Greg Mental Interview Pt. V (This is the end)

The end of the interview. Where I asked about art and stuff, and got the best pull-quote. 

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Every Lockin Out release has a discernible "aesthetic" to it. I know you've done some of that artwork. Is that just another hobby?

I'd love to be doing art for a living. I went to a tech high school and took design as my "shop" class. I also graduated from Art Insitute of Boston. Design and art are things I love, but unfortunately, they're just hobbies right now.

Doodling? Computer stuff? What's your favorite?

I do everything before finishing a project. I'll doodle, paint, fuck around on the computer. Whatever it takes to come up with an idea I like. Then I just bang it out. I'm really hoping to do more shirts for bands and the label this year if I can find some free time. 

Would you ever do art outside of hardcore? Would you do art for bands that aren't Lockin Out bands?

I did a design for Detroit Birds. I dunno if I've really done much other art for bands not on the label. I don't think so.

Oh, so my idiot friend wants me to ask you about the Bum Rush EP.

It's coming out soon.

On LOC?

No comment. 

Well, you've got to be pretty stoked on hardcore to still be working so close with hardcore bands.

Oh, of course. I'm still stoked on hardcore but at this point, I'm not driving super far to see a show or anything like that. It's just because of my real-life obligations and schedule though and the lack of bands that I'm really interested in, rather than not being stoked on hardcore itself.

What Non-LOC bands are you still interested in?

War Hungry is always dope. I like Waste Management, Step Forward, Dead Black. That's all I can really come up with off the dome. 

The "jaded hardcore dude" is such a common trope you know? It hardly seems applicable to you though.

Hell no man. I still get in the pit if I'm feeling it. I'm a hardcore kid you know? That's just what it is. If I'm at a club grinding on a fine 'ho I've still got the same grin on my face that I'll have at a show getting ignorant. I love hardcore. I love underground shit. It's always been attractive to me. I'm a fuck-up and love hardcore because it's a bunch of fuck-ups.

Greg Mental Interview Pt. 4 (The fav LOC records)

Winding down at this point. Please note that this was all taking place in a pre Free Spirit world, and Raw Life was just about to be released. 

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

What's the deciding factor in whether or not you'll work with a band?

(Laughs) seriously, I'd like to keep working with bands that have a similar sound, but at the end of the day it's not about them sounding like established LOC bands, it's about releasing hardcore records that I'd wanna put on my iPod or turntable.

Do you have a favorite Lockin Out release? I know these questions are tough but there's got to be some you're especially happy with.

One is definitely Stop and Think's Both Demos. They were an inspirational band for me at the time, doing something I thought was really cool when everything else was getting boring. Through that, AJ and Joey C became two of my best friends, and I think back on that shit like nothing else. Also, I legitimately love those demos. People either get it or they don't. 

Another one is Righteous Jams Rage of Discipline. One of the best hardcore records ever made, no doubt. 

Number 3 is Mental's Planet Mental. It's kinda cheesy to pick my own band's record, but whatever. It's my favorite shit that Mental ever put out. I'm glad I got to do it myself and that band and time period was just a great period in my life. 

Runner up would be Rampage Limit of Destruction. I love their sound. A lot of people sleep on them, but I think they are one of the greatest LOC bands I've ever worked with.

I'm definitely stoked they've come together to bless us with a full length. The cover artwork is great too.

Yeah, I think it was either the drummer Ben or the singer Josh who did it. Both are ill at drawing.

Any Lockin Out releases you'd rather forget?

The Terror LP was kind of a dumb move on my part just because of the hoops I had to jump through for Trustkill. I'd love to do something with Terror again but it would have to be 100% me. It had nothing to do with the band, I love those dudes. It had everything to do with their label. I wouldn't say I regret it, I just wish I would've stodd up for myself more in the situation. A similar kind of deal happened with the second Righteous Jams LP. Again, I don't regret them because I learned how that type of situation will pan out and now I'll be sure never to agree unless it's a little more in my favor. As records, I'm perfectly happy with them. It was just the label bullshit I had to deal with that I'd rather forget...label royalties and such. It just wasn't a wise move on my part.

Does it ever bug you when people reference a LOC "sound" or "style" or anything like that?

I think it's cool that my label has become a verb. It means that I did something that wasn't a trend or a fad. A LOT of people called it that when it was just getting off the ground (laughs). They can now line up to suck me off. 

I'm tempted to say that Lockin Out would lose its identity if it started releasing material from lots of different "styles" or bands, but then again...I dunno. Look at Rev. I mean, they hardly do "youth crew" stuff anymore, but they're pretty much synonymous with that just because of their early catalog.

Yeah, I think it would dilute it though. I'd not something I'm trying to do right now. I like the niche I've made for my label and will continue to release bands that I like and really that's just it. If they are a little bit different, I won't be too concerned. I think most of my releases are consistent. At least that's what I'm aiming form. I think the next 3 Lockin Out releases will prove that.

Can you drop any hints? Let's just say I'm out of the internet pipeline...

The New Lows EP is one of my favorite hardcore records I've heard in a long time. This band The Rival Mob has a great demo out and will be doing an EP this summer. Think think both those bands, and RZL DZL have an "older" sound to them, more consistent with like..."older" LOC releases. 

Greg Mental interview pt. 3 ("goofy" band w/ "goofy" image)

If I'm gonna get any flack here (besides the inherent flack of re-packaging old paper-zine content to html plastic), it's likely for running a little too dorky here, potentially assigning too much importance to LOC. Whatever. Hardcore was absolutely the center of my universe then and it reflects in the stupid things I asked. It's all I talked about with my friends and a lot of my friends HATED Lockin Out.  What's hardcore if not for nerding out over it anyway? Plus, this portion of the interview yielded the impetus for the lil character below. Well, that and Onslaught's Power from Hell. (Keen observer will note: my LOC and diet soda splatter replace Power From Hell's pentagram and phantasmic plumes).
(I think he's actually a bad guy from Ninja Turtles in spirit.) My favorite bit of content here was talking about blood splatter tees and the WNYU tapes. 

Power from Diet Soda + Protein Powder

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3:

Tell me about Boston. It seems like it's a big component of Lockin Out's identity.

Boston rules man. There was a tight crew of dudes around me and we had some incredible times. There were a few apartments just packed with crucial dudes who loved nothing but diet soda, protein powder, dead lifting, moshing and listening to Breakdown. A lot of them are still around, and have the same ideas and I guess I'm one of them. At the time, we were super young and didn't have much responsibility so everyone hung out a lot more. I'm not around quite as much because of my job and a lot of the dudes have moved on to becoming adults. It's just how it goes. I'm still tight with a lot of the people I used to roll with, we just don't get to chill much as a crew anymore... 

There was definitely an undercurrent of people who seemed miffed that Lockin Out bands weren't "serious" the way that hardcore was at the time. I can understand people not liking that "style" of hardcore, but looking at it logically, it would seem that you guys took it very seriously. Seriously enough to tour and release records.

Yeah, I can really only speak for Mental here, but we definitely played anywhere we could every weekend. Once we got our shit tight, it was always tight. We always changed up our cover songs, we always practiced. The band was never a joke to us. That's not even a question. We busted our asses. Plus, bands like Righteous Jams are just dope bands. Why wouldn't they do well on tour? I just think the "image" of hardcore was WAY too serious at the time.

That's what made Lockin Out so refreshing for me. It wasn't presented as "tough" or "sincere" like a lot of hardcore at that time. It was lighter and kind of refreshing.

It's like this: how many bands have guns or knives or knuckles on their shirts? No disrespect to the ones who actually use them, but what percentage of those bands ACTUALLY would? I didn't want Mental to have that fake image, so if we were the "goofy" band with a "goofy" image that's fine with me. I'm a light-hearted dude so that fits me more than having some blood splatter or knives on our tees. I really just liked the image of old school hardcore bands. Those bands had the same attitude that I have now. You listen to old tapes, bands were always crackin' wise and having a good time. To me, that's what it was all about. Having fun and letting off some steam.

WNYU tapes come to mind. It sounds like bands are hanging out with each other. I've heard you're like a connoisseur of those WNYU tapes...

When I got into hardcore I used to go to this record store in Hyannis and the dude working there got me heavily into NYHC. I got most of my WNYU tapes from an older head from Connecticut. I started collecting all the rare shit once I started traveling more with Mental and making connections with people who had good collections of stuff to dub for me. I love those WNYU tapes man. Supertouch doin' it live on St. Patty's day! Shit is dope.

Funky fresh

I think the "Live on WERS" tapes are the closest I'll ever get to having my own cache of  WNYU tapes. Can you tell me anything about Mental's session?

It was recorded live and in one take! That's why I couldn't really swear and stuff. That was a lot of fun and we had so many people in that studio. WERS is awesome. 

I've always loved the Sweet Vision comp. It's just one of those great "moment in time" comps. Do you think there will ever be another LOC comp?

I'd LOVE to do another comp, but...Sweet Vision was all recorded at the same studio. If I did it again, I'd follow the same blueprint. I think it makes for a very cool record that way, but It's just nearly impossible to get all those bands to get all their shit together and into a studio. Like super hard.

Plus, Lockin Out's "family" is a lot more spread out now. It must've been so cool when Lockin Out started expanding beyond strictly "Boston" area bands. Were these relationships all built off Mental tours?

Just friends of mine from out of town you know? When Mental would tour, I'd see tons of different bands and meet different people. If I dug it and they were down I'd fuck with them like that. That's what I love about touring. You get the chance to meet a lot of people that you'll be friends with for a long time that you wouldn't normally meet. Iron Age, Justice, Cold World...those guys all blew up which is a great thing. I love helping my friends out. It makes me really happy to be able to do that.

MINI SUMMER SLAM

Since you're not touring now, how are you finding new bands to work with?

I'm not really scouting hard for bands. It's not a priority. Like I said, the label is just a hobby. I'm not out there pounding the pavement trying to find the next new thing.

Do bands send you their stuff much? Wanting to put stuff out on LOC?

Bands get in touch with me all the time, but I usually don't even listen to the demos.

Maybe it was that Nike shirt designs, but what's your take on the "jock hardcore" accusations?There's always that weird thing about sports and punk and all that shit. What's your take?

The first band I sang in back in high school had a song called "white hat trash fuck off!" I didn't write it, but believe me, I fucking hated jocks in high school.

So you didn't play sports in high school?

No I didn't. I played tennis for a year, but fucked up my ankle skateboarding. I'm still dope at tennis but only play when it's nice out with my roommates or whatever chick is hanging out. I haven't had any good competition since high school, but I think I'm a better athlete now than I was then.

Be true to yer school

Greg Mental Interview pt. 2 (Early days of Lockin Out)

Here's where it starts to get a little more nuggety, tracing the Lockin Out story. I was most stoked on the Stop and Think anecdotal then, and re-reading it, it's still really cool. For context, check out part 1 here. 

Part 2

Lockin Out was established as a means to release the Mental EP (And You Know This)...was there intention to turn it into a full-blown record label?

At the time, we weren't trying to associate with anyone. We kinda wanted to create our own lane. That's why we decided to release it on our own...on Lockin Out. Really, I just put "Lockin Out" on the back of the Mental record because it sounded cool. After releasing the Mental record, I realized "oh, this isn't that hard to do." So I did it for one friend's band, and then another friends band, so on and so on. Then it became what it is now...

Did you have a "blueprint" for how you wanted it to go?

I definitely worship the early Revelation stuff and tried to make it like that...and still do.

Maybe it's just revisionist history, but Lockin Out kind of represented an overall sea-change for what hardcore could be. It was very different from the current climate. How did that influence your decisions?

We did feel some of that. That's why we wanted to release our own record. We wanted to do something new. We loved NYHC and just old hardcore in general and it seemed like all the bands around at the time weren't playing hardcore. They were playing some other shit, but not like the shit we were into. Song structure? Lyrics? Nothing like we were into. Except maybe Stop and Think. That's why I love that band. They sounded like what a hardcore band should sound like to me.

Without Words

The age old, English professor question I guess. "What is hardcore?" Some see it as a medium for change or politics, for others it's like being in a junior indie rock band. 

I just look at it as a way to release aggression. I don't think it will change anything in the world nor do I think it should. It's cool and keeps kids out of trouble and maybe some of the messages can help kids with some personal issues, but as far as changing the world, nah. Fuck all that! (laughs).

So you run Lockin Out from your house...

Oh yeah. I got a big dirty closet full of all sorts of Lockin Out shit. It is very bare bones. It's a DIY hardcore label man! (laughs).

Yeah, I guess I'm asking if it's financially stable. Do you have to supplement Lockin Out much with your own money?

Lockin Out usually supports itself, but sometimes I have to throw some money into it. I usually make a little bit of money, break even or lose a little money off of my releases, so at the end of the day overall, I break even. When I'm hit with multiple releases at once, I usually need to give some money to the label from my pocket, but it's worth it. I feel like at the end of the day I'm doing my part to support what really helped me out when I was younger: hardcore.

Who's been instrumental in getting it off the ground?

I wouldn't have been able to do it without my boy AJ. He was like a mentor or manager to me, and still is. Joey C was a big influence to keep me motivated just by seeing the way he was about motivation and dedication to getting shit done. The dude has a work ethic, and so do I, but he really made me realize what hard work will yield. Same with AJ. That dude would get up at like 6 AM to run hills when he was boxing. That shit makes you feel like you can be doing more. Hard work is the key to success in anything. Anyone who does a label or a zine or anything really, they all know it can't be done without a lot of hard work. If you look at the shit we did and still doing, you know it doesn't just happen on its own.

Who helps out now?

Alex is my ace right now for packing orders and all that bullshit. AJ always has my back when I need help. Money, rides, favors...anything. Chucky Edge is the OG Lockin Out Records employee. If he's in town and I need help, he's always there for me. Honestly though, it's mostly just me.

Do you have any conscious intentions of making Lockin Out "bigger?"

It's slowly growing and evolving, but I like the pace I'm going now because I can handle it. If I bit off any more I wouldn't be able to chew it, you know? Plus, I like being involved in every step. I like going to the studio for recordings. I like to be there when the record is mastered. Realistically, I can only really keep going at the same pace I've always been going. I think if I wanted it to get bigger I'd have to starter cranking out stuff and the quality would go down. That's the most important thing to me. The quality of the releases that I've put out, and will continue to put out. I'd eventually like to get more T-shirts for bands and things like that on the site, but again I'm super picky about shit. If it's not the HOTTEST shirt the band ever made, then I don't wanna put it on my site.

I see some labels putting stuff on iTunes. Keeping it in circulation that way.

I might re-release some stuff on iTunes, but that's probably it.

Missed Part 1? Read it here. 

Art/Layout from Drug Dogs #1

Greg Mental Interview pt. 1 (Mental broke up, U2 did not)

I'm sure at some point I've probably said something stupid like "I'll never post my paper zine interviews online" and "blogs are killing zines" and "everyone younger than me is dumb" etc. etc. Time and experience tend to iron out the craggiest of crags and well...here we are. I still think that zines and blogs aren't interchangeable entities, but I've also loosened up on my stance that blogs have no merit (obviously). They do. They're accessible, and I do this for the working man. The monkeys with computers doing SEO and copywriting and whatnot. Those who spend more time in front of a computer than they do with their children and families. 

I'm going to bleed in some of my old Drug Dogs interviews little by little since they'll likely never be re-printed in their original form (never say never though) and you know what? I'm proud of them. I'd like people to see them. Know your history and whatnot. I've seen a few zines and podcasts go up with Greg in them recently, and maybe I'd just like to throw my hat in that ring.

Drug Dogs zine was my attempt at making a "good zine" (i.e. the kind of zine I'd want to read) and not just reprinted garbage from the internet. I'd made a crappy zine before (In Low Carb) that lasted 10 issues and NO ONE read it because it just wasn't very good, and Drug Dogs was going to change all that. It was all done by hand, illustrated and with photo contributions by a guy I met on B9 named James Campbell and the writing was heavily influenced by Hardware and Bullshit Monthly. It was also released during one of hardcore's "rebuilding" years (2009) when it seemed like all of the good bands from "my" era were disappearing and it was my first real experience dealing with "younger" people and bands now dictating the direction of where things would go. (Predictably: when I was first going to shows, I was constantly told how much better everything was in the 90's, how much "realer" and punker it all was and how me and my group of bafflewit chat-room yahoos were going to ruin it all, so...you know). Personal biases accounted for, I feel like 2007-2010 represented a particularly "dry" era in hardcore when there were very few exciting new bands, few good zines, and a whole lot of derivative shlock. I was a huge fan of Trapped Under Ice's 7"s and full-length, as well as Bad Seed's stuff because to me, moshy hardcore was JUST about to become over-saturated when those hit but that style was still kinda in a sweet spot. Also, not withstanding any cred I may get for saying, TUI just wrote great stand-alone songs...but this is all for another post. It was also where I saw the "fests" starting to become a core staple which was exciting then, but seems kind of silly now, and we see how far it's come already.  I guess I'll call it an "interesting" time to be diplomatic, and one the bebs will probably remember a lot more fondly than me. 

Anyway, this Mental interview was conducted over the course of several weeks. Lockin Out hadn't really done much in a while (as you'll see later on in the interview) and more than anything, I was still kind of mourning the loss of Mental (in a Trumbull Escapades blogpost that's no longer on the internet) Morgado summarized the "Lockin Out Era" as the time period between Mental's first show and the Planet Mental record release in 2005. If that's the case, then by 2008 we were well into post-after-party status and so now, in 2014, where are we? Revival time? Someone ask someone on that giant ass Lockin Out thread on B9. 

I was a nervous little mark talking to Greg. I had the opportunity to interview him on their tour with Justice, but I was a dumb high school senior and didn't have the wherewithal to make it actually happen (but I did get to see this tour in 3 different cities). He was great to interview, and didn't make fun of me when I asked dumb questions.

This is the web-version, so you aren't getting the FULL EXPERIENCE (i.e. the meticulous hand-layouts I did, and the illustrations which I see getting shared [without my credit] all over Tumblr) but oh well. Does anyone really read words anyway? Here's part 1, where we started things out talking about hisx life post-Mental and about working with U2. Enjoy.

The interview was conducted in 2008 and printed in 2009. Some of the content has likely changed in parts. All illustrated content by me. More to come. Enjoy. 

Was the edge break what killed Mental?

No, that's not why the band broke up. Dookie and I broke edge but the other dudes in the band didn't really give a shit. We were all straight edge when we met and started the band, but none of us were really judgmental like that. We were just straight edge. It wasn't what really defined us as people or as a band. We kept it moving once Dooks and I started being wastoids. The band broke up because Dookie didn't wanna do it anymore. I'm not sure the reason, but it wasn't a problem with any one of us. It was just what he wanted to do with his life at the time. I can't speak for him, but that's the gist of it. When I talked to him about it, I was like "fuck it, let's call it a day." We had a good run and didn't wanna wear it out. I think a lot of bands stay around way too long and don't ever realize it. We had also agreed, way back, that we would never do the band with different members. WE defined the band and all had our own things we contributed, so without Dookie there really was no Mental. We just played our last show at the end of our tour with Blacklisted and Iron Age, which was a ton of fun. There was never any moment where we were playing shows that we didn't want to. When we got to Atlanta it was just like "this will be our last show." We played it and never really thought twice about it.

How have your opinions of straight edge "evolved" since Mental?

I just keep it moving man. It's not anything I consciously think about, but I'm sure a lot has changed. I've grown up a lot, I've learned a lot about "real life" you know? I'm 25 now, not 19. I've been around the world a few times, met some inspirational people and been through a lot of shit. Sure that's changed me some, but I've still got the same heart. I still feel like a fucked up 16 year old kid. I think people who know me well will say I am still the same person.

At the time, I heard so much stuff about what happened after that. I heard some rumor that you were in a band that sounded like Black Sabbath (laughs). There was definitely a lull in Lockin Out activity, right when Mental broke up.

I went away for about a year to work on the crew for Robbie Williams and then U2. It was just a good opportunity. I took a job at a small tech company in Massachusetts and they basically taught me all this shit in a month or so, then sent me off on the road. They hired me based on my experience from touring with Mental and shit, not so much my technical experience. I still work with those dudes, I don't plan on doing a tour any time soon, but I have to go to a lot of shows to set things up. I'm finishing this interview from the production office in Miami for the Jay-Z/Mary J. Blige "Heart of the City" tour.

Working on the U2 crew? Damn. Did you like...meet Bono?

I saw the dudes and met them, but I wasn't hanging out with them or anything like that. Bands on giant tours like that have a whole crew of people working to set up their concert all day and the artists usually roll into the venue an hour or so before they hit the stage. The crew is very tight with each other, but the artists are definitely on another level.

I mean, obviously it's a job not like you were trying to work with U2. Did you have many thoughts on them before hand? Perceptions that were changed after working with them?

They killed it on that tour. I don't fuck with them personally, but I respect the hell out of how gigantic they are. Those dudes are PAID.

Yeah, I mean likely THE most globally recognized band ever. Did anyone give you any flack for it? Some punk flag-wavers or anything ridiculous? 

Nah, no one has ever given me shit, but I doubt many people know or care (laughs). I don't really know what working for U2 has to do with my label. I literally could have been working for anyone in the world. It was just a job. A way to make money. I didn't set out to be on tour with U2 per-se, I just had an opportunity and jumped on it. 

It had to be a shock though, going from touring with Mental and then seeing how these, you know...iPod rock business men are peddling their wares.

It was really touring on that level. Indeed, it was a dramatic contrast to touring around in the Mental van, but I got that job from being able to function at that level of shitty touring.

Final U2 question. I'm not a huge fan, but my Dad likes 'em. I listened to Achtung Baby a lot as a kid. My Dad saw them on the ZOO-TV tour and told me they had the most elaborate stage set-up he'd ever seen. Exploding TV's and paper machete statues and stuff like that...anything cool like that?

Yeah man, they had a crazy set up. Lots of political shit going on, but to tell you the truth I don't think I watched the whole show even one time. Like I said, U2 isn't really my shit. They had a lot of typical political footage like your Dad probably saw. The cool thing about their setup was just that they had these huge Marshall cabinets stacked up, like 100 of them. Maybe more. THAT was the shit that impressed me.

Now that Mental's broken up, can you see yourself ever being in a band again?

I'm still hoping to start a new band, I just don't have time to get it going. For now I'd rather just not say anything about that.

Check out Part 2 here. 

Righteous Jams: 15 (Biased and Subjective) Thoughts

Pic from Start Today #5

Righteous Jams was the only band with 2 full lengths on Lockin Out. Does that matter? I don't know. Given today's crop of Tumblr Loc-Jock bands, I miss RJ's more and more. Those riffs.

1. The events at Posi Numbers 2005 were messageboard fodder for a minute.

2.  I saw them in Richmond once, and my clearest memory was that at one point, Joey C said something like "We're definitely a straight edge band, but we think some of you should smoke some weed and chill the fuck out." It may or may not have been in reference to a fight that broke out during an Iron Boots set. (Pic of said show below.)

Those who were: that's my knockoff X-Swatch

3. There's really nothing redeeming about the Boston Beatdown DVD, except for the fact that you can see Joey C with a lot of gel in his hair, a little bit of live RJ's footage and Colin of Arabia saying "Death metal is fake. The core is real."  

4. The best RJ's song is "Iron Mind." It just is. All iterations of the song are great, but the Sweet Vision one is definitely the hardest. Per a reliable source, the sample at the beginning is from a Dorian Yates workout VHS in which he's doing leg presses and grunting really hard.

SMOG

5. Despite the stigma of Lockin Out merch and ebay and all that, RJ's really only ever had one aesthetically appealing design, and that was the Def Jam rip (IMHO). Most of their other merch was pretty wack. Look at the cover of Business as Usual for the general idea. That being said, I do own the shirt below because I'm a sucker for clever wordplay. Yeesh though.

Euro Barge

6. Business as Usual is weird. I definitely don't hate it, but I don't think I'd call it "good." There's a lot of great riffs on there, and I enjoy "Thought Vacation." The vocals just sound "off" and the songs just...whatever. Cool riffs though. 

7. The weirdest place I ever know of them playing was at the Elizabethtown Kentucky board of tourism. This is indeed the same Elizabethtown that had a dopey Cameron Crowe film made about it. If you don't know anything about E-town you won't understand the absurdity of it all but...it was definitely a mindblower for a band that "cool" to be playing in a city that wasn't. It's my hometown. 

Come back y'all

8. I saw them in '06 at one of those Gorilla Biscuits reunions (Cue: "Start Today is Age of Quarrel for girls. LOL I know!). I remember very little from their set, but after the show I found an online review of some herb complaining that he didn't like them because they were wearing Nikes and Abercrombie. (Edit: Found the review here). 

9. I've seen them covering DYS "Wolfpack" online, but in the multiple times I saw them, I never witnessed it live. :(

10. In Town of Hardcore Joey talked about the name Rage of Discipline and how it was inspired by Rollins Band and a house that one of them lived in where everyone slept in one bedroom and filled the other bedroom with weights. P cool. 

11. You may not know/care, but if you watched the FSU episode of History Channel's "Gangland" then you heard the song "Scream n' Shout" on cable TV. That means a Lockin Out band/song was on cable. WHAT NEXT?

12. I bought the Boston Straight Edge EP (basically just a vinyl pressing of their demo tape) from Very distribution using a money order, and it seems very archaic to me now. It was the last thing I bought before leaving home for college in 2005. 

13. "Punch your roommate in the face, and get ready to get righteous" is really the best intro to a WERS set.

14. My real introduction to them was from the Mental WERS set in which Greg dedicates a song to them with the couplet "if you haven't heard this band, I feel sorry for you."

15. There's very few HC LP's that are good all the way through, but Rage of Discipline is one I enjoy through and through. 

Cold World: 15 (biased and subjective) thoughts

Pic from Town of Hardcore fanzine

In conjunction with the new LP being released on DWI, I thought I'd let my dozens of readers read up on some of my thoughts with them.  It's a cold world, so we keep 2 heaters. 

1. In 2005, Cold World played their "last show" at Posi Numbers fest. As a lifelong pro-wrestling fan, I should've seen through this (never never means never...get it?) but at the time it felt like a really huge deal.

2. Before The Rival Mob and Free Spirit got shit for their merch selling outlandish prices on Ebay, Cold World was that band. The Cold World BAPE shirt was a major topic of discussion and controversy on B9 and Livewire and other doofusy messageboards I was frequenting. 

3. I know of no other hardcore band who has had more shirt designs than Cold World. It's not an indictment or a criticism per se, I'm just saying. I'm sure there ARE others (Hardside has an embarrassing amount of shirts) but I don't know of them. 

3. Ice Grillz was, and still is, a perfect 7". I'd rank it as one of the best of the 00's era, and one I still dig out regularly. There's no filler, all the songs are catchy and memorable and the samples are tasteful (like a Spazz record. The samples always ruled). I'd never heard anything like it before. "Copernicus" is a GD banger.

4. I downloaded an MP3 of "Can it Be So Simple" from the Lockin Out website, right before Ice Grillz came out (the fall before high school graduation if I remember correctly) and listened to it over and over until my copy came in the mail (hadn't discovered Soulseek yet). 

5. Cold World was a unique band. Not just because of the hip-hop/hardcore thing, but just in the left-of-center approach they took to aesthetic and songwriting. Dan Mills' voice sounded different than any other vocalist I'd heard at the time, and they weren't afraid to experiment with "melodic" vocal patterns. 

6. As far as I'm concerned, Cold World put Wilkes-Barre on the map (for people outside of PA at least). I know there were hardcore bands from WB before them (Magnus is the one I'm most familiar with). It seems weird now, but there was a time when they were the only band (War Hungry soon after) that me, or any of my friends, knew about from there.

7. I saw them in 2006 at what would be one of the best shows of my life, in Richmond Virginia (Righteous Jams, Iron Boots, Justice, War Hungry and Fired Up...crazy when Fired Up is the weakest band on your bill). Here's a pic from the show, and me acting like a goofburger (my foot is the bottom right). I air-guitared at one point, and afterward, Alex Russin jokingly thanked me for "helping out." 

8. I found this funny story from a/The Cold World blog a few years back. It's about wanting to do a record on Revelation and doing a song for the comp. My favorite part is the line "Wilkes-Barre's burly wigger sons." 

9. I specifically remember a b9 thread that linked to a story about "snitching" culture (inspired by Dipset and all that), that referenced Cold World (because of their song on the Rev comp "Stop Snitchin") and called them a "hard core rock group." I wish I could find the link. 

9. The i-i-i-i-it's a demo that leaked is kind of like the Eddie Sutton Merauder demo in that tons of people claim to prefer it with Woj's vocals over Dan's. I dig it a lot and wish that all my mp3's were tagged correctly. 

10. They introduced a lot of people to Life of Agony, whether they meant to or not.

11.  Their song on Fucked Up Mix tape Vol. 2 is great. There really was a time when there was no bad Cold World song.

12. The Only Living Witness vocals on How the Gods Chill are pretty hard to get past and I'm not really into it as much as I thought I would be. That being said, it took me almost a solid year of Dedicated to Babies before it finally "clicked" (the production bugged me) but now I like it. 

13. I heard rumors that they covered Obituary live but could never get any confirmation as to the specific song/riff. Probably just a rumor. I believe I asked Woj about it in an interview, but I can't remember the response...which leads me to believe it didn't actually happen. 

14. I think it's dorky when hardcore bands do tons of "guest spots" on their albums, but I think it's actually kinda cool when Cold World does it. Also, for those who are bugged by it on their "new stuff" they've always done it. Greg from Mental did guest vox on Ice Grillz. 

15. In the mid 00's, trying to find any information on them was difficult. Some metal band from Scandinavia had the same name and their stuff would always come up in Google and Ebay searches. 

A True Lesson in Hardcore (DRUG DOGS DUMB iTUNES DUMP #2)

Nothing like hitting "shuffle" to make you realize that your own musical taste sucks, and nothing is really that "random." D'oh. Enjoy anyway.

1.

Spawn - "Wildfire." (S/T, Emblem 1993)

What's my excuse here? This is most certainly a remnant from a few summers ago when I decided to give no-name metallic 90's hardcore a fair shake and went on a download spree. I'd like to say that Spawn changed my opinion on some stuff (I really dig their name) but this 7" does absolutely nothing for me. Slow, boring, chunky, "passionate" HC from Germany. Luckily "Wildfire" is the shortest song of the bunch (just over a minute long) and probably the best of the lot. Chain of Strength-esque at times and seemingly about straight edge. Giant MEH. 

2.

The Who - "I've Had Enough" (Quadrophenia, MCA 1973)

The last track on Side 2 Quadrophenia and a potent paean to subculture and fashion. Those who've seen the corresponding film know that this is the bit where Jimmy finally loses it with all that mod nonsense, goes on a tear and crashes his scooter on the edge of a cliff. Sounds corny now, but I always felt a strange sort of kinship with the lyrics of this one (you got altered information/you were told to not take chances/you missed out on new dances/ now you're losing all your dimples) in that it reminded me of the "baby has grown ugly/it's no longer cute" line from Minor Threat's "Salad Days." I love the part around 1:20 where Pete Townsend cuts in (one of Jimmy's alternate personalities...if you don't "get" Quadrophenia, then you're gonna have to do that research on your own) to say "My jacket's gonna be cut and slim and checked/Maybe a touch of seersucker with an open neck" and then to play...is that a banjo? Whatever. In true rock-opera form, we even here the synth-motif bit for the album's grand closer "Love Reign o'er Me." A great one.

3. 

Out Cold - "Doomsday Guy" (Goodbye Cruel World, Mad at the World Recs, 2005) 

I've always peddled Out Cold as "your favorite band's favorite band." Maybe hyperbolic, but given the band's completely flawless discography, I'll stand by it. This LP came out after a long absence, a notable lineup change (members of Last in Line if I remember correctly) and still completely rips. Power, aggression, all that in a minute long song. In the early days of HC blogs and "webzines" I remember nonstop praise being heaped onto this one, along with plenty of "woah, this band is still around?" I remember one of the dullards from Razorcake pulling an "I wish I liked this more" kinda thing, but that rag has been a holding tank for uncultured goofs and gypsy dildos for ages now. Fav track is the closer "Sick Little Game" but that's neither here nor there. It all rips. Seek it out. 

4. 

S.O.S. - "The Block and the Rail" (Surely You Jest/Demo Tape, Lockin Out)

I've heard this one dismissed as the "worst" Lockin Out release (I won't agree with that) and seem to remember them getting slagged in all the publications I read back then (Town of Hardcore fanzine made fun of their EP artwork). The band had all the elements there, but just never really seemed to stick with people. This is just my own interpretation though. This track's really only distinguishing feature is a super skanky breakdown 1:14, the kind of breakdown that essentially encapsulates that whole Lockin Out sound. I dunno. I like this tape. I don't LOVE it, but I don't hate it either. It's head and shoulders over lots of shit that tries to pass itself off as "LOC" influenced goof-core, and they had their own unique visual aesthetic. I'd also like to go on record as saying that their contribution to the Sweet Vision comp is awesome. One of the tracks I listened to the most when I first heard it because I couldn't get enough of that guitar work. WTF do I know though?

5. 

Terror Zone "Self Realization" (Self Realization: A True Lesson in Hardcore, Gain Ground 1996).

Terror Zone was Kev-One from Bulldoze's band after the fact. I learned recently that I'd been erroneously referring to them as "Terrorzone." This record had a lot of krishna-con influences, but I don't think the band ever fully fit into that lame-ass "krishnacore" thing. Weird chanting? Check. Heavy and slow, speeds up at 1:16. "Lord of wrath/hear my screams/lord or wrath/protect my dreams." Heavy AF. I always liked this EP even with the weirdo scree-scree Korn stuff going on. Also, I can distinctly remember a friend of mine telling me that she was riding in a car with her Mom and subjected her Mom to the whole EP and her Mom "didn't hate it. ("I'm not a regular Mom, I'm a cool Mom.") That's hilarious to me. Parents + hardcore. 

(won't let me embed, but hear the track here).