Looking Back; Artwork Featured in Unite Fanzine

I was sifting through some boxes when I came across some old artwork from my zine Unite. Throughout the fanzines four issue print run and four to five year web existence. I had the honor of featuring some pretty special artists. Civ (Gorilla Biscuits, Civ) designed the logo featured in the first issue. Andrew Monserrate (Wolfpack, Stand Proud) illustrated the cover and much of the art for the second issue and Tim (G.AS.P.) Kucynda drew a number of pieces for the seldom seen third issue. During Unite's time online, a number of people contributed art including some possible T shirt designs from a Tom Farkas. (The Nolan Gate. Davenport Cabinets)

Sick of it All - Non Stop

As with any of Sick of it All's prior releases I met the news of a new record with a level of excitement reserved for few other bands. Having been a Hardcore fanatic since my early teens I followed the band from their very first demo to their first 7 inch and everything that followed. As much as I love many of the NYHC bands from that particular era, Sick of it All are in my mind both the ambassadors and kings of NYHC.

Just as my excitement reached the highest peaks, those feelings quickly faded when I heard the band was re-recording old classics as opposed to delivering new ones. The reworking, re-imagining classic tracks had me thinking of horrible choices that unlistenable bands like Asia and Emerson, Lake and Palmer would undertake. I debated for weeks as to whether or not to take the plunge, ultimately coming to the conclusion "It's Sick of it All." "There's no way they can mess this up."

"Non Stop" opens up with an updated version of "Clobbering Time" which welcomes back legendary rapper KRS-1 with his newly classic intro "Fresh for 2012 you bitches." Once Craig's Bass line introduces Lou's vicious growl "It's Clobberin' Time" even the most cynical ears are won over. The band rips through all the classics including "Clobberin' Time", "Injustice System", "US VS. Them", "World Full of Hate", "Pushed Too Far", "GI Joe Headstomp" and many other classics. All of the twenty-one songs featured are worth mention. Lou's vocals are venomous. Pete's guitar work adds chainsaw like results while Craig and Armand 's rhythms rage like dueling jackhammers.   I really felt a certain raw, live quality to this. It was as if the band were sitting with me in my living room, up close and in your face. Sick of it all haven't only updated these songs, they've thoroughly upgraded them. "Non Stop" closes with a spoken word by KRS-1 that will definitely have you thinking. Though I will always favor the original recordings I will surely check in with "Nonstop's" versions frequently. Fans of the band will definitely feel rewarded. The CD version includes a bonus DVD featuring the bands 2001 Documentary "The Story So Far" which  marks the first time it has been made available in DVD format. (As I listened to this record I couldn't help but think fondly of my old friend Gina "Last Daze" Lawson. She was a die hard
Sick of it All fan from day one. She would always refer to Lou and Pete motherly as  "Her Boys". Gina, wherever you may roam I hope it's with a twelve pack and a walkman blasting "It's Clobberin' time".")
James Damion


Buy it Here

H2O - Don't Forget Your Roots

Since 1995 H20 and singer Toby Morse have been the hyperactive torchbearers for the message of "PMA", (Positive Metal Attitude) educating the world through their music and actions. Throughout their decade and a half existence they've often worn their influences on their sleeves. From early roots in the DC area to their days in New York and beyond.

On Don't Forget Your Roots" the band has decided to enter the much too often slippery slope of the "Tribute Album". When any band decides to do a "Covers" or "Tribute" album there are obviously going to be risks involved. Music's landscape, along with most record stores cut out bins, is littered with those who have tried in the past. The idea of covering a favorite song or paying tribute to the ones that inspired us to pick up an instrument and go fucking ape shit seems sincere enough. However it is not without it's pitfalls. There's the risk of completely failing to capture the original song/bands energy, quality or overall angst is a costly undertaking. While some of the most sincere bands often come off sounding like the cover band that plays at the local college every weekend.

In this particular case, H2O and to be more specific, Toby, aren't really guilty of any of these clichés but they're not exactly making a good argument as to why bands should continue this ritual. Toby really does a great job on 7 Seconds "Satyagraha" and handles
Social Distortion's "Sick Boy" with a sense of ease that is amazing. The bands homage to
Joey Ramone on "I Wanna Live" is worth both mention and praise. Though there are a few highlights, Rancid's "Journey to the End" and Sick of it All's "Friends Like You" come to mind. The problem lies in the plain simple fact that there are too many others that are either immediately forgettable or simply unbearable. The classic "Train in Vain” by the Clash is unfortunate while The Mighty Mighty Bosstones "Someday I Suppose" fails terribly with the absence of a horn section. Another problem that is quite evident throughout is that
Toby Morse simply doesn't have the vocal range for a lot of songs covered here. Though this isn't a terrible record, it is at it's very best, tolerable. "Don't Forget Your Roots" has it moments but overall fails to really reach it goals. Not bad for die-hard fans of the band but I don't think this will win them many new ones. James Damion
Buy it Here

Making a Scene; New York Hardcore Revisited

"Originally released in 1989 with a scant 79 photos and under 100 pages; this expanded edition brings over 200 photographs as well as reflections from key characters documenting a special time period in one of the most notorious hardcore music scene in the country.
Making a Scene - New York Hardcore in Photos, Lyrics and Commentary Revisited 1985-1988 captures the energy of the New York hardcore music scene in photographs, lyrics, and comments from those involved in their music, their attitudes, and their lifestyle.

Hardcore is a way of life for thousands of band members and fans all over the world. Here, New York City's hardcore movement is represented in all of its outspoken, opinionated, and often contradictory variety. Participants are shown with friends, spouses, even children, performing, dancing, and hanging out. They also explain in their own words and lyrics to songs what they think hardcore is all about.From moments of quiet intimacy to the controlled mayhem of live shows, Making a Scene documents in a unique way this flourishing and often misunderstood underground style." 


Having picked up the original version at New York City's fanzine mecca See Hear back in 1989. (Only to sell it on Ebay along with most of my cherished fanzine collection ten years later.)  
I was fully aware of "Making A Scene" and its status among fanzines of its time. The original was a 
must-have document of our own scenes history. A time capsule of sorts. It loomed pretty large over a lot of the NYHC fanzines being published at the time with it's slick look and content.


Fast forward more than twenty years since its original release in 1989 and an expanded edition returns  with over two hundred images. (More than double the original seventy-nine featured.) 
The updated commentary helps to expand on its original ideas,  giving the book a sense of perspective. 
I found some of the  original insights from Gavin Van Vlack, (NY Hoods, Absolution) to be quite moving. I also found Brendan Rafferty's (SFA) 2011 assessment of "Who were Hardcore kids?" 
to be dead on. "We were homeless street kids. Affluent suburban kids. Left Wing, Right Wing, Illiterate, Intellectual, drug users, straight edge and so on." "There were countless different personalities and beliefs, but we all had one thing in common." "For whatever reason, we didn't fit in the normal world, so we created our own."
There's a somewhat surprising foreword by Freddy Cricien who was only ten years old when "Making A Scene" began its course. However his story and contribution to both the book and Hardcore in general is priceless.
Though "Making A Scene" doesn't cover a wide array of the opinions, viewpoints, characters and bands.  
It does do an excellent job with those it chooses.
If you had a copy or lost yours somewhere down the road, failed to pick one up when it originally hit the streets or want to get somewhat of an understanding of what it was like, I very highly recommend picking up a copy. James Damion


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