Year of the Knife, Inclination, and others are advocating the alternative lifestyle they picked up from bands like Have Heart and Black My Heart — and it’s blowing up
Asked why the straight edge message that his band advocates — a lifestyle free of drugs, smoking and alcohol — has begun to resonate with music fans again, Year of the Knife guitarist Brandon Watkins is blunt:
“People die every day, and they’re tired of being sad.”
Last year saw a ripple of prominent releases, from bands like True Love, Harm’s Way and Trail of Lies, and reunions from Arkangel and One King Down, ultimately leading to 2019’s new wave of straight edge music. Elsewhere, Pure Noise Records has put out releases from Watkins’ band and Kentucky-based straight edge group Inclination in the last month, and Ontario legends Chokehold have announced a new release on Good Fight Music. Tickets for Have Heart‘s summer reunion dates sold out in mere seconds, on two separate occasions.
Straight edge is back with a vengeance.
“The music we do is relatable,” Watkins explains to Exclaim! from his Delaware home. “It’s about loss, struggles with addiction and the people that enable it. Maybe a kid who isn’t straight edge can hear shit like that, read into it, ask why we say these things, discover straight edge and want to participate in the movement. We’re making it relatable and accessible.”
Inclination/Knocked Loose guitarist Isaac Hale shares a similar sentiment with Exclaim! on the phone from Oldham County, Kentucky.
“There are a lot of bands right now that are very, very straight edge, but in an inclusive way,” Hale says. “Back in the day, there was a lot of negativity surrounding straight edge. It was a scary deal, with a lot of violence surrounding it. I just don’t think that exists right now. There are a lot of kids getting into hardcore at a young age, and to see the straight edge movement can be inspiring for them. They want to be a part of something more.”
Year of the Knife’s Ultimate Aggression LP takes from the metallic edges of straight edge hardcore, offering a fervent visitation to the violent sounds of Throwdown and Kickback. Inclination’s latest EP, When Fear Turns to Confidence is just as angry, but holds a larger-than-life, inspirational approach that recalls Buried Alive and One King Down’s most notable material.
“It speaks about straight edge in a positive way,” continues Hale. “When turning away from something you might fear, you learn that you don’t have to be afraid of it. You can live positively knowing that it exists, you’re not taking part of it, and be proud of that. It puts straight edge in such an empowering light, [rather than using it as] an excuse to demean another’s lifestyle. It’s positive reinforcement for our life choices. You don’t have to be afraid of substance abuse. You can be confident in your decision to not partake and share that message with others.”
