Ordeal – Root in Superstition

 

Ordeal – Root in Superstition (LINK)

I don’t think people would be offended if I was to say that Montréal hardcore was in the middle of a minor renaissance. Within the past year or so, there have been several new bands and new releases from old bands including Violent State, Wax, Front Commun, Gazm, and Cell. These bands span the broad spectrum of what is generally agreed to be “hardcore,” however, this new wave of music from MTLHC has distinctly lacked more metallic and melodic leanings. Ordeal successfully fills this vacancy with their new EP Root in Superstition, a release that has the melodies and heaviness to appease fans of both Misery Signals and Converge.

This record has been long awaited by those who follow Ordeal. An unfinished copy of the EP floated around Eastern Canada for almost a year before it was officially released at the beginning of this month. The first thing I want to say about this EP is that it sounds great, it is almost flawless in what it aimed to accomplish. This is the first time that Ordeal feels full and punishing. Furthermore, their sound has also swayed in that direction as they lost some of their chaotic and overly melodic leanings for what to me is a more straight-forward metallic sound. What really makes this EP stand out is the influence of melodic hardcore acts such as Killing the Dream, the Carrier, and Ruiner. Riffs and breakdowns in the vein of metallic hardcore bands such as Indecision and Discourse are interspersed with excellently executed melodic parts that get stuck in your head (including a piano introduction to “Bloodlines” which works extremely well). I hesitate to compare Ordeal to melodic metalcore bands such as Misery Signals or Renounced because I do not feel they seamlessly combine melody and heaviness like many of those acts, instead opting to split those tendencies into separate parts. However, I think this works to their advantage as they expertly flow through these often opposing desires with excellent songwriting. Root in Superstition is a hard release to categorize as aspects heavily draw from metallic and melodic hardcore while others are surely inspired by both contemporary and legacy metalcore acts. The fluidity of Ordeal’s sound illustrates the futility of the strict categorization of hardcore music teaching us a valuable lesson: stop being a nerd and just enjoy it.

Ordeal rides a fine line between melody and heaviness, a line that is often divisive within hardcore circles. However, Root in Superstition does it in such a way that those on both sides of the line will find something appealing.

Breakin’ It Down: “The only music with a pulse is music that’s a threat,” An Essentials Guide to Chokehold

Of all of Southern Ontario’s legacy hardcore bands, perhaps none are as politically-driven and infamous as Hamilton’s Chokehold. In the 1990s, hardcore punk was a hotbed of politically-motivated and outspoken bands. Earth Crisis, Racetraitor, and Endeavor are among the best known, but from north of the US border came a band from Canada’s Steel City who were among the most radical.

Chokehold – Photo by Patrick Ferdeli

Formed in 1991, Chokehold were pioneers in more than one respect. They were vegan straight edge (while vocally denouncing the Hardline movement,) fervently pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ+ rights, anti-police violence, and anti-religion. Chokehold played shows across North America and Europe, often compared sonically to a “more punk” Earth Crisis, and lyrically to their hometown contemporaries Left For Dead, with whom they released a split EP with in 1996.

Chokehold’s discography spans 5 years and includes 2 full length records and numerous EPs and split releases. I’m going to focus on a handful of tracks across three releases, but I would highly encourage you to listen to all their material on your own and dig in.

A389 Records deserves a lot of credit for having made these classics much more accessible to modern audiences, having re-mastered and re-released the band’s most prolific records on streaming platforms, and reissuing them on vinyl. RIP A389 Records, your contributions are appreciated.

In some ways, “Instilled” is the definitive Chokehold release. Following up their 1993 full length “Prison Of Hope,” “Instilled” is five tracks of incredibly politicized and aggressive hardcore punk. The title track features lyrics decrying the vice-grip that corporations hold modern society in, while “Anchor,” one of the band’s heaviest songs, is a vitriolic anthem against organized religion. Featuring an infamous line calling the bible a “sexist book of lies,” Chokehold’s lyrics on the EP (and in general) vary from still-relevant and poignant, to over the top. In 1994, this must have seemed like the most radical manifesto ever set to power-chords.

“Content With Dying” is generally considered the band’s magnum opus and is my personal favourite of Chokehold’s LPs. Between the lyrics and the narrative created by the quaint 1950s-sounding samples, every aspect of this album paints a picture of a society corrupted by excess and distorted by religious values. Album opener “Underneath” sets an urgent tone, while “Afraid Of Life,” the best song on the album in my opinion, features lyrics and mosh-ready riffs which will make you want to smash a passerby’s smartphone into the concrete (the china cymbal ringing out during the breakdown is chilling.)

“Conditioned” is Chokehold’s famous anti-police song, containing the lines “to support you, is like supporting a rapist,” and “it makes me smile when someone kills a pig or two.” Chokehold never pulled punches or sugar-coated the issues that were close to them, and while the lyrics may often be a mouthful, they certainly bring the point across.

“Tooth And Nail” was released posthumously by the band following their break-up in 1996. Released on American label Jawk Records, it features four tracks of furious hardcore in the same vein as prior releases, although measurably better-produced and written. While I don’t believe this is the most iconic release by the band, it is arguably the most polished, and “Tooth And Nail” is one of the band’s most enraged anti-religious tracks. “Wake up and be saved! This is your fucking salvation!”

While there aren’t many current bands trying to emulate Chokehold’s sound directly (the same way that some bands try to achieve the Earth Crisis sound, for example,) Chokehold are a great example of “your favourite band’s favourite band.” Most notably, Atlanta straight edge band Foundation cited Chokehold as a huge influence, to the point where they made a rip-off of one of their shirts. Their final EP, “Turncoat,” was even released on Jawk Records, which was re-activated solely to release it. California’s Harness is another example, having covered “Afraid Of Life” at Rainfest 2013, and vocalist Nic Samayoa has been seen sporting an original Chokehold shirt on more than one occasion.

In closing, Chokehold might not be a pretty hardcore band, but they are an important band, and a culturally significant band especially for hardcore music in Canada. They valued music with meaning and message, and while sometimes the lyrics or music might come off as a bit unpolished, many of those messages still remain dangerously relevant decades later. If you are a fan of hardcore’s political underpinnings, Chokehold are a must listen, and I would strongly recommend their catalog to fans of all styles of hardcore. The only music with a pulse is music that’s a threat!

Chokehold have been playing the occasional show since reuniting in 2015, and their next scheduled appearance is on May 27^th in Montreal alongside Integrity and a slew of great bands, new and old. This will not be a show you want to miss!

https://www.facebook.com/events/126901777956936/

– Eric Parizeau (@thirdximpact)