In New York, the hardcore scene evolved more slowly and in many ways differently compared to other American cities, especially Los Angeles and Washington, where as early as the very beginning of the 1980s, punk had transformed into its more extreme form.
Even in Canada, as early as 1981, "Hardcore" by DOA was released, perhaps the first acknowledgment of the term in that specific musical genre. When in New York, it was still the old-fashioned punk'n'roll that reigned, with its entourage of dropout crackheads and cheap wine (Ramones and New York Dolls, already "stars," had very few ties to the more extreme punk scene of squatters and the malcontent), elsewhere bands were blazing with innovativeness: Bad Brains and Minor Threat, Black Flag and Circle Jerks (and Germs, X, and many others).
The NYHC thus emerged heavily influenced by these groups, while at the same time it kept a firmer hold on its "English" roots, deeply street-oriented and also OI, borrowing its "rebellious" attitude and social cohesion, almost class-like. The reaction was evident also in the themes and philosophy: straight edge had a very strong impetus as a reaction to the endemic spread of drugs and alcohol. New York hardcore soon developed as a "healthy" and cohesive scene, the opposite of the individualistic and corrupt punk aesthetic. And then came the records, the historic groups, the characters.
Raybeez (Raymond Barbieri) debuted as a self-taught drummer in Agnostic Front, then founded Warzone, the emblematic NYHC band, which he led through endless lineup changes until his death in 1997. Their most significant record, "Don't forget the struggle, don't forget the streets", was released in 1987 when hardcore in the rest of the United States was already in a pre-agony phase and represents, in my opinion, the perfect synthesis of an era, of a sound. Both in the themes (the title itself is eloquent, but also tracks like We're the crew, As one, Skinhead youth, among others) and in the sound, the street influence of English oi punk is evident, and for this reason, the band was often discarded as a bunch of racist skinheads, notwithstanding the decidedly "correct" lyrics imbued with a (perhaps unconscious) class consciousness far removed from the delusional racism of the English skinheads.
Certainly, the first cover with which the album was released did not help them in this regard - the iron cross was used as a misunderstood symbol of "proletarian unity", perhaps because they were unaware of its roots in Nazi symbolism... However, it must be said that good taste for covers is not part of their repertoire, my copy of the album ("sanitized" version) features an image of two dogs tearing each other apart... Warzone's hardcore is less furious and fast than that of their fellow townspeople and friends, Youth of Today. It relies on typically oi chants and sounds more akin to metal, the tempos are more relaxed (?!?), and the songs are all quite complex and rich with breaks and tempo changes. The execution is very good, Raybeez's voice is flexible, and overall the group is more at ease in the less frantic pieces (to be taken cum grano salis, as it remains HC). I don't mention the tracks because I like them all, and stylistically speaking, it must be said that there are no particular disruptions.
It is not an innovative album, but it is a true, direct, well-played, and captivating one; a hardcore album. To prevent fights from breaking out during concerts Raybeez had the habit of singing among the audience for the entire duration of performances (I can testify), amid the wildest and most violent pogo, perhaps this fact along with his constant commitment to helping disadvantaged youth contributed to making him a beloved character, and much mourned at the time of his passing. He was thirty-five years old.
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