“Hi everyone! My name is Nikita, and I am from Minsk – the capital of Belarus – a small country between Russia and Poland. Our country is better know for agricultural machines, dictatorship president, and an economical collapse in 2011, but I am going to tell you about local hardcore punk community.
The first hardcore punk bands appeared here in the late 90s - beginning of 2000s . I think everything starts from Hate To State – a primitive crust band with sharp and radical political lyrics. Actually they sung small rhymes, placed on heavy and dirty music. But all this was associated with the crust-punk image. Sure, there were more punk, rap-core or ska-punk bands, but I don’t think they had much in common with hardcore-punk culture except the music. HTS gave start to generation of hardcore and punk kids, bands, fanzines and small DIY lables.
A few kids started to re-release records of dutch Commitment Records, polish Refuse Records and american Smorgasbord Records.
A few fanzines started in that period (2000s), like Left Hander (first sXe hardcore fanzine in Belarus. Only one issue, but it inspired lot of people.)
Rebro Zhostkosti (meaning can be translated like “straight-edge” is also a sxe hardcore-punk fanzine. There are some materials about the ska and skinhead scene)
Bez Namordnika (Without Muzzle. Hardcore-punk fanzine. I was involved in making it.)
Don't Panic (one of the first hardcore punk fanzines in ex-USSR. It was made by the bassist of Hate To State).
Actually, in that period Belarus was known among ex-USSR countries, as a region with a strong fanzine-scene. Lots of different magazines were issued in different cities. I think it helped a lot in spreading the word.
A little bit later, more bands appeared in Minsk such as…
Scum Out (hardcore-punk)
Tyazholie Posledstvija (hardcore-punk) and others…
Grodno was famous for Antiglobalizator, veterans of anarcho- and folk-punk Deviation, and Contra La Contra (shit, these kids were awesome in those times. Pure anarcho-punk with radical lyrics, made our youngsters insane :)).
People were communicating, visiting Poland and other countries, and in the middle of 2000, I think, there started the first few hardcore bands, and hardcore began. First it was…
Rescue 811 (hardcore)
Follow The Sun (emotional hardcore).
After a few years these bands split up to start different ones:
Fuck It All (old school hardcore)
Pull Out An Eye (tornado thrash)
Voice Of Boys (street-punk, oi. These kids were the voice of the skinhead wing of the local scene)
Devil Shoots Devil (emotional harcore with two vocals)
Appleshout (fast and aggressive hardcore-punk. One of the most insane bands here). Shows started, touring bands appeared in Minsk, and everything started with the new energy.
Right now there is a pack of hardcore and punk bands playing show after show, which take place every month, or even every week. You have to check:
Face Forward - modern melodical hardcore. As for me it sounds bit like Killing The Dream, bit like Champion. For sure the most touring band here.
Try One's Luck - check these kids. Rough hardcore from Minsk. Very sincere.
Hard Stance - rather young band. Only three shows, but they are kicking asses. Tough hardcore.
Pull Out An Eye - fast and angry thrash hardcore from Minsk. Six years already, but now seems they play only on anniversaries. Played a few great tours in Poland with Vitamin X, and other hardcore-punk heroes.
My Dog’s A Cat - very good and 80s-sound-like hardcore punk. Belarus\Russia band - kids from POAE and Appleshout, singer from Belgorod city. One of the best bands here in my mind.
Find Yourself - melodic hardcore punk with very good social and personal message.
xCheck Your Chestx - straight edge hardcore with metal sound in vein of Recon, Black My Heart. Seems, that now it is the only completely straight-edge band in Minsk.
http://ifolder.ru/22182809
Insane Human Resort - metal kids. I have seen them one time on a hardcore show - pretty good band in the vein of The Acacia Strain, Betrayal etc.
http://ifolder.ru/22622963
Unsilent - started as melo-hardcore band, kids turned into very good rock sometimes roll :) Check them! Worth it!
As Sure As Gun - tough and heavy hardcore. Not very active, but I’ve seen them a few times here.
All Day Night - neo-crust \ dark-hardcore kids. Very nice social lyrics, and dark music.
So, there are more new punk and hardcore bands, but I think I can’t mention all of them. Check my blog - To This City - and from time to time, I am going to interview all of them. It is all in russian, but I think google translate will help you.
Also feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the Belarus and Minsk scene, or just want to visit our city.”
Nikita
sheltercafe@gmail.com
www.tothiscitymag.com
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