![]() ![]() Everyone had always joked and called me straight edge when I was young, before I even knew what it was. "I think I was always straight edge, I just hadn't found it. "Stupid heavy, silly vocals, terrible lyrics, but still so sick I actually met Tyler (Mullin, Year of the Knife vocalist) at that show," Watkins recalls. At 15, that same friend showed Watkins "goofy shit" such as Black My Heart and On Broken Wings, and brought him to see xIn It To Win Itx, a Delaware-based group on straight edge label Seventh Dagger Records, who were on tour with notorious Toronto straight edge act Liferuiner. His introduction to the movement was a friend wearing a Blood of the Martyr shirt with Xs printed on the front (a common symbol for straight edge) with the phrase "Straight Edge - This is a matter of life or death" scrolled across the back. Watkins, 26, claimed straight edge at 17. You can be confident in your decision to not partake and share that message with others." You don't have to be afraid of substance abuse. ![]() It's positive reinforcement for our life choices. It puts straight edge in such an empowering light, an excuse to demean another's lifestyle. You can live positively knowing that it exists, you're not taking part of it, and be proud of that. "When turning away from something you might fear, you learn that you don't have to be afraid of it. "It's speaks about straight edge in a positive way," continues Hale. 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. 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. ![]() They want to be a part of something more." 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. I just don't think that exists right now. It was a scary deal, with a lot of violence surrounding it. "Back in the day, there was a lot of negativity surrounding straight edge. ![]() "There are a lot of bands right now that are very, very straight edge, but in an inclusive way," Hale says. Inclination/ Knocked Loose guitarist Isaac Hale shares a similar sentiment with Exclaim! on the phone from Oldham County, Kentucky. We're making it relatable and accessible." 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. "It's about loss, struggles with addiction and the people that enable it. "The music we do is relatable," Watkins explains to Exclaim! from his Delaware home. Tickets for Have Heart's summer reunion dates sold out in mere seconds, on two separate occasions. 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. 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. "People die every day, and they're tired of being sad." 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: ![]()
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