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Making Punk A Threat Again!

  • The long awaited debut LP from NYC’s FLOWER “Hardly A Dream” is finally set to arrive.

    FLOWER’s tedious approach to writing/creating/drawing their debut LP was carefully thought out and the result is a monumental anarcho punk /crust record. 

    “Hardly A Dream” Takes us on a bleak journey through the dark side of society. As soon as you drop the needle a dark atmosphere is immediately created with a slow intro featuring arpeggio guitar work that builds into pummeling d-beat crust. The albums vocals then leave you with a feeling of being crushed by the ever-present weight of living through our modern world of late stage capitalism that was built on the falsehoods of the so called American dream, religious hypocrisy’s, nationalism, and the greed of humankind. 

    FLOWER take many cues from predecessors and are most often (and rightfully so) compared to NAUSEA but they also take a heavy influence from ANTISECT, SACRILEGE & other greats. The artwork has a very RUDIMENTARY PENI feel and the record comes with an amazing 24.5 X 34.75 CRASS style poster jacket. All art work was meticulously hand drawn and overseen by the guitarist Willow in true DIY style and spirit. Willow was also cool enough to draw up a special shirt for the record release featuring an alternative PROFANE EXISTENCE backprint!

    CLICK HERE TO PRE ORDER LP

    CLICK HERE TO PRE ORDER LP WITH SHIRT

    CLICK HERE TO PREVIEW THE ALBUM IN ITS ENTIRETY AT THE PROFANE EXISTENCE BANDCAMP

    FLOWER will be on tour from January 2nd to the 13th

    2nd New Brunswick

    3rd Asheville

    4th Greenville

    5th Birmingham

    6th New Orleans

    7th Hattiesburg

    9th Gainesville

    10th Atlanta

    11th Durham

    12th Richmond

    13th Philadelphia 

    PO BOX 7903 PITTSBURGH PA 15216

    Crust Hardcore profane existence Punk
  • Finally, the third LP from AGNOSY has arrived! 

    AGNOSY-cover

    Dark, heavy, galloping crust from the streets of London. AGNOSY is back to present us with a ferocious beast of an album that can only be forged by the anger and frustration of living in today’s world. “When Daylight Reveals The Torture” aggressively attacks evils such the current rise of fascism and animal abuse. It intelligently and passionately touches on the Afrin invasion and the revolution in Rojava and shows nothing but utter disgust toward the arrogance of humankind’s lust for greed and power that will inevitably lead us down paths of war and environmental devastation.

    AGNOSY – Live at SCUMFEST in London. 2011

    While lyrically AGNOSY are much more politicly straight forward this time around than on previous releases, musically they have expanded on their sound to create a dark and moody atmosphere while at the same time staying crust as fuck. To say they know what they are doing would be an understatement from this band of vets whose members have played in HIATUS, HEALTH HAZARD, and BEGINNING OF THE END.

    Long galloping intros are followed up by traditional d-beat, fierce solo’s are then meet with vicious vocals and pulverizing bass in a brilliant recording captured by Lewis Johns at The Ranch Production House and was mastered by Brad Boatright at Portland’s legendary Audiosiege. We then pressed on deluxe heavyweight 150-gram vinyl,  printed on reverse board jackets, and included an 11in x 22in gatefold insert to bring you a high quality and truly epic record.  

    Click this link to buy AGNOSY “When Daylight Reveals the Torture” Vinyl

    Click this link Stream or Download from our BANDCAMP page

    PROFANE EXISTENCE – PO BOX 647 – HUNTINGTON WV – 25711 – UNITED STATES
  • The legendary crust classic is now available once again!

    Authorized and released in cooperation with MISERY, S.D.S., & MCR Japan & Remastered by Jack Butcher at Enormous Door Studio we are beyond proud to make one one the most rare and sought after crust records available  once again.

    Fuck the scavengers charging punks exuberant amounts of cash on ebay and discogs. We worked meticulously with both bands and with Jack at Enormous door to bring you an updated version that kicks major audio ass while maintaining the original authenticity. 

    Released on deluxe 150 gram vinyl. With an 11×11 inner sleeve. Black Paper Jacket. Reverse Board Jacket.

    Feel free to Stream or Download at our Bandcamp page – HERE

    Buy a physical copy of the Vinyl from our webstore – HERE

    Check out Terminal Sound Nuisance for an outstanding review of the original LP. The review gives insight on not only the music but the records long lasting impact on crust music and why it remains so important to this day. – http://terminalsoundnuisance.blogspot.com/2013/06/misery-sds-pain-in-suffering-future.html
    S.D.S.
    MISERY

    Earlier this year we re-issued this legendary LP and sold over 950 copies in just 4 short months. For this second pressing we pressed 490 copies on Krystal Clear & 485 on Grey Vinyl with Black Mist.

    Crystal Clear (Bullet belt no included)
    Grey With Black Mist (Bullet belt no included)
    PROFANE EXISTENCE – PO BOX 647 – HUNTINGTON WV – 25711
    UNITED STATES
  • Stench crust the way it was meant to be played!

    The UK crust scene of the 1980’s inspired band after band but no other band has ever reincarnated the sound of that time as well as SWORDWIELDER. Quite simply if you like crust, then this the album you have waited decades for.

    Package includes- 
    LP pressed on deluxe 150-gram vinyl. 
    Reverse board jacket 
    Printed inner sleeve 
    11×17 poster

    Stream album for free or download for a small fee here – https://profaneexistence.bandcamp.com/album/swordwielder-system-overlord-lp

    Buy Vinyl here – https://profaneexistence.bandcamp.com/album/swordwielder-system-overlord-lp

    Review by Craig Hayes from “Your Last Rites”… 
    Swordwielder – System Overlord 
    Heavyweight punk fanatics take note: System Overlord is a fucking triumph. The long-awaited sophomore album from Gothenburg stenchcore band Swordwielder is a brooding behemoth, constructed from the filthiest and heftiest strains of punk and metal. System Overlord shimmers with apocalyptic visions, and it’s overflowing with all the grim atmospherics and intimidating intensity that defines consummate crushing crust.

    Too much hype? No way… And no apologies, either. Swordwielder deal in definitive stenchcore on System Overlord, and much like their full-length debut, 2013’s Grim Visions of Battle, the band’s latest release is a knockout. Swordwielder’s harsh, gruff and dark sound owes a significant debt to old school icons like Amebix, Axegrinder, Deviated Instinct, and Antisect, and they mix and mangle their influences and leave ’em to rot on the battlefield.

    Plenty of hammering rage drives System Overlord tracks like “Violent Revolution,” “Savage Execution” and “Cyborgs,” and thundering epics like “Corrupt Future” and “Northern Lights” exhibit subtler strengths, mixing guttural growls and clean vocals with crashing percussion and dirge-laden riffs. Connoisseurs of corpse-dragging crust will love the brute-force belligerence of “Absolute Fear,” “Nuclear Winter,” and “Second Attack,” which rain down like merciless mortar barrages. As a rule, all of System Overlord‘s mammoth tracks chug and churn with grinding muscle, while reeking of squalor and decay.

    Swordwielder exudes tightly coiled aggression from start to finish here—songs rise from the ashes of desolation, and resounding calls for action and resistance ring loud. If you’re a fan of heavy-hitters like Fatum, War//Plague, Carnage, Zygome, Cancer Spreading or (insert your favorite hefty crust crew here), System Overlord‘s trampling tempo and strapping sound are bound to appeal.

    Crust profane existence swordwielder
  •  We are happy to announce our next new release

    WILT – “Self Titled” 

    WILT combine old school metal and crust in a perfect hybrid that very few others have ever achieved. Prepare for a LP thats equal parts galloping d-beat crust reminiscent of bands like HELLSHOCK, and INSTINCT OF SURVIVAL, meets old school death metal in the vein of BOLT THROWER, MEMORIAM (old) SEPULTURA.

     

    Here is a track from the upcoming LP

    https://profanexistence.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/02-sermon-for-the-bootlickers.wav

     

    “Sermon for the Bootlickers”

    Despite the inculcation of helplessness within each there remains great power. Ill at ease with such makes us ill. Learn to see the hand that feeds for what it is. You’ve been fooled if you think you’ve got no power. Refuse to be reduced to a consumer you’re a human being. Define yourself by more than wealth. Define yourself as a human. You don’t need what you’re being sold. Bend your knee to no authority but your own mind. You have the power to avoid the gilded trap. Avarice is what you’re conditioned for. Break the mold discover what’s really valuable to you. 

    WILT will be on in Europe this July / August will ELECTROZOMBIES From Chile

    Wed, July 12 Hanover / Germany / Confirmed
    Thu, July 13 Bremen  
    Fri, July 14 Mulhem / Germany / Confirmed  
    Sat, July 15 Gent, Belgium / CrustPicnic / Confirmed
    Sun, July 16 Paris / France or Amsterdam / Nederland  
    July 18 North-East France or West Germany 
    July 19 Freiburg / Germany TBC 
    July 20 Winterthur / Switzerland 
    Fri, July 21 Zurich / Switzerland
    Sat, July 22 Biel / Switzerland 
    July 23 Lausanne or Geneva / Switzerland 
    July 24 Geneva / Switzerland or Grenoble france
    July 25 Treviso (or Milano or Bologna or Verona) / Italy
    July 26 Ljubljana Slovenia Confirmed
    July 27 No Sanctuary chilling day
    Fri, July 28 NoSanctuary Confirmed
    Sat, July 29 NoSanctuary Confirmed
    July 30 Ilirska Bistrica/Slovenia or Vienna/Austria or Budapest/Hungary.
    July 31 Wiena / Austrai or Budapest or / Slovakia
    August 1 Brno / Czech Republic.
    August 2 Prague / Czech Republic
    August 3 Finsterwalde / Germany TBC
    Fri, August 4 Leipzig / Germany TBC
    Sat, August 5 Berlin / Germany / confirmed
    August 6 Dresden
    August 7 Wroclaw / Poland
    August 8 Warsaw / Poland
    August 9 Poznan / Poland
    August 10 Szczecin/Poland TBC
    Fri, August 11 Rostock / confirmed
    Sat, August 12 Hamburg TBC
     

    For this in the Seattle or surrounding area you can catch WILT this Saturday April first at Highline Bar with NOOTHGRUSH from Oakland.

    Anarchist anarchist metal blackened crust Crust D-Beat death Grind Metal Punk Rock thrash wilt
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PROFANE EXISTENCE has a web store filled with records, shirts, zines, tapes, patches, pins, CD's and more. Check it often as we are constantly adding new items to the list and selling out of old ones.

Visit the PE web store at:
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Posts By damieninbred

0 Blast From The Past: Profane Existence #2!

Continuing our series of (sadly non-downloadable) digital versions of ancient Profane issues, here we are with issue #2, going all the way back to early 1990. To make some of you older punx feel even older, I was still 4 years old when this beast came out.

  • April 20, 2016
  • by damieninbred
  • · PDF Archives · PE Web Zine · Radness

PE2

The March of the Corporations. Some things never change.

Continuing our series of (sadly non-downloadable) digital versions of ancient Profane issues, here we are with issue #2, going all the way back to early 1990. To make some of you older punx feel even older, I was still 4 years old when this beast came out.

Aside from the usual letters/columns/reviews, you’ll enjoy an extensive radical news section (including pieces on squatters vs the filth in NYC, police violence, the shady right wing scum behind Coor’s beer [seriously, stop drinking that crap!], and anti-conscription activists on trial in Spain). Band interviews this time around are with STATE OF MIND, and SOFA-HEAD. And how can we forget Felix Von Havoc’s Short History of Anarchism pt 2 (featuring Mikhail Bakunin), and the piece he co-wrote with R@t, the somewhat controversial “Revolt Against Communism”.

A ton of great reading this time around!

Don’t go anywhere, cuz issue #3 is coming soon!

Have a read HERE

1 Blast From The Past: Profane Existence #1

  • April 19, 2016
  • by damieninbred
  • · PDF Archives · PE Web Zine · Radness

PE1

Here we go, back to the very beginnings of Profane Existence!
From the ashes of Minneapolis Alternative Scene, here is the debut of this humble little collective that’s still active 26 1/2 years later!

In this issue, we have interviews with the now-legendary DESTROY!, ATAVISTIC, and DEAD SILENCE. We’ve also got an extensive news section (remember, this is pre-internet!) including a clash between patriotic skins and flag burners in NYC, a write-up of the 1989 Anarchist Gathering in the Bay Area, Twin Cities animal rights news, and some Poll Tax resistance in Scotland, among other news articles.
Plus, part one of Felix Von Havoc’s Short History of Anarchism (featuring the roots of modern Anarchist theory – Godwin and Proudhon).
The UK anarchopunk scene is explored in the Scene Report section.

But don’t let me spoil it for you – go read the fucking thing!

HERE it is

Note: These are not downloadable, unfortunately.

0 Blast From The Past: Ancient Issues of Profane Existence now available to read online!

Over the next few weeks, I will be linking to old PE issues in the spirit of keeping our past alive! It's really interesting to see where the PE collective was at back in 1989-94, and how little has changed in the world

  • April 19, 2016
  • by damieninbred
  • · PE Web Zine · Radness

I just got back to Calgary last week from a too-quick vacation out to Toronto and Montreal. While I was out there, I met up with a long-time internet friend, Randy Smith. He’s been around for quite a while, and has one of the biggest collections of old zines and radical literature of anybody I’ve ever met. A while back, he started to digitize his collection. A sizable chunk of his collection turns out to be early issues of Profane Existence (and our immediate precursor, Minneapolis Alternative Scene).
While I was out there, we got to chatting about Randy’s project of digitizing pieces of the radical past. Long story short, I asked if I could link to his digitized issues of PE from our site, and of course he agreed!

Over the next few weeks, I will be linking to old PE issues in the spirit of keeping our past alive! It’s really interesting to see where the PE collective was at back in 1989-94, and how little has changed in the world.

Keep an eye on this space for digital versions of *Classic PE*!

0 Doomed Society Radio: Episode 100. Holy Shit.

  • October 13, 2014
  • by damieninbred
  • · Doomed Society · Podcasts

doomedsociety100

Hey friends!

For those of you who didn’t know, Doomed Society is a weekly(ish) punk podcast that appears every Sunday on Brutal Existence Radio. But before I got involved with Brutal Existence, Doomed Society was a part of the Profane Existence Radio podcast family. I had pitched the idea to Dan and Jeremy, and they graciously let me unleash my show on unsuspecting ears. I guess being a columnist and reviewer gave me an “in”.

Well, fast forward five years, and I’ve finally made it to episode 100. Given that a whole shitload of exciting changes have happened within PE in the last few weeks, I decided that it would be a great idea to dedicate this milestone episode to the folks who helped me start on this road to podcasting glory: Profane Existence Records.

That’s right – I have a two hour block of political punk from the label that meant so much to me growing up, and still means so much to me to this day. I’ve started with ancient releases from 25 years ago, and concluded with newer future classics. As usual, I haven’t been able to fit in everything I wanted to play… so you can expect a bonus episode in the future.

I’ve organized the show chronologically. And I’ve mixed legendary bands with less-known bands. It’s all punk, it’s all awesome.

Go check it out, why don’cha?!

CLICK HERE!

0 Doomed Society Radio #91 Is Here

  • June 10, 2014
  • by damieninbred
  • · Doomed Society · PE Web Zine · Podcasts · Radness

doomedsociety91

I’m back in Calgary after an excellent trip to California. And since I’m back, I decided it was time to bring forth a brain-spankin’ new episode of my crappy podcast, Doomed Society (which you can catch streamin’ every Sunday at 4pm EST over at Brutal Existence Radio!)!

And lemme say… this might be my favorite episode yet. I’ve got a wide variety of filth for you. A “Celtic Crust” set, a post-punk set, an East Coast 90s set, plus the usual crust and anarchopunk you’ve come to expect.

So please! Have a look, and download the latest episode! Oh, and tell all of your friends… especially those who hate punk. I find that sort of thing funny. Tee hee.

Love,
Damien

GO FORTH AND GET IT HERE

0 War//Plague “The Temperaments Of War” Is On The Horizon

  • April 28, 2014
  • by damieninbred
  • · News · PE Records · PE Web Zine · Radness · Reviews

WP_ToW_promo

Okay, shut it down – the year is officially over. We have the record of the year here, and it’s only April. War//Plague, the best modern crust band in the midwest (if not all of America), have brought forth what is easily their finest work to date. “Temperaments Of War” is their latest release, and is an absolute masterpiece. Without giving too much away, this is a concept record (without the prog-rock pretentions of the term, thankfully!), comparing the Four Humors to mankind’s obsession with war. This is a unique thematic approach, which hasn’t been explored through extreme music before. A much more interesting take on war and war culture than the countless dis-clone “war is bad/bodies burning” lyrics which have become a sad cliche these days.

For those not in the know, War//Plague build upon an impressive legacy of American crust, and bring to mind the glory days of the ’90s anarcho/crust scene, but without becoming another rehashed nostalgia band. The passion is there in every note, which you can feel from the minute the needle hits the record. War//Plague are the new standard-bearers of the crust movement.

(Damien Inbred)

0 Doomed Society #87 Has Arrived

  • April 20, 2014
  • by damieninbred
  • · Doomed Society · PE Web Zine · Podcasts · Radness

doomedsociety87

 

This fine Easter brings us vegan chocolate, cheap beer, and mysterious wounds on our wrists. Something about stigmata, or whatver.

In addition to those pleasures, I have a pretty badass episode of Doomed Society here for ya. From metallic crust to street-punk. A SUBHUMANS tribute set, some UK82, fastcore, and a 90s anarcho set. Plus so much more.

Go HAVE A LOOK

0 Doomed Society Radio #85: Gasping For Air

  • April 6, 2014
  • by damieninbred
  • · Doomed Society · PE Web Zine · Podcasts · Radness

episode85Apologies for the lack of an episode last week. I was sick and not really feeling the whole “talking to my computer while suppressing the urge to vomit” thing.

Well, exciting thing are happening around the Doomed Society camp: new shirts, a new episode, and this soup I just ate was pretty delicious.

This week on the show I have a wide variety of crap for you. Some hard D-beat, a tribute to Mortarhate Records, a tribute to the All The Madmen 2013 singles series, some super driving MotorCrust, and a tribute to the late Dave Gregg of DOA. All that and a whole lot more.

Go download it!

0 Doomed Society Radio #84

  • March 24, 2014
  • by damieninbred
  • · Doomed Society · Podcasts · Radness

doomedsociety84

 

Well golly gee, I’m a bit late this time around! You see,I was having too much fun celebrating the death of the world’s most hated homophobe, and time just got away from me!

Thankfully I even remembered to put a new episode together! And let me just say, this one’s… this one’s pretty good. To celebrate Phelps’ death, I start off with some LIMP WRIST, a bit of RAPE REVENGE, and BEYOND PINK – to name but a few! But that’s not all! I have brand new tracks by AHNA and CETASCEAN to help celebrate their brand new split (co-released by PE, by the way!), and classics from G-ANX, STATE OF FEAR, and SCORNED. Oh, and a UK82 set, a modern punx set, and some post-punk goodies. All this and more in the least-worst two hour punk podcast of the week.

Go have a closer look and download it!

0 An Interview With AHNA

  • March 16, 2014
  • by damieninbred
  • · Interviews · PE Web Zine · Radness · Uncategorized

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AHNA are a force to be reckoned with, combining elements of sludge metal, grind, death metal, crust, with a heavy dose of anti-authoritarian politics.They have never fallen into any trend or relive-the-past nonsense. AHNA are truly doing their own thing, making a hell of a lot of noise, and keeping it super real. Profane is proud to be a part of their new split 12″ with Winnipeg crusties CETASCEAN. To celebrate this new record, Damien Inbred sat down and had an email exchange with AHNA drummer/vocalist Anju.

First off, can you give me a bit of the history of AHNA?
We started as a two piece doing doom-drone and later had Graham on bass, Anju on drums, and a vocalist for a bit doing primitive doom stuff. We decided to go back to being a two piece and take on vocal duties ourselves and wrote our demo “The Confederation of the Cult of One” which led to our first record (s/t) that we also just recorded among ourselves. We have been a band for about 6 years and our focuses as musicians and writers has grown and changed throughout those years, with right now it just being an obsession with a variety of crust, old school death metal, primitive black metal, and other stuff in that realm. We basically just try to execute the ideas in our heads as best as possible and obsessively work on it. This might be why we started playing music together, we are both really committed and constantly work on music pretty much every single day. And I think this is also why it might seem that our music is often evolving or changing, since we are always challenging ourselves to do what we are inspired by. There is rarely a time when we are not writing.
Right now Graham and I write all of the music and lyrics and that’s fine for writing and even recording, but we feel that being just a two piece is really limiting in terms of what we can do live. Traditionally, we have always played all instruments on our records ourselves and Graham and I would do all guitar etc.. overdubs, but live it would be challenging to do what we managed to achieve in studio. Now Graham has moved onto playing lead guitar and we have a bass player (Derek) and a second guitar player (Taylor) to try to get a sound that is as close to what comes out on our records as possible for when we play live. The people we have playing with us are our friends and the lineup might change from tour to tour based on who is available for what tour or recording and this lets us continue with the level of commitment we both have while getting some help live and in the studio from friends who are stoked and wanna do that stuff with us. On this split with CETASCEAN, our friend Taylor played bass on the recording which meant that Graham could focus on guitar and then guitar overdubs and it was definitely way less pressure and allowed for more interesting guitar parts to come out. Having a third person record with us was a totally new approach and it worked well. It was great to have him there and he will be playing 2nd guitar on our LP and Derek will be on bass.

Aside from the split 12″, what releases do you have coming out in the near future?
We have a split 7″ with raw d-beat punks CONTORTURE from Sweden that is later than expected, but should be arriving any day now. We also have a split 10″ with Canadian gore-grinders G.O.D (GROTESQUE ORGAN DEFILEMENT), and then we will be recording out next full length LP that we hope will be out in time for our tour in late July. A Danish label is also going to be doing a Discography cassette of our stuff in Denmark ideally for when we get there for our tour.

You did a tour of Europe last year with ISKRA – how did that come about? What was the tour like? What were some of the positives and negatives?
ISKRA are good friends of ours and we wanted to tour with a band that was like minded so we all talked about it and it happened. As a band they are incredible to watch, night after night they played crushing sets. They are one of our favorite bands going right now and I believe they act with integrity and their music shows their sincerity and dedication. Everyone in that band is great as people and Wolf (guitarist) is someone who I respect and have learned a lot from. The tour was long and we had a total of 2 days off in 45 days or something and it went really well. The best part of that tour was watching our friends play to receptive crowds every night and having the chance to see them over and over. It seemed that people all over Europe really appreciated ISKRA and of course it’s the best feeling when you see your friend’s bands do really well. It’s hard to pinpoint any negatives, I guess not having any time off sucked but the idea that tour is a vacation is a misleading concept that even after many tours we have to remind ourselves is not the case. That said we wouldn’t be able to handle not playing music for longer than a few days very well anyway, so the lack of time off isn’t a huge deal for us. It’s hard to find negatives on a tour when we already spend our regular life playing music everyday, taking work out of the mix is the only real change and that’s always awesome.

What are some of the differences that you’ve noticed between touring in Europe, and touring in North America?
We haven’t toured the US yet due to a criminal record but Canada versus Europe is quite different. First the music we make seems to have stronger communities all over Europe. Smaller cities in Europe have a longer history of DIY squats and venues where that seems to be rare and newer in Canada. Quebec is probably the best province for that stuff here. And of course when planning a Europe tour we can tell our bandmates that they will probably be fed, get some drinks and a decent place to sleep whereas in Canada that mostly only happens when you plan ahead or know people. This all said, touring Canada is important to us since we now have a lot of friends and a strong community across the country. And especially since a lot of our friends and punks have moved to spaces off the grid, we visit and remind ourselves that there are options to live without being a wage slave.

 Vancouver has long had a vibrant and active punk scene of all stripes. Where does AHNA fit into the Vancouver scene?
We have a strong connection to a lot of different bands and communities in our city. Genre is not the defining point of how we participate since we appreciate punk and metal from a variety of genres and perspectives. We have a strong community of friends in bands in and around the city including ISKRA, HAGGATHA, HOOPSNAKE, MASS GRAVE, COOKED AND EATEN, FAMINE, SIXBREWBANTHA, OSK, WAR HERO, OBACHA, SHOOTING SPREE, CHAPEL, RADIOACTIVE VOMIT, KOSZMAR, HYPEREMESIS, POOR FORM, and so many more. Just based on that abbreviated list it’s clear that what’s happening here is really diverse, and so it’s hard to say where we fit in when we participate in a lot of it. It’s kind of a small scene so it’s crucial to support everything from raw punk to grindcore to black metal to crust if you’re into it, otherwise that shit dies out and then there’s nothing interesting left in the city. People in bands in our community tend to end up at shows you might not expect to see them, because people are supportive across genres. And obviously we have a lot of respect for our friends bands that we play with who have been keeping punk/underground metal going in this town for 10+ years like MASS GRAVE, ISKRA and HAGGATHA and I think that helps keep punk “vibrant and active” as you described it here, or “alive and thriving” as someone has described it in town before, ha.

Since we both also do harsh noise we also have a strong connection to local projects like THE RITA and RUSALKA as well. As a drummer, Anju’s main influence was Matt Wood (HAGGATHA/BISON) from when she first saw GOAT’S BLOOD years ago and that really totally started a path to where we are now. Now she takes a lot of influence for drumming from Nick (BAPTISTS), Brett (MASS GRAVE), Goat (EXPRESSION OF PAIN) and Bina (CAMBODIA). There is a lot of dialogue between musicians in Vancouver because we all love what we do. MITOCHONDRION is another local band that is slightly outside of the community we usually connect with but their originality and unique approach has inspired us though we end up with a different sound in the end. Of course close neighbours being Kamloops, we have a strong connection to bands like BRIDGEBURNER, SKUFF, CHANGE and also a new anarcha-feminist space in Kamloops called The Femme For All Collective which is run by Athena, Freja and Sian, all of whom now play in bands. It might be easier to ask how we fit in the BC punk community rather than just Vancouver since it’s pretty much impossible for our band to separate ourselves from the influence and relationship we share with Squamish, Kamloops, and Victoria.

Is there much of an anarchist punk scene in Vancouver these days?
We strongly support anarchism and play fundraisers with our band and our other bands and harsh noise projects often. All of the bands in our community may not identify explicitly as anarchists or political bands but the people involved all have an interest in maintaining a non oppressive community. People like Brett from MASS GRAVE, and Dave Mccrea from OSK have always shown me a lot of support and respect as a female drummer in a predominantly male dominated genre. Tommy Wilson who runs fastcore fest has traditionally supported politically focused bands like RAPE REVENGE and opens up that dialogue within the fastcore community by attempting to bridge those gaps. I bet these people may not even be aware of the importance of their subtle contributions. That said, we don’t have a unified specifically political punk scene here but I don’t believe that labelling something makes it more legitimate. If you listen to bands like SIXBREWBANTHA’s lyrics you will definitely find strong political ideas, though they do not identify specifically as a political band. So, I guess I would say that while we don’t have a labelled anti-oppression community in Vancouver, it’s happening and co-operation between people with slightly different viewpoints and perspectives is important to us.

Aside from AHNA, are you involved with any activist or political organizing?
We have been/are part of a couple projects that are focused on expressing anti-oppression ideas in punk and underground music by running physical spaces or events. The newest project is a radical space that is opening in the city in early March.  We support political organizing in the city by working in collaboration with groups who are interested to have our band or projects play or contribute in a specific way.

Where did the idea for the split with CETESCEAN come from? Will there be a tour to coincide with the split?
We are about 27 hours away from Winnipeg and yet both of our bands have made efforts to tour back and forth between one-another’s cities and play together. This created a strong friendship and we have influenced each other’s bands in the process as well. I don’t remember exactly how it happened when the decision was made to do the split, but it made absolute sense and it seemed to be at a good time while we are taking a break to record a few records before our next tour. They are an incredible band and we have a great personal relationship with all of the members.
We are not touring together to support the record, but we will be going to Kamloops and Edmonton on March 21st/22nd to play with CETASCEAN and HEAD HITS CONCRETE, and then doing a record release show in Vancouver on March 28th. We are touring ourselves on the way to the ROAR festival in Montreal in August and then we will head to Europe in late August to tour starting with a festival in Denmark. Our tour dates are approximately late July to early October and go from Vancouver to East Canada and then to Europe and back.

The split with CETESCEAN is called “Imperial Decline”. Who came up with the title, and what does it mean in the context of this record?
It’s hard to remember who exactly came up with it, but i’m pretty sure it was collaborative between the bands. The themes that both of the bands are interested in relate to the title directly, which is that people and systems in power are fucked. Both of our bands have had lyrical themes about oppression, genocide, and treatment of humans by other humans on other records as well. The title seemed fitting to sew the two sides of the record together.
ahna_cetascean_cover

On this split with CETESCEAN, what subject matter do the songs tackle?
The first track War Games is about a person at the top of the colonial food chain. Master of War was another title we were considering for this track, and it might explain some the ideas behind the lyrics. The song is comparing the war mongering person’s role to someone playing a chess game and not thinking about the lives they destroy, only ever thinking about it as a game because they never have to deal with any consequences.

The second song, Massacre describes the use of “total war” as a common tool in colonizing efforts throughout history in many countries. Graham was especially inspired by a particular event in a biography he was reading about Goyahkla (Geronimo) when writing these lyrics in which it was described how the army would wait until the men were out hunting and go in and slaughter all those who were unlikely to be able to fight back. There is also General Custard and the massacre at Wounded Knee. American history made this man a hero for going in and slaughtering woman children the sick and the old. The last lyrics are about the soldiers marching on to glory but actually marching on to their own massacre like the one at Little Big Horn. “March on brave soldier your penance awaits…..”.  When we wrote about hell and penance we were talking about the reality of the payback that is due for such cowardly acts: the violence that begets violence and the nightmare of retribution.

The third song (Death Sentence) specifically uses anecdotes from victims and observers of the effects of the use of White Phosphorous by the American army on Iraqi civilians in Fallujah. The chemical would burn its victims and cause incredible pain, suffering, and damage. In the lyrics the “rain of fire” refers to a common description made by residents of Fallujah of the day that the US army dropped WP on the city. The vision of the chemical dropping was described as being surreal and horrifying, and the aftermath showed that the only function the chemical had would be to torture, harm, and destroy. Most of the victims were civilians, many of whom were unable to evacuate the city in time before the chemical assault. Many of the victims were children. The lyrics don’t focus only on this particular event since they are a more general description of the use of fucked up weapons like this, but images and descriptions from Fallujah have stuck with us and were used in the lyrics.

Check out AHNA at http://ahnadroneviolence.blogspot.ca/

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