Wasted Time-Self Titled
By admin on Mar. 2, 2006.
Wasted Time
Self Titled 7”
Grave Mistake Records
Wasted Time are an early candidate for the year end top 10. This EP rages pretty hard in the vein of current bands like Knife Fight and older bands like Fit For Abuse, Shark Attack, and Last Rites. Heavy, slightly melodic hardcore. I would highly recommend this one.
Fit For Abuse
By admin on Nov. 2, 2005.
This interview was originally in Parade Brigade #3. Thanks to Scooter Kane for originally hooking me up with Matt Kelly to do this.
What is going on with Fit For Abuse? I heard you are doing a record with My War Records?
We’re starting the recording process on Wednesday March 7th, which will be released on My War Records, yeah. It’ll be a 12” 45 rpm type thing with about fourteen songs (none of which were on the 7”). We’ll probably end up finishing up in late April or early May when Pat and I get back from tour.
Could you give our readers a history of the band? I think, sadly, a lot of them probably have not heard Fit For Abuse before.
Well, before I moved to Germany in late 1994, the original guitarist (Led) and I were talking about forming a real hardcore band (as opposed to all the fucking garbage that was passing for hardcore at the time). We wanted to play the music we loved; inspired by the likes of: Negative Approach/FX, FU’s, Minor Threat, S.O.A., The Abused, Urban Waste, Jerry’s Kids, Slapshot, etc. So I decided not to live in Germany and moved back in February 1995… we quickly got started, but had a hard time finding a drummer… so it was Led on guitar, Muzzi on bass, me (Matt) on vocals, and Kevin (Dive, Get High) and myself filling in on drums now and then. We then got Mark from this grind band Entropy on drums, but he was too fast (blastbeats and shit)… Led ended up moving to Philadelphia for some shit, and Muzzi switched to guitar, and enter a one Pat “fuckin” Gerry on bass… some months later, Joe “the mad Russian” Shumsky comes in on drums… this was about January 1996… we were one of the only bands doing the fast hardcore stuff in MA besides Out Cold and Insult at the time. We recorded a 7” that fall which came out on Crust Records (kind of a misleading label!) the next spring (97). I then left the band for about a year and “Psycho Ray” joined the band on vocals… basically it didn’t work out… for awhile that is… later on, when I had more time we decided to start up again… Muzzi, Pat, Joe, and I all hung out anyway… we just had to do the band sort of part time from now on.
You are also in The Dropkick Murphy’s right now. How does that affect Fit For Abuse? Does Fit For Abuse get any sort of extra recognition because of them?
Yeah for awhile I only had time for DKM’s... for the Fit For Abuse guys were really cool with it (true friends I guess), and they were happy for me. As a matter of fact, Pat is the guitar tech guy for The Murphy’s; so Fit For Abuse only plays when the DKM’s aren’t on tour (for obvious reasons). I don’t know if the DKM thing lends recognition to Fit For Abuse… I think it’d probably work against it… In Boston it’s like “I love Fit For Abuse but I can’t stand DKM… why don’t you quit?” That sort of sucks, as I enjoy The Murphys quite a bit, and like the music. So I don’t know if I know the answer to that one, chief. I’m sure to some degree it’s like “oh yeah, the singer of that band is in Murph and The Murph-Tones. Let’s check it out.” But for the most part, in Boston, it’s mostly kids who have been seeing us for five years or straight up hardcore kids who’d go see a bill like Fit For Abuse, Shark Attack, Close Call, and Cops & Robbers anyway. Two pretty different ends of the punk spectrum to say the least.
What is Leech In My Side about?
Well, we’re from an area where heroin has been the prevalent drug of choice for about 9-10 years now. Leech is about how sometimes decent people turn into mooching pieces of shit who’ll do anything for $20 (the cost of a bag of dope)… we’ve known a lot of kids who have OD’d, died, or just turned into scum… for the most part, when somebody gets hooked on that garbage (in my experience) they’re not worth shit. Their need for human interaction and friendship is superseded by the need to get high… fuck them.
One Get High question… I have heard rumors of TWO albums worth of Get High stuff that never got released… is this true?
I don’t know; I only played drums on the demo.
What is the pressing info for the 7”? I don’t think I have ever seen anything but black…
I think there were 1,000 on black, then 2,000 on black with a glossy cover. I think there were only 3,000 pressed, but I could be wrong.
What is going to be discussed lyrically on the new record?
Mindless violence, serial killers, being so obsessed with something that you can’t function without it (be it drugs or an ideology), exploring dumb shit and “becoming” punk/alternative/skinhead in college and when school’s over, your “lifestyle” becomes old hat; hatred for those who cross you; people who complain about being picked on when they should expect it; political correctness; having a negative mental attitude; an ode to the punks and skins in our area from before Lollapolloza made punk a commodity; being torn between pummeling somebody and talking it out with them; wondering what we’re shouting and fighting over; kids who squat who could be warm in their parent’s houses; blind consumerism. Just to get it out there, about 2/5 of the songs on this album as are old as the 7” songs… we’ve just never put them on anything… Mindless Violence, Thought Patrol, Kill, Obsession, and maybe one or two more have been in our live set for about 4-5 years.
Do you think the world is doomed and why?
Nah… it’d be nice to think, but I think people will just be put down more and more until they as a mass snap… that’s how it’s always been since the dawning of history… the world will cleanse itself somehow… there are theories of Astral Celestion and a wobble on the earth’s axis which will eventually lead to a changing of the poles… causing flooding and magnetic upheaval… civilization will end and man can start fresh again. A nice thought isn’t it?
What is the Fit For Abuse discography?
There’s the 7” on Crust Records and the song Four More Years (with Psycho Ray on vocals) on the Suburban Voice compilation with The Trouble and Pinkerton Thugs… as far as anything else, there’s that god awful demo from late 1995… bad shit.
How does it feel to have kids not only say the 7” is the best record of the 90′s but possibly one of the best records ever?
What!? Who says that? That’s incredibly flattering, but there are about one million better seven inches and lp’s out there from the last decade, never mind all of hardcore! Try The Fu’s, Forced Reality, Negative FX, Negative Approach, Straw Dogs (US & UK), Cro-Mags, Killing Time, Jerry’s Kids, etc… that shit blows us out of the fucking water!
Anything else to say?
Yeah: Fuck Real TV, fuck wrestling, fuck the XFL, and go read a fucking book… don’t just listen to hardcore… check out the shit that got it all started: New York Dolls, Ramones, The Saints, Dead Boys, Damned, Pistols, Radio Birdman, etc. Oh yeah, thanks for the interview and my apologies for my long windedness! Cheers!
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Shark Attack
By admin on Nov. 1, 2005.
Originally in Parade Brigade #3. Interview done with Matt Smith by me (although John supplied all of the questions as far as I remember)
When the band started did you ever think of putting something out on Contention Records?
Contention Records went under like four years ago. I was always kind of bad with the mail order, so the idea of putting it out under that name never really came up. Matt Summers always did a better job with his label, plus he had money to put it out right away, so we decided to put it out on My War Records. Originally this was just a project band for me and Summers. I was still in Rain On The Parade but I wanted to do something a bit simpler, rawer, and harder like Negative Approach, Antidote, Last Rights. We wrote songs and decided to record them as a super limited 7â€. We figured 200 records would be plenty! Ha! We got Fat Rich in the band, and eventually Zach from Intention, and we started practicing a bunch. When Rain On The Parade decided to call it quits after five years, Matt and I decided to take Shark Attack a little more seriously. We never saw things taking off as quickly as things did.
Others may have asked you this, but you have chosen to cover an Antidote song that may cause some controversy. Does stuff like that matter to you?
Honestly, we don’t really care what people think about that. We wanted to cover an Antidote song. Being that we have a drummer whose not even a US citizen (Rich is from Ireland and living here on a green card) we thought it’d be funny to play that song and send it out to him and English Robbie (another immigrant who often roadies for us). We don’t really hate immigrants or anything. Plus the mosh on that song, intense!
Who doesn’t have a copy of Sex Drive in your band?
Me and Zach don’t have that record. I have the Sex Drive bootleg, but not the original one. Rich and Summers both have that record. Oh well, Summers still doesn’t have a Fix Jan’s Room 7â€. I have it and that’s a much better record musically anyway.
Why do you think hardcore kids are so bad with mail order? I seem to hear at least once a week about some sort of mail order nightmare.
I think most hardcore kids are just disorganized or something. When you’re running a label out of your house, I’d guess it’s not a full time thing, so when mail starts to pour in, it takes a little while to get it all done.
How does it feel for Shark Attack to become a “hype†band and take off so quickly as it has?
Well, I was really shocked at how many people were into us. I really didn’t think it’d go over this well. I’m psyched that kids are into it. As far as “hype†goes, that can really work against a band. The more people that like a band in a short amount of time, the more there will be resentment towards that band from other people. I hope we don’t fall into that trap, but I’m sure we will to some degree.
What do you think of the whole thrash/82′ hardcore revival? Do you guys think you belong to that whole movement?
While we do have a total early eighties influence (from the bands we listen to) I don’t really think we come off sounding like an early eighties band. That was originally what we were going for, but I think now we just sound like a straightforward hardcore band. I think there are a lot of good bands playing that early eighties style right now. The Gatecrashers, Fit For Abuse, Cops & Robbers, Last In Line, Insurance Risk, and Out Cold all play really good early eighties sounding hardcore. As far as “thrash†goes, I like some of the bands that I have heard. I think it’s a little weird though. All these bands are popping up and claiming to be thrash just because they wear hats with the visors pushed up, and bandannas. But when it comes down to it, they’re really playing grindcore. I haven’t really heard any bands that sound like old Suicidal Tendencies or DRI. Don’t get me wrong, I like What Happens Next and Life’s Halt a lot, but I don’t know if I really call it thrash. To me, it’s all hardcore.
And the final question… Negative Approach or Antidote?
Hmm, that’s a tough one. Those are two of my favorite 7â€s. I’m going to have to go with Negative Approach but just by a hair. The Antidote 7†is right up there… at times I may even like the Antidote 7†a little better. This week I’d say Negative Approach.
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Parade Brigade #3
By admin on Aug. 30, 2005.
Parade Brigade #3 was thrown together in about 72 hours and it shows. John and I were driving to school on a Wednesday morning and I suddenly just had to have it out for a show that Friday evening. Both interviews in this issue (Fit For Abuse + Shark Attack) were done sometime that week and most of it was haphazardly laid out the night before at about
This would be the end for Parade Brigade Fanzine. A variety of personal and interpersonal problems would cause this zine to cease to exist. I remember Bob Shedd asking me at a show sometime in the summer if the next issue was ready yet and John turned to him and said something like “we still do that zine?” Doh.
John and I did most of the work this time around. Our friend Ryan did some reviews and helped me with layout and copying. At this point Justin was pretty much out of “the scene,” so he bailed on helping this time around. I wish I had gotten him more involved, now more than ever. These days having someone like Ferret to do a fanzine with would be a fucking honor.
John’s “confession” about breaking edge drew a bit of criticism and a few letters. None of them was overly negative, but it was still amusing.
We never interviewed Out Cold and Voices Forming Weapons broke up before we could get to them. I did interview The Nerve Agents but it remains unreleased to this day. John did an interview with Carry On that would also have been included.
On Parade…
Only four months between issues? Could it really happen? Yeah, welcome back to The Parade Brigade Fanzine. With the recent rise in shows and good bands popping up we will be doing this zine on a more consistent basis I think. It is very frustrating when there is no one to read your zine and even more frustrating when there are no bands you really want to be associated with. This zine has always been about supporting hardcore punk and always will be. It’s hard to put out a zine when you think most of the kids and bands around you are completely full of shit. It is even harder to put out a zine when those same kids spend an enormous amount of time dissing you and trying to pull freshman Psych 101 shit with your mind. That said, why should I let a bunch of little shit-heads ruin it for me? The ones who talk the biggest game always fall the hardest. Fuck em all man, who needs them. The big space of time between issues one and two was spent growing up a lot. I know myself I went through a lot of changes and I know the rest of The Parade Brigade staff did the same. I think we are a lot more focused and way stronger right now. Nothing has changed other than the length of each issue really. We have stripped down the bullshit and each issue will now be ten pulse-pounding pages. This format is much easier for us to navigate so you will see a lot more of us in the future. I would also like us to be more socially conscious in the future, which will become a lot more apparent starting next issue. Please consider going vegetarian if you haven’t already and please vote pro choice. Fuck the moral majority that is creeping back into hardcore.
Bill Wend
3/24/01
The Winter 00-01 Playlist
Youth of Today-All
Ignition-Complete Services
Outburst-Miles To Go
Gang Starr-Full Clip
Killing Flame-Another Breath
Cro Mags-Demo + Age of Quarrel
Faith-Side of split
Fit For Abuse-Mindless Violence
Shark Attack-Blood In The Water
Champion-Demo
Verbal Assault-Trial
No For An Answer-Hawker Show Tape
Pagan Babies-Next
SSD-Get It Away
Speak 714-Knee Deep In Guilt
Kristin Hersh-Strings
Pearl Jam-Ten
Mouthpiece-What Was Said
DYS-Brotherhood
Big thanks to Christina Garcia for the pictures! Thanks to Charlie Fogel for the cover art.
Look for Parade Brigade #4 in June with Out Cold, The Nerve Agents, and Voices Forming Weapons.
I guess for other people it’s easy to move on after they have fallen off the edge, but not for me. I think it’s because straight edge was never just a trend that I followed or a label that just stuck. As cliché and corny as it may sound, straight edge was for me a way of life. It was something that I could always count on so that adjustment is pretty hard. Then there is always the matter of how will people treat you now that you’re not straight edge anymore, especially the people you know who are still straight edge. Will they treat you the same or will they think you’re a hypocrite? Will they treat you like a pariah now or accept you for who you are? It’s definitely weird telling people that you’re no longer straight edge. You try to gauge their reactions, but the way some people respond is very surprising. I expected to lose respect from a lot of my friends or at least get the cold shoulder from some people. Most of my friends have been pretty understanding and I’m thankful for that.
I have dealt with the social ramifications of not being straight edge anymore, but there are other issues that remain. Most important among those issues is how does one approach the philosophical dilemma left in the wake. After spending almost six years of my life abstaining from those chemicals and speaking out against them, one feels like a goddamn hypocrite. Still, you can’t live your life feeling guilty or even regretful. So what happens next? Well, I’ve decided to give up on metaphysics. I thought straight edge was the one rock solid foundation in my life, and if you can’t depend on the one thing that you counted on the most then you’re in deep shit. But even more, you realize that as life goes on and gets more complicated, there’s no such thing as a firm foothold in this world… not even straight edge. The only thing you can really depend on is yourself and your ability to choose. Straight edge is probably the healthiest way to live your life, but it’s just an idea. It’s a good start, but it cannot function as a moral code. So to place straight edge above everything else is ridiculous. I’ll remain true till death, but only if that means staying true to myself and not some ideology.
John Piorkowski
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