DEAD NATION - DEAD END

Here is the one of the most important hc/punk bands and records from the late 90´s & early 2000´s – DEAD NATION – DEAD END! Before you continue with readin this, you have to be aware of one crucial thing. If it weren´t for Dead Nation, there wouldn´t be Tear It Up. Dead Nation is as much important as Tear It Up in „bringing back“ fast and pissed off hc/punk inspired by some of the best hc/punk bands from the 80´s (Black Flag, Jerry´s Kids, early D. R. I., just to name a few). I´m not sure why more people don´t recognize the importance of Dead Nation, even some of the ones who claim that Tear It Up was one of the best bands in hc/punk history. So, if you are one of these people, read again what I have said earlier and kick yourself in the ass for not having a clue about this amazing band.

From l to r: Mattt Suxx, Matt times, Frankie Bones & Dead Dave 
The Dead End line up

As was the case with Tear It Up, which I have discovered few years later than they began, it is a similar case with Dead Nation. Well, I did knew about the band already in early 2000.´s and I have been reading about Dead Nation in zines, but I haven´t heard anything from them until 2004. (and they were broke up already in 2000.) when Vasko from Fx Px Ox gave me their Dead End LP recorded on tape (I still have that tape of course). I remember being so happy because I have finally heard this amazing band and I was also very glad that the sound of Dad Nation wasn´t too far away from the Tear It Up sound (after all, it was the same vocalist and the same drummer, at least on this record). And the sound was very pissed off and angry hc/punk. Mostly fast, sometimes slower with a heavy Black Flag influence and sometimes even catchy in that classic early 80´s hc/punk vein. Even though Dead End was not the first Dead Nation record, it was their most important record and the first that I have heard of, so that is why I´m starting with Dead End. Also, Dead End is the only Dead Nation full length record, because they weren´t around for more than two years. I will definitelly write about other Dead Nation records in my future posts as I have did with Tear It Up records.

Let´s start with a bit of history of Dead Nation before I continue on about Dead End record. Dead Nation was formed in early 1998. in Morris Plains, New Jersey by Matt Molnar aka Matt Suxx on guitar, Randy Torseillo aka Randy Nation on drums, Frank Cappucio aka Frank E. Bones on bass and Dave Ackerman aka Dead Dave on vocals. Matt and Frank already played together in a band called Uprise in mid 90´s which was a classic youth crew hardcore sounding band. With Dead Nation, these four young punks wanted to play hc/punk inspired by early 80´s raw and angry sound and at the time there weren´t that many bands in that style, not only in New Jersey, but int he whole USA. The Nation recorded few demos real soon and started playing shows in NJ and NYC area (in NYC, mostly in legendary ABC No Rio). Soon after the demos, they recorded in a studio all the songs from demos and those songs ended up on their first two 7 inches: Face The Nation and The Cenk, both from 1998. The Nation guys also started a record label called Slaugherhouse Records which released those two 7 inches and few more local NJ hc/punk bands. In their first year of existence, The Nation already played bunch of shows, had two 7 inches out and slowly began to build this new „scene“ in New Jersey area with their friends bands like: Fast Times (a sister/brother band of Dead Nation), The Degenerics, Full Speed Ahead, Fanshen and more. Even though those early Nation records were more of a sloppier early 80´s hc/punk side, only a few could predict the importance of the band at the time, but it was obvious that the Nation gave a great bit of a fresh new energy to sort of a dull hc/punk scene. In December of 1998. Randy quited The Nation and Matt Wechter aka Matt Times replaced Randy on drums. Matt was playing drums in Fast Times at the time and both bands played lots of shows together and even toured together and Matt already knew all the Nation songs and he was much better and tighter drummer then Randy so Dead Nation continued sounding much faster, angrier and more furious.

So, we are coming to 1999. when Dead End was recorded with recording strechted into four months (May, June, July and August 1999.), probably because at the time Matt Times was on European tour with Fast times and Up Front (he also played in Up Front on that tour). They also played a show in Kutina, Croatia on that tour on which I wan´t present, but that is another sad story that I will tell you some other time. Anyway, Dead End was recorded in Clear Cut Studios in Saddlebrook, New Jersey (where also Tear It Up later continued to record their records) and was produced by Max Casselnova (also, the guy who produced Tear It Up records). The Nation recorded 20 songs for Dead End record and all the songs ended up on the record. I don´t think that there are any outtakes or songs that were intended for compilations from that session. The line up on that recorded Dead End was:

Dead Dave – Vocals

Matt Suxx – Guitar

Frankie Bones – Bass

Matt Times – Drums

Production is fucking great. I don´t know what this guy Casselnova was into at the time, but he knows his fucking job when it comes to producing a hardcore punk record. Everything on the record is just perfect soundwise. The cover of the record looks also amazing. Front cover is a photo of some suburban Dead End street and it just fits perfect with this record and it is also a good example how to make a simple but good and effective album cover. On the back is the band, each member shot individually from some shows with Dead End sign and song titles below. Inside you get a cool poster with band photos from the shows on one side and lyrics and cred list on the other side. Dead End was released late 1999. or early 2000., I´m not really sure. At this point, Frank left the band and Doug Ensel aka Doug Life replaced Frank on bass. Anyway, Dead End was Slaughterhouse sixth and last release and Deadalive fifth release. Deadalive at the time was also a newer DIY hc/punk label that was run by Jon Collins, who was a friend and a fan of the band. Later Deadalive released bunch of other great US hc/punk bands. The record came out on vinyl and CD and it´s sold out long time ago. I still don´ t have this record, so can some good soul please sell me the damn thing for some fair price!?!

OK, let´s talk about the record! As I have said before, there are 20 songs on Dead End record that are no longer than 20 minutes, now, that is what I call a perfect recipe for a great hardcore punk record. That kind of reminds me of some great hc/punk records of the 80´s when bands would put out bunch of songs on the albums and most of the songs were very good if not great and those albums usually wouldn´t be longer than 20-25 minutes. That is what Dad Nation brought back with this album. The songs here are not just tuneless thrash, every song differ from the other and you can feel that this record has sort of a concept from the beginning until the end of the record. And the conept of the record is definitelly a frustration with everything around us and releasing this frustration through playing furious and passionate hc/punk. Most of the songs on the record were written by Matt Molnar expect few songs that were writen together by Matt Molnar and Frank. Molnar definitelly had a big influence on Tear It Up sound, but that is another topic. The record starts of with fast drumming that burst out into fast and furious song called We´re Dead. This is one of my favorite Dead Nation songs actually and the song has such a perfect start of a record. The song is about 90´s young zombied generation stucked to their TV sets. Oh yeah, all the songs blend one into another on the record so there is no rest until it is over. So, after We´re Dead is over, already Panic Attack starts before you know what is going on, another fast and furious 30 seconds song with personal lyrics about fighting with your own anxiety attacks. Welcome To My World is just a bit slower and more Black Flagish showing a bit more darker side of the Nation with another personal and fucked up lyrics. „You can say it´s from depression, you can say it´s from a girl. But nothing means anything to me – I hate my world!“. Fuck, how many times I felt exactly like that. Shattered 1 is another cool song influenced by Black Flag, I mean, just look at the title of the song. The lyrics are again pretty dark, sounding like something Rollins would write in Get In The Van. Skate Or Die! is a real skate anthem, very catchy and 80´s sounding, can´t have enough of this song, no matter how many times I have heard it. Originally, this song was on their early demos and also on The Cenk 7 ˝ EP, but I think that this version is far superior to all earlier versions. America Online is a great fast and short tune similiar to We´re dead with lots of group singalong back ups. This song was written in 1999. when Internet just started to spread more worldwide so it is interesting to see a critical point of view about that topic from the lyrics of said song. These critics still holds up to this very day. Here´s a Quarter… is a song about being emotionaly numb to homeless people while Hole In The Wall is another furious tune with personal and self loathing lyrcis. War In The Streets is about violent world of drug related gangs while Civil War is about being a child of divorced parents who hate each other.  

From l to r: Doug Life, Matt Times, Matt Suxx & Dead Dave

Matt & Dave

B side of the record starts with a very cool and fast but catchy song (again with lost of group singalong back ups) called Techology Crisis with self explenationary lyrics: „Technology - it´s killing you, it´s killing me!“. Treat Me Like An Animal is another fast and short tune with lyrics sounding very Rollins like. Nothing wrong with that, if you ask me. Creep is a bit more melodic, early 80´s sounding and it is about hypocrisy of christianity, a theme very well known to all of us. Shattered 2 is a part two of Shattered 1 and I love the part when Dave yells: „Shattered world, shattered hopes, shattered dreams, shattered reality… Shattered world!“. Kill Me starts of with a long wall of guitar noise and then it busrt out into very agrresive and fast song with very suicidal lyrics. The Problem continue with the similiar theme in lyrics, but musically it is slower and more fucked up sounding, you guessed it right, very Black Flag-ish. This song was sang by Frank and he did a great job, fucking love this song! The Solution also has a suicidal theme but it´s fast and short. Originally, this song was first on early DN demos, of course, this version sounding much better and tighter. No Voice, No Choice was also originally on early demos and then on Face The Nation 7 ˝ EP. Beginning To Break is a great stop and go fast and short song with lyrics, guess about what, haha! And the last song Dead End is perfect for the end, it is about questioning this very punk „scene“ and its purpose and meaning. „Have we come full circle?“

And there you have it, one of the best hc/punk records and still many people don´t even have a clue about this awesome and important record. In download link with the music, you also get photos of the band and a whole cover of the record, so enjoy! I will write more about Dead Nation in some future posts, so stay tuned and remember that there is only one nation and that´s Dead Nation!

The Snake

PS – Lots of cool information about Dead Nation, you can also find out in interview that I did with Dave Ackerman few years ago: Dave Ackerman Interview

Get it here: Dead Nation - Dead End

From l to r: Matt Times, Matt Suxx, Doug Life & Dead Dave

CSA LA RAMPA

Here´s the video of Ugly Fucks playing This Means Everything at Csa La Rampa squat in Barcelona, Spain. This show happened on August 4th 2015. on our summer tour with The Truth. This was one of the best shows on that tour and also one of the best Ugly Fucks shows so far. And people we met there were also one of the nicest people we have met on our our tours so far. These days, Csa La Rampa crew is fighting to not get evicted by the government, so if you can support them in any way, do it by all means, it will be much appreciated. You can find out more about Csa La Rampa here: https://www.facebook.com/csalarampa/ 

Evictions by the state of places like this really makes me angry and things like that are one more reason why you shouldn´t be a part of mainstream music industry (if you are a DIY hardcore punk band), because why support the ones who wants to destroy our DIY network and our community!?! Staying DIY and independent from mainstream music industry is the right choice, no matter how this could sound naive to some. So, support DIY places like Csa La Rampa and I hope that Csa La Rampa crew will win this battle and that Csa La Rampa will remain. 

The Snake

RULES

Here is the video of rehearsal of a new band called RULES, where I play bass. This was our third rehearsal (that was on November 12) and you can see and hear our first five songs which are still kind of sloppy played but we´re getting better and tighter on each rehearsal. The band is consisted of membes from bands UGLY FUCKS and LEFT TO STARVE. We are planning to play our first show on December 29, in "Mala Scena", Karlovac, Croatia and after that the usual, recording and playing more shows and tours. The agenda of RULES is pretty simple, we gathered for the love of hc/punk music and this is our way to release our frustratons and all the crap that we have to deal with on our daily basis. Anyway, enjoy watching this video and come to our shows. And remember, there are only my rules. 

The Snake

"ĆANDU" MINI TOUR - UGLY FUCKS IN ITALY

Last weekend, UGLY FUCKS played 3 shows in Italy from 6th to 8th November. We played in Vicenza, Monza and Bergamo. It was one of the craziest and the most fun weekends ever, so here are some of my thoughts about the said weekend. We didn´t took many photos and so far I got only the photos from the show in Vicenza, but nevermind that. This time the Ugly Fucks crew was consisted of UF members (CFB, CursedXD & The Snake) plus our driver Panda and our dear friend Maša. We didn´t know Panda very well before this trip and after this past weekend we can all agree that Panda is a very cool and jolly dude and I hope that he thinks the same for us, haha. Maša is a supporter of the band from the early UF days and I´m glad that she went with us and that she discovered again the beauty and the frenzy of Ugly Fucks, hehe. Also, it wouldn´t be that fun without her, that is a fact. 

The first show was in rehearsal place called "I-Want Studios" in Vicenza and the guy who did the show is called Alberto and he is a total sweetheart. Alberto and Laura fed us with great pasta in their nice apartment where we checked out lots of cool books about 80´s hc punk (that is what I did, at least). Some of us actually met Alberto and Laura last year in Postojna, Slovenia on one of the skate gatherings in "Pumpa" (a squatted place for skating and shows), but that is another story. Anyway, even if there were not that many people on this show and only Ugly Fucks played, it was super fun and energetic show with lots of dancing, falling on the floor and with many smiles on peoples faces. I actually like these kind of shows the best. We even played some new songs for the first time and also one Fx Px Ox cover. Later we called the people to dance with us on the floor of the club which is placed next to the rehearsal place. Later we headed to crash at Alberto and Lauras place and we laughed some more. The Next day, before we went to Monza, we took a nice and relaxed walk through the center of Vicenza. 

Vicenza

To avoid some costs of the highway, we took a local roads to Monza. It took us something like five hours to get there, but it was a cool ride, lots of Ćandus were on the way, haha. In Monza we played at "Foa Boccaccio" squat on DIY hc/punk festival called: "Hardcore Festival d´Auttuno". Other bands that played were: Instante (Italy), Vomit8 (Italy), Motron (Italy), Feed Me More (Italy), Himura Grind (Spain), CGB (Italy), Whoresnation (France) and Lentic Waters (Germany). Our main host was a nice guy called Roberto but there were also other people that were organizing this event (Paloma, Cristian and sorry for not catching other names). I can´t tell how many people were there exactly, but probably something like 200 people, more or less. We played second and it was a really cool show with people dancing and having a good time while we played extremely well and furious. This show reminded me on some cool shows from our last summer tour. Actually there were some people here that were also on some of those shows we played this summer in Italy. As for other bands, I liked the best CGB, old school hc punk with a bit of melody. Whoresnation were also cool, furious mix of grind and powerviolence without any metal crap, hehe. Other bands just weren´t my cup of tea, but there was good atmosphere during all the bands that played, so who cares what I really think. After the show, the dance party began which was very wild and fun, I showed some of my best moves on that dance floor, hehe. I was up until five in the morning. We crashed on mattresses, bench and floor in a room that was set up just for us for this occasion. We slept until 10 or 11 am.

The Snake is explaining the meaning of life

After we woke up, we headed to Bergamo and on the road we of course, visited one Ćandu and had a snack. Bergamo is not that far away from Monza, so we were there fast. Marco, a very sweet guy picked us up and later we got to meet Ricardo (another nice dude), with whom CFB was in contact for this show. In Bergamo, we played in a DIY club called "Laboratorio Anarchico La Zona". We were early so we decided to took a walk through the city. That wasn´t the best idea because we realized how much tired we are from the last night and the guy who went with us to show us the city didn´t have a clue what to show us. Anyway, we were supposed to play with bands: O, Hobophobic and Roor Explo (all from Italy), but, the band "O" from Bologna decided not to play because they weren´t satisifed with the equipment. So, they took back all their gear and distro into the car and went home. What a bunch of pretentious losers! I think that a DIY harcore punk community is just fine without bands like this O band and please don´t invite these assholes ever to play a DIY hc/punk show because they obviously don´t care and don´t know anything about punk. Anyway, something like 30 people showed up and some of those were the same faces that we saw last night in Monza, that was really nice. Roor Explo played first, basic hc punk, not too fast, they didn´t left too much impression on me, but the crowd loved them and the pogo started. We played second and I wasn´t too thrilled with me and the drums being on the higher stage than the rest of the band and people, but what a heck. It was a cool show, lots of dancing and yelling while I was trying to talk, haha. We played two encores if I remember right, which was kind of forced, but it was a positive vibe and people were into it, so who gives a fuck. The third and the last played Hobophobic, melodic and fast hc punk with some slower breakdowns. I like them alright and the rest of the crowd did too. Again, lots of dancing, running around, floating and falling, haha. Maša and CFB were the worst of course. After the show, we hanged there some time and had lots of emotional moments between all of us because Ugly Fucks is all abut love, haha. We also said goodbye to Maša because she was staying in Bergamo because she was going to Berlin the next day. We left Bergamo before the midnight and came in Zagreb in five in the morning, safe and sound. 

Maša, CursedXD and some lady - posing

Panda caught some sleep before the show, so sweet.

This weekend was such a positive experience for all of us and the whole Ugly Fucks crew would like to thank one more time to everyone who organized the shows, cooked the food, played and shared the equipemnt, talked, danced and laughed with us. Also, the biggest thanks goes to Panda, not just for driving us, but for having to listen our stupid jokes the whole weekend, which are sometimes the worse kind of brainless jokes, hehe. We will definitely come again to Italy to play, dance and laugh with positive people. We play - you dance, that is Ugly Fucks moto! Fucking Ćandu Italy mini tour is over, but see you soon somewhere, sometimes. Thanks!

The Snake

VASELINE CHILDREN - TEN YEARS BEFORE

This month, it´s 10 years how Vaseline Children was formed. Or to be more precise, in November of 2005. we started with first rehearsals. For me, Vaseline Children was one of the most important bands, that I was part of. I don´t know what other VC members think now of the band. I don´t even know where the fuck is the bass player or what is happening with his life these days. As for me, I don´t want to live in the past or something like that, but I´m also proud of the fact that I was part of Vaseline Children and all the good and bad stuff that was happening in that period of my life (and most of it was good). That doesn´t mean that now my life sucks, far from it, this is actually one of the best periods of my life and I know that I am not even full aware of it now, so when my life start to suck again in a few years, haha, I know that I will look back fondly on 2015. as one of the greatest times of my life. So, this is not about nostalgia, more about appreciation of one time period and of a band that meant a great deal to me. 

Vaseline Children having a breakfast at Tada´s place, Dravograd, Slovenia on August 19th 2007. 

From left to right: Cane (vocals), Zhbla (guitar), Kiki (bass) & Gajo (drums)

Ten years ago, summer 2005. I got fired from a shitty job at the museum, my old band just broke up and that same summer, idea for Vaseline Children started to develop in mine and guitarist heads. We came up for the name of the band on some hc/punk festival singing constantly songs from Violent Children seven inch while watching some children playing in some hotel pool, pretty sick, haha. Looking now on that period of my life, it seems like it was 100 years ago and in one way, it was that long ago. It was definitely a different time. Anyway, in November of 2005. my friend Zhbla and me started with rehearsals, Zhbla on guitar and me on drums. We shared vocals at the time and didn´t even have a clue who will end up on bass and vocals even though we asked a bunch of people to join the band. If I remember correctly, on the very first rehearsal, we already did five songs and recorded the songs on my tape recorder. I think that I still have that tape somewhere but I wouldn´t recommend you the listening, haha. I remember that we first recorded the music and then over that recording, we recorded the vocals. When we listened the tape, our vocals sounded so strange and funny, haha. But nevertheless, we were satisfied with the songs and the fury of our playing because we were fucking furious and pissed off about lots of things and we wanted to present that in the band, playing fast and angry hc/punk. I must also mention the fact that Tear It Up influenced both Zhbla and me at the time (and TIU still influence me a lot). 

Vaseline Children before and during the very first show in "Leglo", Novo Mesto, Slovenia on May 6th 2006. 

On next few rehearsals, we did some more songs and at the beginning of 2006. I think we already had 10 songs and those are the ones that ended on our first record that we recorded just few months later (the infamous 7˝ EP and a CD with two more songs). One of those early VC memories is also a moment when I was with Fx Px Ox on tour in Slovenia in January 2006. and I put the VC rehearsal tape for Fx Px Ox guys to hear it. Good times. Sometime in February 2006. Kiki joined VC on bass. He was a dude we knew from some local hc/punk shows and we knew that he just started being straight edge and also just started doing a zine. He never played bass before, but hell, he was into the same stuff as Zhbla and me were, so we gave him a shot. Soon enough we found the final VC member, the vocalist and that was Cane who we knew for quite some time. He was also straight edge and he was into hc/punk for years and wanted to try out on vocals. After the line up was completed, we rehearsed like crazy. In May 2006. we recorded 10 our songs and two covers in a friends DIY studio and the same month we started to play shows where it was clear that this band means so much to all of us, but that is another story which I will tell you some other time.

The Snake 

PS – I still bump into people (online or in person) who are into Vaseline Children which I really appreciate and I think that is really cool that 7 years after the bands break up, some people still care about Vaseline Children. 

A show in the yard of "Zelena Akcija", Zagreb, Croatia on July 7th 2006.

One of the many Krško shows, "MC" Krško, Slovenia on February 10th 2007.