Snapcase

Background information
Origin	Buffalo, New York, USA
Genres	Hardcore punk Metalcore
Years active	1991-2005
Labels	Victory Records
Website	Snapcase.com

Snapcase was a band from Buffalo, New York. Their records were released on the Chicago record label, Victory Records.
The band was originally conceived in 1989 in a basement in West Seneca, NY and was named Solid State. In 1989, the lineup was guitarist Scott Dressler, then a mere 15 years of age, 17 year-old drummer Mike Kimaid, Daryl Taberski, age 18 on bass, and Tiger Balduf, the eldest at 19, and Chris Galas on vocals. Prior to recording their first demo as Solid State on January 30, 1990, Quest for Reality, Tiger Balduf left the band to get married, and Mike Kimaid left to join the Lockport, NY based band The Watchmen. In their places instead were Chris Galas on vocals and Peter Dawidzak on drums. Soon after recording this, Peter Dawidzak left the band to go to school. On May 22, 1990, Solid State recorded their second demo, Accept Your Fate, with their friend Mike Lampe, who had assisted with the previous demo, as well. During this recording, the band was composed of Chris Galas on vocals, Scott Dressler playing guitar, Jason Kourkounis onhe band was originally conceived in 1989 in a

During the spring of 1991, Solid State went through a big lineup shift; Kourkounis left the band to pursue other musical interests, and Kimaid rejoined the band along with The Watchmen guitarist Joe Smith, making the band a five-piece. After these changes to their lineup, the band decided to change their name to Snapcase. Between the years of 1991 and 1992, Snapcase recorded two demos with Dennis Fura, Break The Silence and King of the Mountain. In 1992 the band was signed to Chicago hardcore label Victory Records and recorded their first 7 inch, Comatose, with Mike Sac and Robby Takac that year. After this recording Taberski moved over to vocals, replacing Chris Galas, Bob Whiteside from Buffalo, NY band Support took over on bass, and Jon Salemi, who played drums in Support, joined to replace Joe Smith, who left for school. In 1993, Kimaid left the band after partially recording the band's first album and was replaced by former Buffalo, NY based Slugfest drummer, Tim Redmond, who performed on the rest of the tracks. This full length, Lookinglasself, was released in 1993 and was recorded with Don Fury and Fred Betschen. In early 1995, the band released the Steps EP, which they recorded with Fred Betschen. This was the last recording to feature Scott Dressler, who left the band in the fall of 1995 to go to graduate school. He was replaced by Frank Vicario of Buffalo, NY band Fadeaway. In the summer of 1996, The California Takeover was released which featured live recordings from Snapcase, Earth Crisis, and Strife.

Progression

April 1997 saw the release of Progression Through Unlearning, which they recorded with Steve Evetts, an album which is considered to be revolutionary by many fans of hardcore. The band set out on a summer tour, and featured performances on the Vans Warped Tour. In the fall of 1997, the band took some time off so that members could pursue education. In 1998, the band resumed touring, and was the opening band on the fall tour of the Deftones. They also went into the studio with Brian McTernan in the fall of 1998 to record a cover of the Bad Brains "I", released on Century Media's Never Give In tribute record, and a split EP with Boysetsfire that was released in the summer of 1999. These were the last recordings with bassist Bob Whiteside. He was replaced by Dustin Perry, formerly of the Minneapolis, MN band Threadbare. They headlined Hellfest that summer in Syracuse, NY.

Designs For Automotion, the band's third full length album, was recorded in the summer of 1999 with Steve Evetts was released in January 2000. They spent most of 2000 on tour, performing on the Deconstruction tour in Europe with NOFX and playing the main stage of the Vans Warped Tour in the summer. Ben Lythberg began playing drums for the band during the fall, winter and spring while Redmond finished his masters degree.

End Transmission

In 2002, the band focused their creative energy on crafting their new album, End Transmission, with Brian McTernan at Salad Days Studios. This album, their fourth full length album was released in September 2002. Redmond officially left the band soon after the release of the album and was permanently replaced by Lythberg. Snapcase toured that fall with Boysetsfire and Atreyu. Their final international tour was in early 2003. They opened for Bad Religion and Finch in the spring of 2003. Bright Flashes was released in November 2003. This featured songs that were recorded for the conceptual End Transmission album, covers of songs by Helmet, Devo, and Jane's Addiction, and 3 remixes of songs from End Transmission. The band announced in the fall of 2004 that they would be disbanding, and would play their final show in January 2005 in Buffalo, NY. The final show featured appearances by nearly every member who had ever played in the band. Redmond, Dressler, and Whiteside joined Salemi and Taberski for a performance of the song "Lookinglasself", and original vocalist Chris Galas joined them for the song "Comatose".

Intention

Snapcase built a reputation for composing music with complex guitar lines, harmonic distortion, and relentless rhythms. Lyrically, their songs explored themes of self-determination, affirmation, and personal challenge. To many, Snapcase was one of the most progressive and influential bands in independent music, and was dedicated to combining intellectual theory with aggressive music (as the band has claimed). Nevertheless, Snapcase always promoted free-thinking and an unrelenting quest for change, as their socially conscious lyrics reveal. The members of the band are all straight edge, as well, but according to Frank Vicario, they're "not really singing about it or promoting it".

Thereafter

After Snapcase dissolved, Vicario, Perry and Lythberg formed the band Attractive, with Josh English from the band Sixgoingonseven. Tim Redmond currently teaches AP Government, Global history, and The Turbulent Sixties at Williamsville East High School and Scott Dressler is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Villanova University. Frank Vicario is currently working on new projects but is in the computer business. After a few years working in the video game industry with Bill Gallagher, he decided to move on and switch to computers.

A retrospective DVD is set for release in 2008, and will feature footage filmed at their performance in January 2005.

Snapcase reunited briefly in late 2007 on November 20th at Mohawk Place in their hometown of Buffalo, NY and on November 24th and 25th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. The reunion shows were performed for the benefit of Callum Robbins and the release of the Anti-Matter Anthology book release.

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Earth Crisis

Earth Crisis
Origin	Syracuse, New York, USA
Genres	Metalcore, hardcore punk
Years active	1991 – 2001, 2007 – present
Labels	Roadrunner Records Victory Records Century Media
Associated acts	Path of Resistance Freya Isolated

Earth Crisis is a vegan straight edge metalcore band from Syracuse, New York, that recorded and performed from 1991 until they broke up in 2001. They have reunited and been active again since 2007. A new record was released on Century Media records in early May 2009 entitled "To The Death."

Earth Crisis is known for supporting animal rights (including organizations such as the Animal Liberation Front

and promoting a straight edge, vegan lifestyle.

Lyrics are replete with strong statements, many concerning animal abuse and political issues. The title song from their second album, entitled Firestorm, with lyrics depicting a neighborhood submerged in drug addiction and crime, became an anthem for followers of the straight edge ideology.

The first two albums, All Out War (1992) and Firestorm (1993), made the band popular in some hardcore punk and metalcore circles. The next two full-length records, Destroy the Machines (1995) and Gomorrah's Season Ends (1996), brought a more complex and developed form of metalcore. The band's growing popularity was noticed by Roadrunner Records; a new record deal pushed the band to record Breed the Killers (1998), featuring a guest appearance by Machine Head's vocalist and guitarist, Robb Flynn. The band then left the label and returned to Victory Records, releasing 2000's Slither soon after. With clear and professional production, it surprised some listeners and introduced the band's music to a wider audience.

The band's final album was Last of the Sane. Covers of songs by The Rolling Stones, Slayer, Led Zeppelin, Cream and Dead Kennedys were included.

In 2001, Earth Crisis played their final show at Hellfest in Syracuse, New York
After breaking up, frontman Karl Buechner, along with Bulldog and Erick Edwards, started the band Freya, previously known as Nemesis. Karl Buechner, Erick Edwards, Bulldog, Scott Crouse and Dennis Merrick were in the band Path of Resistance, which was formed during down time from touring in 1997. D.J. Rose and Jonathan Dennison rounded out the band's lineup.

In June 2002 the band members collecively apologized for their silence in regard to breaking up, stating,

* "Many rumors have been circulating about what has happened to Earth Crisis, and for the most part we have kept our distance from this dialogue. We apologize for our silence, but we felt it was necessary to keep quiet until we decided what we definitely wanted to do. It is now time to let you - the people who have been with us throughout our career - know where we are at. We have chosen to dissolve Earth Crisis. There are many reasons that we have come to this decision, but it is sufficient to say here that it was our time to leave Earth Crisis - a project we have immersed ourselves in for the past ten years. It was quite difficult for us to come to this decision, especially when we were at such a good point in our career. We suppose we have chosen to leave Earth Crisis behind at this point so as to preserve it in each of your memories (and ours) as a vital and vibrant force. Slither, we feel, is our best release to date. The singles that we released from it have been spinning regularly on commercial radio, and our video for Nemesis has aired on MTVX and many other programs. Over the course of our work in Earth Crisis, we have accomplished so much: from many tours in the U.S., to tours in Europe and Japan, to playing at the Ozz Fest, to performing for 120,000 people in Bogota, Columbia. And every person at every show, and every person that experienced our music, was exposed to our messages of human, animal, and earth liberation and our philosophy about veganism and straight edge. And we hope that we have encouraged some of these people to think about at least one issue from at least one song in a new way. Our home video, which will be released some time this summer from High Roller Studios on Victory Records, will speak to much of this history. We owe a lot to all of you who have supported our efforts throughout our career; and we hope that you can all come and see us one last time. Our last show in the U.S. will be this summer at Hellfest in Syracuse, NY on the weekend of July 6, 7, and 8th. We hope that other bands will continue to forward a positive, peaceful, ethical, and revolutionary way of life as we have tried to do through our music. There is still a war, and we have layed down one weapon so as to pick up another. Each member of Earth Crisis is still involved in music, from industrial projects, to hip hop, to straight up rock. So we are all still involved in this community. We wish all of the new bands the best, and again we thank all of you who have supported us from the bottom of our hearts."

In 2007, the band reunited. On January 27, 2007, Earth Crisis played the Maryland Metal and Hardcore Festival, and played a west coast reunion show on May 5, at the Ventura Theatre. A 10 day tour of Europe was announced shortly after the Ventura show. Earth Crisis headlined the Firestorm Fest from 2/29/08 to 3/23/08 supported by Terror, Sworn Enemy, Shai Hulud, Down To Nothing and Recon. On the 15th of February, MTV.com quoted vocalist Karl Buechner as having said that Earth Crisis is writing new material. "The best way to describe it is it's a mixture between Destroy the Machines and Breed the Killers". The new album is expected to be released early in 2009.

The new CD is entitled "To The Death" and was released in Europe on April 20, 2009 and in North America on May 5, 2009.

In August and September 2009, Earth Crisis played America and Europe on the Hell on Earth Tour
alongside Sworn Enemy, Neaera, Waking the Cadaver, War of Ages, Thy Will Be Done and War From a Harlots Mouth.

for more visit: wikipedia and www.myspace.com/earthcrisis

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Ignite

Ignite
Origin	Orange County, California, U.S.
Genres	Hardcore punk
Years active	1993 – present
Labels	Abacus Recordings TVT Records Rovers Records Conversion Records Lost & Found Records
Website	Official site

Ignite is a hardcore punk band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1993, their commercial breakthrough album came in May 30, 2000, on TVT Records, and was called A Place Called Home. Prior to this release they were well-regarded among hardcore fans, thanks in part to constant touring and having visited over 30 countries.

On July 20, 2005, a deal was announced with Abacus Recordings, a subsidiary label of Century Media Records; the band's album Our Darkest Days was released on the label in May 2006.

Much of their music is socially and politically aware. Ignite actively supports, and has given proceeds to, organizations such as Earth First, Doctors Without Borders, Sea Shepherd, and Pacific Wildlife. Lead singer Zoltan "Zoli" Téglás has taken account of such issues as environmental concerns and vegetarianism—common topics found on A Place Called Home. The legacy of Communism in Eastern Europe is another recurring theme, in part because of Teglas's Hungarian background. (On a hidden track at the end of A Place Called Home and "Our Darkest Days", Teglas sings a traditional folk song in Hungarian to the music of the title track.)

On May 9, 2005, they filmed a live DVD with the support of bands Eightyonedays and A Dying Dream at The Troubadour in Hollywood, CA. Unfortunately the DVD was never released due to some technical problems with the quality. But on April 20, 2008 they gathered footage for an upcoming live DVD of their show in Leipzig, Germany.

On one of their headlining shows at Persistence Tour 2009 the band announced they are currently working on a new record.

Orange County's Ignite aren't another punk rock/hardcore band. They don't wear make up. They don't care about image. They aren't a here today, gone tomorrow flash in the pan. They aren't tired scenesters, clinging desperately to the past. So what, you ask, are Ignite? That's easy.

Ignite, who've been making music together for over 10 years, are a successful, international act with a diehard global following. They've got a proven, rabid fanbase that populates over 30 countries, thanks to their Iron Man tour scheduling. People go crazy for Ignite all over Europe, Australia, South America, and in their native US, and that's why the band lives on the road, bringing the fans what they want and what they need.

Ignite are rock band with hardcore roots, a rock band that supports a series of environmentally and socially conscious groups like Doctors Without Borders, Habitat For Humanity, Sea Shepherds, Project Blue Sea, and Earth First. Ignite have donated the proceeds from a series of seven inches, ten inches, and splits to these causes. They've released three albums, A Place Called Home (2000), Past Our Means (1996) and Call On My Brothers (1995), all of which enjoy a place in the hardcore canon. Our Darkest Days is their latest full-length, and first for Abacus Recordings.

Most importantly, Ignite are a rock band whose music isn't just a vehicle to enact change and to educate. Their music is catchy, well-written, and timeless enough to seep into your brain, your blood, and your heart; these songs will stay with you forever. On Our Darkest Days, Ignite push forward with positive momentum, showing off a matured version of the intelligent, socially and politically aware, melodic brand of hardcore that fans have come to expect. But these aren't songs reserved solely for reckless, rebellious youth or the band's diehard fans. The songs that populate Our Darkest Days will stand the test of time you'll listen to them when you've got kids of your own.

On Our Darkest Days, Ignite have progressed beyond their punk/hardcore foundation. Sure, songs like "Bleeding" and "Let It Burn" have so much energy you'd think singer Zoli Teglas, his longtime co-conspirator Brett Rasmussen, and their crew downed several cases of Red Bull before recording Our Darkest Days, but there is a depth and breadth of focused songwriting on this album. Ignite have paid particular attention to melodic detail and once again, the soaring vocals of Teglas take center stage.

"Having [producer] Cameron Webb behind this album from the pre-production steps to the mastering has brought a great new element to Ignite," reveals Teglas. "He's produced great records, like the last Social Distortion and Motorhead records. He made us think outside of the box and helped take our songwriting up a few notches. He pushed us to get more melodic in the songs." He's right. "Bleeding" sets the tone for the album, with its angry, yet melodic pulse. It's also the band's commentary on our country's occupation of Iraq and the government's agenda. "Poverty For All" represents a sonic and songwriting shift for Ignite. The song, which deals with the political strife and Communism that has plagued Teglas's home country of Hungary, is different because "we have never used this fast beat before and it gives us a refreshing new way to play a fast song," says bassist Rasmussen. "Let It Burn" is sure to be a fan fave, with its heavy breakdown, it message about alcohol abuse, and its gang vocal. But it's that thread of potent melodicism that courses through the song's vein and makes it so memorable. You will hum the melodies of most of these songs days after you've listened to em.

But what makes Ignite appeal to rock fans of all ages and creeds is that Our Darkest Day is, according to Rasmussen, "a great blend of hardcore, punk and rock. Zoli's vocals bring a refreshing singing voice to the growling/screaming dominated hard rock music world. The songs have lyrical content that has meaning and melodies that can be heard."

In today's overpopulated rock music scene, standing out and making yourself memorable are essential survival tools. Ignite have mastered the art of memorable melodies on Our Darkest Days without sacrificing an ounce of intensity, aggression, or heart. -Amy Sciarretto


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H2O

H2O
Origin	New York, New York, USA
Genres	Punk rock Hardcore punk
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Blackout Records (1996) Epitaph Records (1997–1999) MCA Records (2001–2002) Bridge 9 (2008–present)
Associated acts	The Operation M.D., Hazen Street, Juliette and the Licks, The Offspring
Website	Official website

H2O is a band that had beginnings like any other band. No one could have guessed that a few guys and a former roadie from New York would start a band as a one-song side project and it would turn into a world-touring powerhouse. They took humble roots and worked their way to add their chapter to the long history of New York Hardcore and they would define the term “melodic hardcore” that would become so common years later. From 1996 to 2003 was unavoidable- four albums on Blackout!, Epitaph, and MCA records with over 300,000 copies sold, constant world touring with the likes of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Rancid, AFI, Pennywise, & the Used, Sick Of It All, the Misfits, 7 Seconds, and Madball, as well as runs on the Warped Tour-they established themselves as a household name and inspired countless others in their wake. In the pre-internet world of hardcore and punk, H2O was the band that blended the heavily-tattooed, unbridled rage of New York bands like the Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front, with the punk melodies of bands like the Descendents and Token Entry. It's hard to argue that bands a decade later would take the melodic hardcore groundwork laid by H2O to wider audiences.

It's now 2008 and H20 is still here, but Nothing To Prove is not a comeback – that's way too simple. Nothing to Prove is a statement of everything the band is and a taste of what the band will be in the future - and it's nothing short of incredible. Frontman Toby Morse said it best, “This time feels urgent. I feel everything on this album has been building up over the last seven years. That's why this album is called Nothing To Prove - because it's all out on the table.” This is H2O's most personal, most angry, most positive, hardest, yet catchiest album to date, and it comes into a scene not unlike the scene that H2O originally entered. Hardcore and punk as concepts have been diluted, confused and hyphenated to the point where it's a marketing term. Nothing To Prove is a ten-song breath of fresh air and honesty that is poised to revive an otherwise stagnant “scene”.

The re-emergence of H2O hits with the first notes of the opening track, “1995.” Only a few solitary chords before the crashing of a fast, raw and melodic song, complete with classic sing-alongs and a perfect breakdown. The title track is next and while it's only a minute and a half blast, “Nothing To Prove” sums up H2O's manifesto for this release: the band is back and while their history speaks for itself, they're not resting on any laurels. Featuring Agnostic Front's Roger Miret and the one and only Danny Diablo, the band shows they haven't forgotten where they came from. As the album progresses, H2O reminds the listener that their penchant for infectious anthems and choruses has not dissipated one bit.

Lyrically, we see Toby Morse as up front and honest as he's ever been. Anthems about being straight edge in his 30's (“Still Here”), to being a responsible adult with tattoos (“Heart On My Sleeve”), and the personal sacrifices and vulnerabilities we all feel (“Unconditional”) are all present on Nothing to Prove . With “Sunday,” listeners get a stunning display of Morse's personal story - the passing of his father when he and his brother, H2O guitarist, Todd Morse, were young children, and the subsequent birth of his own child on the same day of the week. Toby bares it all in one of the most personal songs H20 has written. Ending with the anthem, and first single, “What Happened?” we are presented with a testament to the power of H2O. The song is an anthem about questioning the ethics and motives of bands and music in general today, but the subject is addressed in a positive way. They take an infectious anthem and up the ante with appearances by Lou Koller of Sick Of It All and Matt Skiba from Alkaline Trio both showing what they do best. It's a formidable closer and it's the last statement in an album that is the most forthright in their career thus far; their hearts are on their sleeves. Bassist Adam Blake commented, “This is the first time I've ever seen Toby NEEDING to write lyrics. He just kept writing and writing and writing and it came so easy to him once he got started.”

What makes Nothing To Prove such a monumental album is that it is a collaboration of many long-time H2O fans, only now, instead of stage-diving and singing along, they're behind the boards of the recording studio, designing the artwork and releasing the albums. Produced by longtime fan and friend of the band, Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory), a new perspective was brought in. Toby said, “Chad really knew how to help us take good songs and make them sound great.” Gilbert stated, “I am a fan of H2O and this is an album that fans of H2O want to hear. They needed to make this record and I'm really proud to be a part of it.” Bridge Nine Records' owner Chris Wrenn and label manager Karl Hensel both have their own histories with H2O running over a decade as well. “This entire project has been amazing,” Wrenn stated. “Everyone involved is passionate about the album and it's been a great experience watching this album get created start to finish and to see the band's reaction and excitement about the finished product. They've never had this kind of control or say in every last aspect of the process. It's an honor that H2O is a part of our legacy and it's an honor that Bridge Nine is apart of H2O's legacy.”


H2O, much like you'd expect, is hitting every corner of the globe spreading the word that H2O is undeniably back.

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Madball

Madball
Origin	New York City, United States
Genres	Hardcore punk, Crossover Thrash
Years active	Since 1988
Labels	Ferret Music Roadrunner Records Epitaph I Scream Records Thorp
Associated acts	Agnostic Front Sheer Terror Hazen Street
Website	www.madballnyhc.com

Madball is a New York-based band that originated in the late 1980s, as a side-project of Agnostic Front (where Agnostic Front's front man Roger Miret would let his younger brother, Freddy "Madball" Cricien take the microphone on lead vocals during Agnostic Front shows).

History

Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members. Madball consisted of Agnostic Front's vocalist Roger Miret on bass, Vinnie Stigma on guitar, Will Shepler on drums, and vocalist Freddy Cricien, Roger Miret's younger brother. Madball's first few gigs consisted of un-used Agnostic Front songs. Madball's first release was the Ball of Destruction EP in 1989. After years of playing regional shows in and around the New York area, a second guitarist, Matt Henderson, would join the band. By then, they recorded and released the EP Droppin' Many Suckers for Wreckage Records. One year later Roger Miret left the band, and was replaced by bassist Hoya Roc — a good friend of Freddy Cricien — who was looking for a new band as his band, Dmize, was breaking up. The new incarnation of the band was signed by Roadrunner Records in 1994 and released a pair of full-lengths; Set It Off in 1994 and Demonstrating My Style in 1996. Touring steadily, the band built a sizeable fan base outside their hometown.

1995 saw the band participating in the N.Y.H.C. Documentary. Extensive interviews were conducted with Freddy as well as a performance on July 29, 1995 at the now defunct "Coney Island High". Freddy's brother, Roger, broke several vertebrae in his back at that show, requiring him to be in traction for the better part of a year.

Consisting of Cricien, Henderson, Hoya, and new drummer John Lafatta, the band recorded Look My Way, which was released in early 1998. Hold It Down followed two years later. The band briefly broke up from early 2001 until late 2002. The current lineup of Freddy Cricien, Hoya Roc, Mitts (ex-Skarhead), and Rigg Ross (ex-Hatebreed) began touring and recording at the end of 2002. Since then, Madball has come out with: Best of Madball in 2003, N.Y.H.C. (EP) in 2004, Legacy in 2005, and Infiltrate The System in 2007. In 2009, Rigg Ross left to join Skarhead and was replaced by ex-Throwdown Ben Dussault. In December 2009, Freddy Cricien announced that the band was currently working on their new album, scheduled for a 2010 release.

Along with bands such as Agnostic Front, Vietnom, Bulldoze, Resistance and H2O, they comprise a part of New York's DMS Crew. Vocalist Cricien and bass player Hoya are also in the band Hazen Street, along with members of H2O, Cro-Mags

for more visit : wikipedia and official site

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Agnostic Front

Background information
Origin	New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Hardcore punk Crossover thrash Street punk
Years active	1980–1992 1997–present
Labels	Last Warning, Rat Cage, Combat, Epitaph, Hellcat, Nuclear Blast, I Scream Records
Associated acts	Roger Miret and the Disasters, Madball, 25 ta Life, Cause for Alarm
Website	Official website

Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band that formed in New York City in 1980. The band began playing hardcore punk similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash metal elements into their music. By the late '90s, Agnostic Front had signed with Epitaph Records and adopted a street punk sound before growing into a crossover metallic hardcore hybrid similar to bands like Hatebreed and Madball.

Early

Formed by guitarist Vinnie Stigma (formerly of the Eliminators) in November/December 1980, with Diego on bass and Rob Krekus on drums. Agnostic Front went through a few singers, two of them being John Watson and Jimmy "The Mad Russian", before settling with Roger Miret (former bassist of The Psychos). They soon added Ray Barbieri, aka Raybeez (Warzone), on drums and Adam Moochie on bass. Their debut EP United Blood, released in 1983 on an indie label, has since become a collector's item. At this time, the band consisted entirely of skinheads. Although this would change over time, Agnostic Front would continue to feature skinheads as part of their line-up.

The follow-up, Victim in Pain (1984), is regarded as a seminal New York hardcore release. Dave Jones replaced Ray Barbieri on drums and Rob Kabula on bass. In 1984 Jim "the Kid" Colleti from Justified Violence joined on drums as the band went to tour with The Exploited later that year. The album pushed the band to the forefront of New York's fledgling hardcore scene, which was centered around CBGB's, where they played with bands like The Cro-Mags and Murphy's Law. Reger Miret asserts that all the songs on the album "are totally inspired by the streets of New York and my life and what was going on with my friends It was dangerous. We did what we had to do to survive by any means necessary. It was like a war or a battlefield, and we stood our ground".

1986's Cause for Alarm was a difficult album to record, due to constant line-up changes and personnel problems. Released on Combat Records, it added thrash metal influences. With other bands such as Suicidal Tendencies and Stormtroopers of Death, this album would mark AF's foray into the world of crossover thrash.

With yet another new lineup, the band soon released Liberty and Justice for... in 1987. The album featured stripped down punk with a lack of thrash influences, yet it contained many metal-style guitar solos. It did not sell nearly as well as previous releases. Sometime later, Miret was arrested on drug charges after releasing a live album, and spent his time in prison writing new songs while Stigma and the band toured Europe for the first time. The lyrics written by Miret while incarcerated formed most of 1992's One Voice, which featured members of Madball and Sick of It All. Not long after its release, the band decided to call it quits. Their last show was at CBGB on December 20, 1992; Last Warning, which was also released with United Blood E.P on the end of the release. Vinnie Stigma apparently remarked that he hated Last Warning.

Later

Stigma and Miret reformed Agnostic Front in May 1996 and did a few reunion shows in December 1996, signing to Epitaph Records and recruiting Jimmy Colletti on drums and Rob Kabula, who was playing with Against The Grain at the time, on bass. Their latest venture was titled Something's Gotta Give, although Miret announced in the UK the original title would be Today, Tomorrow, Forever. In 1999 they followed up with Riot, Riot, Upstart. They also won an MTV award for the title track music video. Their comeback albums have sold well and been mostly acclaimed by music critics for their pure hardcore punk/oi! sound. In 2001 they released the album Dead Yuppies. Songs from this album were rarely played live, as the band considered it more a product of Loved and Hated, Jimmy Colletti's side-project bands. In 2002 Miret worked on a side project band, Roger Miret and the Disasters, looking for a sound akin to old school punk rock and Oi!. Also that year, the band appeared in Matthew Barney's film, Cremaster 3 along with Murphy's Law.

Agnostic Front came out in 2005 with Another Voice. The album was regarded mainly as a follow up to One Voice. The album, however, did receive some criticism from fans and the press for apparently changing their music to fit the current wave of 'tough guy' bands. Musically, the album bears resemblance to bands that were heavily influenced by Agnostic Front, such as Hatebreed. Miret's vocals on the album particularly seemed to turn off many less hardcore punk oriented fans. Later, the track "Peace" was contributed to the mashup album Threat: Music That Inspired The Movie, where it was remixed by Schizoid and renamed "World At War."

On March 7, 2006 Agnostic Front released their long-awaited DVD "Live at CBGB". This follows the efforts of many bands that tried to save CBGB from shutting down. Even though Merit claims that "We played more shows at CBGB than any band ever, and we played more benefit shows for CBGB than any band ever" when the club did close most nostalgia focused on 1970's punk bands.

On November 6, 2007 Agnostic Front released the album Warriors with the hit "For My Family" which was largely a continuation of "Another Voice"s sound.

For the 25th anniversary of their debut LP Victim in Pain, Bridge Nine Records released remastered versions of said album along with their first EP; United Blood on November 17, 2009.

The band will be performing on the Persistence Tour in Europe in the winter of 2009.

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Sick Of It All

Background information
Origin	Queens, New York, USA
Genres	Hardcore punk
Years active	1986–present
Labels	Revelation, Relativity, EastWest, Elektra, Fat Wreck Chords, Abacus, Century Media
Associated acts	Creep Division, Blood from the Soul
Website	www.sickofitall.com

 Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band, from Queens, New York, formed in 1986. Founded by brothers Lou Koller (vocals) and Pete Koller (guitar), Armand Majidi (drums) and Rich Cipriano (bass). They have been known to be a major part of the New York hardcore scene.

Early career (1986-1992)

Hailing from Queens, New York, Sick of It All was formed alongside New York hardcore bands Straight Ahead, and Rest In Pieces which both featured Majidi and current Sick of It All bass player Craig Setari. Majidi joined up with the Koller brothers and Rich Cipriano to record the Sick of It All demo in 1986, after original bass player Mark McNielly and drummer David Lamb left. The band began to play Sunday afternoon matinees at renowned venue CBGB's, and soon after released a self-titled 7" on Revelation Records (which was later re-issued on the tenth anniversary of its release, in 1997).

In 1988, Sick of It All signed to Relativity Records and recorded their first full-length, Blood, Sweat and No Tears, which was released in the following year. The album's follow-up, Just Look Around, was released in 1992.

Rising popularity (1993-1997)

Sick of It All released their record Scratch the Surface on major label EastWest Records. They also recorded a video for "Step Down" and the title track "Scratch The Surface". The record was the first recorded with long-time friend and former Straight Ahead, Rest In Pieces, Youth of Today and Agnostic Front bass player Craig Setari, who had replaced Rich Cipriano in early 1993.

The band received bad publicity in December 1992 when Wayne Lo, a prep-college student, shot and killed two people and wounded four others at the Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Widely-circulated photos of him at his arrest showed him wearing a Sick of It All t-shirt. After being inundated with claims that they initiated violence at shows and through their music, the band defended themselves in the press (particularly The New York Times).

The fair success of Scratch the Surface allowed the band to tour worldwide. In 1997 they released their second record on the EastWest label, Built to Last. More punk-inspired than their previous effort, Built to Last produced a number of live staples for the band, including "Us vs. Them," "Busted" and "Good Lookin' Out." The album also marked the end of Sick of It All's contractual agreement with EastWest.

The Fat Wreck Chords years (1998-2004)

In 1998, Sick of It All signed to independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, owned and run by Fat Mike of NOFX. After releasing the "Potential For A Fall" single - for which another video was filmed, Call To Arms was released in February 1999.

The 2000 follow-up Yours Truly was less critically acclaimed. Despite containing some of the bands favored live tracks, including "Blown Away," "The Bland Within," "District" and "America," some fans felt alienated by the album's progressive nature and in a recent interview, frontman Lou Koller claimed that the album's cover art probably contributed to its poor reception.

In 2001, Sick of It All released their home video The Story So Far, and a year later a live record was released as part of Fat Wreck Chords' Live In A Dive series. The album showcased tracks from Sick of It All's entire career up to that point in time.

2003 saw Sick of It All release their seventh studio album: Life on the Ropes. In 2004, the band also released an album of b-sides, covers and rare tracks entitled Outtakes for the Outcast, which contains some Sick of It All recordings.

Recent activity and the future of the band (2005-present)

In early 2005, Sick of It All signed to Abacus Recordings to record the follow-up to Fat Wreck Chords' Life on the Ropes. The new album, titled Death to Tyrants, was released on April 18, 2006. The band has recently toured with AFI and The Dear & Departed in early 2007.

A tribute to the band, titled Our Impact Will Be Felt, was released on April 24, 2007, and includes covers from artists such as Bane, Bleeding Through, The Bouncing Souls, Comeback Kid, Hatebreed, Himsa, Madball, Most Precious Blood, Napalm Death, Pennywise, Rise Against, Sepultura, Stretch Arm Strong, Unearth, and Walls of Jericho.

Following a worldwide tour in support of Death to Tyrants, Sick of It All began working on new material for their next album. In an August 2009 interview with singer Lou Koller, he revealed that the band will begin recording their new album in November for a 2010 release.

more: wikipedia, official site

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Max Cavalera

Background information
Birth name	Massimiliano Antonio Cavalera
Born	August 4, 1969 (1969-08-04) (age 40) Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Genres	Heavy metal, thrash metal, alternative metal, nu metal, death metal, groove metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, berimbau
Years active	1984-present
Labels	Roadrunner
Associated acts	Sepultura, Nailbomb, Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy
Website	Soulfly Official Site

Massimiliano Antonio "Max" Cavalera is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter of Italian origins. He was the lead singer and rhythm guitarist for the metal band Sepultura, before forming Soulfly in the late 1990s. Cavalera was also involved in a short-lived side project, Nailbomb, and is currently performing with Soulfly and another project, Cavalera Conspiracy.

Max has been nicknamed "The Bob Marley of Metal" due to his South American origins and his consistent dedication to experimental and spiritual music. His father, Graziano Cavalera, was the Italian Ambassador to Brazil; he and his family stayed in Brazil after his tenure as ambassador ended. Graziano is buried in Belo Horizonte; Max was only 9 when his father died.

Max's family were in a state of financial crisis and family turbulence when he formed Sepultura with Jairo Guedes, Paulo Pinto, and his younger brother Igor Cavalera. Soon Sepultura would go on to be one of the biggest names in Heavy metal music.

In the early 1990s he relocated to Phoenix, Arizona. He did not begin to make "spiritual" music until after he quit Sepultura. His lyrics are influenced by religion and spirituality as a whole, though he is critical of religion. His albums have all been dedicated to God, and he has often been depicted by the press as a man of religion, especially in America, something that Cavalera himself says he does not understand. As he himself put it:

“

I do hate a lot of 'religion' but people like Christ - yeah they inspire me. I mean if you look at Christ, He was hanging around with the lowlifes, prostitutes and the losers you know, not going around with those high society motherfuckers you see trying to sell Jesus today!

”

When asked in an interview whether he was a Christian and whether Soulfly was a Christian band, he said:

“

No. I mean, if I was a Christian I would wear all these different kinds of omens. Because Christian people are so close minded. A priest would not accept that. So I don't like the concept of Christianity in terms of being so close minded. It is the same with music. Sometimes I compare preachers to close minded musicians or close minded listeners, who only like one kind of music. Some preachers are the same. And they don't tolerate Hindus, Buddhists or whatever. Only them. It's bullshit. So Soulfly is not a Christian band at all. Very much opposite. But we are very spiritual. Spiritual has nothing to do with Christianity anyway. It has been here since the beginning of time.

”

He also stated that he does believe in God, "But it might be different than the God the preacher preaches about."

Of enduring influence to his music is the unsolved murder of Dana Wells, his stepson, who was killed after the release of Roots in 1996. The songs "Bleed," "First Commandment," "Pain," and "Tree Of Pain" are tributes to Wells.

He has reunited with his brother Igor, in their band Cavalera Conspiracy, and wrote and performed on Soulfly's Conquer, which was released in 2008

With Sepultura, Cavalera played a B.C. Rich Warlock, and now plays a custom ESP 6 String signature guitar. Designed to his specifications and based on the Viper design, the guitar features a Seymour Duncan SH6 Distortion pickup. A budget version (with a stock pickup) is sold under the LTD moniker. Another signature guitar produced by ESP, based on the AX model, is white with a Soulfly logo inlays. He also used a series of Gibson SG guitars during his later years in Sepultura and on the first two Soulfly albums and the tours that supported them.

Cavalera's own guitar is only strung with four strings, as he has claimed that he never used the highest two strings. Besides the guitar, he also plays a berimbau, a Brazilian one-string instrument (cordophone family), and a sitar.


visit wikipedia
Soulfly official site

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Ray Cappo

Ray Cappo (a.k.a. Ray Today; also Raghunath) is the former vocalist for the hardcore bands Youth of Today, Reflex From Pain, Shelter, Better Than A Thousand, and the project recording "Ray and Porcell." This icon of New York hardcore was originally from Connecticut, and played drums for the Connecticut band Violent Children. Cappo was occasionally a guest DJ for college radio station WXCI, in Danbury, Connecticut, on a radio show called "The Adventure Jukebox" hosted by Darryl Ohrt of the band No Milk on Tuesday. Cappo played a wide array of hardcore music on the program, largely culled from his massive collection of records, rare unsigned EPs, and demo tapes. During this time, Cappo enthusiastically supported local hardcore shows including gigs by many early hardcore bands such as No Milk on Tuesday, 76% Uncertain, Seizure, End Product, and Abusive Action, and was often mentioned in the liner notes of their records. Before moving to New York City in the mid-1980s, Cappo and his band Youth of Today had already made a dent on the scene

Youth of Today

Along with guitarist John Porcelly (aka Porcell), Cappo started the seminal hardcore band Youth of Today, which would go on to release two 7" EP's (one later remixed and released as a 12") and two LPs, widely considered to be some of the most influential American hardcore records of their time. An important figure in the early days of Youth of Today was Kevin Seconds, singer of the Reno, NV band 7 Seconds. Kevin not only influenced the band, but also released their first ep, "Can't Close My Eyes" on his Positive Force Records. Youth of Today acted as a catalyst for the thriving straight edge scene in NYC, a task declared impossible by many NYC punk aficionados. From these beginnings arose a cadre of late 80's NYC straight edge bands, sometimes referred to as youth crew bands. These bands honed their sounds at CBGB's Sunday matinees, or at the Stamford, Connecticut (and later Norwalk) venue, The Anthrax.

The 1990s and "Krishna-core"

As Youth of Today began to wind down, Cappo found himself drawn to Krishna Consciousness, due in large part to his study of religions that embraced his vegetarian and straight edge ideals. He became a devotee and an outspoken proponent of the ideologies laid out in the Bhagavad Gita. Cappo resolved to start a band that would fulfill his spiritual needs and provide a mouthpiece for his newfound devotion. This band became known as Shelter. Cappo again found himself starting a record label to release bands with a Krishna-conscious message, the still operating Equal Vision Records. The rise of Shelter would unexpectedly create a musical sub-genre called "Krishna-core", with bands such as Cro-Mags and Fed Up! as its spiritual forefathers and 108 and Refuse to Fall among its main proponents.

A few years later, after distancing himself to a certain extent from certain strict elements of the Krishna and straight edge communities, Cappo found himself alienated from both camps after a minor incident became known to thousands via fanzines and the Internet. On a European tour with his "youth crew revival" band Better Than A Thousand, Cappo reportedly broke with the straight edge ideals he had long preached and drank a glass of wine while in Italy. In the tight knit straight edge community, where Cappo was looked upon as an elder statesman and role model, this event was a major source of controversy and allegations. Soon afterward, Cappo wrote an essay that was widely circulated on the Internet, responding to his detractors and asking for more compassion and tolerance toward those who might stumble on spiritual paths and have to renew their ethical commitments. While many dismiss Cappo as a "sellout" after this incident, others point to his subsequent promotion of yoga and a raw food diet and his renewed devotion to Krishna Consciousness as evidence of his continued commitment to bodily health and purification.

  

 Today

 Cappo currently lives with his family in Greenwich Village in New York City and is active as a yoga teacher. He continues his association with the Hare Krishna community in the area and is an avid mixed martial arts fan and practitioner. Aside from the European Youth of Today reunion tour in 2003 and occasional American and European reunion shows, Cappo has been only intermittently involved in the hardcore music scene.

In 2006 Ray Cappo released another Shelter record entitled Eternal on Good Life Recordings, and embarked on a European tour. He maintains a website for his yoga and raw food diet classes, featuring pictures of himself, his wife, and children performing yoga, and an e-mail list promoting raw foods and featuring recipes and inspirational quotations. Cappo also sponsors tours of India featuring important sites for practitioners of yoga.

fore more visit wikipedia

Krishnacore official site

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Zack De La Rocha

Background information
Birth name	Zacarías Manuel de la Rocha
Born	January 12, 1970 Long Beach, California, U.S.
Genres	Alternative metal, rap metal, funk metal, rapcore, hardcore
Occupations	Musician, songwriter, activist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, drums, keyboard, jarana
Years active	1988 - present
Labels	Epic, Revelation Records, ANTI-
Associated acts	Rage Against the Machine, Inside Out, Hardstance, One Day as a Lion

Zacarías Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970, in Long Beach, California) is an American rapper, musician, poet, and activist of Mexican, German, and Irish descent. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of Rage Against the Machine and is currently the frontman of the music duo One Day as a Lion.

While attending junior high school, de la Rocha became involved in the punk scene and played guitar for a band called Juvenile Expression with Tim Commerford. His interest in bands like The Clash, The Sex Pistols and Bad Religion turned into an appreciation for other bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, and The Teen Idles. Soon after entering high school, Zack joined the straight edge band Hardstance.

De la Rocha and Hardstance bassist Mark Hayworth eventually formed the Hardcore band Inside Out, which gained a large national underground following. They released a single record, No Spiritual Surrender, on Revelation Records in 1990 before breaking up. In de la Rocha's words, Inside Out was "about completely detaching ourselves from society to see ourselves as...as spirits, and not bowing down to a system that sees you as just another pebble on a beach. I channeled all my anger out through that band."

After Inside Out broke up, he embraced hip hop and began freestyling at local clubs, where he met Tom Morello and Brad Wilk. Eventually, de La Rocha's Juvenile Expression bandmate Commerford joined them and Rage Against the Machine was formed.

External links     

• Zack de la Rocha Network
• Vietnow.org, a Rage Against the Machine news resource and forum
• www.marchofdeath.com
• Zack de la Rocha Interviews Noam Chomsky (part 1) (video)
• Official Rage against the Machine-Website
• Zack de la Rocha talks to Ann Powers, 2008 LA Times interview

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