Ill Blood

Just finished watching this mini documentary on Ill Blood. It is pretty cool. There are a few little things that bothered me about it (Ewan Exall's opening remarks mostly), but still, an awesome watch.

ill blood: the album that still bleeds. from Johnny Five on Vimeo.

Still a hard jam

Just misunderstood.



Also, I got these today, and you didn't.





More interviews coming soon!

Interview with Nathan Meichel (xTRUEx Records)

Super cool new interview with one of the coolest figures in Canadian hardcore, Nathan Meichel. Some of you may know him as xTRUEx Nate, the owner and operator of DIY label xTRUEx Records (CLICK HERE!). Super awesome dude, buy his records, and read this interview!



Basics first. Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Nathan. I am the supreme ruler and overlord over all that is xTRUEx (record label, distro, show promotion) as well as a dad. I was also in a buttload of bands from the late 90's into the mid-2000's, but nobody outside of Alberta cares about any of them or which ones they were anyway.

How did xTRUEx come about?

I had just moved from Calgary to Edmonton, and I didn't really "know" enough people to start a band yet. I still wanted to be a part of the scene in some way, shape, or form, and I noticed that the only other dude running a distro in town basically just had Facedown bands and a few other random Christian things, so I decided I'd try my hand at it. Eventually the distro sort of evolved and took on a mind of its own, and I started to think "Geez... I should make my own records so that other people can have them in THEIR distros!" Those were the famous last words. January 2006 we put out our first record, and have been sporadically releasing things ever since.


Any upcoming releases the people of the internet should know about?

There's a bunch of stuff just over the horizon, including a Cope/St. Gilles collaborative 10" (maybe 12"... depends on how long the tracks end up being), a sort of "discography" for Kali (whom I still maintain are Red Deer's only good band), a Cope/Brain Fever split some time in the future, a theoretical Cope/Goose split that may or may not ever see the light of day, as well as a tentative split between Unrestrained and Unrestrained (PDX and VT, respectively). Other things are sort of "in the works" as they say, and may or may not pan out so I'll bite my tongue on those ones for now.


Vegan and straight edge. How long have you been and have any of your viewpoints on the two changed over the years?

I've been vegan for around 14 years now, and I just had my ten year edgiversary this most recent December. From what I can tell, I don't think my viewpoints have really changed. At least not as they pertain to me, personally. Maybe at some point I may have adjusted how I treat other people in regards to these things, but the reasons I adopted both of them in the first place are still valid. At some point I think I realized that I didn't have to shove it down other peoples' throats, that I could just live my life by example and hope that other people caught on. I still have very vocal standpoints on many issues (veganism and straight edge not being the least of them) but they're presented more in a fashion of "these are the facts I have, this is how I interpret them, I think it would be really cool if you re-examined your values and made your own decisions now that you have this new information" rather than "IF YOU'RE NOT LIKE ME, THEN FUCK! YOU!" I do have a soft spot in my heart for over-the-top political commentary and near-zealous fervor, but I'd be lying to myself if I said that I wanted to confront everyone all the time. I'd rather take an intellectual standpoint and have a casual conversation than shove things down peoples' throats....Usually.




What is it like being a hardcore dad?

It's friggin' tiring. Hahahahaha. You always hear about how much energy kids have, but you never really know until you see it in front of you all day long. They're not just like that at the park or when they're out playing, it's ALL THE TIME. Between a full-time job during the day and taking care of my son during the evening so my wife can work or go to school (depending on the day) I'm surprised I accomplish ANYthing music-related. So if you're out there and reading this and I sent your mailorder stuff out a week late, please accept my apologies. I probably fell asleep writing your address label.

Favorite Propagandhi album?

It's funny, my wife and I were talking about this just the other day. There will always be a soft spot in my heart for How To Clean Everything, since it was when I first heard them... oh, and it also has Who Will Help Me Bake This Bread, which makes me simultaneously happier, sadder, angrier, more at peace, and more anxious than any other song in the world... but I acknowledge from a technical/lyrical/conceptual/musical standpoint that everything else they did after that was far superior. I dunno, man... it's like... they're one of the ONLY bands out there that consistently get better with age. Each record tops the last somehow. I don't understand it. I LOVE IT, but I don't understand it.


I know a few years ago Edmonton was considered to have a more violent scene (by some peoples standards) than the rest of Western Canada? Do you have any comment about violence in the hardcore scene?

I'm pretty sure I know exactly what incident (out of two possibles - both of which, coincidentally, did not occur *in* Edmonton) has caused people to think that, and I can honestly say that outside of those two instances, Edmonton is not a "violent scene" in any way, shape, or form. In the 7'ish years or so that I've lived here, I have not seen a single fight at an all-ages show. Not even so much as a scuffle.
With that being said...
That is exactly how I like it. Fighting is fucking stupid. Flat out. Period. While hardcore is obviously aggressive music, there is a colossal difference between channeling that aggression positively and letting it out negatively. I've put a lot of thought into what I would do if I ever actually did see a fight break out at one of my shows, and it can be broken down "play-by-play" if you will.

1) Obviously, break it up.
2) If the combatants are unwilling to settle their differences in a mature, non-violent manner, they will be made an example of.
3) I will actually get on the mic, and proclaim to everyone that "EVERYone should be able to feel safe in our scene. Under NO circumstances should anyone have to fear being attacked, and this behaviour is unacceptable. You have ONE chance to make up - and that is right now. In front of everyone. You don't have to like eachother, but you have to respect eachother and treat eachother with dignity. If anyone -- and I mean ANYONE, I don't care who you are, what band you're in, how long you've been around -- continues this fight, you will be unwelcome at any of my shows. I will not sell you any records. You will be refused entry to any event I'm involved in. I will never book any of your bands. Not only that, but I will encourage other promoters to do the same. As far as I am concerned, this is zero tolerance. I want nothing to do with small-minded petty bickering. You have a choice to make, so make it wisely and make it now."

Now, I know it sounds rather silly and grandiose, and I don't claim to be the end-all, be-all of hardcore, but I think it is a great example of letting people know that their actions have consequences, which is one of the most important lessons anyone can learn.

What's good in 2010 hardcore?

Sooooooooo many good things. Obviously, all the bands I'm working with are great, so I'll try and weed out my nepotistic tendencies by just saying check out ALL the bands I'm putting stuff out for.

But man... MAUS... they are set to destroy everything and everyone in 2010. If you haven't checked them out yet, go do it now. http://www.myspace.com/mausedmonton
Voices seem to be (excuse the pun) finding their own voice and starting to make some really interesting new stuff. http://www.myspace.com/voiceshc
Todos Caeran used to be called two or three different other things and morphed from being a more-or-less youth crew band into something of a more Revolution-Summer'y/DC emo'ish sort of band. It's neat watching kids grow up. http://www.myspace.com/radicallyadvanced
Jeff x Spicoli are just fucking fast. And then more fast. And even more fast. ...And then some surf for some reason? But then even more fast. http://www.myspace.com/jeffxspicoli
No Problem is some of the dudes from Wednesday Night Heroes and High Jinks doing an LA punk kinda Germs'esque deal and it fucking rules. http://www.myspace.com/noproblempunx
Getting a bit further outside of my backyard, there are SO many good new bands right now... honestly the best thing in 2010 hardcore is whatever's going on in your own scene, in your own town. Nurture it. Love it. Help it grow. ...And then send them out our way so we can finally have more bands touring through here. Hahaha.

Your ultimate burrito. Name it, what's in it?

I was reading your older blog interviews and hoping that you'd ask me this...
Anyone who knows me knows my love for burritos, but also my insatiable hunger for Mediterranean food. I've created a hybrid cuisine that I call "Mediterexican", where you combine foods from both cultures. The premier star of this concept is the burafel -- 50% burrito, 50% falafel, 200% delicious.
Basically, it's black beans with crushed up falafel patties, tomatoes, olives, and hummus (and tahini, if you happen to have some on-hand, which I never seem to at the right time). It can either exist in a pita or a tortilla, but my favourites are the curry-flavoured masala tortillas that add a little bit of extra zing, and yet another aspect to the flavour.
I know... right now you're reading out there either saying "He's a madman... A MADMAN!!" or "That sounds friggin' delicious! I'm gonna make me one of those!"
Hopefully more of the latter than the former.

Any last words?

What? Am I being executed or something?
But no, in all seriousness, thanks so much for the interview. Usually nobody cares what I have to say about anything. I wish I could do more of these. Hahaha.
Oh... and: Remember kids, use your voices, not your fists.

Interview with Jared Carman (Down To Nothing, Trapped Under Ice)

This is a new interview with Jared Carman, He is constantly on tour with DTN and TUI, luckily enough he's home for a bit and could answer a few questions regarding hardcore and burritos.



Let's start off with the basics, who are you, and what do you do?

I am Jared. I play bass in the bands Down To Nothing and Trapped Under Ice.

How did you get recruited to the TUI camp?

The first Trapped Under Ice shows in Richmond were with Down To Nothing. We used to bring them down because we liked that demo a lot. They never really had a bass player and when DTN sorta took a back seat it just happened.

Your touring schedule must be pretty rigorous split between two bands, when your holding it down at home, what is your favorite pass time?

Yeah I'm not home that much. This is actually the beginning to my entire summer off and I'm going to spend it lifting weights, walking in the woods, jumping off of shit, sleeping outside, going to the beach, skateboarding, and riding my bike. My favorite thing to do while I'm home is get in the James River and while there I will do what my friend Justice would refer to as "tanning my dick".

Anything new in the pipeline for either TUI or DTN?

Both bands got some stuff going on. DTN just had a new EP called "All My Sons" come out on Reaper Records. We're playing a handful of shows in DC, Raleigh, Philly, Atlanta, going out to California for Sound and Fury, a record release in Richmond, and then a month in Europe. We are all in other bands, go to school, or have real jobs, so when we get a chance to do something it's awesome. Trapped Under Ice just wanted to take the summer off cause we've been out this entire year and this part of the year is cluster fuck for touring bands. We've got some one off stuff here and there and were playing some fests and stuff. We're actually writing a lot for our next record on this time off. Then in late August we will demo some of the songs right before we start a full US with Bane, Cruel Hand, and Alpha & Omega. Then in the fall we do Europe and Japan. Thats a lot of shit.


Is there any comment you would like to make about violence in the hardcore scene. Whether it be beefs with bands, crews or otherwise. I know some people can just ignore it, but in certain cities, it must be more noticeable?

To be perfectly honest I don't see a problem. It not really something I even really see. I just did a tour with Four Year Strong and they are like a pop punk band. There were more fights for them than any other tour I've been on. They had to stop playing a lot. I mean if you are fucking your scene up by ruining venues and shutting shows down then you probably shouldn't be going in the first place. You probably won't be sticking around anyways. Sometimes things happen and that's that. The way I see it, just like in the everyday life, you should be minding your business and everything should be OK. I guess if you're in a band or gang and gotta fight then go outside and fight across the street if its that important. Seems pretty simple to me.

What's good in 2010 hardcore?

Reaper Records is what's good in 2010 hardcore. I heard the new Terror record last night. That shit is unbelievable. I want to listen to that everyday. Dead End Path, Fire and Ice, Bracewar, Naysayer, Cruel Hand, Title Fight, Hatebreed, Maximum Penalty, Backtrack, Foundation..this list goes on. Check all those bands out. Shit is alive as it has ever been.



Biggest inspiration in music? Is there one person/band you look up to more than anything else?

I play music because I love it and there are definitely people, bands, or songs that make me love it but there isn't any one person or band I look up to. I think thats something you do more when you are younger. There were people I thought were cool and wanted to be so bad but you get over that stuff. I'm more into just being myself and that's sorta what I admire in other people now. People that are just passionate about what they are doing. That feeling can come from anywhere too. You can be having a weird week or something and it can come from anywhere and can change everything just like that. Everything just turns around immediately. It could be a new band or song that kills me or it could be a dog smiling at me from a car driving by me on my bike. I'm serious.

What are your requirements for the most supreme burrito? Sauce, cheese, etc... What's it got to be?

I will fuck with any burrito (or food for that matter) as long as it doesn't have eggs in it. I don't do eggs. Carnitas. Cilantro in the rice is so wack. Please get that shit out of my face.

Any last words?

"Stop sucking dicks and start getting your dick sucked."

Days off

Days off are the best. Today I woke up at the crack of noon and had a nice, leisurely shower, followed by some Captain Crunch and an apple. Soon after I welcome Sir. John Cameron into my home to come peek through some records. We discussed Mayhem and Darkthrone picture discs along with Ice Cube double LPs. I also showed him some hc done right in 2010, Touche Amore's s/t 7" (check it out if you don't have it already).

This evening Brittany and I planted a small amount of veggies and herbs into her mom's garden.



Here are a few of the peppers I am growing. There are some habaneros, Sheppard's, and some cayenne chili peppers. Aswell as some banana peppers that are not pictured.



I am also growing some crucial herbs. Rosemary, sweet basil and cilantro.



Aside from these, there is also some parsnips, squash, yellow tomatoes and baby red tomatoes. Brittany is also planting some flowers.

Anyhow, keep checking, there will be some new posts/interviews up soon.

Good days usually end with something like this

Sometimes I forget how much I love this band. Saw them for the third time tonight, still great. Got to chat with Damien for a bit about records and we'll be doing an interview for the blog in the next few weeks. Get stoked.

Also, everyone say one million thanks (as I do everyday) to Brittany for being so patient with me for almost 16 months now. She's a trooper and not many people can put up with my bullshit/record spending habits/anger/currently high blood pressure. She is the best.

Interview with Vic DiCara (108, Inside Out)

Again, I have had an awesome opportunity to talk to another icon in punk rock. Vic DiCara. Between playing in Inside Out in the early 90's with Zach De La Rocha, to shredding with 108. One of the best reads so far.



Basics first. Who are you and what do you do? Bands? Career?

I am a ghost in the machine.
I haunt the world of things.
Trapped by ties that linger beyond the edge of death.

I have a name
I have a face
I have hands that grasp at shadows
All resurrected from moss and mud,
Animated by the dark wisp of the specter that I am.

My name is Vic. DiCara, Victor Damien. I have inhabited this dream for almost 40 years now.


Can you give a bit of a background about your time in hardcore/punk? Starting with Beyond and Inside Out, continued on through 108.

In high school being into BMX had me hang out with some skateboard people, so a few kids into thrash metal and hardcore started hanging out with us and visa versa. So I got into music. I picked up a guitar and joined a band called Toxic Phlegm. Kevin Egan from Beyond was also in this band. Once I learned how a band works I started a new one called Socially Incorrect. Vin Novara from 1.6 Band was in this one. Then I was drafted to Inner Strength - a band actually playing real-ish shows. Alan Cage from Beyond, Burn and Quicksand was in this one. Inner Strength merged with Beyond, and soon the bass player quit, so I played bass.

Then I moved to California. I met Chris and Alex from Chain of Strength and they connected me with Zack (zdlr) and we did Inside Out.

Then I moved to Goloka Vrindaban or sort of, and defected from Inside Out into Shelter with Ray Cappo from YOT. Soon I got booted from Shelter and started 108. I've been doing 108 since then, put with a pause for about 10 years. In that time I did an unnamed band with Chris and Frosty from Chain of Strength, and Shaun Ross from Excel. Then I tried to do a band called Charge but that went up in ugly flames. Finally I did Burn with Alan again. After that 108 finally re-materialized, thank god.



What are the most noticeable differences in hardcore/punk from the early 90's to today?

I'm no expert. To me they appear pretty much identical, especially to the ear. I think the biggest difference is how many generations of copies you are dealing with. I mean in 83-86 you had some really creative stuff. Then from 86-89 you have ok stuff but it was all more or less looking backwards at what already happened. Then you got a 2nd wave of copies between 90 - 92, but this generation seemed to be pretty forward and inventive, so you got some interesting new permutations in this round of copies. I think for example Quicksand, Into Another, maybe 108 & Inside Out if I want to be self-congratulatory, other interesting new ideas, even though we were all tied still to the 86 blueprint, we were still stretching it. Then you had sort of a breakdown 93-97 where things got all about ideas and movements and the music itself sort of suffered. I think that also had to do with the failure of hardcore to make the jump to hyperspace and become mainstream - in 93 there was an attempt to make that jump as a result of Kurt Cobain and his band. Anyway. After 98 I have no idea what the fuck went on, but what I can say is there must have been a LOT more photocopies of photocopies being made, cuz these days there ain't nothing even close to a Quicksand or Into Another.


Could you give a brief explanation of Krishna Consciousness and it's role in the hardcore scene?


The second part sort of the query confused me for a second, "role in the hardcore scene" - The hardcore scene is not of any particular importance in explaining what Krishna Consciousness is - but I am wondering now if you want me to explain how Krishna consciousness got involved in the hardcore scene, so I will try to do both.

a) The meaning of life is pleasure.

Existence itself is manifest only for this purpose.


b) We evolve our understanding of what "pleasure" is as we grow through the species and through our human journey. At first we think that sensual stimulation is the summit of pleasure, but soon as human beings we realize that the emotional experience behind these sensations is far superior. As we evolve further we realize that love is the most pleasurable of these emotional experiences. We then have to evolve our understanding of love... we realize that the more selfless it becomes the more pleasure it generates, ironically.

We simultaneously need to evolve our self-concept - realizing our identity first as the body - a tangle of senses; next as the mind, a pool of emotions; later on as a "heart" or a "soul" - a repository of love. Thus we realize our identity is higher than physical reality. We thereby come to understand things which transcend the obvious. We realize OCCULT LOVE - love on a metaphysical level - as the source of unfathomable pleasure.

Finally we evolve to understand the supreme occult relationship with the most lovable transcendent being: who we call "Krishna" (which means "all-attractive"). The absolute perfection of life occurs when we evolve to the stage in which our entire being is interwoven with the consciousness of the paramount pleasure of absolute love for this all-attractive being, Krishna. That is what it has come to be called "Krishna Consciousness"

As you can see, the role of the hardcore scene in the gigantic scope of this transcendental journey gets somewhat blurry or obscure. Hardcore kids have always been misfits even before they were called Hardcore Kids, when they were Punks, or Rockers, or Cool Cats before that. Misfits always know that the world is completely fake and that its real meaning is completely vacant and absent from life. So these misfits are always inclined to find answers to this emptiness. Some small percentage of them have always turned to occult and spiritual practice. In some sense this is "religion" but for most, religion feels like a part of the fake world, and they take instead to "spiritualism" or "occultism" or "transcendentalism"

So, this is what happened, really. It was around 85 or 86 in New York City, I think it was actually Tompkins Square park, but I may be wrong. I am friends with the man who organized it. They, the Hare Krishnas, started feeding people for free at the park. Punks would come by and make fun of the Krishnas (of course, punks would make fun of EVERYTHING) and eat the food. A few of them got "brainwashed" in other words, they started to sit around and listen to what the Krishna's were talking about. This is what started the first wave of Krishna Consciousness in hardcore around 1986.


After visiting your website, I see that you offer astrological readings and consultations. Could you give an explanation as to what this is all about?

The reason why the world exists is to help us individual beings evolve. We who inhabit this world are actually pretty unique among all the beings in existence. We are sort of strange, and I think this is actually a pretty cool thing, in the long term. We are strange because we have a mix of divine qualities which include the concept that we are the supreme divinity - to one subconscious extent or the other - in some few actually to a conscious extreme. This makes us unwilling to enjoy the purpose of life - which is the supreme experience of pleasure via transcendent love for the absolute lovable being.

So that's why this world exists.

It is a sort of spiritual gymnasium in which we can exercise our desires until we have sorted them all out and evolved ourselves willingly into a new level of understanding ourselves which allows us to know our identity with the supreme divinity without making us loathe to focus on giving love rather than receiving it.

The equipment in this gym is the law of karma. It is a machine which gradually helps the soul evolve. It do so using a very simple principle which pavlov discovered and explained pretty well. Things we do which are more selfish earn reactions which help us become inclined not to act that way in the future, while things we do which are more selfless earn reactions that encourage us to continue in that more selfless fashion.

This process takes place not very much in the small conscious mind of our limited experience in a single lifetime. It takes place in the huge transcendent mind of the soul, which is not a physical body, but which transmigrates from one body to the next in an endless cycle of evolution and devolution.

The universe is the machine which operates the function of Karma to evolve us to a more whole state of being. You can read the positions of things in that universe to know what karma's are going to bear fruit and when they are going to bear fruit. Thus by studying and interpreting the positions of the planets and stars relative to earth and to an individual you can learn about your own karmic process of evolution - and even down to rather minute details.


In all your years within the hardcore scene, is there one memory that will forever be ingrained in you? A unique experience unlike any other?

There are way more than one. I have been very blessed and lucky in that my life is FULL of uniquely memorable experiences. I sometimes feel like I live for a year in each passing of the Earths day. I am very grateful that Mother Nature has treated me so kindly, in her compassion. When you ask me that question about a dozen memories come to mind. I will pick one at random.

I liked when Inside Out would play at Spanky's cafe (the restaurant) in Riverside. Onetime a homeless guy came in to see the show. That was a very memorable event.


Is there any one band you are excited about in 2010 hardcore?

No.

But there are some that are better than others. Right now Rise and Fall and Lewd Acts are two that I remember at the moment.

I am not authority. This is just my opinion about modern hardcore bands. And to be honest my opinion on that subject might as well be called fairly unimportant.

Burritos? Are you a fan? If so, what fillings are crucial to your perfect burrito?

I'm not really into them. I don't like feeling heavy in my stomach and having tons of gas. I must be weird, right? Seriously I think they are over-rated but whatever. As far as Mexican goes I would prefer enchiladas. Actually I haven't had burritos in a long time, since moving to Japan. So we went to the Costco in Japan and bought beans and tortillas and made some. My wife makes em damn good cuz she fries them. So I can get into them now and them. But Southern California was just burrito overkill to the max... dude.

Any last words?

Samhain is excellent.

Interview with Jordan Cooper (Revelation Records)

Here's the beginning of a new batch of interviews. This one in particular is with Jordan Cooper. He and Ray Cappo started Revelation records in the 80's. To anyone in the know with hardcore and punk, Revelation in the pinnacle.



Can you give us a bit of a back story about Revelation? How it came about? How you and Ray met? Etc...

Ray and I met in high school in English class, but it was years later that we talked about putting out a record. After high school, Ray moved to New Haven where I lived at the time and started Youth Of Today. At some point we just talked about putting out a record for Warzone, and within a few months we got that to happen. Once that came out Ray had an idea for another and it continued from there.


What is your position in the hardcore scene currently? Do you still attend shows regularly?

I only occasionally go to shows at this point, but most of my friends came from my involvement with hardcore in one way or another and of course running Revelation keeps me in touch with a lot of people.

Who's idea was it to start up the distro? Did you ever imagine it would get as huge as it has?

It wasn't really an idea, but something that came from the fact that a lot of people into hardcore also have bands and labels and zines and the people that worked here had stuff they they needed to distribute the way Revelation's stuff did so it just made sense to ship everything together. We tried getting some Dischord and other labels' stuff in the mid 90s but that didn't really go anywhere. A couple of years after that, a guy named Brian Probart who worked at SST before, came in to do some sales and suggested we do some other distribution I think. By then we'd also started doing distribution for Indecision probably too. That is when the distribution really became a big part of what people here spent time on.

Do you yourself have a personal collection of all the classic/rare releases(Chung King, Warzone Lion attacking the horse, etc...)?

Of course. I think I have one copy of every pressing of almost everything we've put out.




Is there a Rev release that you are particularly proud of? Is there a single release that you would consider your favorite?

Every one of them has a certain memory attached to it and I'm proud of a lot of them for different reasons.

Greg told me to ask you about video games, so, what have you been playing lately?

I've actually not been playing video games as consistently as I used to. I used to have a pretty specific list of games that I would play every Saturday and Sunday: Missile Command, Centipede, Super Breakout, Star Castle, Pac-Man, Millipede, Stargate, Crazy Climber, Tempest and a few others. MAME is one of the best things that ever happened in the world of computers so for the past 12 years or so that I've known about it, it's been fun getting to play all the games I remember from my jr. high years. Steve Hertz (former co-owner of Ambassador Records and brother of Frosty from Chain Of Strength) runs a group of arcade game collectors called SC3. Last weekend I went to their semi-annual party and got to play some gems that I haven't seen in a long time and some that I'd never played. It's great.

Are there any upcoming games you are excited about?

I don't devote any time to looking into new games so I don't really know what's out or coming out, but any classic emulation is sort of interesting. ...although MAME seems to cover everything I care about.

What's in the pipeline now for Revelation? Any upcoming releases we should know about?

By A Thread is finally releasing a new record this year. We have a compilation coming out soon where newer bands cover some of the older Rev bands songs. Tony Rettman's book about Detroit hardcore "Why Be Something That You're Not" will be out in July. Popeye from Farside and Jeff from Gameface have a band called You're Favorite Trainwreck and I've been talking to them about putting out a record. Hopefully I'm not forgetting anything.

Lastly, any final words?

Thanks!

We are all revolutionaries.

And we are all capable of change. Whether it be world-wide or individually.

With that being said, new interviews coming very, very soon.

Interview with Aaron (Bane)

Let's start with the basics. Who are you? What band do you play in? What do you do?

I'm Aaron, I sing for the band Bane.


Can you give us a little bit of history on Bane?

We've been around for a lot of years. Started in the late 90's as a sort of side project for a couple members of the band Converge.. so in the beginning we really didn't do much, put out a few 7"s did local shows.. in '98 we were signed to Equal Vision Records and went on our first US tour..and that really put the bug in us.. and pretty much ever since we've been riding that same feeling of being in love with being away from home, playing hardcore shows, checking out cool bands and making friends all over the place. We've been very very lucky to be able to do that for as long as we've been. Dudes have gotten older, some are married, some have children, houses and responsibilities that we really didn't have to face back in our youth, but we still love this music and believe in this community, so we do what we can we can. Last year we recorded 2 7"s worth of new material as well as a couple songs for At Both Ends fanzine.. so it feels good to have some new songs out and a whole bunch of tours lined up this year to play them on. Hopefully we'll see some of you there.


What is new on the horizon for Bane? Any plans for an upcoming full length?

I don't think a full LP is very realistic for us right now..schedules are hard..one member is living in New Mexico i think and we really have a busy touring schedule ahead of us through 2010.. we were hoping to write 3 more songs this year and have EVR put those out along with all of the songs we released last year on a "Holding This Moment" like collection..but now its starting to feel like that might not even happen this year. Its hard, its hard getting everyone on the same page, in the same place, at the same time these days.




You (and Bane) seem to be one of the bands that are looked up to in the hardcore scene? Do you have a particular person/band who was like that to you?

God there are so many..pretty much everything Ian Mckaye has been involved in has been a huge influence to me. Those early American Nightmare shows and releases had me feeling as excited about HC as I'd ever been. Have Heart and the way they handled their explosive impact on the scene, the way never lost track of why they started that band or who they were as people..was also very inspiring to me..classic bands who still all these years later get my blood racing, give me that feeling that I can take on the world.. Unbroken, Burn, Swiz, Y-Di, Chain of Strength, Straight Ahead.


After many years being involves in hardcore and straight edge, have any of your stances/beliefs changed?

Sure, I'd say most of my believes, stances, opinions, ethics have changed drastically throughout the many yeas that Bane has been a band..you can't help but grow and evolve and learn from your mistakes, realize how petty certain things really turn out to be and also learn how important certain things are that you may have overlooked when you wee naive and young and so sure you had everything figured out.. being in a band is like being in a relationship..it forces you to really learn about compromise, and sacrifice and patience.. the importance of listening to what others think and putting yourself into their shoes from time to time.. you really rely on each other when your on the other side of the world and there's just not a lot of room for selfishness
I feel like we've all matured so much thanks to the many places we've been and things we've seen..the love and support and unbelievable generosity that we've been shown because of this music, this scene that stuff really shapes you..shows you whats really important and what is beneath you.


What's good in 2010 hardcore?

The Rival fucking Mob.


What is your preferred site for online poker? I am thinking of joining a site and I know you're a card guy.

I play on Full Tilt.. know plenty of people who play on Poker Stars and have heard no complaints about the integrity or trustworthiness of either site. it's the playing well part that's up to you.


What are the requirements for the most supreme burrito?

Cheese, mad cheese and spicy sauce.


Big thanks for the interview! Any last words?
we have a very busy year ahead.. you can keep up with us on twitter or facebook.. I don't really know if anyone fucks with myspace anymore..but I did just post some tour dates over there.

Oh and see the movie, Un Prophete.

I couldn't say it any better if I tried

I am incomplete damaged and imperfect
This world is not divided between saints and sinners
Forgive me for being human...

Less money on records

More money on record players.







ALSO, there will be more interviews soon, I promise. I also promise to keep up to date with this a little better than I have the past few weeks.

ALSO, I highly recommend people check out ZIP. It's like the Canadian version of Netflix. Super rad.

Greg

Over the past few weeks I have had the honor a privilege to be able to talk to Greg Bennick over the all-powerful facebook. He is one of the most interesting human beings I have ever come in contact with, and despite only knowing him through his words on a keyboard, and a record in my collection, he is one of the most inspiring and touching figures I have in my life.

Here is an interview I did with him recently

Are you able to talk in detail about the current existence/non-existence of Trial?
GREG: Trial is on an indefinite break due to the the sad and sudden death last fall of our bassist Brian Redman. We had been talking extensively about playing more shows but the idea of playing without Brian is still something that we can't come to terms with at this time. I can barely even think about him without my brain just shutting down and my heart feeling likes its going to explode. It was like, and it is like, losing a brother. Its just too sad. I love Trial and always will, but now is a time of looking forward to new projects, and new inspirations.


Did you political and dietary views grow from being involved with Trial and hardcore, or were they something that you were involved in previously?
GREG: Both happened as a result of being involved in hardcore and punk music. I first started listening to hardcore music around 1984. My friend Chris had climbed up onto his parents rooftop in Connecticut where we lived and had put an antenna up there so he could get radio signals from New York City of all the punk and rap stations there. He started recording what he was picking up onto cassettes and bringing those tapes over to my place. This was my introduction to punk rock. I was amazed by what I heard. I had been listening to heavy metal (Ratt, Motley Crue, etc – the best music basically ever) and while I thought they were intense, I had no idea what was being played out in the world by people in the punk community. It really inspired me and turned my brain inside out in a really good and creative way. In high school I had gotten interested in Native American rights after taking a class taught by a Native teacher who offered his own personal experiences as part of the class curriculum. But it wasn’t until the early 1990’s when I toured with Inside Out in 1993 and the Western Shoshone Defense Project that I became deeply interested in social justice issues when I learned about the Shoshone’s land rights struggles (check www.wsdp.org for more information). Trial formed in 1995 and I started speaking about ideas and getting involved then, and that’s continued until today.



What projects are you currently working on? I know that Philosopher Kings was recently released, and I also heard you were doing trips to Haiti. What is going on with these projects?
GREG: The trip to Haiti came out of nowhere, much like the earthquake itself. I'd been to Haiti a year and a half ago while filming The Philosopher Kings. The film is about wisdom seen through the eyes of custodians at pretigious American universities. One of the custodians is from Princeton University and he was born and raised in Haiti. His name is Josue Lajeunesse. His dream is to make sure his village has access to clean water. We flew to Haiti and filmed him there and captured his passion for that dream on film. We’d planned on going back in January to film more for our new project, which specifically focuses on that dream, but of course the earthquake pre-empted that. I needed to do something for Haiti. I sailed to Haiti on a sailboat with nine other people along with ten thousand pounds of medical supplies and food. We were one of the first independent boats to reach the southern coast of Haiti. It was an all-volunteer crew. You can read more about my perspectives on this trip on my blog at http://gregbennick.com/blog/ and especially be sure to check out the ship’s blog at http://www.libertyschooner.com. After that trip, I wanted to do something more. When the Liberty Schooner decided to return to Haiti with more supplies, I helped to arrange for thirty thousand pounds of rice to be onboard. About eighty people worldwide helped donate money to this cause. Soon I will be starting an initiative called One Hundred For Haiti (http://www.onehundredforhaiti.com), and the mission of the group will be to find “The One Hundred”: one hundred people, business, corporations, and associations worldwide who are willing to donate $1000 each to Haiti relief efforts. I already have two organizations willing to each be one of The One Hundred. Sage V Foods who are a food distributor from Arkansas, and dept. Z which is a high end hair salon from Spokane WA. Haiti was decimated by the earthquake, and rebuilding the country is something everyone can help with whether we contribute money, time, creativity, or even if we put out efforts elsewhere. The key is to get involved and to stay involved.



How long have you been vegan and straight edge and have your ideas and/or beliefs changed over the years?
GREG: I quit drinking and drugs on September 30th, 1988. I became vegetarian that same day too. I was 17 and after a night at a party where people trashed an outside space which had been beautiful hours before but ended up destroyed and covered in garbage, I realized that drinking for me was not only destructive internally but externally as well. I cleaned that park up by myself at 6 AM the next morning and never looked back. I didn’t go vegan until 1991, but since then, no my beliefs have remained the same. No exceptions and no compromise. I am true til 95. People in the hardcore community like saying “true til death” but that sounds like a long time to me. I have always said that I am true til age 95. I figure if I make it that long, that I deserve to have a huge party and get seriously loaded. Yes, in the song “This is Not a Trend” I said “its for life that I embrace the edge”, but that’s only because it would have sounded weird to sing “Its until age 95 that I embrace the edge and then I am going to drink more than you ever have”.


Are there any current bands in hardcore/punk that have been striking your attention as of late?
GREG: I like To Kill. They are from Rome and they are dedicated to sharing a message about political and social awareness. They asked me to do spoken word on their record last year and this was a benefit for the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Sea Shepherd has been getting a lot of criticism lately because of their fame on the Whale Wars show. But I really have to ask: who else is policing those who break the law in the oceans? No one. I love Sea Shepherd and think they are worthy of everyone’s support and attention. To Kill are an awesome band with a powerful approach to their music. And they are really nice people. Listening to them you would think they are mean and huge, but they are not huge, or mean. I also really like Anchor from Stockholm. They, in my humble opinion, are Europe’s #1 party band. I have also been listening to a lot of Behemoth’s new full length “Evangelion”, but this is arguably not very punk.


Are there any new projects in production with you right now? Whether it be musically, a new film, or anything else?
GREG: We just finished recording, mixing, and mastering the six song Between Earth and Sky EP for Refuse Records from Berlin/Warsaw. I can’t wait for it to be out. We have been thinking about, planning, and hoping to do this record for ten years. We will be starting to work on an LP soon too. Expect that LP be to be out sometime in the year 2043. The EP however will be out this summer. I am also just starting production on a film called “La Source” about a village in Haiti who desperately need a permanent water system and the dream of one man (Josue Lajeunesse who I mentioned earlier when I was talking about Haiti) to make that water system a reality. You can check out more about the film at http://www.lasourcemovie.com. I am also working on a few book projects, one with Brian Peterson who wrote Burning Fight, and another that I am just getting started on inspired by the Trial “Are These Our Lives?” record and the ideas in it. I am hoping too to do a lot of speaking this year and in 2011. People who have interest in putting together a show should get in touch anytime.

Any last words?
GREG: Yes! Thank you for the interview. Its always good to meet new people, so anyone who has questions about any of the things I talked about here or who just wants to say hi should get in touch on Facebook and we’ll connect. My facebook is http://www.facebook.com/gregbennick and I will love to hear from you anytime.

Total Badass

Really stoked to see this.

It's amazing how easy it is to lose all faith in humanity

The other night I sat down to watch The Boy In The Striped Pajamas with my girlfriend, and was quite startled. After seeing Schindler's List, I though I would be somewhat desensitized to a film graphically depicting the horrors of a Jewish Work Camp during WWII. How wrong I was. This is one of the most powerful films I have seen in a long time. Along with amazing camera work, terrific acting, and a gorgeous setting in a German countryside, this film has a vivid depiction of what could be the worst possible outcome for a human being.



Sometimes I think it's amazing what the human mind can conjure up. The world can be a sick, evil, and sadistic place sometimes, and it is often hard to find beauty out of such despair.



Hope for better days, I guess.

Sometimes you just have to look at a waterfall to clear your mind, and forget that people are still being persecuted for their beliefs. I don't think this is ignorance, I think it's a way to escape reality for a quick moment and focus on something not so wretched in a pretty evil world.

Hardcore lives.

Tonight I went to this show and it rules. It's been three months since I have seen a real show, and far longer since some good touring bands came along. It was refreshing. Hercules in particular was awesome. They reminded me of EyeHateGod, except sped up to 45 rpm and with less heroin. Needless to say, kicked ass. I grabbed their 7". If any of you get a chance to check out either of these touring bands please do so.

On even the worst days

I can still be cheered up by



and

The Brain

Over the past few months I have really been interested in reading about the power of the human brain. The way each part of the brain works with the others to form thoughts, feelings, and emotions, as well as all sensory processes like sight, smell, hearing, balance, and so on.

The idea that we could accomplish almost anything humanly possible (minus gravity defiance) simply with honing in on the power of our brains is astonishing. It's something that really excites me and makes me want to learn more about the workings of my brain.

I am eager to find out more about which part of my brain does what, and how to focus on thinking with that part. The idea of developing a strong bond (relationship if you will) between the brain and philosophical and scientific idea of the mind. I want to try lucid dreaming, and maybe even astral travel.

While I don't exactly subscribe to ideas on astral travel or complete lucid dreaming, I never doubt the power of the brain and how it can do some very extraordinary things. They're both concepts that allow you to control your brain during your sleep cycle to the point of mind travel and out of body experiences.

Anyhow, it's late. I just want this to come to me in the mail soon.

Part-time, minimum wage.

Welp.

Broke.

Tomorrow I am back on the job search. It's been a month and a half without a steady paycheque and I am quickly running out of money.

I will be applying at the following places tomorrow:
Jysk
Winners/Homesense
The Shoe Company
Michaels

And probably whatever else I happen to see. I'll keep up to date more on the search...I promise.

Also, Dennis Rodman kicks ass.

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to 1994...

...and bring Billy Joe Armstrong to 2010 to show him how big of a tool he is. Fuck the haters. Dookie is still good.



Also, listen to more to more Nazi Dust

http://www.mediafire.com/?wywh4zlth0j

I love getting mail

Thanks Mommy!



Also, I started playing WoW again. And Magic The Gathering......and Dungeons and Dragons......and reading comics. If I keep up this pace I will hopefully be 200 lbs by the summer.

Best mail day

Picture below:
Integrity- In Contrast Of Sin x 3 (including Stephen Kasner cover)
Integrity t-shirt
Limited edition /100 Integrity package including stickers and posters
Cope 10"

Dear Zachary

Interview with Adam of Withdrawal

I've known Adam for a few years now, so I was thinking that maybe I could jazz up this blog with an interview. So here it is!



Who are you, what do you do, what is your band, what do you do in your band?

My name is Adam D and I am a full-time misanthropist and part-time cynic. I play in the group Withdrawal, and I sing, write lyrics and generally guide the band artistically and visually. Recently I have started adding electronic and ambient flourishes / samples to our songs. Also, I'm straight edge so I suppose I defacto driver for the band after shows.

How did Withdrawal become affiliated with Holy Terror?

We never set out to be holy terror. We are selfish musicians and we only write for ourselves. That in itself is the essence of holy terror. I can't go into the specifics on how we were contacted, or how we joined but I will say that we're on the outskirts of the Holy Terror process church family and that's a position I'm extremely comfortable with. To be associated with forward thinking musicians and artists of their calibre is an honor.

To those who are unaware of The Process, could you give a bit of insight as to what HT is all about?

On the surface the Holy Terror Process Church in it's artistic form is a loose collective of musicians and artists dedicated to the
preservation of artistic integrity and the progression of such. It itself is an offshoot of a 60's religious cult called the Process Church of Final Judgement. Primarilly, they believed in 4 gods. Hence the 4 P logo seen here we and many other HT bands adopted as a coat of arms and to provide a unifying image. They believed that in the end of times the 4 gods God, Christ, Satan, Lucifer would reconcile. God and Christ to deterimine the wicked and the good, and Satan and Lucifer to carry out the judgement of each. They faded into obscurity and fell apart during the 70's mostly. They were essentially railroaded and chased underground thanks to the Manson set up. In the 90's a man named Jack Abernathy in Europe restarted the church as an amalgamation of ideals between the Process Church and the Abraxas foundation (a now defunct social darwinist offshoot itself of the Church of Satan) whose membership ranks included a man named Boyd Rice (himself a high priest in anton lavey's church of satan, as well as profound artist, musician, actor and tiki bar enthusiest).
The Abraxas Foundation's philosophy was that "the strong rule the weak, and the clever rule the strong". This is combined with the modern Church of Satan's philosophy that Satan is not a "boogie man" to be feared but rather man's urge to enjoy life. This could be as simple as recognizing "do I want a slice of cake? If so then I will eat it" as Satanism. Basically that ends up meaning that the Abraxas foundation would enjoy life regardless of the consequences, and that they didn't care for intellectually weak minded or weak willed people. Jack Abernathy combined all of these into the Holy Terror Process Church. "The strong control the weak, the clever control the strong, there is evil in good, there is good in evil." The lamb and goat fused as one, again used in our symbology. In the 1990's Brian Dingledine, frontman of Crimethinc gypsy hardcore group Catharsis used the term Holy Terror to describe the apocalyptic output of bands like Gehenna, Integrity, Day of Mourning and others. That's really all I can explain, there's more but I'm not at privaledge to divulge and I don't want to keep the readers of your blog up all night.

Hopefully i haven't lost you with all that...

Our church role as a musician is essentially to create challenging, progressive music free of trends or boundary. Because of this, we are met with disdain and fear from the part-time merch mosh internet hardcore kid. These people are close minded and sheltered and are the one's slowly killing hardcore. We're the ones killing them.

What is new with Withdrawal? Any word on your upcoming releases?

I'll spill some details on the new recording: it's a split being relased on Escapist records from Cleveland with fellow commonwealth UK Holy Terrorists Rot in Hell. It's a split 10", and we're using all 10 available minutes on our side of the vinyl. It's 5 pieces split into 3 songs. So that's 3 "standard" songs and 2 abstract segues sewing the songs together. The first 4 songs on our side are thematically based on searching for something seemingly unobtainable and the inability to enjoy it when you possess that fleeting feeling. This could be love, drugs, money, religion. It applies to the very basically feeling of needing something. The split also conceptually bound between both sides by the theme of murderers. As such, Rot in Hell are contributing a track referencing the rumoured Processian Church influence on the Son of Sam, while the final track on our side is based on underappreciated satanic Charles Mansion devotee Jason Eric Massey. Musically it is a sizeable departure from where "Unknown Misery" left off. We've cast off any sort of genre expectations of a typical hardcore band and allowed ourselves to take inspriation from our more esthetoric influeneces. Tt would be easy to take old Ringworm riffs and add Buried Alive breakdowns, but that wouldn't advance us musically and I feel it would be a disservice to hardcore as a whole to regurgitate the past over and over. We want to create a mood and feel for each song, and do so that the record flows cohesively. We're crafting soundtracks to nightmares. Amongst others we've drawn from diverse influences, referencing Bauhaus' gothic postpunk leads, Vangelis' atmospheric synthsizer landscapes and Slowdive's shimmering showgaze guitar drone. All of this is done, however, without sacrificing speed or aggression so don't worry about us turning into post-hardcore dipshittery. I can honestly say that there is no other hardcore band out there today that is doing what we are doing right now.
I realize this sounds like a tough pill to swallow, and i realize i'm rambling, but i've never been more excited about our new music.

Favorite record of 2010 thus far? What records are you looking forward to?

Thus far? When was Tegan And Sara - Sainthood released? 2009 I think. Honestly, nothing yet. I've spent most of my year just delving further into the back catalogue of Killing Joke, etc, etc... Actually, the new Fear Factory record was unexpectedly amazing. Considering that band has been awful for about 14 years I didn't expect them to put out anything listenable but here I am. I am looking forward to the new Crucified LP above all other records. That will be my favorite record of the year. The new Integrity record will be good as well.

What are the most crucial fillings for the best burrito?

Honestly I'm fairly pedestrian when it comes to burrittos. I am more of a chimichanga man myself. But blackbeans, rice, guac, sour cream and pulled pork with the spiciest sauce I can get will serve me well.

Which Buried Alive LP is better- Last Rites or The Death Of Your Perfect World?

Well Last Rites can hardly be called an LP but more of a collection of demos, though I do like Last Rites alot if it were recorded properly it would be alot better. And how can you top Six Month Face and Kill Their Past?? Plus Kiss of Death is about AIDS, which is a pretty hard topic to tackle.

Any last words?

Expect no less than 3 records from Withdrawal in 2010. Lots of touring too. Listen to Crucified.

Integrity super-fans, rejoice!

These cool guys have been working on an online documentation of everything Integrity-related. Psywarfare and Holy Terror releases included. Super cool.

http://graceoftheunholy.com

Also, I am still waiting for my In Contrast Of Sin pre-order. From the photos I have seen, the vinyl looks gorgeous and the Stephen Kasner cover is the bomb ass pussy.

Some of the best lessons I have ever learned

Sometimes television is a useful tool. Sometimes it can help us escape the confines of our everyday existence, and sometimes it can mimic real life to the extent of our own personal struggles, trials, and tribulations. He learned on screen, I learned in real life. Foil characters if you will.

Today and tomorrow

Today:





Tomorrow:




Tuesdays with Morrie at the Globe Theater. Get stoked.