Since HFRA is raiding airwaves once again, i have been driving down the bitter sweet alley, located just this side of the Twilight Zone, aptly titled "Memory Ln." Sweet tunes have always played an important roll in my life. I can remember Mrs. Baldwin's 5th Grade english class, the brunette girl who sat beside me, and how after school I would sit in the sun with my walkman listening to my favorite WEEZER tape, the song Buddy Holly specifically, daydreaming about me and her walking out of class holding hands. We would kiss then part, dramatically pulled apart my our parents' departing cars. That whole latter part in slow motion mind you. I can also vividly remember stealing a FUGAZI tape from by brother, and being addicted to the straight up popiness of Waiting Room and the deep rhythm of Burning. I also remember asking my brother about who sang the song with the lyrics "Those sheets are dirty", thus my introduction to the DESCENDENTS. Its safe to say that my early childhood was steeped nice mixture of Pop and Punk. Early on it was the doo woop 1950's worship of the MISFITS, the melodies of GIVE EM ENOUGH ROPE by the CLASH, which lead to my newer generation pop/punk/fatwreckchords phase. By the time I reached middle school, I would not listen to anything except SCREECHING WEASEL and ALL, two bands who I still listen to constantly. It was really when i saw NOFX at the EL DORADO SALOON in Carmichael that i really made the jump to the new school scene. STRUNG OUT, LAGWAGON, GOOD RIDDANCE, SCREW 32, AND AFI (with WEEZER always in the background) were soon on repeat throughout the misery of high school up to about my junior or senior year. At the time i would hear blast-beats and garbled thrash, muffled by my older brother's closed door, but I would have none of that at the time. It was just hard for me to take seriously, and I needed to hear melody, like i always did before, but i loved the Nofx-style driving drums behind it all also. It was the perfect combo, speed and pop, a delicious caffeinated blend that captivated me for far too long.
Now Enter a 17 year old Dale Cooper, driving to school, listening to DRI for the first time. COUCH SLOUCH did it for me. This is where my love of fast-core started. This was exactly what I wanted to hear, but i didn't even know existed. Hyper-fast drums and super fast riffs, which were essentially simple and poppy, complimented by snotty youthful screaming.
As DRI introduced me to faster punk, PLUTOCRACY was my introduction to the all-out absurdity and brutality of the thrash/grind/hardcore scene. SNIPING PIGZ, actually their 2nd full length "reunion" Lp released in '92, sounded to me like a recording session of Spike and the rest of the gang from GREMLINS and was my first encounter with 625 Thrash.
PLUTOCRACY lead to all the other bands in which drummer/record label owner Max Ward was involved. SPAZZ, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, STOCKHOLM SYNDROME, CAPITALIST CASUALTIES, and my all time thrash favorite SCHOLASTIC DETH, this time with Max Ward on Vocals. Combining everything I love about music, humor, political/social issues, being a Nerd, SCHOLASTIC DETH still remains on step above all the rest. Super fast, distorted yet still skate punky, youth crew style vocals, HIRAX and HERESY worship, songs about coffee and books?!!!? They released only 3 EPs in their short life, before their drummer quit in order to attend Grad School. SHACKLE ME NOT, REVENGE OF THE NERDS and COFFEE CURES EVERYTHING.
