-Considering how busy Chris Beattie probably is with Hatebreed, and the rest of you guys with your own projects and day jobs, how did Blackened come together so quickly?



(JR) Legg was playing with The Distance prior to our release on Abacus. Around the time of "The Rise, The Fall & Everything In Between" Legg had said to me that he was writing some heavy songs and wanted me to do the vocals. We finally had the time to start it around the summer of 2008. When I heard some of the rough tracks I knew instantly that I wanted Dave to play drums. Once Dave was on board I mentioned it to Beattie and he was in. Timing really really worked out. When we all got together the songs just came together. We have all been friends for many years, and we came together to just have a better excuse to hang out more. I feel really honored to play with this line up. We added Wayne (who just recently replaced Sean Martin in Hatebreed) right after the studio and we have our official 6th member Larry Dwyer. Like I said before, it’s just an excuse to party with everyone.



-Jay, you have always been pretty outspoken on the state of hardcore and problems within the scene. You’ve lived it for years and never seem at a loss for something to say. Many swear that hardcore is alive and well. How would you rate the honesty and authenticity of hardcore in 2009?

(JR) The state of HC in 2009 has its pluses and its minuses. On the minus side there is a lot of fantasy going on right now. Kids put 2 songs up on Myspace and then try to set up a tour around that. It's like, get a release out and make a name for yourself locally before you make any moves like that. Nobody wants to work hard these days. That’s where the authenticity comes in. A lot of kids seem like they are in it to be Mr. Cool and for the glory.



There is also a big onset of the "jaded at 20" years old HC kid. You know what I'm saying? The tourist type who’s been into the 'core for 2-3 years and all of a sudden plays the "over it" card. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you got to be in this for life or whatever but just don’t act like a cocksucker on the way out.

There are also a lot of fucking bands out there preaching shit and then doing the complete opposite of what they say. But there will be plenty of kids that will be the first to go online to defend these pieces of shit because they were nice to them once at a show. If they only knew!

Take __(edited cause people would get too butt hurt)__ of _______ for instance....

This guy is preaching all this righteous shit, but he will be the first person to try to fuck a dudes girlfriend or do some sketchy shit like that. It didn’t happen to me, but trust me, people talk about it.

Where someone like me, I’ll be up front about it. There is also a big lack of respect from some newer kids about the history of HC. Kids not knowing about the older bands and just wanting to score sick merch from the latest flavor of the month band so they look cool. Last minus is the HC kid who just downloads everything in sight and doesn’t care about getting their hands on a physical record and the artwork and lyrics contained therein. Don’t be such a fucking mooch!

If you don’t buy these records, you are going to see a lot of labels cease to exist and that sucks!



Raybeez is turning over in his grave as we speak! I mean come on, crying at a hardcore show cause some lyric reminds you of a dead uncle? Or Emmure? Or like those weirdo mosh electronic bands, like it’s mind boggling that kids think that that is hardcore AND it’s bigger than say a band like THE HOODS who have been touring, recording and living a hardcore lifestyle when those kids were sucking on a mom tit!

Now the pluses:

There is a great many hardworking bands out there like Blacklisted, Outbreak and Death Before Dishonor for instance, who seem to rise above the bullshit and let their music speak for itself. These bands got to where they are at through perseverance and dedication and my hat's off to them. There is also a great many solid labels still operating and doing their thing such as Deathwish Inc, Think Fast and Reaper for instance.

I know for a fact that the labels mentioned still give a fuck about the core. There is still a great many sincere people within the game as well.



-There are so many new bands that it becomes difficult to keep track or remember a fraction of them. What sets Blackened apart from the pack? What are you bringing to the table that others are not?

(JR) I think that with us, we are really doing it to have fun. We wrote a record that we could listen to.



When we started doing this, we didn't have an agenda, we aren't trying to change the world, we are just writing aggressive music! It’s an outlet for all of us. We all have things going on outside of this band, we enjoy playing and writing music together and I think that it shows on that album. Also seems like we relate more to old fans of hardcore, We have gotten a few e-mails from people who haven’t been involved in the scene for years or even listened to anything current, because somehow we have fallen onto their radar and it reminds them of the music they liked. That gets me excited!



-Has anything interesting happened at any of the early Blackened shows? Such as Beattie being dangerously mobbed by screaming fans? I believe this is called Beattiemania…

(CB) We`ve had some interesting occurrences at some of the Blackened shows. I think my most interesting moment was smashing my bass after a set in Poughkeepsie, NY. For whatever reason the top string kept popping out of place. It wasn’t my regular Hatebreed bass but it pissed me off so much I smashed the fucking thing to bits right after we hit the last chord. That was a 1st for me.



Beattie-Mania is probably the best thing I’ve heard in a while! The last time a screaming fan came at me screaming I punched him in the face and knocked him out in front of my mother’s house. Turns out he was my brother’s friend and was a huge Hatebreed fan. He still is too.

-Jay, what is the status of The Distance? Do you still get flack for your work in this highly inspirational but admittedly, non-hardcore band? When flack comes your way, is it to your face or behind your back?



(JR) I get this question A LOT. About a year ago I did an interview, where I felt I gave the best response I could. I still believe the exact same thing, so I am going to be lazy and use my answer from that! (Thanks pastepunk);

“I am glad that I can finally address this. I would make the record the exact same way again if given the chance. It’s funny because some other bands who have made even more drastic changes kept their names and been praised. At the same time you have other bands who are so bad, that can do no wrong cause they are friends with everyone and no one wants to say anything about “good dudes.” I think we were and still are an easy target because we don’t care what people think and didn’t go out and try to defend the album it made it even easier to attack us.

The thing is everyone talked about how much they liked us when we were fast and blah blah, it’s like "ya?" Then get off your ass and come to a show, buy a shirt. We did the record we wanted to do. I don’t expect some kid who is 15 years old and just bought a Minor Threat album to be able to relate to me. I am going to be 29 years old and have lived and gone through a lot.

For every person who hated it, I had someone tell me how much it helped them out and many people who said it was their favorite album. We also did get some of the best reviews of our career for that album, but who wants to hear about that? It’s always easier to join in and bash stuff than it is to give it an honest listen and decide for yourself if you like something or not.

I am not just talking about our band here. That album came together at a really weird time for me. I was going through so many things and not just breaking up with a girl that I was going to buy a home with and get married to, but other things that I am not ready to discuss openly. People didn’t know that some of those songs were a few years old by the time we went to record them.

We had essentially written a complete album with producer Matt Hyde (who for the record, did No Warning's Suffer Survive - I’ll let the readers make their own jokes at our expense here) and we pulled some of those songs for that album. Lyrically the album was written in different stages of that relationship and I am happy with the way the album brings it across.

Did the album cover suck? Yeah, but there were some people at Abacus who wanted that. Trust me when you’re dealing with the amount of money we got to do that record, you have to go along with certain things. I am not trying to make it seem like we didn’t have any say, but, we had to play nice to get our record a chance. We also recorded with guys who made hit records so of course their influence is going to be on it.

I think that the record really made me work hard. Harder than I ever had to as a singer and a songwriter. The other half of it too was that the fast songs on the album are the best fast hardcore songs we have ever written. Who knows, if the album was released under a different band name or a label that knew how to expand in that market maybe it would have been different. I feel like The Distance will always be evolving, if we want to write fast hardcore, we will.

If we want to write “Inspired By You” & “Let it Rain” part two, three, four and five we will. It’s just like when you’re with a girl that you’ve been with for a long time, no matter how great she looks and how great the sex is you still want a taste of the hot blonde standing at the bar. We wanted to try something different. I am also a huge THE USED fan and Bert is a friend of the band. We got to work with him that was an amazing experience. With the new stuff some people are going to like it and some are going to hate it but it’s something we are doing for ourselves.

It’s always hard to read negative comments about things you’ve poured your heart into. I will be really honest here, I wanted nothing more than for that record to crossover and make it, the whole record was written as a sort of revenge / fuck you to a certain person and I wanted them to have to hear about us and hear that song everywhere they went. Again, I don’t expect everyone to agree with that but it’s how I chose to handle it.

We are all part of this “scene” that isn’t even about the music anymore, message boards and a handful of kids who care more about post counts than music, and kids who will be out of hardcore / punk in a year who start up some shit website dictate what kids like. It’s almost like they wait to see what their favorite internet poster says and they go along with that. If that comment just got you mad or said, “that's not true,” you probably fit into that category.”



-Describe some of the most impressive, disgusting, or downright embarrassing things The Distance fans have done either for or to you.

(JR) I think this would best be left for in-person stuff, but one thing I think is pretty funny, one of the members had gotten really bad diarrhea, so we stop so he can use the bathroom, etc. We were playing a house show that night. So we play this house show, it's great, we are giving it all we got. So I don’t have to tell you, that after the show we were all pretty sweaty and shot, anyway, our band member ends up meeting this chick, and one thing led to another, so dude is getting some blowjob from this broad while he has total “swamp ass.” He said she just straight up stopped and suggested just having sex instead, with a look on her face like she had pure shit hanging from her nose! Again, not a great story but just something that sticks out. If anyone ever wanted to hear some “better” stories, just ask, trust me, my personal life has stories for days of insane shit. We are very lucky to have anyone give a shit ever about anything that we or I do, so I am grateful for that and will save the really great stories for one-on-one time.



-You have been Jamey Jasta’s right hand man for more years than many are probably aware of. How would you respond to the flack him and his bands have been receiving in recent years, as his profile has steadily risen in the heavy music world? To what extent does he confide in you? Could you reflect back on any key incidents where you saved the man from serious harm or danger?

(JR) I don’t really like to talk too much about my personal experiences with Jamey. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and his work ethic cannot be challenged. Every key moment in my life, past, present, future, Jamey has left me with enough advice and insight for any situation. If it wasn’t for him I can honestly say I probably wouldn’t have been in this game for as long as I have been. Jamey has and does inspire me to always do the best I can, to not let negative things affect my outlook, and to be a generous person. I learned from Jamey that you never have to brag or tell people about your accomplishments; instead let your hard work and effort speak for itself. I believe that I have done that. I do not go around saying, “Oh, I did this” or “I did that” but if you dig around, you’ll see that, while you’re sitting there ragging on me, saying I sold out and did all this crap, that I have had my hands in many things that have gone on to be “successful.”

I don’t need satisfaction from my peers because I know what I have accomplished. Jamey has a very good head on his shoulders and that is why he is still relevant and continues to do things that move him forward. As for saving him from harm or danger, you’d have to ask him. One time I told him not to eat any sort of seafood from a diner we were at because someone I know got sick from it, does that count?



-Trace the timeline of your involvement with Stillborn Records. What are the most significant learning’s you have taken from the experience? Any stories about the label or any of its bands that even people in the know probably don’t know?

(JR) My involvement with Stillborn started shortly after I met Jamey. Jamey was impressed that a bunch of young kids, who never really played a show, had recorded a demo with Don Fury. Keep in mind this was in 1996 when Don Fury had just come off doing some HUGE albums. Jamey came down with us on our second trip to Mr. Fury’s and helped produce what would become our side of the Overthrow split. I was instantly attracted to the label world.



The first real project we ever did together was the Right Brigade CD/7”. Like I said previously, Jamey showed me the ropes, and as he came up, I was right there with him, so I was very lucky in that sense that I was able to meet a lot of people and maintain my own contacts. After I quit doing Voice Of Reason, I still wanted to remain active, but was over being in a band. I approached Jamey about helping with the label, one thing led to another, started getting better bands, Hatebreed got bigger, it just happened organically. I am very proud of everything I did while I was at the label. Stillborn today is a very different label, but Jamey is doing his thing and continues to put out things he believes in and stands behind. Only things that stick out in my head are just a few releases that never happened. Originally the Voice Of Reason / Overthrow split was supposed to be a Cause For Alarm / Voice Of Reason split. We were supposed to do something with Shai Hulud. Almost did something with Sepultura. I am sure I am forgetting some, but those stick out the most.



-Any idea what the status is with Die My Will? Are they not one of the most underrated CT bands ever? Some good Die My Will stories that people may enjoy?

(JR) They were a fairly popular local band. Their dude drummed in Hatebreed, and now they are among the more forgotten bands of the era except for you and 5 other guys that still remember them. My old band Voice Of Reason played with them a bunch, one show that sticks out was Easter Sunday. Voice Of Reason, Cold As Life and Die My Will. There were about 15 kids there, but the show was great.



-Why wasn’t Pushbutton Warfare’s 7” issued on CD as well? What are some of your most memorable Pushbutton moments?

(JR) Another band with a guy that drummed for Hatebreed haha! Zeuss (PBW guitarist) has gone on to produce and record some very successful bands. Bruce went on to do 100 Demons. Not to keep bringing up my old band but Voice Of Reason also used to play with Pushbutton Warefare all the time. One story that sticks out in my head about the band was when I was about 16 or so I was booking shows at a club here in CT called the Tune Inn. For whatever reason, Jamey (Jasta) and the guy who owned the club did not get along. Hatebreed wasn’t allowed to play there, or any Stillborn bands really. At the time, this was THE place to play in CT, so if a band couldn’t get a show there, it was a lot harder to get kids to know about the bands. Anyway, I end up putting them on a show, but I tell the owner that the band is just PBW. I will never forget when he figured it out, he let them play, and they killed it. Not really a great story but just one that sticks out.



-100 Demons seemed poised to be the next Hatebreed. Are you close with the band? Any ideas why fans still only have 2 records after over 10 years of existence? Most significant 100 Demons experiences.

(CB) Yes, they are all friends of mine. They’re really fun to hang out and trash with. Any idea why fans still only have 2 records after over 10 years of existence? No, I don’t know why they only have 2 records. I know they’ve had lineup changes over the years from time to time. Why? Do you want them to write another record? One time Hatebreed played a show in Worchester, MA. Our old tour manager Sully always wore this Red Sox hat. He was balding and would always talk shit on the Yankees but would never take the hat off because of his lack of hair. We didn’t care about the hair but we found it so funny because he would sleep with the hat on and everything!! Well, I was talking to Sully through the back window of the bus. He was on the street and didn’t see Reesh (100 Demons drummer) coming in behind him. Reesh is a huge Yankees fan too and wanted to remove the hat too because of the sports beef. I watched as Reesh put some amazing MMA move on Sully in the street pulling off his hat and leaving him bald and crippled on the sidewalk!!!

-Which frontman do you feel better suits the band, Bruce or Pete?

(CB) To me they each define a different time period in the band. I'm going to have to go with Pete on this one though. He's more intimidating as a front man and brings a different element to the band.

-The Blackened record is dedicated to Lou Boulder Richards, among other close friends and family of yours. Discuss Boulder’s unique personality and some classic stories that you would like to live on forever. Is there anything we can learn from his death?



(CB) Boulder was a really good friend of mine for years. Aside from everything that happened with him and our disagreements in his last few years of his life we shared many laughs and good times. He lived 2 streets away from me in Bridgeport, CT so we spent a lot of time hanging together. He was probably one of the biggest ball busters I’ve ever known. When I was in high school I used to practice bass in my grandparents' garage. He was a little older than me one night, and he must have heard me playing and knocked on the garage door. He was going out with this girl who happened to be my best friend’s cousin. I think at the time he was playing in a hardcore band called Freestyle.

Anyway, he sat down, we talked for a while and he showed me some bass licks and we jammed on this small Peavey Combo amp I had at the time. He also told me this cool way to remember the strings on a guitar/bass (E,A,D,G,B,E) that I never forgot: “Every Asshole Does Good Before Easter”, hahahaha! I try to just think about the good times we had while he was alive. He wasn’t really a bad guy; he just made some bad choices towards the end. It’s too bad the world got the best of him. Mark Martin and Ian Keeler were also staples in the CT hardcore scene. I’ve had good times with the both of them. Mark was one wild motherfucker! He was one of a kind. I remember seeing him at every CT hardcore show when I was a kid. He'd always be doing the craziest shit! Had alot of laughs with that guy. My first memory of Ian Keeler was seeing his band Dismay. They always played CT and always drew a good crowd. He was fun to hang out with. He was a good friend with Boulder so that’s how I got to know him. He was always in Bridgeport, CT hanging out. The CT scene has changed alot without these guys.



I think I learned that life is just too fucking short. You really have to cherish every moment. The great thing about music is that even when you’re gone you get live on. Hopefully that’s how he’ll be remembered. I also learned that after he passed there were a lot of retards who came out of the woodwork acting like they were the best of friends. Crying, so bummed, this and that but didn’t even know his real name. Listen, I was a close friend with Boulder and those fools were just looking to be part of something. You motherfuckers never gave a shit, so give it up and get a life. Some of his real friends had to scare those clowns away.