Hailing out of Brooklyn, NYC, metal/hardcore act COURT ORDER launched their project in 2017 and have developed a following from a few small practice studios in Jersey City until the band performed their first show on a rooftop in New Jersey above a pizza joint in the fall of 2018. Since then the band has released a five singles, three music videos, and a new album in 2020. Today, we’re giving you their special track by track commentary for new self-titled EP that dropped last month, along with the band’s take on their local hardcore scene and other artists tips you might be overlooking this year.
Court Order features JJ Russo on lead vocals, Zay on guitars, Oscar on bass, JD on guitars/vocals, and Ace on drums/vocals. Court Order’s variety of vocal arrangements, dynamic blend of metal and hardcore influences, and wide range of aggressive tendencies makes the sound of the band littered in texture.
Court Order’s self-titled album is available in multiple formats, including limited cd/cassette and 12” colored vinyl with alternate artwork.
Asked about their local scene in NYC, the band commented: “The New York scene is split between the NYV boroughs and Long Island, and New Jersey is divided into half a dozens worlds. The local talent is vast and plenty and it’s critical to bring 100% at all times to even try to get ahead. There’s always a crowd you can win over at every gig, and if you’re in a band performing, it’s critical to stay at your table until the end of the night and not pack shit up early and bail and show support to your local scene.
Prior to Covid-19, we were doing weekenders and shows three to four times a month and played thirty gigs in the twelve months leading to the shutdown.”
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Track by track commentary
“Given Enough” – This is our tribute to some of our favorite opening breakdowns in the vain of Emmure’s “A Ticket to the Paralyzer,” or The Acacia Strain’s “Carbomb.” We’ve noticed most deathcore bands have stopped this trend over the last six or seven years on their most recent releases, but we’ve always opened up our set with this track and felt it was an appropriate way to kick off the album. The feeling and the title are a joint union here – a super aggressive song to speak for the satisfaction of knowing you’ve done enough to convince yourself you’re good to walk away from something – for better or for worse.
“Night Trash” – The lyrics to this song address our experiences being told we’re never good enough. We are raised to become perfect cogs in the corporate machine – go to school, get the career, get married, have kids, eat the processed food – all so we can take their medications to cure our hangovers and ailments caused by a life we never wanted in the first place. In the end when we die, we just get thrown out like last night’s trash. Court Order believes in building the reality you want to see, and the verse addresses the hardships we have to overcome to justify attaining our desires. This is also the premiere of JD and I’s voices in the band, as well as the first time we incorporated clean vocals in any of our tracks.
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“Poor Excuse” – Is there anyone left to hear my silent cries? One of my favorite lines of the album. The answer is no. No one is there to hear your loud cries either. Humans make every excuse we can to deter us from chasing our dreams and truly being free. Money, time, doubt. All poison for the creative. Instead, we should just get to work from the get go and begin crafting our visions for a true world that makes sense to us instead of trying ti chase someone else’s version of success.
The last measure where we slow down and JJ says “we’ll be the one’s in the end who are doomed,” we’re not literally telling you to set your house on fire, we’re just saying no matter what you do to escape your own personal hell, you’ll always be the one responsible for holding yourself back from your potential. Stop making excuses and get to work!
“Future Machine” – A super simple concept track with lyrics taken from Disney’s “A Goofy Movie” and “The Lion King.” Both mashed together make a track we can all relate to. How much time do we lose finding the right words to express ourselves? And when the world turns its back on you, well, you know how it goes …
“Dead Voltage” – This track used to be an intro during our set to one of our first tracks “Hit Harder” and somehow became something that was much more when it landed on the record. The dynamics of the song present a wide range of emotions and the final verse is highly influenced from the melodies taken from Poison The Well’s The Tropic Rot. JJ and I are closet emo buffs and were stoked to share this vocal duet as we cut the album in half. “Dead Voltage” refers to the power we have inside us to carry on, but sometimes no matter how hard we try, we simply cannot move forward. Unity is a big part of the context and how important sticking together is when shit falls apart. The last part of the song (don’t run away when the walls comes down/and the hills come rolling through) is a reminder to stay together even when things are at their worst, because in the end, no one can go at it alone.
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“Exercise Forgiveness” – Most of us who are aware and mindful of our behavior and interactions with others want to bring our best selves out into the world and see the best in others. We try to believe we are at least getting close, even though we often fail so miserably in doing so. But even though we fall short, we still try our best every day to carry on and be the best version of ourselves we can be, regardless of other people’s perceptions and our own internal dialogue. It is our human duty to continue to try to get as close as we can to our true selves as we grow and continue to interact with others.
“Resurfaced” – Initially this and “Exercise Forgiveness” were one long track and there’s some footage out there of the band actually opening with the song on multiple gigs when we first began. A superb finish to the record, and a true surprise that flourished during recording. We debated heavily up to recording day as to whether or not there was even enough meat on the bone with this one to make it a separate track and we’re all very happy we did. The lyrics are about being endlessly disappointed in life and then realizing it‘s all over nothing. This is collectively one of our favorite songs we’ve ever written.
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We asked the band’s drummer Ace to give us his top picks for recent new music and here’s what he’s got:
“Boston Manor’s “Glue” may be my album of the year, but End’s latest album was a true highlight of 2020z Also the new albums by Phantogram, Run the Jewels, 156/Silence, Gulch and Umbra Vitae are all super dope new releases from 2020 as well.”
