BREAK DOWN THE WALLS

“I used to think that labels were just a symbol of pride, but over time I’ve seen they only serve to divide. It’s so easy to judge people by the way they seem to be, we must overcome this problem to live life peacefully. Break down the walls, yes, we’ll break down the walls!
Look beyond the fashion or the crowd that they are in, look beyond their riches or the color of their skin, look beyond appearance and the truth you will find, look for what’s inside before you make up your mind!”

The Hardcore scene is so unique, it’s like a religious community, but watch for the little corrupter inside. To be honest, I’ve never seen or read or hear that there’s any other music scene that is so full of dedicated people in it, that is only doing the works in it for the sake of the scene and not for anything else. The other music scene is only filled with money grabbing, rockstar wannabe, greedy businessmen and so much more. To be short, Hardcore is way better than other music scene, but it does still have a flaw. That’s normal because it’s not like it is a great religion with a great prophet and a great holy book. It’s just an idea, not a belief. That’s why it was bound to have its own conflict, problems, and far from being perfect.

If we view it generally, a lot of people in it talk about supporting and helping one another, but reality is, we’re still divided by small differences be it from lifestyle, music, fashion, and so on. Straight Edge kids don’t hang out with non-Straight Edge kids has been an issues for years. People still bruising each other with issues like commercialism, turning Hardcore into big business, who’s more DIY, who’s with more better crew, and so on. Somehow, this is what that makes the scene sour and divided into many division.

This fight becoming a routine, because a lot of people just have not much to do, so they fight each other over petty issues. The scene becomes smaller, weak and it’s an open door for outsider to get in and pour a salt into the wounded. People fight for 10 minutes and then live like normal people, so how can the Hardcore scene progress and getting stronger if this attitude keep going on? It’s like you watching news on TV, and you saw a 12years old Palestinian kid died after been shot by an Israel soldier, you get so angry and curse the whole Israel nation and swore you want to slay every one of them before everything else. After 30 minutes, the TV starts to broadcast “Reality Show”, or “Corporate Business Drama”, and that’s it, everything back to normal. Maybe 2-3 days or weeks or months later, when you hear the same thing on TV about women, oldest, children in Iraq died in explosive, you look for something to blame, and after 30 minutes everything back to earth once again. That’s why I said, it’s just a routine, but that’s a Malaysian society, being a caring nation as always. What exactly do we do?

The lyric of the song “Break down the Walls” by Youth of Today is not just an ordinary Hardcore song. The message is so simple and direct but it is super strong.

These days, separation is here and nobody really care. Bands get on stage and just playing music, crowd having fun and then go home, people sells stuffs, and others just want to socializing. This is all just a part of the Hardcore scene on weekend, and on weekdays, people mind their own business. Everything else back to normal. There’s nothing wrong with all this, but what are we gonna do with the real problem at hands that’s been going for days, weeks, months, years? We can’t change this world when we can’t even sit well together. Lets change problems within ourselves first, so that we can begin to fight for the peaceful world!
Lets break down the walls that clouded us for years, lets do it!

STRAIGHT EDGE COMMERCIAL

“I’m a person just like you, but I’ve got better things to do, than sit around and fuck my head, hang out with the living dead, snort white shit up my nose, pass out at the shows, I don’t even think about speed, that’s something I just don’t need, I’ve got the straight edge, I’m a person just like you, but I’ve got better things to do, than sit around and smoke dope, cause I know I can cope, laugh at the thought of eating ludes, laugh at the thought of sniffing glue, always gonna keep in touch, never want to use a crutch, I’ve got the straight edge”

Everybody out there smoking, drinking and doing drugs, and I don’t want to live like that; it is so mediocrity and lame. I don’t want to be just like another type of guy who go booze around, smoking grass, and don’t know how to respect people. I have a healthy clean positive lifestyle, and that’s that.

Lots of stupidity and silliness emerges from being drunk, it could kill people too. Obviously there’s nothing to be proud of from drinking. It’s just an old tradition from many cultures all around the world when they want to celebrate some festivals and feasts, things like that. Others took it as an idea to make people forget about the worlds around them for few hours, or maybe to make men feel more brave or something, sounds silly but I don’t know, it’s just a theory I think, no? It’s up to everybody to drink or not anyway. It’s none of my business actually.

I don’t smoke, I don’t even want to. To me, if people want to smoke, if that’s what makes them happy, go ahead, do it. I won’t pick that cigar butt and shove it up on their own ass. Personally, I think smoking is just a waste of time. I choose to be clean rather than smoke, or drink, or doing drugs but if that’s going to be other people choices and lifestyle then that’s fine with me. To me, if Straight Edge means that it can save kids from heroin and alcoholism, then I am Straight Edge. To me, if Straight Edge can sustain kids from being stuck up braindead loser, then I am Straight Edge.

Straight Edge is just a label that people gave to those Hardcore kids who don’t smoke, don’t drink, or who don’t do drugs. I choose this label as well, and live it, for many years now. People can put that tag to them and tied it up, that’s fine. If they sincerely do it and become Straight Edge, then I have nothing against it. It’s good. It’s so brave that people choose to be Straight Edge in around modern time where so many people define smoking, doing drugs, drink alcohol and casual sex as a part of normal doing in the society; “if everybody else did it in the past, so why can’t we?” That’s the rebellious words you always hear from people who don’t want to be different than ordinary people in the society. I have no surprise they will say something like that. Our society thought they live a modern lifestyle, but that’s not true, it’s a mess. Modern lifestyle was already on earth since 1400 years ago. In term of technologies, yes, yes, it’s modern, but in term of way of life, nowadays it’s back to barbaric brutal lifestyle, it was just a continuation from the past; it is definitely not a progression. Consumption, consumerism, and addiction. It is old diseases, inflicting the past, the present, and the future generation of mankind.

Straight Edge is basically an idea. It never meant that I’m better than you. It is also not about getting or pushing my lifestyle to somebody else. It is not about crew or gang mentality. It is not about drawing X on your fist (but there’s nothing wrong with it). I’m not writing this just to prove that I’m better because I’m Straight Edge. I’m writing this because I’m trying to make people stop and think. What have you done to the present and what will you do to the future?

Straight Edge to me is about not smoking, not drinking, and treat people with respect. Straight Edge is about tolerance and getting along with different kind of people and not making borders, not creating hatred and stupidity, not turning away from problem but rather deal with it. Straight Edge is about true progression, a striving for a healthy life, more modern life, more honest, more sincere, that’s why most people who’re into it coming from the Hardcore scene. It doesn’t want to be involved with the ignorance of our so-called modern society. It doesn’t want to be a part of this so-called modern life that revolved around hypocrisy and ignorant and ruin a lot of people’s lives. I think that is what the true meaning of Straight Edge. I think that is what Straight Edge is about.

SHOULD HARDCORE GO TO THE MAINSTREAM?

Hardcore was born and started with so many old-school American bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, 7 Seconds, to SSD, Slapshot, to Uniform Choice, Unity, to Gorilla Biscuits, Insted, Wide Awake, to Upfront, Battery, to Ten Yard Fight, Floorpunch, to Time Flies, to Bane, to Champion, and the list goes on to the present day. It kept moving generation after generation. They flame this world with fire. To those who live it, they know Hardcore will always be here. When I see The American Hardcore documentary, I was disagree with the statement that said “Hardcore is dead, it’s over, go home”. I’m sorry sir, Hardcore has already becoming the mass world movement. Right from smaller country in Asia, over to Australia, across the Pacific to South America, to the north of Atlantic and landed in all over Europe. It’s just about been everywhere all over the world. It has developed ever since despite the claimed that it was dead in the mid 80’s. This worldwide movement is kicking ass and alive.

However, since the 90’s gone, there have been many versions that derived from the original dry sound, but to me, Hardcore will always be simple aggressive loud music with positive message, sometimes politically and socially aware, or at least it talk about good thing, but remain anger, pissed off, and right to the face. Hardcore from the start despise racism, sexism, and every kind of discrimination or hatred and bigotry that exist among the mainstream community around it. It has naturally become a force or strength for the younger generation to voice their opinion through the music, and the messages. It was the opposite of Punk that usually being seen as rebellious, chaos, and literally just a fashion statement. Hardcore is more honest, sincere and have always been with clear substance, and vision.

Actually, Hardcore music is pretty simple to understand. I’m not talking about fast-core, thrash-core, emo-core, because to some people, that was Hardcore too, but to me, it’s not. Hardcore is crazy wild music, it’s raw, loud, harsh, and it has a group singalong part as well, and sometimes it’s going mid-tempo but remain hard. It is basically Punk music go faster and louder and heavier. As if 7 Seconds blend with SSD, you will get the Youth of Today. As if Minor Threat mix with the Cro-Mags, you will have the sound as close as The First Step. Even though Hardcore singer mostly shouting to the song, we still can hear the words they sing, unlike fast-core or thrash-core bands that just screaming or just yelling all the time, or emo-core (later being well-known as screamo) bands that has some mellow melodic-pop tones in it, how can all that be Hardcore? That’s why Hardcore is pretty stand on its own. That’s why Hardcore is simply unique. That’s why for me Hardcore is more sincere, and more honest. Someone else might hold a different view, but my view is that.

Hardcore has getting a bit attention from the mainstream media lately and I am totally opposed to that. While a lot of people may not agree with me, and thought that Hardcore should be getting media exposure so that the world can understand what it is about. All I can see is that, the Hardcore that people see on TV is just not Hardcore. To me, Hardcore has its own pride. How could someone send Hardcore to the media and claim that at least it would make the world understand more about it. How can all that be the reason? Hardcore can’t be sold. There’s no amount of money for that. It is priceless. Learn to understand that.

The main purpose of the mainstream music industry is always about making money and having fun. It is an entertainment industry. It is a corporate business. It involved the root of all evil known as Capitalism. People who work there know what Rock, Blues, Jazz, Pop, Hip-Hop, Techno, and Dance music sounds like. They create it, live it, and grow up with it. They’ve been paid to make profits for their company, and they absolutely have nothing to do with the Hardcore scene that was build by the kids who with 10 buck in his pocket but with 10 million dream to change the world.

Hardcore have been here for more than 20years, but what have the mainstream music industry know or understand about it? If they really want to know it, they would have understood it long time ago. There is no need for special conditions for them to start to understand it, but the truth is they don’t care. However, these days, as heavy music is so acceptable, and many popular bands playing heavy music lived off it, and sold millions records just by playing heavy music. The mainstream music industry has open its little beady eyes and seen this as an opportunity to make money out of it. So they try to look more into it, and created the same thing in their scene as well, but who would be stupid enough to listen to their crap? They marketed many rubbish as the new version of Hardcore, the “New Age”, or “Nu-Metal”, or whatever. Too bad, many people buy that. But it’s all just a game, it’s a part of their business strategy; “If we can’t get the original, why not made one that looks like it.”

Reality is, they won’t be interested in the music scene that has people who aren’t doing drugs, drinks, and smokes. They won’t be interested in the music scene that won’t support capitalism, big business, and making profits. They won’t be interested in the music scene that fights for equality, human right and animal right. They won’t be interested in the music scene that says cigarette pollute the air, or beer company as evil, or vegetarian as a healthy way of life. Tell me if they are interested in all that. They probably would laugh at you if you say all politicians are corrupted. They couldn’t careless about Hardcore, Straight Edge, or DIY. To them, those are just terms, shallow empty words, made by a bunch of kids who one day will be wipe off from the face of earth.

I honestly think the mainstream music industry is full of rubbish. If they seriously want to make this world a better place, they would’ve gone out and say it out loud. They never did. If they want to do that, it would have been a long time ago. The TV, the magazine, the radio station, they all have the power to influence people, but how much effort have they put into it? Is it enough by doing “Stop The Madness” or “Stop Drug Abuse” sticker, and print it on 100 thousand CD sleeve of some unknown metal bands? That’s cheap. Would they spend 10 million dollar for health campaign, save the forest campaign, stop pollution campaign? Not in a million year.

The mainstream music industry and the media always give raves about Rock, Rap, Pop artists but they have never being honest and sincere. They just sold them as merely products. When it has no profits to be made anymore, they put them in a fucking toilet and flush them down, and they will find for another new trend that kids will buy. I don’t like their ideas of putting more fun into music, and let the people decide for themselves. I’m not against having fun, and I’m definitely want people to decide for themselves, but having fun and at the same time make people think would be the best of all ideas. This way people will keep themselves inform to deal with reality.

These days, finding new ideas are useless, people are more prefer to copy what’s already there. Do you know how would normal people get to know and use the terms “emo”, “DIY”, that were very unfriendly 10 years ago. Today, “Punk Rock” kids are normal and loveable. 10 years before, “Punk Rock” means chaos and atrocity. But what makes them normal, or “who” makes them seems normal? The term “Emo” and “DIY” have its place in the Underground HC/Punk music scene at first. MTV never know “Emo” until Dashboard Confessional become big. When Punk Rock totally sold out in the late 90’s, every mainstream media sell and use the term “Emo” and “DIY” in the things they do. They just don’t care what it really means. They use it because it “sells”.

Hardcore is totally different from say Heavy Metal, or Rap. Heavy Metal and Rap usually been linked with violence, guns and crimes. They both have more negative element in them than positive ones, but still they are most popular music culture these days, isn’t it? Always been like that. Why? Because the mainstream media and the mainstream music industry always supports them, raves about them, while there’s still money to be made out of them. The mainstream media and the mainstream music industry never say, stop violence, don’t buy guns, or don’t do crimes. Not even one line, maybe the artists did that, but the medias? They needed that tradition to just go on. Lots of people help it to go on as well. Hardcore is more than music and never been a fashion. It’s the music, the lifestyle, a worldwide community. Someone else might hold a different view, but my view is that.

Hardcore is an Underground movement. It is not about fame, and money. Not only about having fun, it is about honesty and sincerity. It is about co-operation between friends and put your trust in brotherhood, and love and respects one another in a community that is based on the strength of the independency. The spirit and the warmth of the independency fill the air. We released our own fanzines, records, and make our own shirts. We organized our own gigs. We make our own flyers. We advertise our own releases and products. We called all that as Do-It-Yourselves, or DIY. We help each others out, and we make it so simple. It’s all so simple, but not many would have the strength to live it. Many people stop at some certain age. They leave Hardcore behind, and be something else.

If Hardcore would have gone to the mainstream, how can it still be call as Hardcore? Once it goes to the mainstream, it has no strength to take its live on its own hand anymore. It’s all will be on the hand of the corporate music industry. Life’s dead. It’s over. It’s not Hardcore anymore. So, if you ask me, “Should Hardcore go to the mainstream world?”, I would just say “NO!”. End of story. But if the same question would be asked at you, what would be your answer then?

TSH MOST FAVORITE HARDCORE ALBUMS

The only US Hardcore band from 2000’s that I can listen to. Although they’re already split up, they’ve leaved us with this full-length album that sets them apart from many contemporaries such as Betrayed, Verse, Champion and so on. The lyrics are superb and uplifting, especially the song “What We Know”, and “Learning”. With this album they basically want you to be caring, hard working, and strong, and not wasting your life away.

Although sound wise is raw but having produced by Walter Schreifels (YOT, Quicksand, Rivals School), on his experiences in this field, he manage to keep the high quality of the whole album that makes me keep listening and never had enough of it. The excellent songwriting really makes this record stood up strong as well. There’s not even one bad song on it. It’s young, loud and pissed off. The whole album display emotion, anger, mixed in with well-thoughtful lyrics.

To me, this album is what Hardcore is about; keep the identity of Hardcore music, make simple, plain riffs, good lyrics, then you get a decent straight ahead Hardcore record. The First Step never fall into the trend that many US Hardcore bands have gotten into in the year 2000’s. They just keep Hardcore as it is, and that’s probably why I love it so much.

My favorite tracks: Learning, Get Wise, What We Know.

To me, this album is absolute fantastic, and In My Eyes is one of my favorite Hardcore band ever. I’m not surprised when Revelation was so quick getting this band on their rooster after the band merely released a demo. “The Difference Between” to me, is straight up great. Nothing can beat the feeling once you put the CD and press the play button. It’s so flawless you can never stop.

They keep the pace so tight, with fast pounding drums while stick the sing-along part into the right place. The aggression, the speed are well incorporated, with the sound that is neither scratchy nor poor. There are so many good songs on this record with lyrics about personal matters.

To me, when I think about In My Eyes, this is the album that put them on the map. It was the album that help planted Hardcore seeds in the late 90’s, watered them, helped them to grow and prosper, before it enter into the next millennium.

My favorite tracks: My Reply, Lasting Values, Difference Between.

What’s more to say about Youth of Today, that’s never been said? To me, “Can’t Close My Eyes” is a raging bull, “Break Down The Walls” was unstoppable, but “We’re Not In This Alone” is a true classic genius.

This is the record that really show Porcell as a great Hardcore guitarist. He executed many inspiring riffs. Sammy did an uncontrollable double-bass paddle but it was great in the end. Walter shows what his got, and Ray was so angry, emotional and just knock you in the teeth.

The lyrics have been indepth, touching and growing. At this point Ray was already into Krishna thing, but he still manage to wrote inspiring lyrics such “A Time We’ll Remember”, and the bravely political “Live Free”, even a cheesy “Wake Up And Live”, I loved em all. Who could ever write words such as “Put down that flag, protest and come join the fight” and shout it out loud?

This review just sucks, but truthfully I can’t really describe how great this album was and still is. It’s a solid, sincere, strong pounding Hardcore record from the first minute to last. Brilliant and a classic.

My favorite tracks: Slowdown, A Time We’ll Remember, Live Free.

The best Hardcore album from the European Hardcore scene in the late 90’s. Some people may not agree but to me, this record is essential in your Hardcore record collection. When you said you’re into Hardcore for 15years and never heard of Mainstrike, you’re a bummer, and definitely in the wrong scene, shame on you.

Did you ever get an album that you’re not expecting much from, but once you hear it, you find that you can’t stop listening to it? When I first got this album way back in 1998, that’s what happened to me. This album that was released after the “Times Still Here” EP was getting a bit slower, but louder, more heavier sounding. It was so original. It’s so strong, so powerful, whether musically or lyrically.

The first few chords that shredding from the first song is like the death call to mankind, sending the message that the end of the world is near; but try to listen to it, the guitar riffs is a blast. When Big the vocalist start to reveals the lyrics, the whole deal turns to great earthquake. From that moment, life never been the same again. There are so many good songs. It’s all are so inspiring, and “Words Of Wisdom” was clearly the best song they have ever written.

To be honest, this is the most powerful Hardcore records I’ve ever heard in my life both musically and lyrically. It was a hard album, even difficult to get into. It was a serious album. It was rather a thought provoking album from an influential Hardcore band. It was so honest. I loved it so much. I will say no more.

My favorite tracks: Words Of Wisdom, No Escape, Will We Learn.

Just how many of you have ever listened to Mouthpiece? Not many I guess, but if you have a chance, please do. When many previous HC bands from the 88 was either broke-up or go to major labels, this bunch of NJ friends in 1993 put out Hardcore back on track, bring HC/SxE in full-punch delivery, and save the entire Hardcore scene from shame.

Out of nowhere, Mouthpiece come and sings songs about personal topics that touch upon issue of drug abuse, friendship, and betrayal.

Many people weren’t feeling good when Mouthpiece came onto the scene. The political HC/Punk scene hated them for being too generic, and the HC/SxE scene hated them for being too nostalgic. You have to know that, at this time in the mid 90s, HC/SxE was more like Metal/SxE scene.

Like I said, Mouthpiece saved that day. They keep the originality of Hardcore, added a few taste of their own, so that “What Was Said” can uproar hills and mountain.

My favorite tracks: What Remains, Nothing There, Abandoned.

Revelation did a great job by put out both of the band’s out-of-print EP’s, and one unreleased on a CD. It makes this CD felt as an album to me because the songs from both EP have exactly the same style. The band kept the originality on their both recordings, so that’s awesome. They weren’t trying to be something else which was good. Hardcore the way it was in the late 80’s.

The songs aren’t suffered of being dry, too clean, or too polished despite of it having heavily remixed, but I’m not sure because I haven’t heard the EP’s. No matter what, this is good, solid and perfect because the music is a fucking blast.

Anyway, lyrically is not for everyone, because it was rather personal, but just take it as reading a personal letter from a good friend, appreciating it, and hopefully at last can truly understand it. I pick this one instead of a few more brilliant Hardcore album out there for the music that kicking ass with real passion, integrity and conviction while definitely stand the test of time. Would it be a surprise if I say that this is much better than Bold or Youth of Today?

My favorite tracks: Too Deep Until Now, Never Understand (the best song ever written in Hardcore!!! the first 10 seconds worth a million dollar!!!), The Space Between.