Jay Johnson came through with RI new canning wonder, Tilted Barn; DIPA and Sour. We talk Re-Issues on vinyl. Some new garage, hardcore and a splash of HipHop. Recorded June 6, 2017. Label and release info stated in audio.
PLAYLIST:
Ultra-Violent "Dead Generation", "Where the Angels Dare Not Tread"
Really Red "Too Political", "Teaching You the Fear"
Life's Blood "Not For the Weak" *(not from reissue)
Loyal Until Death. That’s a bold
statement. It is honorable to be able to predict your bonds and values decades
down the line. One listen to Remain
Defiant and all will be convinced of this trio’s solidified convictions.
Enmity is released with tsunami level impact. The dual vocal approach, heavy
riffs and blistering drums secure that only the most vicious audience will
relate. The Florida based band, which Nakia Romero, vocals/guitars, and Greg LeBeau,
vocals, began in 2012, just added their new drummer, Lance Martin. Loyal Until
Death brings their second full length, out now. The LP is a heavy, energetic, vital
album.
The furious message starts with contempt.
“Loyalty in anyone is extremely rare these days. People are really narcissistic
these days.” That repulsion spawns the disgust in the opener, starting: “Remain!
Defiant!” Fuck the law, fuck the system, fuck the church, fuck your religion.”
As Romero’s growl continues, more superficial concepts are decried. As the
album moves, the lyrics get deeper and more challenging. Each song has Greg
LeBeau, with a screamier voice and condensed lyrical content, bandy with Romero’s
lower vocals and succinct phrasing. Romero, handling guitars and bass along
with vocals, as he did with their debut, Born
of Violence, is a beast juggling his responsibilities well. This focused
energy continually pushes and propels the frenetic pulse of Remain Defiant.
Fans
of First Blood (especially), Hoods, Hatebreed, 100 Demons, Ramallah and Strife will
find familiar ground. But coming from the South, metal definitely is an
enormous influence. Romero cites death metal and Crowbar. Crowbar is also a
visual inspiration. Romero tapped Eliran Kantor, who did Crowbar’s The Serpent Only Lies; and Hatebreed, Testament, Sodom, Hate Eternal. The
Belgian artist paints vivid, saturated images of Roman war and decimated landscapes;
illustrating emotion, gravity and depth not usually seen on a hardcore cover. Remain Defiant is on 1732 records, which Romero started just for this
album. The transparent vinyl versions are a vibrant companion to the striking
cover.
The music embedded in the wax is staggering as well. A
continuous flow is present and captivating throughout the eleven tracks. Inspired
by NYHC’s crushing weight mixed with bounce, Romero is proud of the organic and
dynamic ability of the band to adapt the songs. - hutch
1. First, I love the art work. (on Born
of Violence too) It’s cool to see atypical subject matter on a hardcore
record. Tell me about the specific painting and why you chose it.
I have ALWAYS been a fan of actual album cover artwork. You
know, real sick oil paintings and things like that. I would just stare at them
for hours on end. I wanted to be sure the artwork was really eye-catching and
profound for this record; something really special and memorable. I am a huge
fan of the older dark Renaissance type oil paintings from long ago, as you can
see from our previous releases album covers. I wanted it to be original only to
us; not a copied picture from the internet. So, I started doing some research
on album cover artists. We really started writing the record around 2015. I had
seen the artwork for Hatebreed’s Concrete
Confessional album which was done by Eliran Kantor (You can read my 2015
interview with Eliran here! – hutch) and I was like “Damn! That’s sick”. So, I
went through his portfolio on his website and knew this was the guy. Then, time
passed and we were getting closer to finishing the record. We were at the point
where we had working titles and lyrics for most of the songs and the music was
already recorded. Then, the artwork for Crowbar’s The Serpent Only Lies came out. I was like, “Holy fucking shit!
This is the sickest album cover I've ever seen in my entire life!” I mean, it
had the old Greek statue looking guy, the fleur de lis, the snake, and those
color tones were out of this world. So, right then and there I (contacted)
Eliran. That’s when we started communicating back and forth about our album
artwork. I sent him some rough takes of most of the songs without the lyrics.
It was just music. We didn't even have the vocals recorded yet. And I emailed
him copies of lyrics. And once we set the definitive title as “Remain Defiant”,
I sent that to him and kind of described what that meant and what the record
was basically about and he took it from there. And the final result is it’s
just one of the most amazing paintings I've ever seen. The color scheme that he
used on there was a little different from his previous works. He stated that to
me and he said he made it a point because he wanted it to really stand out. I
mean if you look at the record you have the whole rainbow in there. It's an
absolute beautiful piece. So, it was specially made for the record.
2. How
have you – as a band, and personally - spent time in between albums?
Well, personally, we spend the time working our jobs like dogs.
(Haha) As a band, we've spent the times between records at a warehouse that we
used to have in Fort Lauderdale for about 5 or 6 years. Writing more songs and
playing local shows. When Lance joined in 2014, we literally lived in that
warehouse for 4 - 5 days a week hours and hours and hours at a time. Just
jamming and writing riffs and parts of songs. We clicked so well. I mean it was
like I could play three chords and he would play 4 different beats and we would
have a song. I mean it was ridiculous how fast we were just churning out songs.
Some were good, some were just there. Some didn't make it on the record and
most of them did. We probably, between us wrote 40+ songs for this record. I
think the hardest part was narrowing it down to 11. (Hahaha) But we chose the
more aggressive, relentless, unforgivable, and punishing songs to put on this
record as with the lyrics. It's a little tough now because I just moved to
Franklin Tennessee, so we haven’t gotten together and jammed in a while like we
used to.
3. How did recording do? Producer? Duration? Studio?
The recording process went very well. It was smooth and natural.
It was our first time recording at Iceman Studios with Daniel Colombo. It was
really amazing. We recorded pretty much live. I would play guitar standing in
front of Lance, playing in his ear and he would just play. We basically just
played 3 - 4 takes on all the songs and just went with the best take. Old
school style. We wanted the more natural feel. We didn't want to play to a click
track. We didn’t want the quantifying, robotic feel. We wanted the hardcore push/pull
energy and emotions felt throughout the record. We recorded drums first and I
think it took like a day and a half. We originally recorded thirteen songs and
narrowed it down to eleven. And, then, I went in and recorded all the guitars
and bass tracks. Then, we sat on that for a while because there were a few
songs that we didn't have lyrics to. So, we had to write lyrics. We went back
in about 6 or so months later and wrapped it up. There's actually a couple of
songs that we're changed right on the spot live. The second track of the record
“What Never Dies” which is kind of like the sing-along anthem. The original
ending riff was really slow and heavy and sludgy. It sounded good, but to me it
just kind of cut your legs out from under you coming from the chorus and to
that break. So, I looked at Lance and I'm like “Man this song is so moving but
you know, it just, your legs get cut out from under you at the end. We have to
write a different riff. We have to write a fucking extreme, old school, fucking
New York style sounding, fucking beatdown riff.” We ran through it a few times.
The new riff was written right there. Then, we ran with like two or three takes
of it and the rest is history. We also changed the ending riff to “The God To
Your Repentance”. The original riff kind of almost sounded like the verse part.
So, again, me and Lance are like “We got to change that riff”. I actually took
an ending riff with the lead guitar parts from one of the songs that didn't
make it on the record because I really always liked that riff. So, we played it
a couple times to see how it would fit going into it and it fit good. We played
like three or four takes of it and that was it. It was kind of weird at first
going back listening to those songs and hearing different riffs at the end when
you originally wrote it with other riffs. (Hahaha) Daniel really got some
killer drum tones in the room that he set it up in. We then dialed in the
guitars and bass tones and I mean the production on this record is just to me,
it sounds incredible. I mean, we're really happy we went with him. It was very
relaxing, easygoing, and we didn't feel rushed.
4. What is the Florida scene like these days?
The Florida scene is pretty damn good. For years South Florida
has produced some incredible hardcore bands. Most of your influential early 90s
bands like Strongarm, Tension, and Culture (huge
fan of all three! – hutch). I mean they used to have killer shows there
every weekend. Between metal and hardcore, there endless talent there. I mean
Florida is the death metal capital of the world. So just a breeding ground for
great bands from metal to hardcore. This day and age the music scenes
definitely are different from back in the 90s and early 2000’s. But there's
always going to be some kind of scenes in Florida because it just nonstop
harvests musician. It's like a hatchery for bands. There’s always going to be
something going on. You have Miami. You have Palm Beach. You got Orlando,
Tallahassee, Jacksonville. You can literally do a week tour just in Florida
with all the different cities and scenes. (hahaha)
5. Growing
up, what bands got you fired up and influenced you?
It’s funny. Growing up I was the biggest KISS freak when I was
like five or six years old. My mom bought me all the records. My sister used to
dress me up like them on Halloween. My first concert was Kiss in 1979 in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana. My mom brought me. I was like 5 or 6. I was always into music.
Growing up in Louisiana, there’s always some Zydeco playing at the fair or on
the weekends somewhere. My parents always had some kind of music on the radio.
I used to go spend the weekend at my grandparents’ house out in the country where
my two cousins used to live and they had a record player with some vinyl
records. I must have been around 7 or 8. Something like that. They had Ozzy and
Sabbath records. Some Skynard. They were a little older than me. Like teenagers.
I would just sit there and listen to the records and stare at the album
artwork. The one that really captured me was Black Sabbath Mob Rules. To this day it is my all-time favorite album. I think
that album has definitely changed my life. I used to just play that record over
and over and over again, ironically, and stare at the artwork. Once, we move to
Florida. I started getting into band like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth. I
was into skateboarding. So, I started getting into the punk and crossover bands
like The Exploited, Misfits, and DRI, things like that. I really got into death
metal once I heard Death’s Leprosy. Death
was one of my favorite bands. Chuck Shculdiner was huge influence on me. Obituary.
Massacre. All the good Florida death metal bands. And then my buddy gave me a
cassette tape and that tape pointed me in the direction more of the street
style hardcore. That tape was the first Biohazard. That's when I heard the mixture
between hardcore and metal. I was playing guitar since I was 13. Heavily into
Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and Sabbath. So, hearing that NYHC style for
the first time was eye opening. The groove and aggression was undeniable. Then,
through skateboarding and hanging out, I met Greg. We would go to his house and
his sister was a little older. She had a bunch of Old School hardcore vinyl. He
would play those records. That's when I first heard Agnostic Front and Judge. We
would go to each others’ houses and all we would listen to would be either
Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All, or Biohazard. When Agnostic Front One Voice came out - it blew me away.
Hearing Matt Henderson mixing those stylish leads over the music was amazing.
That to me is their best record. It can't be matched. Then, from there, I got
into Madball and most of the old New York style hardcore bands and the straight
bands. Bands like Strife. Being from Louisiana. I have always been into Crowbar.
They have been one of my all-time favorite bands ever since their first record.
Loyal Until Death tunes in B standard basically because of Crowbar. I got that
from just jamming along with Crowbar songs. So, that's also another band that
has a huge influence on me and you can hear in some of the riffs. Especially,
the last riff in “The Molding Of A Man”. As far as noticeable influences in the
music writing, I would have to say that Crowbar, Agnostic Front, and Strife are
the most prevalent.
6. What does rest of 2017 hold?
Now, that I live in Tennessee it's going to be a little tougher
for us to get together. But, I'm communicating with a killer hardcore band from
the UK who is supposed to do a US tour early next year. We're trying to see if
maybe we could jump on that for 10 to 12 days and possibly follow them into
Europe. I would like to book a small tour for the South East U.S. for this
fall/winter to support the new record. I have started communications to try and
put that together.
7. The digital is on Spotify. Have you gotten good feedback (album is
sick!). And then vinyl is coming out 7/7. 150 gm virgin vinyl, limited colors.
Did you guys or label push for this (or both)? Are you guys vinyl dudes?
Unbelievably, we have been getting more feedback than I ever
expected. It's really starting to catch some traction. We've done a few
different interviews with other magazines and there's a lot of sites out there
that have reviewed the album. And so far all the reviews have been very positive.
We knew it was going to be kind of a special record because of the focus that
we took in the album, the songs, the lyrics, and the direction we took with the
music as far as the emotional standpoint and just really putting everything
into this. And it's really amazing to hear some of the comments that we get
from the record. Hearing that from other people on the outside looking in
really means a lot because it’s hard to look at it that way and judge and
comment on your own creation because you've played the song hundreds of times
and you’ve heard lyrics a million times. So, you know, I really respect and
take to heart people's opinion when they hear it hitting them in the face for
the first time. Because that's the way I do as a music lover and a fan of a ton
of bands out there. When I hear their record for the first time hit me in the
face and it's good, it's just an unbelievable feeling. As far as the vinyl,
that was something that I brought up to the guys and I really pushed for.
Because the label is my label that I started specifically for this record. So,
I really pushed to get the vinyl and even though it's so fucking expensive to
make these days. (hahaha) We decided to do it just to have it. Especially with
the killer artwork and how good the recording came out I thought it was only
fitting to just go the extra mile spend a few bucks and get some vinyl and some
killer colors to offer to people that would appreciate it. And I’m glad I did.
They are moving fast! I just started collecting vinyl again. When I was younger,
I had bunch of records but just over the course of my life moving thousands of
times you know, they got lost somewhere along the way. So, I started back
collecting a couple years back. Greg has a killer collection that he inherited
from his older sister passed away a couple years back. I'm talking priceless 7”
pieces from the old school New York hardcore days that are probably irreplaceable.
If I were him, I would take out an insurance policy on them. (hahaha)
8. Being a band in 2017 with Social media, merch sales dependent, and
less big label support – more left to the band’s hustle. Would you agree? How
is it compared to when you started?
Success this day and age definitely depends on how hard you grind
and hustle. DIY can't be any truer of a statement. I mean it's hard enough
trying to book your own shows and get on shows with other bands in other
cities. It's not like the old days where you have a huge label behind you who
has booking and promoter connections. But hardcore has always been about the
harder paths of life you know, so. Definitely depending on how hard you hustle.
Social media can definitely work into your favor. It's thousands of hours of ass-time
sitting in front of the computer, but it's endless. There's endless possibilities.
Through Facebook. Through online marketing. I mean if you have a great product
and you market it the right way through social media, you never know. People
could get behind it and next thing you know you’re somebody. It happens every day.
9.
What does it mean to remain defiant in 2017? What can one do?
The title for us means that we haven’t
changed throughout our life. We are all still the same mother fuckers that
listen to the same music and are brothers to the same people since we met and
started this shit in 1991. We don’t change with progression. We don’t
participate in fads or trends. We fucking hate that shit and that’s what we
write about. Our way of life and thinking in this day to younger kids is
incomprehensible. We don’t buy into the social justice bullshit. We don’t need
fucking safe spaces. We are grown men that can handle our fucking business
anytime, anywhere, with anyone. We don’t call the fucking police. We don’t film
crimes with our phones and post that shit on Fuckbook and try to snitch on a
mother fucker. We mind our own fucking business. We carry a sense of pride and
we don’t give a rats ass what people think of us. As far as what one can do to
remain defiant, one first has to know what to defy.
10. How common or rare is Loyalty to find
in others?
Loyalty in anyone is extremely rare these
days. In family. In friends. People are really narcissistic these days. They
think they’re the most important piece of shit on the planet. I’m fortunate to
have some pretty solid brothers that I’ve known since high school. We’re all
friends with the same group since back in the day. But I think the most
important thing is to be true and loyal to yourself.
Miracle
Drug is a recent Louisville, KY hardcore band. Comprised of elder statesmen,
Miracle Drug boasts members of CR, By The Grace Of God, Supertouch and
Mouthpiece. This incendiary quartet has sparked an intense discussion as they
release How Much is Enough on WAR
Records. This EP, a follow up to their demo, drips palpable passion through
speakers among guitarists’ Matt Wieder’s chaotic chords and furious rhythms of
Jeremy Holehan, bass, and Thommy Browne, drums, as lead singer, Bricks Avalon,
warns and critiques modern society.
Miracle Drug’s sound
is a throwback to a mix of the members’ ‘90s sound, DC hardcore, and a vibrant
contemporary feel. After a decade of trying to start a band with Browne, Wieder
explains the anticipation of their first rehearsal. “We sent Bricks a practice
tape of what we had written and he showed up to the first rehearsal with what
seemed like a million scraps of paper with lyrics scrawled on them. He didn't
really say much. He just laid the papers out all over the floor and said he was
ready to try one. We counted off the first song and it felt like a bomb went
off in the room. The dude brought full intensity from the very first note. What
he did on that very first run through of the song is pretty much exactly what ended
up on our demo.”
Miracle Drug went to Will
Allard and his basement studio, DotComplex to record How Much Is Enough. Allard’s job was to capture the six tracks of
potent hardcore as he has with bands Xerxes, Whips/Chains, and Coliseum. Wieder,
content with their demo, explains this was another casual approach. But the
product was undeniable to all involved. Wieder reveals, “We originally went in
with the idea of just doing demos of a couple of songs to send around to
labels.” To harness Miracle Drug’s full energy and emotion for How Much Is Enough’s ardent commitment
to off-time rhythms and sonic explosions, the band blasted through their tracks.
Wieder adds, “When we got in there and started working with Will, we had so
much fun that we ended up just recording all the new songs we had. We're not
really a band that dives deep into the recording process. So, I don't think we
spent more than a few days total making the record.” Mixing Shawn Brown style
hardcore (Swiz, Dag Nasty, and even Jesuseater), Miracle Drug weave in ‘90s
metallic sparsity from bands like 108 and Threadbare. “I don't think we had any
specific intention in regards to sound other than playing aggressive, energetic
hardcore. We're all products of the 90's hardcore scene so I think that just
sort of naturally creeps into the music we write,” concludes Wieder.
After two April hometown live shows, the internet is erupting with fiery praise.
Bricks speaks humbly regarding the hardcore scene’s enthusiastic embrace. But
he also knows it is earned. “We always go hard in the paint. We do this
because we love to do it. The reaction has been more than we could have
expected. We are so grateful.” Miracle Drug, comprised of road dogs and
scene vets has apparent sincerity. Back by Strife’s Andrew Kline and his label,
WAR, word of mouth is roiling about the new EP. Miracle Drug have used this and
some savvy to get the word spread. It’s slightly easier now. “Obviously, the
major difference is the internet and specifically social media. 20 years ago,
you had to really get out there and play shows for anyone to really take
notice. These days, everyone has access to a worldwide audience through the
internet. You can post a song online and reach a huge audience with a few
clicks of a button. Honestly though, in some regards it may have been a little
bit easier back in the day. It seems like there are so many choices and things
are happening at such a rapid pace that it's pretty easy to fall by the wayside
if you don't remain active and in the front of people's minds,” states Wieder.
Later this year,
Miracle Drug will return to recording more songs. For now they will continue
their dominance of stages. The final weekend of July sees them playing This Is
Hardcore on the 30th. The day before, they play with Kill Your Idols
and Violent Society; both in Philly. August sees them play another fest in Kentucky,
For The Kids, and Matter Fest in Indiana. After that, the plan is to run down
the West Coast.
While Miracle Drug has fun – this is not just for fun. Bricks is venting his
frustration and documentations of attained by viewing this world of greed and
self-driven purpose. Avoiding total cynicism, the current social climate, however
bleak, leaves a trace of hope. “There is always hope. I see struggle, and
speed, and growing pains, and confusion and greatness and total expansion,”
says Bricks, narrating his mindset when peering onto the new generation and
their antecedents. Check the lyrics of “Liars”:
“Liars and hypocrites. Aren’t We? Well, aren’t
you? Everyone is…Everyone. All this truth is slightly twisted We can all find
facts to prove any opinion.”
Evaluating the debates
– or bandied tirades to be frank, Bricks admits a pessimism. “There are always
frustrating moments, where heated, opinionated debate and/or disagreement take
place. Times that you feel like the absolute speaker of truth. Then
you realize that most of your truths are faiths/opinions, beliefs steeped in
your own conscience. Even The Unabomber relied on outside sources.” That
stark example echoes nations of consumers vying for material items and touting
competition.
As the younger
hardcore crowds flock to become envelope in Miracle Drug’s sweat and piercing
conventions, they must surely seek advice on getting their own bands moving.
Brick shirks any paternal role and basks in the punk ethos of one level ground.
He states, “We don't advise. We share. We give and we take in the same
vein that any active band or person in a community would. We utilize our
strengths and experience and continue to learn and grow from our new
experiences, whether it be through youth, new venues, new bands, current issues,
etc.”
