For whatever reason, lately I've been pondering the fact that 10 years ago there were so many fucking straightedge bands out there (vegan/vegetarian or otherwise) that it was pretty much insane—especially considering the fact that these days there's barely a shred of that whole scene left, especially in the US. That train of thought got me jamming "Bloodlust Revenge", the second EP from Albany, NY's One King Down, which was their first release for Equal Vision Records in 1996. This record shits all over everything else the band did in my opinion, and remains way underrated in terms of the whole 90's straightedge boom. There's just a great balance between ripping metal riffs and energetic bursts of crunchy hardcore, which was typical of the 90's, though on this EP One King Down was damn sure above average in terms of songwriting quality. There's some sick groove to the drumming and pulsing basslines, the vocals were fierce as fuck, and guitar-wise this shit is fuckin' riff city, man!
Musically you can hear elements comparable to west coast acts like Strife and Outspoken in this stuff, but the east coast angle keeps things significantly more metallic than many of the band's contemporaries of the time period, though not necessarily venturing into full-blown metal. Although... there are some guitar solos and acoustic passages, so... who knows!? There's sort of a European lean to it in ways, but the songwriting was much more melodic and inventive, not to mention more energetic, than much of the European metalcore of the day, and that pays off big time—especially given the length of many of the tracks. The only minor setback to this release is the recording, as it's a little thin, so the guitars aren't as powerful as they should've been and shit like that. It's no big deal, because it sounds pretty solid, but, I mean, can you even imagine if this shit had a tonality more akin to Earth Crisis' "Destroy the Machines"? Fuck... we'd be talking complete and total carnage. But regardless of all that it's still 6 tracks, 28 minutes, all gold. "More Hate Than Fear" is a fucking classic, and to this day still makes me want to smash motherfuckers...
One King Down "More Hate Than Fear"
One King Down "Absolve"
One King Down "Bloodlust Revenge"
Surprisingly enough this one's still cake to get your hands on, and pretty cheap, so pick this shit up and crush:
Comments
this band made me proud to be from upstate NY. truly one of the greats of the 90’s.
12.1.2006 | By chris
YES!
12.1.2006 | By Devin
lately I’ve been pondering the fact that 10 years ago there were so many fucking straightedge bands out there (vegan/vegetarian or otherwise) that it was pretty much insane - especially considering the fact that these days there’s barely a shred of that whole scene left, especially in the US
Maybe it’s because people don’t dig dogma in their entertainment as much as they used to?
(fully awaits an EMS counterpoint)
12.1.2006 | By Johnny
Ehhh, if that were completely true, all those christian bands wouldn’t be half as popular as they are. It’s like the content has flip-flopped: In the 90’s the vegan/edge shit was all over and the tolerance for christian bands was way low; now the christian bands are all over and the vegan/edge stuff is rarely encountered - and almost never to the degree of that era.
12.1.2006 | By Andrew Aversionline
Maybe it just reflects societal trends in general? The 90’s were the decade of political correctness and college activism, where as the 2000’s are the age of the great evangellical awakening. Maybe those demographic shifts are embodied in the current musical output.
12.1.2006 | By Johnny
The sxe trend of mid-nineties was something awesome in the sense that it flooded a lot of countries for different reasons, but all of it happened at the same time…i said sxe trend because it was partially a fashion thing, but besides that there were a lot of more things. I don’t know too much about the usa background for the success of sxe, but in my country in Spain was a way of melting the long tradition of spanish anarchism with the ethics of punk-hardcore, not a surprise as hardcore in Spain was strongly related to squats.I have some books in my house about anarchism before the civil war, back way in the thirties, and you can see a lot of stuff against alcohol, cigarretes and even a strong support for veganism…sxe just gave it a musical content and made it cooler…
But the country with the strongest sxe scene was definitely Belgium, for me probably the weirdest country in western Europe(you can feel something not that ok when you are there) wich at the time was shocked with the Marc Dutroux paidophile scandal. The whole country was suddenly flooded by a wave of puritanism and that led to the most intolerant sxe scene of Europe…while in Germany sxe also had a more political content as in Spain but still was quite intolerant…and as far as i know in Italy sxe arrived later but the catholism inherent to Italy led to a quite intolerant version of it…
And of course remember that those were the times of the rise of technopunk(Prodigy and shit like that) and indie rock, that meant alternative music and a lot of drugs, sxe was also the way for some kids to just stand against all of that(and yes hardcore stopped those years of being underground music and became another alternative rock subgenre)
PD: i was sxe from 1997 to 2000, now i’m a smoker and drink beer like water…i’m the stereotypical sxe of the time, he, he…
12.1.2006 | By desintegrado
rob fusco is one of the best front men ever. end of story.
12.1.2006 | By phil d
Worth reading just for spurring me on to hunt out the stuff I have from Strife. God I’d almost completely forgotten about those guys.
12.1.2006 | By Mike S
maybe people finally grew to realize that the edge is something personal and should only be kept to ourselves. although i follow the ethic and practices of sXe i don’t even label myself as that, because i don’t want any labels on myself, and because it is my own belief and path and i don’t want/expect anyone to understand, sadly even in the squat scene i am involved with, where most punks/crusties think they have to get drunk or high. but of course that’s their own decision, i don’t have a problem with that. in my opinion there shouldn’t even be a straight edge scene, because it can isolate people that won’t relate to the subject matter of the edge (which easily can lead to preaching), with bands with stupid lyrics like Earth Crisis, Vegan Reich or Project X. and finally i believe that straight edge can be an act of politics and resistance to the capitalist society we live in, so i don’t care about people that are edge and are all about consumerism and don’t have political ideas. that’s why i’m edge, and not because my favourite bands are Youth Of Today, Congress, Minor Threat and Crucial Youth.
12.1.2006 | By V_For_Valantis
I don’t think the current popularity of evangelical Christian bands could have happened without straightedge. As straightedge ideology required forswearing more and more things - going from alcohol and drugs and casual sex to meat to all animal products, from there it was only short hop to Krishna (hence Shelter, 108, etc.) and then from there to forsaking abortion, at that point you’ve just got Christianity without the whole Jesus thing. Add the Jesus thing, and you’ve got No Innocent Victim and everything that came after. Me, I got into punk and HC partially because I thought the church was full of shit, so I think it’s funny and kind of sad at the same time.
12.1.2006 | By cliff
haha dont worry Johnny, no counterpoint on my end… well maybe some rambling (as i’m good at that). There are no sXe bands around that really talk about much more than moshing, breakdowns, and crews these days with very little substance, so i’m a little bored with it. Actually most of it; the shitty merch / tshirt companies around now, and the kids with their gang fantasies are quite embarassing. Then again a majority of my peers have foresaken their true til death tattoos and can now be found at popular water holes using alcohol as a way to still get the courage to talk to a girl like high school revisited. But either way I still love them to death and if i ostracized them I wouldnt have any friends at all. A good quote - “I don’t hate the people who do drugs, I hate the drugs people do.” I also hate all of the propaganda and subversive advertising from the tobacco industry and alcohol companies. I feel they are praying upon us normal citizens and the young. I still proudly claim straight edge and just dont worry about what other people edge or not are doing. There’s plenty of embarassments on each side of the fence. But yeah… a lot of good bands came out of the 90s… although only one member of OKD (singer) was vegan. The rest weren’t even vegetarians but they just got labeled as such due to some of their lyrics. Kinda weird. Good night.
12.1.2006 | By EMS
on what desintegrado said, i think that Zapatistas also prohibit drugs and alcohol in the areas they are controlling. the way the catalunian anarchists created little societies and villages and their way of thinking is my ideal model of society, and this is mostly why i follow the ways of straight edge. sadly i don’t think all anarchists think this way.
12.1.2006 | By V_For_Valantis
i found people ofthe mentioning “catholic” or evangelical bands. i dont have in mind any except Zao and Norma Jean, maybe AmenRa have some influnces.
Personally I think religion is somewhat strange in hardcore bands. Hardcore its meant to be some sort of rebellion, but most of our religions (think catholic) are kind a great corporoations leaded by peoples who have a lot of benefits from sheeps - a.k.a religious people. I dont have anything against religious people, but i think religion dont fit much in music, maybe as contra not pro.
i also dont like much “militant” hardcore bands with ideas of spreading veganism or sxe towards people in maybe agressive way. For me personally is really stupid to influence on people thinking in that way.
I eat meat. i wasnt never sXe. The problem of eaitng isnt for me just, dont kill animal. How can you think cows will live, if they wont be “reduced” by human population, or pigs. Some animals are born and raised in captivity. That is sad, but human brains has evolved mostly because of meat. im not saying that killing animals is good but i dont understand people who want to convince other ieavening their behaviour and they pet animals. Is there any proof that animal is happy in captivity, just because dog is getting food and drink and etc.
There are so many questions and ethical problem in “meat problem”. Of course “high developed” countries peoples can decide what would they eat, but somebody in Africa on Asia cant.
Also i see the biggest problem of supporting the scene and that shit in that that nobody thinks about the poorest. OK some band can talk about that but what they do about that?!
12.1.2006 | By Anonymous
yeh, i think it’s hypocritical to say you are vegan and care about animal rights, and having a dog in your house, especially in urban centers. the reason i became straight edge and vegan (apart from health reasons) is more on the economy side. people are becoming rich by the pain of people and animals, so i won’t support them financially. i’m talking about stuff like KFC, mcdonalds and cigarette/alcohol/drugs manufacturers, not fishermen in somalia, of course. yes, the biggest problem in the scene is that there’s much talk and no action, it’s all selling points. i think we should more educate people on the pain is inflicted on animals by scientists, cosmetic companies and food chains with facts than just saying that’s it’s wrong eating meat or drinking alcohol. did Vegan Reich actually kill someone who eats meat? hardcore is another market, you see bands having sponsors, dressing like athletes and all their fans dress like that, so it is another way of conformity whereas it started as a place where everyone can be different and contribute different ideas. i can’t accept bands like these talking about injustice and fighting for something better. as for christian bands, i hate christianism for the crimes its leaders have committed against humanity (genocides of native Americans and Greeks and Scandinavians et al, the oppression it forces upon women even to this day, the connections and support of all big christian dogmas to kings and oppressive regimes), but i actually like the music of many christian bands like XDiscipleX, Zao, Norma Jean, Living Sacrifice, No Innocent Victim and so many more. and i think most of these bands have well thought lyrics that challenge organized religion (e.g. “Christ Shaped Vacuum” by XDiscipleX AD, “Free The Three” by Zao). Zao recently has said that they don’t want to be considered a christian band anymore, and i first read some of their lyrics i thought they were satanists haha.
12.2.2006 | By V_For_Valantis
back to one king down… I saw them in mpls a few times (a town where this style was once great, but now dead) and the guitarist and bassist would play into another songs before starting their set - AWESOME.
12.2.2006 | By Steve
“i found people ofthe mentioning “catholic†or evangelical bands. i dont have in mind any except Zao and Norma Jean, maybe AmenRa have some influnces.”
Correction, AmenRa is 100% anti religion, and most definitly anti-catholicism. Too mention them in the same sentence as bands like norma jean, is just short-sighted. I’d recommend reinterpreting the lyrics, unless I misunderstood what you were trying to say.
Besides that, More hate than fear has to be one of the best 90’s hardcore songs ever?
12.4.2006 | By Anonymous
yeah i probably missed that with AmenRa. i just found some people had connect them in the past with some god “spheres”.
I have Mass III at home but it doesnt have any lyrics included…
i think its pretty hard to put some bands in religious or anti-religious contest. As we speak about lyrics they can be understanded in many ways, especially if there are a lot of metamorphoses.
I think its very similar to nacionalistic and racist (black) metal bands talking…
12.4.2006 | By Anonymous
i never liked OKD all that much, but they did put on a hell of a show and were fun to watch. in the mid to late 90’s, it seems like either OKD or Depair played in Syracuse every weekend.
12.4.2006 | By Will
When I was in Tonsul we played a show with these guys in Red Bank, NJ. Awesome band, thanks for posting em!
12.5.2006 | By s
I saw OKD in ‘98 on their european tour w/ Hands Tied and Ten Yard Fight on maybe
three different shows. Those shows were all awesome.
To the sxe / vegetarian / vegan discussion I’d like to add the following:
“maybe people finally grew to realize that the edge is something personal and should only be kept to ourselves” - I don’t agree to this. Sure sxe is a personal choice but there is a need for sxe bands and people in bands who are outspoken about, talk about it in interviews, write lyrics about it and X up at shows.
“in my opinion there shouldn’t even be a straight edge scene, because it can isolate people that won’t relate to the subject matter of the edge (which easily can lead to preaching), with bands with stupid lyrics like Earth Crisis, Vegan Reich or Project X. and finally i believe that straight edge can be an act of politics and resistance to the capitalist society we live in, so i don’t care about people that are edge and are all about consumerism and don’t have political ideas. “
I say: Forget all that pseudo political bullshit punk bands write about. I don’t need a PC police. If I want to educate myself on politics I read a good newspaper. Some crust punk most likely won’t be able to teach me anything relevant on politics. I embrace the “capitalist society” we live in but I do it with sticking to my personal ethics.
PS: PX or EC having stupid lyrics? Are you kidding me? Sure, both bands have “over the top” lyrics but at least they take a stand. Two of the most important sxe bands ever…
12.6.2006 | By Toby
yeah fine as it is with politic so is with food.
i fucking hate people who think if they are sXe they are something special. i fucking hate people who think if I eat animals Im piece of shit. I hate people who want to force me their thinking, I also hate people who use sXe or anything like that to be more popular. I also have over the head the same (anti)politics,wars, drugs, church, whatever lyrics. How much band have original lyrics today? FEW. Its easy to criticize, its easy to write about things nobody like but we must do them - like paying taxes.
i want to fucking live my live and think with my fucking head and do what fucking makes me happy.
I smoke pot from time to time, so why somebody who is sXe want to promot me his way of life. What the fuck?!
How can somebody “protect” animal if he/she have pet animals, if he/she dress in animal products, and so on. And what about ecological problems. Are you ecologic if you are driving car? Why we are driving cars and then say that industry pollutioning is not good? Why we all throw things in garbage but we can use them? Why we use so fucking much of water?
Nobody is “clean” on this world and if we want to do something better for this fucking planet we must start with ourselves.
And we humans are fucking animals!
12.6.2006 | By Anonymous
Come on, Project X and Earth Crisis did have some silly lyrics, and it was intentional in the former case. I loved Earth Crisis and didn’t view them as a joke, but you can’t not laugh at lines like:
“Reject the anthropocentric falsehood that maintains the oppressive hierarchy of mankind over the animals…
12.8.2006 | By Andrew Aversionline
OKD are my boys. Awesome band. The “Jawbreaker” demo is what dragged me out to my first hardcore show.
12.18.2006 | By john torn
I’m not sure who still comes around this website. But.. About a month ago, I got in contact with Matt Wood, the Guitarist of One King Down via email. I had been doing some searching for the “Jawbreaker” demo. Through some sort of luck, he is sending me a copy of the tape on cd, with the rights to bootleg it.
I love One King Down, and am truly sad that I wasnt into them while they still played live shows. Just getting the chance to talk to them wasnt pretty neat. Hopefully I will get Rob’s email, as promised - what a maniac lyricist. Anyways, my point: If you want a copy, drop me an email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Ill do what I can to get it to you digital or otherwise.
3.2.2007 | By C. J.