MRR Column

Here is a column, written by the recent MRR zine co-ordinator Lydia Athanasopoulos, in her column found in the March 2016 issue of MRR. Lydia talks about her time in Toronto, and SHEXD, and the radio show and Faith/Void and a whole bunch of other things. It is neat to see how others see our city and our scene. the interview we did with Lydia aired and can be found on the blog at http://equalizingxdistort.blogspot.ca/2016/02/radio-sunday-january-31st-2016.html.

MRR Review - EXD - Volume 15, Issue 1

A review for the recent issue of a zine we did on the School Jerks which can be downloaded from our blog. The review appeared in the May issue of MRR (#384).

MRR Review - EXD, Volume 13, Issue 1

The recent issue of our zine is reviewed in February's issue of MRR (#369).

Toronto scene report in MRR

I wrote a scene report on Toronto which was published in the July issue of MRR. The report provides minor updates on the New Enemy, the Class Assassins, Sinkin's Ships, Whiskey Hearts Collective, the Fallout, Brutal Youth, the Sketch, Armed and Hammered, Volume Knobs, I.D.N.S.,  Rah, Violent Future, Hassler, Purity Control, Farang, Kremlin, School Jerks, Dead Mouth, Harangue, Total Trash, Column of Heaven, Urine Cup, Spearhead, the Wastoids, Direct Approach, Wrong Generation, Burial Permit,  Abyss, Legion666, Gofuckyourself, Rising Crust, Titan, Hammerhands, Godstopper, Absolut, Left for Dead, Rad Habits, Burning Love, School Damage, Unbelievers, Dream Dates, Sluts on 45, Arson, Sid's Kids, Freedom '85, Shadowy Men from a Shadowy Planet, Filthy Gaze of Europe, Sam Sutherland's book "Perfect Youth", the Last Pogo Jumps Again, information on show spaces, promoters, radio and some brief information on the scene in Barrie. You can order a copy from MRR or read the issue here. 

Hassler interview in MRR

This is a piece we worked on for months. The original interview from the studio 3 session back at the beginning of November. That interview you can go back and check out here. We looked at the interview and cut it down and met again in January. This was transcribed worked into the text and editted down again. Then we went back and forth with the band to make sure it got at the essence of the band's involvements, namely the two eps. In February or March we finished and submitted the piece to Miriam at MRR and they had an opening in the April issue. Jon remebered that Martin Sorrendeguy had taken photos when he was up here for Varning in Montreal and Not Dead Yet in Toronto. He was happy to share them with MRR for this layout. Here is the interview in all it's glory but it looks even better in a printed format. This interview appears in the April 2013 issue of MRR, #358.

Review - Equalizing-X-Distort, Volume 12, Issue 4

Our zine was reviewed in the March 2013 issue of MRR (#358).

Hassler studio 3 session

We recorded this session on the second day that Hurricane Stacy had hit Toronto. There was lots of rain outside and the lights lit up the playing field on the bak of Hart House showing off the mud pit it had become. Large puddles on display with little grass to show for it.

I wasn't sure who was in the band other than Jon and as I started reading up on them before we met up it appeared there was some pretty serious punk time that had played a part in the members past. The band is made up of Jay on vocals who was the singer in Bad Skin. Jon is the guitarist and he has played in so many bands ranging from Chokehold and Hacksaw and more recently Brutal Knights, Rammer, Career Suicide, and the Suicide Dates. Erik was the bassist in the Reprobates and they keep coming up in reviews I read about this band. And then there is Al who played in loads of bands but most recently he was in Toxic Holocaust and Rammer. It is the Rammer connection that seems to be the basis for this band. John and Al wanted to start something new up and Hassler is that band.

It wasn't until they started playing that I had forgotten how explosive a singer Jay can be. His constant pacing reminded me of a more together Darby Crash. It makes it extermely frustrating for someone trying to take a picture of him because they minute you get him framed he is off somewhere else. This energy makes Jay and engaging singer. And as far as cerebral metter is concerned Jay downplays this in songs like "Amoral" or "Trainwreck" by uses of self-character assassination, however songs likje "Retaliation" and "Enlightened" demonstrate deeper meanings to their songs the same way Total Trash are deceptively philosophical in their approach to lyrics.

The music is a modern day mash up along the lines of what Double Negative are able to pull off. I had the same paradigm shift experience with Hassler's music which played out as an endless game of name that part from punk's rich past. I think Double Negative and Hassler share the same make up of scene veterans from different generations of punk that work together at making simple flowing hardcore that speaks to all of their collective experience. It can't help but be a wealth of ideas, hyperkinteic in structure, and fascinating to hear unravel as it is played. Given their humble nature the band downplays the significance as some organic method of song writing, but as I listen to it I find the songs complex and rivetting and representing something new in hardcore writing which is ultimately waht the band is trying to achieve. Breakdowns that magically appear out of some raw d-beat riff with blown out distortion. Invisible Guy describes the sound as "Raw-Fi" which captures this idea embodied in bands like Urban Blight and Violent Future, but through back to a style hammered out by Confuse and G.I.S.M. Hassler have an approach and a background for this that can't be replicated and will be looked back on as a new approach to hardcore writing.

This session was recorded and mixed by Jonathon Hawkes. The songs we recorded at studio 3 include the following:

1. Amoral
2. Trainwreck
3. Retaliation
4. Escape
5. Apathy
6. Creeper
7. Asphyxiate
8. What I See
9. Beatdown
10. Pig Pen
11. Enlightened

The session was videotaped by Aldo Edric for Punks n Rockers and a clip can be seen below.



The interview we did for this interview was transcribed and then we did a follow up interview. We editted the two interviews together and submitted it to MRR. They published the interview in the April 2013 (#359) issue. Martin Sorrondeguy took the photos used in their layout when he was down for the Varning and NDY fest shows. Here is a preview of the piece.

MRR Review - EXD zine Volume 12, Issue 2

MRR says some nice things about our issues with Sons of Ismael and Arson in them.

MRR Review - Harhaa demo

This is a review of the Harhaa demo which appeared in the August 2012 issue (#351) of MRR.

Interview - Don Pyle

The interview that Greg Dick conducted with Don Pyle originally about his photo exhibition at the Beaver was published in the July 2012 issue (#350) of MRR. Along with the importance of capturing the first wave of the Toronto punk scene, Greg also explores Don's first band Crash Kills 5. Little did we know at the time that this would lead to Trouble in the Camera Club. Click on the image to download a PDF of the interview or order a copy at http://maximumrocknroll.com/.

Review - EXD, Volume 12, Issue 01

We got this really nice review from the June issue of MRR. Judging by the detail in the review, Ariel read through the entire issue. That was flattering to recognize. 

EXD, Volume 11, Issue 6 in MRR

The latest issue of the zine gets a review in March's issue of MRR (#346).

Equalizing-X-Distort, Volume 11, Issue 5

Our issue with Zro4 in it gets reviewed in the January issue of MRR #344. The reviewer really read the entire issue.

Review of Volume 11, Issue #3

This appeared in the December issue of MRR #343. I was playing catch up with them and sent them two issues at once.

Review - EXD - Volume 11, Issue 4

This review appeared in the December issue of MRR #343 which came out this month. You can order copies of MRR at http://maximumrocknroll.com/back-issues/.

MRR Review - EXD Volume 11, Issue 1 and 2

Review of EXD, Volume 9, Issue #5

Bob Goldie, a zine reviewer for MRR, gave us this really nice review of the zine in the March issue of MRR. Copies of their issue are available at http://maximumrocknroll.com/subscribe/.

Colin Brunton in MRR

Click for download

This interview with Colin Brunton was done on our radio show initially. Colin Brunton is a filmaker who made the movie the Last Pogo. The Last Pogo captured the early Toronto punk scene as they were getting kicked out of their digs at the Horseshoe Tavern. Many from that era consider those shows at the death of punk in Toronto. It was a significant event nonetheless. the show featured performances by the Ugly, the Secrets, the Mods, the Viletones, the Ugly, and Teenage Head getting the plug pulled by the Fire Department. The interview was conducted by Greg Dick of the Dream Dates and was printed by Maximumrocknroll in the April 2010 edition. Copies of this issue are available and copies are available at http://maximumrocknroll.com/subscribe/.

EXD IN MRR - TORONTO SCENE REPORT (2009)

There hasn't been a Toronto scene report in sometime and I was reading the issue with Luke Haas and I got inspired to write one. That same issue MRR was doing a call out for scene reports so it seemed to work out. We did miss some news from bands like the New Enemy, but for the most part I think we caught everybody. If you want a more readable copy you should order one from Maximumrocknroll at http://maximumrocknroll.com/back-issues/. This was in issue #314, the July 2009 issue.

EXD IN MRR - THE EXISTERS

Greg Dick does another extensive interview with the Existers who were a first wave punk band from Toronto. Barrie Farrell talks about his earlier band the Toys and George Higdon talks about his zine Shades, which was a zine from back in the day that published at least 16 issues. This interview originally appeared on CIUT and was later printed in MRR as part of an ongoing series on Toronto. To obtain a more readable copy you should order one from Maximumrocknroll at http://maximumrocknroll.com/back-issues/.