Tag: youth crew

Where are they now? Pt. two.

On By preemptivefearIn hardcore, music, review, straight edgeLeave a comment

The anticipated follow up to the earlier post “Where are they now”

United Youth.

First on the this list is a band that really helped form that “modern” hardcore sound (well at the time) it was a great mix of LOC style with youth crew sounds with some NYHC flavours similar to some of what Free Spirit did earlier. After this spawned a load of bands trying to replicate this sort of sound.

The EP Something 2 Prove came out on Back To Back and Lockin’ Out records, it was quite hyped and was at the beginning of the “merch age” of hardcore when everyone all of a sudden needed every shirt by every band which made it hard for the dudes in hardcore that wont be flippin’ those shirts in a years time when they get bored of hardcore to get. Another victim of this was when Stick Together released a 5 panel cap and it became more expensive than a Supreme box logo cap (sell me your Stick Together cap, I miss that band).

Anyway after the release of S2P they just seemed to fizzle away, don’t know what happened, didn’t the vocalist start Westpoint? what happened to them?

Burst of Rage.

Cool name. As far as I am aware they released a a demo on Moshers Delight (RIP) and that was it. Don’t know who was in this band. Total NYHC worship through out the demo Rest In Pieces vibes with nice hints of Straight Ahead with the bass and drum work.

Stand Off.

This band released a demo on Youngblood records two tapes one on Moshers Delight (a live tape) and then a DIY EP all in the space of 2 years and then dropped of the face of the earth. From what I gather it was a bunch of young kids. People always said just how good this band was, man was they right! A mix of early youthcrew like Up Front with fast punk and punchy riffs from bands like Youth Brigade and then mix in some classic NYHC vibes and thats Stand Off, nothing not to like.

xFirm Standing Lawx.

What a band!

Dan from Cold World lives in the UK so decided to start a band with a handful of dudes from the scene, why not? They released a demo and EP through now deceased Carry The Weight Records (RIP) and then called it a day. I think it was mainly because the guitarist and co owner of CTW moved to Egypt to study. It was a shame cause this band ruled! bringing NYHC Straight Edge in you face! taking notes from XChoursX and Judge. It makes you want to X up and rampage against all those that aren’t straight edge.

Liberty.

This band featured Ned from Disengage (and others) and Chandler from Illusion (and others) New York based one demo and that was it. Some NYHC influences and then some more punk influences in the likes of Reality Control. Pretty cool little band a shame nothing more came of them suppose Ned would have been getting busy with Title Fight tours.

Guidance.

There was a bit of a 90’s straight edge revival in the UK in 2013/14 when xrepentancex smashed their way onto the scene, everyone went crazy for them and so other bands formed out of the wood work too. Guidance was one of those bands, I think it had members of IronXCurtain (not a 90’s metalcore straight edge band) in it. They released two Ep’s then done, it is just 90’s worship, polished metallic, heavy and in your face with melodic parts, it is what it is. It’s not my favourite style of hardcore but, I do like it and Guidance did it well but never really did anything or was known.

No eXceptions.

So I found out that this band came after the demise of Iron X Edge but again went no where. Boston band, these completely went under the radar for me at the time. Pretty good band, fairly weird with styles and influences, theres a nice mix of modern sounding hardcore with some early 2000’s but it has some more melodic parts, then theres some faster and puncher parts that have a Ceremony feel to me, its good. Just one demo, I know the vocalist of IXE played drums don’t know anyone else in the band?

Undone.

Swedish hardcore. Had this demo bookmarked on my computer since it came out because I knew I would be coming back to it. NYHC punks living in Sweden. The first track sounds like a b-side from Dmize. Not much more I can say on this, it was great! shame there was no more.

Big Boss.

One-person hardcore band from Tyumen, Russia. Currently located in Berlin, Germany. This is cool and it’s great! The demo from 2015 has a very DIY sounding to it, very rough and for me a little hard to listen too in places. Theres an Outburst cover which is cool “Controlled” which is off the NYHC: Where The Wild Things Are which is very cool cause it’s not a song you’ll see covered often or ever. The EP comes out 2 years later, it’s credited with another person on some of the music on this and theres a photo with a full band so I guess they became a band? Better production and a more rounded off sound, mixed by the great Chris Corry of every Boston band ever. The drums have that DFJ sound that everyone has/wants (but why not it’s a great sound) this EP rips, hard hitting NYHC worship with fast almost powerviolence vibes mixed in.

Open Your Eyes.

It was 2017 when this demo was released, this was made up of a whose who of straight edge powerhouses! Crucial John on vox, CC and Ian Edge on guitars, Doug Free on bass and Connor X on drums this was a super group! so why did they only release a demo? Probably because it was a super group made up of some of the busiest dudes in that area too. Hardcore needed and needs more straight edge bands! It’s youth crew, it’s in your face, it’s raw and it’s modern with old school influences, it’s just great hardcore! If any of the band are reading this (probably not) make more music! Johns vocals are great! you get some Give sounds coming through but its a lot more hardcore then Give for obvious reasons. Bonus points for having an “Intro” song and extra bonus points for having Ken Fontaine do the artwork for this, there is nothing bad about this demo at all!

If anyone has any interesting information on any of these bands, feel free to drop me a line I’m always interested.

Where are they now?

On By preemptivefearIn hardcore, music, review, Uncategorized2 Comments

In modern hardcore there has been lots of bands come and go, lots of good bands come and go. Theres probably shit ones too but thats not what I’m here to talk about. It’s a shame when this happens, I understand people start projects all the time and never end up going back to them, thats the whole idea of a project I guess. Some bands release a couple of things and then just fade away this is probably due to being busy with other bands, it sometimes seems like people will start little side projects when their main band is getting big and plays bigger shows so they can still play smaller shows with other bands. This is a post dedicated to a ten bands that came and went and will probably never come back. Lots of “Democore” bands here.

I know there are so many bands that could be on this list from all eras of hardcore and I’m sure this won’t be the last time I do one of these.

Life of Reilly.

I remember there being quite a bit of hype around these guys on the Bridge 9 message board (RIP) I remember a demo or promo (people do promos now a days) then an EP. I think the chat was on the Lockin” Out page, I can’t remember why, maybe because it has a bit of LOC sound to it, with heavy early hardcore influences, it was a good band and this EP was great. But nothing else happened with the band and that was that.

Iron X Edge.

Two promos and a demo. Promo number one 2014 on edge day, I think I remember seeing them on some edge day show hence the promo. The demo would come in 2015, the another promo in 2016. From Boston Mass, no clue who was in the band. The first promo and the demo are better then the second promo, it’s fast in your face youth crew with a more militant style coming through, Judge but not as NYHC or as heavy. The 2016 promo is heavier and cleaner with the vocals sounding too tough guy, I just don’t think it’s as good. Although there is a more Abused sound coming through which is really cool and they even cover Loud and Clear on the second promo, maybe it’s just the production letting it down abit. I don’t think people was ready for this band at the time.

Whats Good.

A “Super group” out of California with members in  Soul Search, Violent Situation, Minority Unit, New Brigade, Twitching Tongues, Skinfather, Forced Order, Fury, Disgrace, Pocketknife, Enough Said, Creatures, and Precinct all of those apparently, a random mix that pretty much sounds nothing like any of them. This demo I guess came out on Back To Back records (RIP) man that was a great label! It was a four track tape it came out in 2014. They didn’t seem to take themselves too seriously which was good, it was fun and belonged on B2B it almost sounds like “LOC revival” (Coining that phrase) it’s a great demo, the vocals are unusual but I like them, guitar slides, breakdowns and sing alongs, good stuff.

Zoom.

2013 this is closest I’m getting to Lion of Judah (RIP) and in a blink of an eye, it was gone! One demo. It’s members of LOJ and it’s sound is very LOJ I was excited when this came out! It’s faster and less groovy than LOJ but it’s a different band so it has to be different in some way right. I don’t know if any physical copies exist, I think there was a shirt. Sell me Zoom merch!

Stand Point.

In 2017 Tom Pimlott of too many bands to name fame started a Youth Crew band in the vain of Uniform Choice and it was great! They released a demo through React Records and Quality Control and that was it! It’s a sound that not that many people go for which is sad because UC were so different from anything else Youth Crew from that era so it is a shame no one ever really takes that on as main inspiration. SP mixes early Youth of Today into the sound nicely as well. I thought this might have been the start of something but no, I thought it would have been more hyped since React released the demo and a shirt, then the demo sold out on QC, it’s annoying because apart from Insist their isn’t and hasn’t been a really good quality Youth Crew band in the UK in a long time.It’s not a cool enough genre of hardcore so no one cares enough about it. Bring back UK Youth Crew!

The X Force.

Why did it take until 2016 for a straight edge band to be called The X Force?

South Florida, Daniel-Vocals, Ian-Guitar, Jared-Bass, Cris-Drums whoever the fuck those guys are but their in the band. A demo then out, again not sure if physical copies are a thing. I fell like this band would have done better a couple of years later or even in this time of hardcore, 90’s straight edge worship but not too metallic, Undertow sounds. It’s a great demo, shame. The logo is really cool too.

Snail’s Pace.

WB/ Boston band released this demo on Lockin’ Out what a demo it was! Not sure who was in, because of the geography of the band there was probably a few familiar faces in it, backing vocals on a couple of tracks sound like Alex Russin and the fact Ned features on a track it would make sense for Alex to feature in the line up. Great band, had a demo on LOC why did this not go further? It has some old school NYHC sounds with some classic LOC vibes it’s great.

Not Afraid.

Remember True Colors? one of the best modern youth crew band from Antwerp well after they packed that in around 2010/ 2011ish I think, well they decided a couple of years later to start a new and Not Afraid was that band, it basically sounds like if all the members of TC got together to start a band that sounds primarily like Judge. Nothing not to like there! they released a promo and an LP it was among the last things Powered Records (RIP) along with a release on React also. Put out before Powered died along with NA, both are truly missed!. . . .Man I miss Justice.

Torn Away.

2018 demo 90’s melodic style hardcore, later Turning Point, some Stretch Arm Strong vibes as well with lots of emotional lyrics. I think one of the members moved away which is one of the reasons this never carried on, but this was it as far as I cam remember no shows, no nothing. I remember playing this a lot when it came out, it was quite different than anything in the UK at the time and I think they managed to recreate the style of hardcore they was doing well.

Up In Blue.

Coming out of Florida in 2018 these boys Chooch, Dave, Innie, Matias (whoever the fuck they are) released a demo through IOU Records. Good stuff, again I thought these would have done better or stayed around they had that modern hardcore sound going for them, but no, nothing more.

If anyone has any interesting information on any of these bands, feel free to drop me a line I’m always interested.