(Here's an older interview I did with Blood For Blood for Modern Fix Magazine. I think this is from 2004.)
Boston Hardcore doesn’t get much more legit than Blood For Blood. Dating back to their formation in 1995, the band has consistently pummeled the touring scene with their kick to the head meld of punk and hardcore. Many releases on Victory Records earned the band the respect they command, but the band has found a new home on Thorp Records for their 2004 release of “Serenity”. The music belts with such a ‘fuck you all’ intensity, it’s no wonder the band gets a good chunk of its fan mail from prisons. Braving a beat down, questions were posed to vocalist Buddha.
Blood For Blood has been going on for nine years and you’ve built upquite the following. What do you think it is that keeps the fans wanting more?
I think our lyrics really hit home with a lot of our fans. Musically we’ve been able to do what we want but still keep that Blood For Blood sound.
You released “Serenity” on Thorp Records as opposed to your past few releases on Victory. Why the label switch and what did Thorp offer that was different?
We had finished our contractual obligations with Victory. We wanted to go with a smaller label to insure that BFB would be a priority on the to do list. Thorp was there to offer what we were asking for.
A few years ago, Blood For Blood did stop for a brief period of time prior to the Sick Of It All US tour. What happened then and what made you reconsider to return to the scene?
We as a band have always had a problem communicating even to this day. We had a misunderstanding prior to “Outlaw Anthems” which caused us to not speak to each for over a year. We knew we still had to finish our Victory contract. So we decided to record “Outlaw Anthems” and then call it quits. Fortunately we getting together fixed all our stupid personal problems.
“Serenity” brings the trademark Blood For Blood sound but also mixes in more melodic parts than past material. Was this something that just happened or was this something you’ve been wanting to experiment with?
There are many things we’d like to incorporate into the sound of the band sooner or later. Melodic parts only came into play once we felt more comfortable with the quality our ability to do so.
Your bio mentions Johnny Cash quite a few times.
We always liked the honesty and rawness of his music.
Who were some of the other heroes the band have had over the years?Sheer Terror, SOIA, Slayer, and the Misfits all of the greats.
Who were some of the other heroes the band have had over the years?Sheer Terror, SOIA, Slayer, and the Misfits all of the greats.
Is Boston hardcore anything like the days when Blood For Blood started?
Not really. It is much harder to get a good venue for any shows. The clubs around Boston won’t even let us play anymore because of our violent shows of the past.
How much has the scene grown since that time?The metalcore has seen has grown a lot in outside suburbs of Boston.
What are your thoughts of today’s modern hardcore/metalcore scene?I don’t really care for it. I’m sure the bands are all cool people but I don’t give a shit how cool you look. I have no problem with it being mainstream but keep it fresh not to be a carbon copy of the every screamy metalcore band out there.
Do you ever feel like Blood For Blood has been misunderstood over the years due to its brash style and the whole white trash aspect within the band’s persona? How much has changed over the years?
We’ve never felt that. We have had to put dummies in check though. There are people out there that hear we are angry and cater to a more rough crowd so they assume that we are not intelligent. It seems many people have given us a chance and they liked what they heard.
What are some of the reactions you receive when people discover Blood For Blood for the first time?
The common statement from our fans is this “Your music has gotten me through some tough times, thank you.” I feel avenged for all the negative press we’ve gotten in our home town of Boston.
Will Blood For Blood be touring?
There hasn’t been much mention of the band being on tour this year.Not this present time. We all have things in our personal lives that need to be taken care of at this time. i hope to be out by next year.
What does the future hold for the band as it nears ten years of Blood For Blood?
There are an endless amount of things we have not accomplished as band yet. We would like to get on a big Ozzfest type tour to get our music out there to people that otherwise would never had heard of us.
Final words?
Blood For Blood is still here and we are not going away anytime soon. Prepare yourself cause we’re coming.
2004 “Serenity” (Thorp)2002 “Outlaw Anthems” (Victory)2001 “Wasted Youth Brew) (Victory)1999 “Livin in Exile) (Victory)1998 “Revenge On Society” (Victory)
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