Well today is the day…..we have officially won the war in the Iraq.  Mission truly accomplished.  All major fighting has ceased and it looks like the Iraqi people are starting to take charge of their own country.  God is doing good things in the Middle East, our troops are there and with them, Christ.  He is spreading his word through sharing of the scripture and by our troops whom believe in Christ being great Christian examples of giving and compassion.  So with pride, we declare today VICTORY IN IRAQ DAY!

Thank you ZombieTime.com for putting this together, it is long over due!

I declare November 22, 2008 to be “Victory in Iraq Day.” (Hereafter known as “VI Day.”)

By every measure, The United States and coalition forces have conclusively defeated all enemies in Iraq, pacified the country, deposed the previous regime, successfully helped to establish a new functioning democratic government, and suppressed any lingering insurgencies. The war has come to an end. And we won.

What more indication do you need? An announcement from the outgoing Bush administration? It’s not gonna happen. An announcement from the incoming Obama administration? That’s really not gonna happen. A declaration of victory by the media? Please. Don’t make me laugh. A concession of surrender by what few remaining insurgents remain in hiding? Forget about it.

The moment has come to acknowledge the obvious. To overtly declare a fact that has already been true for quite some time now. Let me repeat:

WE WON THE WAR IN IRAQ

And since there will never be a ticker-tape parade down Fifth Avenue in New York for our troops, it’s up to us, the people, to arrange a virtual ticker-tape parade. An online victory celebration.

Saturday, November 22, 2008 is the day of that celebration: Victory in Iraq Day.

What do you need to do to participate? Simple. Just make a post on your blog on Saturday, November 22, announcing that the war is over, and declaring that day to be Victory in Iraq Day. That’s it.

If you want to write a short post (or a long essay) analyzing the nature of our victory or cheering the troops for a job well done, great; but if you just want to make a simple announcement of the victory, that’s fine as well. Anything will do. Just come and join the celebration to mark the day.

Keep reading below to find: evidence that the war is over (for the doubters); an historical discussion of previous postwar occupations and guerrilla violence; a list of blogs which have already joined the VI Day movement; free banners and graphics for you to download and put on your blog, if you so choose; and an invitation to submit your own “victory graphics” for posting here.

(If you would like to comment on VI Day, you can do so here.)

Observations and statistics agree: The fighting has ceased, the war is over

I have felt for many months that we had already won the war, but I was spurred to action by this report from Michael Yon:

“THE WAR IS OVER AND WE WON:” Michael Yon just phoned from Baghdad, and reports that things are much better than he had expected, and he had expected things to be good. “There’s nothing going on. I’m with the 10th Mountain Division, and about half of the guys I’m with haven’t fired their weapons on this tour and they’ve been here eight months. And the place we’re at, South Baghdad, used to be one of the worst places in Iraq. And now there’s nothing going on. I’ve been walking my feet off and haven’t seen anything.”

This email giving a first-hand account from Baghdad was posted on November 17 at Confederate Yankeee:

Just touched down 3 +/- hours ago at Sather AB [in Baghdad]. Dude… INSANELY changed doesn’t begin to describe this place. I’ve land[ed] in Baghdad under fire before and watched random acts of anti-aircraft fire overhead as the locals would try and unsuccessfully utilize old triple a flak guns… I’ve seen Baghdad under lock and key so to speak throughout 04 and 05. NUTHIN and I do mean NUTHIN can begin to describe the change. Quick observations included the fact that the city was all lit up where it had never been before. Try standing on the runway and not having to worry about random acts of rockets, mortars and suchlike. Try no body armor seen on anyone anywhere since I’ve been here… This place is so laid back its stupid dude… I’ll post more to you and my blog later… but as Yon said “We Won.” I’d have to add “In Spades!” to that.

This post at the Mudville Gazette confirmed my conclusions.

On the political front in Iraq, victory has broken out as well. On Sunday, November 16, Iraq’s cabinet approved a security agreement with the U.S. which top analysts and pundits are saying is the closest we’ll ever get to a bureaucratic declaration of victory and of the war’s end. Hugh Hewitt, for example, says:

The Battle For Iraq Has Been Won. Will The President-elect Preserve The Victory?

Yesterday’s vote by the Iraqi cabinet to approve a status of forces agreement confirms what most reasonable people had concluded this summer –that the battle for Iraq is over and the country is stable and secure even though its enemies remain in small enclaves within the country and across the border in Iran. It has taken five years and come at a high cost in American lives lost and in thousands of wounded soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.

It is, however, a crucial victory in the war against Islamist extremism and for stability in the Middle East.

The News & Observer newspaper came to the same conclusion three months ago, and many of the points are still valid:

Somebody has to write this. The United States has won the war in Iraq.

I’m compelled to proclaim victory because, these days, winning wars has become politically incorrect in Western societies. So much so that some political leaders opposed to the war refuse to recognize the definition of victory or to utter the word.

More than five years after the invasion, I still come across people who say they don’t know what victory in Iraq means. That’s on purpose. Feigning ignorance allows them to deny the obvious political and military progress that has been made and continues to be made each day.

The truth is, President Bush has been consistent in defining victory. Bottom line, it’s leaving behind a functional and democratic Iraq capable of defending itself from internal and external threats. Iraq is on an irreversible path to meeting those goals.

…

There is no doubt that much work needs to be done in Iraq, particularly in political and cultural reconciliation. But for all the moaning about Parliament’s failure to reach political benchmarks, Iraqis have achieved more political unity in their country than our Congress has in ours. A peaceful and stable Iraq is no longer in question. It’s only a matter of time.

So the next time I come across an Iraqi War veteran, I’ll not only thank him or her for their sacrifice in defending my freedom, I’ll also offer congratulations for winning a war.

The full article (see the link) outlines many convincing facts about the state of victory in Iraq. The only thing missing is announcing the date of the war’s end. Which this post rectifies.

If you don’t want to rely on anecdotal evidence or political analysis, carefully study the official casualty statistics for U.S. troops in Iraq (see the chart to the right) and you will notice that they have reached extremely low levels, so low that they no longer even come close to rising to the level of “war”. Also note that the totals on this chart include all military fatalities, including accidents and “out of theater” deaths. Of the 14 reported deaths in October, for example, only 7 were actually incurred in combat. So the totals you see here, as low as they are, still far overstate the very few fatalities from action in Iraq. It is now more dangerous to walk the streets of most major American cities than it is to be stationed in Iraq. For example, Chicago, just a single city in the United States, all by itself experienced twice as many shootings and killings of Americans as did the entire nation of Iraq over recent months:

125 Shot Dead In Chicago Over Summer
Total Is About Double The U.S. Troop Death Toll In Iraq

CHICAGO (CBS) — An estimated 125 people were shot and killed over the summer. That’s nearly double the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq over the same time period.

What more need be said? Of course every death and injury of a U.S. soldier is a tragedy and I would wish to see a long string of zeros on that chart over the upcoming months. But being stationed in a nation and a region that has a long history of hostility to the U.S. and an equally long history of violence means that our troops will always face some danger there. Yet “danger” does not equal “war.” Whatever lingering violence still exists is Iraq is now nothing more than a series of disconnected terrorist attacks, which have become completely ineffectual in changing the hearts and minds of the populace, or re-igniting another civil war.

Columnist Ed Morrissey on November 19 points to another kind of benchmark which indicates the war’s end: the fact that the Iraqi government in now engaging in infrastructure building projects that would only be possibly in peacetime:

Victory in Iraq: The Baghdad Metro

Eighteen months ago, the capital of Iraq worried more about whether it would survive than traffic control. Now that victory over terrorism and sectarian violence has all but arrived, Baghdad has big plans for its future.
…
Iraq needs to fix its sewer and electrical services before attempting anything on this scale, but the plan demonstrates an optimism about the future that has erupted in its capital. They’re already planning a traditional surface-level commuter train to help alleviate car traffic, which has grown overnight into a major headache. Roads and bridges closed due to violence have reopened, and people are once again on the move as Baghdad returns to life.
…
Representative governments have to deliver on their promises. That accounts for at least part of the optimism seen in Iraq, and for the sudden outbreak of big dreaming by Iraqis. They have their future in their own hands for the first time in decades, and the sudden liberation has fueled their imaginations. This, indeed, is what victory looks like.

Who gets to decide when it’s over?

Indeed, everywhere you look, someone has highlighted yet another detail which, cumulatively, demonstrate that “peace has broken out all over” Iraq.

Each person has their own criteria as to when the war was won: Some say we won the war long ago when we defeated the Iraqi Army in three weeks. Some say we won when the Iraqi government tried and executed Saddam Hussein. Some say we won when Iraqis voted democratically to elect their own leaders. Some say we won when we established control over the entirety of the country last year, eliminating the last remaining insurgent strongholds. Some say we won six months ago when the last remaining organized resistance evaporated.

On the other hand, there are those who are saying (in response to this essay) that we have not reached that magical benchmark. The Iraqi parliament may have passed the security agreement solidifying Iraq’s post-war stability, but some people say we should wait until the U.S. Senate approves it before we declare victory. Others say that the war won’t be won until casualty levels literally drop to zero. Other say we haven’t won until all troops are gone from the country. Others wait in vain for an official announcement.

There is no consensus. And there never will be. Still, the cut-off point between “war” and “not war” has to be drawn somewhere, and if we don’t draw the line ourselves, I guarantee it will NEVER be drawn. Because the Left and the media want to make sure that even ten years from now, when perhaps one US soldier is killed per year in an otherwise completely stable Iraq, that still won’t qualify as “victory.” Because their overarching goal is to to make sure that the war goes down in history as a defeat, no matter what.

My opinion is: This is as good a time to declare victory as we’re ever going to get. All signs point to “Yes.” If you don’t agree, that’s perfectly fine, you can ignore this essay. But if you think this is long overdue, then climb on board.

If we won, why are there troops still in Iraq?

Does our victory mean that I advocate the immediate withdrawal of all troops from Iraq? No. Wars may be won but postwar occupations generally don’t end crisply and cleanly like that. Troops often stay around to rebuild or to maintain the peace for years, even decades. Hell, the United States still has several military bases and many troops “occupying” Japan and Germany who have been there continuously since the end of World War II in 1945. We have two major Air Bases in Korea leftover from the Korean War. The Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba is a remnant of the Spanish-American War and has been there for over a century; the U.S. military also “occupied” the Philippines at Subic Bay for nearly a hundred years as a result of the Spanish-American War. More recently we continue to have a presence in Bosnia at Tuzla Air Base as a consequence of our role in the Bosnian War of the 1990s. What all this means is that it is standard practice in the aftermath of nearly every overseas war in which the U.S. participates for us to keep some troops there on a permanent or semi-permanent basis.

Do I advocate that the domestic government of Iraq continue to assume more and more of a role in its own defense and internal security? Most definitely yes. Do I wish to see U.S. troops going on fewer and fewer patrols and handing over more and more duties to the Iraqi army as time goes by? Yes. Do I wish that there would never be another suicide bombing in Iraq by demented jihadists seeking futilely to destabilize the country? Of course. Do I wish that there would never be another act of violence in Iraq? Naturally. But these things take time. So, even though the war is over, American troops are likely to stay on the ground in Iraqi bases in some capacity for quite some time — months, years, possibly even decades if circumstances warrant.

But yes, eventually many troops will have to start coming home one way or the other. I am not opposed to an incremental “drawdown” of forces as responsibilities diminish — which has already started to happen under the Bush administration and will likely continue under an Obama administration. What I do oppose is a reckless immediate evacuation of all American troops in Iraq as some sort of political “reward” from Obama to his antiwar supporters. That would send the wrong message to Islamic extremists around the world that the Americans were somehow “driven from Iraq,” which would not actually be the case. Even if we did leave Iraq entirely, it would be in victory, not as a retreat.

Since our troops did in fact win the war, they ought to have a victory parade or national celebration upon returning. But I suspect that, as has been happening up until now, the troops will just drift home mostly unannounced and uncelebrated when their “tours” are over. Which is the very reason why we need to declare a Victory in Iraq Day.

If the Iraq War is over, why do we still occasionally hear reports of violence or casualties?

A common misperception of warfare is that when a war is “won,” all fighting immediately stops, and that all members of the losing side passively lay down their arms and surrender. While that does happen on occasion, much more frequently the fighting continues as a low-level guerrilla war or insurgency for years afterwards by the diminishing die-hard loyalists of the losing side. Even wars with crushing conclusive victories and official declarations of surrender saw continued fighting long after those wars were officially “over.” After World War II, which was won as conclusively as any war was ever won, some Germans refused to acknowledge defeat and continued to operate as guerrilla assassins and saboteurs. Anti-Semitic massacres in Europe continued into 1946 long after the Nazis had been defeated. In the Pacific Theater, Japanese “holdouts” on various islands kept up their battle posts against the Americans for years and years after Japan surrendered, some well into the 1970s. After the American Civil War ended in 1865, several pro-slavery guerrilla terrorist organizations and groups of individuals continued fighting against the Union for more than a decade. The same is true of many other wars. It especially happens in modern “police actions” (such as the Iraq War) which have no actual formal “Declaration of War” and thus no official moment of surrender or ending point. (Remember that the United States has not actually declared war on anyone since 1942.)

So, just because there are still occasional suicide bombings (which are becoming rarer and rarer with every passing month) and occasional sniper attacks or IED explosions (also becoming increasingly rare), that doesn’t indicate that “the war is still being fought.” It just means that there are a handful of die-hard extremists who refuse to give up — which is exactly what happens after most wars. The last remaining pro-Saddam, pro-jihad or pro-Iran holdouts in Iraq are no different than any other post-war holdouts, and just because there are still a few left doesn’t mean that the war is still happening, any more than the existence of the Japanese holdouts meant that WWII continued after 1945. Wars end, whether or not every single extremist or die-hard acknowledges it and lays down his weapons.

What counts as “being at war”?

Many other countries have ongoing issues with rebels, insurgents, guerrillas, or whatever you want to call them; simmering civil unrest. But we do not consider those countries to be at war, even though their situations are not really any different than, and are in some cases even worse than, the situation now in Iraq. Tell me: Do you consider Mexico to be at war? Yet they have an ongoing insurgency by Zapatistas in the state of Chiapas. The Philippines? They’ve been grappling with an Islamic insurgency for decades. Is Thailand at war? Millions of tourists don’t seem to think so, but a violent rebellion by Muslim separatists in the southern provinces sometimes produces more casualties than there are in Iraq. India? They’re not at war — are they? Turkey, Sri Lanka, Colombia: The list could go on and on. In each case, the country in question is not considered to be “at war,” yet it endures simmering insurgencies and/or terrorist violence that in some cases exceeds that now found in Iraq. If these countries are not considered by anyone to be “at war” — which they are not — then neither is Iraq.

But where’s the official announcement?

The only reason that the war has not been declared “over” is that the media, which was generally opposed to the war and opposed to any of President Bush’s policies, doesn’t want to give him and his supporters the satisfaction of having been right. The media wants U.S. troops to return home, but only on condition that they do so with their tails between their legs in defeat — not as victorious liberators, which would invalidate five years of subtle and not-so-subtle anti-war propaganda on the part of the left-leaning media. The Bush administration for its part has not declared victory for two probable reasons: first, because they fear that by so doing they would only increase the call by the media and liberal Democrats to “bring the troops home now”; and also by so doing they might invite some last-ditch spectacular terror attack by the few remaining jihadists in order to embarrass the administration. And the incoming Obama administration will certainly never announce victory, since Obama spent over a year campaigning for the Democratic primary as the anti-war candidate. So both sides refuse to say the war is over. Even though it is, in fact, over.

It is up to the American people to declare victory. Which is exactly what we are doing right now.

There never will be an “official” announcement from the government or the media, so you can stop waiting for it.

This is the official announcement.

Join the VI Day movement!

Do you agree with the concept behind VI Day? Then post a VI Day entry on your blog.

Once you’ve posted it, email me the link! And I will post a link back to your blog here on this page.

Make sure to make at least two different postings: Make one now to announce your support of VI Day and to spread the word ahead of time; and make another one on November 22 itself, to celebrate!

(Blogs of all political orientations are invited to join: Even if you’re a progressive blogger and only want to announce an end to the war as a way to accelerate the homecoming home all troops, you are welcome to link to and/or mention VI Day too.)

One last note: If anyone is planning to hold a “meatspace” (i.e. real world) party or celebration to mark VI Day, send me the details and I will post them here as well.

Here is the official list of blogs that have so far agreed to mark VI Day on November 22, 2008:

                        Victory in Iraq Day: Participating Blogs

Gateway Pundit Blackfive Little Green Footballs Rantburg sisu Because No One Asked Dog Opus Blog Oh No, Another Conservative Blog Who Is John Galt? Gathering of Eagles (national) Gathering of Eagles New York Gathering of Eagles North Carolina Stop the ACLU The Surfing Conservative Civilian Irregular Information Defense Group The Wide Awake Cafe The Foxhole Lighthouse on the Right Arming Liberty Uncle Sam Ate My Baby Down Is Up Foreign and Domestic WOT Daily The Blog of Record Serr8d’s Cutting Edge Army Wife: Rants from Ft. Livingroom Hamilton, Madison, and Jay Rochester Conservative The Daily Blogster I Call BS! Macker’s World Something should go here, maybe later Nice Deb The Bronze Blog AZresident The Irascible Chef Sharp Right Turn TigerHawk Tman In Tennessee Thunder Pig Sith by Sithwest OutOfTheBlue Anti-CAIR Marooned in Marin Thoughts Enroute More Weight Anti-Strib The Jack Knows Red State Rumblings High Plains Blogger Air Force Pundit Fallback LGF Liberty for USA Diary of a Madman The Rumbler Report D.C. Thornton Lock and Load Fat Angie Gegenkritik Oedipal Beatdown Conservative Action Network A Herd of Turtles Penny’s Potpurri Sayyad al Wahabiyya Brain-Surgery With Spoons American Syndicalist Party Broadsides Public Secrets Freedomplow Toxic Taxation Berman Post HumbleInfidel The Inquisition Pax Parabellum CrossFit Camp Pendleton Freedom Watch American Truths Destination OBX Fearless Dream Theodore’s World The Cool Blue Blog Life With Monkeys Woody’s Place Wild Weazel The Atheist Conservative King’s Right Site We are the Grizzwolds redc1c4

Instapundit The Jawa Report Ed Driscoll Facebook group for Victory in Iraq Day Barking Moonbat Early Warning System Exurban League Noblesse Oblige Protein Wisdom Pub Black & Right Johnson County Republican Party Winefred’s Well Still Unbounded The Liberty Boys Atlanta ROFTers Tennesseefree.com This is Scooter Country The Crescent Moon From My Position…On the Way! Letters to a Dying Dream Blogs for Victory RealChoice EagleSpeak HXC Christian.com Conservative Diggs zomblog Erica Marceau Pirate’s Cove Let’s Get It Right Cmblake6’s Weblog What Bubba Knows RightwingSparkle NavyWife Psycmeister’s Ice Palace! Stable of Zionist Hore #2 Conservative in Seattle Karridine Delivers LifeoftheMind ahavafriend Zim’s View I Am, Therefore I Think Patriot Missive USS Neverdock Dan Cirucci The Conservative Contessa The Four Rs Wake up America The C-Square Sarge Charlie Red-Hot Right Echoes in Eternity American Infidel buckferkeley supporting the troops One Model Place The Dumber Ox The Lightning News BackyardConservative 2nd Exposure DailyAviator Lindy’s Blog: Where Mom is Always Right Comics Pundit No Clever Pseudonym Free Frank Warner The Digital Hairshirt The Blue Pelican Krigsblogg Nothing But the Facts Gegenstimme Environmental Republican Irons in the Fire no blood for sauerkraut! The Individualizer TechnoChitlins Nebulous Continuum Take Our Country Back The Conservative Radical Zion Beckons Antihippies Soldiers’ Angels Germany Paul Ibrahim jweaks on Squidoo Marie’s Two Cents The Other Club The Anchoress Beyond the Veil Michigan Taxes Too Much Once More Into the Breach

Great Christian punk is hard to come by, especially bands that have a great sound that pulls from classic punk, ska, and Oi! When I listen to uniSEF, I hear 3 bands that I loved before I gave up all the secular hardcore and punk….The Bouncing Souls, Stiff Little Fingers, and The Suicide Machines (their old stuff). I bought both of uniSEF’s albums “Can These Bones Live.” and their split with Thee Imposters called “Death and Revolution,” and I have been listening to them non-stop. The guys in the band were nice enough to give me an interview, and by far, they have given one of the most entertaining interviews yet. So, if you live in the Boise area, or are traveling to the area, look these guys up and go see them live, or buy their CDs!

Band Name: uniSEF
Music Style: Hardcore/Punk
Location (Home Base): Boise, ID

Q: Tell us about how uniSEF came to be? When did you form? Where does the name come from?

Sef: I’ll try to make this short… I moved to Boise in 03 with my family. Tried to find some guys that were interested in playing Christian punk music… no luck… So after being here for about a year I started writing music myself. Bought some cheap recording software for my PC, broke out an old drum machine that a good friend had given me right before I moved and I started recording my stuff. I had an old friend back in NY who was laying down bass tracks for me and sending them via IM while I was learning how to get the recording stuff to work. Then when I started recording my new material I picked up a bass for myself and started laying down everything in my living room… I can only imagine what the people in the apartments around us were thinking when I was screaming vocals into a microphone… haha… anyway, I put some of the tunes up on myspace, got some show offers that obviously couldn’t happen because people didn’t realize that it wasn’t a full band, but decided to convert a couple of my new songs to acoustic versions so I could at least go down to the local Coffee joint (Joltz) and play… that is where I met up with Tyler. We became pretty good friends right off that bat and started jamming together. He called up his other bands drummer and had him come jam with us. We made it official shortly thereafter, and uniSEF (the band) was born… Oh yeah the name… A friend at work use to make the comment “what do you think this is… Unicef?” meaning the U.N. thing, but because of my name he thought it was funny. So when I tried to come up with a name, that one just kinda made sense… uni = 1, meaning I was the only one in the band… and SEF being my name… uniSEF… I tried to get the guys to change the name after we became a full band, but they wouldn’t let me change it… There you have it

Q: What does everyone in the band do when they are not playing?

Tyler: I train wild animals
Kevin: I am happily married to my beautiful wife Amber and have 2 kids Joey & Sheyanne. All of which are my biggest supporters, and who back me no matter what I do. I enjoy hunting, and fishing. I am presently laid off from work so I have time to play with my kids and hang out with my wife.
Sef: I watch Tyler train the animals… haha… I am also married with 2 kids, love being with my family. I work as an Electronics Technician and take some classes at BSU. I am a youth leader/Worship leader at my church (Calvary Chapel Boise). I play music, record music, listen to music… I think that covers it… Oh yeah I also enjoy putting three periods at the end of my sentences… see…

Q: The uniSEF myspace page has quite of list of bands that influence your sound including XLooking ForwardX, The Deal, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, describe your sound for us.

Sef: ummm, punk-like… I hope… I don’t know, we try to throw a little bit of everything in there; It’s hard for me to say… a little Officer Negative, meets the Unseen, meets Dogwood, meets Green Day, meets Face to Face… I really don’t know… sorry, that’s the best I can do
Kevin: I feel like our sound is a great mix between MXPX, Rancid, Five Iron Frenzy, and Slick Shoes.

Q: On your myspace page you guys claim to be Boise’s only JCHC (Jesus Christ Hardcore Band) band, is this true?

Sef: Not only is that true, but we’re the only JCHC punks in Boise at all… period

Q: The band really doesn’t hide the fact that it is a Christian punk/hardcore band, anyone ever give you guys a hard time
about that?

Sef: nah, actually it’s pretty cool here… none of the other local punk bands even make it an issue, were all friends, love to play shows together, hang out, it’s pretty cool that way

Q: How does your faith influence your music?

Sef: I guess music in general, at least when its real, comes from what’s inside. My faith in Christ being the most important thing in
my life, I suppose it is just natural for that to come through…
Kevin: To me my faith is the main influence on my playing. I feel
completely unworthy to be doing this, but God has put me here in
this time and place for this reason, so I am completely overjoyed
to be playing with uniSEF.
Tyler: When I was younger my parents used to come into my
room because they thought I was listening to the angry punk rock
music with bad lyrics, They would say, “what the heck are you
listening to?!” and I’d reply, “its ok, there Christian.” and they
would say, “oh…well turn it down.” That’s one up side to being a
“Christian” band…kids in the position that I used to be can be
exposed to freedom of expression and underground music
without their parents giving them a hard time. I don’t think I
answered that question right.

Q: Do kids/people ever come up to you after shows to ask you about Christ?

Kevin: I have had a couple of kids ask me about being a Christian, and I tell them that God rocks and he is so good to me, my family and my band.
Sef: Not really at shows so much… but we’ve had many a conversation when we see people hanging out around Boise or downtown that we’ve seen at shows and stuff.

Q: Any bands you played with ever give you a hard time over that fact that you are a Christian punk/hardcore band?

Sef: Not yet…

Q: How does the punk/hardcore scene act towards the message you are trying to convey?

Sef: Some people don’t seem to care, but there are those that really hate it… there is a lot of anger in punk, especially against religion… and the one thing that we try to show everyone is that we don’t do religion… following Christ is not religion… it’s a hard thing to try to explain, but just going to, and playing shows, hanging out with the other bands really conveys that better than anything we could say using words…
Kevin: A lot of people don’t realize the punk scene, is really just a bunch of kids who are looked down on for being different, but God says in the Bible come just as you are, I take this very literally. Meaning you don’t have to come to church in a suit or all prim and proper, all God asks is that you come. I feel all the punk kids in the scene that I have met receive us very well and like it or not they are hearing Gods word in our music.

Q: Tell us about some the other bands you have played with that have been the most memorable.

Tyler: Any show with Will Remain…those guys are the best.
Sef: Dude… you’re not allowed to talk anymore…… Our Corpse Destroyed, Flatfoot 56, P.O.Q., Pieces of Eight have all been awesome bands to play with…

Q: What was the Craziest show that uniSEF ever played?

Sef: I’d have to say the O.C.D. FF56 show… We showed up for the show and no one was there, the doors were all locked… so we all walked across the street to Donnie Macs just hoping someone showed… after about an hour we went back to Grove Street and one of the kids waiting for the show called the owner… and the dude had no idea that there was supposed to even be a show that night, but he came out real quick opened everything up, turned on the heaters… then OCD and FF56 showed up. The first band (A Blinding Spyre) started their set, I had to go out to my car to make a phone call, locked the door and got out with the lights on, and the keys in the ignition… so I’m suppose to play a set in like 15 min, my keys are locked in my car with the lights on. So I’m on the phone with locksmiths, my wife, trying to get the doors unlocked. Then to top it all off, as soon as the show was over they started loading all of this goth dance party stuff into the place, and all of these goth people started coming in, and I kinda got scared… So, it was pretty crazy because we didn’t even know if this show was going to happen… but it did, and it was just a crazy night… but in the end, it was an awesome show. The other bands were awesome! Then we went out to Denny’s with the guys from OCD and FF56 and hung out till like 2AM, it was pretty cool
Tyler: Probably the infamous “Shed Show”. 1. We were playing in a tin storage shed…great for acoustics. 2. We were the only real “punk” band. and 3. I was on crack and decided to play as many wrong notes as possible and sing off key. It was an unforgettable night…especially since we have it all on video.

Q: Tell us about the albums that uniSEF has released, what songs are the band most proud of? (I will place links for folks to find your cds)

Sef: We have 2 official CDs. The first one was a compilation of all of the songs I wrote before becoming a full band, and then a few new ones that were written as a band. They were all re-recorded with the band in our studio and it ended up being a really cool first full length. The second was the split we did with Thee Imposters out of Chico CA, they actually drove up to Boise to record their stuff. It was a fun weekend. Our songs on that CD were all written while Tyler was away at school in Wyoming. So it was kinda strange, but fun at the same time. I like them both, but the next one will be the best ever for sure!

Q: Does the band have plans to release more albums? Does anyone have any side projects going on?

Tyler: Were going to start writing for a 2nd full length with some faster harder songs, definitely excited for it. I’m working on a George Strait tribute band called “Strait Up”
Seth: Dude… seriously… no more lip outta you…
Kevin: Not really any side projects for me, just playing for my church every Sunday.

Q: Any plans for uniSEF to tour?

Kevin: I personally would love to tour with uniSEF, they have become like my brothers and I love hanging out with them.
Sef: We’ve talked about it, but if we did it would be a short tour. I would love to get out on the road though, maybe shoot out to Cornerstone or something… we’ll see.

Q: If you could give one message to the punk/hardcore scene what would it be?

Tyler: Go to shows! Big or small.
Kevin: That we love them that’s why we have to play this music to give the unbelievers God’s message, because God is using us to reach out to them
Sef: Die, Die, Die for what you believe!

Q: If you want to add anything else (links, shout outs, whatever), go for it.

Sef: Thanks to everyone who has supported us over the years, all the local 208 punx, Calvary Chapel Boise, My family, and God for allowing us this opportunity. We’ d love to hear from all of you out there so look us up on myspace, shoot us an email. Thanx to Josh for hooking up this interview, and to you for reading it… Later…
Kevin: I would like to give a shout out to my church the Nampa Vineyard, and all my friends there. They have all been really supportive of me and the band. If anyone wants to chat I have a myspace page linked with the uniSEF site. Keep your head up and trust in God he can deliver you from the ensnarement of the enemy!!!! Love you guys Kevin

You can go and check out the band on their website and listen to some of their music on their myspace page.
uniSEF website: www.unisefmusic.com
uniSEF myspace page: www.myspace.com/unisef
To purchase their albums and merchandise go CLICK HERE

And don’t forget that you can go and discuss great Christian punk, ska, hardcore and Oi! at the HXC Christian forum by clicking the image below. Sef from the band posts on there if you want to chat with him catch him on the forum!

 

 

 

We are declaring Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 Victory in Iraq day.  By every measure, the United States and coalition forces have conclusively defeated all enemies in Iraq, pacified the country, deposed the previous regime, successfully helped to establish a new functioning democratic government, and suppressed any lingering insurgencies.  The war has come to an end…..and we won.

Not only that, our soldiers are helping to convert Iraqis to Christianity. Spreading the word of God to our fellow brothers and sisters in the country.  Our troops not only risk their lives to protect us and our liberties, but they also do God’s work by spreading the word of the gospel.  See the quote below:

“In a newsletter published in 2004 by the fundamentalist group International Ministerial Fellowship (IMF), Capt. Steve Mickel, an Army chaplain, claimed that Iraqis were eager to be converted to Christianity and that he personally tried to convert dozens of Iraqis, which is also an apparent constitutional violation.

“I am able to give them tracts on how to be saved, printed in Arabic,” Mickel said, according to a copy of the IMF newsletter. “I wish I had enough Arabic Bibles to give them as well. The issue of mailing Arabic Bibles into Iraq from the U.S. is difficult (given the current postal regulations prohibiting all religious materials contrary to Islam except for personal use of the soldiers). But the hunger for the Word of God in Iraq is very great, as I have witnessed firsthand.”

Mickel evangelized Iraqis while delivering leftover food to local residents from his unit’s mess hall. He handed out Bibles translated into Arabic in the village of Ad Dawr, a predominantly Sunni territory where Saddam Hussein was captured.“

 I have heard that the Iraqis are so hungry for the word that they are lining up to get baptized.  The truth will set you free.  So, on November 22nd, 2008, thank a soldier, buy them lunch, give them a hug.

God bless the US military!

Here is a band to get psyched about. I love hardcore, and I really like xSolidarityx, here is a newer hardcore band that gets it. No gimmicks, no crap, just straight up hardcore. Straight out of Sacramento, California, xSolidarityx has a classic hardcore sound, with influences including No Innocent Victim, XLooking ForwardX, and Figure Four. xSolidarityx is a Christian hardcore band that loves Christ and is not ashamed to admit it. Everyone needs to go check these guys out live. They have a show coming up with our friends Call to Preserve.

Band Name: xSolidarityX
Music Style: Hardcore
Location (Home Base): Sacramento, CA

Q: When and how did xSolidarityx form as a band?

A: We formed about a year ago. I (Andre) am a youth pastor and Christian (guitar) and Anthony (guitar) were in my youth group when they were in Jr. High. I had wanted to start a band and they were in a previous band that had broken up, so they asked if I was down and the rest is history

Q: What does everyone in the band do during down time?

A: Like I said I’m a youth pastor and a preschool teacher, and I have been married for 3 years. Anthony and Christian are in high school. Our new drummer Eric works with kids with disabilities.

Q: Explain the name xSolidarityx, how did you come up with that name?

A: Basically, solidarity means unity/togetherness. We really want to see the Sacto scene grow, Not only Christians bands but the scene as a whole!! We love Sacramento and hardcore in general and would love to be apart of kids/bands coming together for one common goal.

Q: You guys definitely have a great classic hardcore sound, who has influenced the band musically?

A: In a nut shell;
N.I.V, Figure Four, xDisciplex, Shockwave, Seventh Star, Point of Recognition, Once for All, xLooking Forwardx, etc. A lot of stuff, those are the main ones though.

Q: I noticed that you have played with Venia, and have a show coming up with Call to Preserve, what other bands have you played with?

A: Haha yeah, Venia was dope! We have played with xLooking Forwardx, Hoods, Sovereign Strength, Braveheart, Die Fighting, Your Pain My Victory, Take Pride, plus a few more. The xCTPx show should be fun we are excited, they are our homies!!

Q: xSolidarityx labels itself a Christian straightedge band, anyone ever give the band a hard time about that at shows?

A: Not really, we try and be examples by our lives. For the most part kids/bands are cool. We respect everyone (regardless of their views) so we would hope to get that same respect. So far we have, its a huge blessing for sure.

Q: Do people ever come up to you guys after shows to discuss Jesus?

A: You know, we are always ready to talk to kids and be what God wants us to be for each individual. If that’s talking about God; then we are ready, if that’s listening, we will be that ear and if its just kicking back and having fun we are stoked off that too. Either way God is in control and we hope to be as moldable as possible. God knows what each kid needs and we want to be open enough to His leading and respond how He wants us to.

Q: How has the bible influenced the message xSolidarityx conveys in its music?

A: Well, we have a strong anti-legalism tone on the e.p. I know that during the writing process God was doing things in my life so that contributed a lot. Mainly Galatians was huge and how Paul kind of warns the church in Galatia about legalism and reminds them to bring it back to what saved them (love and grace). More than anything we want people to know that we are messed up and need help just like anyone, WE AREN’T PERFECT. We want to love people, I cant remember where but the bible talks about how a person can have all the gifts, knowledge, etc. but if they don’t have love it means nothing. That’s kind of where we get our influence.

Q: There seems to be a lot of Christian hardcore and punk bands coming out of California these days, how is the scene there in Sacramento?

A: The scene is getting better!! For sure. For awhile there wasn’t a whole lot of Christian or non Christian hardcore bands coming out but then within the last year its popped off. I’m not trying to speak for all of Sactos Christian bands but I think a lot of us are trying to bridge the gap between Christian and non while also being unified in Christ. Its frickin’ dope what God is doing….GET STOKED SUCKA!!

Q: Tell everyone about the EP you guys put out, what are the bands favorite songs and why?

A: Our favorites? Probably” Solidarity” and “Crushin” we like a lot. All In was our first song and we have an attachment to that. I love “Down for the X” and “Victory” a ton. Our new stuff will be cool I hope kids are into it.

Q: What future plans does the band have for releasing albums?

A: We are praying about what God wants to do with us so it is in His hands!! Pray for us and with us. We are currently writing some new jams so be on the look our for that.

Q: Is xSolidarityx signing with a label?

A: We wish!!! Strikefirst where you at?? HAHAHA (for real though)

Great Video of xSolidarityx Live

 

Q: What was the bands take on the recent Presidential race?

A: Wow your going for it on that one, ha. We as a band have chosen to stay out of it. I will say that God was not a republican (or a democrat) and no Christian should ever claim a certain party speaks for Christ!! We love Jesus and are apart of Him not a political party. Often times people are persuaded to lean a certain way rather than look into issues intelligently and with a broader world view. Just be smart and pray about whatever decision you make. God Bless the WORLD!!

Q: Any future plans to tour?

A: We are praying about that. I am married and have a youth ministry so my family comes first. hmmm we will see.

Q: If xSolidarityx could give a message to the hardcore scene, what would it be?

A: For Christians: Standout in the scene! Not necessarily by words but by actions. Stop pointing fingers and embrace people like God has undoubtedly embraced us all. Be the church that God lays out for us in Acts 2. Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words.

For hardcore as a whole just be open. You don’t have to agree just respect people for who they are!! KEEP IT EDGE SUCKAS.

Q: If you guys want to add anything else, shout outs, etc, feel free!

A: Support Sacto Hardcore and your local scene!!
Listen to YOUR PAIN MY VICTORY…..They are our boys
SPIRIT-FILLED STRAIGHT EDGE 2008
Big ups to Unlikely Alliance, Second To Last, Hands of Hope, Take Pride, Sovereign Strength
Peace, LOVE , & Action

You can checkout xSolidarityx on their myspace page

If you want a copy of their self titled EP, hit them up through myspace and ask them for it!

Travis over at Ethos Records contacted me about ALLorNOTHING and told me these guys were the hot ticket in town, and he was right. I immediately went to the ALLorNOTHING myspace page and I was hooked. ALLorNOTHING has a brutal in your face sound that (in my opinion) is a cross between No Innocent Victim and War of Ages, heavy on the double bass pedal and metal riffs, but with the classic hardcore stops and break beats. The vocals are what really top it off with a nice mix of gnarly throaty goodness. I hope that you enjoy the interview with the fellas below, they are a great bunch of guys with a new album that is coming out soon, so go to myspace and top friend them to get the word out!

Band Name: ALLorNOTHING
Music Style: Hardcore/Metal
Locaton (Home Base): Hollister, California

Q: When did ALLorNOTHING form as a band, did members come from other bands? Where did the name come from?

A: We started ALLorNOTHING in March of 2007 with Darts on drums, Laz on guitar, Joey on bass, and Josh on vocals. There were three of us that were in a previous band in which Darts played drums, Elijah played guitar, I (Josh) played bass, and my brother Manny did vocals for the band. We ran into Laz our guitarist through a venue he used to run in Hollister. Laz was in a band from San Francisco called The Great Divorce and he also played bass for Sacramento’s The Divine Romance who was on Harvest Earth Records. Soon after we met Laz he started jamming with us. Manny and Elijah left the band soon after to pursue other things in their life. But I think like most bands we started playing in our churches worship teams when we became teenagers. And we still do play for our churches worship teams. Our band name is what it says; it’s ALLorNOTHING for us when it comes to our walk with God. Darts brought it up one day and we stuck with the day we first played with the new lineup back in March of 2007. It’s a bold statement but there is something about going all the way with things in your life that you’re not going to quit or give in that makes life worth it.

Q: ALLorNOTHING labels itself as a Hardcore/Metal band, what bands have influenced your sound?

A: The sound we have now as a band came from some early day and recent bands. We grew up listening to a lot of Solid State bands like Living Sacrifice, Project 86, Blindside, Norma Jean and now bands like Unearth, August Burns Red, Between the Buried and Me, and MyChildren MyBride. Just aggressive music that got us going into this and it’s something we love to hear in our music as well.

Q: You guys recently signed with Ethos Records, congrats, what does this mean for the band?

A: Ethos Records has been amazing thus far. Travis Waugh heads the label and he has great experience in the industry that we are benefiting from. We share the same passion, love, and message for God and music and that makes its awesome. We are releasing our debut full length “A City Built on Its Dead” with Ethos Records based in Sacramento, CA and then we will follow up with a tour in support of the album. We went to Tomfest in Camas, WA with Travis and we had such a rad time together. It has been God’s hands moving and open doors for us and that has been a blessing. The story is that Ethos signed us by faith in God; the case is they heard some pre-production music we had up and they liked it. We signed in July and it wasn’t until Tomfest in August that they saw us live. Only God could allow that to happen.

Q: On your MySpace page, it says ALLorNOTHING is recording a new album, when do you expect to release it?

A: Yeah, like I mentioned earlier our debut full length is titled “A City Built on Its Dead”. We are in the studio right now as we speak, seriously. So far we have tracked all the drums for the album. Laz is recording guitars this morning but he started last night. We’re recording with Ben Whittaker at Dr. Ben’s Studio based in Gilroy, CA. We’ve know Ben and we know his work. We know we could trust him with this project and he would do his very best and he always pushes the most out of us in the studio. The plan is to have it done definitely by the end of the year. We don’t have an exact release date yet but we are working on it, and will let you know as soon as we do!

Q: Have you changed the sound at all for the new album compared to the tracks you have posted on the ALLorNOTHING MySpace page (the songs are brutal by the way!)?

A: Thanks. We have kept the same heaviness and brutality in the music we have just became tighter with the songs themselves. More than anything we have been playing the songs on the page a lot and live in front of people so we’ve just been adding little things to every song. You could say they have matured a bit.

Q: ALLorNOTHING doesn’t hide the fact that it is Christian band, has anyone ever heard the music and questioned whether you are Christian or not? (In other words, some folks listen to our kind of music and automatically assume it could never be Christian because it “sounds so awful?”)

A: As far as people in church and people that know God they seem to be amazed at what we do. They don’t question our Christianity but are happy for our gifts and talents and the reason we are using them. We have a whole church behind us from our kids in Sunday school to the leaders in our church. The funny things is that people that are not Christians hear or see us and they are completely surprised to hear that we are a Christians and that we are a Christian band. It’s like they say, “WHAT! You guys are Christians?” That moment gives us a chance to share about God.

Q: When ALLorNOTHING plays shows do you speak about Jesus?

A: Yes, we share about God, His loves, and the sacrifice that Jesus has made for all us. I believe when Jesus said go everywhere and share of the good news and that exactly what the apostles did. They shared of the good news, which was the death and resurrection of Jesus so that we could be saved. We keep it simple but true.

Q: Where in the bible does the band draw most of its inspiration?

A: Like I was saying the life of Jesus and his apostles always inspires me. We are Jesus’ disciples and we are carrying where Jesus and his apostles left off. I believe the Bible as a whole has helped us. We all grew up in church and you know you never forget the Sunday school days. A lot of our lyrics are inspired by different stories and listened taught in the Bible. For example the life of Job, Joshua and the walls of Jericho, and battles with temptation are some themes in our songs. So I could say from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelations.

Q: Anyone ever hassled the band at a show (or anywhere else) for being a
Christian band?

A: No, that’s never happen yet. I don’t doubt that it will happen but God has been giving us favor. I was talking about this just yesterday with a friend of how God is there with us wherever we go and His favor is such a blessings, without Him none of this is possible.

Q: The hardcore scene is pretty accepting as a whole, but I see and hear a lot of kids say there is no place for Christ in the scene, what would you say to them?

A: Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. When King David slew the philistine he used goliaths’ own sword, so we should be able to use Satan’s tools to bring victory into peoples’ lives in a godly way. We are not accomplishing much if we go around in a circle of hatred you know, we have to change the way we think and Christ is really the only way we can do that.

Q: ALLorNOTHING has played with some great bands; can you share some of the most memorable and tell us why?

A: I think the most memorable was when we played with Mychildren Mybride we had their album since it came out and I have been a long time fan since I found them on MySpace in ‘04 so playing with them at Tomfest was awesome to be playing with a band I/we looked up to as musicians and as a band standing for Christ. They are a group of awesome dudes, and we definitely look forward to playing more shows with them.

Q: What was the craziest show ALLorNOTHING has played and why?

A: The van wreck, then tow truck, and then we still played the show story!

Q: We noticed that you are playing with Braveheart and Sovereign Strength on October 31st (we are big fans of both bands here at HXC Christian), what other bands are you playing with in the future?

A: Not sure as of right now because we are in the studio, but hopefully along the same lines as now. God has opened lots of doors and we are heading in the right path, so I am sure we will be playing with many great bands soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cZ7VmYRrz0

Great Video of ALLorNOTHING from San Jose Skate in 07

Q:. Do you have plans to tour after the release of the new album?

A: Yes, we plan to hit the road hard as soon as the album is released in support of the album.

Q: What other future plans does the band have?

A: One of our goals for next year is to play at Cornerstone!

Q: If you could give a message to the hardcore scene, what would it be?

A: That we need to keep this scene alive, and remember why this scene was started to have that community where we could be ourselves and welcome all who want to be part of this.

Q: If you guys want to add anything else, feel free!

A: Yes, please check out our MySpace and our labels MySpace add them/us.
www. myspace. com/aon8
www. myspace. com/ethosrecords

God Bless you and thank you for this opportunity. Also, we greatly appreciate you taking the time to read this interview.
Romans 8:28

Make sure you support ALLorNOTHING and other bands in the scene!  As always, you can discuss Christian bands, Jesus Christ, and life in general on the HXC Christian forums.  You can get there by clicking the header below.  All are welcome, Christian and non Christian, go register and have fun posting. Take care and God bless.

 

I really dig this band. Mason Summers is a really unique band with a very original sound that you don’t hear much these days. Most of the punk you hear is not well thought out, basically, it is noise. Mason Summers is refreshing, and they draw inspiration from all the great punk roots bands like the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, the Ramones, and smash it together with 50’s style rock-a-billy, and even throw a little ska influence in the pot. It makes for a unique sound and a great story, the band, with its unusual name is forging a new path for Christian punk. And, one of their members juggles flaming torches, a must for any punk band.

Band Name: Mason Summers
Music Style: Punk
Location (Home Base): College Park, MD

Q: When did Mason Summers form as a band, did you really name the band after one of your friends? Please share that story!

A: We formed about three years ago. At that time MAC didn’t play much drums and Lydia had barely begun to learn bass. We definitely did name ourselves after a friend. With a name like Mason Summers, how could you not name your band after this guy?

Q: Mason Summers has a very unique sound in the punk scene, when I listen to your music, I can hear the influence of the late 70’s early 80’s punk like the Ramones and maybe some Still Little Fingers, and The Clash, and then also, the Rock-A-Billy influence, can you tell us about where you get influence as a band?

A: You pretty much nailed it on the head. We definitely are big into the whole 70’s punk thing, especially the European sound but also the Ramones of course. And The Clash had a love of rockabilly which inspired us to look deeper into that style and it became a second musical love for us after punk.

Q: Tell us what everyone in the band does when they are not playing.

A: Mikey and Lydia are into old black and white films and shows and MAC actually does spend all his time drumming outside of the band. He’s a drumming fool!

Q: Can Lydia (who plays bass for Mason Summers) really juggle flaming torches like her bio page says?

A: She can and she does! We can’t imagine why a band would ever hire a bassist who couldn’t juggle flaming torches!

Q: Tell us something about Mason Summers that nobody else would know.

A: We are probably the most misanthropic band in Christian rock. We want people saved and we formed to see that happen but we’re hardly “people persons”. You’ve basically got three introverts who made the wong decision of learning to play music.

Q: You guys don’t hide the fact that you are a Christian band, how is your music influenced by the Bible?

A: I don’t like when Christian bands hide the fact that they’re a Christian band. More and more frequently these bands are doing that. We proudly say we’re a Christian band. Lyrically we don’t include many Biblical references but we always sing about dealing with Christian life.

Q: Being in the punk scene, does Mason Summers catch a lot of heat for being a Christian band?

A: Not at all! Probably about half our fans that come to shows aren’t Christians and they’ve never expressed any complaints when we share our faith. Neither do the secular bands we play with. They seem to respect us and regard us as one of them.

Q: Have you had kids approach you after shows to discuss Christ or get saved at a show?

A: We do have many conversations with kids about serious issues in their lives at which time we steer the conversation towards Jesus. We have heard about kids getting saved at our shows though we’re not sure we’ve actually seen them take that step. It’s wonderful to hear they have though.

Q: Share with us some bands that you have played with, what are some bands that Mason Summers would like to play with in the future?

A: Two of our favorite bands to play with are relatively local to us; 180 Out and Upperdeck. They are all about seeing people saved and they both put on high-energy, exciting shows. In the future it would be amazing to play with some of the punk bands we’ve been influenced by. But all those 70’s bands have broken up of course, but there’s Rancid, The Living End, and Green Day who took a lot from that 70’s sound as well. It would be great to play with them.

Q: Do regular “church folks” look at you guys funny when you tell them your are in a Christian punk band?

A: We haven’t experienced that. I think that people are so used to Christian alternative music now that it doesn’t phase anyone anymore. Like I said, even the non-Christians hardly bat an eyelash when I tell them who we play for.

Q: What was the best show you guys have ever played and why?

A: We had a wonderful experience in a very small town, actually, called Denton, MD. It was an outdoor show, which usually goes horribly because the weather either goes bad or people are too easily distracted from the band by the sights around them and they go wandering off. But in this case there was a crowd of really enthusiastic listeners who were really in tune with our music and message.

Q: Mason Summers has an album called “Gain The World” do you plan on putting out other albums? What tracks on the album is the band most proud of?

A: We certainly do plan on putting out other albums. We haven’t begun to consider when we’ll begin that process though. The tracks were most proud of are “Goodbye, Friend”, “The Bottom Line”, and “Scream”. Mikey and Lydia are also proud of a song called “Rock ‘n Roll” though for some reason MAC can’t stand the song. He must be crazy, because it is so good. (You can buy the album HERE).

Q: You guys are located in Maryland, any plans on touring?

A: We did an East Coast summer tour with 180 Out but would love to head West for our next tour.

Q: What are the future plans for the band?

A: Well, all the best bands have one thing in common; a period of spectacular demise. We greatly look forward to ours.

Q: If you could share one message with the punk scene, what would that be?

A: Lighten up. Jesus loves you.

Q: Any thing else you guys want to add about the band?

A: Please check us out at www. masonsummers. com, or on our myspace page, and look us up on iTunes.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to support bands like Mason Summers, if they come your way, go and see them! Also, don’t forget to visit the forum where you can discuss Christian hardcore, punk, ska, and Oi! (click the image below and post away)

 

 

Hey Everyone, it has been a while.  I had some personal trials I was going through, but the Lord provided and things are back on track.

Some news going on out there.  Looks like The Great Commission, a hardcore outfit out of Redlands/Grand Terrace, California has signed with Strike First Records (yes, you read right, Strike First), which in itself if news too.  The Great Commission had a self released demo they put out that was really good, a bit raw, but hey, it’s hardcore, isn’t that what it is all about?  DIY!  The band is heading into to the studio according to their myspace page, and plans to release a full length album in early 2009.  We wish the band the best and hope that God continues to bless them.

Strike First Records is relaunching as a subsidiary of Facedown Records and has three bands signed to the label, Through Solace, The Great Commission, and Hope for the Dying.  We wish the label the best and have lots of suggestions if they want to hook up with great Christian hardcore bands to sign.

A few releases:

Call to Preserve’s second album has been released on Facedown Records.  The title of the album is “From Isolation.”  We are big fans of Call to Preserve here at HXC Christian, and you can read a full interview with the band that was done a few months ago here .  We have not had the opportunity to pick up the album yet, so I cannot personally tell you that it is awesome, but I have heard people say that Call to Preserve has outdone themselves and the album is their best work yet.  You can purchase the album on the Facedown website. The band has also posted tour dates on their website, so if they are coming your way, go and support them.  Tell them you read about them here!

All In’s latest album “Team USA” was released on Blood & Ink Records as well, from what I have heard on their myspace page, the album is great, so you can go and pick it up from the Blook & Ink website.  They also posted a new song called “Micheal Jordan,” that they posted on their myspace page that you can go and take a listen to.  Again, a great bunch of Christian guys that are true patriots. You can read the interview they did for us here.  We wish them the best.

That’s all for now, have someone that is going to be working with me to do some interviews and posts, so look for some good upcoming stuff!

I had the chance to catch up with All In, an awesome conservative Christian hardcore band out of Alabama. If you love classic style hardcore, then All In will not let you down. These guys really enjoy what they do, and it shows in their music, their attitudes. They don’t take themselves to seriously, you can tell in the interview when they discuss their first album and how they feel about it. Also, you can tell they have a lot of fun with the titles of their songs and their albums (the new album due out September 23rd on Blood & Ink Records is called Team USA, read about it below!).

Band Name: All In
Music Style: Hardcore
Location (Home Base): Clay/Trussville/Pinson, Alabama

Q: How long has All In been playing together, how did you get together?

A: We’ve been a band for just over 3 years now. We have the same old story that every other band has as far as how we got together. We were all in other local bands. We wanted to do something else. We were friends. We had a practice. We played a show. We pretend to be a real band.

Q: Where did the name All In come from?

A: Honestly, we were just sitting around playing poker one night when the idea kind of hit me that All In would be a sweet name for a band. Everybody else really liked it too and praised me for coming up with it, so it stuck.

Q: What does everyone in the band do when they are not playing?

A: I’m a high school teacher. Scott delivers pizzas. Kyle delivers pizzas and goes to school and tries to meet that proverbial next girl to run away with. Clayton and Chris live down in Tuscaloosa. Clayton works out a lot…and so does Chris.

Q: What are some of the bands that influence All In?

A: Um…that’s a hard one. I really don’t listen to much heavy music at all, so when I’m usually influenced to write by the great song writers of the world like Oasis, Rocky Votolato, etc. But I think we just try to capitalize on stuff that No Warning, Carry On, Guns Up, and people like that have already done. We all really admire stuff like Life In Your Way and Killing The Dream and stuff like that…we tried to incorporate a little bit of everything like that on the new album.

Q: If someone asked you to describe the sound of All In that was not in the hardcore scene, how would you do that?

A: I would probably say that we sound like Mudvayne or something. Generally just something heavy that people didn’t understand, but didn’t fear either. Also, there’s no scientific way that the joke I just made will translate into a type-written interview.

Q: Congrats on recently signing with Blood & Ink Records, what does this mean for the band?

A: It means we are happy. They’re awesome. It means that we’ve got a label who’s going to work hard for us, and we’re gonna work hard to reciprocate that. It means that we just pumped a syringe full of patriotism into the recording industry.

Q: You have a new album called “Team U.S.A.” due out on September 23rd on Blood & Ink, can you explain the name “Team U.S.A.” and why each song is named after a professional basketball player?

A: Well, we’re all massively patriotic, so we wanted to theme all the art to reflect the rich history of the greatest nation ever formed in the long history of this world. So that lead to the title. We’re pretty much the new Team USA since it’s no longer cool to be patriotic for some stupid reason. People, for some reason, hate to talk about all the good things that this country’s given them so that they can harp on the bad things that are going on. So anyway, that’s stupid, and we’re here to praise the USA and pledge our allegiance. Also, we love basketball…especially me.

Q: How do you think the sound of All In has matured since the first album “Nothing To Lose” to the new album “Team U.S.A.?”

A: The difference between these two albums really can’t be put into words. I really hope that people will give this new stuff a chance, because we’re so, so proud of the way it came out. It’s drastically more mature than the last album. We incorporated more of what we really listen to with more melodic stuff, etc. “Nothing To Lose” is a pretty terrible CD to us…I personally wouldn’t advise anybody to buy it, but I love the new CD and I hope people give it a fair chance.

Q: I noticed that you guys used to have a big Republican elephant on your myspace page, are you guys Republicans/Conservatives?

A: Yeah, we’re as right as right comes. And not really for religious reasons, either. Just for common sense, economic reasons. People love to assume that if you’re both a Christian and a Conservative, then you’re a Conservative because you’re a Christian and Christian’s can’t be for abortion, etc. But it’s really got nothing to do with that. Democrats are running the country off a cliff with their economic policies. But the truth is, when we’re on tour, we always try and approach venues from the northwest so that we only have to make right turns in our van. Also, we all just wear 2 right shoes. Anyway, yeah…we’re conservatives.

“Self Proclaimed Ugliest Guys In Hardcore.” Although We Have Seen A Lot Worse!

Q: Do you consider All In a Christian hardcore band? If so, where from the bible does All In derive most of its influence?

A: We’re definitely fully, 100% a Christian hardcore band. We have no agenda but really just to love people and have fun with friends at shows. Lyrically, I don’t draw all that much influence from the Bible. I draw most of the lyrical influence from real life situations that everybody, Christian or not, can relate to. I write a lot about regret and wasting away years of my life, etc.

Q: Anyone ever give the band a hard time for being Christian and supporting America?

A: No, not really. I mean, maybe they have indirectly. Like, I know that a lot of people hate “Christian hardcore” altogether so they probably would just write us off without giving us a fair chance. And really, I don’t blame them for that. I honestly hate it when people preach and give sermons and crap like that at shows too, so they’ve been turned off by all the preaching just like I have. We don’t preach at all, though. You may not know we’re a Christian band until you sit down and really read our lyrics, so I hope that’s helped us relate to the crowd of people who are turned off by Christian hardcore.

Q: What messages do you convey through your music as it relates to Christ?

A: Oh, all kinds really. Again, we’re not preaching to anybody. We just sing about what we believe in, just like every other band weather they’re singing about how they believe in straight edge or atheism or whatever else. Like I said, I talk a lot about regret. But also, doing stupid things, letting go of your past, forgiving people who hurt you, etc. etc.

Q: Do people ever come up to you guys after a show to discuss Christ or your views?

A: Sometimes. We definitely welcome that, but mostly people just come talk to us to hang out or chill or whatever.

Q: What are some of the other bands that All In has played with? Who were the most memorable and why?

A: Tons of people, but I guess the most memorable are the ones we’ve toured with. We love the guys in Call To Preserve, The Neon Hookers, The Red Baron, xThick As Bloodx, In Irons. It’s always fun to play shows where tons of friends are hanging out.

Q: There seems to be two hot spots for Christian hardcore music right now, Southern California and the South, why do you think the South has so many great Christian hardcore bands?

A: Oh, actually I didn’t know that we did. That’s cool though, I guess.

Q: Will All In be touring with the new album release?

A: Absolutely. We’re playing weekends around the southeast in the coming months. Then, starting in mid December and January, we’re going on the road non-stop for 8 months or so. So, if you want to book us, message us at myspace.com/allinhxc

Q: What are future plans for the band?

A: Chill. Get this album out. Tour. Chill. Watch basketball. Love America. Chill. Eat as much KFC as possible.

Q: If you could give the hardcore scene one message, what would it be?

A: Don’t take yourself so seriously.
Don’t fight at shows.
Do not fear what you do not understand.

Q: Anything you want to add that I forget, or random thoughts, go ahead and add it below!

A: Check out myspace.com/allinhxc - We’ll have pre-orders up really soon!
Buy our new CD.
Support Blood And Ink Records.
Support HXCChristian.com.
Check out our other bands, Nations, Year One, and Patriot.
Check out vacationterminal.com
Don’t believe what slick politicians try to tell you.
We’re back in the saddle.
5 idots who sings and plays and instruments good.
Ugliest band in hardcore.
Pimpin 07 tour.
08.

PREORDER THE ALBUM “TEAM USA” NOW AND GET A FREE ALL IN T-SHIRT FOR $15, CLICK HERE TO PREORDER YOUR COPY!

I wanted to give eveyone a couple of updates and a couple of intros to some bands you may not know about. The Call to Preserve interview was awesome, and again, I thank Harbor from the band for taking time out of his schedule to answer my questions about the band. If you want to check it out, you can read it HERE. They finished recording