Unaltered Perspective #8
New Releases from to many bands to even list them in the subtitle. Interview this month with Corrective Measure about their new EP Not For You Not For Anyone.
Music Fucking Rules
I got the chance to have a little conversation with Braden from Corrective Measure since the last edition. That interview is down below and I wanted to lead with it this time because doing these interviews is such and important part of hardcore and zines. I really want backstory on my favorite bands and I am one who loves that kind of thing and I have been really liking getting a chance to go a little deeper with these interviews.
Also in this edition of UPZ we have got a shit ton of new release material for you all to listen to. I have been taking my time on this one so there is a lot of backed up material. I think however that the last few months have been a little slower for new music that I really really love. However there is a lot of material on this new release section that is top notch. There is also some upcoming show flyers for people local to Central Illinois at the end. I did not go to any shows since the last post but I am going to try to be at most of the upcoming shows. So hopefully I will have more to show on local shows next time.
Flyers thanks to and @springfield.il.hc on Instagram
Lets get on into it.
Corrective Measure Interview
I got the luxury of getting to do an interview with Braden from Corrective Measure. We talk all sorts of shit so read this shit and listen to their new EP Not for you, Not for Anyone.
Justin: What year did you become interested in punk/hardcore? Who were some of the first bands you got into?
Braden: Hey Justin! First off, thanks for including CM in your zine. I really appreciated the review you did of our music a few months back. It means a lot when people listen closely to the music and analyze it the way you do!
I first discovered hardcore in 2005 I believe, whatever year I was in the seventh grade. My introduction to hardcore was through what I'd call a very Central Maine cocktail of hardcore bands: Have Heart, Righteous Jams and Bury Your Dead were the big three that got me into hardcore. I wasn't going to shows yet, but remember starting to see fliers for shows at The Kave (legendary venue in Bucksport, Maine run by the even more legendary Kathy Kave) getting posted on Myspace by older kids and discovering hardcore bands that way.
Justin: When did Corrective Measure start and why?
Braden: Corrective Measure started in 2015 after I moved back from DC. I was lucky enough to live in DC in 2014 and 2015, which to me was one of the best eras hardcore, all time. Watching new DC bands like Protester, Public Suicide, Pure Disgust and Red Death, and the more established bands like Give and Coke Bust on what felt like a nightly basis was really the biggest inspiration for wanting to come home to Maine and start something new with my friends. It was my first time really experiencing another hardcore scene outside of traveling for the occasional show and it was like a system shock to see how well everybody got along and how natural the whole thing felt. Even the name Corrective Measure was just a joke/homage to countless hours spent playing video games with some of my friends in DC.
Justin: What is the goal for Corrective Measure as a band?
Braden: For me personally, I just try to use it as an outlet to stand up for things I believe in. I feel like there is this natural cycle in hardcore of what is popular or cool and when I was younger it was something I changed with. Now that I feel a bit more established in what I believe and more comfortable with who I am, I've been trying to find that balance of seeing things that I may not like or agree with but also respecting that hardcore and punk isn't something you should try to control. For a while I thought the best avenue was pushing back against things I didn't like, and I feel like a big moment of growth for me was realizing that the best way to combat things you don't like is to double down on things you love.
Justin: Who all plays in the band and has the lineup changed since the start of the band?
Braden: CM started with me on vocals, Christian on guitar, Seymour on bass, and Adam on drums, and that's also who recorded the most recent record. Seymour recently moved so now one of our good friends Brandon is playing bass and another friend of ours Pat is going to be playing second guitar at some point in the near future.
Justin: What is the scene like in Maine? What size? What are some notable bands?
Braden: I think Maine's hardcore scene is the best it's been since I've started going to shows. I just missed out on what, in my opinion, was the pinnacle of Maine hardcore in the mid-2000's and am not sure anything will ever touch Wake Up Call and Outbreak, but there's something really special going on here. Shows are packed and I don't remember a time when there were more active bands playing in Maine than there are now. Instead of doing a super long list, I am going to shout out two bands and a venue that I think are really unique and special for Maine: Vic Robinson's venue Squashed Warehouse in Windsor, and two bands that rock and feel very authentic are Misery Whip and Man Is Murder. I am a big fan of both of them. But there are so many sick Maine bands right, and anyone interested in them should follow @newenglandhardcoreshows on Instagram.
Justin: Has Corrective Measure toured much and if so do you have any good tour stories?
Braden: We never really figured out the whole touring thing. The one tour we did, we rented an SUV from like Hertz or something in Maine, put like 5000 miles on it, and then returned it and somehow never got called out on it. We did about a week with Life of Reilly and made it as far west as Springfield, MO and as far south as Tampa, FL. Lots of cool memories from that, but one that stands out was trying to find a swimming hole outside of Wilkes-Barre based on directions from a website that was definitely from when the internet first came out, like that late 90's HTML and comic sans vibe. We went the wrong way for like an hour, doubled back, and followed a dried up stream for what felt like forever. We were just about to give up when we heard what sounded like the craziest waterfall up ahead, even though the entire stream around us was dried up. Definitely one of the best days of my life.
Photo of Corrective Measure at the elusive swimming hole
Justin: Why did Corrective Measure not have anything new from 2016 to 2024?
Braden: I moved back down to DC in 2017 and we decided to call it quits. I don't think any of us had any plans on doing anything else with it until last summer. A friend of ours asked us about playing a show and we were all just kind of like "why not?" We didn't end up playing it, but it got the wheels in motion for the new record.
Justin: What made you decide to do this newest EP?
Braden: For me, I had a few things I wanted to write songs about and also had just been given a drum set by a friend. I'd always wanted to try to figure out drumming (still haven't unfortunately), so I started writing the new EP last summer in my basement. We never really got a chance to practice or write together, it was mostly just a system of sending recordings back and forth in our group chat and showing up the day of recording. My favorite part about being in a band, more so than playing shows, is just having band practice and hanging out afterwards, so hopefully the new EP will give us a chance to do that more as we all get older and don't see each other quite as much.
Justin: Why did you choose the sample at the start of the EP?
Braden: I have always considered Corrective Measure an anti-violence band more than anything, so in that way it appealed to me. But more specifically, I think the symbolism behind the flag decal in that song is so relevant to a lot of substanceless behavior nowadays, where it feels like talking or posting about something is just a checklist item and then for some people it stops at that. It's something I am definitely guilty of as well and have been trying to get better at, so it's as much introspective as it is accusatory - I think we should all strive to be better in that regard. So that's why a sample felt like the right choice. I don't have the experience or the education to speak eloquently on that matter, so starting the record with words from someone who does felt more appropriate.
Justin: What are some of Corrective Measures biggest influences sonically?
Braden: Early on it was definitely bands like Agnostic Front, Youth of Today, and Straight Ahead - a lot of 80s NYHC. The newer songs add some influences from more 90's and 2000's bands like Confront, Floorpunch, and Step Forward. I don't think any of the new music necessarily sounds like any of those bands, but that's definitely the headspace I was in when I started writing the riffs.
Justin: What is your favorite band of all time?
Braden: I never answer this question the same, to be honest. I think the band that has meant the most to me the longest is the Get Up Kids. The bands I find myself listening to the most when I just need to turn my brain off are New Order and Dinosaur Jr. My favorite hardcore band of all time is probably Turning Point.
Justin: What is the "path forward" described in the song Everybody Knows? In your opinion.
Braden: I think it all goes back to what I was saying earlier about how you choose to deal with things in the hardcore scene that you might not like or agree with. For me, hardcore has the opportunity to be a net positive - for individuals, groups, communities. And when something has an opportunity to be a net positive, I believe that it then has a responsibility to. So when I sometimes see hatred and bigotry coming from within the scene, I think it's important for the rest of us to be firm in what we believe. Some things need to be met with standing up and speaking out against them, and other things can be met with ignoring them and doing things in a better way. I think navigating that is the "path forward".
Justin: Walk me through the lyrics behind the song Two Sides Same Coin. I think the song is so well written and I love the lyrics. I just wonder if you had any more additional insight or personal stories that helped you create that song?
Braden: That's one of those songs that meant one thing when I wrote and, while still meaning that now, I think kind of takes on new meanings as I try to apply it to new things. But the original idea behind it was to kind of explore this dichotomy of qualities or characteristics of organized religion that I hate and that pushed me towards punk music and the hardcore scene, and then seeing some of those same qualities - or at the very least seeing qualities that result in the same harm - gaining traction in the hardcore scene. The contrast of the lyrics - self-serving kindness and blind faith versus self-serving violence and blind hate - are more introspective than about anyone or anything else in particular, about how sometimes I feel like a lot of us live in between people whose acts of kindness are done for personal benefit and people whose malicious acts are done to make that individual feel better about themselves. I wish more people just lived in the middle and were kind to each other with no agenda.
Justin: What is your favorite movie or book? Or both?
Braden: Lord of the Rings for both, hands down. I'll watch the movies any chance I get, and I think I have some form of every Tolkien book ever published. LOTR is only like 5% of the lore that Tolkien wrote for that universe. If you enjoy high fantasy, you could probably spend the rest of your life reading Tolkien and never get bored of it.
Justin: What's next for Corrective Measure? Plans for shows, tours, or an additional future release in the years to come?
Braden: No tour plans at the moment, but we are hoping to make that happen next year. For now, just playing an occasional show in Maine. We have a gig with a bunch of awesome locals - Infernal Diatribe, Psychic Ordinance and Zinc - coming up in August, and then we are playing in Portland with Madball, Combust, and Hold My Own.
A big thank you to Braden for taking the time to answer my questions. Please go listen to their band and go to the shows.
New Releases
Human Garbage - Valley Most Hated(LP)
This band brings the most shredded LA/SFV hardcore shit that I just love. I talked on their promo for this release already on a previous edition. I love this band and I think them putting out 2 LP’s in back to back calendar years that have no misses is fucking unheard of. This LP is so good and there is not a single song over 2 minutes. What the fuck. This rules and you just have to listen to it. I previously compared the sound to Internal Affairs and Carry On but I think there is good bit of Terror in their style as well. They also sound quite a bit like Section H8 from LA. You can get this LP from Creator-Destructor Records. Can’t go wrong with this band they do not miss.
Groin - Paid in Flesh(LP)
This Arizona band fucking shreds. I first heard Groin when their self titled album came out in 2022 and it was one of my favorite Grind/PV records of that year and now this LP is no different. Paid in Flesh is a straight blaster. Pummeling insanity broken up by some durgy hard mosh parts. Similar to the way Regional Justice Center does some of their breakdowns. This is best on display at the end of “Savior Complex.” Averaging one song per minute they hit the nail on the head for me when it comes to how to do a grindcore song. Pick up a copy of this LP from No Time Records.
Stand Still - Steps Ascending(LP)
Daze Style with another hit record. This one comes from Long Island New York in the form of Stand Still. This band is doing a sort of punky alt-rock thing. It is kind of hardcore sounding at parts. They do some breakdown sections and some fast parts that resemble punk music. I am not really sure how to explain this genre as I am not an expert on this type of sound. It sounds kind of similar to that band Koyo. Either way I think this is very good. I have enjoyed all their music so far since this bands inception. I think they do this style better than anyone. Which makes sense why I like it because I usually wouldn’t listen to this type of music but this record in particular is done so well. These songs are undeniable to bob your head to. They really give all the instrumentation a chance to shine and the records production is so good. The lyrics and vocals come across so well and are delivered all at the right times. I think the song that really got me hooked on this record in particular is “In My Blood.” This song is just so real. You can feel the emotions pouring out of it like as if you were reading a well written novel about a family bond. Powerful track to me. I also really like the song “We Know the Score” Featuring Michael from Pain of Truth. This song has a part that goes a little harder and is the only song that would fit a POT feature on this record. Great music on this LP. This band is always a refreshing change of pace.
Stiff Meds - Hell Realm(EP)
Some of these fast bands are just so damn prolific. That Human Garbage and now this shit. Both bands just came off of LP’s coming out last year and already they have a follow up release. These songs feel like they fly by on the recording and I have to go listen to it again. I will finish this EP and then put it right back on again. This is basically one of my favorite styles of hardcore there is. This is that shit that I grew up loving. The recording is very new sounding and sounds supper great. You can hear everything so well and it just adds so much to the sound. I wish more bands did this sound this well. It is just some straight fast hardcore with minimal breakdowns and if it does have one it is a short 2 step part. I feel as though these songs will be great for sing along live if enough people listen and they fucking should be cause this EP is so good. This came out on Quality Control Records. However it is a digital only for now so we will see if they put it out on physical at some point.
Hacked Apart/Self Mutilation -Split
Fucking Brutal as fuck. I Really don’t have much more to say. This is heavy as fuck Grindcore on both sides that will give you a massive ear ache in the best way possible. Listen to this and if you fuck with it go pick it up at Bloody Scythe Records. Hacked Apart is from Squamish BC and Self Mutilation is from Saint Petersburg.
Firewalker - Hell Bent(LP)
I have been a Firewalker fan since the Self titled LP in 2017. Since then firewalker has put out a series of EPs and now is finally back with another LP. This sophomore effort is very good. I like the heavier songs the most sonically. The vocals are probably one of my favorite aspects of this band. The way the lead vocalist growls is fucking sick. There is a lot of bounce on this LP which is not usually my favorite styles but they do it well and the record sounds great production wise. One of the stand out tracks is “Carry My Own Torch” which is a very good mid tempo banger with some great lyrics and super catchy. The other song that kicks ass here is “Hell Bent” this song features Justice Tripp from TUI. He sings the second verse —Which is the same as the first verse?—But this song fucks hard and when the final mosh comes in I am ballin my fists up every time. Triple B Records put this LP out. Another great addition to their catalog and a great addition to Boston Hardcore.
Time X Heist - With Every Passing Moment
This Denver Straight Edge band is so sick. If you like youth crew style hardcore I would give this a chance. It is very melodic at times but also rips. I think this band sounds a lot like the newest Decline Record called Broken that came out in 2022. They both have very conscious lyrics, simple but engaging melodies. Easy to vibe to this shit. “Time Will Tell” is my favorite off the Record. I love the riff they do during the chorus part with the gang vocals over top of the regular vocals. The fast beat also sounds so good on the verse to this songs and throughout the album really. I think it is mostly cause the production is very good and you can hear everything very well. This came out on Indecision Records.
Mechanzim - Demo(Cass)
Let me get into this monster of a demo. I saw this band play their first show. They came out and started and my jaw was on the floor I had to pick it back up and remember to mosh and by that time the set was half over. Then I saw them a second time and the intro they play is fucking sick live I forgot to mosh until the second song cause I was just so stoked I whiffed. Then the 3rd time I saw them I told my friend at the show “I cant forget to mosh for that sick ass intro” needless to say. Shit was crazy. I love this demo and this band. I am so stoked a band like this is coming out of my area in Central Illinois. The tape is out on Delayed Gratification Records. However, to me they sound like a band that would be on To Live A Lie Records to me like a Spy type band or maybe something a little noisier than Spy. The songs on the demo are all great. I think the best shit is probably World Peace the last song because the introduction to that song just gets me every time. If you like some stompy hardcore with some very noisy, blown out, and reverbed to shit vocals then this is your cup o’ tea. I cant wait to see this band progress. I am sure there will be more because they got a ton of shows coming up so don’t slip and please check this you wont regret it.
Brunner Todesmarsch - Fragging(LP)
Wow. I have never heard of this band before but they are fucking great. They are doing a raw punk sound that is so nostalgic but also feels fresh somehow. The songs are all very different but all very similar as well. You have to hear this LP to hear what I am talking about. This band is from Czechia so I am not sure what the fuck they are saying but vocals are still sick and the instrumentation is fucking sick. The song “Možná” is and early stand out track especially the midway rolls kicking ass then a wild ass 4 second solo with some crazy drum fills to end it out. 1 minute banger. Drums are in general crazy on this LP. This is a very good raw punk hardcore and I need to go back and see what else this band has to offer. For now this release is available at Ultima Ratio.
Armor - Afraid of What’s to Come (EP)
Armor returns with a new 12 inch EP on 11pm Records. This Tallahassee band blends d-beat and Oi. A lot of bands are doing this sound lately or at least a lot of the bands that I really love but this EP feels like something special. I especially like the song “No Matter.” That intro to the song like it is building for only a few moments. Then the song kicks in to a straight up stomper. I am looking like the homie from Another State of Mind showing you how to pit when that shit comes on. This whole EP kicks ass and I need to get a lyrics sheet to be honest that is one thing that I can not quite make out yet. Which is unusual because usually I hear these types of vocals pretty well. I think it might be a production thing or maybe to much loud noises at my daily manual labor job. Not sure at any rate I know this EP rules and I will be paying it some more attention for a while to come. Because I am also afraid of what is to come.
Nuclear Man/Human Target - Split
Holy Shit. I was not expecting this. This is perfect shit. Both bands are doing the sort of raw punk, d-beat, and classic hardcore mash up. Both bands are from Winnipeg, Manitoba. I wonder if the bands share members because they have similar styles. But Human Target does feel a little more like they pull some influence from some newer bands where as Nuclear Man feels like the influence is 80’s and that is all.
On The Nuclear Man side I think the instrumentals are the strong point. I think “Old Money” is a good example of this. I feel some early Anti-Cimex Vibes on some of these songs with some very simple lyrics and some wild ass guitar solos that don’t really need to be there but when added they push the song over the line from good into great.
On the Human Target Side that song “Tone Deaf” is so fucking sick. The outro for it feels like a big sing along part which I love. Then the song “Brick” which just slowly builds up and up until it explodes in fury. I think the vocals stand out a lot more on this side of the split.
I think this split might be some of my favorite shit of the year so far I really love this shit. This is just a digital split for now but tapes are currently being made so I will be checking for when those drop.
Sooks - Moral Decay(LP)
I am so glad I stumbled upon this LP. I thoroughly enjoy every second of its variety of sounds. It is a fantastic punk record with some faster up tempo songs as well as some mid tempo bangers and everything in between. They are kind of all over the place on tempo’s and song style and structure from song to song but to me that made it very fresh every time I relistened to this. Which has been a lot of times. I really enjoy the lyrics in this release probably above anything else just because it feels fresh. Sooks are taking on lyrical topics that almost every band doesn’t even consider touching and they seem to have some very interesting takes on some of these topics from NFT’s, to Nationalism, to Content Creation in general and many many more that you will have to listen and hear for yourself. I am very intrigued by this band. They are based out of Boorloo, Australia. My favorite songs off the bat are “Idiom/Idiot” which is just a super a enjoyable up tempo song. Then it is followed by “Content Machine” which is equally as good but is a midtempo banger song that talks about how destructive content controlling our lives and motivations can be. Very rad. I can’t wait to hear more from this band and while I wait I will just have to jam the record a million more times. Moral Decay is available from Permanent Residence Records.
Other Notable Releases
Secretion - Fetid Odors from the Drainage Pipe
Brutal Moshy Grindcore is the sound and the band is Secretion out of Sacramento. Tapes available at Mullet Death Records.
Face The Pain - ‘24 Demo
New SXE hardcore demo out on Rebirth Records. Going for that old school youth crew sound.
SICKDESTROYER/GHETTÖ - Split
Another banger from SICKDESTORYER from Czechia. Pummeling and Heavy Grind. GHETTÖ side is cool too. Get a copy at PSYCHOCONTROL, I FEEL GOOD RECORDS, and CALVOS 73.
Negative Force - Demolition
New Jerseys own Negative Force back with another great Hard Style tape. This tape will be available through Takedown Records soon but for now the EP is up on streaming.
The Old Breed - Were Still Working But Were Still Broke.
Toledo, Ohio based band that is playing classic Oi and Street Punk anthems. The 7 inch is available at their bandcamp page. Working Class anthems are found here if you are interested.
Lifes Torment - Thou Shall Conform, Or Else…
New fastcore release from this Las Vegas band. CD EP is available via their bandcamp page.
Perfect Hardcore Songs
One of the reason I wanted to make my perfect hardcore songs list was when I started to listen to and get really into Retaliate. I love this band. One of my favorites of all time. One of those bands I throw on the discography on shuffle on the regular because every song is top notch. But as far as a few songs that scream out perfect hardcore song and have everything I want to hear in a hardcore song and I would not change a thing. These songs are…
Disgrace
This song is so sick I love that style of song where you blast a fast beat on the verses and then come in with. That “Read a fucking book” line one of the better breakdowns in hardstyle history. Fuck yeah.
For No One
Sick ass drum rolls of the start straight into a ragger. Then the song breaks with slowed down pre-chorus section with the change up in the drum beat and the gang vocals. “TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE” That shit gets me every time. Then what do you know the song. Keeps on building up. That is how you know it is good hard style hardcore is when the song starts great then gets greater then greatest and then somehow blows greatest into next year. Lyrics are also so great and relatable. Fucking incredible song.
Born To Lose
The song that appears on the first episode of one of my favorite comedy shows on TV(The Eric Andre Show). Retaliates Born To Lose is an iconic track for the real fans of hardcore who know that their life as well as the life of this style of music is really going nowhere at the end of the day — Although I try to fight against that — I think that screaming this song out sometimes while going 80 in a 55 is just part of life for me and should be for you as well. Great song and it is great to have songs that you feel like you are not alone in the world for feeling these sorts of ways. Groovy as fuck hardstyle song with great fast parts and sick breakdown. Then “BORN TO LOSE. THIS WORLD IS FUCKED. BORN TO LOSE. KIDS LIKE US WERE BORN TO LOSE.” All timer.
There are many more bangers from Retaliate but you will just have to dive into the discography to see for yourself. Retaliate Is Da Best!
Upcoming Releases
Nails - Every Bridge Burning
New Nails LP is out on August 30th on Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-orders are live now. I can not wait for this LP I think Nails is one of the all time best extreme music bands and these singles they have put out in support of this release are next level. So go check those out and then give this LP a pre-order.
Chubby and the Gang - And then there was…
New Chubby and the Gang LP out on October 4th. To be honest I was not a big fan of their previous material. Not that it was bad I just did not get it. I listened to the 2 newest singles that came out for this LP and they are both very good. I think they remind me of some early dropkick murphy’s. When they were more of an Oi band but also very melodic. Pre-Order now at Flatspot Records.
Upcoming Shows
A couple banger shows happening next month that I am stoked on. I can not wait to see Lead Spirit, Colossal Man, and Civilian. Get there if you are in the area.
Underground Music Rules
Go listen to Nails.
Lots of great new releases that came out this month. I hope you enjoyed reading and listening along to these. If I missed something let me know. As always comment if you have thoughts on any of this music I would love to hear your perspectives as well. Hardcore Punk is really just so fucking sick. Keep it real and I will catch you in the next edition.