The Witzard

Bad Blood (CREDIT: MArk Miller) We've been hearing rumblings about a new Hardcore/Punk super-group from Scott Vogel (Buried Alive, Cinderblock, Despair, Fadeaway, Slugfest, S.O.S., TERROR, WORLD BE FREE) for at least a couple months now... "hol' up, hol' up, hol' up;" nah, scratch that, actually! Scott Vogel is part of a new Hardcore/Punk super-group behemoth powerhouse called Bad Blood. In addition to frontman Vogel, Bad Blood's membership, also, includes guitarists Eric Ellman (Still Ill, Team Chocolate, THEY LIVE, Violent Way) and Mason Hutchins (The Elite, Exhibition , Violent Way,) bassist Greg Vinal (Exhibition,) and drummer Nick Terlecky (Clear Focus, The Elite, Exhibition, Violent Way.) "No-nonsense Hardcore with a punch and a pulse," is how Scott Vogel introduces Bad Blood, formed alongside members of Buffalo, New York-based Hardcore legends THEY LIVE and newcomers Violent Way & Exhibition. After years spent talking about making ...

"After four long years, New York's Warthog finally return in 2022 with their latest EP. Need we say more?" Static Shock Records shared within a brief release statement on their Bandcamp page. Warthog's latest (third?) self-titled 7-inch EP is the proper follow-up to their (second?) self-titled release from 2018. Warthog have since shared an 8-track live release fittingly titled LIVE! on Shout Recordings/Static Shock Records back in May of 2019. It features Warthog's long-time line-up of Christopher "Chris" Hansell on vocals, Michael "Mike"/M. Gorup/Goo & Sully providing guitar, bassist Mateo Cartagena, and drummer Ryan Naideau. Warthog was recorded by Sasha Stroud at Artifact Audio, mixed by Will Killingsworth (Bacchae, Incendiary, The Men,) and mastered by Arthur Rizk (Cro-Mags, P*ssed Jeans, Turnstile) with artwork designed by Alexander Heir. Warthog by Warthog Along with the unexpected announcement of Warthog (III,) Warthog have ...

STINGRAY performing live at The Grove D.I.Y. 8/22/21 (CREDIT: Oscar Reynolds) STINGRAY is a newly-minted Punk/Hardcore/Metallic Punk band hailing from London. They've signed to UK-based imprint LA VIA ES UN MUS DISCOS, who has previous issued releases from Los Crudos, S.H.I.T. Limp Wrist, HARAM, Arms Race, Chain Cult, The Chisel, and F*CKED UP. STINGRAY's line-up consists of Nick Sarnella (Arms Race, The Chisel, Asid, Crown Court, etc.) Nicky Rat (Arms Race, Subdued, Annihilated, etc.) Tin Savage (Asid, Mankind,) Rich Clarke (Asid, Chain of Flowers,) and Luca Selvaggio (Gutter Knife, Never, Iradei, sometimes, The Chisel.) STINGRAY played their first-ever gig just this past Sunday. STINGRAY picks up right where Asid left off. Nick Sarnella, Nicky Rat, Tin Savage, Rich Clarke & Luca have re-emerged once more to play savage, filthy Hardcore. Feeding Time by Stingray "Chaos and punishment battle for supremacy in the battlefields of Albion once again, as the unyieldi...

Chubby & The Gang 2020 Line-up (CREDIT: Ellie Chaplin) Last year, a London-based Hardcore/Power Pop band called Chubby & The Gang quietly released a mysterious 7-inch single called "All Along The Uxbridge Road." It was first released on Static Shock Records Overseas and, later, saw a secondary re-issue on Goner Records here in The States. Somehow, we got a copy of the UK pressing, we believe, after initially reading about said 7-inch across the pages of P*ssed Jeans frontman Matt Korvette's own D.I.Y. 7/12-inch review site, YellowGreenRed . Not long after, Chubby & The Gang unleashed their proper full-length debut, Speed Kills, boasting production work from F*CKED UP's own Jonah Falco with mastering provided by Will Kilingsworth. It remains one of the strongest, fun-to-listen-to albums spewing with infectious Street Punk/Hardcore swagger and sing-along Power Pop-laden hooks; however, quite unfortunately, Speed Kills was released on Static Shock just pri...

Fight Amp Live, 2005-06 (SOURCE: Mike McGinnis) Knife Hits Records is an independent Heavy Punk music imprint based in Philly. Their current roster includes Low Dose, Rid of Me, now-defunct Fight Amputation (or Fight Amp,) Günna Vahm, Plaque Marks, Lesser Light, Hulk Smash, and Arcadius. In fact, Low Dose, Rid of Me, Plaque Marks, and Lesser Light feature ex-members of Fight Amp. Knife Hits is owned and operated by Mike McGinnis, who plays/played guitar in Fight Amp, Low Dose, Plaque Marks, and Rid of Me, as well as Pale Shelter. Knife Hits was founded in 2004 as "an off-shoot of the Sludge Punk band FIGHT AMPUTATION, the label was originally coined [as] a collective due to it's on-again-off-again habit of releasing various formats, it's communal nature of various entities chipping in to release music, and it's existence as a show/tour promoter from time to time," their website explains. Although Fight Amp has been broken up since 2016, they're still fair...

Chubby & The Gang are the latest signees to London, UK-based Static Shock Records, along with Barcelona's own Minima. "Chubby" is, of course, Straight Edge Punk/Hardcore player Chubby Charles AKA Charlie Fresh AKA Charlie Manning-Walker , who's previously played with Abolition , Arms Race, Crown Court , Guidance, and Violent Reaction over the years. According to Static Shock, Chubby & The Gang , also, consists of "three members of Gutter Knife ," although, it doesn't specify which members exactly. Gutter Knife are a Brighton, UK-based Hardcore/Punk band consisting of Ethan Stahl on guitar, Ted Faux behind the drums, Sam Rack on bass, Luke Austin providing vox, and Luca Selvaggio on guitar. Chubby & The Gang are preparing to unleash their debut 7-inch/digital single on July 5, 2019 and Static Shock Records has released "All Along The Uxbridge Road" as a single online. All Along The Uxbridge Road by Chubby and The Gang...

S/T by Witchtrial It's always reasonably enjoyable when artists start up a new side-project or band that's slightly outside of their typical/expected genre; for example, Hardcore Punks playing "Classic Rock" ( Angel Du$t on Pretty Buff or The Men on Tomorrow's Hits ,) Norwegian Heavy Metalers playing sunny Power-Pop ( Kvelertak as Beacheads ,) Fleet Foxes drummer J. Tillman re-emerging as Indie Rock/Folk heart-throb Father John Misty , members of Anthrax, Fall Out Boy & Every Time I Die joining forces as Pop Punk -inflected Heavy Metal band The Damned Things , Brownout covering Black Sabbath as Brown Sabbath , Ty Segall 's Noise-Rock/Punk side-band GØGGS ... I could, honestly, go on and on! So, this brings us to the latest band of merry misfits doing unexpected things musically: WITCHTRIAL . A primarily DC-based band, WITCHTRIAL consists of members of some of The East Coast 's finest Punk/Hardcore bands, including, but not limited t...