Their brand new EP is called “sushi”, their songs will brighten up this early
autumn!!!
…maybe you are into the sound of ARMOR FOR SLEEP, A LOSS FOR WORDS, SENSES FAIL, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK …or dessau’s STORYTELLER for example ;-) then better grab your copy and check them out somewhere live on stage!!!
Hello outthere!!! the summer is over and we have some new releases for you!!!
the first one is a special one ( like all other tapes too!!! he he ), it’s a re issue of 1998’s “it sucks!” demo tape from KILL AUTHORITY from bad hersfeld!!! Let’s call it a local classic in hardcore/metal!!!
I still can remember the time where bands like BIOHAZARD, MACHINE HEAD, NIRVANA, METALLICA, SEPULTURA, BAD RELIGION, M.O.D., NOFX, SICK OF IT ALL… were the soundtrack of every party around!!! That was the biggest influence for the most of us during these years.
“It sucks!” is a great reflection of that time!!! The artwork is based on the origin, the driving sound is still unique!!!
I’ve made only 10 copies, you can get some through the rude graphixx store later, or directly from michi@killauthority …maybe I get the ok for a download on bandcamp ;-)
a few of my favourite saxonian punkers recorded a handful of songs for their upcoming split vinyl!!! SCREAMING FOR JOEY & FULL HANDSOME DAY ...check them out now!!!
there is a brand new band in town! CHOOSE TO LIVE from eisenach/bad hersfeld. with members of ESA-Zecken, Blind Alley Youth, Bury My Sins, Everything's Fine... playing melodic tunes in the vein of bands like STRETCH ARM STRONG, REACH THE SKY, BLACK TRAIN JACK...
these guys are on their way to the studio to record some songs for a debut EP, so stay tuned for more.
in the meanwhile you can book them for some summerpartys, please go to: https://www.facebook.com/Choose-to-Live or write directly to toxictaperec(at)yahoo.de
thanks!
in 2005 I’ve made an interview ( see below ) with Greg Bennick, vocalist from TRIAL, to talk about their upcoming final shows in Europe …
in 2010 he recorded guest vocals for TO KILL’s record “Antarctica” …
in 2016 the SEA SHEPHERD benefit tape of “Antarctica” found it’s way to Italy,
u.k., belgium, japan, germany, austria, indonesia …
thank you all for your support!!!
So what’s up next? The world is so small… we need to take better care of it!!!
thx marco
Interview with GREG BENNICK ( TRIAL )
08/05/2005 hello everybody, we are very proud to present you this brand new interview
with GREG BENNICK, vocalist from TRIAL ...read more about him, his movie, the
reunion of trial, hardcore and more...
TSM: hi greg, nice to have you for an interview, everything fine today?
GREG: Thanks for the interview, and yes, today is going well so far. I just got
back from three weeks in Orange County CA hanging out all the time with some of
the best people in the world, so I am feeling pretty good. Everyone needs to go
to Wheel of Life, which is this vegan restaurant in Irvine CA owned by a guy
named Victor who is so filled with vegan power that he is unstoppable. This is
a man who will eventually take over the world.
TSM: It has passed years since your band broke up. What have you been up to
since then?
GREG: I have spent the last four years working on the feature film "Flight
From Death" which I co-produced and co-wrote with my friend Patrick Shen,
who is an amazing filmmaker in Los Angeles CA. That process took up almost all
of my time. I also wrote and recorded a first song with a new band called
Between Earth and Sky (betweenearthandsky.net) and we will record an EP
later in the year. I also did spoken word on records with the bands Parallax (goldenspikemusic.com) and Bridge to Solace (bridgetosolace.com).
TSM: You made a movie!? Great!!! please tell us something about ‘flight from
death’, what it is about? And what does the movie mean to you?
GREG: Thanks for asking about the film. The movie is called "Flight From
Death: The Quest For Immortality". It explores why humans behave violently
towards one another and looks at the role that our fear of death plays in the
way we act. The film is extremely important to me. I fear death, just like all
humans, whether we realize it or not. Death is an influence on both our
conscious and subconscious mind, and it those subconscious influences that the
film explores. Basically, cultural developments are reactions to death anxiety,
and conflicts between them are on the front pages of every paper in the world
everyday. Watching and thinking about and discussing this film could actually
help alleviate human violence by shedding light on the motivations for those
behaviors and brainstorming ways to diminish them. The film is feature length
and is narrated by Gabriel Byrne (From "The Usual Suspects" and
"Assault on Precinct 13"). The DVD has a ton of extras like a behind
the scenes mini-documentary, photos from the filmmaking process, an audio
commentary track, and we are totally excited for it to be finally out.
TSM: is there a chance to see your movies here in europe?
GREG: The DVD will be available in August (2005) and will be region 0, which
means that it will play on all DVD players worldwide. People can buy it through
our website at www.flightfromdeath.com. In terms of theatrical screenings, we
screened two years ago in Dubrovnik Croatia at the Dubrovnik International Film
Festival, but other than that screening we have no theater screenings planned
at this time. We are always open to suggestions, so if people have ideas for
venues, please be in touch anytime through docs@transcendtv.com.
TSM: Some time ago I read an interview with Champion’s Chris (guitar) and he
was recalling one of your heartfelt and ass-kicking shows? Have you ever
thought to release a live DVD so that kids could have a taste of what Seattle’s
HC was like back in 90’s?
GREG: Yes. The October 9th show will be filmed and made into a DVD. We are
working out those details now.
TSM: looking at the scene now and than, what do you think, what are the biggest
changes and differences?
GREG: Of course, there is more money in hardcore these days in terms of how the
bands are promoted, and there are more kids involved across the board, but in
terms of what is different that matters most to me? The main thing I see is
that there are less bands with interesting lyrics than there were in the
mid-90's. Singing about topics that have been rehashed a thousand times over
doesn't push hardcore forward like it could if the lyrics and ideas were more
imaginitive, eloquent, powerful and insightful. I always liked bands that
pushed the envelope, or just tore it open completely...bands like Catharsis,
Endeavor, etc. These days, bands like Die Young, Wait in Vain, Parallax, and
some others are bringing back that idea of issues and ideas in music, and I
hope it catches on, because the world needs a break from the same topics and
ways of communicating them that have been used since the 1980's. Integrating issues
and ideas is challenging, which is why people avoid it. The challenge gets the
best of them, but it shouldn't.
TSM: Aside from the rumours, what’s the real reason you guys to decide to come
back together?
GREG: I am not sure what the rumours are, though I can imagine. I am sure I
will hear them eventually. The real reason we got back together for these shows
is because we wanted to. We never got to play a real last show or series of
final shows and we wanted to do it for all the people who supported us years
ago and for those who write us every day still today. Timm and I played a Trial
song with this band onstage a couple months ago and had a really fun time doing
it so we thought we would talk more about the reunion idea. We are doing three
shows as of now: Seattle, London, Budapest. I can't wait!!!
TSM: Are there any changes in the line-up? How does the current ‘final’ TRIAL
line-up look like?
GREG: The final line-up will be Timm on guitar, me on vocals, Brian on bass, EJ
(who was going to play on our last tours) on second guitar, and either Nick
Platter or Jesus L. Pecador on drums. We are finalizing that this coming week
or next.
TSM: How do you respond to the people who are against old bands reunions? And
what do you think about reunions in general?
GREG: How do I respond to people who are against old band reunions? I say
"There are a million things in this world more important than reunions for
you to be vocal and outspoken about." I think that when bands get together
strictly for the love of money, that it is a bit sketchy, but even then, who am
I to be the police of reunions? Maybe they are completely broke and need the
money and kids are willing to pay it? I know why we are getting back together,
and that is all that matters to me. Our shows will be about the ideas, the
music, the message, and our deep love for and friendship with the people who
come to see us. As for people who are against reunions, people will always
create rumors, and talk trash without asking questions for themselves. Creating
rumors and speaking badly of others is the way that unimportant, uncreative,
and insecure people get to feel significant for a few minutes. As for reunions
in general, I have never really thought about it. I like them just fine.
TSM: Could you please give a us few details about the early days of Trial:
where was your first practice space? Who was in the band? Where did you play
your first gig? …the first steps of a musician/band are some of the funniest…
GREG: When we started, we practiced late at night... after midnight usually, in
this practice place near Seattle. We got it from midnight until 2 am usually
because it was cheaper then. We had Derek (now in Himsa) on bass, me, Timm,
and this guy Troy on guitar, with a guy named Chad on drums. Our first show
ever was in Bremerton Washington and we gave our friends copies of our lyrics
before the show so that they would sing along. The photos on our original demo
of kids signing along are from that very first show. The very very first two
songs we ever played were the worst things ever. I have them on tape somewhere
and if you give me a million dollars sometime, I might just let you hear part
of them. haha....
TSM: In your eyes, how the HC scene has changed over the years? What about the
scene in Seattle?
GREG: I always think back to the original cover of Youth of Today's "Break
Down the Walls". There so many different types of kids on the cover of
that record and I really wish hardcore and punk still had that diversity that
we saw in the mid 80's. Everyone segregating themselves into sub-scenes isn't
my favorite aspect of hardcore these days. I love the scene in Seattle. There
are less fights than most places, and less attitude, and nicer kids and the
shows I go to always feel great with good energy.
TSM: you played in europe before and now you will play one of your final shows
in budapest? How is to play in europe? …do you play together with BRIDGE TO
SOLACE (great band!)
GREG: We loved playing in Europe and we love Bridge to Solace. I mentioned
earlier that I did spoken word on their "Of Bitterness and Hope"
record, and people should check that out and especially their newer record
"Kingdom of the Dead". That is a great record too. We actually have
three shows now, with one in London just added. The Budapest will be the last
of them though. We loved playing there last time, and when Zoli and his friends
offered to fly us there, we were very excited to get one last chance to play
there. I always loved eastern Europe. Playing in Poland was amazing too, and
the Czech Republic as well. I hope we see kids from all over Europe at our
shows.
TSM: The lyrics in “Are these our lives”, especially “War by other means” and
“In the balance” are still really fresh and totally poignant. It’s like they
could have been written today. The lyrics seem to fit together with what’s
going on in the world right now. Nothing’s changed since then?
GREG: Quite a bit has changed in the world since those words were written, but
the core issues remain the same. In "War By Other Means" we looked at
the suppression of dissent. In "In The Balance" we looked at the
value of human lives as they relate to society and the social and cultural
structures that are in place that tend to diminish quality of life. Thanks for
the compliments on the lyrics... I am glad that they stood the test of time.
That was really my goal! The album was written before 9/11 of course, so the
fact that the words still apply is a good sign! Suppression of dissent is a big
issue here in America. People should check out wordsasweapons.com and click
on the feature story of the SHAC 7 to learn more about this issue.
TSM: You recorded guest vocals or spoken word over an instrumental Parallax (Utah) song. How did that collaboration come about?
GREG: The band contacted me last year and asked if I would be interested. I
asked them for some thoughts about what the record would be about, what the
lyrics would be like and so on and I liked what I heard. They flew me to Salk
Lake City this past spring and I recorded the tracks with Andy Patterson who is
just great as a studio engineer. Bands really need to keep him in mind. He did
a great job on the track. I have yet to hear the rest of the record but I am
sure it will be excellent. The song is called "Surgery Without
Sutures" and it is about finding meaning and passion in life in the face
of our eventual death and the fear that surrounds all of that. It is the title
track on their record I believe. I loved doing that track and look forward to
more opportunities like that in the future. Parallax can be found online at goldenspikemusic.com
TSM: Talking about your upcoming shows, how are you gonna compose your
set-list? Are you gonna play any new songs?
GREG: We will play lots of songs at the reunion shows ...almost all the songs
we know or ever wrote. No new songs, but the set will be fun regardless I am
sure, and filled with emotion ...of that I have no doubt.
TSM: are you a ’real’ juggler?
GREG: Yes, I am a real juggler. Haha... it does sound bizarre I know. Almost as
bizarre as it must sound for my juggling friends to find out that I am a punk
rocker! I have been juggling since the age of 13 all over the world. I love it,
and have met some amazing people through juggling.
TSM: please give us some names of your all time favourit bands.
GREG: Earth Crisis, Alkaline Trio, Rush, By a Thread, Catharsis, Code of Honor,
The Proletariat, Dio, Cro-Mags, Into Another, early Marillion (first four
albums), Youth of Today, Tool. That is a good start…
TSM: ok, that’s all for now, we wish you some great ‘last’ shows with lots of
energy and sing-a-longs, and successful movies, any last words to our readers,
friends… bye marco & marco
GREG: Thanks for the interview! People can be in touch with me anytime if they
have questions about anything I talked about here. greg@wordsasweapons.com is a
good address to use. Take care!!!
When I think to the term “hardcore-metal” the types of bands that come to mind are 90’s bands like Earth Crisis, VOD, Shai Hulud, Hatebreed, Integriy, Converge…the type of music that most certainly had that hardcore underpinning yet the guitars all had a metal tinge and the vocalists were more of that high-pitch throat shattering screams. Later on when the Swedish melodic metal twist got added and completely took over, “hardcore metal” got steered into a whole different direction. The reason I bring this up is because a “hardcore-metal” band Hands Upon Salvation from Indonesia have released a new music video and upon first listen, the music takes me back to that 90’s hardcore-metal sound. Hands Upon Salvation have been around since 2001 which explains the sound that they’ve been creating for 15 years now.
Check out the music video below and stay on top of their happenings here:
some weeks ago i met my old friend josh ( FACE THE FACT & TO KILL ) during the last BANE show in leipzig, we haven't seen us for very a long time and we had a nice chat about life, music & work. for some years now he is out on sea and a part of the SEA SHEPHERD troops. so talking about his work was much more excited than talking about mine ;-)
on my way back home i had the idea about this TO KILL "bootleg", and within some hours of printing, cutting and swinging around with spray cans i finally finished these 50 limited tapes of TO KILL's last album ANTARCTICA. all tapes are 2nd Hand, with intent I took already used tapes and cases, cleared them and cleaned them up. the result is a unique record painted in SEA SHEPHERD camo style. all for a good and very important reason!!! all proceeds of this record will donated!!!
just a few years ago TO KILL from rome was one of the most active european straight edge bands. they have played in the whole world and built up a huge fan base! their farewell record ANTARCTICA lost nothing of its energy and passion during the last years. this tape version is dedicated to the passion of this record and the dedication of it's members, from the first line-up till the last.
as i said before, all profits of these tapes will be donated to SEA SHEPHERD. personally i have to say that this kind of work was a huge joy for me, i had really lots of fun painting every single tape, and I am still touched by ANTARCTICA like on the first listening back in 2010.
big thanks to Josh & TO KILL, Anne at SEA SHEPHERD GERMANY and Chris at LET IT BURN RECORDS for giving their OK.
if you like to support SEA SHEPHERD by buying this tape for 5euro + postage, please visit:
i ship everywhere as long as you pay the freight. there are only 40 tapes in stock so better hurry up!
10 tapes were given directly to josh & the band.
since the first copies of "no more kisses" are sold out within a short time. VLADA INA asked for some more tapes. so i've made a SPECIAL EDITION limited to 40 tapes. you will get 30 tapes at their shows, and 10 tapes will be available in our webstore soon.
the tape includes the original cover artwork incl. all lyrics + a special "devil's eyes" cover!
thank you for supporting this great young band, awesome nice dudes ...check them out at one of their upcoming shows!!!
check out VLADA INA’s brand new debut EP calles NO MORE KISSES!!! 5 positive, tight and fat hardcore tracks in the vein of bands like ALPHA & OMEGA, TERROR or BACKTRACK… https://www.facebook.com/vladaina
next saturday we are all on the road towards erfurt to celebrate PEACE OF MIND's release show. their first self titled 7inch EP will be out on vinyl by the almighty POWERTRIP RECORDS, and on tape by ...guess who? TOXIC TAPE RECORDS!!!
you can get your copy only at their release show! there will be no pre-order! there will be 3 different versions and only 30 tapes, all limited and hand numbered incl. lyrics and stuff ...so better be quick or be dead...
SCREAMING FOR JOEY die Jungs bringen zusammen mit MY DEFENSE das "Melodic Hardcore Faß" zum bersten!!! Die Neuformierung rund um ANCHORS AWEIGH Leuten aus Chemnitz besticht aus geilen Melos und flotten HC Jump&Run Parts!!! https://www.facebook.com/screamingjoey DEEPTOWN Guter alter Crossover im Sinne von RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE und DEFTONES ...Vier Lokals aus Bad Salzungen!!! https://www.facebook.com/Deeptown417/