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Up Front | |
---|---|
Origin | New York City, U.S. |
Genres | Hardcore punk |
Years active | 1987–1992, 1997–1999 |
Labels | Smorgasbord, New Age, Sober Mind, |
Website | up-front |
Up Front was an American hardcore band from New York City. They were an influential part of the late 1980s New York hardcore and Connecticut straight edge scenes. They played many of their early shows at the now famous Anthrax Club in Norwalk, Connecticut. In 1987 they appeared on the X Marks The Spot compilation 7-inch, one of the first documents of the burgeoning Connecticut straight edge scene.
In 1988, they released their Spirit LP, and a summer tour followed in 1989 with Unit Pride, Insted and Gorilla Biscuits. Up Front remained active through 1992, releasing the Daybreak 7 inch in 1990, touring the US again in the summer of 1991, and completing their first tour of Europe in the winter of 1991–1992.
They initially broke up after recording the Changes 7-inch in 1992, but reformed in the spring of 1994 to record the What Fire Does 7-inch followed with their second tour of Europe that summer.
After a brief hiatus Up Front wrote and recorded the Movement CD in 1997. After a handful of US shows, a tour of Japan in 1998, and their third summer tour of Europe in 1999 followed (supporting a split 7-inch vinyl with Belgian hardcore band Building, released through Sober Mind Records).
Other than three "reunion" shows in the summer/fall of 2005, and one "reunion" show with a return to the Daybreak lineup in November 2009 at the A Time We'll Remember Fest, the band has remained dormant since 1999.
Poison Idea was an American punk rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, in 1980.
Youth of Today is an American hardcore punk band, initially active from 1985 to 1990 before reforming in 2010. The band played a major role in establishing the "Youth Crew" subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies of the straight edge and vegetarian lifestyles.
Ray Cappo, also known as Raghunath Das, is an American punk rock musician best known as the vocalist for the bands Youth of Today and Shelter and as founder of the independent record label Equal Vision.
Judge is a New York hardcore band formed in 1987 by Youth of Today guitarist John "Porcell" Porcelly and former Youth of Today drummer Mike "Judge" Ferraro.
Gorilla Biscuits are an American hardcore punk band from New York City, New York, United States, formed in 1986. The band currently consists of Anthony "Civ" Civarelli, Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios and Luke Abbey, and is signed to Revelation Records. Gorilla Biscuits are part of the New York hardcore scene.
Scream is an American hardcore punk band from Washington, D.C.; they originally formed in the suburb of Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia. Scream originally formed in 1981 within the vanguard of the Washington Hardcore explosion. In 2009, the band reunited, and as of January 2012 were on tour in Europe. As of 2017, the band was still touring in both America and the United Kingdom.
Bold is an American late 1980s youth crew hardcore band from Westchester County, New York, which, along with bands like Youth of Today and Side by Side, were a part of the Youth Crew and an influence in the late 80s straight edge hardcore scene. The band progressed to a more rock-oriented sound in its later years.
Naked Raygun is an American punk rock band that formed in Chicago in 1980. The band was active from 1980 to 1992, along with reunion shows in 1997, and since 2006.
Bane is an American hardcore punk band that began in 1995 as a side project between Aaron Dalbec and Damon Bellorado. Dalbec approached Matt Firestone to sing and they played under the moniker of Gateway for a few shows, before Firestone parted ways to focus on other projects. Dalbec then approached Aaron Bedard about singing for Bane. They went into the studio in December 1995 with a few friends and released a five-song demo. The next year saw the release of their first EP, and many shows throughout central Massachusetts. In early 1997, Bane released Free to Think, Free to Be EP, and in 1998 the band released the Holding This Moment 7" and CD collection, and embarked upon their first US tour. Like many other hardcore bands, Bane are known for their promotion of tolerance and unity within the scene.
The Smugglers are a Canadian indie rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia. The band consists of vocalist Grant Lawrence, guitarists Nick Thomas and David Carswell, bassist Kevin "Beez" Beesley and drummer Graham Watson. Past members include Paul Preminger, Adam Woodall, Bryce Dunn, Danny Fazio and John Collins.
Unbroken is an American metalcore band from San Diego County, California. They were influential in the Southern California hardcore scene during the mid-to-late 1990s. The band chose the name Unbroken because they wanted to emphasize their dedication to the straight edge philosophy of drug abstinence. However, most of the members have since given up this belief.
Slapshot is an American hardcore punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. The band has been active for over 30 years, releasing eight studio albums and a number of singles and EPs over that time period. Though there have been constant line-up changes, founding member Jack "Choke" Kelly has remained a constant member of the band and its primary vocalist and leader.
The Undead is an American horror punk band formed in 1980 in New York City's East Village by Bobby Steele, Chris "Jack" Natz (bass) and Patrick Blanck (drums). They were one of the pioneers in the New York hardcore scene.
Gang Green is an American punk rock band originally from Braintree, Massachusetts. Chris Doherty (guitar), Bill Manley (bass) and Mike Dean (drums) started the band in 1980 and broke up in 1983. Doherty reformed Gang Green the following year, and the band experienced numerous lineup changes until its dissolution for the second time in 1992. Doherty has been the band's only constant member and has kept Gang Green active from 2005 onwards. The band was influential in the formation of the East Coast hardcore punk scene, and went on to become one of the forerunners of crossover thrash and speed metal in the late 1980s.
Victims Family is a hardcore punk band formed in 1984 in Santa Rosa, California, by bass guitarist Larry Boothroyd and guitarist and vocalist Ralph Spight. Devon VrMeer completed the trio as drummer. Their sound blended punk, heavy metal and jazz, making them difficult to categorize into a single genre. Allmusic says, "Since its inception, the trio has refused to be pigeonholed to any single musical style — incorporating elements of hardcore punk, jazz, funk, hard rock, and noise into its challenging sound". They were known as one of the most musically diverse bands in the San Francisco underground music scene. Over the years, Victims Family went through four drummers and two break-ups. Their name was taken from a piece by the cartoonist B. Kliban.
Voorhees is a hardcore punk band formed in Durham, England. From early 1991 until late 2001 they released records on international record labels and toured Europe and the USA.
Litfiba was an Italian rock band formed in Florence, Italy, in early 1980.
Concrete Sox are a British crust punk band. They are largely seen as an early crossover thrash band who incorporated many thrash metal-like riffs in the style of their earlier recordings.
Morning Again is an American metalcore band from Florida. They were known for their metallic sound as well as for their straight edge, vegan, anti-religious and anti-government ideals. The band was a "sister band" to Culture, often switching members after one had left the other. Several members went on to play in other bands such as As Friends Rust and Dead Blue Sky. The band was originally from Cooper City, Florida, but moved to Coral Springs in 1998 before breaking up later that year. After playing several reunion shows over the years, the band released a new EP in 2018.
Fang is an American hardcore punk band from the early East Bay punk rock scene, established in Berkeley, California, in 1980.