Having trouble finding a good local band or venue that will allow you to do more than bob up and down like a buoy?! Hurdcore.com is bringing the music to the people, we offer a glimpse into the background and mind of Graham, Washington based hardcore band Swinglow. Our thanks to Trevor of Swinglow for taking the time to share with us.

HC What inspired the name of your band?
SL i kinda just picked it out of a list of names our drummer made and i really liked it so we kept it haha.

HC When did your band go from the dream stage to actually putting tracks down and going on the road?
SL well we started jamming and making music back in april of last year but didn’t really start playing shows till October and since we’ve been playing shows off and on and recorded an ep.

HC How would you describe your musical style?
SL i personally would call us hardcore with a mix of melodic and metal influences.

HC Where are you at currently in terms of writing and/or releasing an album?
SL well we just released an ep about a month ago and we will start recording another short demo in june as for a full length we would like to starting writing for that by the end of summer as for releasing i honestly have no idea.

HC Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
SL um definitely www.myspace.com/swinglowsucks

HC From the concept of your band, the makeup of its members and the lyrics of your songs, would you say that there is a prominent theme (i.e. religious, political, philosophical, etc)?
SL yes i guess would say the theme is simply music that is glorifying to god and nothing less.

HC Where are you currently grabbing inspiration and/or frustration from and how has this been affecting your music?
SL from worship songs, sermons at my church and personal experiences.

HC What have been some of the most important lessons for you as struggling-artists?
SL i guess we’ve learned lately not to rush things especially when it comes to getting new songs ready its better to go at your own pace and see how things play out.

HC Are there any favorite/funny/scary memories from your current tour that you’d like to share?
SL so far we’ve played only one out of state show in waldport oregon and it was interesting but no great stories to tell yet.

HC What has been your favorite tour stop so far? What new foods have you discovered (scary or good)?
SL since we havn’t had a tour yet i wouldn’t know haha

HC What has been the most challenging part of taking your band public?
SL i guess just finding time to fit show’s,practices,ect into all of our busy schedule for the last 6 months this has been our main problem.

HC Any words of encouragement for aspiring bands?
SL i would just stick with it as long as possible you never know what could come of it!

UPCOMING SHOWS:

:: 05/15/09
@ Studio 7 – Seattle, WA
5PM, $8adv/$10doors
Aschemia CD Release Show w/ As For The Dead, Sanctity In Silence, SWINGLOW, more TBA

:: 06/14/09
@ The Viaduct – Tacoma, WA
5412 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, 98409
w/ Swinglow, Earth From Above & Dear Life

The Chariot (Solid State Records) has been working to bring back the grit to hardcore music, removing so many of the layers of the make-up that has been building up even on some of the genre’s hardest acts. Often recording their tracks in single takes, as opposed to piecing them together in the musical lab, their music offers brutal sincerity in every aspect, from lyrics to production. Perhaps initially known for the popularity of their lead singer, Josh Scogin, original member and singer for Norma Jean (Luit-Kriss), The Chariot has quickly and definitively etched their own mark upon the hardcore scene. If you are ready to shake off the nursery sets of hardcore and dance with the big boys, The Chariot is ready to send you home with bruises of bliss.

Those who have experienced The Chariot know that they lay everything on the line, so in that same vein they have pre-released their entire album on their MySpace page. The album is to be released on May 5, 2009 but you can go to their page to get your face rocked off before it comes out in hard copy.

In an ever expanding effort to expose and inform, we are pursing interviews from local bands, helping aspiring artists to connect with a broader base of listeners so that they can be converted to devoted followers. Again, through the miracle of MySpace, we were able to conduct an email interview with the articulate and insightful Aaron of Seattle based metal band 7 Horns 7 Eyes.

HC What inspired the name of your band?
7H7E It comes from the Bible, where in Revelation 5:6 it describes Jesus as a lamb with seven horns and seven eyes. Throughout the Bible, the number seven is used to connote completeness or perfection, so in this case, the seven horns describe that Jesus’ power is complete and perfect, and the seven eyes that his knowledge and vision are complete and perfect. It really is just a statement about the nature of God.

HC When did your band go from the dream stage to actually putting tracks down and going on the road?
7H7E This band is made up of members who have played in previous bands, and it actually spawned from the death of a previous band, so it was never actually at a purely “dream stage”. However, it officially began in March of 2006.

HC How would you describe your musical style?
7H7E We are definitely a metal band. Our music is dynamic, polyrhythmic at times, generally ambient, often quite epic sounding, and overall quite heavy.

HC Where are you at currently in terms of writing and/or releasing an album?
7H7E We begin drum tracking for our debut full length in just a couple weeks (late April 2009)!

HC Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
7H7E Myspace has been our most effective tool of communication thus far, which also links to all other relevant internet locations (merchandise, YouTube, etc.): http://www.myspace.com/7horns7eyes

HC From the concept of your band, the makeup of its members and the lyrics of your songs, would you say that there is a prominent theme (i.e. religious, political, philosophical, etc)?
7H7E Our lyrics are written from a Christian perspective, and cover various subjects that we have either dealt with personally or can somehow identify with.

HC Where are you currently grabbing inspiration and/or frustration from and how has this been affecting your music?
7H7E The musical tone has largely been affected by Meshuggah (to a certain degree), as well as bands like Opeth, Swallow The Sun, and Strapping Young Lad. Lyrically it’s harder to pin down, although hearing a good sermon definitely helps!

HC What have been some of the most important lessons for you as struggling-artists?
7H7E I’m not entirely sure how to best answer this question, although we have definitely learned that in order to have the best chance at success, we need to be like-minded and transparent with each other in every way possible.

HC Are there any favorite/funny/scary memories from your current tour that you’d like to share?
7H7E We are not currently on tour, although when we played at Creation fest 2008 in George, WA our transmission overheated, and the fluid boiled over and caught on fire while we were crossing the Cascade mountains. We were very close to losing the entire van, and perhaps the trailer full of gear as well! You can view our three-part Creation video blog at http://www.youtube.com/7horns7eyesofficial

HC What has been your favorite tour stop so far? What new foods have you discovered (scary or good)?
7H7E we have not yet embarked on an actual tour, although four of us drove our van down to the NAMM convention in Anaheim, CA last February and enjoyed a few In ‘N’ Out burgers, which we do not often get to eat!

HC What has been the most challenging part of taking your band public?
7H7E We’ve encountered some criticism in regards to trying to pair Christianity with metal, but for us it’s a position that occurs comfortably and naturally, so it’s difficult to legitimately criticize.

HC Any words of encouragement for aspiring bands?
7H7E Write original music, approach all that you do with professionalism, and seek like-mindedness in band members’ goals and desires.

Hurdcore.com, again bringing you fresh faces and a inside look at the composition of a local band on the rise. We were able to meet up with Connor of Love Unfailing to discuss their band via email. Love Unfailing, based out of Tacoma (Washington), is working to launch out of the Northwest with a clear message and a brutal combination of melodic hardcore.

HC What inspired the name of your band?
LUF The thing that inspired our band name is Jesus’ love. His love will always be there for every single person, and when thinking of a band name, Jesus’ love seemed unfailing to us. Love Unfailing seemed to fit all of our needs and what we wanted to bring to the listeners of our music.

HC When did your band go from the dream stage to actually putting tracks down and going on the road?
LUF Sadly, we have not had the opportunity to travel the road on tour. We have been recording and writing new music simultaneously so that is going very well for all of us.

HC How would you describe your musical style?
LUF Our music style is very hard to describe. Love Unfailing features all different kinds of musical kinds of aspects to it. I guess if we had to put a definite label on it it would be melodic hardcore, but then again our music ranges into more of a metal sound, too. We love to experiment with all different music types to incorporate in our music so it can vary and change very easily.

HC Where are you at currently in terms of writing and/or releasing an album?
LUF In terms of releasing an album, we are still working on writing new music and slowly recording them. A new album should be released sometime the summer of 2009.

HC Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
LUF Definitelly on myspace. We reply to any questions or comments we get. We all feel that being close to fans will keep them coming back and staying in tune with our music and releases.

HC From the concept of your band, the makeup of its members and the lyrics of your songs, would you say that there is a prominent theme (i.e. religious, political, philosophical, etc)?
LUF Our music definitely an outreach to everyone. We all are very close to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Our music is definitely a religious outreach to everyone but yet even if the listener is not religious the music can still be appealing to them too.

HC Where are you currently grabbing inspiration and/or frustration from and how has this been affecting your music?
LUF Our musical inspiration throughout the band greatly differs. I know that in my point of view (Connor) I am inspired a lot by The Ghost Inside and For the Fallen Dreams. I can speak for the rest of the band in saying Aaron is very inspired by Misery Signals, Carman is very inspired by August Burns Red, Trevor loves anything melodic, and Damien had the most open mind music has ever seen, he loves anything and everything you put in front of him.

HC What have been some of the most important lessons for you as struggling-artists?
LUF Some of the most important lessons for us as struggling artists is that many tasks take a long time to grasp. Music as one of them is hard to go anywhere with, especially in the hardcore scene, but we all just have to keep our minds set on our goals and try our hardest and even more.

HC Are there any favorite/funny/scary memories from your current tour that you’d like to share?
LUF Not on tour, but just in general one time we were taking promos and there was a thick chain hung up surrounding a parking lot; as Aaron tried to jump over it Carman went to go under it and when Carman pulled the chain up Aaron caught his feet on the chain mid-air. Aaron fell flat on his face and after all being scared it was a great time to laugh. haha.

HC What has been your favorite tour stop so far? What new foods have you discovered (scary or good)?
LUF Definitely Centralia or Olympia Washington!

HC What has been the most challenging part of taking your band public?
LUF A challenge in taking our band public is that not a lot of people listen to hardcore music as they go rap, hip-hop or pop. Advertising and promoting a hardcore band is always a challenge but it is the music we love.

HC Any words of encouragement for aspiring bands?
LUF We all start somewhere, keep growing and playing music! It will take you somewhere someday!

UPCOMING SHOWS:

:: 04/25/09
@ Club Impact – Tacoma, WA
754 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402
Pass The Torch Music Festival w/ MxPx, Vision & Valor (Tysen/Holyfield), Love Unfailing and 15 other bands
starts at NOON, $15 Door/$13 Adv
> Punk, Hardcore/Metal
*Impacts last show! Get there early its gonna be SOLD OUT

:: 05/30/09
@ The Big Room – Olympia, WA
508 Legion Way, Olympia, Washington
8PM, $8
w/ Love Unfailing, Eterna Nocturna & No Living Witness
> Hardcore/Metal

116 Clique - 13 Letters

116 Clique is a clean and tasty buffet line of some of today’s most talented Christian rappers. 116 Clique’s members have a heart for expressing God’s truth through relevant mediums especially targeted at urban culture. With the album 13 Letters 116 Clique will rap you through each of the Pauline Epistles, trackign through the New Testament from Romans on into Philemon.

I’ve heard clips of most of the album and was impressed with all of it while taking a particular fondness for To Live Is Christ (feat. Trip Lee). This song has smooth rhymes with a laid back beat that carries you right on through the book of Philippians. Trip Lee has straightforward lyrics that are more exegetical that many sermons I have sat through and certainly more engaging.

116 Clique is a great mix of content, quality and inspiration. If you need some good news rapped into your life or a beat that can encourage mind and spirit, you need to give 116 Clique a moment of your time. There are several artists in this effort and many of the songs are a collaboration of more than one artist, so there is good diversity in each track of 13 Letters.

If you like more of a rock edge with your rap than 116 Clique’s latest release Amped will not disappoint.

I had heard rumors about the guitarist from Korn getting saved a while back but didn’t know any of the details. At the time, I thought what a cool thing, Jesus revealed Himself to someone who needed Him. I didn’t know many details about Brian Welch and knew even fewer details about his experience. A friend sent me a link to this video today and found it even cooler to hear the account directly from Brian.

It is encouraging to hear how Christ uses average people who are willing to act upon His leading to engage in people’s lives. To hear someone who had no real concept of God, someone who desperately needed Him and how God made His Word come alive to and in him.

Click here for more videos, photos and details about Brian “Head” Welch’s story

Becoming The Archetype (BTA) from their outset have set a high bar for what we will call technical-brutality. With this third offering, Dichotomy, they have added the elements of the enigmatic (a taste of Danny Elfman goes hardcore) and again taken their music to another realm of eardrum battering fantastic-ness.

The men of Becoming The Archetype have fashioned a medium that is solid in its execution and a beacon in the sincerity of its message. If you took your grandma to a worship service led by Becoming The Archetype, either the headbanger within would erupt or she would pass out, especially when she hears the BTA rendition of the classic How Great Thou Art.

Hardcore and worship is something that is close to my heart, understand that BTA is not a “worship” band, but one of my fondest worship experiences was when I attended my first Becoming The Archetype show. I believe it was also the first Young Bloods Tour produced by Solid State Records where I saw them at Chain Reaction in Anaheim (CA). You too will enjoy BTA whether you experience them live, in album or even partaking of some tasty In-N-Out. I recommend all of the above as these are good dudes with some great music.

More Than Sound - Click To Link

Music holds great value in its ability as a medium to connect with diverse people and inspire emotions. Facedown Records is working to expand that sphere of influence to engage the members of its community to assist in meeting real needs worldwide. More Than Sound is the venture and Jason Dunn of Facedown Records shares his convictions:

There’s more to life than ourselves; more than our own worries and fears or our joys and triumphs. There’s more to life then an economic crisis or a surplus in a budget. Every day, people die from lack of clean water, malaria or other treatable diseases. Every day, families are destroyed leaving children alone, abused or neglected. Every day, human beings are surrounded by war and devastation that tears their lives, homes and communities apart.

Facedown Record’s More Than Sound will bring a different organization, or as they call it Samaritan, to the forefront each month. In addition to informing the public about these organizations, Facedown Records will donate a portion of their online sales to each organization as well as partner with their army of bands to sponsor events that marriage music with the purpose.

More Than Sound is one small way that we can make a difference in the lives of the needy in the name of Jesus. To do our best to live out the good news of Christianity (James 1:27) to those that need it most. To use the resources we have as a community to make a global impact and to stop living our lives as those being served and start being servants like Jesus commanded us to be. (Matt. 20:26-28)

Facedown Records and their family of bands isn’t wasting anytime getting involved, with one event already under their belt that raised $1500 for Rapha House (Click More Than Sound Image at top for link to more info) and A Plea For Purging committing their CD Release Show, March 14 in Nashville, to the same cause.

They have teamed up with Rcktwn in Nashville to host a community event that will feature bands, speaking (Chad Johnson) and worship by The Glorious Unseen. All of this on top of a BBQ cookout with the bands. The cost is only $1 to help with the cost of the food, but no other admission will be charged.

Check with the Facedown Records site to find out more about the cause and to keep updated on events and opportunities to get involved.

A Call To The Faithful by Inhale Exhale (SolidState Records) blisters from the very moment that calluses meet frets and begin to form notes. There is a clear emotion that weaves through the slamming of each cymbal, the blood curdling screams and the battering of the guitars. A somber emotion set to continuous confrontation calling those who don two faces and perhaps a hope for those who would pursue change. A Call To The Faithful is well executed with plenty of force in both the composition and the lyrical content.

Lyrics to A Call To The Faithful by Inhale Exhale:

The lights go dim. And eyes begin to close Oh no.
A simple conversation sparks the love inside of him.

You live two lives and never think about your actions. Who is the one you try to please.
Yourself. With no regard for anyone. Who is the one you try to please.

You taste the leather of that shoe. It comes with the words you say.
The week seems long and you cant wait till your Sunday morning masquerade.
Let down your guard and everything just seems to fall to shame. With a nervous
look you search but your only one to blame.

You live two lives and never think about your actions. Who is the one you try to please.
Yourself. With no regard for anyone. Who is the one you try to please.

Feel glass against your face. Hopeless for this moment. 2x
You cry out for help. He has been watching all along 2x
This is ending right now

This is a call to the faithful. An outstretched arm to the faithless

I was in the car yesterday and in the middle of a time consuming detour, “Reject” by Living Sacrifice came up on my iPod. For those of you that are unaware of this Christian Hardcore/Metal milestone, Living Sacrifice was one of the bands that I believe was pivotal in ushering in a new era of clarity in message being expressed through a quality and relevant medium (ie Hardcore music). For those of you that have experienced this tasty treat, recall for a moment where you were at when Reject assaulted your eardrums and you were awakened to a reality where Christian music could challenge you as well as rock your face off.

As my long journey on roads never traveled, this detour through Memoriam (ha ha – Living Sacrifice’s last album) afforded me additional time to consider other milestone songs. I tried to compile the “best of” with these factors: 1) Song must have a clear message; 2) Song must inspire passion; 3) Song must be crisply executed (quality); 4) Must still be relevant today (still sounds good)

Hardcore: Reject by Living Sacrifice

Alternative: Jesus Freak by DC Talk

Contemporary: Shine by Newsboys or Big House by Audio Adrenaline – “Secret Ambition” by Michael W. Smith deserves a nod and possibly should top the list, who was edgier than MWS in his initial era?

*I recognize there is a host of songs that church going folk will have been inundated with via Christian radio and even the “special music” from church – perhaps some of those belong on this list or maybe a separate category. Some of them may be jaded by their redundancy but a few that come to mind are “Mary Did You Know” by Michael English; “Thank You” by Ray Boltz

Rap: “What Do You See” by Cross Movement

*I will admit that this is not a genre that I have extensive knowledge of, but I think most that enjoy this arena will have to recognize the impact that Cross Movement has had.

Ska: “Unite” by Supertones

Punk: “Never Die” by Dogwood (“Control” is also another great offering by Dogwood but slightly more mellow) “JCHC” by Officer Negative also came to mind

*I recognize that MxPx owns the most widespread audience as a Christian Punk Band but in the early days of their music where the message was clearest the quality wasn’t but perhaps “Teenage Politics” deserves a nod.

Hair Metal: “To Hell With The Devil” by Stryper

*Is there really any argument here? What was better at the time than yellow spandex and weapons that only the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had access to.

Before some of you music buffs go crazy and start rioting at my house, please note that this was mainly written on the fly with only my memories to serve me. This list is certainly up for discussion and I’d love to hear back from you all. Keep in the mind the (4) distinctives that I tried to use to guide this list.