Straight Ahead

1985: The OG hardcore formula comprising equal parts NEGATIVE APPROACH, SSD and VICTIM IN PAIN era AGNOSTIC FRONT began fading into the background while metal was either pumping new life into, or spoiling HC depending on who you asked. Regardless, speed was the order of the day. Enter three velocity-obsessed New Yorkers, whose collective taste was steeped in ultra-fast, and as they called it, "jerky" hardcore who concocted their own reckless and unbridled thrash unit: the short-lived, but nonetheless glorious NYC MAYHEM.Almost as quickly as MAYHEM burst onto the scene, it had sadly run it's course. However, the breakup almost immediately spawned a reimagined troupe called Straight Ahead in December of '86 featuring NYCM's Tommy Carroll and Craig Setari; this time with Tommy stepping from behind the drums to center stage as Straight Ahead's unruly front man, and Craig continuing to provide the low-end, as well as high-intensity songwriting. The lineup was rounded out perfectly by REST IN PIECES' Armand Majidi, as well as future HELMET/BIOHAZARD guitarist Rob Echeverria. Under the strong influence of the newfangled Youth Crew movement brought forth by YOUTH OF TODAY - an outfit which both Carroll and Setari performed with around the same time - the tornadic force which was Straight Ahead enveloped the scene, particularly in New York, in a manner few bands ever have.Straight Ahead's premiere recorded output came in the form of nine cuts featured on the 1986 7" compilation End the Warzone along with Attitude Adjustment, Larm and Pillsbury Hardcore. Straight Ahead had truly announced itself to the hardcore movement at large with barely a handful of minutes worth of blistering, positive hardcore combined with menacing New York style dancefloor terrorism. As distribution of the EP was extremely limited, a boatload of home-recorded cassettes of Straight Ahead's material began to pop up on tape-trading lists worldwide.The following year, Duane Rossignol, proprietor of NYC's storied record clubhouse Some Records, teamed up with the guys to release the somewhat more polished, yet no less intense 6-song Breakaway EP, which was produced by late, great MURPHY'S LAW/LUDICHRIST bassist Chuck Valle. It was the first and final proper Straight Ahead release.Similarly to NYC Mayhem, Straight Ahead was distressingly short-lived as other bands called; specifically, AGNOSTIC FRONT for Craig and SICK OF IT ALL for Armand. The impact Straight Ahead made in roughly two years remains unprecedented in the hardcore movement. Thankfully, these reissues make it a little easier to recall that very special period in hardcore time.Bio written by Howie Abrams