Hardcore is a tricky thing to talk to about. There's a seemingly endless supply of new bands in the genre at any given time and to the untrained ear (those people who aren't HC fans) it tends to all sound the same. One can delineate between the different sub-genres and essentially pick and choose their favorite styles. If you like NYHC chances are your a fan of the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Warzone or Sick of It All. Prefer thrash or hardcore punk? You'll probably look elsewhere. If your allegiance is to a label, say Bridge9, you might like Ceremony or Soul Control. So what makes for good hardcore or bad hardcore? I think that, regardless of the genre, you KNOW your listening to great hardcore when you can feel the energy and the passion radiate from the band. It gets you going because you want to be part of that energy. It elevates your blood pressure. Whether your in your room listening to a 7inch or in a packed club stage diving it makes you feel alive. Old Ghosts recent release, 2011, makes me feel that way.
2011 is actually an 11 song demo (or so says the bands facebook page) but you wouldn't know it. Most demo's are to give the listener an impression of what a band sounds like, not as complete efforts necessarily but more of a teaser of things to come. To me, this is as good as hardcore gets and if this is just a demo I can't wait to see what the band has in store next. It truly hasn't left my CD player in weeks. What makes 2011 so great is that it pulls from a multitude of influences and represents a vast array of sounds. It's hardcore alright but you can also hear the metal and punk influences trickle in. When I pop this on I hear chugga-chugga riffs (that was all so prevalent in the 90's) but I also hear Sick of It All, Integrity, and the influences of some of their past outfits, Dead Hearts most notably. On "Caskets" and "Dear Faith" for instance, Dereks vocals rip through slow riffs that pulverize then build melodically to create a vibe that is unfortunately missing from alot of today's hardcore releases. Vibe is everything and Old Ghosts have it. I was thinking the other day about two of my favorite newer hardcore bands, Wisdom in Chains and Trapped Under Ice, and why I like them so much. The music is great sure, but the vibe, the attitude is just as captivating. You get down with what they do in mind, body and spirit. This could easily be said about Old Ghosts. Generic this is not.
This should probably come as no surprise to anybody that has followed the scene for the past 10 or 15 years. Old Ghosts are comprised of ex members of some of Buffalo's most legendary hardcore bands including the Control, xEnvyx, Dead Hearts, the Pavers, the Grail, and the list goes on. Alot of these bands were the soundtrack to my life growing up in the hardcore scene, especially the Control, who were one of my favorite locals to see at the turn of the decade. Anyways, I'm rambling. If you like hardcore, 2011 is worth picking up. That's my endorsement, take it or leave it (I hope you'll take it). You can download the whole album for FREE at the bands bandcamp page, www.old-ghosts.bandcamp.com. You can also get updates on shows, releases etc by liking the band on facebook or checking them out on myspace. You won't be disappointed.
~JK
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