Almost ten years ago the California hardcore band Chain of Strength asked, "Has the edge gone dull?" The edge hasn't lost any of it's sharpness but has transformed from a simple song written by teenagers in Washington D.C. in the early 80's to a positive filled jock rock by the end of the decade. The 90's itself was a scary time for straightedge. Bands became militant about keeping their bodies clean that they would form rather large groups of testosterone humus filled vegan-power meatheads that were trying to take the world back, street by street and block by block. By the tail end of the 90's straightedge was beginning to find its roots back to '88. Eventually all the bands from the last part of the century all broke edge and started cock-rock bands.
So here we are six years into the new millennium and straightedge has once again found its positive routes but it's a vocal minority. The hardcore scene today seems to be more concerned on how many cans of Sparks they can down at a fest than abstaining from promiscuous sex, drugs, and alcohol. However, they are few bands like Allegiance and The First Step that are keeping straightedge real. Krishna bless their X'ed up hands. Seriously, when the outside looks at hardcore today they see a bunch of whiny metal kids in the wrong pants and wearing way too much make-up. When straightedge is mentioned people tend to think of the militancy of the Utah Scene with the X carving festivities on drunken frat boys. Or maybe they think of 7th Dagger Clothing Company with their boneheaded "Kill Your Local Drug Dealer" shirts.
Hardcore and straightedge to me was never about being the kid with the best wardrobe and it was never about AK-47's and hand grenades. Hardcore was always a positive influence on my life and how to better myself and my community of friends. Sometimes, it upsets me to see hardcore become the longest running inside joke for people as they spit in hardcore's face by being the most hypocritical people to ever consider themselves outside of the society's norms and bullshit.
What We Know renews my faith in hardcore. This album is filled to brim with positive and non-stop energy. The First Step come at you with twelve songs to get you upfront punching the floor or pointing your finger as you singing along. If the front cover of kids stage-diving and piling on each other as the fight for the mic doesn't get your heart racing even a little bit, you need to drop out of hardcore already. What We Know isn't exactly reinventing hardcore with it's standard fast parts, breakdowns, and gang vocals but it's produced to almost near hardcore perfection by Walter Schreifels. Every riff motivates you. Every drum fill makes you want to stage dive onto your bed. Every simple bass line has an impact. If you aren't moshing side to side in your pajamas by the end of What We Know then I don't what the fuck is wrong with you.
The First Step has released the first flawless record of 2006 and maybe even this century. Its fast, it's furious but you don't get any Vin Diesel just a whole lot of XXX. So break out the big fat Sharpie marker and scrawl up the back of your hands with the biggest X ever. Pump your fist in the air, and scream your throat raw. Hardcore is back and its name is The First Step.
