Band: Hatebreed
Song: I Will Be Heard
Album: Perseverance (2002)
Genre: Hardcore
I've mentioned this before, but I've really developed an appreciation for Hatebreed. They're not too bad, and they give me that good morning kick in the pants that I sometimes need, ya know? Hatebreed is just good at giving me that kick, and they're not as hateful as you might think. At least, if you assume they're a nazi band they aren't hateful in that way. They may not be super positive, but they aren't racist, so that's good yo.
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Band: Gideon
Song: Champions
Album: Cold (2017)
Genre: Hardcore
I first heard about these guys early 2017 area, and I kinda fell in love with the sound. There's not many bands that still rock that old Hardcore sound in this decade, and I was pretty excited to find them for that reason. I was never the biggest fan of the genre, but I can still be excited, haha
Now I for sure think that Pulling Teeth is their best song. The bass riff in that one just get's me every time, so freaking good. The album that song was on had finally been released though, so here's a song off of that one.
I'm pretty happy with it honestly. I don't know if the album really holds up to the expectations I had from Pulling Teeth, but it's a freaking solid album nonetheless. I recommend it to anybody who wants to check out a modern hit on the Hardcore genre. Gideon and Poured Out, both of them doing great things to the genre.
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Band: xRepresentx
Song: Swift Justice
Album: The New Inquisition (2009)
Genre: Hardcore
Language: Strong
I guess I should specify that the main time Hardcore is positive is when it's not about being Straight Edge, which is what any band with an x in their name like this generally is.
Nothing against the Straight Edge crowd honestly, but some of them were pretty awful people back in the day. Like, catch you smoking make you eat the pack of cigs type people. Like catch you drinking break the bottle on your head and beat you type people. I respect the commitment to a clean lifestyle, but some of them took it a little far to the point that they were no worse than the gangs they hated.
But they did hate Nazis, so there's a really solid plus in my book.
It's good music though, and anything that reps my home town is a good time.
I mean, for being a band called Hatebreed these guys are actually a reasonably positive force with their message. From what I've been learning about the whole Hardcore scene though, it's not an uncommon thing.
So there's this band from Erie called xRepresentx that just had their 15 year anniversary show on Saturday. I went to support a friend of mine who was way into the scene back in the day, and without fail the whole mood of the venue was generally positive. Sure the pit existed to hurt you and half my friends were swinging fists and throwing kicks, but everybody there was having a great time. You could tell they all were there for a good time and in solidarity with the whole old scene they were a part of.
So yeah, if I can track down their music I'll be posting them tomorrow.
When I heard this song at first I thought I had found a new Slam Death band. The whole song is just so gritty and filthy, I love it so much. The breakdowns are brutal, the visuals in the video are stunning, it's just a good time all around.
I don't know anything else about them yet though, so I'll check back when I've got more for ya.
Band: Winds Of Plague
Song: Never Alone
Album: Blood Of My Enemy
Genre: Hardcore
Language: Strong
Oh hot dang, let's get some heavy hype going on here for the new Winds Of Plague song!
I know I said something about an album review, but that'll wait till tomorrow since this was literally released on Friday.
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting too much from Winds Of Plague. It's been 4 years since they put out any music and the stuff before that was pretty basic, ya know?
I was happily surprised when I heard this track today though it made me change my tune. While I've always enjoyed WoP as high energy pump up music, I wouldn't generally choose them as a favorite. This track follows a lot of what they used to do in their old songs, but instead of slipping into their traditional Deathcore groove they sound a lot more... Varied? I'm pumped to see what the rest of the album sounds like honestly. They had this blackened vibe that promises to be a blast if done right.
Band: Sleeping Giant
Song: Clutches
Album: Finished People
Genre: Hardcore
Oh hey, it's a song that's rather similar to the point I was trying to make yesterday.
I have a lot of people tell me on a very regular basis that I'm not allowed to listen to secular Metal. I personally greatly disagree with this a lot, but I can see where people are coming from with it.
Let's say your lifestyle was all about music, but you were into really nasty stuff like, the extreme Black Metal scene. I would in that situation advise you to stop listening to that stuff, it's not gonna help you out at all. But at the same time I am also going to be peeved if you try to tell me that I, with no past problems with the situation, need to stop listening to Metal in general because it's "satanic".
It's like the whole alcohol argument. I'm not going to stop enjoying a drink from time to time because there's people in the world that struggle with it. Not to be all "That's not my problem", but I can't be held accountable for everybody in the world.
It's the same deal with music. I can't be held accountable for other people having a bad past with the stuff, I just need to be sensitive when I'm around them that it's a part of their life they need to put behind them.
All that to say though, that's not a valid reason to have all white labeled Christian tunes be the same mediocre genre. We have a local radio station that plays CCM almost exclusively. They are one of the more popular stations in town, but they are also the only Christian station so they kinda win by default for a lot of people. People get scared away when they think that's the life they get locked into. You know the image, block color polos and khakis, all the music is played on airy synths and sung by vocalists who are using almost exclusively their upper range, and all fun is cut out of your life. Not true, but stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason.
So here's another solid Christian band to help break that mold.
Band: Haste The Day
Song: Fallen
Album: When Everything Falls
Genre: Hardcore
One thing that tends to drive me crazy is when Christian bands constantly pander to their audience with church phrases and sayings. You can single bands out pretty easily that musically might stand apart, but then once the singing starts you hear those church/bible phrases that immediately label a band really harshly.
I'm not saying this is a bad thing. The reason Christian Contemporary Music is a genre at all is because there's so many bands that do this. It's turned it into a whole thing and it's great for people who like that. Not me, but I'm not about to write off an entire genre because I don't like their imagery.
Here's the issue though. When that's the only style of music available you're going to have issues. Me for example. If I was a new believer one thing I'd really chafe at would be a lack of music for me to get into. Music, as I'm sure y'all might have noticed, is a big deal to me. If I came in and found that not only am I being told I have to give up all my old music (totally separate issue there) but that all I have to replace it is Casting Crowns, Aaron Shust, and Jeremy Camp I'd have some issues to address right quick.
Just cause a band has the religious label attached to them doesn't mean they need to be less good than their secular counterpart. I know a lot of this is because people aren't familiar with a lot of what to give people to listen to, but I'm gonna make it a minor mission to let people know where to find the good Christian Metal stuff.
If you are of a religious background and don't believe me, go ahead and check the lyrics for the songs I'm posting during this whole rant week I'm on, please. They're all pretty solid.
Band: Prison
Song: Losing My Mind
Album: N.G.R.I. (Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity)
Genre: Nu-Metal, Hardcore
Bandcamp: prisonfl.bandcamp.com
So the frontman for Dark Sermon didn't want to be done with music when the rest of the band decided to go on hiatus. He took his energy and has decided to channel it into Prison.
Always having been open about mental problems, Crowder has taken the lyrical theme of Prison to a whole new level with lyrics that blatantly showcase struggles and problems that need to have a much more open dialogue.
I'm really looking forward to this album, it's gonna be crazy dark, have killer music, and all in all be great from the reviews I've read so far. I'm pumped man, gonna be great.
This song is hella tight. There's some nifty Deathcore influence in the music here that I just love.
A mildly embarrassing story for you guys today. Back when I used to work in "the hood" I met a lot of interesting people. There was this one dude who, when I told him I wasn't able to give him any water, had his kid pee on our doorstep. Good times.
This is a better story though, this is about how I met the singer for War Of Ages and I didn't actually know it at the time. See, I had just started listening to these guys at the time and wasn't super familiar with what they looked like. Then these 3 guys walk into the shop, the drummer, guitarist, and singer, and one of them compliments my Skillet shirt. I proceeded to say I wasn't the biggest fan of them and I prefered heavier stuff. When they asked who I responded with Demon Hunter or War Of Ages cause I thought the dude was the singer for one of them. Well Leroy, the singer, proceeded to tell me to swing by Creation (big Christian music fest) that year and see them, and after checking the lineup I managed to figure out who they were. Good times.
These guys have some sick harmonized leads though and were really impactful to a lot of kids during the time when the Hardcore scene reigned supreme.
There's something about the extremely confined yet chaotic noise that tends to be Grindcore. It's a psychotic mess, but then it all comes together to punch you in the face really hard and move on.
I feel like if I was hired to sell music to people I probably would either do really well or really terribly, but no in between ground at all. I sell based on the emotion usually, and honestly that doesn't always reach people. I can always appreciate technically beautiful music, but at the same time I base most of my music love on whatever I tie it to.
Also I dunno if you guys noticed, but the last week plus was all bands that started with the letter C. An unofficial theme of sorts to launch into a real theme week tomorrow. It's gonna be good. Hella emotional.
Honestly I can't believe I didn't include these guys on the throwback week I did a while ago. Ok, maybe it was like 13 days and not a week which would explain why I missed a couple bands here and there. (started here if you're interested in checking it out.)
Haste The Day were a christian Hardcore/Metalcore band back in the day that put out a lot of really good music. Good being a matter of perspective I guess, but really, this was a freaking awesome album in my opinion. It has a high screaming of vocals that I've always loved and they manage to tie those into clean singing and gang vocals that just scream early 2000s. Personally I could do without as heavy an amount of clean vocals because eventually you just kinda wait for the part in each song where they kick in.
Solid group with a positive message though, which is a little harder to find nowadays than it used to be.
Yo, I was freaking supposed to write this after I got home from work since I didn't manage to get to it over break, but then I went to a friends house and didn't get home till like 5:30 AM. I'm really tired.
And ya know, there's church this morning, so no sleep. Is gonna be a good day though cause I have faith it will.
Band: Bring Me The Horizon
Genre: Hardcore, Metalcore
Language: Brief, Strong
I remember this album coming out a few years ago because one of my coworkers loved it to death. Back in the days when I didn't run the kitchen music with a first of Metal this was the heaviest stuff we ever played. I didn't really mind it, but it was also right at the height of my stupid Metal Elitist stage so I had issues with these guys music because the general Metal Community (a bunch of d-bags generally) had issues with them.
Luckily for me I'm finally opening up my mind to the fact that bands don't automatically suck just because they're Metalcore or anything like that. #ProudOfMe
Check out that pre-breakdown line at about 1:30 though, classy as hell. Not familiar with what a pre-breakdown line is? Just check out this video.
I was out looking for some new music on Facebook the other day and a friend of mine told me to check out these guys. He's a big fan of the early 2000s Hardcore scene and actually was a rather big part of it. I'm not sure what band he was in but I know he toured with a couple bigger names back in the day, so music like this is way nostalgic for him.
When he told me to check them out I wasn't sure what I was walking into, but then when the music started I was amazed to hear something that sounded like old school Hardcore music, even though it was released this year.
I love this song so much. When I first heard the song I was kinda new to metal (kinda like all the music on this list), but I was really attracted to it since it was all about end times type stuff. I always really liked apocalypse type things so it was a rather huge attraction.
It's a fast and unrelenting pace that just drives in your face for a while then it drops down hard, builds back up, and ends on some breakdown action. It's good, I like it.
We continue our however many days of throwback with Living Sacrifice. As with most all of the bands that my friend Matt gave me, they are either Christian or Christian influenced.
So far all I've posted in the throwback series is the stuff he gave me, but once I get through most of the music he gave me we'll move onto the stuff that parents had given me and stuff I discovered on my own. Man, it's really great to have even a general plan to go with this. I'm enjoying re-finding all of the old music I haven't listened to in ages.
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