THE GENESIS

Allright, first post ever on this thing, my first blog ever… I’m already working on Issue #1 of what should be the paper version of this blog and, although school exams are taking me a lot of time, I’ll do my best to make it for this summer.

Now, although I have a true love/hate relationship with what is the Italian hardcore “scene”, I thought the best thing to do to start this blog was some kind of scene report fully dedicated to my country’s bands. Yes, apart from the legendary Negazione, Raw Power, Growing Concern or tons of other crusty punk/hardcore bands in the 80’s, we still have bands who deserve your attention and kick serious asses! There’s tons of bands in Italy, but the ones that will follow are those that I like the most and have a tight friendship with, fuck the rest… (just) do it for yourself!

STRENGTH APPROACH
www.myspace.com/strengthapproach

These guys have been going strong since 1996, and it seems like nothing can stop them! OG members of the band are still as dedicated as 12 years ago and working as hard. After touring the world and releasing dope material, they have a new record coming out soon on GSR Music which is called “All The Plans We Made Are Going To Fail”, check that out for 15 tunes of catchy hardcore in the vein of Sick of It All, American Nightmare and Kid Dynamite! The release party of their new record is set for the 17th of May in Rome with Alone, La Crisi and Die!, who are playing their last show. They’ll embark on a European tour from the 30th of May until the 8th of June, check their shows and go see them!

THE FOURTH SIN
www.myspace.com/thefourthsin

I really don’t know where to start with these guys… these were the first people I hung out with when I moved from Brussels to Rome, probably some of the best people I’ve ever known. Apart from being really good friends, nobody can’t deny that this band kicks serious asses! Featuring the best singer that Italy has ever witnessed (in my opinion), these guys play something between Cro-Mags, Cause For Alarm-era Agnostic Front and S.O.D., how good does that sound? They’ve got two records out, I think the first one is already sold out, the new one, “Anger”, should be still available, get your copy as soon as you can!

ALONE
www.myspace.com/weareinthisalone

I had known Bepi for some time when I first heard he was doing this band and I was so siked about it! They started in 2006 and released a Demo later that year. I couldn’t make it to their first show (as it was in Switzerland with Lion of Judah), but I couldn’t miss their second one, and that was so damn good! These guys put their whole heart into what they’re doing, they’ve already done two European tours and have a brand new 7″ out on Refoundation Records called “Kiss Dreams Goodbye”, check it out!

PAYBACK
www.myspace.com/paybackhc

These colossal men from Rome started shredding stages in 2001, rising from the ashes of many other hardcore and streetpunk bands there were in town. Through the last 7 years these guys have been playing all over Italy and Europe, they have released 3 full-lengths and they have a new record coming out on Countdown Records, called “Bring It Back” featuring Mr. Roger Miret as guest appereance. It’s hard to express how much they kick asses on stage until you see them! Cro-Mags’ rage mixed with the urgency of Agnostic Front and the streetpunk attitude of Warzone make this band one of the best around in Italy. The guys are embarking on a European trip from the 9th to the 17th of May, check them out! Kings of nothing, no one slaves!

DIE!
www.myspace.com/diehc

Seeing this band parting ways is kinda sad, but at the same time it’s good to see them doing it in a good way: no bullshit, no fights, no nothing… just the end of a band. These guys rocked on stage, they owned it and they lived for it, and they keep doing it in other bands. They’re the perfect mix of 80’s hardcore such as RKL, Gang Green, Black Flag, Bl’ast with a lot of rock’n'roll influences plus their guitarist is a damn guitar hero! US people may be already familiar with this band as Western Front Records released their 7″ “I Hope You Die” overseas. May the 17th will be a bittersweet day for sure!

GONNA FALL HARD
www.myspace.com/gonnafallhard

These dickheads from Venice started playing in 2002 and recently went through some line-up changes which brought them to a brand new sound. From the faster punk/hardcore vibe they used to have, they moved to an heavier and groovy hardcore, strongly influenced by bands such as The Icemen on Rest In Piece, still keeping their undisputed “fuck you all” attitude. They just came back from a European tour with Watch Your Step and have a brand new Demo tape out, so grab that from them. Their last record “Everybody Is Gonna Fall Hard” should be still available from Superhero Records, so get that too. These guys will mosh for food people!

NO MORE FEAR
www.myspace.com/nomorefear

Although they’re on a break until their guitarist comes back from a world trip that will take him one year around the whole planet Earth, this band must be known to the world. They’ve been around for more than 10 years now, playing since 1997 without slowing down, touring both Europe and the US and releasing good material, such as their last full-length “A Matter of Choice” on Fields of Hope / Goodwill Records. Classic youth crew hardcore featuring Product’s singer. Check them out and go see them live as soon as they’re back on track!

WHILE YOU WAIT
www.myspace.com/whileyouwaitmusic

This is a really cool band who came out kinda recently, probably late 2007 if I’m not wrong. It features really good dudes such as my bro Edo (who played with me in The Difference) as well as members of Rise From The Agony, Jet Market and the man behind Indelirium Records. They didn’t play a lot of shows, but are working on a 7″ which should be out on said label. You’re singing along!

CURTAIN
www.myspace.com/curtainhardcore

Freshness straight from the Rome area! In fact none of these guys is exactly from Rome although most of them study or work in town. They put up their Demo online and it’s undoubtly worth checking it out! I seriously can’t wait to see these fellas on stage, I’m sure they’re gonna shred it! Good people in this band, past members of The Difference and Final Words plus current members of Think About and To Kill. I really hope these guys will release something soon, so siked about them!

GRAND THEFT AGE
www.myspace.com/gtadrunkenpunk

After years of playing great live shows around Italy, these guys have finally been able to release their first record, called “Sarà Una Risata Che Vi Seppellirà” (This Laughter Is Going To Bury You) on Raged Records, and let me tell you it’s a really good one! Featuring past and current members of Duap, Bier Kampf and Shots In The Dark, they play the good old fashioned punk hardcore fueled with alcohl and rage with a lot of streetpunk influences. Concerning the roman hardcore scene, they’re for sure one of my fav bands when on stage… damn these guys kick some serious asses!

WATCH YOUR STEP
www.myspace.com/watchyourstepyo

Watch Your Step started as a band in Florence in late 2005, I remember them playing their first show ever in Rome with Down To Nothing, not a lot of people that night but they did one cool show. Since then I’ve been able to check them out several times and even play with them a couple of times. In 2007 they toured Brazil for the release of their first full-length called “Taking You Down With Me” on Hurry Up! Records, plus they recently toured Europe with Gonna Fall Hard. They have a vinyl version of their record coming out really soon with a cool bonus track on it, keep posted on that. Bust it!

I think this is it. As I already said, tons of other bands around Italy that are worth checking out, these are in my opinion the best ones, those you can’t sleep on, this is the Italian hardcore I like.

On another note, some good older hardcore bands are now getting back on track, playing some live shows, rumors say they may be writing new material as well, and I’m talking about GROWING CONCERN (www.myspace.com/growingconcernhardcore) and THINK TWICE (www.myspace.com/thinktwiceitaly)

So, welcome to the Soulcraft… more interesting stuff coming soon (interviews and reports) as well as the paper version, I promise. For the moment, read this, enjoy this and spread this. DBTH!

Now playing:

• Noyz Narcos & Gengis Khan – The Best Out Mixtape (www.myspace.com/bestoutnow)
• Alone – Kiss Dreams Goodbye (www.myspace.com/weareinthisalone)

For the Italian people, the Eye of Judgement + Birs of A Feather tour is hitting Italy from the 24th to the 26th of April, check out their shows, I’m booking the one in Rome:

~ by dreamcrusher on April 11, 2008.