TEXAS ON TOP… Something the locals like to say down in Texas but also a fitting saying at the moment as the metal and hardcore punk scenes down in the Lone Star State have really taken off in the last few years. Bands literally seem to be popping up all over. Jay who plays guitar in Modern Pain and Gray Muncy who is a local photographer have really opened my eyes to a lot of what is going on at the moment and that is where this new feature took its roots from. We wanted to come up with some of the newer bands that you may not have heard of along with some of the more known names and throw it all in a blender and try to give a feel for what is going on right now. By no means is this a complete list, a list in any kind of order or anything other than trying to shed some light on to Texas hardcore/punk/metal or whatever else you would like to refer to it as in this day and age of labelmania. A HUGE thank you to Gray and Jay for their input as this feature would not have happened without their help. Texas Scene Report graphic by Bas Spierings.
POWER TRIP (DALLAS)
"Thrash metal's ugliest bastard sons and brightest logical conclusion" is the band’s self description on their Facebook page. They played at last year’s This Is Hardcore Fest in Philadelphia and took the crowd by storm. Their roots are tied to an 80’s thrash style but the hardcore kids love ‘em to death. “Divine Apprehension” off of their self titled 7” is the shiznit. Check out their set from last year’s TIHC Fest courtesy of Hate5Six.com below and look out for their new 8 song album titled "Manifest Decimation" which will be out on Southern Lord in early summer followed by a US tour with a possible Euro tour in the works for early fall.
http://www.facebook.com/powertripTX
BACK TO BACK (HOUSTON)
Started off known as Lockdown and recorded a demo in 2008 and eventually broke up after their singer quit. In 2010 with their current singer Chaney they recorded vocals over the long lost Lockdown demo and Back To Back was formed. In 2011 the band released a live tape called “Back To Back Live At Mangos 2011”. In early 2012 the band started work on a new demo but was never completed and was actually followed up by the “Flesh & Bone” EP which was recorded in late 2012/early 2013. “Flesh & Bone” was released in cassette form via False Form Tapes and hopefully as a 7” soon. Work has started as well on a new EP. Already planning way ahead the band has already decided to call their future album “Back To Back Calls It Quits After An LP”. 3 of the 4 members are also in Stagnant Youth.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Back-To-Back/112431228796711
WICCANS (DENTON)
Well played punk rock style shit that possesses this “dirty” feel to them. I prefer their “Skullduggery” album to their newer “Field ll” album (both on Brooklyn’s Katorga Works Records). They seem to make the local rounds and took advantage of SXSW being close to home and will be playing the Chaos In Tejas (Austin) Fest this year in May/June.
http://www.facebook.com/wiccanspunk
MODERN PAIN (DALLAS)
My favorite band on this list who deliver hardcore music to you in a no fuss manner like 4 hardcore grunts ready to go in their van and play a show at any time of the day. Members are straight edge but you will never really hear them bring up the topic as they don’t want to “use straight edge as a cheap gimmick”. Musically diverse taking influences from a wide range of backgrounds yet snowballing the influences into a unique sound all their own. Choose from their “Cast Aside Left Behind” EP from 2011, or the “Reality Of The Pain” EP from 2012 and get ready for the next EP titled “Self Deconstruction” coming in 2013. The real deal.
http://www.facebook.com/modernxpain?fref=ts
END TIMES (DALLAS)
Formed in 2007 but took until 2011 to finally get their 4 song demo out due to numerous lineup changes. End Times are definitely more on the metallic side of the heavy music spectrum with some songs running 4 and 5 minutes long. They just finished recording for their new 7 song EP which will be titled “Descension” and plan on releasing two of the new tracks on upcoming compilations. End Times shares members with Vulgar Display as well as Humanerror.
https://www.facebook.com/endtimeshc
TRUTH (FORT WORTH)
Formed in early 2011 this 4 piece straight edge outfit sounds like they just busted out of an Anthrax Club matinee up in Connecticut circa 1988. They currently have a 7 song demo that they released in May 2011 along with 2 compilation tracks which you can hear on their Bandcamp page. They have done one tour to date back in the winter of 2011 with Modern Pain (Texas to Florida and back) and are currently working on a 7 song EP which will be recorded in early April for a summer release titled "Where I Stand".
http://www.facebook.com/truthtx
CHAINCHOMP (DENTON)
A 4 piece out of Denton, TX who showed some good potential underneath a poorly recorded debut demo which came out in early March. Comparisons have been made to the likes of Discharge, Infest and Conflict. The band is working on a new official demo tape which they plan on recording in mid-April and promise to deliver on a better recording. After that Chainchomp has plans for a Northeast and back through the Southwest tour in late May/early June.
http://www.facebook.com/chainchomptx
VULGAR DISPLAY (DALLAS)
Formed in the spring of 2012 and featuring members who are also in End Times and Humanerror. A 3 song demo came about in July of 2012 showcasing the bands heavy hardcore style. You can download the 3 song demo for free at their Bandcamp page below. A new EP titled “Under Darkness & Prayer” is in the works with recording starting in April and will have 3 songs done over from their demo along with 4 new tracks. Plans for a Midwest/West Coast tour in the summer of 2013 are also being worked on.
https://www.facebook.com/vddhc
HUMANERROR (DALLAS)
Humanerror started in mid-2009 as essentially a hardcore band with a lot of crust influences playing a lot of house shows. Later that fall came the "Beyond the Wasteland" EP which was released in July 2010 on Withdrawal Records. Currently the band has a split tape on the way with Snakes from Detroit, MI on a new label called You Can’t Win Records as well as finishing up writing for an LP. A tentative late summer west coast tour is in the works as well as a shorter Midwest tour in the fall. Band members of Humanerror are also in Vulgar Display, End Times, and Degenerate.
https://www.facebook.com/HUMANERRORTX
http://humanerrortx.bandcamp.com/album/humanerror-snakes-split
AFFLICTIVE NATURE (SAN ANTONIO)
Down The Rabbit Hole Photography
These guys started in early 2009 and have put out a few releases including their “Doomed From The Start” demo, a split with Jungle Juice titled “Jungle Nature” and the more recent “Strictly Savage” (January 2013). Played an 8 date southeast tour with Modern Pain, Lifer and Jungle Juice back in December. Early summer should see the release of their first 7” titled “Judged, Punished, Erased” with 4 tracks on Life To Live Records out of Florida. Afflictive Nature play a crossover style that leans more on the metal side of the spectrum but has enough new school hardcore influences to keep listeners of all heavy music ready to tear a hole through a wall.
https://www.facebook.com/AfflictiveNature
IMPALERS (AUSTIN)
Impalers have a killer thrash/punk sound which you can check out from their 2 song 7” which came out in 2011 and their 5 song demo from 2010. Like many of their Texas brethren Impalers share members with their singer Chris Ulsh also playing guitar in Hatred Surge, playing guitar and vocals in Mammoth Grinder, and drums in both Vaaska and Powertrip. The band admittedly does not play out often and has no website or Facebook page making seeing them a rare site.
BITTER END
Maybe the biggest name on this list but in a weird twist none of the members currently reside in the state of Texas with their remaining 2 original members (Daniel-vocals and Jacob-guitar) living in Kansas and Ohio respectively. Originally from San Antonio this band has toured extensively based on the strength of numerous releases including their “Mind In Chains” and self titled 7”s, as well as their “Climate Of Fear” and “Guilty As Charged” full lengths. Europe, Australia and New Zealand have all been visited by these guys. Bitter End plays a mid 90’s NYHC style that fans of Killing Time and District 9 should take note of. If you live outside of Texas this is the band on this list that you will probably have the greatest chance of catching live with notable upcoming shows at the BNB Bowl in NYC on May 19th, followed by some Midwest/Texas dates including 3 dates on Comeback Kids late May tour. Currently working/writing new songs for an LP that they hope to have out in 2014 on Deathwish Inc.
http://www.facebook.com/bitterend
GLUE (AUSTIN)
Formed in October of 2012 Austin’s Glue had their 6 song demo released just 2 months later in December. Straight up angry punk rock style with a recording that would make you believe this was dug up from an early 80’s punkers personal collection. Glue is looking to play out of state shows on weekends and plan on having a new EP out by summer’s end. They also share members with Iron Youth, Blotter, Breakout, Concrete, and Recide
DEGENERATE (DENTON)
Formed in 2011 and like others on this list these guys play more of a 80’s thrashcore style. Maybe not for a hardcore punk purists taste but if you like fast heavy music these are your guys. Upon forming they quickly released a demo and later a 2 song self titled cassette. July of 2012 brought the “Grudge Of The Weak” 6 song EP which is really their crowning achievement to this point as it simply shreds. Other projects (including members in Humanerror) have kept Degenerate busy lately and there is currently nothing new in the works as far as new material.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/DEGENERATE/181209971926365
SIN MOTIVO (DENTON/FORTH WORTH)
I saw an online post that called these guys “hardcore for the weird”. Musically Sin Motivo (meaning No Reason or No Motive) doesn’t fit any preconceived mold as they just bash away at their instruments producing something along the lines of hardcore crust which is all sung in Spanish and sounding 100% pissed the fuck off. They have an 8 song Bandcamp demo that came out back in January and which is now out as a physical cassette from False Form Tapes. Band members are also in The Sentenced and Night Crimes.
http://sinningunmotivo.wordpress.com
CHAOS IN TEJAS FESTIVAL (AUSTIN)
2013 is year #9 for this long running festival that boasts a “nice mix of punk, hardcore, metal, hip hop, garage rock, indie rock, and all points in between. Jay from Modern Pain recently described the fest in a recent interview on this site this way: “Chaos in Tejas is the best fest in the United States, hands down. Chaos is more so a bunch of shows going on during a whole weekend at every venue in Austin rather than a bunch of bands playing one venue all day. All of these main shows have stacked, diverse lineups. On top of that, there are day shows, after shows, shows in record stores, shows in recycling plants, shows on a boat, wherever. When you're not watching bands, you're either eating some of the best food in the country, or cooling off from that hellish Texas heat in water. My favorite weekend of the year”. Now how could you NOT want to go to this after reading a review like that? Get more info below:
RECORD STORES
End Of An Ear Records in Austin
END OF AN EAR (AUSTIN)
TRAILER SPACE RECORDS (AUSTIN)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Trailer-Space/86541551572
http://trailerspacerecords.blogspot.com
MAD WORLD RECORDS (DENTON)
http://www.facebook.com/madworldrecords
VINAL EDGE (HOUSTON)
CACTUS MUSIC (HOUSTON)
http://www.cactusmusictx.com
MISCELLANEOUS LINKS:
1919 HEMPHILL:
1919 Hemphill is a DIY community space in Fort Worth. Open since 2002 having shows of all kinds, meetings and whatever else is needed in the DIY community.
Inside of 1919 Hemphill Fort Worth
QUEEN CITY TATOO: DALLAS
Tattoo shop that has hosted local shows in the past as well as art.
http://www.queencitytattoos.com
Outside of Queen City Hall, Dallas
GRAY MUNCY: PHOTOGRAPHER
Consistent contributor to this here In Effect Hardcore website with great photos from various Dallas area shows.
Grub and brew... Texas style
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