Breaking Through It All with Death Before Dishonor:
Brian on touring for 15 years, hardcore morality, and upcoming tour!
2000s hardcore heroes known as Death Before Dishonor, with their demiurgic approach to East Coast style hardcore, and unrelenting commitment to their music/the hardcore community, have continued to impact the scene in a similar setting to when they first got together. With never-let-up behavior and steadfast momentum, the musicians are keeping that pace on the upcoming tour with Outta Pocket and Twist of Cain. For more information and a breakdown on the journey of DBD, read on…
To start off if you could introduce yourself and your role in the band.
Brian: Absolutely. This is Brian, I sing for Death Before Dishonor–hardcore band out of Boston if you don’t know.
I also am really interested in what your first hardcore show experience was like!
Brian: It was a long time ago, back in 1993 in Boston, with Biohazard, this band Stompbox from Boston, and this band Reason Enough at a club called Axis (which is no longer there). That was my first hardcore show, and I don’t know if it made me want to pursue music, but it sucked me into going to shows. I soon realized that you could just start a band. I don’t think I have any musical talents other than I can scream, but the first step was going to a show and [experiencing] the wild energy, it was a different place compared to what was going on in high school.. and then I started a band, but it wouldn’t be until at least another 6 years before I started my first band.
Can you tell us about the current state of Boston hardcore? How long have you been a part of the scene and how has it changed since you started getting involved?
Brian: It’s definitely evolved quite a bit. So obviously the first show was in ‘93, and I’ve been going to shows ever since, [the scene has] had many ebbs and flows. Aside from everybody acknowledging Boston as blue-collar and working class, realistically it’s a big college city. People will come in and go to shows and start bands in different waves so that’s why I feel like there’s highs and lows. There’s bands that have come in and will do amazing things but maybe don’t tour a lot because they started a band in college and moved on. I feel like in ‘93 it’s evolved to where it’s easier to find shows with social media, and I think that’s a positive thing. It’s very diverse. [...] There’s a lot of great bands, and cool venues that are throwing shows. In Boston when a venue shuts down, the scene struggles a bit.
What is the inspiration for Death Before Dishonor, either musical or nonmusical?
Brian: Even our sound has kind of evolved. When we started the band we were a lot heavier. When we started we were in other local bands and we wanted to do more than just play in just our city or one state away, so back in 2001 Hatebreed was out, and there were just a lot of other heavy bands–we wanted to be a heavy band. We kind of matured over time and our influences changed too. If you asked me in 2000 what my influences were I’d be like: Merauder or Hatebreed, and they still are big influences but then we went on our first tour and played with Agnostic Front and I learned about more than just the band, they taught us how to tour. So that was another really big influence for us. As I said there are a bunch of legendary bands from Boston but a lot of them tend to break up, and at this point, I think the inspiration is still pushing hard for Boston, and what we feel hardcore is. I don’t have this is what hardcore is, it’s just ‘go out there, have fun, bring some energy.”
From what I’ve gathered, you have been a part of DBD since the early 2000s, and barring some member changes throughout the years, you’ve played with other insane bands like Terror and Agnostic Front through your career. How has Death Before Dishonor changed or evolved since getting together? What has that journey been like?
Brian: When the band started in 2000 we were just kids. We put out a demo almost immediately, and then we put out a full-length, and we did weekends. This was like 20 years ago. We mature as people and musicians, your ears open up a little more or you get more comfortable with what you’re playing and want to experiment with writing. Then we wrote “Friends Family Forever” that came out in 2005 on Bridge Nine (which was a big deal to have a record come out on Bridge Nine at the time), and up until that point we were ‘weekend warriors,’ and we did a week long tour in California, but nothing crazy. We’d play shows on the weekends, and then go to work. There was something about “Friends Family Forever…” the recording and songs were better than the old stuff because we were maturing and learning how to play our instruments. [Fast forward…] we ended up going on tour with Agnostic Front in Europe for six weeks when we had never toured for more than a week, that turned into six more weeks in the states. We ended up just being on the road. From 2006-2010 we were on the road for 250 days a year. We went from being a band where we wanted to be heavy and people to know our lyrics and play shows, to okay well we got this opportunity to go to Europe, and then this opportunity to tour the states, and all of a sudden we had to write another record and go on tour. That kind of burns you out too. At first you’re like: ‘so appreciative and this is so cool and we’re going back to Europe and people know our words and we’re playing festivals with bands I never would’ve even thought of. Then it’s like you’re on tour all the time, but really you’re not making any money, you’re surviving.’ Then people start having kids or need to get married and that’s where the lineup changes in the band, and I just kept it going. I’ve always had such a passion for this band. There was something about it when we started (and I have a different outlook on it now because I’m much older and in a comfortable place in life) [...] but now we’re at a place where I’m probably the only original member of the band. [...] There was a huge gap between 2008-2019. We never stopped touring but personal life took effect on me; now you go through band changes because people are growing up. After 2019, we put out a new record after 10 years and it went really well and we were back on the road. We just recorded a 7-inch last year. Aside from the pandemic we’ve been busier than we were in 2014 or 2018, but in a healthy way.
Given that DBD is a hardcore band promoting OG hardcore values, what morals/beliefs are important to the band as a whole, and how do you try to keep those prevalent in your music?
Brian: Boston hardcore-wise has always, ethically, kind of been like: we look out for each other, when someone gets hurt we try to support them (do a benefit), kind of look out for our own community just in general. I kind of conduct my life like that in everyday life, and the band is the same. If a friend’s band is down and out and there’s a benefit show, we’re going to go do it. If I’m at a show and somebody’s treating somebody like shit, I’m going to say something. Even more so now that I’m older, I’m going to make sure that all the stuff that the ‘elders’ taught me when I was going to shows… I kind of keep that relevant. I think that’s the biggest thing about our culture. [...] This is our community, we look out for each other.
I know there was an album drop last year for the 20th anniversary, of some remastered 2000s tracks, are there any plans for new music this year?
Brian: The band is a super big focus right now. We put out a 7-inch super quick like last May, with a new song and a cover song. We have nine songs written and our plan is to record a full-length album in, hopefully, May. I was just talking to the dude that’s going to record it and we’re going to try and record in May, and it will probably come out sometime this year. We have that California run coming up, and two weeks after that we go to Europe, and then we’re home for a little bit when we’ll try to record. We’re shooting for October/November when the new record will be out on Bridge Nine.
You guys have some big things in store for 2024, like the upcoming tour with Outta Pocket and Twist of Cain! Do you have any expectations for the tour, or what are you most looking forward to from this experience?
Brian: The last time we were in the West Coast, I flew home like literally four days before the pandemic happened. We were out there with Madball. So it’s been awhile. [...] Outta Pocket is killing it, Twist of Cain, Hold my Own they’re doing like three of the shows. As far as expectations, I feel like it’s going to be good, I feel super confident just because of the bands that are on it. I’m psyched that these bands want to do it with us. It’s been a minute since we’ve been out to the West Coast and it’s always good having younger bands to connect to the younger kids that are out there. It’ll be cool. I’m looking forward to it.
If there could be one track you recommend or promote to a new listener, to pull them into the DBD community, what track would it be, and why?
Brian: I’m going to say, “Born From Misery,” it’s the first track off of “Friends Family Forever,” it’s a quick in-your-face, it’s one of my favorite songs and always has been playing it.
Any final thoughts or words to share to listeners and readers?
Brian: First of all thanks for taking the time to interview us, it’s always cool when we’re doing a tour and someone from the community wants to interview us, so I’m super appreciative. If you’re out in California, check out the tour. Yeah, I don’t know, just support bands. I would say the most important thing is to support your local bands and your local venues. Anytime you can go out and support, it makes a world of difference.
Speaking with Brian offered a look into Boston hardcore, and the means to “see it through.” Stream Death Before Dishonor on all platforms and follow their socials to stay up to date on what’s upcoming for them!
Written by: Allie Payne (@alliepaynex_)
Published on: March 7th, 2024