Interview with Ricky from BACKTRACK @backtracknyhc @reaperrecords
Long Island, NY’s Backtrack (Reaper Records) has been blazing up the hardcore ranks in recent months. With their near constant touring schedule, youthful energy, and riot-inducing performances, Backtrack’s name is spreading like wildfire across the hardcore community.
And why not? Already given the nod by some of the elite in the game right now (Terror, anyone?), the quintet seems to have more problems sitting still than a young child on Christmas morning. These guys are ALWAYS on tour, and that is exactly the attitude you need to have to build a name for yourself, especially in the underground hardcore music scene.
Interview with Elias Soriano from Nonpoint; Help them stay on the road (details below) @nonpoint @razorandtie
Long-running modern metal road warriors Nonpoint continue to pound pavement, blazing through cities and towns in their unending quest to conquer the metal landscape. Though the Florida quintet has undergone some lineup changes in recent years, the key members, vocalist Elias Soriano and drummer Robb Rivera, have found freshly oxygenated blood in guitarists Dave Lizzio, Rasheed Thomas, and bassist Adam Woloszyn, rounding out their sonic attack with a power and flair that rivals their early work.
To help with their quest, the group is currently in the midst of an indie-gogo campaign to help fund their travels with new transportation (which you can find HERE,) and when speaking of their latest self-titled release, their ninth overall and first on Razor and Tie, they say “This record sounds like war coming out of the speakers.” With a description like that, how can you NOT give it a listen?
Interview with 16 year old ASTRO @astronomicalkid; Free mixtape download via @Datpiff included!
Hip Hop is a young man’s game. No one can question that fact. Hip Hop and Rap are one of the cornerstones of American (now international) culture, and you can’t help but realize that when it comes to beat making and rhyming, with a few notable exceptions, the genres are always bent on finding the newest, hottest, and youngest up and comers in the game.
That being said, check THIS VIDEO out and tell me this kid ain’t golden?
Interview with Matt from Murder By Death; Played The Haunt in Ithaca, NY @murderbydeath @dansmalls @bshq
Bloomington, Indiana’s Murder By Death has the perfect name for a grindcore band, but the music they perform couldn’t be further away from that. The group, who play an Indie/Americana brand of Rock and Roll, is more for the thinker than the thrasher and, given the prevalence of heavy on Live High Five lately, I can dig it.
Drummer Spotlight with Nick Jett from TERROR @terrorhardcore @victoryrecords @nickgodie
What do you call a drummer that breaks up with his girlfriend?
Homeless.
Drummers always get a bum rap. Why is that? Ever seen a good band with a shitty drummer? No. Know why? BECAUSE THEY DON’T FUCKING EXIST (with exception for The Beatles.)
Drummers rule! We hit stuff, get peoples’ butts shaking, and ultimately determine whether or not the band is going to perform well. You CANNOT have a solid band without a solid drummer, so all you 6-string wankers out there with your tapping and flooded solos can suck it… This one is for the hitters.
On February 27th, I sat down with Nick Jett from TERROR during their stop in Albany, NY at Bogies to talk about drum stuff (duh.) Check him and Terror out… These guys are no joke!
LIVE HIGH FIVE 