Sunday, March 7, 2010

What one hardcore/punk album has stood the test of time for you?


The record that stands the test of time for me is Victim In Pain by Agnostic Front, always will. That record is amazing from beginning to end and represents a very special time to me, when hardcore first started taking over my entire life. When I joined Violent Children, somehow we got to play with AF many times, before VIP was even out but they had the same lineup (Billy Milano was their roadie and always kept us laughing). Roger and Vinny were always very cool to us and even put us on a bill with them at CBGB's. One of the greatest compliments I ever got was after we played that show, Roger went up to Ray and said "Yo Ray, I really like your new guitar player, he reminds me of Al SSD… even though I fuckin' hate Al SSD."


The CB's scene was more than sketchy back in the early to mid 80s, but Vinny was especially welcoming and friendly and although I was new, he always made me feel like "part of the family." He let me borrow his amp on more than one occasion, and one time he literally gave me the shirt of his back! He wore this shirt at CB's that had an Italian flag on it and said "America: We discovered it, We built it, We run it." I mentioned to him that I thought it was cool and he said "Hey, you're a pisan, take the shirt, I can get a new one." That was Vinny, he was all heart, still is.


Porcell with Shelter at City Gardens, Trenton NJ, Photo: Ken Salerno

I remember being outside Cappo's house waiting for him and he comes walking down the driveway with a huge grin on his face. "It's out," he said, which begged the question, WHAT THE HELL IS OUT!? Then he reached into a brown paper bag and pulled out the gatefold cover to Victim In Pain and I practically passed out. We RAN into his room and couldn't get that thing on the turntable fast enough. From the opening chord of "Victim In Pain" all the way down to "With Time," the record was just flawless…hardcore at its best. We probably listened to it a dozen times. Plus that photo on the inside from CB's with Roger with the chain around his waist and Richie Stig doing the stagedive was incredible! What a record!

It really pissed me off when MRR demonized AF as nazis and bashed the Victim In Pain record. What part of "United & Strong/Blacks & Whites United & Strong/Punks & Skins" did they not understand? I was there. I saw what a positive impact AF had on the scene. They practically single-handedly united the NYHC scene and went out of their way to help new bands or anyone. They believed that NYHC was a family and we should be fighting the outside world, not each other. That made a huge impression on me as a kid and it's stuck with me all these years.

Even today, when I listen to VIP, it sounds as fresh and vital as the first time I heard it. I put that thing on and immediately I'm transported back to CBGB's, singing along with Power, screaming "Stigma!" and feeling like music could change the world. Changed my life at least.
-Porcell


Porcell with Youth Of Today at The Living Room, Providence RI, January 1989

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Yo Ray, I really like your new guitar player, he reminds me of Al SSD… even though I fuckin' hate Al SSD."

Great stuff and the best entry in this series so far.

Smitty said...

Through my 25 years of listening to punk rock and hardcore only 3 record still sound as angry and intense to me as they did the first time around:

The Stooges 'Raw Power'
Black Flag 'Damaged'
Agnostic Front 'Victim In Pain'

Great entry and anecdotes as well. Remember we're minorities and everyone of us counts.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I also think this is the best "test of time" entry so far ..
I really would like to read a long in-depth interview with Porcell. I guess this guy could tell storys for hours.

DOUBLE CROSS said...

We take em' like we get em'. People have the opportunity to really go deep with these entires, but many don't. Porcell did and for that we're stoked. Actually we're appreciative to anyone who replies with one of these, but obviously a great story to go along with it is always a plus.

As for an in-depth interview with Porcell, that's definitely something we want to do. Hopefully we can make it happen. I did one back in 1996 that I never ended up using (was supposed to be for the original printed version of Double Cross Fanzine), but at this point there's so much more to talk about and so much more I would ask. We'll see what happen. - Tim DCXX

Anonymous said...

dear porcell:

please let gordo and tim interview you for 20 hours. we would all very much enjoy this. this is the site for it. thank you.

a sincere fan

Anonymous said...

Please if you do this interview ask him about his "lost months in Cali" back in the day when he grew his hair out, got super tan, tried to be a surfer and was smoking weed by the boat load.

I'm curious about that.

Anonymous said...

Ah yes, the lost months... I was there! He had a Suzuki motorbike too...

Anonymous said...

pics or it didnt happen faggot$

TIM said...

ohhh "mr. pics", i hate to crush your hopes and dreams, but these thing can and do happen. being that your panties already seem to be in a bunch, perhaps now would be a good time to inform you that there's no such thing as santa or the easter bunny either...

Anonymous said...

"ask him about his "lost months in Cali" back in the day when he grew his hair out, got super tan..."

Holmes! Give the guy a break! With his current COMB FOWARD those long hair days were the best he ever saw! Porcell looks and acts like a boring history teacher.

GOOD LIFE RECORDINGS - Belgium. said...

Porcell is a hero, O.G. CT & NYHC !

Thank you for your music and decades of sincerity !

Ed / Good Life.

GB said...

aah those lost cali days. motorcycles, surfing, working at the rev house. breaking shit. fun times.

Anonymous said...

everyone should by his Edge Gear he is cashing in on.....

Hardcore heavy.
Surf stoner tool.
Krishna.
Hardcore not so heavy.
Milking the hardcore cash cow.
Now, Hardcore legend?

I sold all my YOT, Judge, and other overrated hardcore projects he has been part of, and donated the money to charity.

XWHATEVERX

Anonymous said...

i think Porcell (and the slew of bands he has been in) deserves more respect than some are giving. Who cares if the dude tried to surf or smoked weed? he made some great contributions to hardcore. i know for myself, if yot never came onto the scene, i probably would'nt have been as stoked on hardcore 20 yrs ago. i don't know him personally, but he seems like a good man. if he was an asshole, he deserves to get dissed, but for going bald, smoking weed etc is just lame..

Isaac Golub said...

Seriously...

This blog was about what hardcore record stood the test of time for him, not about the alleged claims that some nobody hiding under an anonymous moniker is blabbing about.

Project X: Shreds
Youth Of Today: Slaughters
Judge: Brings it the fuck down
Shelter: So-So

Great track record my man!

If he sold out then claimed XEDGEAGAINX and is now selling Edge gear that's a little weird but his love for and contributions to the core gives him a pass.

I don't really know this dude either but I still give him props.

Ike.

DOUBLE CROSS said...

Porcell's one of the most stand up, sincere, dedicated, straight edge, hardcore dudes that I know. On top of that his resume is pretty much flawless. This guy has done more for straight edge and hardcore in general than just about anyone. If you feel the need to take shots at this guy, seriously... get a life. You'll never be half as cool or accomplished as him and you can bet on that. - Tim DCXX

Anonymous said...

the dude has done WAY more for our little hc world than anybody posting here anonymously, myself included. respect. or fuck off.

Anonymous said...

Nothing but love for Porcell from me. His bands were sick as fuck and still are.

I've never understood the whole deal about looking down on someone because they broke edge and then decided to come back to it later. What would you rather people like that do? Never come back to it and get deeper and deeper into substance abuse until they die? Fuck that. I'd rather have a guy who learned from his mistakes and gets back on the edge than yet another junkie in the world.

clintfuckingeastwood said...

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ku7fh0Mmit1qzzq11.jpg

In the end, the only thing that really matters is the person being true to themselves and contributing the the scene in a positive way.