Hollow Truth - Evöl Street Metal from Ireland

Oh yeah! Hardcore since a long time has infiltrated other genres and since those early days, various crossover genres have been here to stay for better of for worse.

Well in this case all I know is that I absolutely adore that streetwise, sped up crossover hardcore thrash! I'm talking about the type of hardcore that may sound like metal for some, but has a distinct hardcore influence and is of course delivered by hardcore kids, not big headed arpeggio-playing metalheads. In fact, this is the only thrash I want to hear! And that's because it has a street-level quality, a high mosh factor, and it can definitely put me in a good - albeit evil - mood.

So that's exactly what Hollow Truth from Ireland does. It takes the Cro-Mags Best Wishes (or later) formula, and mixes it with a more skatecore influence (especially on the vocals), which makes me think of early Suicidal and other bands of that ilk. The riffs are fucking hard and perfect for the pit, the groove is always on, the vocals are punky and not some ridiculous high pitched yell, the bad-ass aesthetic is in check (see the fantasy/war cover below)... everything is set for a band that will stay on my playlist for the next year, or who knows, even more! I am waiting to see what these guys will do next as I am heading straight for the download of their FREE demo. You should do yourself a favor and do the same!

http://hollowtruthhc.tumblr.com/
 

"In Effect 91 NYHC Documentary": A Trip to the Real Old School

In Effect is one of the relatively lesser known documentaries about the NYHC scene. It contains live footage and interviews with some of the real, universal HC legends, like Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Murphy's Law, Sick of it All and Gorilla Biscuits.

What is great about In Effect is that you get to see the different personalities and approaches behind each band (i.e. Cro-Mags' tougher 'bad guy' stance, SOIA's more mature HC approach, Gorilla Biscuits' intellectual straight edge), which has pretty much evolved into different schools of hardcore in all these following years. It's awesome to watch documentaries like this, because you gain some insight of how hardcore really used to be back in the day, before the hype, the style, the tattoos, the rejection of the oldschool by newer schools, and before touring and putting out records was easy as it is today.

It can't be a coincidence that all the bands featured in this documentary actually created such a strong name in the history of hardcore, or the fact that most of them still continue to this day. It really makes me happy to know that most of the people in the documentary are still involved in hardcore in one way or the other. I guess it's evident that these are the people who are "in it for life" and who - no matter what the kids of today have to say - have paved the way for all the rest. However, this important documentary marks a hardcore era that for better or for worse, did not serve as the political correct mouthpiece that hardcore bands & people have inarguably become nowadays.

So... know your hardcore history, enjoy the awesome music and check out these 58 minutes of O.G. NYHC action!

Harley Flanagan: the Cro Mags Legend Continues

The CRO MAGS have got to be one of the (if not THE) most legendary bands in hardcore. When we say "hardcore", we generally mean stuff that sounds like the CRO MAGS, no matter the diversions and trends that have emerged throughout the years. That's the sound that's always been, and that's the sound that's gonna continue to inspire kids to go hardcore and make their own music and bands, now and forever.

Throughout the yeats, a lot of energy has been spent on debating who the true leader of the CRO MAGS really is. Is it the legendary Harley Flanagan (bass/vocals) or is it the iconic Jon Joseph (vocals)? The truth is that, during various times in hardcore history the CRO-MAGS have been led by both members collectively, and have also been led by Harley and Jon independently, to the point that there have been two CRO MAGS at the same time. Fans and people in bands seem to part in to two directions with the legacy of this legend of a band still remaining out there for generaitons of kids to discover and enjoy again and again.

As hardcore fan I've never cared too much about this debate, cause to be honest I look up to both of these guys. Jon has the crazy Krishna holy vegan warrior thing going on, while Harley is the embodiment of hard as nails, bad ass hardcore attitude and a killer martial artist. And because we at TYS zine tend to take sides (unlike many other fence sitters), I will go  and say that judging from these guys' general precence in hardcore throughout the years, I have come to personally think Harley really  is the CRO MAGS. When I look at Harley, all I know is that this guy is for real, he's 100% hardcore and he doesn't claim the CRO MAGS' legacy for the money.

I will leave this here and take it to the music which as always, speaks best. Many people don't know that the CRO MAGS released two killer songs in 2010 with Harley on vocals (and on bass, of course). This last output is totally influenced by their early classic stuff, and especially by the thrashy Best Wishes album. Here is a track that, in case you've missed, you should definitely check out.

John Joseph NYC Urban Cro-Mag Training

Do you guys care to watch your health? Well, I know for sure that John Joseph of the Cro-Mags does! In the featured video, the person whose very name and life is the embodiment of hardcore, tells it like it is. John Joseph has always been ahead of things, and this time around he's teaching you how to be a cro-mag, the healthy way! The video is entertaining and informative, but most of all fun. Enjoy!

John Joseph is soon to release his second book, "Meat is for Pussies". It's a follow-up to his autobiography, "Evolution of a Cro-Magnon", in which you get the picture that he's anything but a pussy. "Meat is for Pussies" will be released through Punkhouse. 

Old School Classics: CRO-MAGS "Age of Quarrel" - Part 1

Welcome to Take Your Shot webzine's new section, where we will be reviewing old(er), classic old school records that made an impact and deserve to be heard by EVERYONE! All kinds of people will be reviewing all kinds of stuff, so feel free if you want to send a review of your own favorite Hardcore or Hip Hop old school classic. OK, so we know some of these records are "too" classic, but this stuff is fun to write man, and basically we just want to bring a few old school gems back to the spotlight. So Let's Go!
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What better place to start than the Cro-Mags seminal Age of Quarrel, a Hardcore record that still influences the genre and rocks hard some 23 years after its release. We could easily argue that this album is the pinnacle of Hardcore Music, when it was fresh, angry, and intimidating. Hardcore bands all over the world site The Cro-Mags as one of their main influences, and you can still hear the sound created in Age of Quarrel everywhere today. As Danny from North Side Kings put it in Take Your Shot #1, "anyone who doesn't recognize this sound, should get a brick smashed in their face"!

The album kicks in with We Gotta Know, and Mackie Jaysons super-phat drumbeat clocking in with the full-drive guitar&bass distortion. It's definitely one of the strongest intros ever in HC, the type that forces you to press "repeat" 4 or 5 times, and gets the wannabe bands copying... Then when the mid-tempo intro stops, it's time for war, my friend, and about half an hour of non-stop, circle-pit, frantic Hardcore music!

Now imagine it's 1986 and the heaviest/fastest band on the planet is... Wait a minute, really--who!? On the Metal side there are the likes of Venom, Slayer, Bathory, Sodom etc. On the Punk/Hardcore side there is definitely the UK Discharge sound and Agnosic Front with their Victim In Pain masterpiece. And now, with this album, HARDCORE is truly established: it is separated from Punk (because it's waaaay faster/heavier), and set apart from Metal (because there is no f*cking theatrical interplay involved): Just a no-frills, in-your-face street sound. Of course: That's the sound of the Cro-Mags!

Musically the album is like a ten-ton hammer landing on your head, but lyrically, it is divided in two separate parts: the "Fuck you, we are the Cro-Mags and we're gonna punch your lights out" side (Street Justice, Hard Times, Survival of The Streets); And there is the other side of the coin, which is the Hare-Krishna inspired, spiritual identity of the Cro-Mags (that also inspired thousands of others in turn). Songs like Seekers of the Truth and We Gotta know are classic examples of Bhagavad-Gita mentality. Even the very title of the album is drawn from Hindu philosophy: "Age of Quarrel" refers to "Kali Yuga", a Hindu term that means "Times of Degeneration". Srila Prabupada, inventor of the Hare Krishna movement, often used the term Age of Quarrel in his public speeches.

Back in 1986, it must have been shocking for the scene (and the music world in general) to encounter a bunch of tough, tattooed NY kids doing this totally "in-your-face" thing with no compromise! Age of Quarrel brought so much into the world of music and has become that much of a classic, that it transcends the boundaries of Hardcore and can be found in all kinds of extreme music fans' record collections. The specific characters that made up the Cro-Mags are the very essence of the Cro-Mags legend: the people behind the massive wall of noise and hard-ass attitude. People like Harley Flanagan and John Joseph, as well as Mackie Jayson and Parris Mayhew to a lesser extent, are Hardcore icons that have influenced everything as we know it in Hardcore today. But their individuality also sparked a war between them, a war that has gone on for years and years, and has created so many other projects, influential bands, professional musicians, bookwriters etc. But that's just something that will have to be continued another time, in another article!

Thanks,
F- T.Y.S.