Total Elimination-the rebirth (sorta)

So about a year ago, I did the first issue of my zine Total Elimination. I've been really slacking on getting out another issue even though I planned to do one a few months later. Since I always thought that the interviews were pretty good, I decided to upload the interviews I did to the internet since I only did a small run of actual zines. They are a little outdated at this point, but oh well. Hopefully this will start to get me motivated to actually do issue #2. Maybe I'll do more in this blog, too. Follow me in your google reader or something.

LATER

-Kevin

Bob Wilson (Mother of Mercy, Let Down, Beware) interview

Bob Wilson is the singer of Mother of Mercy and was the singer of Let Down.

Mother of Mercy just toured with Agnostic Front. How was hanging out with Stigma every night?

It was pretty cool. He is definitely a ridiculous guy and kinda just like an old drunk Italian uncle or something. Kimball had to text girls for him cuz he didn’t know how to use his cell phone. He couldn’t remember anyone’s names so he had nicknames for everyone; he would call me "Young Clot” (as in young John Bloodclot) and I was like, “Oh cool, I remind him of a young JJ, that’s cool with me.” Then the last night of tour we were hanging out backstage and he called me that, and the girl next to him was like "Uhh what, as in JJ?" and he said "yeah" and she said "He knows that ain't a compliment, right? That dude sucks." And Stigma said, "Na he’s just a kid, he don’t know that I’m insulting him when I say that shit," so that kinda pissed me off ha. But yeah as a whole, a pretty ridiculous character who loves talking about Italian food and making bad jokes.

On a whole, how was that tour? Like, even though they aren't really as relevant as they used to be, it is still Agnostic Front. What was it like playing with them every night on a tour when they were playing all of the good stuff?

The tour was about what I expected. A lot of 18/21+ shows that kind of killed any draw we might have had. Coupled with the fact shows were around 15-20 bucks, it was more of a tour geared towards older dudes who don’t have anything to do with hardcore anymore/poser punks who only like Epitaph-era and on AF. We held our own and did pretty well but it’s not like the people who saw us are gonna go out of their way to come see us when we come around again. Seeing AF play my favorite songs of theirs was awesome though. Victim In Pain is my favorite record of that era so seeing them do that plus songs like “Toxic Shock,” “The Eliminator,” etc. was cool. They sounded good with Pokey (Leeway) and shit playing for them. Every night it would be like, some opener, POW would play and people would come in, we’d play a little more would come in, then AF would come on and 400 people would come out of nowhere and fill out the venue. A lot of older guys don’t wanna give younger bands a shot and assume everything that is newer sucks so it’s hard to break through to them when you’re putting everything into your set. The best show was the house show we set up on a day's notice in Louisville, where we played in Tyler from ANOTHER MISTAKE's living room and 100 people came out. It was one of the most memorable shows I’ve ever been a part of and his band is awesome. How many people can say they saw AF play in a living room?

How stoked were AF that they were playing in a living room?

At first they were kinda iffy about it, I don’t blame them. They had concerns about security, how safe it would be, if it would be cool, etc. But at the end of the previous night’s show, Roger came up and was like, "Yo, see you tomorrow, we’re down with the show." Afterwards they were all pumped on how cool it was.

Yeah, sounds cool. How glad are you that you aren't going to miss a Phillies parade this year because you are going to be on tour?

I mean, on one hand I’m glad I don’t have to suffer through being all the way in Texas when they win like I was the last time, but I’d make do if it meant that they could have won. I’ve loved Philadelphia sports my whole life and have yet to take part in a celebration and that sucks. I don’t even know who the hell I want to win the World Series because you have the Rangers, with that poser edge CJ Wilson (poser Wilson also), but then you have a bunch of idiots from San Francisco and had some guy/girl singing the National Anthem or whatever. So I hope they somehow both blow up and no one comes out on top.

On a scale of 1 to 500, how much does Brian Wilson suck? I honestly don't think I've hated a baseball player more than I hate him.

He’s a douche. He’s that quirky "funny" jock kid I hated in high school that would take time out of my English class to do a rap he made up or something. I love sports but I hate athlete equivalent to mysterious guy hardcore bands. You’re not different, you just suck. Another embarrassment to the Wilson name.

Mother of Mercy just finished a new LP coming out on Bridge 9. How does it compare to the last record?

It's heavier and the songs are more actual songs then the last record. I dunno how to explain it, but it’s just better. There’s some stuff about 3 that I look back on and am mad at myself for how it turned out, but this is darker, the mosh is better, everything about is way beyond what we did with 3. We didn’t do anything like add melodic vocals or soften it up or whatever, it’s just harder and I'm siked on it

What are the songs about? Same type of stuff as the last record?

There’s been a lot of fucked up shit that’s happened since the last record so it reflects that. My dad died, my sister stole a ton of money from me, basically everyone in my family turned their back on me and left me to deal with shit on my own and struggle just to get by so it’s mostly about those things/the effects those things had on me (depression, daily drawn out daydreams about suicide, etc). A lot of the record is just an extension of me dealing with grieving and trying to figure out where the hell my life is going. I had a hard time writing stuff since I’ve written over 50 songs between bands I was in now so Kimball actually wrote 4 of the songs, but I wouldn’t have sung them if I didn’t agree with the lyrical content. He knows what I’ve been through the past year and a half and wrote things that correlated to that in a way that I would.

When's it coming out and what is it called?

It comes out January 25 and its MOTHER OF MERCY IV: SYMPTOMS OF EXISTENCE.

Top 3 frontmen of all time and why.

Like live? Or recorded

Combo unless you think that they should be two lists

Yeah, I’ll just do 2. Live, it’s Timmy No justice, Dave Byrd, and probably John Brannon. Timmy and Dave Byrd were just absolute madmen when I saw them and even the last Striking Distance show Dave Byrd was out of his fucking mind. There’s no frontmen now that do/can do what they did. Brannon just looks nuts/sounds like a fucking psychopath when they play still.

3 favorite ever besides that would probably be Skip (Turning Point, Godspeed, Memorial Day), Mark Ryan (Supertouch), and Richie Birkenhead (Underdog, Into Another). Everything Skip ever did, I loved and his voice was awesome. Richie in Into Another was on another level, and Mark Ryan hasn’t ever had anyone replicate what he was able to do on the Supertouch stuff.

Who would win in a race: me, Uriah (Dead End Path) or Ambrose (DC hardcore megastar) and why?

Jesus Christ. Uriah would be wearing those sweat shorts which might give him the advantage. Ambrose I’ve actually seen run and he’s quicker then you give him credit for. You would probably hurt your leg again like at that CIRCLE TAKES THE SQUARE SHOW YOU BROKE IT AT.

So Uriah would win?

Yeah I guess. Can’t deny those sweatshorts.

Yeah, I agree that they probably give him the advantage. Ambrose is a wildcard, though.

He would probably get sidetracked and think of a Usurp Synapse song he used to love and go home and download it.

Ok, Let Down has been broken up for a year. Now that it's been a while, how do you look back on the band? Happy how it turned out and what you accomplished? Regrets?

I regret making Sacrifice Me because that record was terrible. I wish we had stayed with how Crossed Off sounded and not tried to do whatever the fuck we were trying to do with that one but whatever. I'm happy about the fact that we aren’t liars and all have sustained our edges well after the breakup. Let Down allowed me to leave Bucks County, which I never thought I’d be able to do. I somehow managed to gain friends because of it that I’d otherwise not get to know.

I like that we never backed down from anything we said or did and didn’t have lame copouts about what actually happened, what I actually said, etc. I wish Kimball was able to do more touring with us and not had to use fill-ins so much towards the end. It really just wasn’t the same without that little freak bangin on the drums. I’m proud of the fact that we started off just wanting to be an in-your-face edge band and 6 years later we still had the same mindset, didn’t change what we were about just to appease people, all that. I definitely fucked up my body for the rest of my life from being a complete asshole at every single show we ever played but I don’t regret that at all. Shit’s too safe and corny. I’d say at most Let Down shows, there was a dangerous feeling that we’d give off that anything could happen. I have a lot of good and ridiculous memories from my time in Let Down and I’m glad that I got people to sing "drinking is bullshit" into the mic.

We got to play a song with Dave Byrd singing, a Failure Face song with Bob Suren singing, play with Negative Approach, play with One Life Crew, play with Floorpunch, play Judge covers with Robby, play tons of crazy Philly shows, play with the Atari’s, play the last Think I Care show, basically every band I really like/grew up liking we got to play with or see just because we played shows and that rules.

Chances of a real last Let Down set ?

Not looking good. I tried to set up a show this past summer since I’m cool with Ogden again and we never did a real last Doylestown show, but Drew bailed/doesn’t remember how to play the songs for some reason and doesn’t want to put in the time to learn them. I'd 100 percent do one and not think twice about it though, what the fuck do I care?

Best straight edge band of all time

Judge is probably my favorite band ever and they’re also the best edge band ever. People say Youth of Today, but Mike Judge would never say anything dumb like "physically strong morally straight." What the hell do I care if I’m in shape, and I don’t really know what's moral about fucking a bunch of hookers in Europe like Ray did. The stretch of songs where it’s "Hear Me,” “Like You,” “I’ve Lost,” “Where It Went" is unbeatable.

Plus, Youth of Today is still trying to milk that cash cow in Europe

Yeah, I mean Robby wrote a song about them cashing in in like 2000 and it’s still true. Mike Judge is probably somewhere in Jersey playing poker, hanging with his wife listening to Danzig, and starting bar fights. Way cooler than being a glorified Richard Simmons fronting a hc band.

What was it like growing up in hardcore near Philadelphia in a scene that was separate than that of the city?

Strange for sure. We had to make our own scene and figure things out for ourselves and not have the guidance of a bunch of actual hc dudes telling us what shit sucks and what shit we should check out. So much trial and error, it’s ridiculous. It’s cool though because nobody ever tried to suck the Philly dudes' dicks and make them accept us. We gained respect for doing our own thing and Joe always did and still does integrate us as part of the Philly scene. For years, the Philly scene was mostly made up of DTown kids and other suburban areas going to Philly. Eventually Doylestown got a rep of its own as opposed to just an extension of Philadelphia, which is cool. The fact that the two "scenes" blend so well is awesome to me and something I'm really proud to be a part of doing. There are so many kids from outside the city that try so hard to be a "Philly " kid and those are the same kids who burn out and are shown to be full of shit. I just hope we don’t end up like Lansdale or something where a bunch of 32 year old dudes are waiting patiently for the 15th Strikeback reunion and getting siked on A Life Once Lost playing soon.

Favorite wrestler of all time and why

When I was younger, it was without a doubt the Ultimate Warrior because he was such a psycho and all his matches were entertaining. I'm probably still gonna go with that as my answer just because he brought so much excitement every time he wrestled. I don’t care about the technical aspects of the shit, I just wanna be entertained. Undertaker circa early 90s is up there as well.

Plus, Ultimate Warrior is still batshit crazy and causes riots at colleges and stuff.

Yeah see, that’s awesome.

How many times are you going to get beaten up when Mother of Mercy goes to Europe?

Haha. Who knows? I don’t really see who would possibly care that much to take it that far but who know, I guess I’ll find out. It’s hard for me to believe that someone would beat me up, and then also have to fight the 2 other bands/the rest of my band up at the same time. Once I use my mustache and "Rob Wilson" persona I think I’ll be safe though.

Excited to go to Europe with MoM this time? Expectations?

I’ve learned not to expect anything from anything I do. If it’s cool, cool. If it sucks, it sucks. We had to submit a list of foods we prefer to eat so hopefully that works out like it should.

Why is straight edge still cool?

Apparently it’s not if you asked the majority of the idiots around here. It’s not hard to stay edge. It’s cooler to not be full of shit and pretend to be something just to fit in. There’s nothing mature about smoking cigarettes or getting drunk and pissing yourself. If you’re that eager to grow up, you’re a dork and I have no time for you.

Best band: Poison the Well, Eighteen Visions, or From Autumn to Ashes (only talking about the GOOD records)

FATA records were tough to get through the whole way, 18 visions the same. PTW was the shit, would still mosh to those songs if I saw them. They should have broken up in 2002 or something and saved themselves years of disappointment from not being able to top the first couple things they did no matter how good it was.

New bands people should listen to that are actually good (from this area and not from this area)

Another Mistake from Kentucky is cool early 2000s style. Stick Together is the best youth crew band around. Daylight is awesome. Lifeless has that heavy thing going on and have parts that make them cooler than the average band in their genre. Disengage. United Youth. Face Reality from Detroit I like a lot. That’s probably about it

Cool, thanks, anything else you want to say or address?

Perkasie straight edge is a joke, Philly has the best shows, MOM record release January 29th in the city.

Thanks Bob.

Neil Patel (Back to Back Records) interview

Neil is one half of the duo that runs Back to Back records.

Alright, Back to Back records hasn't been around too long but has already been fairly prolific. For the people who don't know, give some background about the label.

It was Ned's idea. We hung out in March of 2009 and he told me about it. I always wanted to do a record label and we seemed to be on the same page with everything, so we decided to do it together. We both love hardcore and want to put out records we think everyone will like. Putting out records in hardcore is setting music in stone and that's all we wanna do.

What records have you put out so far?

So far we've only put out the Disengage "Look Back" record. Disengage is Ned (Fellow CEO), Shane and Ben from TF and Dan Mills, who learned how to play bass just so he could be in this band. It surprisingly did really well and people love it, so we were really glad.

The new Stick Together record is probably in plant or out now if you're reading this. I love Stick Together. I'm not saying that out of a biased view either. They're in the pool of new hardcore bands I'm really stoked on. I think kids are pretty into them. They killed it at day 1 of This is Hardcore so that was cool to see.

We plan on doing a split release with Lockin' Out for the United Youth 7" so that should be cool.

I know some people have been saying that BTB is only putting out Wilkes-Barre bands and that's true, but that's because we're just starting out and most labels start off with friends’ bands. Both sides are helping each other at the same time.

I've always thought that it was cool when labels put out records mainly from their area. Makes the label seem a little unique and more like a real scene or whatever.

Yeah, it would be great to be one of the bigger labels in hardcore but like I said earlier, we just want to make bands music into records so that shit is a part of hardcore forever. What better way to do that than to do it from your scene? I intend to do some Atlanta/Philadelphia bands down the road also.

Cool. So far, the bands that Back to Back has put out have had a similar sort of late-80s New York youth crew sound. Was this a style that the label purposely leaned towards or did it just coincidently happen?

That's true. I just think that's the style that's really popular right now. We never intended on doing one style of hardcore. I don't think any hardcore kid should disown one style for another. A lot of Youth Crew bands nowadays seem to set themselves apart from the rest of hardcore and I think that's stupid. Hardcore is hardcore.

You mentioned that United Youth is doing a new record that you are going to put out along with Lockin' Out. Who is United Youth? How did the partnership with Lockin' Out happen?

United Youth are 5 youngins from Wilkes-Barre. Wilkes-Barre has a good amount of little ones in their hardcore scene and a group of them decided to get together and write some songs that ended up sounding pretty good.

Lockin' Out has had ties with Wilkes-Barre forever, Greg put out a Cold World Record, which is Ned's older brothers band. Some kids from Boston came to the Disengage record release and saw United Youth play some jams and Sam asked them to be on the Triple B (SUPPORT!) Showcase. Greg saw them there and he approached us about it.

Anything else planned for Back to Back? When is the new Stick Together record coming out?

Nah, just that for now. I wish I could say we were swamped with things but we're just not haha. We plan on doing more bands/records in the future for sure though. Stick Together record will be out for sure by January.

Alright, you grew up in the Atlanta hardcore scene. What was that scene like growing up in?

The best. I love Atlanta. I think most bands that come through and play there will tell you it's usually their favorite spot to play. We've never had overwhelming numbers but what we have are kids who always come out and do what they can. The scene is great. All my closest friends still love hardcore and are still Straight Edge. Foundation is pretty successful and I'm proud of them, it's good to see an Atlanta band do the things they are. Glad that's the scene I was raised in.

You moved to Philadelphia last year. How are the scenes different?

Philadelphia is way bigger. Joe Hardcore has the scene on lock here and is doing some super ill shit. The shows he puts together are ones I couldn't even imagine me seeing a few years ago. We don't get things like that down there. It was a big deal when the Gorilla Biscuits reunion tour hit us. In Philly you'll get kids from Jersey, Delaware, B-More and all the PA burbs to come out. Everything up here is a lot closer and I think that benefits all scenes in the Northeast. Shows are never too far away.

Top 3 Atlanta hardcore bands and why?

1. Foundation. That's my generation. I'm close to the members of the band, grew up with them, they took me to shows. I'm glad to see they're doing the things they are. They're going to Europe in a few months. I know they're gonna kill it every night. I don't think any band goes off more than they do on stage and still sound ill.

2. Cold Stare. Favorite Atlanta Hardcore demo. They were short lived, but those shows were super fun. They had that ill style and I wish they did more.

3. Paid in Blood. This was before my time, but that demo might be the hardest demo an Atlanta band has ever put out. Atlanta Straight Edge! Don't Forget the Point!

Atlanta has always had a love for mid-90's hardcore (Chokehold, Left for Dead, Trial, Indecision). That kind of shit always goes over well with me. Hopefully BTB can put out a band like that.

What was it like being a Phillies fan in Braves country?

It's not a big deal haha. I'll get asked why, and once I answer their reply is just, "Oh, The Phillies suck." So it's not bad. I'm not saying their fans are stupid or suck, but the majority just don't seem to care that much. I was at a Phils/Braves game and I was behind the Phils’ dugout and everyone around me was Phillies fan. Maybe it's just too hot, I don't know. I have a lot of friends who are really passionate though. Respect to real fans. David Justice is cool, Chipper is not.

Fred McGriff was cool.

Yeah, they had some cool players, man. That pitching staff in the 90's may have been the greatest ever.

Yeah, even though I hated the Braves, I always thought the pitching staff was obviously really good. Smoltz should have retired a year earlier so that Glavine, him, and Maddux could go into the Hall at the same time. Would have been cool.

Yeah I know people anticipated on that happening. Smoltz has too much pride.

5 records you are currently into and why

Does this have to be current/hardcore?

Nope, just 5 records in general you are into. Could be 100 years old or just came out yesterday, and not just hardcore.

Triple B AHC Comp. Pick that shit up. Every band on that record kills it. Respect to Sam and the Triple B Team.

Vado- Slime Flu. Vado is Dipset’s newest commodity. If you're into hip hop check it out. Throw that Drake shit in the Trash. SLIMEEEE!

Kool G Rap- Live and Let Die. I think this record is a hip hop essential. One of my favorites. Hardcore rap at its finest.

The Stone Roses- The Complete Stone Roses. They're one of my favorite bands. If you like Brit Pop this is a must have and you'll be hooked super quick. There are times I find myself listening to this all day. Ian Brown is the coolest too.

Ringworm- Birth is Pain. Ringworm is the illest band, they never disappoint. My friend Michael told me a story about him pouring beer on his hair and combing it with a switchblade. What a nut. Dollar Whore is one of my favorite songs. Girls suck.

Favorite wrestler and why?

Stone Cold. Cause he kicks you in the nuts and then breaks your neck. I know that's not really what he does, but up until recently that's what I remembered. I think that's cooler so I’m gonna stick with it.

Haha alright that works. Where can people check out Back to Back and related things on the internet?

Backtoback.Bigcartel.com is where you can cop all the records and shirts.

backtobackrecords.com is where you can keep up with us. It's a Tumblr so if you have one you should subscribe.

Alright, cool. Before we wrap this up, what are some newer bands you are into that people should check out?

Stick Together for sure! Shameless self promotion, but they really are one of the illest bands doing it right now. This band out of Cali called Take Offense. Don't Break! super super youngins from the Doylestown Hardcore scene.

Thanks Neil. Anything else you want to say/address/plug/shout out/etc.?

Thank you for interviewing me. This zine is cool, I hope you do more. Shout outs to all my friends on the road! Be safe! Ned. Temple Crew. Hank, Josiah, Ryan, Jude, Tomas, Champion, Justin, JoeBol, Bob, Aaron and Stan (UnitedYouthReport!), Wilkes-Barre Homies, Long Island Homies. I'm probably missing a lot. I'm tired, sorry!

Marty Williams (Agitator) interview

Marty is the singer of Agitator.

Agitator has been a band for about a year and a half. People from all over have started to pay attention and really care about the band. How does it feel to be fairly successful after being a band for like a year and half?

It’s definitely not something I’m used to because nobody has ever really cared about a band that I’ve been in before. When we started, I never really expected agitator to be good, let alone liked by people that aren't my friends. It’s cool to be able to see the rewards for the time we've put into writing the songs and going out and playing shows.

The thing that seems to draw people to your band is your lyrics and how straightforward they are. At the same time, this seems to turn people away. First, how do you decide what to write about and how you write about it? And second, do you worry at all about alienating anyone when you are writing?

I decide what to write about by thinking about who or what pisses me off. Most of our songs are about specific people that I don't like. I try to make it somewhat general so that other people may be able to relate, but specific enough that if the person it's about heard the song they would know it's about them. I guess I write straight forward lyrics because that's what I would want to see from a band if I was listening to them. I want it to be clear what I think and not have a bunch of flowery bullshit and have hidden meanings.

I don't care if I alienate anyone with my lyrics. I think that the lyrics to "Sheltered" alienate almost everyone and I would actually be offended if someone was singing along. That’s why we never play it live. If someone doesn't like Agitator because of the things that I say, I don't care because clearly we are not the band for them.

Some of the lyrics are pretty personal, yet from judging from reactions I've seen live, these are some of the songs that people seem to relate to most. Is this overwhelming at all?

It’s definitely pretty weird seeing a bunch of people singing along to a song about my dad shooting himself in the head, but obviously I’m not the only person who has been through stuff like that. Even if your dad didn't commit suicide, maybe he's just been an absent father and you can relate to that anger. When we played in Massachusetts someone came up to me after we played and told me how a good friend of his was killed by a drunk driver, so the song “Natural Selection” really hit home for him. I think that even though most of what I’m saying is personal, there is still some stuff in there that people can relate to their own lives.

Agitator is a straight edge band. That is a pretty major part of the overall aesthetic of the band. Other bands who have had similar ideals have come and gone and, shortly afterwards, abandoned those principles. Do you ever worry that maybe you focus too much on it?

No. I know that I’m never going to break edge so I’m not worried about people looking back on Agitator once it's all over and thinking I was full of shit. I’ve known since I was 8 years old that alcohol was something I never wanted anything to do with. It’s responsible for ruining my father's life and I won't let the same happen to me. I think it's important that I’m up front with the fact that Agitator is an edge band. I’ve seen plenty of bands that are edge and you could never tell by seeing them.

You grew up in Boyertown, PA. For people who don't know the area, describe it and how it affected you growing up.

Boyertown is really only known for two things: baseball and racism. When I was a kid the KKK would parade the streets in full costume handing out flyers. About six years ago, they burned a cross in a black family's yard. It’s not like that anymore, but it really showed me how racism is not ok. I went to a high school where there really weren't any minorities and I didn't make my first black friend until I was in college. I think that's pretty sad and I hope that eventually people will realize that they are wasting their time with their pointless hate.

Boyertown is also in the middle of nowhere. How did this affect you getting into the scene and what was it like being separate from other scenes?

There were probably one or two older guys from Boyertown that were into hardcore but they were significantly older than me so I never knew them. I grew up listening to musicals because that's what my mom listened to. In 9th grade I saw someone wearing an operation ivy shirt and I thought the ska man looked really cool so I bought their cd having no idea what they sounded like. I didn't like it at first but I spent like $18 on the cd so I just listened to it over and over and forced myself to like it. I started listening to some other bands like Rancid then.

After that a bunch of friends I made in high school were into metalcore, so I started going to local metalcore shows in reading. Before that it had never even occurred to me that there could be such a thing as a local band. Then after a few years of going to those shows the scene died out. I started hearing about shows in Doylestown so I started making the hour drive almost every weekend to go to shows. Everyone hated me at first cause I was the lame metalcore kid, but I really got into hardcore by seeing bands like Let Down all the time. Over the years, it's started to feel like home.

Off the top of your head, top 5 favorite hardcore records and why?

In no particular order:

1. Let Down-Crossed Off. This is the band that helped shape my idea of what a straight edge band should be. These are all their best songs.

2. Blacklisted-Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God. I guess this album was sort of the in between of their old style and their new style. I think this album is perfect front to back.

3. Floorpunch- Fast Times at the Jersey Shore. Their reunion for Robby Redcheeks was one of the first hardcore shows I went to in Philly by myself and I've never moshed harder in my life.

4. Cro-Mags- Age of Quarrel. Every song is good. For the longest time I thought the Cro-Mags were terrible because when I first heard of them the only album I could find was Revenge. Luckily, I eventually got my hands on this album.

5. One Life Crew- Crime Ridden Society. Great heavy straight edge. I could mosh to “Murdario Stomp” all day long.

Favorite wrestler of all time and why?

I never liked wrestling, but I can respect a good flair chop.

Ha, it is obviously a big part of my zine so I'm asking everyone that question.

I only know one person who likes wrestling more than you and that is Ty Dawson from Pittsburgh. He has us play in his basement and when we pulled up to his house he was wearing a Wrestlemania 2000 jersey.

That sounds like a cool jersey. Wrestlemania 2000 was alright but not one of the better ones.

Back to Agitator, what is up next?

We’re writing songs for a 7" that is being put out by Six Feet Under Records. I’m really excited for that because Six Feet Under is such a good label. Some of the best currents bands have records put out by SFU. I have about 10 songs worth of lyrics written so whenever we can all get together and finish the songs I can work on deciding what lyrics I like the best.

We also have a two week tour we're doing after Christmas which is our first tour. People have been really great about helping us get shows

That tour is with Wrong Answer right?

Yes.

Cool. You mentioned having a lot of lyrics done. Are they in the same direction as the ones from the demo and 7"?

I tried to branch into different things, but I’ve found that oftentimes, it's the same shit that keeps pissing me off. There are more songs about hating myself instead of other people because I’ve been pretty down lately. The only song I know for sure that I’m using is about Force Fed because that is a bunch of bullshit.

What are some new bands that people should check out?

Don't Break just played their first show and I’m really excited about them. They’re a bunch of 15 year olds who are way too good for their age. I wish I was doing something that cool when I was that young. We played with Another Mistake in Louisville and they were awesome. Check out Lifeless from New Jersey if you're into really heavy shit. Stick Together is one of my favorite new bands. Check out Expire too. That’s all I can think off the top of my head.

Alright, thanks Marty. Anything else you want to address/plug/shout out?

Yeah. It goes out to any younger kids who are thinking about claiming edge. Members of Force Fed breaking edge has made me think about this a lot cause they were role models to a lot of younger edge kids from the area. If you think you might want to claim edge but aren't sure, just don't do it. Don’t do it just cause your friends did or just because you think it will make you cool or included. Wait and make sure it's right for you because if you claim now and then break you end up looking like a fucking idiot.

Where can people check out Agitator online?

myspace.com/agitatorpa or search our name on facebook. I don't know the url. If you haven't already downloaded our demo and 7" then search our name on http://toxicbreedsfunhouse.blogspot.com and download it.