breed; New Brigade and Soul Search. Shout out to Thick Skin Records, Like Glue Records, Ride the Fury Records & Dimlight Records. Shout out to Think I Care, SSD, Iron Cross and DYS for being cool bands and influencing our newest jams. Shout out to the Wingstop 3 strip combo. Shout out to Legends and Donut man in Glendora. Shout out to Skateboarding and Dodgers Baseball. Fuck all the shitty hyped numetal sounding and youth crew bands and fuck fake straight edge bands. Thick Skin takeover 2012.
FFO: All Out War, A Death For Every Since CHECK OUT: their demo
H
ere is a band out of the inland empire, The Black Path. Support this band and everything they do.
Who are you? My name is Paul Kiehn and I am one of the singers of The Black Path. How old are you? I am 28 years of age...FUCK MY LIFE Whats currently going on with the band as of today? We are currently awaiting the release of our split with Beg For Life from AZ on a Euro label Marked for Death Records. We have been getting show offers and keeping busy. I hope to start writing again to keep on the ball with new material. Getting the kids to hear the jams is also on my agenda. Hows the writing process going? We are done the material for the split so thats in the past and the material is recorded. We should also start working on some new things the inspiration is there right now for me. Hows the recording process? Like I said the split is done. We went for a clean sounding recording that is reminiscent of the old 90's metalcore bands. When metalcore was actually good! Whats in store for 2012? We would like to get out and play more often. Europe may be a possibility because of the label. Also we will be added on a few comps and mixtapes that people have been hitting me up about. I would like to
record a few new songs in the near future and put out cassettes. What bands are you into? PAUL: I am way into the older metalcore bands: Integrity, All Out War, and Prayer For Cleansing. I really stick to more metal infused hardcore that band Expire fucking kills it. Also Harms Way and Surburban Scum are great current bands for me good bands are few and far between anymore. I still cannot stop listening to that last Blacklisted full length...tooooo fucking good. Hip Hop is always on my mind as well. Who are your biggest influences? PAUL: Musically I love all the metalcore bands from Europe: Arkangel, Reprisal, Kickback, and Sentence. I love that kind of music is heavy and fucking raw. Prayer for Cleansing vocally has always been on point. Dave Anthem is one of the best vocalists ever. Lyrically I feel that Hip hop is second to none. The poetic and street feel it creates is right in line with the hardcore ethic. What song means the most to you? The recent song we posted "My World" means a shit ton to me because it says how I feel about what the scene has become but its said with more a street slang. I really feel like the lyrics and the music match up beautifully...which is something a lot of bands forget about nowadays but thats just my opinion.
What does hardcore mean to you? Its pretty much all I know. It gave me a place that I had to earn. The older I get the more I seem to care about it which is weird and lame as fuck probably ahhaha. I have met some of the most interesting people in hardcore and at the same time met some of the most pretentious assholes ever. But thats life I guess you meet a little of each. Hardcore has lost its values and almost in someways become the new hipster bullshit. Its like all trend trains which is not what it is suppose to represent. Hardcore was more about providing a place for all the down and outers to get over the bull shit trials of life. Its a place to become primal again and forget about the fact that we are human. Any final thoughts? PAUL: Listen to The Black Path and support local hardcore. Represent and be about where your from. Any shout outs? PAUL: Check out the following bands: World Of Pain, Still Alive, Grown Of Glory, Xibalba, The Mistake, One Choice, Beg For Life, The Beautiful Ones, The Wrath, Darasuum, Collapse, Life Or Death, and support your local scene/enthusiasts/zines/ venues. Also shout out to anyone who has in some way supported what hardcore truly represents.
T photo by: Reid Haithcock
he one and only FIRE & ICE. They have a new full length coming soon on Reaper Records “Not Of This Earth”. Keep your eyes peeled for it
First off, can you introduce yourself? Whats up? I'm Fiza, I play drums in Fire & Ice. We are from Richmond Virginia How did the recent signing to Reaper Records come about and how’s it been? We actually were asked after our sound n fury set in '10 if we would want to do a full length with reaper so weve actually been sitting on it for a while. It's been great, Patrick is a real hard working dude, he'll do anything to help you out. A great friend. Tell us about the progession and influences of the upcoming full length, “Not Of This Earth”. As far a progressed I mean it's definitely still a hardcore record front to back, we still pull from the same influences as when we started, lots of leeway icemen burn cot. Right now we have 12 songs that are ready to go. How did you guys form and what bands were you in before? I moved to richmond in 2007, and at the time myself and Dave were in Iron Boots but we just really weren't doing anything, it was kinda "dead horse" status to us. So I moved up and didn't really have any bands happening at the time, my boy hunter from bracewar (now dtn) said lets start something new. We jammed a couple of times, didn't really get anywhere. We decided to get another guitarist so we recruited Groater who was in DTN at the time. We got a couple practices in and figured out a general direction. Groater found weed and left DTN and we started cranking out songs. We essentially wrote and recorded both 7"s in one session and realized we need a full time bass player who wasn't in 10 bands so we recruited mark from Junk yard dogs, he fit the band perfectly and was the last piece to the puzzle.
FFO: Foundation, Soul Search, Naysayer
CHECK OUT: Not Of This Earth
How did your band name come about? Actually it's kinda crazy, when me and hunter first started jamming we were trying to think of names and we had both actually had bands called Fire & Ice that just hadn't taken off, so the name came up and we both were like "me and ____ had a band called F&I" so we're like, it's meant to be.
What is your favorite jam off of the upcoming album? That's kind of a hard question to answer, because they aren't named yet and me saying winninninni is my favorite does make sense to anyone other than us. But I'm pumped on all of the songs, that's ultimately what you want. We've been playing one new song live, there's a few videos on the web, get a taste Where are your favorite places to eat while on tour? Philly. Best cheese steaks, grade trucks in New Jersey, we usually like to hit local spots, little places. But in Cali definitely In n out and del taco, beach liquor. Yum. So many good spots. Share with us some of the wildest moments, jokes, etc to happen on tour. We were in hamburg Germany after a show, running around the red light district, getting food, hanging out, looking at crazy people. We split into small groups and go check stuff out, we finally start getting bored and go to leave and we see one of our friends freakin out, we asked them what's going on and they said Groater got arrested and theyre not letting him go. Apparently Groater was wasted in a Burger King that was RIGHT across from a police station yelling for everyone to suck his dick and smacking the windows. So the cops snatches his ass up and locked him up. None of us speak German and they refused to speak English to us so basically we just had to wait for them to let him go. That was a fun night. What song would you want to cover? I've wanted to do "higher ground" chili peppers style for a while. We jam it at practice sometimes. If you can pit to any song before the world ended which one would it be? I would love to get in a Burn pit before the worlds ends. Tales of shatou, you're toast. Any final words? F&I: Thank you for the interview. Not Of This Earth, 2012. Reaper records. Any shout outs? Much love to all the true believers
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hese dudes have been around forever and paid their dues and need the recognition they deserve. Orange County’s Finest.
For the readers, give us your name and what you do in the band. My name is Swayho and I play drums for Hammerfist. Your newest release is an EP called “Dead Dreams” on Ghost Town Records, tell us more about that. We released the EP in December of 2010. Tom Tactic agreed to put the record out on his label Ghost Town Records. The record in my opinion consists of the best songs that HF has ever released. We got some guest vocals on the record including Dre from Donnybrook and Davie from Force of Change. It’s been out for a little bit so I put it up for free download through our facebook. You guys are from Orange County. Would you agree that Showcase Theatre is the best venue that So-Cal has ever seen? Showcase to me was the best venue of all time. The sound was always on point, the staff were super nice guys, Joe Showcase treated every single person with the most respect and was just an awesome person. It was just an incredible place. It was like a second home to me and a lot of other people. I literally cried when I heard that it was closing. How did the band form? The band formed between my older brother (Jake Fist-vocals) and I in 2004. We had been jamming together for a long time, since we were kids, and we decided that we wanted to form a band. Over the years we went through some line-up changes and different directions into finding ourselves. Eventually Jake and I’s younger brother (Blackout Joe-guitar) decided he wanted to play too so we picked him up. Tom joined a few years ago and this line up has been HF for a while now. I think that the
FFO: Hoods, Hatebreed, Buried Alive
CHECK OUT: Dead Dreams
“Dead Dreams” EP really defines HF and I couldn’t be happier with where we are now.
4. Nightcore- “Dam Da Di Do” 5. Lil Boosie- “We Out Chea!”
What are your plans for 2012 and beyond? Tour? Splits? etc.. We are planning big things for Hammerfist in the future. We got a tour coming up going to the Northwest in February. We will also be in Europe in the Summer for awhile. A full U.S. tour is in the works as we speak for the Summer time. A European release with two brand new HF songs will also becoming out soon. It will be released in the U.S. too. So keep an eye out for HF we are going to be on the move.
Who are some of your favorite bands out right now? There are so many good bands out right now. It hard to name them all. For this I will just within the U.S. There are so many good bands all over the world. Xibalba, Alpha and Omega, Minority Unit, Suburban Scum, Vow of Hatred, Ten of Swords, Anguish, World of Pain, The Black Path, Your Own Destroyer, Take Offense, Wolf City, Line of Scrimmage, Dead End Path, Life After Death, Burn Infinite, Power Trip, Will to Live, Indisgust, Barcadia, Unit 731, The Beautiful Ones, Hardside, Venia, Bitter End. Seriously I could go on all day. I look at it as there are very few bands that I don’t like. My CD collection is beyond huge. These are just some bands that I could think of off of the top of my head. If I had all day to talk about each band I like individually, it would be the year 2013.
If you could pit to any song before you die which one would it be? If I could pit to any song before I die, it would probably be a song called “Officer Down” by a band called Stampin’ Ground. What does hardcore mean to you? Hardcore is my life. Everything I do some how reverts back to hardcore. I never seem to get enough of it. It has always been something that I could turn to no matter what. All I do goes into hardcore some how. Hardcore is like no other style of music I have ever encountered. The scene, the bands, the live shows, the people. It is very tight knit. I love that so much. I love all styles of music, but hardcore is the only style that when you go to a live show, you can actually see the energy in the air. Hardcore means everything to me. What are, in your opinion, the top five most ignorant party bangers of all time? haha. This is a good question because HF loves to party and have a good time so we always got some kind of music playing in the background. 1. Mark Morrison- “Return of the Mack” 2. Waka Flocka Flame- “O Let’s Do It” 3. Gucci Mane- “Everybody Lookin’”
Any last words or thoughts? Support hardcore bands of all styles especially your local hardcore bands. Start a band, start a zine, start a printing company, book shows, look at hardcore as ‘what can I do for the scene’, not ‘what can hardcore do for me.’ If everyone does a little, then no one has to do a lot. Keep an eye for HF. We will be to the East Coast very soon. Any final shout outs? I want to thank Max at “It’s Your Choice Zine” and TJ at “Hardcore Collective.” Thank you to all the bands and people that have ever given us a chance, a show, or even just a hello. HF would be nothing with out those people out there. Thank you so much for everything. Support hardcore. 924 up.
FFO: Wrong Answer, Suburban Scum, CHECK OUT: New Exclusive track for America’s Hardcore comp
RUDE AWAKENING R
ude Awakening is a BAD ASS new band that just got signed to Triple B Records. They have a 4 song demo out now and it’s easily one of my favorite jams out. Each song is pit worhty from beginning to end. The beginning of ‘Erosion’ will make you wanna head bang non stop.
First And Foremost Can You Give The Readers An Introduction Of Who You Are And What You Do In The Band Josh Hynes I sing in Rude Awakening Where Are You All From? I say we're from the Merrimack Valley because we practice at Anchors Up in Haverhill Mass, but we all live between Boston and New Hampshire When And How Did The Band Form? Our drummer Josh and I were in a band called Hammer Bros that broke up in summer 2010, before we broke up he and I demo'd one Rude Awakening song. He also plays drums in Death Before Dishonor and DBD was playing out alot so the band didn't get to finish writing the demo and actually playing out til summer 2011. Him and I wrote the demo then we got our friends Jordan, Dave, and Jim to join the band. You Guys Recently Signed To Triple B Records .How Did That Come About? Pat Flynn helps Sam with Triple B and was at our first show over the summer and was really into the band. One thing lead to another and we ended up talking to Sam about doing a record. Triple B is an awesome label with alot of good current hardcore
bands, so we're psyched to be a part of Triple B! What Are The 5 Most Influential Albums To You Of All Time Personally? Killing Time - Brightside Gorilla Biscuits - Start Today Cro-Mags- Age of Quarell Judge- Bringin it Down Madball- Set It Off How Is The Writing Process Going? Good. We've almost finished writing the whole ep, only got a song or two left to workout, and then we're back in the studio with our friend Ryan Stack. What Does Hardcore Mean To You Personally? It's about who you are as a person. We come together through hardcore as an outlet from society. Hardcore has definitely changed me as a person and has let me see outside the box. Hardcore is all about thinking for yourself and knowing what choices to make regardless of what other people think. What Are Your Plans For 2012? To put out the EP and play out as much as possible!!
What Is Your Favorite Cereal? Reeces Puffs! I can't stop eating that shit, it's like candy If You Can Pit To ANY Song Before You Die What Song Would It Be? Leeway - Unexpected What Are Your Top 4 Favorite Party Bangers Of All Time? Murphys Law - Panty Raid GG Allin- Die When you Die LMFAO- PARTY ROCK Beastie Boys- Fight For Your Right Who Are Some Of Your Favorite Bands Right Now? Yellow Stitches Take Offense Think Again Naysayer Powerwolves Any Final Shout Outs? Thanks to Max and It's Your Choice! Shout Outs to: Triple B Records, Arrest Records, Cruel Hand, Death Before Dishonor, Death Threat, Born Low, Powerwolves, The Carrier, Revenge, Colin COA, Max & Pete Brass City Boss Sounds, Joe Hardcore, MVHC and the entire Anchors Up Crew
ALBUM REVIEWS
HAMMERFIST DEAD DREAMS
Orange Country, California
FOR FANS OF: HOODS, HATEBREED, BURIED ALIVE
COUNTERPARTS
THE CURRENT WILL CARRY US Hamilton, Ontario - CANADA
FFO: COMEBACK KID, MISERY SIGNALS, SHAI HULUD
Hammerfist is a 4 piece Hardcore band from Orange County, Southern California. The band consists of the Haines brothers (Jake, Jon, and Joe) and Tom Tactic formally of Southern California’s (Skare Tatic). This band has been a part of Southern California scene for along time and I can tell you that they have one of the best live shows. These guys put on a fucking show and grab your attention the minute they walk on stage, to really experience Hammerfist you have to see them live. Hammerfist are one of the few bands that can mimic their sound on the cd and amp it up to 11 on stage. Dead Dreams is their latest offering off of Ghost Town Record and it’s a perfect follow up to their previous release off of Mike Hoods West Coast Worldwide Records.
Dead Dreams is probably the most pissed off record I have heard to date; you can feel the anger and energy through the speakers as you get pummeled by thick riffing, tight drumming and hard as nails vocals. I wouldn’t label it Beatdown , this is what I call Hardcore. Hammerfist have a little bit of everything, they got the speed of old Hoods, the heaviness of Hatebreed with some groove to top it all off… what more could you possibly want? Its nothing outside the box, it’s been done… I just haven’t heard anyone do it better. You need to pick this release up if you’re a fan of straight up hardcore and if you want to see one of the best live shows California has, go see them live, it’s worth it. - DASLOW786
LISTEN TO: BASTARD EYES, CLIMBING KNIFE MOUNTAIN, ZERO STONE
After hearing Counterpart’s debut album Prophets on Verona Records, I can honestly say it was one of the best Melodic hardcore/ metal albums I have heard in a long time. The musicianship and passion on that album were noticeable from beginning to end and that cd has continuously been in my rotation since I got it…it just doesn’t get old. I was excited to find out Counterparts had signed to Victory Records and were releasing their sophomore album “The Current Will Carry Us”. I was hoping to get a second dose of their infectious brand of metalcore, instead I got something different. “The Current Will Carry Us” has fewer breakdowns, less technicality and almost no metal influence compared to Prophets, however the release as a whole is equal if
DYNASTY
TRUER LIVING WITH A YOUTHFUL VENGEACE Los Angeles, California Dynasty is a 5 piece Christian band on Strike First Records. Dynasty has been around forever, and to me this band was doing “hardstyle” long before it became a trend here in So Cal. Not the COT or TUI sound that everyone is biting now, but hardstyle like hip hop oriented hardcore that still had speed. 3 years ago this band was comparable to like it or not, donnybrook and more to pride and to this day they still put FOR FANS OF: MADBALL, BEASTIE BOYS, LIKE IT OR NOT
not better then its predecessor. The lyrics and overall song writing surpass their debut by miles. The musicianship is showcased, but not as flashy as Prophets; they have grown up and you can tell with songs like “the constant” “jumping ship” and “pedestal”. This release is great, everyone in the band does there part to make this release solid, the drummer is amazing, the vocals are intense and the guitar playing is riddled with memorable hooks that pull you into the song and keep you there till its over. If you are looking for a new, talented and passionate band who is not cashing in on breakdowns and negativity, you found them. - DASLOW786
on a great show. Everyone gets involved at a Dynasty show…you have too, it’s to fun to not get in on the party. “Truer living with a youthful vengeance” is the bands latest release. The first thing I noticed about this album was Dynasty got heavier, but not in a bad way. It is still Dynasty, still fun and still true. The band has an east coast feel and still adds west coast speed to the mix. If you have never heard Dynasty then just picture the beastie boys stopped rapping and joined madball in (’94 -’00) - DASLOW786
LISTEN TO: WISDOM IS SUPREME, WORTHLESS WILL, SITTING BACK
FOR FANS OF: BURIED ALIVE, COMEBACK KID, THE GHOST INSDIE DARASUUM BITE BACK Riverside, California
THE BLACK PATH DEMO & SPLIT W/ ABLAZE Lake Elsinore, California
w from
‘guest’ revie
isolated zine
LISTEN TO: A PLACE CALLED HOME, THE IRON HAND OF JUSTICE
Darasuum is a 5 piece metallic hardcore band from southern California. They are currently signed to Rite of Passage/ Mediaskare records. Darasuum’s “Bite Back” is their latest and best offering to date. “Bite Back” has got a very thick, snap- your- neck metal sound with some melodic hardcore weaved throughout its short 15 minute play time. The music is a perfect mixture of metal and hardcore, songs like “the iron hand of justice” and “bite back” gives an overall picture of what this band brings to the table, fast metal influenced riffs into catchy hardcore choruses and breaks. The songs are all
short, catchy and straight forward, with each track offering something different then the previous song. The vocals are delivered with angry verses into melodic chant filled choruses that remind me of Comeback Kid. The lyrics are fan friendly in that they are easy to remember with the right amount of repetition so it doesn’t get boring. Darasuum is a solid band that tours all the time, so make sure you catch a show, they are one of the few hardcore bands doing something out of the box. Don’t miss out. - DASLOW786
Hailing from the Inland Empire of Southern California, The Black Path brings a hard hitting, different musical direction than most of the hardcore bands emerging in the scene today. Fronted by dual vocalist, one for the high screams and the other for the low growls, and opting for a musically talented yet unrelenting heaviness found in such bands as All Out War and A Death for Every Sin, The Black Path offers an alternative choice to the rise of youth crew or New York Hardcore found in the scene today. To say The Black Path is a generic beatdown band is like saying nobody in the hardcore scene knows who terror is. If you don’t believe me listen to their music on record and at a show. In their first recorded attempt, The Black Path’s 2010 demo presents itself as a force comprised of the sound of evil metallic hardcore mixed with a rich diversity in lyrics shown in all of their songs. Though the whole demo is terrific, the songs I love
the most are “The Fury” for its adrenaline pumping opening and “Villains” for its lyrical and musical content that would have anyone sing-along or punch someone in the face too. In some cases, when a band releases new songs or a new album it isn’t as good as the album before it, but this isn’t the case with The Black Path. Recently, they released two new songs, one called “Anchors” and the other called “My World”, and if you’re already a fan of this band and haven’t checked out these two songs, you are missing out on some of the most pissed off and decently produced songs in hardcore too date. The two new songs will be featured in the upcoming split with Ablaze on the European label Marked For Death Record and judging by the sound of “Anchors” and “My World”, it’s something that you definitely don’t want to miss. - ROYALEWITHCHEESE
FOR FANS OF: PULLING TEETH, ROT IN HELL, INTEGRITY, HOMEWRECKER "Wages of Faith" when the vocalist growls "blasphemy saved me/irreverence is my WAGES OF FAITH only peace/I've paid the wages of faith/I Cleveland, Ohio bare it's scars". While Trespasser doesn't Cleveland, OH has always been a mecca exactly re-invent the wheel with their first for metallic hardcore and one of the newrelease, it is definitely one of the heaviest est bands to the local scene, Trespasser, EP's to come out of the NEOH this year. carries on that tradition. Wages of Faith, Be on the look out for more stuff from this the bands first EP, is 5 tracks of fast paced band in the future and go download Wages and gritty hardcore complete with tons of Faith from the group's Bandcamp or of feedback, guitar solo's that would buy the cassette when its released through make Kerry King proud and so many Root of Evil Collective Records later this sludgy riffs it will leave your neck sore year. The Dark Lord will thank you for it. from head banging for days. The lyrical - ANDREW GREENE content is summed up on the title track
TRESPASSER
B
orn Low is underrated and deserves more credit than they have. I saw them in Pomona with Harms Way and Xibalba and was hooked ever since. Check out ‘The Hunger Within’ on Bad Ground Records. Interview by Raymond Ruiz.
Who are you what band are you in, what do you do, where are you from? My name is Kyle and I do the vocals for Born Low. We're a hardcore band from Albany, New York.
first getting me into the bigger punk bands of the time. We progressively discovered smaller bands, harder bands, and when I was old enough they brought me around to local shows and it's exploded from there.
How Did You Guys Come With The Name Born low? Born Low was a name we were sort've nudged into after being forced to change from an old name. In retrospect, I think we all agree that it's a better fit for our band anyways. The name is really a suggestion on how life begins for the average person. Regardless of wealth, status, our surrounding environment people really do start with nothing - a clean slate - mentally, emotionally, spiritually, etc. The suggestion is that we are born in this state with the intent to ascend to a higher plain of existence for ourselves as we shape our reality, or reality shapes us.
Tell us about ‘The Hunger Within’ and how you’ve progressed musically? The Hunger Within is our new 7" EP that's just been released on Bad Ground Records, which is a new label headed by our guitar player Joe Camz, with contributions from our friend Dave and some communal help from members of Born Low. This is the inaugural release and it's been an amazing experience and were very proud of the work we've done collectively for this record. You can get it now from the Bad Ground website or through various digital sources.
How did you get into hardcore? I was introduced to hardcore how I'm sure many others were, through punk rock and friends. Many of my closest friends growing up were a few years older than I and took me under their wing so to speak,
I think the intent with any new music we do is to progress is some manner, but I would probably liken it closer to a refinement. We're not trying to break any molds musically or travel outside a traditional aesthetic or sound, only to improve the songs within a sound we all have a passion for. With that said, we think these songs are an
improvement, so yes, it's progression from our perspective. If you could change one thing about your local scene, what would it be? I guess the division. I'm sure every scene could use some more unity, but the divides and cliques in Albany really hinder attendance, relevance and productivity at times. We could also benefit from more pro active individuals and less spectators. More bands! Tell Us A Funny Band Story,Joke,Etc We have a road dog that bares an uncanny resemblance to Zac Galifinakis, which one time resulted in a girl at a local mall who worked at Starbucks writing a cutesy message on his drink cup explaining she thought he looked that way. He took it as a sign to try and pick her up or invite her to the show that night, but when he went back she wasn't having any part of it. Also, the venue was known as the "funeral home" so I'm sure that didn't help his cause. Sorry I don't have anything cooler but if you knew our friend and were there I'm sure you'd find it more amusing haha.
FFO: Naysayer, Suburban Scum
CHECK OUT: The Hunger Within
photo by: Nathan Congleton Where Are Some Of Your Favorite Places To Grub While On Tour? This is a great question! We are all pretty big eaters and I will say that we have been pretty good at sniffing out regional or local favorites wherever we are and in turn, have had some pretty good, authentic foods from the poutine in Northern Quebec to the Cali Burrito, we’ll pound all that good shit! What are some of the BL future plans? Right now were just focusing on promoting and playing shows in support of the new EP. We have a Southeastern US tour lined up this March with our friends in Hardside again. We’re also playing Breast Fest in North Carolina this year, Heart Feat in Canada, and are in the early planning stages of a longer tour in late summer/early fall. The goal is to do as much as we possibly can! Everyone Has Their Own Interpretation On Hardcore Ans What It Means To Them.What Does It Mean To You ? Oh man, what a massive question. I’m sure I could go on for pages, but as I grow older the meaning behind this scene and this music for me evolves to take on new importance and relevance. Being in my mid twenties, and having a full time job and debt, and all these pressures from the outside, “normal” world, hardcore has re-
ally become a sanctuary and refuge for me like never before in my earlier years. When I was younger it was a place to find myself, a place where I could see a reflection of my thoughts about growing up and the world around me. But as I become more self aware, it provides an outlet and an escape; a release from the grind and pressures of the regular world. It keeps me (somewhat) grounded and sane to have this in my life. I’m sure 10 years from now it will mean something else to me which is one of many beautiful things about it.
Thoughts on the hardcore scene? Hardcore is ever changing, it’s like an organic living thing. The climate could shift from this year to the next, and within this year alone. Like anything you invest your
lifes blood in, you always see the beauty and also the areas of imperfections which you wish you could make perfect. The reality is that nothing is perfect, but as individuals we can collectively strive to make this community what we want it to be. What are some bands that you feel people need to check out? I think a lot of the great bands are getting well deserved recognition and it’s great to see. Hopefully Suburban Scum continues to grow because they put out an amazing record this year and are great people to boot. Hopefully people dissect Bitter End riff by riff like I do, because they write some of the best modern hardcore songs I’ve heard. And I hope people take to time to read Downpresser’s lyrics because even though they don’t get to play all that much, they have the sharpest lyrics in the scene right now. I also love Incendiary, Dead End Path, and Rude Awakening out of Massachusetts - all bands that deserve more attention. Final thoughts And shot outs? Thank you for the interview! Shout outs to Reaper Records, my fellow Bad Groundsmen, and all our friends and family near and far. Continue to make your scene what you want it to be!