The Witzard

New Found Glory while recording Make The Most of It (CREDIT: Stevie Lowstein) New Found Glory have learned, with all their success, that everything can, also, get upended in the blink of an eye. In December 2021, fresh off the celebratory Pop-punk's Still Not Dead Tour in support of their tenth album, Forever + Ever x Infinity , guitarist and founding member Chad Gilbert was found unresponsive in his bed at home, rushed to a local hospital, and diagnosed with an eight-inch cancerous tumor. Hospital stays, surgery, and a long road to recovery followed—but, in typical New Found Glory fashion, so did the songs. The band's new album, Make The Most of It —their twelfth overall, first acoustic, and first for Revelation Records—tackles the last year head-on with their most emotional and cathartic collection of songs to date. Written in the wake of Gilbert's cancer diagnosis and mixed by Mark Trombino (blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, Midtown,) Make The Most of It is a rumination on w...

Big Laugh's Revelation Records and Bandcamp profile photo (SOURCE: Big Laugh) For decades, the Upper Midwest of the United States has been a hotspot for Hardcore bands that bend genres and refuse to stick to tired formulas, producing acts like Hüsker Dü & Die Kreuzen. Milwaukee's Big Laugh are here to continue that tradition with a sound that finds them as much at home playing D.I.Y. shows in dingy basements as playing large clubs alongside some of Hardcore & Punk's luminaries. Recently signed with legendary Hardcore label Revelation Records, Big Laugh are set to unleash their debut album, Consume Me, in February 2023. It follows the band's 2020 EP, Manic Revision (11PM Records,) which will, also, see a vinyl re-issue from the label. Recorded with producer Matt Russell at Altered States studio in Chicago, Consume Me is an energetic blast of creative Hardcore. Shadow Figure by Big Laugh Self-described "Punks who listen to Judge," Big Laugh work...

BE WELL L-R: Aaron Dalbec, Brian McTernan, Shane Johnson, Peter Tsouras & Mike Schleibaum (CREDIT: J.C. Carey) Today, BE WELL have shared "I Will Leave You with This," the second single from their forthcoming EP, Hello Sun, out May 20th on Revelation Records. On the anthemic "I Will Leave You with This," frontman and life-long musician/producer Brian McTernan spends a rare moment taking stock of his career. The video for the song reflects on these memories through photos and video from his Salad Days Studio, showing footage not only from recording Hello Sun, but from working with bands like Circa Survive, TURNSTILE, Thrice, BANE, Fireworks, Strike Anywhere, and PRAISE just to name a few. It additionally showcases a quick super-exclusive glance at the infamous Salad Days Studio "singles ad book." McTernan states that his newly-found view has been healing and inspiring: "one of the most incredible things about putting out the first BE WELL re...

Beneath every blast of feral Hardcore is a sense of melody—not a three-part harmony or earworm hook, but the right mix of pace, phrasing, and a heap of intangible passion. Formed as a five-piece unit in the Greater D.C. area, Praise's mission statement has been to work within the box of traditional Hardcore while exploring the bounds of melody in every possible sense. This means more than splicing power-chords with catchy accents, but rather, mining the work of the masters inside and outside of the genre and immersing themselves in the roots of those who changed Hardcore's sound and boundaries; but it doesn't just stop there. Along with their love of the rich history of Washington, D.C. Hardcore Punk, Praise's sound darts and dashes through scenes, decades, and genres, united by the core tenets of a catchy song and the impulse to deliver a message. From 80's Minneapolis Power Pop and Dag Nasty to The Cure & Leatherface, along with sprinkles and nods to t...

BE WELL L-R: Peter Tsouras, Aaron Dalbec, Shane Johnson, Brian McTernan & Mike Schleibaum (CREDIT: J.C. Carey) Melodic Hardcore super-group BE WELL are back to announce a new EP, Hello Sun, out in May on their new label home, Revelation Records. Serving as a follow-up to the band's critically-acclaimed Equal Vision Records debut, The Weight & The Cost (2020,) Hello Sun is full of high-energy, Melodic Hardcore-infused with raw emotion and lyrical depth. Across the six songs housed on said EP, frontman and producer Brian McTernan (Battery, The Movielife, Turnstile, Sesnses Fail)—who owns and operates renown Salad Days Studio —finds emotional catharsis through examination of childhood trauma, depression, and fatherhood while still providing a hopeful light. Today, the band shares the first song on Hello Sun, "Treadless." Clocking in at just over two-minutes, the fast-paced track showcases the impeccable musicianship of the band, additionally made up of guitar...

WORLD BE FREE One Time for Unity Era Line-up (CREDIT: Atiba Jefferson) One Time for Unity is the new five-song EP from WORLD BE FREE, the Los Angeles-based Hardcore band formed in 2014 comprised of vocalist Scott Vogel (TERROR, Buried Alive,) guitarist Joe Garlipp (Envy, Despair) guitarist Andrew Kline (STRIFE, BERTHOLD CITY,) drummer Sammy Siegler (Gorilla Biscuits, Constant Elevation,) and bassist Alex Barreto (Chain of Strnegth, Alien Ant Farm.) Since releasing their debut full-length, The Anti-Circle, on Revelation Records in 2016, WORLD BE FREE played a handful of shows, but were sidelined by everyone's rigorous schedules and frontman Vogel's recent neck surgery. During this forced hiatus, WORLD BE FREE continued to write new material and when the moment presented itself, they focused on the five tracks, which, would, eventually, become One Time for Unity. We got to speak with guitarist Andrew Kline about all things WORLD BE FREE and One Time for Unity ahead of the EP...

WORLD BE FREE, 2020 CREDIT: Atiba Jefferson (@atibajefferson) Los Angeles-based WORLD BE FREE is a Punk/Hardcore "super-group" in nearly every sheer essence of the term. Its current line-up features vocalist Scott Vogel, guitarists Joe Garlipp & Andrew Kline, drummer Sammy Siegler, and new bassist Alex Barreto; collectively, having played with the likes of TERROR, Buried Alive, ENVY, Constant Elevation, STRIFE, BERTHOLD CITY, Judge, Gorilla Biscuits, RIVAL SCHOOLS, Chain of Strength, and Excel. WORLD BE FREE formed around 2015 and released their full-length debut, The Anti-Circle , on Revelation Records in 2016, which featured Arthur Smilios (CIV, Judge, Warzone) providing bass duties. Now, WORLD BE FREE have returned with a slightly altered line-up, as well as the announcement of a new EP. One Time for Unity has already yielded one single, "Acceptance," and ahead of next month's wide release on Revelation Records, WORLD BE FREE have dropped a second sing...

Constant Elevation for Revelation Records (CREDIT: Julian Gilbert) Punk/Hardcore drummer, musician, and producer Sammy Siegler has been making music since about 1987-88. Siegler's more well-known projects include CIV, Gorilla Biscuits, Judge, Nightmare of You, Project X, RIVAL SCHOOLS, Shelter, Side By Side, WORLD BE FREE, and Youth of Today, but he's, also, recorded music with the likes of Glassjaw, Head Automatica, Limp Bizkit, and Tech N9ne. Supposedly, Sammy Siegler still plays basketball with Beastie Boy Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, who even remixed "69 Guns" from RIVAL SCHOOLS' 2011 album, Pedals. Sammy's latest group, Constant Elevation, started out as a two-man project with Vinnie Caruana (The Movielife, I Am The Avalanche, Peace'd Out) and released a self-titled 2019 EP on Revelation Records. Constant Elevation's 2020 line-up features Siegler & Caruana, along with guitarist Mike Ireland, bassist Jani Zubkovs, and their newest memb...

1986 Boston Globe TV38 WSBK Friday The 13th Ad (SOURCE: Bob O'Rourke) Not entirely unlike Wrestle/Wrassle Rap or Basketball Rap, there's, apparently, a whole sub-genre of hockey-themed Punk/Hardcore—oftentimes, referred to as "Puck" Rock or Hockey-core. Yes, I've been a die-hard fan of Punk/Hardcore for 15+ years and I, too, only first heard about Puck Rock within the last few weeks. Although, once I started diggin' around, I discovered about 10-15 bands at the forefront; this was, then, gradually narrowed down to 10 "front-line" bands, which will be chronicled here over the course of coming weeks. The "top-scoring" bands we selected include: Crippled Youth, SLAPSHOT, The Hanson Brothers/Nomeansno, Two Man Advantage, The Boils, D.O.A. THE ZAMBONIS, Pansy Division, The Hextalls, and THE RAMOMS' "Gritty Is A Punk" flexi-disc. We sent out a short 6-question interview form to all of the aforementioned bands, received some back, ...

Youth of Today - We're Not In This Alone CD Booklet (Revelation Records, 1997) Youth of Today (YOT) are a Straight Edge Hardcore hailing from Danbury, Connecticut/New York, New York and originally active from 1985-90, 1994, 1999, and 2003-04. Founding members Ray Cappo & John "Porcell" Porcelly re-formed YOT with bassist Walter Schreifels (Gorilla Biscuits, Quicksand,) and drummer Sammy Siegler (Side By Side, RIVAL SCHOOLS) in 2010 and have been moderately active ever since. Youth of Today are oftentimes credited with helping establish the "Youth Crew" sub-culture of Punk/Hardcore, along with popularizing both straight edge and vegetarian/vegan lifestyles. YOT 's seminal albums Break Down The Walls , Can't Close My Eyes , and We're Not In This Alone all released between 1986-88 on Wishing Well, Positive Force & Caroline Records —all of which have since been re-released on Revelation Records —are critically-acclaimed, widely-beloved,...

Revelation Records' G.I. Joe Promo (SOURCE: David "Igby" Sattanni) Not entirely unlike Wrestle/Wrassle Rap or Basketball Rap, there's, apparently, a whole sub-genre of hockey-themed Punk/Hardcore—oftentimes, referred to as "Puck" Rock or Hockey-core. Yes, I've been a die-hard fan of Punk/Hardcore for 15+ years and I, too, only first heard about Puck Rock within the last few weeks. Although, once I started diggin' around, I discovered about 10-15 bands at the forefront; this was, then, gradually narrowed down to 10 "front-line" bands, which will be chronicled here over the course of coming weeks. The "top-scoring" bands we selected include: Crippled Youth, SLAPSHOT, The Hanson Brothers/Nomeansno, Two Man Advantage, The Boils, D.O.A. THE ZAMBONIS, Pansy Division, The Hextalls, and THE RAMOMS' "Gritty Is A Punk" flexi-disc. We sent out a short 6-question interview form to all of the aforementioned bands, received some...

DRAIN Live 2019 - PHOTO CREDIT: Sam Jameson DRAIN are a rising Santa Cruz, California-based band that play a very specific style of Punk/Hardcore; fittingly described within a recent press release as "Metal-tinged, moshy, Crossover-style Hardcore that's, also, incredibly entertaining." DRAIN 's current line-up consists of frontman Sam "Sammy" Ciaramitaro , guitarist Cody Chavez , bassist Justin Rhode , and drummer Tim "Timmy" Flegal , who have previously played with Gulch and Hands of God . Honestly, the best way I can think to describe DRAIN 's sound is if you were to combine the fresh, feverish nature of Henry Rollins-era Black Flag mashed with the frantic, guitar-heavy Thrash stylings of early Anthrax or Metallica. It appears as though DRAIN formed around 2015 and over the past few years, have been garnering quite the reputation for their insanely fun, hyperactive live shows. Now, following a string of demos, EP's, and live recordi...

CREDIT: Eric Palozzolo, 2019 (Left) & Tim Piumarta, 1987-ish (Right) DRAIN is a Santa Cruz, California-based Metal-tinged Crossover/Hardcore Punk band, who are, seemingly, obsessed with sharks; particularly, late 90's crime-fighting half-man/half-sharks and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles knock-off, Street Sharks . DRAIN first commissioned Raul Cruz to design some Street Sharks-like characters to be featured across the cover for their 2-track Promo 2018 EP , which was, later, slightly modified as the Default picture for the band's Twitter profile, drain831 (@drain831.) Behind the bloodthirsty sharks, DRAIN consists of vocalist Sam "Sammy" Ciaramitaro , guitarist Cody "Codster" Chavez , bassist Justin Rhode , and drummer Tim "Timmy" Flegal . Now, DRAIN have returned with a new single, "Sick One," from their full-length debut, CALIFORNIA CURSED , which, also, boasts shark-laden artwork. It's an adorable little "Baby"...

Constant Elevation is a New York/California-based Melodic Hardcore "super-group" featuring Vinnie Caruana & Sammy Siegler , as well as members of WORLD BE FREE . Vinnie Caruana is best known for his time spent with The Movielife , I Am The Avalanche, and Peace'd Out featuring members of Rx Bandits , No Motiv, and The Velvet Teen . Sammy Siegler is, likely, best known for his time spent with Youth of Today , Judge, CIV , and Side By Side, as well as infamous stints with Gorilla Biscuits , Glassjaw, Head Automatica , Rival Schools, Limp Bizkit , Project X, and Tech N9ne . Sammy Siegler , actually, spent about three years drumming as part of Nightmare of You , which featured Vinnie Caruana 's long-time The Movielife bandmate, Brandon Reilly , as frontman and guitarist. It appears as though The Movielife 's current drummer, Brett Romnes , even recorded the vocals for Constant Elevation 's self-produced/self-titled debut EP. English/LA producer and engine...

December 14, 2018: "Last week, we told you about the 80's boy band New Kids On The Block having recorded at Syncro Sound in Boston, a studio with a clients list that boasted notable Hardcore acts, such as Bad Brains, Wrecking Crew, etc. but there's another Hardcore connection to NKOTB that goes back even further than their recordings at the famed studio, but this time by way of one specific NYHC drummer. Eric Komst, better known in Hardcore circles as just "E.K." played drums for legendary Hardcore band Warzone on their 1988 LP, Open Your Eyes and their self-titled follow-up LP in 1989 and later, did time in Sick of It All, recording on their We Stand Alone 7-inch in 1991; but years before, he was playing in NYHC bands, E.K. was living in Boston and playing drums in a band called Miracle Boy all the way back in 1983. Miracle Boy featured a 13-year-old E.K. on drums and none other than Jordan Knight from New Kids On The Block on guitar and vocals. The group wa...