Hardcore Personalities - Bobby Blood

Hey everybody!

Today we're doing another 'hardcore personalities' feature, and it is truly our honor to present Bobby Blood. This dude is one of the biggest but also more active hardcore personalities of our times, so it's definitely cool to have him on this blog.

Anyways, Bobby Blood has not only drummed for Merauder; he is not only the founder and guitarist of the great old school HC band Cold Existence. he is not only a prominent vegan straightedge figure,  and a spokesperson for PETA (going against the 'thug' mentality that dominates heavy hardcore); he is also a rising filmmaker of short films (mainly horror) and documentaries. A multi-talented personality to say the least, this is Bobby Blood!

A bit of an all-around musician, Bobby has drummed in many well-known bands in hardcore and metal, from the aforementioned Merauder to First Blood, Six Feet Under, Crematorium and North Side Kings.When he's nopt busy touring with those bands, he writes riffs for the heavy old school outfit Cold Existence. These guys keep the true NYHC spirit alive, with  lyrics about respect and life in the streets to match their heavy sounds. Here's a taste if you don't believe, the video for the song Fueled By Hate.

I mentioned above that Cold Existence and Bobby Blood are kind of 'street-smart'. In many cases people sneer at the possibility of a musician (let alone a filmmaker) being related to outlaw activities. However, Bobby Blood is one of those rare true examples. He seems to be one of those people whose life-experiences have to show of both good and bad. From earning medals in the U.S. army ,to serving time in prison for weapons and assaulting police officers charges, to propagating animal rights and proudly wearing the Xs, Bobby Blood has done it all.

Bobby Blood's personality has shone the most through the great music he's written and performed. At the end of the day, people are always better off when expressing themselves through something genuine and positive such as music; it is great to see that hardcore music has been that driving force behind people like Bobby Blood and the rest of the hardcore personalities we try to document on this blog. 

http://www.myspace.com/bobbyblood

FOR TODAY - "Breaker" Review (2010, Facedown Records)

I hope you like a fair bit of metal, cause this is as metal as it gets! Forget beat-down hardcore, forget metalcore; this is pure METAL, but you could call it progressive death metal, post death-core, or new age metal-hardcore! What For Today do (and they do it well) is form an identity which overlaps most boundaries of modern heavy music and borrows elements from a variety of genres: from discordant, mathematically-calculated breakdowns to pure heavy metal melodies and crazy hardcore blasts. In fact, one could say that this crazy record is comprised of 70% devastating metal, 20% paranoia and 10% spoken word/poetry. That's correct!

Us Europeans may feel a little left behind in front of American bands like For Today, which formulate new sounds while still managing to stay brutal and heavy and true to their roots. Speaking of roots, For Today is an outspoken Christian band that has stayed true to spreading the gospel since their 1st album (Breaker is their 3rd release). I guess this is the element that keeps them close to the hardcore scene (I bet they have more HC fans than metal fans), cause only in hardcore are bands so outspoken and in your face. The lyrics are straight out Christian, and I honestly don't think these guys can be moved from that. They have chosen to tread this dangerous path which might throw off many close-minded fans, and may attract criticism for being overtly vocal of their beliefs; but I for one like the fact that they do what they want regardless. It's the bands with a clear identity and a clear vision that stand out.

For Today: Christian hardcore kids

Back to the music side, we mentioned earlier that For Today have a strong avant-garde/new age flavor to their sound. This is not something we meet every day in metal or hardcore. They combine a technicality that sounds like they came straight out of Berkley, while they just keep throwing the screamo and the beatdowns and the melodic parts at you non-stop (they even end the record with a traditional gospel sing along!). They manage to fit it all into the overall brutality and make it all sound more interesting. There are some very good avant-garde drum intros and guitar interludes, as well as some spoken parts that create an intense spiritual atmosphere from start to finish. These spoken word parts sound like a hardcore poet declaring an age of spiritual independence and profound devotion. It really separates For Today from the countless other bands that do the post death metal/hardcore thing.

In the tired metal/hardcore world, it's bands like For Today that make the difference. They have a distinct message and some strong music to back it up. What else does a band need? This gets at least 8/10.

'Repent or Perish': a different style of devotion

Old School Classics: Judge - Bringin' It Down (1989)

The story of Judge - a history of intesity, violence and regrets?

Throughout the years, Judge has gone down as one of the most intense, militant and of course influential straight edge hardcore bands of all time. For many, they are considered the most essential sXe band of the 80s, and of course, Bringin It Down is their highest point. It's right there, in 89, when the youth crew scene was starting to die down (with Ray Cappo -its emblem- turning all the kids into Krishna consciousness), and these guys were seeing it all slip through their hands. The scene they had given everything into was just turning into something else, filled with violence and tough guy attitudes, pushing fans and active participants away. Bringin It Down is a mix of all the above: provocative straight edge militance, but also an expression of sadness and regret.

Now Judge was active from '87, having released the New York Crew 7". Originally a side project of John Porcell (guitarist, Youth Of Today) and Mike 'Judge' Ferraro (one of the most imposing frontmen in HC to this very day), Judge was the heavier, more outspoken alternative to YOT. Judge went right against the positive straight edge proselytizing that went on up until then, and used a definitely more provocative stance. It's interesting because this stance is exactly what drew the hordes of kids to this hardcore phenomenon of a band called Judge, as well as their new, 'in your face' hardcore style.

Mike Judge: an intense HC personality

Musically, Bringin' It Down is also a turning of backs to the previous straight edge sound, which was all about speed and energy. Far removed from the previous bands Judge members played in (the aforementioned YOT, Side By Side, Project X, Gorilla Biscuits, Death Before Dishonor), this was one of the first metal-influenced records in straight edge. Bringin It Down is a totally solid record, with super-crunching riffs by Porcell and a solid strong rhythm section to back him up. All in all, it is a very strong mix because the metal/thrash riffs are exchanged with crazy hardcore bursts and Mike's heavy sounding (but not metal) growls, creating a unique mix.

Old school flyer from back in the day

We could say that everything with Judge was deliberate. The provocative lyrics? For sure. The metal in their sound? Absolutely. The band actually wanted to sound more like Cro-Mags and Leeway by recording in the same studio as them. Nothing was left to chance in a band like Judge. I think that they are actually responsible for the creation of the tough-guy image in hardcore as we know it (their version is much closer to tough-guys in hardcore today, in contrast to to Agnostic Front's and Cro-Mags' skinhead tough-guy images). For me, they are also responsible for the newer, 90s straight edge (and not only edge) hardcore sound which dominated the scene, all the way from Earth Crisis to Fury of V.

Always wreckin' the pit

So how does Bringin It Down go down today? It's hard to say because I've personally owned the record for more than 10 years. But when I got this record at 19 or whatever, it sounded like nothing I expected; too much metal for sure, and in a sense too familiar with the metal/hc I grew up with in the 90s. Nowadays, I can surely recognize the impact Judge had on modern hardcore. Definitely a band to look into and study if you're into hardcore and its history. Below you can also watch the Revelation Records' Judge documentary (which never officially came out); it is 17 minutes of nothing but interesting hardcore stories about a band with a great impact. Get to know the story behind Judge, why all the violence around them, the militant attitudes, and about intriguing 80s HC personalities like Jimmy Yu, their early kung-fu buddhist bassist!

First Blood - 'Silence is Betrayal' (2010) Review

Wow. Well this is the record all the politically minded straight edge and vegan kids have been waiting for. Now their anticipation is finally rewarded with some heavy as fuck metallic hardcore!  Here is a relatively young band (only 1 full length behind them) that has already become somewhat legendary with their intense political vegan straight edge message. They are back stronger and angrier than ever before. Let's see why.

We could say that First Blood carry on what Earth Crisis have been doing since the early 90s, that is spread a revolutionary sXe message through riff based, punishing heavy hardcore. FB is in away the modern version of EC, vegan straight edge for the new millenium. Now I say modern, but this record is as old school as it gets. Think of 90s metal hardcore but filled with crazy beatdown that would even make Jamey Jasta feel jealous. Throw in a big NYHC/Madball influence and some sing-along parts, and you get the whole First Blood picture. This record has been thoroughly worked upon and is also very well-produced. It can definitely turn many metal kids or whatever to hardcore and its whole positive message. It's the type of shit that can draw fans from outside hardcore and show them what it's all about.

First Blood: gettin' bigger & angrier

As you'd expect, there is great importance placed on the lyrics here. It would be good if you can sit down with the lyrics and listen to the album like that. You'll definitely get more out of it like that, and then the merciless double bass drumming, the death-core riffs and the beatdowns will take up even more life within your shocked subconscious level.

Yeah.. this is overly political, overly incediary, overly heavy, just how we like it. I think that First Blood will be remembered in the years to come for this record. Silence is Betrayal. Setting up the challenge as one of the best hardcore albums for 2010? Quite likely!

http://www.myspace.com/firstblood

http://www.myspace.com/firstblood

http://www.myspace.com/firstblood

http://www.myspace.com/firstblood

Red Sparrows live - Thursday 4 Nov. 2010

Tonight, a chill night. A favorite alternative among hardcore kids world wide. Premium US alt rockers Red Sparrows live in Athens!