Racetraitor

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Racetraitor (1995-1999) was an explosively political metalcore band from Chicago, Illinois who managed to get on the covers of both Maximum Rock N' Roll and Heartattack before releasing a note of music. Known for calling audience members "crackers" and for espousing radical beliefs influenced by black nationalism, third worldism and other anti-colonial ideologies (and for some members, eventually, Islam). Their lyrical content revolved around issues of privilege, Western dominance of the Third World and inequalities in globalization. Additionally the band addressed issues pertaining to constructions of sexuality in America, corporate dominance of economic and public life, veganism and the straight edge lifestyle. The name Racetraitor was in reference to using one's social and economic privilege to create a more egalitarian world. The band's message also held that "race" was an artificial and constructed human category. They released an album called Burn the Idol of the White Messiah on Uprising Records and then a split EP called Make Them Talk on Trustkill with their friends in the Indianapolis band Burn It Down.

[edit] Where Are They Now?

Drummer Andy Hurley is now a member of Fall Out Boy alongside occasional Racetraitor fill-in bass player Pete Wentz. Hurley also played drums in several other projects including Killtheslavemaster and Project Rocket, and was briefly reunited with singer Mani Mostofi in a band called The Kill Pill, who released one record on Uprising before disbanding. Hurely was also a guest drummer on the "Jihad" EP released by the briefly reformed Vegan Reich.

Dan Binaei went on to form Arma Angelus with Pete Wentz (FOB) and Jay Jacentic (Holy Roman Empire). For a short time it also included Tim McIlrath (Rise Against) on bass, and eventually Andy Hurley (FOB) on drums.

Bass player Brent Decker continued his activism in the US and abroad before returning to Chicago. He currently plays in the band Nude Celebs.

After the Kill Pill, Mani went to complete an MA in Middle East Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He continues to be invovled in political activism in Texas and abroad.