New Article/DIY Aesthetic

DIY Aesthetic
By Morgan

Ever wanted some clothes that are just your style but don’t want to spend some ridiculous sum of money? The answer to your problem is DIY. DIY stands for Do It Yourself, it has been a big part of counter culture since the days of the hippies. Confused on where to start? Well, that’s pretty easy to solve.

There are many projects you can embark upon to being your DIY lifestyle. First and foremost is the customized jacket. All you’ll need is a jacket (duh), and whatever you want to put on it.

When you have your denim jacket, leather jacket, or hoodie that you’re undoubtedly anxious to customize, you can get something of your choice to put on it. Patches are what I’m talking about. Patches are good for advertising your interests, mainly bands. Patches can be purchased from very wide amount of places such as music stores or online sites such as www.crustpunks.com or www.studsandspikes.com the great thing about patches are they’re absurdly cheap. It’s up to you, but you might want to look in to buying a back patch, it’s just as cheap, but it covers the most of the back of your jacket.

First thing’s first, once you find the patches you want to put onto your jacket of choice you’re going to put them on. Back patches can be easily put on by means of safety pins, but if you want something a little more substantial then you can sew it on using sewing thread or (as the crust punks do) by using dental floss. Dental floss is cheap to buy and it has a very high strength. Finish it off with your other patches of choice on the arms or fronts or sides. In my opinion a patch across the front pocket on a pull over hoodie looks really good.

So I got my patches on now what do I do?
Once your patches are on you have a wide variety of choices, you can put studs on your back, around the patch(s) and you can put spikes in the shoulders, both of which can be purchased for low cost from the above sites (crustpunks.com and studsandspikes.com). Another thing you can do is sew on different fabrics of your choice, popular fabrics are leopard and zebra print, and plaid. As well, fabric paints come in all colors imaginable, and you can always stencil on words and designs using spray paints.

Now I’m not telling you to go out and purchase a 60 dollar denim jacket, or a 200 dollar leather one, that would defeat the purpose of this article. A good way to find some good leathers and other jackets is by thrifting. Check out the local thrift stores in your area. Also, when looking for fabrics or other materials try out discount stores in your areas alongside thrift stores.
If you find a shirt that has the right material then purchase it, it doesn’t matter if it’s the most god awful shirt on the planet, if it’s the right material, it’s the right material. Working like this can save you a whole lot of money.

There are a lot of people who seem to have DIY go right over their heads. Asking “but where will I get my studded belts without Hot Topic?”

Hot Topic did something amazing. They commercialized the counter culture. Hot Topic killed DIY. What happened to C-Squat? What happened to self funded record labels? What happened to home made and Xeroxed zines? DIY is something that we should all get in to, thrifting saves money, it teaches you, gives you skills, and lets you get out into your own.

Stores:
www.crustpunks.com
www.studsandspikes.com
www.ikickshins.net
www.interpunk.com

First Issue Published!

Here is a picture of the 2 copies of the first publication of Outrage! These are the last 2 copies that I've saved. I made 10 copies in all, and I distributed them to surprising satisfaction. Issue 2 is in the works, I'll be printing 50 copies. I'm pleased with how my test went over, it had good reactions from all but one person (who refused to read it).

Cheers!
-The Outrage! Team

New Article/Scratching The Surface

Scratching The Surface
By Eric

Trivium, Korn, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Bullet For My Valentine. Each is a band that has achieved Immense commercial success as a "Heavy Metal" act. We've all heard them. And for all of you who liked them, it was probably your first introduction to Metal too. I'm willing to guess you went out and bought a bunch of their CDs, probably a good bit of their merchandise, and maybe even went to a show.

I'm also willing to guess the first time you told another "Metalhead" about it, they called you something along the lines of a poser. Want to know why? Because, those bands aren't really Metal. They're all Mainstream bands who only have a very vague Metal influence. (Unless we're talking about Trivium, Killswitch Engage, or Bullet For My Valentine, but more on them later) This means that they aren't Metal. Take Korn or Slipknot for example. Both are "Nu-Metal", which takes influence from Metal, Alternative Rock, and Rap. But you don't see Rap fans running around praising Korn for being a good rap act. That's because having an influence of something (and in the case of the Metal aspect, a small one) isn't just enough to classify you as that genre of music.

"But Eric, what about Trivium, their like super hardcore Thrash!?!?!?" No, not by a long shot. Trivium, Killswitch Engage, Bullet for My Valentine, and many other bands like Job For A Cowboy are what is called "Metalcore." Basically, it means that what we have is a Punk band doing a horrible impersonation of their Favorite Metal bands, and Trivium is a perfect example. Their song "Anthem" uses a riff that seems a bit too similar to Meagadeth's "Skin O' My Teeth" to be a coincidence. You might say "You Fag, they grew up Listening to Metallica/Meagadeth/whoever, of course they'll sound like them." Well you know what? Metallica grew up listening to Diamond Head, but when I listen to them I don't hear something that sounds exactly like what Diamond Head has written. There is a difference from taking influence and blatantly copying the riff that someone else wrote. Taking influence would imply that you liked what say, Metallica had done, so your wrote something that, although Fast and Heavy, was still distinctly your own music.

At this point, you probably think All this article is about is bashing these bands. Well, it's actually to encourage you to go check out the bands other than just the ones MTV thinks are good looking enough to put on the air. You know why Trivium steals riffs from bands like Metallica and Megadeth and At The Gates? (Other than having no creative ability) Because those bands are Good. (Or great, depending on who you ask) Maybe instead of being annoyed by everyone making fun of you for liking Trivium, why not try looking up At The Gates, and see why Trivium thought they were so cool. Or look up Metallica and other Thrash bands. There is so much more to Heavy Metal than a bunch of Sell outs ripping off better bands. If you have trouble finding a New band to look at, as a friend or Relative who knows more about the Genre. No Metal friends? Ask me or any other internet people with a legitimate Grasp on the Genre. If you'll stop bothering us about bands we don't like, we'd be more than happy to give you some recommendations. No internet? Then try some of the CDs we review. I'm sure you'll find something you like, since Metal is one of the most varied forms of music there is. But above all, I want to encourage you to go out and think for yourself musically. If after you've listened to many underground bands
and you still like Korn or Trivium, that's perfectly alright, and if you don't that's fine too. It's only annoying because so many people choose to simply to believe whatever MTV or VH1 throws at them and call anyone else wrong, whether they are or not. (Metal isn't the only Genre victim to this,
sadly. My sympathies to Punk Fans,) don’t let the media tell you who to like. Think for yourself, form your own opinions. Most of all, don't just lie back and let yourself be another poser when you could just as easily be more educated, and probably find more music you like too.

New Article/Death to False Metal

Death to False Metal
By David

What is nu-metal? Why does every one who listens to nu-metal get hated for it? Ok well today I am going to be teaching you precisely what Nu-metal is and to why so many people who listen to heavy metal hate it.

Before we begin I am going to describe what nu-metal is. Now the meaning of this genre of music; this musical genre that has come to the scene in the mid 1990s, it was influenced by grunge and alt. rock with funk, hip hop and various heavy metal genres, such as groove metal and industrial metal. Now most of the time nu-metal songs use rhythmic, syncopated riffs played on distorted electric guitars with strings detuned to lower pitches to create dark and “scary” sounds. In Nu-metal you will usually never find I a guitar solo, as well the nu-metal genre is known for its repetition.

You can thank Korn, who are more or less the band that started the whole dark sound with the repetitive beat. You may also thank Producer Ross Robinson the so called Godfather of nu-metal. In the genre you will hear aggressive vocals that range from melodic melody to shouting and screaming to rapping much of the time combining the styles. Distortion and other post-production effects are often added to vocals in the nu-metal genre. Unlike real metal the guitar goes with the mood of the song as if it was on its period (editor’s note: haha, holy crap). Speed is all nu-metal really brings to the table if you’re going to talk about it metal-wise. With in most nu-metal bands there is a turn table, for additional rhythmic instrumentation. As a personal observation, I sometimes get confused when I listen to certain nu-metal. I swear, it says it’s a new song!

What is it about this music? Well for one thing it has to be noted that “Nu-Metal” literally translates to “not metal”; think “Nu-salt” which is a special salt for people who cannot have sodium, looks, smells, tastes just like salt but is sodium free. Same principle. In truth Nu-Metal can be described as alt. rock with metal influences (alt. metal is not a genre, children). Just because something has metal influences does not make it metal, funny enough people never describe Nu-metal as rap, funk, or grunge. What is it about this music that is so despised in metal circles? For one thing it’s not metal, and therefore should not be called metal; for another thing most people who seriously listen to metal think it as mediocre. This is really for you to decide, as the listener it is your job to find a style of music that speaks to you. If Nu-Metal happens to be that music then listen to it.
Nu-Metal Bands (trust me; there are more, like ¾ of the bands on myspace):
KoRn
P.O.D
Limp Bizkit
Linkin Park
Disturbed
Drowning Pool
Mudvayne
System of a Down
Mushroomhead

Anarchy!

Here's some music:
Skaven/Dystopia Split [Crust Punk/Sludge Metal]
Schifosi Discography [Crust Punk]
Skitsystem- Evoke [Crust Punk]
Arson Anthem [Crust Punk/Sludge]
Electric Wizard- Dopethrone [Stoner Doom/Sludge]
EyeHateGod Discography [Sludge Metal]
Weedeater Discography [Sludge/Stoner Doom]
Buzzardstein Demo [Sludge/Doom Metal]
Rwake Discography [Sludge/Doom Metal]

A lot of Crust Punk and Sludge metal. Most of it was uploaded by me, you're welcome.
Doom the fuck on!

Anthem of Dissent

Dissent-
1. Disagreement with the ideas, doctrines, decrees, etc. of a political party, government or religion.
2. An act of disagreeing with, or deviating from, the views and opinions of those holding authority.

Fascism-
A political regime based on strong centralized government, suppressing through violence any criticism or opposition of the regime, and exalting nation, state, or religion above the individual; A system of strong autocracy or oligarchy.

Anarchy-
Anarchism; the political theory that a community is best organized by the voluntary cooperation of individuals, rather than by government, which is regarded as being coercive by nature.

Dissent is an integral part of a working and free society. Respecting authority and respecting ideals is only appropriate when it does not lead to fanaticism. The ability of dissent is the most important freedom we have, as Thomas Jefferson once said "dissent is the highest form of patriotism", this is to say that disagreeing with the government and questioning it is more patriotic than blindly following it. Through dissent we keep our government accountable, and through the necessary dissent we inspire others to take up arms against social and political injustice.

Without dissent think of where we could be, racism, sexism, all of those social injustices suffered in the past would still be alive and kicking. Direct action is the single most important thing I think any of us can be a part of, rather than simply electing officials to remedy our ills, we must take action against whatever injustice we might perceive. Anarchy vs. Fascism is a common theme in literary works, but very few people take the ideology seriously. Anarchy is not what most people see it as nowadays, it is not some idiotic symbol that skate rats* cling to in an attempt to see 1) intellectual and 2) "punx". Anarchy is often perceived as "chaos" or "destruction", but in actuality it is the most humanistic political ideology that I can possibly think of. It puts the responsibility of governing in the hands of the common people, and through common voluntary cooperation peace and a common good is achieved.

I have included a link to a demo of North Carolina crust punk/sludge metal band Choke Their Rivers With Our Dead. It was formed in the early 2000's by members of several Carolina hardcore punk bands. This is a one time album from a great band, and yet another example of how Crust Punk features some of the best female vocals in the genre.
Choke Their Rivers With Our Dead

*- A skate rat is someone who attempts to be a part of the skater culture, through wearing ridiculous amounts of skater brands, and carrying around an expensive skateboard which is never actually ridden. To a skate rat and skateboard is a fashion accessory, they are completely oblivious to the actual culture surrounding it.

Punk

Since this is a punk style zine you should know a little something about Punk:

Punk was a music movement that started in the 70's with multiple reasons and causes. There was an American British and even Australian Punk movement. Proto-punk bands such as Iggy Pop and the Stooges, the Motor City 5, and the Velvet Underground were influential in setting the stage for taking the risks bands like The Ramones, The Dictators, The New York Dolls, and Blondie did.

The British movement supposedly was started by one of the following: The ecnomic disaster that occured in the mid seventies, and the youth's lack of patience with the british government. A movement made out of boredom by Johnny Rotten, lead singer of the Sex Pistols.

This Movement caused the creation for most genres of music today, it's even represented in the roots of such types as hip hop, rap, pop, modern rock, goth, electro, two-tone. It did not create these genres, but it certainly kicked down the door for them.

Many like to characterize this genre with Power chords only and simple drum beats. These People are complete and utter idiots and should be regarded as imbecils. They more than likely know nothing about music in the first place, or are just that type of idiot that doesn't understand other types of music can be good, and that music, like other things, is all about opinion. Punk has had it's fair share of complicated guitar solos, insane drumming performances, all while keeping a melody, which most " jam bands" sorely lack, along with talent and lyrical prowess. Many of the early punk bands did utilize simple chords and beats, but like all types of music, it branched out and has many styles, from simple to complex, traditional to exotic, it all has to do with where you're looking.




Punk was more than just a Music movement though, It was also a fucking cuture that defined an entire generation. The point of the culture was like the music, be yourself and disregard the angry emotions it may stir up. No longer a real culture, only a burned image with the values behind it lost, you can see it in stores such as Hot Topic. People No longer understand it was always about being yourself and not being anyone's shadow.

For more info on Punk culture and music click here.