Dog Eat Dog
Dog Eat Dog made its big breakthrough in 1994 with the hit single No Fronts and the album All Boro Kings. The story behind Dog Eat Dog started a little earlier though... Dog Eat Dog has actually been around since 1990, when Dave Neabore and Sean Kilkenny decided to form a band of their own after previously playing in another band called Mucky Pup. A short while later Dave and Sean were accompanied by John Connor who was to act as the voice of the band and Dan Nastasi, who would play the second guitar.
Close Your Eyes
Giving every ounce of their being over to everything that they set their minds to, CLOSE YOUR EYES blew the top off of the Abilene, Texas music scene and has brought their high energy, passionate brand of hardcore to the masses. With one listen of their Victory Records debut, We Will Overcome, audiences everywhere will notice the authenticity of this spirit-filled, hardcore outfit. Shane Raymond (Vocals) and Brett Callaway (Guitar/Vocals) first met at Hardin-Simmons University. Being the only two "hardcore" kids in the cafeteria connected them immediately.
Downset
Founded in Los Angeles in the late 80's as part of the thriving hardcore scene, downset has evolved into an icon of sorts. As the original blenders of rap, funk, hardcore, punk, metal, and socially aware lyrics, they drew influences from Black Flag to Black Sabbath, Public Enemy to Bob Marley. Becoming a huge draw, the industry took notice and they caught the attention of Mercury/PolyGram Records and released their self titled debut in 1994.
Donnybrook
Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Donnybrook brings an old-school, in-your-face style that has drawn comparisons to Madball, Death Threat, and District 9. The group was formed in early 2003 by six friends who were fed up with the insincerity plaguing the scene they grew up loving and believing in. With their debut four-song EP now out on 1917 Records, coupled with their plans to tour both the East and West coasts (and soon after, the world!), and you'll see why Donnybrook is poised to thrust themselves into the mix with hardcore's heaviest hitters.
Hands
There is more than one band with the name Hands: [1] Shane Ochsner, Josh Silbernagel, Chris Schwartz and Jerik Hendrickson are collectively Hands, a band that combines circling atmospheric guitars punctuated with hard hitting progressions. They are a band in which rock and roll meets ambient hardcore and warm silvery singing rivals hardcore screams. The warmth of their songs is in strong contrast to the raw biting North Dakota weather that surrounds them.