Slaine drops video Source of Power Teddy Roxpin beat

This is not just a new video from Slaine - backed by Teddy Roxpin - but a cut off of the LEEDZ Ent comp, Eastern Standard. 

Slaine has had many killer verses. And as quickly as you can point to bragadacious bars that will silence any MC; or Slaine's vividly descriptive tales of crime, drugs and guns - all while hammering multi-syllabic bars relentlessly; he is stunning when he turns his words towards the world of politics.
SLaine continuously expresses honest vulnerability and exposes regrets; turning his hard road into parables of experience. But going back to his verses on "Man Made Ways" from DC The MIDI-Alien's Avenger Airwaves compilation, East Coast Avengers "Lady Liberty", or on Virtuoso's "Fahrenheit 911", Slaine rips through the bullshit and pierces the veil of American social civility.

Diamond Media 360 offers Slaine's explanation of this joint. "We seem to have this human condition where we seek power and validation from outside sources when really we have the ultimate power in and around us at all times,” states Slaine. But do mistake Slaine for some generic motivation meme. As Roxpin's drums pound toward a finish line, Slaine spits,

“Is it fear that we suffer from or lack of it?/ Where do we go now? Who do we turn to?

 When does it slow down? Who do we learn through?/

Through a history of imperious acts/ I still move with my spirit intact.”

This messaging reflects back to Slaine's verse on "Lady Liberty" in fact. He deconstructs and demolishes both left and right, media, and America's egregious hypocrisies. But he ends with:

Who do we trust now when we can't even trust us?

There's no peace we can find, there' ain't no justice

Just a war going on against each of us

We need to reach down deep and start speaking up

Cause everybody's illing when the buildings blow up

But what's gonna happen when our children grow up?

But back to "Source of Power" - examining personal motivation of the beaten and disenfranchised and the greed of the wealthy and privileged  the hook boasts: "hunger, vision, fury, discipline - survival, resilience, shine to a brilliance"

Slaine paints pictures - "ice in my veins, Hell in my eyes" - with mesmerizing imagery; playing with words like Mozart did notes. Slaine's lyrics bounce and punch as Roxpin uses echoed/big drums, played nice and loose. A high register note dances within its spectrum to add contrast while staying rough and raw.

Director, Ben Proulx, for Project 2 Studios, illuminates the conflict inherent with confrontational visuals. Disturbing and challenging images extrapolate the words of Slaine in a necessary exposition.

In addition to Slaine, the compilation features a sick 1-2 punch with Blacastan and Marvalyss on "Mechanical Movement" on a hypnotic tonal gem. Check Chris Rivers and Rite Hook on a raging track, "The Motions".  Natti and Deacon The Villain (both of CunninLynguists), Rite Hook and B Dolan combining that MA/RI connection - with a Hammond heavy, harmonica and piano popping bluesy joint - Soulful!!! Chris Orrick on a nostalgic trip as he often does over a captivating beat, and Granite State showing up again. Spose kills it with a dope beat and a hilarious but down to earth track about the struggles of underground rapper. STL GLD, Mega Ran, and many others validate this 21 track, 75 minute compilation.

Madball Wisdom in Chains Family Biz review

Madball / Wisdom in Chains

Family Biz

FastBreak!

September 25^th

Two of the hardest working bands in hardcore are releasing a tantalizing split 7” just to let you know they are still coming hard. Honest. Sincere. Commited. Consistent. Madball and Wisdom in Chains are holding it down with a track each until Madball’s full length comes out on 2018.

Madball’s side comes packed with their revered energy. The track, For the Cause is also the name of their impending full length. This track continues with the firestorm they have been unleashing. The Mitts era is a gallery of classics; Legacy, Empire, Infiltrate the System, the three eps; and most recently Hardcore Lives. This feels right off of any recent. Only news I can find is that the full length will be on Nuclear Blast, no word on release date or producer. The tough, crisp track sounds like the prior ones – hopefully meaning Erik Rutan is behind the boards or even Zeuss. “For the Cause”, is vicious. Slamming track.

The flipside is blessed by the PAHC champs, Wisdom in Chains. As a bonus, Mad Joe shares the mic with Freddy Madball on “Someday”. Mad Joe’s gift to the hardcore community has always been raw, personal lyrics. We get emotionally open lyrics, contemplating what a man’s legacy will be, with solid melodic guitar lines over rough, beastly rhythms. WIC’s low chug is savage and will incite any crowd to point, swing, dive and stomp. It’s a fast, forward focused 4/4 beat with ripe time changes for cathartic pauses and two-steps.

BUY

Vinyl Pressing Info:

15 - TEST PRESSINGS

100 - GOLD w/ HEAVY BLACK SPLATTER

100 - OPAQUE GREY w/ 14 CLOUDY CLEAR (color in color)

100 - OPAQUE GREY / BLACK (half & half )

100 - TRANS BLUE w/ ORANGE (a side / b side )

200 - GOLD (Coretex Records Exclusive )

200 - OPAQUE BLUE (Reality Records Exclusive )

700 - BLACK
 or Nuclear Blast (their new label) has pre-order of NUKE GREEN VINYL

Dr Know Interview for Woodstock Sessions and Black N Blue Bowl

Dr Know of the Bad Brains

Black N Blue Bowl May 16/17, 2015 

Woodstock Sessions, May 30, 2015 woodstocksessions.com

When I call Dr Know he is picking up Mackie and John Joseph. Mackie Jayson is most known as the drummer as the Cro-Mags and a part of the crucial Age of Quarrel album. He also recorded with the Bad Brains on Quickness and Rise; among other touring stints. He played in Fun Lovin’ Criminals, NYHC treasure The Icemen, Hazen St, and even came into Madball when Riggs stepped down. Doc and Mackie have been brothers for many years. John Joseph is returning from a Cro Mags’ gig in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The Ironman contender, outspoken vegan Krishna, NYHC retro tour guide, aka Bloodclot, will jump directly into the singers’ slot at Black N Blue Bowl.

Dr Know is the guitarist of Bad Brains. There are never sufficient words to describe Bad Brains quickly and their spiritual connection with their fans. Along with his partner in bass, Darryl Jennifer, Doc will be headlining day one of the BNB Bowl, with Mackie and John Joseph, as The Regulators. They will be performing an hour long set of classic Bad Brains’ material. Dr. Know (Gary Miller) describes the reunion as “an old-time special”.

“The show is at Webster Hall, which is the old Ritz. I haven’t played there in twenty years. It will be special. We are headlining, like the old days.” The energy will be indescribable. As much as Bad Brains came from DC, they can still be considered a NYHC band from the beginning. And JJ and Mackie were there to see and learn from their peers as the Cro-Mags were growing. “They’re family. We are all brothers. We did this line-up back in the winter, some smaller spot in the city. It was thirty minutes and it was great.” 

John Joseph will bring a fervent intensity. He does Ironman competitions. “He is more fit than ever,” Doc notes. The four will practice all week. Black N Blue Bowl is having a one off Burn reunion to top day two. The varied array will push all the styles that make up NYHC. Other bands appearing are Crumbsuckers, Sick Of It All, Madball, Earth Crisis, and Candiria. Among 100 Demons, Booze and Glory, EGH, Wisdom In Chains, King Nine, Rival Mob, Rude Awakening and even more, the vibe will be electric. Doc wants to give the people a crazy show, as many family and friends will be there. And The Regulators are, well as Doc says, “It’s the OG’s”.

At the end of May, Bad Brains will be recording a five song EP in Woodstock, NY where Dr. Know lives. The recording will be with Jesse Royal. The special aspect to this recording will be that the public can buy a ticket to attend the memorable event at Applehead studios. A series called Woodstock Sessions is hosting the Bad Brains recording with sixty to seventy people in attendance. “We are going to write the album that day. Make it up, revamp it, and record it.”

Jess Royal is a “hot new Jamaican. We met him at the Afro-Punk fest. We had a special set with rotating vocalists; Corey (Glover of Living Colour; John Joseph, Jesse Royal and two others.” While Doc is excited to record new material with a young vocalist, the addition of the fans is a unique experience. “People will get to know us as we record. It will be straight up spontaneity. Some of the songs we are working on, we have already in process. We need to jam them out. It all happen there. We wrote a lot of records in the studio.” Applehead is comfortable for Doc. He reports having done much work there. The idea came up between him and the studio.

“It’s cool. People are going to get to hang out all day.” The event boasts fans being treated to an open space studio, stocked with a Caribbean feast. When they leave the fans will receive a commemorative t-shirt of the day, a limited edition poster and reservation for a 180-gm vinyl of the recording. Doc is very excited to share this event. “The vibe will be incredible, laid back. It’s going to be fun. We are going to play some reggae, maybe a rock joint. We can’t get too wild, though,” Doc laughs.

Murderers Row Liberty Denied Review

Murderer’s Row

Liberty Denied

Riley Records

Review by hutch

Well after five albums on various labels, Bob Riley has stepped out on his own to release records. Bob Riley headed the Upstate NY metal mammoth, Stigmata, for many years. But in 2000, he grabbed his boot boy roots and started this drunk and roll band.  Self-described as Motorhead meets Rose Tattoo, their influences are obvious. Though prior albums have been faster or splashed with hardcore, this album is straight slower rock and roll for punks and drunks.

Immediately, I think of Forced Reality’s 2000 feel, late Bruisers, and The Wretched Ones. Solid production helps boost the quality writing. You hear what you expect about working class, shaved heads, drinking and boots. But when that’s my life, it suits me fine. Smart stories from older men who have been doing this for thirty plus years, fill this album and I say, “preach, on brother”.

Songs like “White Collar Crime” bring the US Oi! feel matched with lyrics. Revved up rock like Combat Ready or Bruisers is this band’s strength and separates it from the a generic vibe.

Struggles and the pains of the working class is the common thread the pulls these gritty rock songs together. And rightly, that incorporates a great Oi! sound into the tracks. “Our Struggle” slows it down to lament over a beer and a guitar. While “When the Day Comes” and “Slum Nation” pushes the harder faster edge.  While I try to compare the fast fury of the closer, “Give the Pain”, to maybe some current heavy Condemned 84 clone, I realize with the tight riffing that it all goes back to Motorhead; just a NY Oi twist.