Friday, December 28, 2007

Mind Eraser Interview


I did this interview with DFJ on November 18, 2007

Mind Eraser Interview

Boston’s Mind Eraser starting ruling the world in 2003 with the release of their demo. DFJ has drummed in just about every awesome Boston band of the past decade including Mental and Righteous Jams but takes the vocal duties in this band. They released their first LP “Cave” in 2005 on Painkiller Records and did a US tour with Say Goodbye and Soul Swallower to follow. The summer of 2006 saw the release of their second full length “Glacial Reign” and another US tour and most recently they came West to play the Sound and Fury Festival in July. Now Mind Eraser has a release on Youngblood Records planned and a collaboration with Fucked Up in the works. In November I got a chance to talk to DFJ about Mind Eraser and a little about some of his other bands.


When is Mind Eraser going to get back out on the road and play California again?

Justin: maybe never im not sure. if we were to do it it would be in the summer time since thats the only time those dudes could get off work.

What is the latest on the release you guys are doing for Young Blood Records? What direction are you guys going with the new material?

Justin: we are working on two releases right now. the 7'' for youngblood is more of a no comment style with short disgustingly brutal songs and the other release (on a label TBA) is 2 songs around 12-13 minutes long which is more slower and dirgey almost comparable to our later stuff mixed with hellhammer or winter.

The collaborative 12" with Fucked Up, I'm beginning to think it's a hoax and never existed, am I right?

Justin: it will happen one day my friend, trust me.

That Stupid Records tape compilation looks awesome, will it feature new songs from all the bands, specifically Mind Eraser and when is it coming out?

Justin: yup, exclusive tracks from every band on there. We just recorded the mind eraser song and its more of a ENT/doom inspired track. look for the comp to be out at the end of the year...

What were your intentions on "Glacial Reign" as opposed to what you did with "Cave"? What influences were most prevalent on both albums? Both records are great in their own ways, just different.

Justin: well with glacial reign i think we came into our own and developed our own sound where cave was more straight forward crossed out mixed with some classic bhc/nyhc. im way more into GR not only because its more original and darker but also because of the doom/stoner metal/earache back catalog influences which you can probably hear haha. you can still hear the crossed out/infest/citizens arrest in there though

Who did the artwork for each record?

Justin: the artwork on cave is from a wood cutting from the middle ages and the one on glacial reign was actually done by an old friend of cc's (our guitarist) from high school named kris range. we were psyched on how it came out.

How did Mind Eraser form?

Justin: me and cc always talked about playing in a band that was influenced by most of the first wave of cali poweviolence along with old d-beat and grind/death metal so one day at about 6am we wrote a bunch of songs and recorded it. it wasnt really intended to go as far as it has but im glad it did.

What are some of the craziest sets you guys have played and what cities always seem to be the best to play?

Justin: hmm the craziest set we played was in toronto a few weeks back with fucked up. really fucking violent. santa cruz this summer was out of control too. a 100 man pillow fight which lasted the whole set.
ridiculous. lets see mobile alabama is always insane and a lot of west coast shows are nuts. richmond va is full of savages too.

You guys have done some great covers, (Siege, Meat Puppets and even Think I Care) any bands Mind Eraser is planning to cover in the future?

Justin: id love to do creeping death (which we always talked about doing) and maybe death camps, but since im the only one in the band whos vegetarian i doubt it will ever happen. we always do covers so im sure you will hear a shitload more.

Lyrically, and as far as imagery, what is the main theme Mind Eraser goes for?

Justin: mostly dealing with internal problems since thats what i can relate to most. i dont really like writing lyrics about social issues or preaching a certain lifestyle since its not really my business tell anyone how to live. ill address what i see around me but I try to keep in mind that what im seeing is through my eyes and may not always be the truth.

What is your take on organized religion and do you subscribe to any type of belief system?

Justin: i have my own beliefs but id rather not discuss them because they dont represent the band in any way. As far as organized religion goes i think that it can do a lot of damage as far as corruption and exploiting people who are for the most part sincere. i dunno its a total double edged sword because i can understand why it exists. it is what it is. eventhough i think that religious fanatics are fucked up i think that people have the right to believe whatever they want and im not gonna condemn anyone who has beliefs no matter how ridiculous i think they are. i do have a problem with people shoving something down my throat especially if they know im not interested.

What are your opinions on politics and the world at large in 2007, major issues we should be worrying about?

Justin: ahhh who the fuck knows. its so hard to know what is really truth and what is just bullshit since obviously no one in the media is objective and everyone puts their own spin on "the issues". whether you admit it or not the information we get is filtered through a biased media. theres no way around it unless you are on the frontlines of whats going on. regardless , I dont really buy into the whole conspiracy crap that a lot of people my age try forcefeed everyone. most of that is fringe internet ramblings that have gone on for years only the names and culprits change whenever there is a changing of the guard. cc is real into that shit you should talk to him hahaha....anyway there are alwyas gonna be lunatics in power who want to exploit and manipulate people, it will never change. the world is fucked up and filled with sickos but luckily there are also some really wonderful people and help me make life somewhat tolerable .

Give me your top 5 favorite records of all-time.

Justin: oh damn that is tough. anyway its not written in stone but i would say..

agnostic front-victim in pain
cro-mags-age of quarrel
gza/genius-liquid swords
black sabbath-vol. 4
aerosmith-rocks

oh yeah citizens arrest "a light in the darkness" is my favorite 7'' ever


something like that i dunno

Top 5 current bands that everybody needs to check out.

Justin: breathing fire, waste management, rival mob, witch tomb, birth defect

I couldn't get through an interview with you without asking about your other bands, so are Dead Black and Step Forward putting out records anytime soon?

Justin: dead black is gonna do a single on painkiller and eventually an lp on who knows what label. step forward just recorded a song for my comp and we are writing more songs for maybe another 7''. who the hell knows when that will come out but we got a bunch of tunes rip roarin and ready to go

Is that Soul Swallower record an imaginary concept or will it ever happen?

Justin: the lp is completely written. we have been so busy with other recordings that its kinda been on the back burner but once the weather gets super cold we will unleash the beast. its gonna be ugly.

Any chance Righteous Jams starts doing stuff again or is a breakup coming? Will there be a last show in California?

Justin: nah rj is done for good. im not opposed to a last show in cali but i will only do it if nathan is playing guitar.

Have you ever counted all the bands you've been in and if so, was it over 50? haha

Justin: haha nah. there are a lot of horrible bands ive been in that i wouldnt want to think about.

Any new bands in the works?

Justin: got a project with ban from scapegoat called boston strangler that is pretty disgusting sounding. we only have two songs but its really hard. also i got a new band with members of waste management called men's interest. we got the singer shaun from cold sweat to front the band and its really creepy sounding. Our bassist wears a diaper too.

hmm lemme see if i got anyting else....i make hip hop beats but that never goes anywhere. oh yeah i got a band called celibate monk with my main man josh who used to play drums in soul swallower. sounds like a mix between mind eraser and soul swallower haha.

What rules in your life right now?

Justin: shit. well music and recording of course. ive gotten big into running also. i dunno if you like sports but the patriots are dismantling everyone so thats a lot of fun to watch.

What are the coolest things to do in the Boston area?

Justin: nothing. boston is a mean little city and its super boring. nonetheless we have the best hc bands.

What are your hobbies outside of music?

Justin: i like sci fi, running, eating a lot and sleeping a ton. im what you would call a waste of life.

Closing thoughts?

Justin: nah. thanks for the interview...get ready for the stupid records movement. its gonna hit like a tsunami. also sorry for all the typos im on some bogus ass keyboard.

Mind Eraser Blogspot
Painkiller Records Site
Dead Black
Step Forward
Stupid Records

Go It Alone Interview




I did this interview with Mark from Go It Alone on October 3, 2007 a few months before the band played their final show in Vancouver.






GO IT ALONE INTERVIEW



Go It Alone has been a mainstay in the hardcore scene for nearly 5 years. With a demo, one EP, two singles, a split 7" with Blue Monday and two full lengths, most recently "Histories" all put out by Rivalry Records, the band has decided to call it quits following completion of their recent US & Canadian Summer Tour. They played their final show in Vancouver in late Fall and ended a long run as a truly passionate and memorable band. I decided to get an interview in with their singer Mark before this great band ceased to exist




First off, you guys recently ended a full US and extensive Canadian tour that included most shows with Verse, I Rise, and Soul Control, how did the tour go? Best shows? Coolest things you saw?

Mark: It was a great tour to end the band on. We've toured with Verse before in the past so it was cool to spend some more time with them, although Dr. Celsius wasn't on this trip. It's just not the same without him. For me, the highlight was playing Atlantic Canada. It's such a remote part of the continent that almost no one tours there, especially Newfoundland. In order to get to
St. Johns, Newfoundland, we had to drive five hours, take a 9 hour ferry, and then drive 9 more hours. Believe it or not, it was totally worth the trip. We played two shows and kids were psyched. A local told us it was the best show they'd had since 1991!

What are your main influences musically? Give me some of your most influential records personally.


Mark: I've been influenced in one way or another by so many records over the years that it would be impossible to make a full list, but some stuff that I really love is Reserve 34, Black Flag, Soundgarden, Battery, Chokehold, Chain of Strength, Infest, Elliot Smith, In Stride, Carry On, Unbroken, Bjork, Damnation a.d., The Doors, Dropdead, the list goes on, and on, and on.

If you had to pick one current band to tour with that you never got a chance to, who would it be?

Mark: Well, we finally did a short little trip with In Stride, but I wish we had the chance to do a full tour with them.

Did you guys ever consider breaking up after your drummer Lucas was severely injured? I've heard a few stories but what exactly happened to him?


Mark: When it first happened we weren't sure if he was going to live or die, but once the doctors told us that he was going to be able to function again we were committed to continuing the band. At that point we had only scratched the surface of what we wanted to accomplish with the band so calling it quits wasn't really an option. Far beyond driven.

"Histories" came out several months ago on Rivalry, what are your thoughts on the way this album came out and how it compares to past material? It definitely seems to be a little darker and heavier, Damnation AD is the influence I hear thrown around a lot and I can see that.

Mark: I'm really, really pleased with how the record turned out. I think it bummed some people out when it came out, but I think the 'Histories' 7" and LP are by far our best releases. Damnation was a big influence on the songwriting for Histories. Obviously, we don't tune way down and sound crushingly heavy like Damnation, but the type of chord progressions I chose are very influenced by them.

Was "Histories" written with the band knowing that it would be the last record or was that decision made more recently?

Mark: I knew it was going to be the final record when I wrote it.

What has it been like working with Rivalry Records for essentially the entire life of the band?

Mark: Our first 7" was originally released by a different label, but ever since then we've been releasing stuff on Rivalry. Kyle has helped us and supported us so much it's unreal. We've made
some good friends through the label with Verse, Allegiance, and The First Step. I think I view running a label a little differently than he does sometimes, but overall I'm really happy with what he's done for us.

Any good bands coming out of the Northwest right now that the rest of the country should look out for?

Mark: In Stride's 7" just came out on Bottled Up Records. It's a great record, by an unknown band. Other than that, check out Weight, Get The Most, Keep It Clear, Sidetracked, and Black Breath.
www.legitimatebros.com has got info on a lot of the bands from our little circle of friends.

The song "Evelyn" talks about some of the poverty stricken areas of Vancouver, but how do you feel about the city as a whole and what are the coolest things to do/see there? Do you enjoy living there and is there any other place you'd like to live at some point in your life?

Mark: On a whole, Vancouver is one of the greatest cities on earth. It's has a lot of problems with poverty, like you mentioned, but there is also a lot of beauty here. The coolest aspect of the
city is that is surrounded by nature. Its so easy to get to the ocean, the mountains, camping, swimming, hiking, etc. It rains way too much in the winter, but the summer is paradise for me. I would consider living somewhere else, to escape the rain and just to experience something new.
I've lived here my entire life so even though it's a great place I find myself feeling a little stagnant from time to time.

"Water Finds Its Own Level" was originally on the demo and was re-recorded for "The Only Blood..." Why did you decide to not include it on "Vancouver Gold" like some of the other demo songs were but instead do it a few years later?

Mark: We took a vote within the band to see which two songs we would rerecord for Vancouver Gold. It turned out that 'Picking Up The Pieces' and 'Turn It Off' won. We still liked 'Water Finds It's Own Level' so when we recorded the first LP we decided to rescue it from the horrible
demo recording. Simple as that. I actually still really like the songs 'Reflection' and 'Close At Hand' from the demo. In a lot of ways they fit in really well with the musical direction we took on our final recordings.

"Inheritance" is one of my favorite GIA songs. Lyrically it talks about (or at least what I get out of it) blind patriotism and altering history to hide injustices. Was there a person in particular who opened your eyes up to how much junk we are sometimes taught about our past or a certain event that prompted this song?

Mark: I think I first began thinking about this subject in regards to the residential schools that existed here in Canada. Native children were forced into Christian schools for the purpose of stripping them of their own culture, spirituality, language, etc. to be replaced with white, Christian, European values, language, and tradition. In addition to this, countless children suffered further physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their teachers. Despite this horrible history, Canada has crafted an image for itself that is very, liberal, progressive, and tolerant, but in truth the whole country is built on a foundation of genocide. This is just one example of the
fact that history is a very malleable thing, it is shaped and crafted by those in power to suit their motives.

Random question but I always wonder about weird stuff like this. Being close to the US border in Canada, do you mainly stay in Canada or do you venture over to Washington often? Is it a hassle to cross the border back and forth?

Mark: We cross the border all the time. Our circle of friends includes easily as many Washington heads as it does Vancouverites. However, crossing the border as a band is always stressful and often a huge hassle. Playing shows is technically considered working as money is changing hands, so without a work permit it is actually illegal to play shows in the US. What they fail to realize is we are a tiny band, barely making any money, almost all of which goes directly back into the US economy when we fill up the van with gas anyway.

Never been to Canada personally but it seems like a great country, do you prefer living in Canada to the US? Why or why not?

Mark: There are pros and cons to living in Canada. It's further north so there are no parts
of the country that have nice weather year round. However, our citizens are taken care of
a lot better than those of the United States. It's a lot less of an "everyman for himself" mentality here, when it comes to paying medical bills and whatnot. It's far from perfect, but the social programs are far superior to the USA.

The band has enjoyed a great lifespan and done just about everything there is to do over the past 5 years or so, is that the main reason why Go It Alone is breaking up, just feeling the band has run its course?

Mark: That really is the main reason we are calling it a day. Beyond that, we finally released
a record that I'm really happy with so I feel like we've created a document of our existence that
I can be proud to leave behind.

If Go It Alone was going to write another album, how do you think it would sound?

Mark: If we were to write another album I think it would continue much further in the direction
of some of the "weirder" songs from the 'Histories' session. I'm talking about songs like 'Weight II', 'Beacon', 'Monastery', and 'Histories'. Slower, heavier, darker. I'm actually working on a new project called DEVOTION that is probably what Go It Alone would have morphed into, had we continued.

As a Southern Californian I'm interested to know, what have been some of your favorite GIA shows in the area?

Mark: Our shows at Chain Reaction in Anaheim have always been some of the best. Al Brown's January First Fest in Redondo Beach was sick. Che Cafe in San Diego used to be one of my favorite places to play. It seems like things slowed down there for a while, but when we first started the band we had some of our best shows there.

Favorite GIA songs for you personally?

Mark: That's a tough call. I'm really proud of 'Beacon' on the Histories 7" single. I have a hard time listening to the older records sometimes. I like 'Weight II' a lot. 'Rapture' turned out really well. I'm just psyched on all the songs from the Histories session, to be honest. I feel like we finally came close to realizing the vision I had in my head.

So with the tour recently concluding, will there only be one final show at home? Any details on date, bands playing, venue yet?

Mark: It's not all completely confirmed yet, but the final performance should be in Vancouver in December 2007. We're trying to get almost all the bands that we toured with over the years on the bill. It's going to be a big event for Vancouver Hardcore.

Any regrets as far as things the band didn't get a chance to do or maybe didn't do like you had planned?

Mark; My main regret was that we got a bit too tangled up in the "professional" side of hardcore. I guess I'm talking about the comodification of hardcore. The thing is, I'm interested in the artistic side of music, not the business side, so as a result I don't think I was quite vigilant enough in making sure that we were always "marketed" in a way that I'm fully comfortable with. In future projects I intend to retain more control over how our music and our band is sold and presented. It's nothing that keeps me up at night, but I've learned a lot from my experiences with this band and I intend to use what I've learned in the future, that's all.

Things that you will look upon most fondly when you think about the band years down the line?

Mark: The thing I'll miss most is the feeling of brotherhood that I've shared with the other members of the band. I don't mean brotherhood in a cheezy or exclusionary, malecentric way, I just mean a group a friends all working together towards a common goal. It took all of us doing our part to make this happen. That's what I'll look back on most fondly.

Looking ahead to the future, what is next for the members of Go It Alone? I know that you drum in Get The Most, will that mean more activity from GTM as far as touring? California is due for a GTM show.

Mark: I'm actually no longer in Get The Most, but they have a new drummer and have some touring plans in the works. Aside from that, I'm working on DEVOTION, as I already mentioned. WEIGHT, KEEP IT CLEAR, BLACK BREATH, and CRISIS OF MAN all have Go It Alone alumni in their ranks, so we're all still involved in hardcore. We're keeping busy: I will be skateboarding, Eric will be running Ace/Face screenprinting, Brad will be gambling, Lucas will be scuba diving, and Smokestack will be becoming a doctor.

Do you have any desire to sing in a band ever again,why or why not?

Mark: I'm quite confident I will sing in another band someday.

What are your main hobbies besides music?

Mark: Skateboarding, art, nature, am radio.

Thanks a ton for doing this interview and thanks for the memories, any random closing comments?

Mark: Thank you for caring about what we did as a band.



Go It Alone Myspace

Rivalry Records

Blacklisted Interview




I did this interview with George from Blacklisted on August 17, 2007. It will be available in the first issue of my upcoming zine that will hopefully be out January/February 2008. I hate that it is already somewhat outdated but I'm just waiting on a few people's pieces and it'll be ready to get pressed.






BLACKLISTED

Ever since the release of their demo 7" on Walk All Night Records in 2003, Blacklisted has been one of the most dedicated and hardworking bands in the world. They have been on countless tours of North America and Europe, showing no signs of stopping until uncertainty caused them to announce a breakup and last shows in the summer of 2006. The band decided to stay together after much deliberation and released an EP in early 2007 on Deathwish called "Peace on Earth, War on Stage". Subsequent tours of the US followed and the band just finished up a European tour with Shipwreck and Soul Control. The new record "Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God" will be out on Deathwish on April 1, 2008 and the band has record release shows in Southern California, Chicago and Philadelphia for the weekend of March 21 and will be on tour in April all over the US as well.

Tell me a little bit about how Blacklisted formed and what the motivation for starting the band was?

George: The motivation was to just make music and play as many shows as possible. Our motivation is still pretty much the same.

Ever since the first tour out here to Southern California with Punishment in the summer of 2004, it seems like you guys have been on the road practically non-stop. Have you ever gotten an estimate as to how many shows Blacklisted has played over the years?

George: I dont know, in a one year span we played like 240 shows and havent slowed down much.

Of the stops you guys have made, what are your favorites places to play and to visit?

George I love playing, california, Belgium, Montreal there are alot more, thats just 3 in three different places.

Best shows you've been to and best shows you've played?

George: I dont know the best show I have been too or played, Both can be answered with, anytime we play with cold world, ceremony and shipwreck.

What are some of your favorite venues throughout the country?

George: Cave 9 in birmingham alabama, che cafe in san diego, chain reaction in anaheim, the first unitarian church in philadelphia, this place that isnt around anymore called nicelys tavern that was in daytona florida, there are a ton..

Years of constant touring has to have resulted in some ridiculous incidents, care to share any?

George: In california with Bracewar one time we were swimming at night at our hotel and a crackhead came and ripped the gate door right off the gate like the incredible hulk, He didnt wanna go swimming though.

When you're not on tour, which seems to be rare, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

George: Im down for whatever, Ill try anything twice except murder and suicide.

Do you work while not on tour or is that nearly impossible with the magnitude of time on the road?

George: I work whenever I desperately need money. I try to not have my life ruled by it though, So i rarely work.

How does the Philadelphia hardcore scene compare to others throughout the world including Southern California?

George: Philadelphia is much darker, violent and agressive then any place ive ever been, The vibe is what blacklisteds music is based around.

The band has had constant lineup changes throughout the years, do you feel that the current lineup will bring more stability? Also, has there been a common theme as to why the past members have departed?

George: This line up is the final one, I wouldnt do it anymore if either of the other three left. Shawn Bean and Dave are who I should have started this band with. The common theme would be, Everythings not for everybody, That and my glowing personality.

What was it like to work with Jamey Jasta with "Our Youth is Wasted" being on Stillborn?

George: I dont know, we recorded "our youth is wasted" for a different label and stillborn just bought the recording. I never really dealt with anything Stillborn related.

Deathwish seems to be the best label in the world, what do you enjoy most about working with Tre and company?

George: It is the best label in the world, My favorite thing about it is, I can do whatever I want, Its like having 3 hippie parents, tre, jake and nicole and they are just down to let their kids do whatever they want, but are always waiting in the wind to save us.

I've heard some great covers from you guys, "River Runs Red" by Life of Agony, "The Distance" by Moondoog and "Shall Be Judged" by Burn but haven't heard any covers live lately. Is Blacklisted done with covers or can we expect a sweet new in the future?

George: I dont know, if we are feeling a song soon maybe we will cover it, we will see. i would love to cover a straight ahead song in the near future.

The near breakup and decision to stay together came about very suddenly from an outsider's perspective, what made you guys decide to call it quits and then eventually not go through with it all within a very short period of time?

George: Well we were gonna quit because an "important" member had heart problems on tour and was in the hospital and wasnt gonna be able to tour anymore, with out touring blacklisted isnt so much of a band, so we were gonna be done, after thinking about it more me and shawn decided it was better to just play and atleast record a 7". We did that and decided we still had some creativity that we could put behind the blacklisted name, so we decided to keep going.

Todd Jones (previously of Terror, Carry On, etc) has been playing guitar in Blacklisted recently, is he a full-time member or only for select shows and how did him joining come about? Is it difficult to have a member of the band from the other side of the country?

George: TJ is in the band, He plays as many shows as he can. Its not so difficult, airplanes get him where hes gotta go, hes into flying, in my mind he flys so much that eventually odds are gonna fall into his favor and a random girl who is feeling frisky is gonna wanna join the mile high club and he is gonna be her partner, so until that happens he is in blacklisted, but once it does, i think he may retire and move to austrailia and wax surfboards.

At Sound and Fury you talked about how influential the band 108 was on you as a musician, what are some of your main influences in Blacklisted both lyrically and musically?

George: cro mags, bad brains, 108, supertouch, quicksand, catpower, dinosaur jr. they would be my influences if i had to pick some right now, its subject to change.

I've heard you say at multiple shows that all the straight edge kids should stay that way, are you straight edge and if so, how long have you been and has it had a profound effect on your life?

George: I am straight edge, I have been for my whole life, It shaped my whole life, its pretty much natural to me, like eating when im hungry or drinking water when im thirsty.

What do you feel is the biggest difference from "The Beat Goes On" to "Peace on Earth, War on Stage"? How have the lyrics and music changed, if it all, and what influences are most prevalent on this record?

George: Well, the beat goes on is what I necessarily wanted to be doing, i felt restricted. Peace on earth i felt like i was having a nervous breakdown and just went for it. I dont know what influences are prevalent on it, its a record of 4 people who didnt think they would be making music together making music together.

You guys just got done touring out West and playing an insane set at Sound and Fury, what does Blacklisted have left upcoming this summer and the fall? Any details about the new full-length that you'd like to give us?

George: We are going to europe then finishing up writing our upcoming lp on deathwish, we will be recording in october, so thats about it, after that we will be back on the road.

Are you into sports at all and if so, favorite team(s)?

George: i love sports and all philadelphia teams. besides that i will watch anytime certain players play. I follow players more then teams.

Favorite movies and TV shows currently and of all-time?

George: movies there are toooo many to name....tv shows recently, lost, the wire, scrubs.

Best video games ever made?

George: As a whole i would say Super mario Bros 3. When it came out I played it sooooo much, street fighter 2 is a classic, the final fantasys are great.

Besides touring the world in a band, what is your dream career?

George: own a record store, work with children as a psychologist. they are the only 2 i really would be intrested in.

Most awesome/ridiculous rumor that you've heard about why you always wear long sleeve shirts?

George: theres rumors?????

Grade this interview so far on a scale of 1-10, I'm new at this haha

George: 8..youre good.

I want to thank you for taking time out of your nonstop touring schedule to do this interview, any final thoughts/things you need to get off your chest?

George: Rise and fall, ceremony, shipwreck, cold world...check these bands out. We will have a new record coming soon, Check it out. OVERPOWER OVERCOME