Reviews

What is a band when it is no longer a posi band, when it confronts the realities of life without resorting to generalizations, when it expects to be hated for telling it as they see it?  That band is With Or Without You and their debut “Six Reasons To Drop Out” is a surprisingly vulnerable document of life within a hardcore community that sometimes fails to live up to its slogans and promises.  Featuring ex-Diehard Youth members, With Or Without You is an honest testament to the spirit of open discourse, of saying what you feel no matter what anyone thinks.  It’s this spirit that lead WoWy to name the last song ‘The Song That Made The World Hate Me,” and to pepper the lyrics of other songs with taunts aimed at the listener like “I want to be hated/ for speaking honestly/ for staying true to my beliefs.”
 
This is a record for driving to your friends’ show down the highway in California, while wearing a Warriors hoodie while discussing the new Modern Life is War tour plans.  But, as the seven songs clock in at only a little over 13 minutes, you’d best have some Comeback Kid on hand to switch it up.  Six Reasons To Drop Out is fast new old-school hardcore, the type recently embodied by Terror and seemingly trademarked by Martyr Records, but with that interesting lyrical dimension to it that keeps it from sounding like anything being played today.  It is music for the slightly older listener, someone who is not jaded, but perhaps is frustrated with the easy answer solutions provided by so many anthematic HC bands. 
 
Most of all, With Or Without You is for someone who knows that hardcore is a community, not a scene.  A community can weather change, it can deal with criticism, shock, loss, and tragedy - the bad things that would destroy a mere scene.  When Andy Diehard sings “Cause it’s always the same song and dance/ pretty kids and catchy songs/ I’ve been here too long,” you know his criticisms aren’t born from hate, but from a deep and abiding love for the community which has provided for him for so long.  It’s what makes the record work so well - the experiences evident behind the word and music.  It’s the sound of a band doing what they want and doing it well, with or without you.