KAMIKABE: The Early Years

The band started off in 2003 with their first show in my basement. Regretfully I have everyone's set from this night on video except for theirs. The earlier songs had a bit more of a screamo influence than probably anyone remembers. The debut 5 song demo featured two vocalists, one of which being the infamous "Dad" of the band. The band's core influence can still easily be recognized as the melodic metalcore that was happening at the moment on Lifeforce Records. Endthisday, The Year Of Our Lord and Beyond The Sixth Seal can be attributed to many of the riffs on this debut demo as well as their sophomore effort, The Eternal Fire EP.

Released just in time on the infamous Preserving Silence Records for their big gig opening up for Zao in 2005 at St Vincent's College, this new EP saw the band move moreso in the direction of moshy metalcore. While still maintaining the Swedish melodies and death metal inspired vocals, this recording saw the band head into a bit less serious direction than where their demo was leading them. Home Alone and Jurassic Park sound clips round out this offering to set off most of the relevant mosh parts on this album. As previously stated, Dad did not partake in this recording as vocal duties were left solely to Mikey Foster. The songs on this album were graced with song titles (as opposed to the demo in which the songs were numbered 1-5) and some clean vocal parts remained present.

The band would later re-record this EP with a new vocalist alongside a more death metal vibe. Each version has their likable qualities. The re-recording serving as a precursor for what was to come in the form of a stronger death metal influence with the original being the final testament to the band's early screamo influences.

Before the recording of their next demo EP, the vocalist who had re-recorded The Eternal Fire EP for the band (later re-released as The Anguish And Onward) had already quit to go full time with his other band, Sabreteeth. This new recording for 2006 would feature the vocal duties of Steve Jarret (previously of Black Hills) and would take the band one step further into their death metal journey. Featuring more gutteral vocals and blast beats than ever before, the band was essentially re-invented with this new effort. This line-up (as with most Kamikabe) would not last for long though as the vocalist would once again leave the band. Several years later, the band would once again re-record the vocals as a re-released offering with Geoff Ficco from Sabreteeth on vocals. This time around, what was previously known as Demo 2006 would be re-released as the Strength To Carrion EP.

At this point in time I think it would be safe to consider the band to be of the technical death metal persuasion. With a new full length offering that has been released on Unique Leader Records, the band continues in its progression towards whatever it is they are progressing towards.

With top notch musicianship always being the driving force of the band, one would wonder why this band has never really left southwestern PA during its earlier incarnation. It amazes me that Lifeforce Records didn't released The Eternal Fire alongside the aforementioned acts ...or that Relapse Records did not wise up enough to release  the Demo 2006 at the same time bands like Brain Drill were blowing up. The band is finally getting the recognition they deserve, however, alongside the release of their debut full length on Unique Leader Records and nationwide tours.

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REDLINE: Discography

I got to thinking about a Redline post whenever I posted about Black My Heart. I only found out about Black My Heart by seeing them open up for Redline in eastern PA at their final show. Before I even start writing, however, I just want to make it official that Redline was and is the most underrated hardcore band of all time. Mostly unheard of and mostly disrespected ... this is one of the best hardcore bands of the 2000s in my mind.

Redline is one of those band's who deserved/received the notorious every-song-mosh in Pittsburgh. I initially saw them when No Retreat brought them out for a show at The Millvale Industrial Theater in 2000. They were playing out on the weekends to support their self-titled debut full length. This album is actually better now when I listen back to it in comparison to all of the "beatdown hardcore" going down these days.

They played Pittsburgh multiple times (probably 6 or 7) over the years and I was either booking the show or at the very least moshing at it. While the album featured guest vocals by Sal Lococo from Sworn Enemy ... the live show in Pittsburgh usually consisted of the infamous Zane taking the mic for a good minute or two to perform the vocal spot. Redline always considered Pittsburgh be their second home and never played a bad show out here ... even when they played to 23 people on the 4th of July, 2002. Still to this day, the only show I've attended with 100% mosh participation.

Not long after this full length, the band did a split with Born From Pain out of Holland. Gangstyle Records would release this (as well as re-releasing their self-titled offering) in Europe without any sort of domestic release. It was on this release that Redline would both define and perfect their own sound within the "tough guy hardcore" realm. The band somehow managed to create an immense amount of energy despite never moving their songs out of the mid-paced realm of riffing and drumming. If you don't believe me, check out this video that was put together for the infamous Guerilla Warfare video of them...

It would be a short while before the band would return to the studio to record the Portrait Of A Mirror Image full length. Recorded in 2004, the album featured a style popularized by bands of today. While some songs would be re-recorded from the split with Born From Pain, a much more metallic feel was founded for this album.

Once again, the label duties would be handled by Gangstyle Records out of Holland. I pretty much accredit their label choice as being the main factor as to why Redline never got the recognition deserved in the US. In the early 2000s, Mp3s weren't available at the click of a finger (more like three clicks), so if there weren't copies of a disc floating around in distros to get kids talking ... you went relatively unheard of outside of the area in which your band played. I'm fairly certain Redline never toured either, so the extent of their legacy was pretty much confined to the tri-state area of PA, NY and their home state of NJ.

The band broke up only a month or two after the release of this album. Most copies would remain out of circulation and the band once again never received the credit deserved for the masterpiece album that they released. The band has yet to play a reunion show ... but if they do, I'm hoping it will be in one of the cities they always considered a second home: Pittsburgh.

DOWNLOAD ... and if you want a glimpse of what most hardcore band websites looked like in 2000... check out Redline's Angelfire page lol

BLACK MY HEART: The Fuck Hearts EP

I never really fully understood the timeline of this band. I know that I saw them for the first time on the Eulogy Mosh tour in 2004 along with Bury Your Dead, On Broken Wings and The Judas Cradle if memory serves me correctly. They played this EP in full and fucking brought it. They stayed at my house that night and had a line-up comprised of some pretty cool guys. We watched Boston Beatdown II because it had just came out. They gave me the low down on what all the footage was because they were from Boston. Funny.

They also stole one of my senior pictures and put it on a donation jug at their show the next night saying I had leukemia and needed donations. The show was in Erie and everyone knew me and genuinely thought I had came down with the disease. Kinda funny.

Not long after this show, the entire line-up quit except for one of the guys (can't remember who). They came back through and just didn't bring it like the old line-up did. My main piece of supporting evidence is the re-recorded version of Thick As Blood. It can not compare. The follow-up full length on Eulogy had its moments overall but didn't have any parts worth knocking off like this EP did.

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FORGETTING TOMORROW: Visions Of Clarity

Not much to say about this band as I am considerably unfamiliar with their history other than this EP. They were from New Jersey and brought shit harder than most at their time. New Jersey always had a way of slamming harder than others during the era. Definitely got way more into their live shows than others of the time. They came to Pittsburgh once in 2005 after this EP was released and I walked in late but started to mosh immediately. That's always cool.

They supposedly recorded another EP in 2007 but I've yet to find anything other than promo material online for it. Would LOVE to hear what they managed to follow this up with.

DOWNLOAD - Visions Of Clarity EP

ONE NATION UNDER: Discography

Considerably underrated mosh album. Ripped off Throwdown rather thoroughly. Definitely rocked camo guitar cabs. Their set at Hell Fest 2001 (with original vocalist Chris Alsip who later went on to join Suffocate Faster) was perhaps my first experience with the extreme mosh that is now commonplace at mosh gigs. Courage Crew was ahead of the curve on the mosh spectrum, that's for sure.

I also included their 3 song demo from 2001 which featured Alsip on vocals. Probably their best songs. They all got re-recorded for the full length ... one of the songs is a hidden track, however. There were also two songs that the band recorded previous to breaking up. One of them showed up online for a bit. I remember it being both awkward and awesome. They were recorded for a split that never happened with Suffocate Faster. Someone should send those to me.

I ran into their drummer at one of his new punk band's shows and brought up how hard One Nation Under brought the mosh back in the day. He was both down AND informed me that not only were there TWO unreleased tracks ... but there were THREE! He also said he doesn't even have copies, but would love to hear them. Rich Thurston, I'm calling you out ... send me these songs.

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TOO PURE TO DIE: We Are A Weapon

So here's the debut post from the MoshSpot blog on a pinnacle MOSH album I was fortunate enough to tour in support of for a few years.

In my eyes, a true mosh cornerstone. Touring around the country while out-moshing every city we played in ... shitting on bums ... beating psychotic girls with pillows ... using Jesus tattoos to allow us to perform at bogus christian venues ... throwing up & shitting out of moving van windows ... this is what mosh legends are made of.

Mosh call outs recorded on the original demo ... mosh call outs used as metronomes for live shows ... mosh call outs used as lyrics ... you name it. Our Struggle covers the entire mosh spectrum throughout its song structure. When learning the song, I remember writing down the structure as ... "get low/hyper active spinkick/breakdown/circle pit/jog-in-place/two-step/bounce mosh/two-step/circle pit/jog-in-place/breakdown/ultimate breakdown".

Speaking of jogging in place ... Too Pure To Die created it. I dare anyone to say otherwise.

I now present you with the best mosh album of all time ...
WE ARE A WEAPON

A bit off my chest...

Path To Misery has only ever fully stood against one thing: repression. Granted our lyrical stances have encompassed said repression in many of its varied forms, the underlying sense of rage has always been mutually rooted.

The very first set of lyrics written, Cheating Life, dealt with the repression of the earth. As potentially uneducated as it may be, Third World War was very critical of the repression of the people in the middle east. For The Innocent has served as a rallying anthem against the repression of animals. The very last song written for our previous full length, Inherent Incapability, even went as far to decry the personal repression of men and "womyn" alike.

While these subjects typically sat well with our unfortunately left-leaning fanbase at the time, apparently some of our newer lyrics from the upcoming EP fail to appease said in-crowd. Apparently repression is reprehensible when applied to previously-mentioned agendas yet both permissible and actually encouraged when applied to issues that, at least in their minds, apply to typically white, christian, conservative, American males.

Path To Misery always has and always will be a band that stands opposed to repression in ALL of its forms. On this upcoming EP we will extend this opposition on all fronts to include issues ranging from personal issues such as domestic abuse to worldwide issues such as the Disarmament of the peoples of the world ... and yes, that includes the repressed minorities and insurgents right alongside the "typically white, christian, conservative, American males".

As stated from day one, Path To Misery will never subscribe to any set of ideals or prescription of conformity. Identifying yourself as a liberal is every bit as idiotic and childish as the conservatism in which this "scene" so vehemently fights against despite its own obvious alienation and indoctrination which it both allows and nurtures in itself.

End rant. Continue being heavy.