Slapshot (band)
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Slapshot is a straight edge hardcore band from Boston, Massachusetts, USA, formed in 1985.
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[edit] The formation and hype
It is said that the band was formed in a 24 hour foodmart where the founders Steve Risteen and Jack Kelly kept bumping into each other. Steve Risteen, Mark McKay who both hailed from the band Terminally Ill and Jack Kelly who was not currently playing and was formerly of the bands Negative FX and Last Rights decided to create Slapshot. An early name pick for the band was Straight Satan, after the motorcycle gang which protected Charles Manson. The three members started to write songs and where later joined by Jonathan Anastas who was friends with Jack Kelly through Boston Crew and used to play for Decadence and DYS. There was quiet a bit of hype around the band prior to they even played a gig. Some of this was a result of the two band members Jack Kelly and Jonathan Anastas who had developed a reputation in the Boston Hardcore scene. Humorously Mike Gitter, who had a zine named “xXx”, also started to hype the band and wrote that Slapshot was a great live act before the band had even played in front of an audience.[1]
[edit] The Early Years
[edit] The first cut
Slapshot took a different route then most of their counterparts in Hardcore and went for sound quality. They decided their first record would be a 24 track cut as apposed to the typical 16 track hardcore album. To keep costs down they recorded during the graveyard shift, midnight to 8am. Completed in 4 Sessions, Taang! Records released Back On The Map in 1986. This Loud but clear sound is one of the things that set Slapshot aside from the other hardcore bands in the Northeast. The sound they developed is pure fast hardcore with no influence from heavy metal[2]
[edit] Early lineup changes
The line up of Slapshot changed constantly but their sound, lead by the voice of Jack Kelly, stayed consistent . As soon as the first record came out the lineup started to change. Jason Wood formally of STP joined as another guitarist. Just as they were about to go on tour Jonathan Anastas, who was playing bass guitar, left so he could continue his collage education. Jordan wood took over this spot until bass player for SS Decontrol Jamie Sciarappa joined. His stage debut with Slapshot was at CBGBs in July of 1988. In October of 88 Sciarappa announced he was going to LA. In 1990 they asked long time friend Chris Lauria to fill the spot.[1]
[edit] Later Years
Three tracks, "Firewalker", "Chip On My Shoulder" and "Moment Of Truth", were they released a 7" single called "Firewalker" and later that year the full length album "Sudden Death Overtime", with Chris Lauria on bass and Jordan Wood as second guitar player.
The band's next album, "Blast Furnace", took about 2 weeks to write and about 3 days to record, and the band members were sick of it before it even came out. However, that was album number one of a three-album deal - that's how the band saw it. After releasing "Blast Furnace" and with only one original member left the band went to Europe in the spring of 1993. On the second date of the tour, what was to become the band's next release, a live album entitled "Live At SO36", was recorded at a show in Berlin.
In 1994 The band went to Chicago to record. The band really thought that this album was the greatest thing - a whole new direction. The album was called "Unconsciousness" and was produced by Steve Albini, ex Big Black member and Nirvana producer.
In 1995, a new album, called "16 Valve Hate" was recorded. It was first released by Lost & Found Records in Europe. The deal was very low key. No contract, Lost & Found Records paid for the recording and gave the band some CDs. The album was then released by Taang! Records in the US.
After an extensive tour (with Dutch band Right Direction) the band started planning for the next album, writing songs and playing shows. The album, called "Old Tyme Hardcore", was then recorded and released. "Old Tyme Hardcore" was originally recorded for Taang! Records but Century Media Records wanted to put it out in Europe, so the band signed a deal with them (hence the different layouts).
On May 24 1996 Slapshot played one of their biggest shows to date, headlining the Skate Fest stage at the Dynamo Open Air Festival in the Netherlands. After another tour in Europe, opening for Motörhead and Ministry, the band didn't tour for 3 years. In July 1997, Slapshot played what was to be their last US show for 5 years in Plymouth, Massachusetts. For a long time, it looked as if this show was going to be their last US show, ever. In 1999 however, they did tour Europe (including a show on the Graspop Festival in Belgium)
"Boston Drops The Gloves - A Tribute To Slapshot" was the title of a tribute album issued by Ken Casey's (Dropkick Murphys' bass player] Flat Records and San Francisco based label TKO Records. The release date was December 12 1999. 22 Boston bands paying homage to Boston's finest Hardcore outfit.
On October 22 2001 a new Slapshot album, entitled "Greatest Hits, Slashes And Crosschecks", was released by Century Media Records and a new chapter in Slapshot's legendary history began. Featuring fierce rerecorded version of classic Slapshot songs, the records was an instant favorite for long time Slapshot fans and helped introduce Slapshot to a new generation of Hardcore kids.
Slapshot kept touring Europe for several times, Meanwhile, they released Digital Warfare in 2003 (with a Minor Threat cover "Straight Edge") and in in 2005 "Tear it Down".
It seems that Slapshot now definitely has stopped, after 20 years of old tyme hardcore. There will be a DVD released as a goodbye.
The band released this statement on their website: "As you've surely noticed, nothing's been going on here lately. And it's very much a reflection of what been going on with the band [and also perhaps the future of it]. Yes, the band is more or less over. The DVD will happen and is still being produced by Killswitch Productions. But Taang! Records will release it so I recommend checking out their website, as any news about this release will surely be posted there sooner than it will be here. As for the site, nothing much will happen there either. There are a few things I'd like to change [and also correct!], but that probably won't happen. But it'll be around just anything related to Slapshot MAY happen. Who knows what the future holds? Future reissues? Live records lifted from old bootlegs? And 50-year anniversary compilation box? Bah, who cares? By then we'll all download everything straight into our brains via a neural interface a la The Matrix so no one will care... Oh well,"
[edit] Discography
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