Saint-Petersburg, Russia (Part 3)

Saint-Petersburg, Russia (Part 2)

"One of the best Russian Hardcore bands. Members of Sandinista positioned themselves as “Dark Hardcore”. The band split up because of the murder of Timur Kacharava who was the guitarist of Sandinista. The tragedy occurred at 13 November 2005 when group of neo-nazis attacked Timur and his friends. Timur was a member of antifascist and anarchist community of Saint-Petersburg. His words have become some kind of hymn of the Russian Hardcore community – “Who if not we? When if not now?”. Sandinista recorded an album “Libertad Tu Eres Mi Cuerpo”


Cut’n’Run was formed in Spring 2004. Influenced by Trash Horror movies and such bands as Minor Threat, Gorilla Biscuits, Reaching Forward and Shark Attack they recorded a 5-song demo which has got positive responses. From that moment Cut’n’Run started an active concert life and wrote some new songs that were released on a split CD with band Vyshka! Next record was released in April 2006 – another split, now with German band Tackleberry. The next year Cut’n’run released another demo. They split up in Autumn 2008, after releasing their final 11-song recording.


A band formed by members of 5 Uglov, ‘Til I Die, Engage at Will, What We Feel. Next Round plays Old School NYHC. Formed in 2004 they released 2 albums Moi Udej’deniya (My Beliefs) and Svyataya Krov’ Trebuet Vozmezdiya (Holy Blood Demands Revenge). One of the most experienced bands in the Russian scene.



The Saint-Petersburg-Kronstadt band Engage at Will was founded in 2003 from the splinters of 2 groups: hardcore-pioneers ‘Til I Die (Saint-Petersburg) & Da Kuchy (Kronstadt). They are playing straight & powerful hardcore which combines melodic lines & metalized riffs, supplemented with street’s well-written lyrics. In 2006 the band recorded the album “Pravosudie” (“Justice”) self-released on their own label EAW records. In 2008 EAW recorded a “2 way split” CD with Moscow band xHARAMx which was released on EAW records & Moscow sXe label xHARDTIMESx



Young Hardcore band with tough guitar sound and straight lyrics about life on the street. Wins’ Pain formed by members of Komatoz, AntiPerfect and Two Minutes Older. They released a self-titled EP in 2010.


Self-Defense are a Tough Metal/Hardcore band formed in late 2008. They released an EP “Justification” and now they are writing material for LP.


Band formed in spring 2008 by former members of Cut’n’Run. The Rave plays Modern Hardcore with some 90’s New School influences. Released album and played show in support of their new EP “Club 27” in May with At Daggers Drawn.


Black Sheep are a Modern Hardcore band with The Effort, More Than Life influences. Existed from 2009 till 2010, played a few shows, released demo and then unfortunately split up.


Formed in 2008 Part of You played Youth Crew Hardcore, they released a demo in 2009. Unfortunately now band don’t exist."

Saint-Petersburg, Russia (Part 2)

Saint-Petersburg, Russia (Part 1)

"One of the oldest Saint-Petersburg Old School Hardcore bands. Formed in 1993 Marraderi (Маррадёры, Marauders) firstly were a punk band, but someday their frontman Il’ya Kovrigin found the definition of “Hardcore” in the book “Punk Rock: From A to Z”, there it said: “Hardcore is Black Sabbath guitar riffs played at supersonic speed”. Marraderi started playing something in the vein of D.R.I. or early Washington Hardcore. Their lyrics are about social and political problems: like the problem of drugs and brainwashing by mass media. When you listen to their music you can’t just sit and watch the unfair world around you. The band released 5 albums and still plays shows.


5 Uglov (5 углов, 5 Corners) formed in the autumn of 1996. Their first show was played at the independent club “Fish Fabrique” in 1997. They had a tough sound, and their aggressive appearance was combined with lyrics about the hard life in Saint-Petersburg of that time. Hard moshing and stagediving could be seen at their shows. They released their great album «Массовый гипноз» (Massovii Gipnoz, Mass Hypnosis) in 2003.


‘Til I Die were Melodic Old School Hardcore from Saint-Petersburg that existed from autumn 2001 ‘til autumn 2003. Their songs were about the problem of choices that always stand before a young man. What do you choose: live like the majority, closing your eyes to injustice around you or open your eyes and turn on your own brain? Could you say your opinion at a critical moment and defend your freedom? Our indifference is weakness. It forces us to swallow all that shit that happens around us every day – violence, drugs, war, fascism, the hypocrisy of authorities, intolerance to minorities. They didn’t swallow it, they spat it out, they wanted their voice to be heard. ‘Til I Die played a 10 year anniversary concert on May 14."

Saint-Petersburg, Russia (Part 1)

"I’m living in Saint-Petersburg. Nowadays our scene is growing up very fast: a lot of new bands are forming, a lot of new people come to the hardcore shows.

There is a unique place in our city. It was opened last summer and it’s called Vegan Club. As you can understand from the title of this place it is specialised in popularising a healthy lifestyle and an ethical attitude to animals and nature. A lot of activities take place there: exhibitions, movie viewing, yoga etc.


The majority of hardcore shows take place in V-Club since it opened. Shows such as Youth of Today (below), Rise and Fall, Eye for All, Nine Eleven, At Half-Mast, Zann, Jucifer and many shows of Russian bands.


Last summer a great fest took place near our city in Rocket Skate Park. It was called Rocket Hardcore Fest. Many Russian, Ukrainian and Belarus bands participated in it. There were about 20 bands there. This August Rocket Hardcore Fest will take place again.



Rocket Hardcore Fest wasn’t a unique big show in our city. From 2005 to 2009 in Kronstadt (seaport-town near Saint-Petersburg) there was an open air event which happened every summer. Unfortunately it can’t take place in the open air anymore because there were some unpleasant accidents.



However there are some negative aspects of the fast growth of the scene. There are a lot of people who visit hardcore shows regularly just to have some fun, to mosh etc. They are not interested in music, they don’t know the roots of punk culture and they only listen to local bands which their friends play in. They make tattoos, buy fashion clothes, even become straight edge and vegan just because their friends have made these choices. The term “hardcore” becomes fashion. There are many bands that call themselves hardcore without understanding what hardcore is really about."

Germany - Berlin 2

Germany - Berlin 1

“I live in Berlin and was born here more than 20 years ago in the eastern part. It's a quite interesting city and I would say unique in Europe concerning subcultures and its history. As you may know the city was divided in two parts during the Cold War. We had the Berlin Wall right in the center and a lot of ghettos rose on both sides. In the 90s after the fall of the wall the city center was pretty much fucked up, a lot of empty blocks of houses in a really awful condition. That was the perfect birthplace for both a huge left-wing squatter scene and a young and rapidly growing punk and hardcore scene. I'm too young to tell you more about 70s or 80s but I know the 90s were a very interesting time for these subcultures. Today we have to face the worst gentrification you could imagine as the city center becomes more and more interesting for upper class citizens, mulitnational business, swarms of tourists, and so on.


One of the most important squats for the local punk and hardcore scene is the Köpi137. You have concerts like every night in the cellar which is called Koma F.


Other locations I like…

Scherer8



Subversiv


Local fanzines…

Presswerk A-C



Stressfaktor which is like a calendar of what's happening where and when.


Pankerknacker


I need to mention the scene is very interesting but huge and there might be a lot of stuff I don't know about.


I have been running a little punkrock radio station with a friend for more than 5 years now. It's called Funkfabrik B and we broadcast once a month at FM 88.4 in Berlin. It's pretty cool stuff but in times of Facebook and Co. radio is not the mass media it should be ;)

I don't care much about labels/promoters. It sometimes feels there are more bands releasing records than people that actually listen to them. Most of the local bands are day flies - fast, intense but gone as soon as you start to like them. Or I just know the wrong bands :)”

Festival - Ghost/Throats DIY 2011, Edmonton, AB

"Inspired by the Cry Me A River Festival in Germany and Dudefest in Indiana, this annual festival held in the spring in Edmonton, Alberta provides three full days of DIY community, discussion, activities, hangouts, and performances by the finest "DIY", "hardcore" and "post-hardcore" bands from Western Canada and beyond."

Friday:

Crippled Children (Edmonton, AB)

Todos Caerán (Edmonton, AB)

Brain Fever (Calgary, AB)

Auld Beak (Saskatoon, SK)

Book of Caverns (Edmonton, AB)

La Maladresse (Levis, QC)

Saturday:

Slowhand (Edmonton, AB)

Coalspur (St Alberta, AB)

Monkey (Calgary, AB)

Flint (Edmonton, AB)

Watcher (Victoria, BC)

Stalwart Sons (Calgary, AB)

White Ribs (Nanaimo, BC)

Damages (Vancouver, BC)

Sunday:

Mahria (Edmonton, AB)

Maus (Edmonton, AB)

GSTS (Abbotsford, BC)

Wolfgoat (Edmonton, AB)

Cope (Edmonton, AB)

Tempest (Vancouver, BC)

Canada - Calgary 2

Canada - Calgary 1

"Currently things are really good in the Calgary hardcore scene, lots of kids who realize that you get what you give with hardcore and aren't just here to leech off of other people’s hard work. Lots of good bands, and even more good bands being started every month it seems. It's a good time to be in Calgary.

The bands that best represent our scene are…

The Asthma Attack

Being a Bear

Brain Fever


Floods


Low Life

Rape Revenge


Runaways


Suicidal Cop

Voices


War Elephant

Check their tracks on Dead Noise Collective.

As far as labels go they are VERY scarce in our area. We have a solid bunch of distros but only a few labels I can think of.

XtrueX Records based out of Edmonton have put out a TON of great hardcore/punk over the last 5 or so years.


Handsome Dan Records puts out mostly punk.


As far as zines go the only one focusing on hardcore was created by one of the three people behind Dead Noise. It's called Exit Wounds...so far there is only 1 issue but as far as I know he is working on another one.

As far as hardcore in this city goes there are a few key venues that are pretty regularly used.

The Skate Shack, which is a small room next to an ice skating rink. It's run by nice people who understand hardcore.

The New Black which is run by one of the dudes that was in a fairly big punk band from Calgary called Belvedere (they toured with Pennywise and stuff).


Albert Park which is run by the same people as the Skate Shack but is much bigger.


Other than that there are a few free venues and houses are used pretty regularly."

Peru 2

Peru 1

It's been a year since I posted about these blogs. They are all still going strong so respect to hc in Peru!

Never Lose


Determinacion


andrEE HxC


We Are Revenge


Lima Hardcore


Desconfia

Belgium - Brussels

“The bands below are in my opinion the belgian bands that gave a boost to the hardcore/metalcore scene in Belgium.

Arkangel - founded in 1997


Deviate


Length of Time


Bloodshot


Liar - a very well-known band from Flanders


Officer Jones and his Patrol Car Problems


Rise and Fall


The Setup


And THE most known metal-band from Belgium back in the day…

Aborted - now featuring more US artists.You can find a bunch of information on them on the internet for sure!


At a later stage the metal band The End Off All Reason from Brussels came up, today it features bass player Svenchi, ex-Aborted. Check them out for sure!


Today the belgian hardcore scene is no longer biggest in Brussels. It became bigger in the Flanders-West and Limburg area.

The scene in Brussels is still alive, but the young dedicated guys became older and it seems that the youth of today no longer holds onto the old-school hardcore scene.


New things have come and One Ethic is a band hanging between the old scene and new. In 2010 they were able to release their first full CD on I For Us Records. Their bandcamp is worth checking.


Disobedience Distribution is one of the activities of the Disobedience Collective. They consist of a group of people who run the Disobedience webzine, release records through the hardcore label I For Us Records and book shows with their booking agency Disobedience Booking.


They have been part of the hardcore scene for many years by playing in bands, put up a distro or writing for various webzines. They support the hardcore scene and try to bring attention towards bands and subjects that deserve it!

The web-store helps bands to promote themselves and sell their music to a large amount of listeners. Not only label releases are distributed, but also auto-productions from bands that don’t have the support they need. The catalogue is constantly growing and they want to become a reliable and varied source of hardcore-related music.”