Figured to have a look inside the negative side of modern Straight-edge hardcore or beatdown. One can’t ignore the fact that kids buy this, listen to this and actually think this meaningful or valuable to them. An evolution that raises many questions to me as an older person. In this article I’m not trying to be a psychologist nor am I trying to give a meaning to all this.
What many of those positive Straight-edge old guys do with this kind of music is classify it under rubbish, decay of the genre, stupidity and mischief. Well, given the fact that the same distributors and labels sell and release this for the kids, I still wanted to have a closer look into it. What drives those artists, kids, labels and distributors in the slipstream of Hardcore to actually listen and live with this music.
Firstly there is projection of outsiders on this wall of hatred and negativity. I mean when reading the lyrics such texts are rather abstract and give no content to the described anguish and negative mindset. Projecting the own demons as tanatos (the murder instinct), the libidos and the anti-eros, is just one of the things at hand when you hear this music. It shows you the mirror of yourself.
Or in other words, if you think this is negative and feel it like that, it means you’re probably in a negative mood too. If you’re dragged deeper into darkness when listening you better put off the stereo in other words. The strength lies within looking at this from a distant stance and strong mind. The other thing to do is let yourself slide away and feel surrounded by others with the same negative mindset. You’re not alone with it anymore.
From what you can read, there’s certainly and unavoidably a polarity that’s created within. These artists are master in doing that. It will leave none of the listeners unaffected by it.
Besides projections and polarities there are also the smaller effects that this music can have. Like a drift inside you this music is an ideal boat to take you on that trip with. It releases those inner demons and sets them free inside you head. Ventilation’s an other aspect.
To come back to the aspect wall of hatred and negativity that is built. Earlier hardcore was more accessible and spoke to a larger public. Lyrics were more outwards and in that way spoke more to people. A larger and broader public had access to it. Nowadays, the punishing character of the music scares people away and the subliminal side of vocalists unleashed, also frowns many foreheads.
According to me the art lies in melting together the feeling and the music as one, so that there’s no spaces in between where people can fill in their own thoughts, feelings and opinions. This is an uncompromising spearhead that pierces through you. Instead of you throwing the spear as in the earlier days of Hardcore…
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| No Zodiac “Population Control” LP |
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| Released by Seventh Dagger XXX Family |
I know I went abstract in this review and I would certainly like to go deeper into it and make it more concrete, by doing an interview.
There are also guest appearances by European artists, UK’s Peachy from Six Foot Ditch and Belgium’s Tito Fury from Surge Of Fury.
… Instead of telling it objectively it just does the trick …
Yes, that's another way to look at it. There's a lot of testosterone rubbish also nowadays. But this one stands out in it's universal negativity. I like the song with Tito Fury, both music and lyrics…
i was struggeling with this record. i read a review in a zine and i could like it probably. maybe i'll have to listen to some songs on the net. but, like you, i get somehow drawn to some bands of that genre. they're not all stupid beatdown karate fighters, looking at nasty for example. some do come around with a message that deserves to be heard.