Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Our friend Chris Ross recently hit us to let us know that his band, Torchbearer, just finished recording tracks for a brand new LP. The record will be released on August 30th via All Ears Music. You can check out the press release below:
New Jersey’s Torchbearer have posted two new songs from their pending full-length “The Dirty Swagger” as well as an internet-only bonus track. The songs can be found at https://www.facebook.com/TorchbearerNJ
“The Dirty Swagger” was recorded at CDR studios, and was mastered by Carson Slovak (Century, Armsbendback) at Atrium Audio . The record is currently scheduled for a digital release on August 30th via All Ears Records, with a limited pressing on vinyl to follow.
The full-length is the follow-up release to 2009’s “The Worst is Yet to Come” 7-inch on Soul Rebel records, and sees the band (which features current and ex-members of Nora, Ensign, and For the Love of) expanding upon their own personal blend of Deadguy-inspired metalcore to incorporate new influences from the entire spectrum of hardcore, metal, noise, thrash and beyond."
You can check out tracks from the upcoming release by clicking here: Torchbearer
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Posted by xjustinx | File under : Acacia, Goodfellow Records
Acacia came out of Ontario, Canada and unleashed this EP called "Untune The Sky", which I have always felt is one of the most criminally underrated releases in the early canon of Goodfellow Records. They had a chaotic sound akin to early Botch, but with more prevalent metal undertones. Aside from this EP and a track on The Difference Between Us comp, I'm not aware of anything else Acacia recorded and put out, so if anyone has physical copies or mp3s, please get in touch.
Acacia - Untune The Sky
[Goodfellow Records - 1998]
Saturday, July 23, 2011
In the late '90s, a lot of bands around Europe took inspiration from bands like Arkangel and Morning Again, some good some bad. Here's a pretty good one which doesn't get mentioned all that much, Envision from Parma, Italy. The band started out in 1998 and after a 4-song demo they recorded the 'The Season Of Indifference' MCD, which was released on Next Sentence Recordings in 1999. Next Sentence btw was a label run by one of the guys in Negate, a Belgian metalcore band from the French part of Belgium. This MCD rules from start to finish. While Envision didn't break any new grounds on this MCD, it's well-executed and is just plain damn solid metalcore. The band was (partially, I think) veggie/vegan sXe and supported all kinds of socio-political, enviromental and animal rights groups, something which also reflected itself in the lyrics.
After the release the singer left and Nicola, one of the guitarists took over vocal duties while still playing guitar. In 2002 their full-length album 'Ecoillogical Babel' was released on NoBrain Records out of Italy. It had a slightly different sound, leaning more towards modern metal with some nu-metal influences. It's not something I'm into all that much, but it's again well-executed and the band knows how to write songs and play them. The nu-metal influences kills it for me tho, I definitely prefer the MCD. But in this style it's a solid release.Afterwards the band went thru some line-up changes and recorded a demo for a follow-up release, but the release never happened and the band ended sometime in late 2004/early 2005. After the band folded, singer/guitarist Nicola 'Busso' Bussoni joined Hidea, an Italian hard rock band. No idea what the other band members did after Envision folded.
Envision - The Season Of Indifference MCD
Envision - Ecoillogical Babel CD
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Posted by xCHIPxSEM |
My friend Mike is selling some records on Ebay...he's got some pretty good stuff so if you have a chance, check it out
http://shop.ebay.com/mwar5409/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562
http://shop.ebay.com/mwar5409/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562
Posted by Anonymous |
As you xStuck In The Pastx regulars no doubt already know, I (Andrew Jacobs) am quite a big fan of Chilean singer/frontman Philippe Arama's band Remission and have done quite a few posts for them because of that. What can I say? I've always been and always will be a sucker for hook-laden and catchy as hell hardcore. And naturally, I'm a big fan of Arama's indie rock band Invierno as well. Enjoy the interview. - Andrew Jacobs
How did you get into hardcore?
I first heard hardcore music through skateboarding videos. Bands like Minor Threat, Dag Nasty and 7 Seconds all sounded cool to me, though it took me a while to investigate and explore what they were all about. I liked classic heavy metal and it wasn't until I met two of my best friends that I made the switch to hardcore. They were punk rockers who had a light notion of hardcore and together, we started buying cassettes & CDs and checking out their thank you lists (to discover more bands) and all that kind of stuff. It was very exciting at the time and I've been hooked for 10 years now. Today's excitement comes in different forms but it's still there.
Although your band Remission has been around since 2008 and is quite prolific in terms of the number of records that you've either released or appear on, you have yet to tour either the United States or Europe. Why exactly is that?
Bad timing and money but we expect that to change. In September, we are going to the U.S. west coast to play as many shows as we can for two weeks' time. We wish to do the whole stretch, from San Diego to Seattle. This tour has been planned for almost a year now, so a lot of saving has been done and we couldn't be happier right now. I think travelling is any band's dream and soon, that'll become a reality. If we ever want to go to Europe (which we do), then we'd like to at least wait out another year to save up plane money for starters and secondly, we want to put out a new LP with React! Records.
What are some of your favorite Remission songs and why?
The song "Remission", because of it's pace and aggression; "Love" for it's words and guitar solo; "Burden Of Shame", because it defines us as a left-wing group; the entire Winds Of Promise 7", especially "Isolation" as it's the painful narration of what my father must have felt the three months he spent in prison. And finally, "Empty Glass", since it picks up on a heavier and angrier style of hardcore which we sort of drifted away from by throwing in so much melody on the latest songs.
As a singer and a frontman, who/what are some of your influences and why?
Who: Chris Jones, Dave Smalley, Ian MacKaye and Rob Pennington, to name a few.
Photo taken by Gary Go
How did you get into hardcore?
I first heard hardcore music through skateboarding videos. Bands like Minor Threat, Dag Nasty and 7 Seconds all sounded cool to me, though it took me a while to investigate and explore what they were all about. I liked classic heavy metal and it wasn't until I met two of my best friends that I made the switch to hardcore. They were punk rockers who had a light notion of hardcore and together, we started buying cassettes & CDs and checking out their thank you lists (to discover more bands) and all that kind of stuff. It was very exciting at the time and I've been hooked for 10 years now. Today's excitement comes in different forms but it's still there.
Although your band Remission has been around since 2008 and is quite prolific in terms of the number of records that you've either released or appear on, you have yet to tour either the United States or Europe. Why exactly is that?
Bad timing and money but we expect that to change. In September, we are going to the U.S. west coast to play as many shows as we can for two weeks' time. We wish to do the whole stretch, from San Diego to Seattle. This tour has been planned for almost a year now, so a lot of saving has been done and we couldn't be happier right now. I think travelling is any band's dream and soon, that'll become a reality. If we ever want to go to Europe (which we do), then we'd like to at least wait out another year to save up plane money for starters and secondly, we want to put out a new LP with React! Records.
What are some of your favorite Remission songs and why?
The song "Remission", because of it's pace and aggression; "Love" for it's words and guitar solo; "Burden Of Shame", because it defines us as a left-wing group; the entire Winds Of Promise 7", especially "Isolation" as it's the painful narration of what my father must have felt the three months he spent in prison. And finally, "Empty Glass", since it picks up on a heavier and angrier style of hardcore which we sort of drifted away from by throwing in so much melody on the latest songs.
As a singer and a frontman, who/what are some of your influences and why?
Who: Chris Jones, Dave Smalley, Ian MacKaye and Rob Pennington, to name a few.
What: feelings, observations, discontent and the need to express myself.
In addition to Remission, you also sing in a Texas Is The Reason-influenced indie rock band called Invierno. For the gringos like myself reading this, what does Invierno mean in English?
Invierno means winter in Spanish. It's the name we went for since that was the present season when looking for a name. Plus conceptually, it's pretty emo, right?
Does Invierno have any plans to record a full length? If so, please discuss. If not, why not?
We've been jamming all year to record an LP. We're finally done writing the songs, so I'm guessing it'll be out by October. 8 new songs we're very pleased with. I'm actually so glad it's almost over because since Invierno is made up of almost all of Remission's members, it has been the main reason for us being on hiatus. We never jam anymore unless it's for an hour and it’s the day before playing a show. This year, Remission has only played five times, which bums me out. I'm really hoping that after we record the Invierno LP and we return from the U.S. trip, we can get things moving much quicker than we have in the past.
How are you effectively able to juggle two bands and your personal & professional lives?
It works out fine because music has become a weekend thing from the shows we play. During the week, we jam sometimes but at night, after our more serious duties have been handled, like working or going to college. I no longer have a girlfriend who can get pissed off at me for having too many shows during the month, plus we don't take music very seriously and have learned to balance out everything.
How long have you been both Straight Edge and vegetarian?
Straight Edge for 10 years and vegetarian for 4 months.
Why have you chosen to be Straight Edge and vegetarian?
At first, Straight Edge was an ideal that appealed to me because it reinforces individual choices, free from pressure and tradition. Add to that being a teenager who disliked seeing his friends drunk and saying & doing things they normally wouldn't. Also, having divorced parents who would ocassionally fight and argue because of my father's heavy drinking for some years. I have no interest in alcohol or smoking as I feel that it would alter my natural condition and damage my health. Being Straight Edge makes me feel good and natural. Vegetarianism has been around me for a long time but I didn't make the choice until very recently. I guess it came from soul searching and it has everything to do with ethics. If you consider yourself to be compassionate and humane, then try to apply it to almost everything, including your food supply.
Living in South America, is it difficult to maintain a vegetarian diet? Why or why not?
Chile may not have as many vegan products sold in supermarkets but there are specialized stores where we can get our products. I think South American vegetarians stick more to lentils, beans and salads for that reason. The North and South Americas are pretty even on the cultural level since it remains a minority within the population and there's obesity and people into junk food & barbeques everywhere. I don't think it is difficult at all to maintain this ideal/diet, it just takes some figuring out, like what can I eat at what places? Simple as that.
Feel free to shameless plug any of your other musical or non-musical endeavors here.
Thank you for the questions Andrew and for doing this blog with your friends. You guys have been very supportive towards Remission by reposting our news and releases. Like I said before, look out for the U.S. west coast shows from mid to late September, primarily React! Records' Showcase on September 23rd and 24th. You can pick up our 7" EP from React! or our LP and split 7" with Police & Thieves from Amendment Records by checking out the sites I'll include in the bottom of this entry. I'll just say we love our closest friends and appreciate the support & interest from the global hardcore community. We'll keep the ball rolling and reactivate soon.
In addition to Remission, you also sing in a Texas Is The Reason-influenced indie rock band called Invierno. For the gringos like myself reading this, what does Invierno mean in English?
Invierno means winter in Spanish. It's the name we went for since that was the present season when looking for a name. Plus conceptually, it's pretty emo, right?
Does Invierno have any plans to record a full length? If so, please discuss. If not, why not?
We've been jamming all year to record an LP. We're finally done writing the songs, so I'm guessing it'll be out by October. 8 new songs we're very pleased with. I'm actually so glad it's almost over because since Invierno is made up of almost all of Remission's members, it has been the main reason for us being on hiatus. We never jam anymore unless it's for an hour and it’s the day before playing a show. This year, Remission has only played five times, which bums me out. I'm really hoping that after we record the Invierno LP and we return from the U.S. trip, we can get things moving much quicker than we have in the past.
How are you effectively able to juggle two bands and your personal & professional lives?
It works out fine because music has become a weekend thing from the shows we play. During the week, we jam sometimes but at night, after our more serious duties have been handled, like working or going to college. I no longer have a girlfriend who can get pissed off at me for having too many shows during the month, plus we don't take music very seriously and have learned to balance out everything.
How long have you been both Straight Edge and vegetarian?
Straight Edge for 10 years and vegetarian for 4 months.
Why have you chosen to be Straight Edge and vegetarian?
At first, Straight Edge was an ideal that appealed to me because it reinforces individual choices, free from pressure and tradition. Add to that being a teenager who disliked seeing his friends drunk and saying & doing things they normally wouldn't. Also, having divorced parents who would ocassionally fight and argue because of my father's heavy drinking for some years. I have no interest in alcohol or smoking as I feel that it would alter my natural condition and damage my health. Being Straight Edge makes me feel good and natural. Vegetarianism has been around me for a long time but I didn't make the choice until very recently. I guess it came from soul searching and it has everything to do with ethics. If you consider yourself to be compassionate and humane, then try to apply it to almost everything, including your food supply.
Living in South America, is it difficult to maintain a vegetarian diet? Why or why not?
Chile may not have as many vegan products sold in supermarkets but there are specialized stores where we can get our products. I think South American vegetarians stick more to lentils, beans and salads for that reason. The North and South Americas are pretty even on the cultural level since it remains a minority within the population and there's obesity and people into junk food & barbeques everywhere. I don't think it is difficult at all to maintain this ideal/diet, it just takes some figuring out, like what can I eat at what places? Simple as that.
Feel free to shameless plug any of your other musical or non-musical endeavors here.
Thank you for the questions Andrew and for doing this blog with your friends. You guys have been very supportive towards Remission by reposting our news and releases. Like I said before, look out for the U.S. west coast shows from mid to late September, primarily React! Records' Showcase on September 23rd and 24th. You can pick up our 7" EP from React! or our LP and split 7" with Police & Thieves from Amendment Records by checking out the sites I'll include in the bottom of this entry. I'll just say we love our closest friends and appreciate the support & interest from the global hardcore community. We'll keep the ball rolling and reactivate soon.
Listen: http://remissionhc.bandcamp.com
Labels: www.itstimetoreact.com // www.amendment-records.com
Contact: www.facebook.com/remissionhc // remissionhc@gmail.com
Monday, July 18, 2011
Posted by Anonymous |
seeking the simple is a painstakingly detailed vinyl blog created by Kyle Whitlow. There's not much else I can say that isn't extremely well documented in the blog by Kyle himself via photos and text, so click below to have your vinyl hound mind completely blown. - Andrew Jacobs
"After collecting punk vinyl for 15 years, I am calling it quits. More and more I’m coming to realize the aged truism: we don’t own our possessions, our possessions end up owning us. It’s time for me to pass on a lot of this for others to enjoy, who will eventually pass on to another, etc etc. This is just the natural cycle of collectors of any kind, and I think it’s a fun thing to be a part of. I’ve enjoyed compiling several different collections; so much so, that I’m taking the time to document many of my favorite “sub-collections” here in photographs. I’ve also included little stories about each photo regarding little fun facts about how I came to own some of these, etc. I don’t have a specific time table for any of this, and I’m not selling everything. I’ll be keeping one copy of every single release I own, because I do want the artwork and the music! I just don’t need multiple copies of the same release anymore. That means I won’t be selling my one original Antidote 7″ or my only copy of Victim In Pain, etc. I’ll also be keeping all of my Minor Threat, Youth Of Today, Carry On, Champion, and Rivalry releases – these are all bands that had a significant influence on me and/or I was involved with the bands. I will post things for sale at my own pace, in no order other than “whatever is easiest to part with first”. First and foremost this is just a visual documentation of my collection. Not everything you see in photos will be for sale, though much of it will be. I’ll make separate “sale posts” when I identify pieces that are ready to sell. Enjoy the stories and photos!" - Kyle Whitlow
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Posted by Anonymous |
Interview with Hitman bassist Radomir Jankovic coming soon!
From Hitman's Facebook and Reverbnation pages:
Hitman is a hardcore punk band from the Balkans (Belgrade, Serbia). We started this whole thing in 1994 as a side project along with our original bands (Definite Choice, Wipe Out, Shackle Me Not) back then. In the past 17 years, we made the foundation of the hardcore scene on the Balkans stronger by connecting all the scenes between the countries from the Balkan area and we made our voice be heard all over the globe!!!
We believe that the true spirit of this whole thing we are in is based on the friendships we make along the way! We also believe in a positive attitude towards every part of our lives!!!
We shared stage with bands like: Murphys Law, Sick Of It All, Strech Arm Strong, Napalm Death, Municipal Waste, Agnostic Front, Madball, Adolescents, Movement, The Business, DRI, Pro-Pain, Max Cavallera, Misfits, Intesinty, Manifestation, Suicidal Tendencies and, of course, with many of our good friends from the Balkan hardcore scene!
FRIENDSHIP, UNITY, RESPECT
We have four releases until this day:
(1998)"stories we tell" - Tape
(2000)"...and what about the flame we use to feel..." - Tape
(2000)"stories we tell about the flame we use to feel" - CD/containing both tapes
(2004)"Balkan hardcore split 2004" - Split CD with Last Hope (Sofia Bulgaria)
(2010)"Overstand" - CD SWELL CREEK - SUPERHERO RECORDS
We also appeared on the following Samplers:
(1996)"Witness of the first Discussion" - CD Sampler of Serbian Hardcore, Metal, Industrial, Grind
(1999)"This is the light" - Serbian Hardcorepunk Sampler - Tape
(2004)"All from the Heart" - CD Serbian Hardcore Sampler
Friday, July 15, 2011
Posted by Anonymous |
Mike Judge & Old Smoke guitarist Todd Schwartz was kind enough to take a picture of himself giving me a shout out in front of his mounted Sights LP on clear vinyl (yeah, it's a big deal). And if that wasn't cool enough, Mike Judge himself alerted me to the fact that 4 previously unreleased Mike Judge & Old Smoke songs are up on the band's Myspace for all to hear, so click here and enjoy. Well, I'LL enjoy anyway. - Andrew Jacobs
Monday, July 11, 2011
With this new 7", Harvest were presented with a bit of a challenge. Members of the band live in Minneapolis, Toronto, and Sau Paolo, Brazil, which means that each member had to complete their tracks and then forward them along the line so that another member could complete their tracks. Given the years that Harvest spent playing together in the 90s, the chemistry still shines through in this recording despite the challenge presented to them.
The record kicks off with two brand new songs that build upon the sound Harvest became synonymous with during their tenure in the heyday of metallic staccato rhythms. One of those tracks, "Our Legacy", can be heard over at NoiseCreep. None of the instruments take up too much space in the mix, yet the songs still remain heavily guitar driven. The bass sounds fluid and smooth, but still presents the right amount of grit to keep it a little dirty. Dave's vocals are in a more raw form than of most previous Harvest recordings, and I'm a big fan of them. I always tend to be disappointed when a singer's voice is buried under studio effects, and much prefer to hear a representation closer to live show vocals, which is how they sound on this 7 inch.
Following the two new songs is a track that Harvest had written and played live just prior to breaking up, called "Torture Inhibition." Although it was written over 11 years ago, it fits in perfectly with the new songs that Harvest has crafted, and also provides a perfect bridge to the songs that follow. In the 90s, Harvest appeared on a few compilations with songs that were recorded on a 4 track, and two of them have been re-recorded to round out "Years of Defiance. Years of Disgust". First is "Soul Burn", which originally appeared on The Difference Between Us cd comp on Goodfellow Records. Following it on the digital version only is a re-recording of "Conditioned", which can originally be found on the Twin Cities Hardcore 7" comp, and of course, the Transitions cd on Trustkill. Although I loved the power of the original recordings for those two songs, it's great to hear them achieve their full potential with a crisp recording.
Overall, this is as solid of a comeback record as one could possibly hope for. Although most of their contemporaries have gotten softer over the years, Harvest return as angry as ever with a powerful burst of metallic hardcore.
Pre-orders are currently available for "Years of Defiance. Years of Disgust" via Goodfight Entertainment, which includes a 7"/t-shirt bundle, or the 7" on its own.
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