Endless Disappointment 8 - The Neverending Push

Endless Disappointment Issue 8 The neverending push July 2020

Featuring: Faim Casket Feeder Esoteric Youth victory Records (the bits that weren’t shit) Tombstone Promotions // Puzzles

Howdy All,

Well, this took way longer than anticipated to put out there.

You see, after the last few issues I actually planned WAY ahead to make sure I could put out semi-regular issues whilst still allowing time for bands to be busy with other stuff.

So the two main features for this issue never get back to me; one actually rewrote the interview based on what he wanted to cover, sends it back to me, then didn't respond when I told him it was a shit idea (and also, my zine).

In general putting together the content for this issue has been an utter ballache; in the time it has taken to get this issue out I've actually been able to effectively complete the two follow-up issues AND start on another one.

Current state of the world: It's still poop. This zine is not overtly political in itself, but always likes giving a voice to people who are working to make the world a better place one decent-act at a time and hopefully that shows through in the first interview.

Shout out as well to WhatIsItNow zine, who put out their first issue a few weeks back and did a lovely job providing a voicing the stories of womxn in music. It was a dead-nice read, aside from the fact misogyny in music still exists (that's just poop).

Anyway, hope this issue doesn't disappoint. It's no Astral Noize, but I do my best.

Dog tales So this Absolute Hunk is called Negro Matapacos, which loosely translates to "Black Cop-Killer", pretty certain he didn't kill anyone, but maybe it's like when people name their Yorkshire Terriers "Big Boss" or "The Enforcer" or whatever.

He is a Dog that rose to fame during the 2010's in Chile, when students were protesting and were met with a fair bit of force.

Although considered a stray, he was under the care of Maria Campos, who adopted him in 2009 so as to ensure he was looked after; that being said Matapacos used to roam freely around Santiago, eagerly waiting at to be let out after receiving a blessing from his caregiver.

In 2011, Students formed protests over education reform, where students demanded an end to privatised interests in higher-education and greater state involvement. Matopacos used to follow students during their marches, finding his way to marches across Santiago, gaining fame through his commitment by sticking around, even the Police started using Water Cannons and Tear-Gas (and to think, my Dog gets shitty whenever I bring a Tape-measure out).

He died in 2017, surrounded by care-givers. I can't verify the sources, but some say that he is survived by 32 puppies, by 6 different dogs.

In tribute to Matapacos, Red Handkerchiefs have been tied around the Hachiko Statue outside Shibuya Station in Tokyo, as well as on the Balto statue in Central Park.

With members forming from different scenes across the USA and a wealth of experience to boot, Faim's furious hardcore is befitting of an era which lives under the shadow of a Trump administration and entrenched inequality. It's easy to talk the talk, but Faim walk the walk, practicing what they preach by fundraising, volunteering and dedicating themselves to public services.

Of course I wanted to have a chat with them, so I did.

So we find ourselves in interesting times, how are you all holding up?

We all are holding up the best that we can, but our level of stress is temporary compared to those who have been oppressed by the systems of white supremacy in our country. We cannot spend the time feeling sorry for ourselves and the situations we are in, because we need to expend that energy in ways that work to create systematic change.

The band has a wealth of experience from your collective years being involved in various Hardcore scenes; upon forming the band, was there anything in particular you wished to accomplish or achieve with the band?

Chris: The band started as really just a personal project for our own catharsis. We never expected to play more than a few shows or put anything out aside from a demo, much less do what we've been able to do and have the support we have. So I think our view of what we wanted to accomplish with this band has shifted as we've progressed. We want to inspire people to think critically and to realize there is more to life than hardcore and encourage people to look outside that bubble and put the ideas presented by hardcore into meaningful practice.

In previous interviews you've spoken out about misogyny and the dominant presence of whitemales within the hardcore scene, something which reflects in the wider music scene and is still an area of contention in culture. Have you noticed any progress on this front during your time as a band?

Kat: I do actually think I have seen a lot of progress in this with regards to the hardcore scene. There have still been issues that have been swept under the rug and guys who haven't owned up to their part on these issues, but for the most part, I think the scene has become a lot more welcoming. There are more non-cis men and POC. It's common to have bills that aren't all men, but I still see too much that are all men. I point that out to friends who make posts about shows and fests because if I don't, is someone else going to say something? So yes. There is progress. However, there is still so much more work to do.

You've spoken fondly in interviews previously of the Denver scene. What do you think makes the scene so special and how would Denver weigh up when compared to other scenes you have been involved with across the USA? Chris: Denver sort of reminds me of a small town scene - meaning that it's often skipped over because of its location. To that end, people work really hard to make something work and there is an extra level of appreciation when bands come through. It's not taken for granted like some larger cities. Even when bands don't come through, we have a wide variety of different scenes constantly doing their own thing to.

Matt: Denver has had an amazing DIY space called 7th Circle and a number of other venues across the city that are supportive of throwing hardcore/punk shows and fostering a community. 7th Circle for example has actual volunteers who sign up to run sound (and learn how to do it), sweep the floor and run the door - along with a host of other unseen but equally important tasks. The fact that these spaces can survive here year after year is no small feat and I think is a big part of what makes Denver special.

The lack of diversity on lineups has become a focus in recent years, particularly on the festival circuit where diversity (or lack thereof) has been highlighted. The immediate reaction was for promoters to pledge to have more diverse lineups; do you think that necessarily is sufficient to combat the issue, given that white-males still hold important positions in the scene (i.e. bookers, Management etc.).

Chris: No, pledging to have more diverse lineups isn't sufficient (it's a start). It's giving up those positions of power and making space for those who don't share the same privilege that you might have. This extends beyond promoters to popular/prominent bands (If you're in a larger band - are you advocating for more diverse bands?). In doing that, you have to be really honest with yourself that you are intentional and sincere, and not just tokenizing someone to achieve political points.

I'd also take this opportunity to plug Break Free Fest - which is a Philadelphia hardcore fest that promotes people of color and their art. They fundraise all the time. Consider donating money if you can. (https://www.facebook.com/breakfreefest/)

Predatory behaviour is also an issue within the hardcore scene, some of the incidents being exposed years after their occurrence. In recent years the rate at which people are speaking out on their abusers is increasing but it's hard to tell as the incidents we know of are just the tip of the iceberg. To what extent do you think it is an issue within the scene these days and what do you credit to people finding the confidence to call out their abusers?

Chris: It is still a prevalent issue - there are predatory men who fly under the radar and groups of people ready to dismiss survivors for having the courage to tell their story.

I think survivors are being more vocal about their experiences because there has also been an increased dialogue about supporting and believing them. While there has been tremendous progress in that regard, we still fall short of the ideal.

Kat: I can think of several dudes in hardcore who have just had their predatory behavior swept under the rug because of who they are, where they are from, who their friends are, etc. Part of this feels generational in the scene (or the tenure that people have in the scene). I want to believe that things are going to continue in a productive direction as the older continue to take a backseat to the younger generation of kids who are actually making a difference.

The lyrics in "It Follows" appear to directly target abusive/predatory behaviour. Would it be right to make that assumption?

Kat: Yes. That song is about one person in particular who has just gotten away with predatory behavior by running away from it. This is also super common. Or they go into hiding rather than own up to actions and look at ways to repair the harm.

Having paid close attention to your lyrics, "Wolf","Midlife Crisis" and "Trust" are incredibly direct and emotionally charged songs that read with a great degree of personal experience behind them. Whilst it's not uncommon for artists to find catharsis in their writing, do you ever feel yourself exposed or vulnerable by putting such intense feelings out into the open?

Kat: I do feel exposed for sure. These are songs about real people in my life and real experiences I have had. I don't have the ability to write lyrics in a general/abstract way like a lot of people can. I have learned, though, that being vulnerable is healthy. I have made a lot of connections with kids at shows when I talk about the meanings behind certain songs. A lot of the new album has to do with mental health and loss. I think people can relate to that. I think people want to listen to songs that they connect to. I know that sad songs tend to be my favorite songs because it feels so authentic, rather than a song with a PMA message.

The Band formed at the height of the Trump presidency, where he was at the height of his approval ratings and he held a majority in both Congress and the Senate. Whilst people in the UK saw Trump's election as a resurgence of right-wing populism we saw displayed during the referendum on exiting the EU, it's hard to comprehend the true extent of another nation's concerns. What were your feelings following the election and what was the mood running up to the election?

Chris: It was in both respects a surprise and not a surprise - we knew America was heading to the direction where that could happen. Running up to the election, many people (especially non-radical liberals) had their head in the sand about this prospect, and after the election there is still a delusion about how to combat Trump and the rise of fascism from the Democratic party and Liberals

President Trump evidently was able to strike a chord with voters across the USA (albeit not enough to secure the popular vote), what do you think people saw in him?

Chris: I still don't particularly understand - but I'd speculate the appeal of Trump was a combination of reactionary racism against the Obama years; a disillusionment of traditional politics (it's important to remember how even Republicans talked about Trump during the primaries); a specific dislike for Clinton (whose legacy certainly justifies contempt); and the failure of the left to appeal to those who were disillusioned.

Whilst it was generally accepted that Trump's policies would largely serve the wealthy and shift the balance of wealth further from middle/working-class America, the persistent attacks on Bernie Sanders during the Democratic primaries would suggest key members within the Democrat Party are not inclined to address issues of wealth inequality and healthcare (which FYI, we have for free, even if it's not always reliable). Given the two key parties in the USA are still reliant on donations from wealthy benefactors who will be unlikely to fund anything that doesn't benefit them, do you see the balance ever being restored?

Chris: People often joke that "Bernie was the compromise", but there is significant truth to it.

Many people are refusing to play into the election and are refusing to vote for Biden and are actively skeptical of the progressive concessions the Democratic party has been promising to make. People are seeking to organize outside of that political spectrum because faith in the "progressive" party is at an all time low and people rightfully don't see the balance being restored.

Kat: In talking with a lot of my friends who are upper-middle class white "liberals", there is definitely a push for the whole "vote blue no matter who", which is the constant struggle we go through here in the U.S. Neither of the parties are set up to benefit anyone but the wealthy.

There isn't much difference between the two parties either. We will continue in this cycle until there is strong movement towards supporting candidates of more parties than just two.

With Joe Biden taking the role of the Democratic Nomination, do you have any hope that Trump will be ousted?

No.

Inequality unfortunately takes many forms in the USA, and recent events in Minneapolis have brought such inequality back to the forefront of the public eye. The Black Lives Matter movement is nothing new and has maintained a presence for quite some years; what do you think was so unique about George Floyd's murder that it not only ignited the debate on both sides of the Atlantic, despite there being numerous documented instances of Police Brutality?

Kat: I think a lot of it was timing. We were in the middle of a country-wide shutdown due to COVID-19. People were stressed and angry, but also had a lot of time on their hands. They had time to see what happened to George Floyd and think about it, rather than just go about with their daily life, because their daily life wasn't the same as it used to be. I think a lot of it was momentum. The rest of the country saw how Minneapolis reacted and that caused a movement of solidarity. There are a lot of young people in this country right now who are seeing what centuries of white supremacy have done to those who have been oppressed.

What hope do you have that the offenders will see a meaningful sentence?

Chris: I want the communities to get the justice they request. That doesn't necessarily mean padding or extending the carceral state. Would it be just as meaningful, if not more, to defund the police? To take cops out of schools? To demilitarize poor communities and provide them with social support? To prevent things like this happening?

Whilst it's pleasing that recent events have been directed less from reactionary stances to campaigning for long-term change, do you have any concern that the news-cycle will move on to the next tragedy and with it the activism?

Kat: It will move on. I mean I am already seeing friends and bands moving onto their normal posts on social media. People have such a short attention span, and the problem with that is that this issue isn't going away for Black people. They have to continue fighting this fight every day of their life while all the white people go back to their selfies, breads, and vacation pics. Right now, it’s going to take a lot of checking our friends and family to remind them that we must continue to keep Black lives at the forefront of everything we are doing until we see systematic change.

Another element that has come up a lot in my discussion with people is the anxiety/burnout from constant protest and unrest. What would you recommend to people so as to ensure they don't get burnt out from it all, or succumb to the feeling of hopelessness which I think everyone has felt at least a few times in the last decade?

Chris: Self-care is important to prevent burn out because you are no good to any movement if you can't stick it out for the long run. However, we must acknowledge there is immense privilege in fully being able to "check out" in the name of self-care and we have to be cognizant when we need to take a step back to avoid burnout that we're not simply relying on self-care as an excuse. Importantly, we must support those who don't have that privilege to check out.

Don't suppose you heard about the statue of Edward Colston, a former slave-trader who is synonymous with Bristol's rise to prominence, being torn down and dropped in the river?

Chris: Love to see it. People have torn down monuments to Jefferson Davis ("president" of the Confederacy) and Christopher Columbus (including a beheading). Keep it up.

The song "All Talk" off your 7" reads as a somewhat scathing attack on the wave of protest that starts and stops at sharing a few images online and signing a petition or two; did you have any particular instances or examples in mind when you wrote that song?

Chris: That song was definitely aimed at those who really just consume radical culture but don't actually do any work or put themselves at risk. It's one thing to post ACAB or to put up a benefit shirt (which also conveniently doubles as marketing) when #BLM is trending, but what are you doing beyond that?

To that extent, the song was equally a call out of ourselves. If we're going to be a political band, we have to have some substance behind it.

On a more positive note, I#ve read that you all volunteer for causes in your spare time and would love to hear more about that.

Chris is a public defender, which means that he defends poor people accused of crimes. Beyond that, he's been involved in some of the legal organizing surrounding the protests as well as various know your rights campaign.

Matt volunteers with Casa de Paz doing biweekly visits with people detained in the GEO ICE detention center as well as assisting with food, shelter and transportation once they are released. He also volunteers at Bikes Together, a non-profit community bike shop.

Kat is a public school educator, with a focus on culturally responsive teaching and equity.

She also volunteers at a vegan animal sanctuary near her home. She also is a member of the Tacoma chapter of the Democractic Socialists of America, which is working on efforts to defund the police in Tacoma, along with various other efforts.

As a band, we've always tried to support causes we believe in. We've thrown benefit shows for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, Shadow Support Network (an org that provides financial assistance to trans/non-binary individuals); we've contributed unreleased songs to two benefit compilations in the last few months for RAICES and COVID relief; we sold all our cancelled East Coast tour shirts to benefit mutual aid funds in Denver, CO and Tacoma, Wa.

Last year you had the opportunity to tour Europe, playing at the ever diverse and welcoming Fluff-Fest. Mainland European music scenes are often admired for not only their activism, but commitment to community and welfare of those involved. What was your experience with the European crowds and how did to compare to the attitudes you see in the USA? Chris: Day and night. In America, we have to talk about politics because very few are; but in Europe, it felt like everyone was already having those conversations. The lines between punk and politics were erased, and it was inspiring to see just what could be accomplished when that happens.

Moving away from my standard interview sign-offs, what gives you hope for the future?

Chris: People are no longer willing to be satisfied by traditional power structures and meaningless reforms. We are thinking outside of the box in ways that haven't been explored in decades and pushing ideas that would have been unheard of five years ago into regular discourse (e.g. Abolishing the police).

All of Faim's releases are sold out BUT you can listen to them through Spotify and the link below https://faim.bandcamp.com/ Make sure not to confuse them with "The Faim" which is a very different entity that clogs up far more space on the search engine results IG: FAIMHC (they have a very good post about Black voices in hardcore bands) Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faimdenver/ (There's lots of links to worthy fundraisers / causes, as well as various tidbits about how you can help during these trying times).

Victory Records - it wasn’t all total shit

Depending on when you got into Hardcore you probably know Victory as one of two very different identities. If you were about for the 90's you'd know them as a reliable hardcore label from the 90's which put out amazing material from the likes of Warzone, Strife, Blood for Blood, Snapcase and Earth Crisis. They also apparently put out a really weird Victory-Records porn with loads of alternative people fucking to Earth Crisis in the background; apparently a very good job was done of erasing it from history but there are still a few people that can testify to its existence.

If however, like me, you weren't really old enough to know their early work, you probably know Victory Records for their 2000's output, which saw the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Silverstein, Hawthorne Heights and Thursday take the emo-world by storm. Unfortunately you probably know them also for being a REALLY shitty label to be on, and if you partook of older issues of this zine you probably saw the puzzle based solely around bands that openly talked shit about Victory Records' treatment of artists.

Most of the arguments surrounded money, with multiple bands criticising the label for never receiving royalties off them (and in A Day to Remember's case, even went to court over it), or forcing bands to fulfil multi-album deals that no longer benefitted the band and sought stunt the band's growth during their prime. Atreyu released a greatest hits album after 3 releases solely to get out of their deal. There were a few noteworthy instances of when artists were forced to file lawsuits against Victory too, hardly great isn't it?

Overall though, if you trawl through enough interviews and forums, the general consensus was that you were not a concern to the label unless you brought in big-money; the support would be decent at the start, but it wouldn't take long for the support to drop. You need only look through their discography to see the amount of bands that survived for only an album or two on the label between 2004 and 2009 to see this was a label that definitely churned through its fair share of artists.

That being said, there are bands that have been open on their ability to do good business with Victory Records and overall the Victory Records discography is impressive. I don't want to spend a whole article trashing Victory Records because most people know of their bullshit, I will however look at some of the better releases on Victory Records seeing as we're talking about them now.

Blood For Blood -Outlaw Anthems Once you get past the fact that your comfortable suburban life did not prepare you to relate to this record, the songs are incredibly catchy. Spoiler: They're poor and from Boston, and they are keen to make you aware of that.

With Honor - This is Our Revenge By the time this came out, Victory's roster was so bloated that you weren't going to get any real support unless you brought in large amounts of emo-dollar, which With Honor did not and therefore didn't go far on Victory Records. This album is a good time though.

Comeback Kid - Wake the Dead Loaded with bangers and pretty much the best thing Comeback Kid ever did. It didn't get better than this in Summer 2006 and is one of my favourite hardcore records of all time.

Between the Buried and Me - Alaska Honestly, I never got the appeal. That being said, the world is not just about what I like and everyone I know who is stupidly into BetweenTheBuriedandMe is stupidly into this album, thus its inclusion.

Atreyu - A Death Grip on Yesterday The Curse was immature and cringey, and everything else after this album was forgettable. This was as good as it got for Atreyu, pretty certain they released a "Greatest Hit" album after this to get out of their Victory Records Contract too.

Earth Crisis - Destroy the Machines So Destroy the Machines was one of Earth Crisis' best albums, and Earth Crisis were one of the best bands to be on Victory. I don't think I need to say more, I could, but I'm not going to.

Strife - In This Defiance Did you know that Strife supported Sepultura in 1996 during Max Cavalera's final dates with the band? I didn't, but I was also 8 at the time. Anyway, by far the best Strife album and features guest appearances from Max Cavalera, Chino Moreno from Deftones AND Dino Cazares of Fear Factory. You can also tell that Hatebreed drew heavy influence from this album too... just sayin' Snapcase - Progression Through Unlearning My Brother in Law recommended them to me, but they were done by the time I got into Hardcore. Looking back though, this album is incredibly unique within the Hardcore genre and people are probably right when they suggest that Snapcase were a critically underrated band at the time.

Esoteric Youth At the time Esoteric Youth were active, you had a lot of cool bands doing the rounds that embraced the darker side of hardcore and provided a safe-haven from people sick and tired of years of beatdowns and crowds with unresolved anger-issues.

Unfortunately hardcore bands burn out quickly and a lot of the bands from the early 2010's that I enjoyed such as Let it Die, Black Veins and Knife Crimes are no longer with us. I was pretty certain Esoteric Youth went the same way, until new material popped up out of nowhere and my attention was caught.

Keen to dig deeper, at the beginning of quarantine I reached out to Dom to see what was up. Keep in mind this interview was carried out at the start of lockdown when we had no clue when stuff would relax again.

Soft question to start: Are you staying safe?

Trying to! I was on tour with Ithaca when everything started kicking off, and the tour got cut short because of coronavirus so it felt really strange coming back to the UK in the midst of it all.

Over the years I've come to terms with there being great hardcore bands, theyhave their time and when they disband you won't see them again. It's been 6years since Esoteric Youth were last active, how does it feel to be back?

It's a strange feeling. We weren't the biggest band before we split up, so it's not like there have been people clamouring for us to come back. It's just nice to play gross music with my pals again.

What inspired you to revive Esoteric Youth as a project?

Joe had a cancellation at the studio, and I was going to go in and record some solo stuff to fill the time. A couple of days before we were due in I wrote a song that sounded like EY, posted in the dormant group chat, and we decided to head down and record it.

Has your approach to the band changed at all?

We're all way busier than we were, Nick works full time, Joe has the studio and they both play in Pijn so that takes up a good deal of time. I run a restaurant (V Rev Vegan Diner) which keeps me tied up. I doubt we'll be out trying to tour like we used to, but I still want to be writing music and doingthe occasional show / weekender when we have time.

Your latest release Degradation sounds like a true return to form; what is thesignificance of the song title 20:58?

I read a study years ago that said The Arctic could be ice free by 2058, which really stuck with me.

The lyrics for 20:58 cut deep and seem to tie into the idea of us being the authors of our own demise, the idea that our way of living was never necessarily sustainable and now we're learning that the hard way. It wouldn't be unreasonable to think the lyrics tie in quite nicely to not only the struggles we face with Covid-19 currently, but the 2008 Financial crash and the carnage we were left with. Was there any particular catalyst for writing this song?

Capitalism is the most destructive force on the planet. The past couple ofyears have seen governments reneging on promises they'd made to curb climate change, all for the sake of profit. We're told that ditching plastic straws and taking shorter showers will save the world, but this is a distraction. We have to hold corporations, and the politicians bankrolled by them, accountable for their actions.

The Greater Seal paints an equally bleak vision, with the lyrics seeming to point at the idea of persecution. Same question again, as I have an idea ofwhat it might be aimed towards but may be looking too far into it.

Physical and chemical castration has been inflicted on people showing "deviant" behaviour for years, and The Greater Seal referred to a practice performed by a particularly flaggelent sect of Christianity, where the penis and testicles were severed entirely. Supposedly the genitalia was a physical manifestation of original sin, and needed to be removed. The assertion that life begins at conception is only a step away from it beginning at ejaculation. So, with religious fundamentalism on the rise in the west it wasn't too hard to imagine a scenario where this practice was adopted again. The punishment for masturbation.

You've exclusively looked to Joe Clayton at No Studio to record the entirety of the Esoteric Youth catalogue. Is this out of convenience or is there something specific that draws you to their studio?

When EY formed, Joe was just getting started recording bands and was playing in Knife Crimes.

We recorded with him because he got what we were going for, and had a mutual interest in gross music. His production has got better and better so it was cool to grow with him. He joined the band for our last tour with Centuries, and I can't imagine recording with anyone else.

This release is your first new music in 6 years; in any other scenario thiswould not be too long a time, but in terms of music a lot of bands from2010-2014 packed it in years ago and scenes can rise and fall within far shorter times, have you noticed much change since you were last active with Esoteric Youth?

I don't think there are a ton of bands doing our type of sound anymore; trends move fast in hardcore so the scene is always changing. We were always too nastyfor a lot of the hardcore shows back then, and too lefty for the black metalfans, but we had our own COF affiliated scene going.

Whilst Leeched are a prominent example of a Manchester band gaining some traction and representing the heavier and uglier side of hardcore, I can't think of many other standout acts emanating from Manchester currently. Are there any bands we should keep an eye out for?

I'd always give Pijn a shout out, as they're one of the most interesting bandsto come out of Manchester for a long time. Before lockdown I'd been working on some music with Mike from Old Skin and Tom from Leeched, so hopefully we'll be able to pick that up again

Maybe it's nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses, but I remember Esoteric Youth seemed to be part of a time in Manchester where so many good bands like Caina, Old Skin, Knife Crimes and Pine Barrens doing the rounds, with other bandslike Let it Die, Iced Out, Razoreater and Witchcult cultivating quite a special movement nationwide. Looking back do you see it as anything particularly special or is it just me envying what I didn't have, as South Wales never really seemedto pick up on stuff like that?

I think the label Church of Fuck was a big part of that; especially the early days. For whatever reason there were a bunch of darker, pissed off hardcore bands popping up around the country but COF brought us together, and gave it a home in Manchester. I did art for loads of the releases, Joe recorded a bunch of them; we'd hang at the studio and do guest vocals on each other's tracks. Everyone felt so invested in it, for the right reasons, making the art that they wanted to see.

Looking beyond music, you also dabble in design through Dia Artio, which in the past has done designs for the like of Monolithian, Church of Fuck Records and Ithaca. Your art is entirely Black and White, which is rare for designers who love the flexibility that comes with a wider spectrum of colour; what attracts you to keeping your designs monochromatic?

I like how stark monochrome art looks, but when I was first starting it was a cost issue. I had tied up all my money opening the original V Rev, so any artwork I was producing for the band had to be cheap to print. Black ink on white paper is generally the cheapest possible option, so that influenced my choices. I use colour when my clients want it, or when I'm creating for myself, but mostly people want that intense b&w art, so I've got to give it to them.

Are there any particular themes or sources you draw inspiration from with your designs?

I try and base art off of the lyrical content or feel of the release; then I do my best to avoid just chucking a million skulls on there. I love occult themes, and dark subject matters; but I also am very aware that art does not exist in a vacuum, so you wouldn't catch me using runes or facist imagery.

Now that life has slowed down a bit, how are you passing the time?

Just finished writing and album for EY, which has taken up the majority of lockdown so far.

Other than that, making art, cooking tons of ramen, speakingto friends; trying to keep the weltschmerz from setting in.

Pending some form of normality being restored sometime soon, what's your planfor the rest of the year?

Record the album with Joe, maybe play a few shows? I was supposed to be touringwith Ithaca a couple more times, so hopefully they'll get rebooked for later;to be honest I'm focussed on surviving 2020, and anything else is a bonus.

Esoterics first material in 6 years is available via the link below https://esotericyouth.bandcamp.com For more information on Dom's other ventures, follow the links below https://vrevmcr.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/diaartioarts/

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Casket Feeder The marriage between Death Metal and Hardcore is nothing new anymore; people have shaken off the abomination that was Deathcore and found the happy medium where Hardcore can take influence from Death Metal, and likewise Death Metal can draw influence from Hardcore, and depending on the mix you can achieve anything from between Nails to GateCreeper or The Secret to Judiciary.

Whilst UK has quite decent Hardcore and Death Metal scenes, you could probably could on onehand bands that can successfully crossover between the two; in fact, as of thinking about this Venom Prison and Casket Feeder are the only two that come to mind. Anyway, I had a chat with Casket Feeder to see what was up.

How are you all keeping, staying safe I hope?

We're all bored as fuck but thankfully have been able to start practicing in the last month. Socially distanced of course!

Liverpool won the Premier League so Lewis is happy.

The last few months have been an odd time for bands, with everyone's attention either being elsewhere or trying to redirect their focus towards keeping the band active in other ways. How have you all been passing the time? Has it at least been sort of productive?

We've all become alcoholics and budding interior designers! But in all seriousness half of us have been moving house over this period so that process, along with the actual move and getting everything how we want it has taken up a fair amount of lockdown time.

Musically speaking Casket Feeder seems to drink from the same well as bands like Nails, The Secret and Svart Crown, where the waters between Death Metal and Hardcore blur to varying degrees. What were your previous band ventures prior to Casket Feeder forming?

Matt & Connor played together in Seethe, Graham drummed in Crossburner and Aaron was a member of Basement Torture Killings until the end of 2018. Matt also drummed for The Atrocity Exhibit for a few years and has a two-piece Post Metal band, Seventh Hundredth Unicorn.

With the band coming from various backgrounds before forming, what albums would you consider key-influences to the band's sound?

The initial seeds for the band that became Casket Feeder were actually planted during Temples Festival 2015. In particular the Friday line up. Bands like Converge, Nails, Trap Them, Harms Way etc were the initial catalyst for us getting together and jamming. However as time has gone on, our sound has developed to include more straight Death Metal influences. Not sure we could say particular albums but back catalogues of bands like Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Dismember, Entombed and Obituary have had big influences on all of us playing wise. We had a few live reviews last year comparing us to Venom Prison which is something we don't turn our noses up at!

You had a new album set to be released on Transcending Obscurity; how much did current events truly mess up those plans?

Yeah unfortunately the release has been delayed but everything on the label has been to some extent. The lockdown in the region of India where the label is based is due to be lifted soon so operations should start going back to normal soon

Given the announcement of the release was late last year / beginning of this year, how long will you have sat on the album waiting for it to get a release?

It was recorded Easter 2019 so it'll be a while! Hoping to get it out as soon as the world let’s us. We’re in no rush as we want everything to be good and ready in regards to CD pressings etc before its put out.

With Hibernacula Records handling your earlier efforts, what lured you to working with Transcending Obscurity for the new album?

The guys at Hibernacula are friends of ours and we had more of a gentleman's agreement in regards to the release of Scalps. We always intended to look for another label for the album release

From a collector's standpoint, can we expect tasty vinyl options when it comes out?

We will have to wait to see how well the CD options sell (there will be box sets etc) but we hope we can get some vinyl options in the future

Last year Casket Feeder seemed to gather up some fairly spicy momentum; every 1 in 5 show-flyers I saw across the UK seemed to have yourselves playing in some capacity. Bands often groan and mumble about not being able to get shows, how do you bands like yourselves, Conjurer and Ohhms differ?

Funnily enough we always feel like we should be trying to get on more shows! Conjurer and Ohhms have management and booking agents but we just end up badgering people to try and play haha! We were part of Eradication Booking for a stint back in 2018 but we didn't renew our contract, we parted amicably with no drama or bad blood things just didn't work out as we'd hoped. P.S. Any Management/ Booking Agents hit us up!

Casket Feeder tends to play with a fairly broad church of bands to, having shared bills with black/death metal bands, but also grindcore, hardcore and metalcore bands. How important do you think it is that bands step outside their comfort zones to play alongside other genres? Or is it just simply a case of never turning a gig down?

Variety is the spice of life! We try to play as many shows as we can, schedules permitting.

Playing to the same crowd all the time isn't going to expand your fan base. Playing mixed bills or shows outside of your genre is also a great way of discovering bands you might not have crossed paths with otherwise.

Playing lots of shows ultimately exposes you to shit shows and potentially shit-promoters.

Aside from poor turnouts (which nobody is 100% safe from), do you have any nightmare gig / promoter experiences?

We nearly got into a fist fight with a sound guy once. Didn't know his arse from his elbow and was trying to blame us as a band for the poor front of house sound/ broken mics. He got firmly spoken too after trying to throw his weight around and being generally hostile. In all honesty we didn't even get the guy's name, it was a show for HOP Events and he was a late stand in. Credit where it's due however, the promoter Skye handled the situation and aftermath in a completely professional way and has always been a stand up guy with us.

There are a lot of promoters and people within the scene that seem somewhat notorious for how they treat others, yet seem to carry on as normal given the lack of alternative options around. With people becoming more vocal in calling out bullshit these days, do you ever see a point where shitty practices in music will get the call-outs they deserve?

We can but hope! We haven't experienced any instances of being screwed over, ripped off or generally pissed around by promoters and that's probably as much to do with experience as it is fortune, we've all been round the block a few times in terms of playing in bands and you learn from experience. Our average age is 30 as well, and you generally just put up with less bullshit as you get older!

We think bands need to realise their worth and try not be taken advantage of, and if they are then make sure the offending parties are called out for it. We appreciate this can seem difficult or even daunting for newer or younger bands, but ultimately the community is supportive and will help each other out in these instances. Never let genuine malpractice be swept under the rug by a promoter or individual's clout within the scene.

Prior to global pandemics throwing everything to the wolves somewhat, what were your experiences with extreme metal in the UK and what did you think the state of the scene was?

As a band that doesn't quite fit in the death metal mould, we would have to say some folks are quite uptight when it comes to mixing genres. Other than that it's quite a small community so when you're at larger shows you see a few familiar faces.

Do you ever see a point in the band's future where you won't play every gig you can?

Unless there are obvious red flags about the show or we're not available we will always try to play as much as we can.

Have you ever got unsettled looks from the crowd off the back of not being what they expected?

Almost every show! The name probably doesn't help and could make some people think we sound different to what we actually end up being. On the flip side of that though we have had people coming up to us after shows saying its not what they expected but really liked it.

In light of the events in Minneapolis and subsequent protest across the US and United Kingdom, a lot of people have been reacting differently.

You decided to cease social media activity for the current turn, posting the hashtag #TheShowmustbepaused. What led you to taking this course of action, as opposed to other labels and artists who sought to use their reach to fundraise for various charities and funds that needed support?

We decided not to dilute the pool of other awesome bands/ labels that have started fundraisers and released dedicated CDs/ merch for the cause. Aaron and Connor have spoken about the current situation at length on their podcast called The Brithick and we have made private donations to various charities to support the BLM movement

The opening song of your last EP "Scalps" came out 2 years ago give our take, at a time where Donald Trump was still at the height of his popularity and a lot of the shitter elements of society (notably the KKK and other far-right organisations) felt emboldened by this. Given the events with the Unite The Right rally in Charlottesville, coupled with dwindling approval ratings for Trump's presidency, do you think such overt displays of prejudice are still the same threat they were a few years ago?

Short answer yes, in our collective minds not much has changed in the 4 years since that track was initially written. We wish we could say otherwise but unfortunately more and more bigots seem to crawl out of the woodwork as time goes on

Looking more to the UK, do you think we'll ever get a point in the next few years where everything isn't an utter dumpster fire?

It's certainly possible but it won't happen without a lot of effort from well intentioned individuals. We need to actively engage in working to help our communities where possible and be prepared to engage in meaningful dialogue with those who may not always see eye to eye with to begin to effect any kind of real change and start to bridge the numerous social divides which presently exist. Most of us are guilty of being stuck in our echo chambers to some degree and succumbing to common enemy politics, especially online.

On a political level (something about not being apathetic, knowing your local MP / who represents you and bothering to vote)

Looking to the future, what are your plans when normality restores (whatever that is)?

Riffs, riffs and more riffs if we haven't pickled ourselves before then!

If all goes to plan, Casket Feeder's new album will be out later this year through Transcending Obscurity Records. For more information, feel free to have a gander at the links below. https://casketfeeder.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/casketfeeder/

Scene Watch: Stevenage Two issues ago I interviewed Fenland Hardcore Collective out in Lincoln; it was dead-nice to get an insight on parts of the UK that aren't flush with venues and resources seen in major cities and truly make the most out of everything they have. Interviewing one key collective in a scene will never give as much of an insight to an area as we'd necessarily like, but it's a start.

Anyway, to another part of the UK? Leeds? Nah. Manchester? Nah. Bristol? Definitely not.

Stevenage though? Yeah, I can get behind that.

The scene in the UK is not big enough that you don't catch wind of not only bands playing other shows in the UK, but promotions that appear a bit more prolific than others. Tombstone was one of these, so I thought I’d have a chat with Jordan to get a bit more insight into the local area, what makes them tick and so on.

The following is very much their words, not mine.

SLUDGE and DOOM has always had a strong influence in the local bands around the area and has had its dedicated following throughout, with bands such as EVEREST QUEEN, PRAETORIAN, PHLEFONYAAR and SGRUGG pushing the sound over the years. I couldn't personally rate the lads in EVEREST QUEEN any higher, watching them and their sound grow has been a pleasure from day one.

The heavy hard and horrible side is upheld by Hardcore / Powerviolence heads CHINNED who are constantly pushing their sound and getting more lethal day by day, Death Grinders SKULLFUCKED one of my bands who have been playing regularly since 2015 and DEATH GOALS who's aggressive medley of Mathcore and Hardcore always rips and provides a healthy, chaotic show each time.

There is also a variety of all kinds of more metal oriented bands who regularly play in the neighbouring towns so there is something close distance for everyone.

When it comes to venues in Stevenage it isn't too fruitful but The Red Lion in the Old Town High Street is the place to be. This great venue hosts a verity of alternative music every week and truly is the hub of the scene. I've been hosting shows there since late 2018 and alongside SLUDGE, DEATH METAL and DOOM I have been pushing genres like GRINDCORE, POWERVIOLENCE, HARDCORE and PUNK because previously in the area there just wasn't any kind of representation for these bands and honestly I couldn't be happier with how the scene has grown around it. I've pulled in some of the best extreme bands around the country over my time there and have had absolutely wicked shows so I'm excited to see how this continues to grow and what more is to come in the future. The Red Lion hosts my day festival the TOMBSTONE TAKEOVER where we have an indoor and outdoor stage bang in middle of the summer with the first edition in 2019 featuring GETS WORSE, CHINSNIFFER, JOHNxMCCLANE, GREENHORN, ARBORICIDIO and more. It is a wicked day all round, this had such a great response from the local scene and others in the community so this is going to become an annual party for us from now on!

Unfortunately due the current state of the world this years is being postponed until further notice but I'm excited to rearrange with all of the bands MY MINDS MINE (NL), HUMAN CULL, WALLOWING, MASTIFF, COPROACH, NOTHING CLEAN, FOETAL JUICE to name a few.

We all know how it goes with turnouts, some shows are busier than others of course but we have always been so lucky that from the go there has been a solid dedicated set of fans who are always there to show support and enjoy the bands, The Red Lion being on a busy high street and free entry the venue also has massive advantages.

Not in stevenage but in our neighbouring town Hitchin we have Club 85, a quality larger scale venue with a great stage, sound and team, this is the place to be for your metal fans with Basilisk Promotions, Musikal Sin and Regnum Promotions holding the fort.

The scene appears heavily reliant on The Red Lion; do you ever worry about what would happen should The Red Lion cease to exist, especially with venues across the UK feeling the pinch recently?

Very much so, this venue has been an absolute blessing to the community in Stevenage for all kinds of alternative music since long before my time and hopefully will continue to do so indefinitely! A lot of venues have been struggling recently but I've been heavily involved with the venue for some years now, previously working as part of the management team before I moved to focus on my career in Record Production and Live Events and I can tell you that the venue is growing in takings and popularity year by year, it's great to see and I'm proud to see my friends there succeeding and to be a part of that growth by introducing new audiences.

The full extent of your Stevenage shows are free-entry affairs. Whilst my local area, as well as other parts of the UK, have found free shows a way of attracting the casual audience to shows, there are arguments of it not being sustainable long-term, especially when it comes to funding such operations and making sure bands are paid in turn.

What's your take?

While I do completely agree with that, free entry shows are always interesting as you never know who's going to show up, whether they will hate it or love it and you'll have people who are interested who may not be as committed to show up because they haven't paid anything out; the way I've tried to work with this is setting myself routine dates with the venue, I run my events on the last Friday of every month, pay day weekend for most so they can associate that time of the month for when the heavy events will be happening, I've noticed this has worked really well with a lot of the regulars who like heavy music but have never really been to involved with in the live music scene or discovering new upcoming bands. Having those people along with us being hyped for the end of the month knowing there's going to be 4-6 bands from all over the country tearing the local up for the night is great to see within the community.

Free entry shows in a lot of places can be a struggle with getting the funds to make sure everybody is comfortable and covered but I always have and always will cover every band involved with my shows, after playing regularly with my bands over the years of course bar freebies because you fancy just playing and having laugh or for mates, it's just a really nice touch afterwards to have some or all the costs covered, also it does start adding up quick for traveling bands playing regularly. I run the sound desk for all my Stevenage events to reduce the outgoings leaving me more to put into the bands, I’ve never been fussed about what I get in return, for me it’s more putting on a party and having a good time! My bonus is getting to see some of my favourite bands kill it at the local.ng and to be a part of that growth by introducing new audiences.

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With your name being put on shows outside the area, do you see your work with Tombstone promotions expanding out to other areas in the future or do you see your work focused on your local scene for now?

I love the local scene in Stevenage so for as long as I can I'll still be running my monthly shows there and keeping that busy but I am definitely always down to be putting on shows elsewhere, London is always a good time, I'm familiar with a few quality venues and have hosted some great shows in the past, JOHNxMCCLANE, LIFEWRECKER, MISTER LIZARD and CHINNED at The Castle in White Chapel and MENSVRETERS, SKULLFUCKED, CHINNED, STIFF MEDS at The Dev in Camden were two of my favourites, Shout out to STIFF MEDS for being one of the best bands I've seen pop up in a good while!

I'm looking forward to working with new venues and new areas as time goes on Every promoter has that that one thing, that magic ace-in-the-hole that will allow the local area to up its game (be that a new venue, new bands coming up, better cohesion etc.).

What’s yours?

WE NEED NEW BANDS. WE NEED YOUNG PEOPLE MAKING NOISE. That's one thing I've always wanted to see in our local area, there has always been an abundance of Indie, metal core and other genres of similar sounds but is so rare to see young people getting involved and pushing heavier material. A while back I spoke to a group of young guys I saw at show in Hitchin and it brought up an issue I hadn’t really realised before but the venue in Stevenage is strictly 18+ so they are having to miss out on all these shows they'd be really hyped to go too! I'd love for a space to become available where we could run the odd show for all ages.

What's your view on what the future holds for music in Stevenage?

I'm hyped for what's to come, it seems to be growing more and more each month so I'm hoping my arrangements with the venue keep strong and we can keep growing together, I had some absolutely wicked shows booked for the rest of the year with artists traveling from Indonesia, Singapore, Berlin and The States stopping off with us in Stevenage on their tours and that blows my mind enough! I can't wait to see the way this can progress and how the community can grow from it, unfortunately it's all on hold now but the moment this clears up I'll be pushing it hard as ever.

Whilst Tombstone Promotions are on ice just like every promoter and venue in the UK (and the world for that matter), for more information and an insight on their activities you can have a gander at their page via the link below. https://www.facebook.com/TombstonePromotions/

Careless wrestling Rogue’s Gallery There’s a difference between working stiff/hard-hitting and just being an absolute dick. Here’s a crossword dedicated to the wrestlers that, either due to lack of ability or being a total piece of shit, ruined people’s wellbeing with their negligence

WWE Duff Enough Tough Enough was a terrible show; it wasn’t truly representative of training to be a wrestler, none of the winners ever went on to do anything of worthy note, with a lot of actual talent somehow being eliminated early on. Bet you can’t find some of the mega-stars Tough Enough created.

Bring your own weapon The idea of “Bring your own Weapon night” in ECW was eliminated when Mick Foley accidentally concussed The Sandman with what turned out to be a cast-Iron Frying Pan. Needless to say, it gets the fans involved and ever since Indy promotions have dabbled in “Fans Bring The Weapons” Matches. Some fans go for savage objects, others take the piss and bring a Super Nintendo or the Nintendo Powerglove; here’s a lovely little jumble of some of the better weapons I’ve seen used in my time scouring youtube for shitty indy deathmatches

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Dethrone your local asshole