Richmond, Virginia-based hardcore punk act BLEACH EVERYTHING presents a new video for their cover of Rocket From The Crypt’s “Middle,” which sees premiere through Decibel Magazine.
Formed in the spring of 2012, BLEACH EVERYTHING is comprised of lifetime scene veterans from across the punk and hardcore underground – vocalist Brent Eyestone, guitarist Graham Scala, bassist Kelly Posadas, and drummer Ryan Parrish – who collectively hail from the likes of Corn On Macabre, Jesuit, Highness, City Of Caterpillar, Darkest Hour, Mammoth Grinder, Suppression, Iron Reagan, Harmonic Cross, Forensics, Souvenir’s Young America, Meditative Sect, and many others over the past two decades or more.
BLEACH EVERYTHING’s cover of “Middle” is found on the band’s split LP with Integrity – SDK x RFTCC (Septic Death Karaoke x Rocket From The Crypt Covers) – which was released on Dark Operative last year. For the video, the band invited fans and friends to take part in the video from their home quarantine during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Writes Mark Eyestone, the coordinator between all the participants and the editor of the video,
“When Brent brought up the idea to make an energetic stay-at-home video utilizing phone clips of our friends going stir crazy in their houses, I was pretty confident that we could collect some fun clips. We are friends with a bunch of skateboarders, after all. It’s not exactly hard to fill up a minute-long song, but we wanted to cover a range of folks and actions. Much to my joy, my inbox was completely flooded very soon after we put word out on social media.
After a week of consideration and feeling good about the edit, I got a DM from an old friend in Atlanta. The text read, ‘We were both drunk. But at least I skated good.’ I pressed play and watched my old friend completely smash his buddy in the face with a pair of nunchucks. They were attempting the classic ‘hit the cigarette out of the person’s mouth’ trick.
Naturally, I assumed it was his contribution specifically for the ‘Middle’ video. However, the longer the conversation went, I could tell that he had completely missed my post asking for clips and just happened to send me that footage completely independent of the project. Realizing this, I made a brief mention that I wanted to use the footage. I even asked the name of the guy who got hit with nunchucks. But my friend just wasn’t picking up what I was talking about. Rather than explain everything and run the risk of confusing him even further, I simply let the subject change back to skateboarding. And so, to the new homie in Atlanta, whose name we haven’t a clue on: you’re a real one for putting your trust in a friend like that. We all owe you one.”
Offer’s BLEACH EVERYTHING’s Brent Eyestone,
“I think one of my favorite aspects of being in this band is that we can kind of just grunt at each other and things get made. After having a very dumb idea in the shower, I sent the equivalent of maybe five monosyllabic words in a group text with the band and my brother. Within ten minutes, Kelly started sending photos of his Glock, Graham was sharpening a machete and talking about hot tubs, Ryan drove to the practice space to get drum takes, and I was putting on grease paint while my dogs gave me ever-judging side-eye. Little did I know that dozens of people all around the country were making equally bad life decisions in that moment, all in solidarity to create a short piece of art that hopefully others can find kinship in during a time of cultural insanity. This video is dedicated to anyone stupid enough to go get a massage in a pop-up strip club at a gym right on the beach during the height of spring break.
Also, Rocket from the Crypt is inherently better than anything you’ll ever see on cable news.”
Decibel Magazine writes with the premiere,
“Last Halloween – which I believe happened approximately 300 years ago – BLEACH EVERYTHING and INTEGRITY released paying homage to Septic Death and Rocket from the Crypt; SDK x RFTCC (Septic Death Karaoke x Rocket from the Crypt Covers) via Dark Operative. Fortunately, some extra time alone with his thoughts in lockdown, helped inspire BLEACH EVERYTHING fromtman and Dark Op head honcho Brent Eyestone to rally his bandmates into something, if not traditionally “productive,” at least a fun way to pass several hours.”
Since the release of their So We Gnaw debut LP and the SDK x RFTCC split, BLEACH EVERYTHING has released the second issue of their eponymous fanzine and flexi, and most recently dropped a two-song flexi with 24-page wrestling zine that was originally supposed to be a part of Wrestlemania shows and parties in Tampa.
The band is currently working on two more EPs and their second LP. Watch for further details to see release over the coming months.
