Tag Archives: Hardcore

The Suck: Poison The Well’s Van & Gear Stolen

Further proof that some people out there just SUCK.

Miami’s Poison The Well have just announced that after the first night of their US tour w/ Canadian rock act Billy Talent, in support of their new album The Tropic Rot (out now on Ferret Music), the band has been robbed of both their touring van and all of their instruments and personal belongings.

The band had this to say about what happened:

So this morning we woke up at our delightful Marriott Courtyard hotel (priceline, get into it) and walked outside to get in the van to head to Chicago for our second show of the tour. Only problem, it isn’t there. Either someone is pulling some Merlin shit on us and just waiting for the perfect moment to unveil it and calm our shot nerves, or a talented scumbag stole our van and trailer with literally everything we own inside. Needless to say, we’re crushed. Our most beloved instruments are gone, and trust me, we’re gear nerds.

After a great deal of scrambling and deliberation, we found a way to stay on tour, after a few days off to get some gear and a rental van together. Having something like this happen is the worst thing that can happen to any band short of someone dying, and we’re incredibly stoked to finish this tour with Billy Talent and play every night doing what we love.

Our most sincere thanks to everyone who offered to help us in any way, our friends mean the world to us and everyone who has reached out today is absolutely mind blowing. Huge huge ups to the entire Ferret Records Family (Carl cause hes got the cash and Rick cause he calls the shots), Issac and the entire Indie Merch and Jakprints family, Tour Dog Leasing and Rental (thanks for driving to detroit to come get us), Jimmy and First Act Guitars, Russel Blair and Orange Amps, Derek at Ernie Ball, Tyme Rogers and Tech 21, Evan Obrien and Korg, Scott Uchida and Jim Dunlop, Jon “Shabba on the spot” Linton, John “Badge” Chidley. Some of these people have always helped us out and are further making our lives better. Some of these people barely know us and have helped us this with this shit time.

If you want to help out, we’ll have a limited edition shirt online sometime soon that makes fun of our situation and is awesome, and all proceeds from that will go to wiping away our tears and some new tumbleweeds for the insides of our wallets.

See you in a couple days. Pissed about our gear and passionate about this band as ever.

Love,
PTW

Good luck guys.

Poison The Well – Exist Underground

Thanks to Solid PR for the heads up.

It Dies Today Next Week…

Just received word that one of my favorite metalcore/hardcore/screamo bands out there, It Dies Today, is dropping an album next week.

The Buffalo, NY band formed in 2001 at a very young age and impressed me with their furious sound and mature way of handling the scene.  I love the way they incorporate hardcore with metal and even add a little harmonious singing.  Their songs have been blasted out of my car windows more than once this summer and I can not get enough of them.

Teaming up with Trustkill Records they will be releasing Lividity on Sept. 15th.  I have high hopes of the release and will be sure to review it as soon as I get my hands on a copy of it.  My only concern about the new album is that I learned the band has a new singer since their last album and I am curious to see if he can keep the momentum going that was left in my ears from the previously release Sirens.

Until the CD releases next week I have no idea what to expect, but I was able to find the first single off Lividity entitled “Reckless Abandon”.  The song is freaking awesome.  Give a listen for yourself and see why I dig these guys so much.

DOWNLOAD THIS!It Dies Today – “Reckless Abandon”

I actually like It Dies Today’s take on Depeche Mode‘s “Enjoy The Silence”:

Converge Posts A New Track From Their Upcoming Release!

Are you in the mood to listen to something that very well may damage your eardrums in the best way possible?

If so you should head over to Converge‘s MySpace page and check out their first track titled “Dark Horse” off of their upcoming album Axe To Fall that is scheduled to be released on October 20th on Epitaph Records.

I can not even tell you how pumped I am to see that they are dropping a new album.  After all it’s been about three years since their last studio album.  I am sure this will be just as amazing as the previous. 

I’m feeling a little old here too realizing that the band has almost been together now for 20 years.  That is impressive and it really looks as if this band has no intention at all of slowing down. 

As an added bonus Converge will be going on tour in support of the album as well as will be opening for Mastodon and Dethklok for their [adult swim] tour.  That tour is going to be insane. 

Converge will be making a stop in Cleveland with High On Fire, but they will be without Mastodon and Dethklok.  The good thing about this is that the stage will be all theirs providing for a longer and more intimate set.  The bad news is the obvious.  If you want to see that amazing freaking [adult swim] tour with Mastodon and Dethklok headlining you will have to venture to another city.  Click the picture below for more info on that.

The following comes from a press release from the good folk over at Epitaph Records:

CONVERGE’S AXE TO FALL ON OCTOBER 20

Essential Hardcore Outfit Announces New Album and Fall Tour

August 18, 2009 – Los Angeles, CA. – Groundbreaking hardcore-metal band Converge will release their long anticipated new studio album, Axe To Fall, on October 20 via Epitaph (vinyl on Deathwish). Considered one of the most intense, important, and influential metal/hardcore bands ever, Converge continue their uncompromising evolution, experimenting and manipulating the fiercest form of music with the most aggressive album of the year, Axe To Fall.

Fitting like a puzzle piece in their all but flawless catalog, Axe To Fall is an undeniable progression in the band’s canon of cacophonous sound, dexterous skill and ingenious art, as thirteen of the most viciously powerful songs Converge has ever written reign down on listeners in a surge of sonic fury. True to their meticulous DIY style, guitarist Kurt Ballou helmed production duties once again from his infamous GodCity studios in Salem, MA.

Without warning, Converge lets their metal flag fly on Axe To Fall when drummer Ben Koller’s galloping beats meet Ballou’s lightning fast riffs as bassist Nate Newton provides a pummeling backbone and vocalist Jacob Bannon takes command with menacing growls on the album’s shattering opener “Dark Horse.” Perhaps Converge’s heaviest music they’ve ever recorded, the foursome invited a slew friends to contribute to the album, and the result was a wall of metal-infused hardcore on a level that’s never been heard before.

Songs like the hardcore pit-swirling “Effigy” (feat. Steve Brodsky/Lead guitar, Adam McGrath/Guitar, J.R. Connors/Drums), the furiously relentless neck-breaker “Wishing Well” (feat. Ulf Cederlund/Lead guitar/backing vocals) and the blazing thrash-track “Cutter” (feat. John Pettibone/backing vocals) keep the album moving with power and energy. As defiant as ever, Bannonroars through songs about despair and self-indulgent choices warning that “we’ll show the demons for what they are.” As the album comes to a close it takes a doom-ridden turn as Neurosis’ Steve Von Till shares vocal duties with Bannon on the brooding track “Cruel Bloom” and Genghis Tron’s Mookie Singerman providing lead vocals on the beautifully dark post-metal album closer “Wretched World.”

After 19 years as a band, Converge still maintain the steadfast individuality and uncompromising artistic vision they had when they formed. The band has been credited with giving rise to a genre of music and influencing bands worldwide, yet by never wavering have created a sound that is entirely their own.

Withthe release of Axe To Fall on the horizon, Converge are readying an arsenal of music from their storied catalog to unleash on audiences across the US when they tour with Mastodon, Dethklok and High On Fire in October.

Prepare yourself for the year’s most vicious album, Axe To Fall.

Axe To Fall Tracklisting:
1. Dark Horse
2. Reap What You Sow
3. Axe To Fall
4. Effigy
5. Worms Will Feed
6. Wishing Well
7. Damages
8. Losing Battle
9. Dead Beat
10. Cutter
11. Slave Driver
12. Cruel Bloom
13. Wretched World

Converge Tour Dates:
09/05: Los Angeles, CA @ F Yeah Fest w/ F*cked Up, Cold Cave, and more
09/24: Durham, NH @ UNH w/ TBA
09/28: Iowa City, IA @ The Picador w/ TBA
09/29: Gillette, WY @ Knights Of Columbus w/ TBA
10/02: Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/03: Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/04: Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theater w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/06: Calgary, AB @ Big Four Building w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/07: Edmonton, AB @ Shaw Conference Center w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/09: Salt Lake City, UT @ Great Saltair w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/10: Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/12: Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire 10/13: St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/14: Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/15: Nutty’s North @ Sioux Falls, SD w/ High On Fire
10/16: St. Paul, MN @ Myth w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/17: Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/18: Milwaukee, WI @ Eagle’s Auditorium w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/19: Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop w/ High On Fire
10/20: Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/21: Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/23: Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/24: Buffalo, NY @ The Fairgrounds w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/25: Albany, NY @ Armory w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/27: Boston, MA @ House Of Blues w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/30: New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
10/31: Washington, DC @ Patriot Center w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/01: Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/05: Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/06: Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire 11/07: Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/08: Pompano Beach, FL @ Pompano Beach Amphit w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/11: Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/12: Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theater w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/13: Austin, TX @ Austin City Music Hall w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/14: Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theater w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/16: Las Cruces, NM @ Pan American Center w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/17: Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Ampitheater w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/18: Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
11/19: Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium w/ Mastodon, Dethklok, High On Fire
05/28: Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest w/ Entombed, Obituary, 16, and more
05/29: Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest w/ Entombed, Obituary, 16, and more
05/30: Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest w/ Entombed, Obituary, 16, and more

Interview: Todd Kowalski of Propaghandi

Nothing's slowing these guys down...
Propaghandi

Hardcore punk rockers Propaghandi may be getting up there in age but have no intentions of slowing down. On the verge of releasing an all new album entitled Supporting Caste, the band continues to spread their thoughts through song on real causes that actually mean something. Focusing on real current events, the band are more activists over performers. Having been around for over twenty years it is nice to see this band continue on with what they love to do.

Recently I had the chance to chat it up with the bassist of Propaghandi Todd Kowalski. He was more than happy to answer some questions for me.

You guys have been around since 1986 right?  How challenging has it been to be a punk band for over 20 years?

I joined a mere 12 years ago but I’d say despite wanting to bite each others eyes out a few times we’ve been ticking along pretty good. I think the fact that we all like the songs we’re trying to make is a big factor in it all working. if we didn’t like what we were hearing it would turn us into pustulous blobs with fangs.

How long did it take for Propagandhi to start touring outside of Canada and around the world?

I think the first Propagandhi tour to the U.S. was around 92. They went down to the west Coast.
I remember it clearly but wasn’t in the band yet. Our friends Regal and Keith were the roadies, those guys had the van. I thought that was so cool that they all went on tour. I never knew anyone who traveled with their band before.

Who are some of your favorite bands you toured with in the past?

My favorite was Los Crudos who I played four or 5 shows with in about 95 they blew my mind!! This wasn’t with Propagandhi though it was with another band [I was in] called I Spy. It’s all the same to me. We’re all friends playing music.

When you were just starting to play punk rock music, who were your musical influences?  Has that changed today?

Today my biggest musical influence, Sacrifice, just sent me two new songs off their upcoming record. They haven’t recorded for about 18 years. These songs blew my head right off my shoulders. They are the best band of all time! Besides them I was in [to and] am still 100% into SNFU, RAZOR, Nomeansno, Voivod and DEATH. That hasn’t changed at all. I like new bands too but these bands have been on rotation for 20 years non stop!!

When did you start becoming move aware of your surrounding and stepped up to spread to the close minded?

I started to slowly become aware of things over a long period of time. I was very, very much a part of the small city mentality growing up.  I had to see people get hurt and upset by certain things first hand before I started to wise up. I think the punk bands that I started to listen to when I was in junior high slowly helped me make sense of what I was trying to figure out. It’s been a slow ongoing process .

Your high level approach at everything that goes wrong on this world opened up my eyes when I was younger through your music and from just reading about what causes you were involved in.  Was there anyone who helped turn you into an activist of sorts?

As far as bands, I’d say MDC, C.O.C were the biggest influences for a while and later I was really influenced by Born Against, Maliftingbanner, Los Crudos and bands like that. As far as people I think it was a lot of people including my Mom who would always go out of her way for people. I always appreciated that.

I understand many of the band follow a vegan lifestyle.  How tough is it for you when touring the world to keep to it?

It’ s generally really, really easy. There is a million [of] choices of things to eat besides meat and dairy and crap like that. It’s well worth the small effort. We end up eating way better than if we were stopping and eating burgers and fries everyday. The hardest place for us was Japan just because we couldn’t decipher the ingredients to things we were looking at. That’s our own problem, though. The food was available.

Were any obstacles ever thrown in the band’s path that make you ever want to give up?

The main obstacles are the frustration at momentary or lengthy lack of ability to achieve our personal visions [with] a lot of this being due to a bit of a lack of natural talent. We work hard to get where we’re trying to go.

Propaghandi has a new album coming out this month called Supporting Caste can you tell me about it?

Yeah, We’re really excited about it. There’s 14 new songs of different types. I think it’s our best effort yet. We worked hard to improve our skills and write the best songs we could. I think it turned out pretty good. If it’s no good it’s certainly not because of a lack of effort!

Recently on your website a couple of MP3’s from the new album were offered for legal download in exchange for donations for as little as $1.00 that will go towards worthy causes.  Your request for donations was quite bold almost commanding fans to do something good in return for a sample of for what is to come.  How was the response to this?

That’s turned out really well so far. We’ve raised a lot of money for those organizations and they seem to appreciate it. We’re hoping people check out what they’re doing and learn something about it. That’s the real point of it (laughs), yeah it’s bold, and we like insulting our listeners but everybody knows it’s a joke. Those who don’t get mad and amuse those who do. We all win!

You are slated to play the Harvest Of Hope festival in Florida this March.  How does that make you feel being a part of this important benefit show?

Yeah, that’s a good benefit. We’re happy to be a part of it. The vibe and spirit of this festival is so much better than the corporate, crap, [and] useless festivals like the Warped Tour that have been thrown at people. We usually haven’t played festivals but if it’s a good one, we’ll be there!

Are there any acts appearing on the Harvest Of Hope festival you are excited to see or have previously toured with?

We’ve played two shows with Strike Anywhere before. I’m excited to see Bad Brains!! Most of the other bands I haven’t heard before so it should be good!

Propagandhi was one of the earlier bands to start with Fat Wreck Chords.  I know that Supporting Caste will be released on the indie label G7 Welcoming Committee Records (that was actually started by Chris Hannah and Jord Samolesky of Prop.).  How does it feel to have been a part of the Fat Wreck Chord family and then move on?

I think we did all we could with Fat. It’s time to start a fresh slate and prepare to go full tilt with people who are on the same page as us. We’re very happy about it.

In April of 2008 it was announced that G7 would cease to release new material and October of 2008 it was reiterated.  While still providing downloads it looked as if the label was finished, what was this all about?  What happened to change the mind of G7 to release Supporting Caste?

Derek from G7 moved to Halifax and left Chris stewing in his own juices in the G7 office. I guess they figured enough is enough. But we [all] wanted to put out the Propagandhi record, so we did it on G7.

Will this mark the last release for Propagandhi?

Hell no, we’re just getting started!

You have rocked out in the 80’s, 90’s, and 00’s.  Was there a certain decade you favored over the others while performing as a band?

I think the 80’s were the best. Pop music sucked and always will suck but before the 80’s there was no speed metal, death metal, hardcore, barely any punk that interest me, no thrash metal, doom metal, power metal etc. (laughs) That all truly came to be in the 80’s. For my tastes and love of speed it blew my little mind to pieces.

The late 80’s cheese metal and pop and the 90’s sucked total crap except for a handful of bands. Born Against etc… and DEATH were great of course!! I hated Nu Metal, Grunge, Pop punk and all that. What a sickened musical state. Recently there is a lot of bands that I think are great. The new Sacrifice record, Krisiun, Cynic, Immolation, Necrophagist…man, they all rule!!

So what’s next for Propagandhi?

Next on the itinerary is more touring then we’ll work on new songs every chance we get!!! Watch out!!


Supporting Caste will be released on March 10th on G7 Welcoming Committee Records. Make sure you pick up your copy and support this long running punk rock act!

Look for Propagandhi to make a return to the road in support of their recent release.  The band just finished playing a slot at the annual Harvest Of Hope Festival that just ended and will continue the US before heading overseas.

The Harvest Of Hope festival, if you have not heard, is a three-day outdoor music festival in St. Augustine, FL that is held to benefit Harvest of Hope: www.harvestofhope.net . The nonprofit organization was founded in Gainesville, FL a little over a decade ago to provide social services to migrant farm workers and their families in the U.S. Since then, HOH has raised and spent over $700,000 to pay for gas, tires, car repairs, rent, utilities, medical services, food, clothing, funeral expenses and educational scholarships in low income migrant worker communities. For more information about the festival itself or on how you can help please visit www.harvestofhope.com

Propaghandi On Tour:
03/08/09 – Atlanta, GA, USA
03/10/09 – Virginia Beach, VA, USA
03/11/09 – Baltimore, MD, USA
03/12/09 – New York, NY, USA
03/13/09 – Brooklyn, NY, USA
03/14/09 – Philadelphia, PA, USA
03/15/09 – Cambridge, MA, USA
03/20/09 – Winnipeg, MB, Canada
03/21/09 – Winnipeg, MB, Canada
04/17/09 – Sheffield, UK
04/18/09 – Bristol, UK
04/19/09 – London, UJ
04/20/09 – Brighton, UK
04/21/09 – Norwich, UK
04/23/09 – Cologne, Germany
04/24/09 – Munich, Germany
04/25/09 – Solothurn, Switzerlan
04/26/09 – Bologna, Italy
04/28/09 – Rome, Italy
04/29/09 – Venice, Italy
05/01/09 – Prague, Czech Republic

For more info on the band feel free to check out:

www.propagandhi.com
www.myspace.com/propagandhi
www.smallmanrecords.com
www.g7welcomingcommittee.com
www.mutinypr.com