Driven (Netherlands) demo & split

The Netherlands has never been known for its vegan sXe hardcore scene/bands. Here's an exception from the late '90s, Driven from Amsterdam. They were an outspoken and fairly political vegan sXe band, which was (and is) a rarity in the Dutch scene. Driven was part of the so-called ADHC, the Amsterdam Hardcore crew, a group of people and bands from Amsterdam in the mid to late '90s who formed their own little scene. Other bands included Life Is Pain and Retch, but none got the exposure Driven which got. The band played countless shows and benefits and was always trying to raise awareness for animal rights, human rights etc. The line-up of Driven was not really stable, they had 3 steady band-members who were all vegan sXe, but you would see a different bass-player and occasional 2nd guitarplayer every other show or so for quite a long time. Which was unfortunate, I've seen many good Driven shows all over the Netherlands and Belgium, and maybe with a more stable line-up they would've recorded more than just 1 mini-album.

Anyways, formed in 1996, they recorded 'Demo I' in 1997. In 1998 they released their 'Cowardice Consumer Of The West' mini-album on Good Life, and played and toured around Europe. One of the tracks from the demo would appear re-recorded and under a different name, 'Reveal', on the 'Animal Truth' compilation on Sober Mind Records. In 2001 they recorded 2 more songs, which they sold on a self-released CD-r on their final European tour, after which they quit. In 2005 those 2 songs were re-released on a split MCD with a short-lived Dutch band called Bowling Alone. I included the demo and the split here. Unfortunately, for a band which had so much to say, there are no lyrics included with either the demo or the split MCD.

Vincent, the singer, current sings & plays guitar in Howl, who are signed to Relapse Records and who just released their debut full-length. As far as I know he's no longer vegan nor sXe. The other band-members, and most of the old ADHC people for that matter, have slipped into the mainstream and obscurity.

Driven - Demo I
Driven/Bowling Alone - split MCD