Against All Odds

With a reputation established by such seminal bands as ADOLESCENTS and UNIFORM CHOICE decades ago, Orange County, California, is known as a breeding ground for superb hardcore punk. Specializing in an intense sound that is as deliciously intense as it is infectious, Dare is a group carrying on that fine tradition today. Proving their appeal crosses over to several styles of heavy music, Dare has done treks with the likes of TERROR, CREEPING DEATH, and CULTURE ABUSE, a band that features Dare drummer Anaiah Lei in their lineup. 'Dare is my favorite band in hardcore right now,' says Scott Vogel (TERROR, WORLD BE FREE), 'straight edge hardcore from Orange County done to perfection.' Further support for Dare came from the organizers of Sound & Fury, United Blood, LDB Fest, and Damaged City, who have all invited the California outfit onto their festivals. No overview of Dare would be complete without mentioning their mutual love for skate culture. 'Everyone in Dare skates, and it's our thing on tour,' Angel says. 'Every new city we are in, the first thing we always do is look up the nearest skatepark. Anaiah is sponsored by Heroin Skateboards, and I've been skating my whole life and got completely submerged into hardcore from working at Programme Skate & Sound in Fullerton.' With Against All Odds finally hitting stores, there's no question Garcia and Dare are comfortable in their skin. 'We're not afraid to sound a little out there and do our own thing, and we never have been. We represent the straight edge and all the people of color out there. Everything this band is would be nothing without our friends and I