Old school straightedge hardcore is back in all its glory with XRedlineX and the Tongue Tied (ep). Gang chorus singalongs, dance parts, fast chugging riffs and vocals shouted over the top of everything…all you could ever ask for in an ep.
The story behind Tongue Tied is covered in a recent Coffee & Hardcore podcast episode which is a podcast I highly recommend if either of those two topics in the title excite you. For an old Descendents era guy like me, Coffee & Hardcore is perfect. Two of the podcast hosts are Mic Cox (ex-Zao) and Wiley Willis (2 Minute Minor, October Bird of Death), and both are members of XRedlineX with Mic on bass and Wiley adding vocals. In essence, the goal was to do a project that was like 80’s and 90’s era hardcore, meaning bands like Warzone, Judge, Earth Crisis, Youth of Today etc. All in all, the project ended up taking 3 years to complete with band members located in various geographies and recording where they were in a process that according to the band was driven to completion by Zach Bridier.
- Marko Karacic and Wiley worked together on the lyrics with Marko adding guitars and writing the music. Some vocals and rhythm guitars recorded in Chicago by Rob Byrd at Makeshift Studios. Josh Conlee recorded additional guitars in Houston, TX, while Matt Tyler contributed drums recorded at the Oakland Music Complex in California. Bass recorded by Mic Cox at The Blue Room in West Virginia. Vocals to “Tongue Tied” recorded At Belly Acres in Chicago, IL by Zach Bridier. Additional gang vocals by Jesse Hawley and Tom Piotrowski recorded at Makeshift Studios in Chicago, IL
- Edited, mixed and mastered by Zach Bridier at Captive Portal Studio in Illinois. Mastering by Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios in western Massachusetts
The ep opens up with some ominous cymbal essentially counting out 1, 2, 3, 4. before music comes in and in this case some heavy chords ringing out before settling into a slower, chugging riff. In a lot of ways the song reminds me of something off the ep from the band Carrying the Fire, which is definitely a good thing. “Ward of the State” heads in a different direction and instantly brings to mind late 80s NYHC with fast, driving metallic riffs not unlike something from Sheer Terror, Leeway, Judge, and similar bands of the era. The rhythm section of Matt Tyler on drums and Mic Cox on bass provides a solid rumbling foundation and the song has some a great slower, section that would provide a nice dance part in the live setting before reverting back into the free-for-all speed in rest of the song. “Pennies on the Dollar” continues in the same vein but adds in a brief guitar solo and layered in second guitar to add depth to the track.
“Gatekeeper” has more of a melodic, almost groove feel to it, which is really catchy and more of the layered guitars that work really well over the chugging riffs. Wiley’s unmistakable vocals though strong throughout seem to come into their own on this track for me and generate a picture of him on stage addressing the crowd directly through the track.
“11th Hour” was the first single by the band in 2022 and was written for a friend of the band who committed suicide as a way to show respect for people struggling and let them know they are not alone. The opening of the song sound very much like something from Judge, with the initial bass and then guitars and drums coming in and building before Wiley launches into the opening verse. Heartfelt lyrics and emotions are on full display in the track and the video shot by Wiley provides a behind-the-scenes of the recording and provides info on the Suicide Prevention lifeline.
“Straight Ahead” brings in more youthcrew vibes with the abundant gang vocals as fast melodic moves at breakneck speed and perhaps keeping with tradition is one of the shortest on the ep. The ep closes out with “Brace for the Edge” which starts out with a mid-tempo opening as many hardcore tracks do and then picks up a good bit of speed for the verse sections only to slow again for the gang vocal driven chorus. Wiley’s vocals here in the call and response with the gang vocals work really well as does the layered guitars and rumbling finish to the song that shows the importance of Mic Cox and Matt Tyler in the overall sound.
XRedlineX join Stretch Armstrong in releasing some great examples of old school hardcore within a week of each other. As a project, XRedlineX works really well, a testament to the strong performances and commitment to the project by all involved and the music from Marko Karacic. Despite the veteran nature of the individual band members, there is a youthful energy behind the performances that comes through and melds well with the authentic emotion behind the songs. One can only hope for more from XRedlineX but in the meantime, this will be on heavy rotation…
Rating: 9/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist
- Tongue Tied
- Ward of the State
- Pennies on the Dollar
- Gatekeeper
- 11th Hour
- Straight Ahead
- Brace for the Edge
Band Members
Wiley Willis: Vocals
Marko Karacic: Guitar, Backing Vocals
Josh Conlee: Guitar
Mic Cox: Bass
Matt Tyler: Drums
Release Date: March 15th. 2024
Record Label: Steadfast Records
Social Media: Facebook / Bandcamp / YouTube / Coffee & Hardcore podcast
Video for 11th Hour