BFD || HARDCORE FOR THE MEAT AND POTATOES

Jul 28

BFD is a brand new ONHC band full of familiar faces. Members of this band are also in some active and inactive bands such as Big School, Windoc, Wild Side, Sabotage & Easy Way Out.

BFD take me back to a simpler time when hardcore was full of fun, bounce and groove based riffs, gang vocals and a sea of camo shorts with pile up photos on band shirts for as far as the eye could see. This demo showcases all those vibes and more with shades of early No Warning, Mental, and other early 2000s era core vibes that many would now consider a nostalgic sound. This demo’s clocking in at only seven minutes and 14 seconds long but she hits like a fuckin freight train and has a lot to say, the perfect ingredients for a very combustible demo.

BFD hits off the opening track “NEVER” by reminding us not to embellish our past and to live for tomorrow, the lyrical frustrations begin to swell on “ONE SIDED”. His vexation rapidly accelerates on “P.O.S” discussing the police state, then they kick into my favourite track titled “ANOTHER CASUALTY” venting the frustrations on the evils of capitalism.

“We’re the ones paying the cost, they got the money, they got the power, still they take what is ours. We lose our lives to get ahead”

Closing out the lively demo is “CONTEST” with some stompy grooves to solidify that this band hits as hard instrumentally as they do lyrically.

So what exactly is the recipe influencing the rage and the riffs of BFD? We had the privilege of asking their vocalist for a few questions about his new band..

WHERE DOES YOUR NAME COME FROM?

We were trying to come up with a name and the letters BFD sounded cool. There's a bunch of "acronym" bands that we love across all genres so we went with it. I promise we're not keeping it a secret, we just are still deciding what it should stand for. I am personally voting for Brothers For Decades because our guitar and bass player are brothers and I treat my friends like brothers anyway.

FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVEN’T HEARD OF YOU, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BAND?

Straight up hardcore punk. Meat and potatoes type stuff.

WHAT ARE YOUR MAJOR INFLUENCES?

If Maiden and Priest were the gods that Sum 41 praised - I suppose BFD's would be Killing Time and Breakdown. Truthfully though we try to draw influence from a bunch of stuff. You'd be surprised what great ideas you can get from throwing on a Lady Gaga record from time to time.

WHO MIXED & MASTERED THIS RECENT RELEASE?

The demo was recorded and mixed by our friend Mitch Courtois in Welland and Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios handled the mastering.

WHAT ARE SOME LOCAL BANDS YOU’D LIKE TO PLAY WITH OR SHOUTOUT?

I'd say we will play with just about anyone and just about anywhere if schedules work out and all that. I'm happy to see our friends in Reality Denied having their moment right now. There's some younger locals in a band called SHINGEN that deserve some love for the effort they put into booking shows in Niagara too. Can't forget our friends in Wild Side and Best Wishes either.

WHAT’S YOUR GO TO MOSH TRACK RIGHT NOW?

I'm probably the wrong person to ask because I haven't found myself in a mosh pit in some time. It's getting pretty violent out there (which I think is cool so don't think I'm discouraging you.)

Step one: I'll start doing stretches and hit the gym

Step two: Go see Floorpunch next time they play.

Maybe that means my answer is THE Answer.

ASSUMING YOU’RE NOT A PACIFIST, IF YOU COULD PUNCH ANYONE IN THE FACE AS HARD AS YOU CAN WITH NO REPERCUSSIONS, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

I'm not a pacifist but I can't recall ever being in a fight. Probably just some brothers fighting downstairs type BS. Any name that is coming to mind deserves more than just a punch from me and unfortunately it probably wouldn't solve anything either.

WHAT’S COMING UP FOR THE BAND THIS YEAR AND WHAT DO YOU STRIVE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS BAND?

I hope we get a chance to play some more shows. This is a communal thing and ultimately if what we create can resonate with people that's all we can ask for. I hope folks enjoy it as much as we do and maybe we'll get the chance to make more songs and play outside Ontario.

Thanks for the interest in the demo.

“I’D SAY WE’RE LUCKY RIGHT NOW IN ONTARIO THAT THERE’S A BUNCH OF AREAS WITH DIVERSE HARDCORE SCENES THAT’RE THRIVING. IT’S COOL THAT YOU CAN CATCH A SHOW IN BRAMPTON, HAMILTON, NIAGARA, TORONTO ETC. AND HAVE A BUNCH OF PEOPLE SHOW UP AND NOT JUST HAVE EVERYTHING CONSOLIDATED IN ONE AREA. EVERYONE GETS A TASTE OF HARDCORE REALITY IF THEY WANT IT.”

- WILL, @bfdhardcore

BFD just rocked their first show in St. Kitts with Wild Side, Exhibition & Gavel and we cannot wait to hear and see more of them. As Will said, BFD may just be “meat and potatoes” hardcore, but I grew up on that dish, it’s a staple, a foundation of this genres sound and origins. A meal that always feels like home to me when I hear it.

Can’t wait to hear what they cook up next.

Checkout their Bandcamp here: BFD

Writer : @just_reidz

Editor : @letsgetpivotal

07/28/23

Robert Reid