Rag Men Rag Men

Hardcore is booming and yet again, the city of New York is behind the eight-ball in terms of musical output. While the Massachusetts, Connecticut, and SoCal scenes have been churning out bands for years with no end in sight, many of the finest New York bands have had trouble mobilizing for success and domination. Could it be because generally New York bands are comprised of people who live the hardcore reality while most of the suburb bands just play it I’d bet on it. Rag Men has decided to break with the pattern of wasted years undermined by personal drama and take the hardcore scene by the horns. Legendary bands like the Cro-Mags, Leeway, Skarhead, Fury Of Five, Stigmata and Merauder broke up under various circumstances but certainly before they could accomplish the sort of scene command that they set out to. Comprised of ex-Skarhead guitarist Mitts, ex-Hatebreed drummer Rigg Ross, ex-Earth Crisis and current Freya bassist Bulldog, and ex-Merauder, God Is I, Full Contact, and Ill Nino vocalist Jorge Rosado, there is no lack of experience or talent in Rag Men. When they released their 2003 demo and played select shows across Canada and upstate New York, crowds were given the chance to savor the no-frills hardcore that Rag Men brings to the table. And while it gave them an idea of what kind of album Rag Men was going to drop in 2004, most of the hardcore scene is only waking up to this band now. The lyrics on Rag Men’s self-titled debut are especially engaging because of the blood and sweat that have gone into writing them. These songs are not reflective pieces composed by middle-class eighteen year-olds, but rather hard compositions based on life in the streets from the men who lived it, and in a similar vein to Madball, Sick Of It All, and Agnostic Front. Soon to be classic chants like “I’m a warrior, I choose my own path. Get in my way, it’ll be a bloodbath” from "Warrior Soul" and “I’ve been around the block too many times, I’ve seen it all son, that’s no lie. I’ve seen many act tough who don’t have enough, get beaten up outside” from "Insomnia" are timeless numbers that do much to establish credibility with one listen. Unlike most of the new breed, Rag Men have no need for fashion codes or a Swedish metal influence to get their foot in the door. They come armed with a batch of eight well-crafted, classic and mostly mid-paced hardcore songs whose potency speaks for itself. Fast and effective old-school verses in the heartbreak song “Visions Of You” and “Tierra,” a eulogy for mother earth, allude to the uncompromising nature of Rag Men who refuse to play toned-down and easy to digest music to cash in on current trends. They incorporate elements of ageless rock music with the attitude of hardcore to create a cunning blend of hard music that can be appreciated by all. Rag Men’s maturity and know-how is evident in the individual performances of each member. Had Rigg Ross and Hatebreed not prematurely gone their separate ways midway through Ozzfest a few years back, he would still be thrashing behind the kit for them on huge tours. More important however was his contribution to Hatebreed when he was still in their ranks; on the "Perseverance" demos "I Will Be Heard" (which he also performed with the band on Tattoo The Earth’s live compilation album), "Unloved," and "Remain Nameless," Rigg Ross showed his proficiency behind the kit with tight fills and crushing double-bass skills. The demos that he and Hatebreed created were arguably a better product than the final Matt Hyde-overproduced product. As a result, his role in Rag Men cannot be stressed enough and while there are less direct metal parts as in Hatebreed, he lays down crushing grooves that suggest his signature style. Meanwhile, Mitts’ years with Skarhead made him a unique guitar player with licks reminiscent of standard rock mixed with old-school hardcore and while much of his playing is still evident, he cuts out most of the fluff for Rag Men, with extremely successful results. The bass guitar position has been a revolving door for Rag Men with Bulldog having been replaced on tour by Buske from The Promise and more recently Sworn Enemy’s Mike Couls, although this has not weakened the strength of the band as both are superb bassists. Possibly the best vocalist in hardcore for the past fifteen years, Jorge Rosado is better than ever with his harsh growls and earth-shattering screams. Band breakups over the years have impeded his potential in the past, but hopefully this won't be an issue with Rag Men. Bottom Line: If you are sick of the posturing, fashion, and technicality that has crept into hardcore like a plague in recent years, Rag Men is your new favorite band. Their simple approach combined with slick songwriting and brilliant individual presence have thrust Rag Men to the top of the heap in terms of honesty and quality of hardcore productivity. This band exemplifies New York hardcore and has the meaningful songs to prove it.