all things old school: March 2016

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

WAR HUNGRY - Chopped & Screwed Mixes

Location: Wilkes-Barre, US
Release: Lockin Out, 2016

Time to get weird, it's LOR#042!

"Two doomed out slowed and throwed tracks mixed by producer Arthur Rizk. Each era of WAR HUNGRY is represented in these tracks unified in a slow massive pace."

PURCHASE TAPE
DOWNLOAD [128kbps]

Monday, March 28, 2016

INFERNAL DIATRIBE - Admission Of Guilt

Location: New Hampshire, US
Release: Pine Hill Records, 2016

Last weekend, looking through my CD stash after some fast music I ended up picking Graves from THE NASTY, it's been years I didnt listen to it. Got my copy directly with Johnnie Limit through myspace and the whole catalog available at the time of his label (Arrest Records) back in 2009.

Listened the record twice in a roll, I didn't remeber it was that good, so I went to look up about the band's current status and couldn't find anything. Then I did some research which led me to Valentino Valpa, the only remaining original member. Turns out they recently changed the bands name to INFERNAL DIATRIBE and the release show of the first LP happened last weekend!


For better understanding I asked Tino Valpa some questions about this transition and other related stuff: 

1- To make a fresh start you buried The Nasty and moved on with a new name. Did the belgium band (with the same name) influenced your decision in any degree? It did originally, yes. Because a few labels that were considering putting out Admission Of Guilt did not want to run the risk of any confusion between the two bands. In the long run for many other reason I am very happy we made the decision to the change the name.

2- Infernal Diatribe has a classic powerviolence/fastcore feel but with your own thing going. How would you describe its music and whats the message behind lyrics? Musically: It’s pure aggression and hardcore punk influence from a lowdown, grim perspective. I’ve never tuned my guitar to B-standard before. I’ve always tuned to E-standard. I absolutely fell in love with this new tuning and the songs started belting out quickly. I think I finished writing the whole album in under 2 weeks, just working on a little bit each day. It’s hard to describe the whole record in one subgenre. Looking at it from an outside viewpoint I’m hearing influences of Cro-Mags, Dropdead, Disfear, even Black Flag. Which are all bands I like a lot, so I guess it makes sense.


Lyrically: I only wrote the lyrics to “Admission Of Guilt.” The rest of the lyrics were written by the original Nasty singer Tim Rummo, who actually recorded vocals on this album but left the band abruptly before recording our music videos or playing any shows. His vocals can be found on the physical copies of the LP and CD. His lyrical style has remained consistent over the years. Dark, pessimistic, anti-religious, hatred towards…everything. I’m down with it, he’s a very talented lyricist. We are not considering him part of the original ID lineup. Cam Garnett, who retracked all the vocals, is in the music videos and all the ID audio you’re hearing online is now our singer and should be considered the original ID vocalist. I’m excited to work with him, he has killer energy on stage and no one has been more true to our local hardcore scene for the past almost decade.

3- What can you say about your other bands? in the solo project you recorded all instruments, do you play live with it? The latest album sounds like a mix of 7 Seconds and Dead Kennedys, am I tripping? It seems you took all the aggressivesness left on Tino Valpa and injected on Infernal Diatribe. My solo project is currently my least involved endeavor. I did a 7” in 2010, 7” in 2011, and full-length CD in 2014. The early stuff is straight oldschool hardcore. The latest CD has more to it, and I take your description of it as a compliment because I love both 7S and DK very much. This project does play live, but maybe only 1-3 times per year.


The main thing I’m busy with is The Cryptics. This is the band that takes up most of my time and where I put most of my energy into. It’s nowhere near the sound of ID, or even the solo material. It’s punk, but definitely on the melodic side. I like everything, not just hardcore. The Cryptics have toured with Dead Kennedys, Angry Samoans, and just got back from a tour recently with Guttermouth. That band keeps me very busy but when I’m not doing that, Infernal Diatribe is definitely my next priority. No matter what type of music you play, there is absolutely nothing like playing in a hardcore punk band. I will never abandon heavy music. It’s also my only opportunity to play drums so that’s a huge plus.

4- Name 5 albums released in 2015/16 you've been listening the most: Peter Hook & The Light – So This Is Permanence? [The Complete Works of Joy Division Live]

That’s it for that time frame.

5- As a dweller, how's life in the City of Dover, NH? and how do you feel about today's hardcore punk local scene? I will always prefer the way this city was in the 1990’s but I will say I’m still very content living here. It’s always nice to come back here to my true home after a long tour. We have a small but tight scene locally. The faces change like crazy over the years, but a few solid people have stuck around. One major issue in our town which I see happening all over the US on the road is that there are now 10 different fucking punk scenes in each city.

In Dover alone there’s a “scene” of strictly hardcore kids, crust punks, skinheads, punks, etc. and everything is split up to the max. If everyone just dropped their stupid clique for the greater good of the scene, each show would be fucking packed. But no, we’ve got to keep it as subdivided as possible. It’s the silliest shit on the planet. I don’t give a fuck what useless clique is presenting the show, if it’s good I will go see it. We all share a common interest in some form of punk rock and that’s the bottom line. Friends that were in bands in the 80’s always tell me “back then, you were either punk or you weren’t punk.” There were no further subdivisions and separates scenes. I wish people were as open-minded as people were back then. 

6- Thanks for everything Tino! Feel free to write anything: recipes, advices, shouts, you choose: Thanks for being into our music. Glad you found us from so far away. Infernal Diatribe begins our US tour May 7th through 31st, more tour plans to follow 2016. Keep an eye out!


Buy “Admission Of Guilt” at PineHillRecords.com/Shop

Download it at any price at InfernalDiatribe.bandcamp.com



 
Check out the first single from the new album RATHER NOT (STUCK):

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

UNITED RACES - The United Rehearsal

Location: Houston, USA
Release: DIY, 2015
Artwork: Daniel Ortuño

This is one of those Mosher's Delight bands not on Mosher's Delight. UNITED RACES' rehearsal tape (live recording) has new songs and old ones re-recorded from the demo, also a debut 7" is planned for later this year. 80's NY inspired hardcore old school or bust!

United we're all the same
No problems, no one to blame
It's obvious that our choice is clear
But that's not what you want to hear


Monday, March 14, 2016

MODERN PROBLEMS - In Your Eyes

Location: Buffalo, US
Release: DIY, 2015

 MODERN PROBLEMS is a band who pays homage to one of the greatest hardcore outfits that ever existed, the Uniform Choice. Formed in 2014 and already with 4 records out, they gained more attention in 2015 through the release of their debut EP on Climbin' Aboard, late on that same year another 3-song EP came out entitled In Your Eyes. If they keep this pace up, it won't take much longer for a full-length to surface. 

PURCHASE TAPES/MERCH
DOWNLOAD [discography]

Thursday, March 10, 2016

COUNTDOWN - Demo

Location: New York, NY
Release: DIY, 2016

Damn daniel, this demo caught me off guard. Lotsa cool new projects are popping up this year, stepping up the old school game, bands like malcontent and corrective measure sounds like they were taken right off the New Breed compilation, lost tapes from the 80's or something. A true throwback to the gold days!

COUNTDOWN, fronted by Chris X (from chrisxcreations), sounds exactly like that, think Age of Quarrel demos, Where The Wild Things Are comp. and so on. Lyrics deals with grief and loss matching the soggy artwork.


Wednesday, March 9, 2016

LIFE AS ONE - Demo 2016

Location: Oklahoma City, US
Release: DIY, 2016
Artwork: Chirs X

Another suggested demo by my bro Gonz. That '86 mentality right back in 2016!

Friday, March 4, 2016

WILDFLOWER - 2 song Promo

Location: België
Release: Powertrip Records, 2016

Powertrip put out last december a taste of whats to come this current year by this ultra cool label: an all killer no filler european hardcore Sampler, bands to watch closely with no exceptions! The newest amongst them is WILDFLOWER whose full demo is yet to be released, which should happen around April. Their high developed and rich groove sound in such an early stage as a band impress even the pickiest motherfocker.

I sent a few questions to find out more about this project and get a fresh look on the belgium scene:

1- As a new band, wildflower already sounds tight! did any of you guys played in a band before? can you drop a few names that influenced your music? Thanks man appreciate it! The 2 guitarist played in Grim, and the drummer and bass player play in Pulse. I kinda think the influences are a bit different with each member but it surely isn't a coincidence that we cover who's to blame from Leeway... but we try to just do our own thing.

2- Around 2007 Belgium was the booming place for the coolest new bands in Europe, how do you feel about it and how do you see the local scene nowadays compared to 10 years ago? belgium defenitly had some cool bands in the past, 2007 era sure wasn't a bad year. The scene over here was dying out a bit the past 2 years though, but with a lot of new upcoming bands it'll change for the better soon I can tell.

3- Can you name other new rad bands hailing from your area? any shout outs? be sure to check Mindwar, Escape, Absolve, Pulse, Devour and Destined to Burn. Shout out too all the promoters in belgium for sure! Crowfoot bookings, damage bookings,... and the guys involved with wildflower! Special one for Hannes from powertrip records.


DOWNLOAD