Monday Night Violence: Despise You

Monday Night (Power) Violence will focus on one power violence band each week and highlight their releases, their career, and maybe something you didn't know. Fittingly, kicking off this tirade I'll start with Despise You, my favorite, all time, power violence band.

If we were interesting enough, or maybe just crazy enough, we'd have a dictionary that had sounds to explain definitions. If one were to look up the word "animosity" in such a dictionary I, without a doubt, believe they'd hear a track by West Coast stalwarts Despise You.


Truly embodying the hardcore ethos in their lyrics, vocals, performances and song structures, Despise You offer one of the heaviest, non-compromising sounds around. The metallic abuse and their affinity for metal act as a catalyst in providing one of the most brutal, angry, and simply voracious sounds around. Pair that up with two vocalists who are equally pissed and you have the foundations of  one of the best power violence acts around. Songs like "Career Overview" or "Culpa Mia" are so painfully honest sounding, making it impossible to look over Despise You's genuine nature and dismal outlook.





Having just released a split with techno-spazz grindcore fiends Agoraphobic Nosebleed, entitled And on and on... Despise You haven't let their 15 plus year career show through in a negative way. Couple that with an upcoming East Coast tour (something I'm more excited about then anything) and Despise You have themselves locked in as a consistent, blasting and buzzing reminder on how to get your anger out.


If there was ever a more perfect compilation than West Side Horizons, then my day to day listening would be dramatically skewed since I first found the release. Their tracks on the quintessential comp Possessed to Skate  offers some of their best work, including "Mental Winter" and  "Cry to the Bleeding Sky" (not to mention it's 'best of'' as it teams up giants like Spazz and Assholeparade with Despise You and other big acts such as Charles Bronson).

 

Going back to their recent split, it has one of my favorite Despise you tracks; "Roll Call" which features more "fuck yous" than anything I've heard since Toxic Narcotic. Along with "Roll Call" tracks like "I End Me," "No More...Feelings," "Bullshit Reflection," and "Hand me Down Existencia" are essential listening (among some other 80+ songs). Other bonuses are their covers, all of which are excellent. Their cover of Posssessed's "Burning in Hell" has to be my favorite. True to form, the songs covered spread a wide breadth also including Circle Jerks and D.R.I. 

Despise You's influence is unmistakable, from other girl/guy acts such as Hatred Surge to fellow west coasters In Disgust, the proof is in the pudding.

Do yourself a favor and at least get West Side Horizons, and check them out at the following dates with Magrudergrind.

Essential Listening

And on and on... (split with Agoraphobic Nosebleed)

West Side Horizons (collection of the unreleased split LP with Man is the Bastard, Stapled Shut 7"   split, Left Back/Let Down compilation double 7", PCP Scapegoat 7", Split 7" w. Suppression, Reality Part #1  compilation 7", Split 7" w Crom, and an Unreleased track).

Possessed to Skate split LP