Members of Oslo based old school hardcore punk act WEIGHT had been playing around with a few ideas for some time and wanted to do something on the heavier side. “I guess Cro-mags, The Icemen and Bad Brains”, they say when you ask them for obvious influences. Featuring Daniel of Oslo straight edge punks Damage Control, Jon A of Shipwrecked and 80s infused Common Cause (also featuring Daniel), Fobba and Anders of Giant, and Petter from Insurance Risk, these nice fellas are no new to the scene. With WEIGHT, they released a couple of tracks last year, and now they’re out again with this sweet new self-titled EP. Instantly hooked on, we have teamed up with Adam Malik of The Essence to have a closer look at this well-balanced 3-tracker and asked the band to give us some more details behind it.
We wrote and recorded 5 songs in the spring of 2019, three of which ended up on the Ep. We did the recording in the most hardcore studio in Oslo, Endless Tinnitus and played our first show there for the inner circle of OCHC heads a few weeks later. Adam Malik heard the recording, was immediately blown away and decided it should be released to the masses on wax.
Adam from The Essence label commented:
Oslo is the place where Hardcore has a unique quality and delivers some of the finest releases of our generation. This record is no different and keeps the standard high. Weight was created out of love for the sound of late 80s New York – when riffs were sharp and the songs had grooves. These cats have been around for a while and you can tell – if you’re a fan of hardcore with a bit of crossover mixed in you won’t be disappointed.
Words by Fobba
Track-by-track
Ultimate Destroyer is about the ultimate destructive power of Time, personified as Mahakala, from which there is no escape.
Torn Apart is about PTSD and war trauma.
What It Takes is set in a dystopian future where humanity fights itself for survival. I guess that last one was inspired by movies such as Escape from NY and the Mad Max series.
WEIGHT in 2020
We’re playing Barcelona February 1st with Spirit Crusher, No Warning and a bunch of other bands. After that we’re doing a couple of shows back home in Norway. We’re currently writing songs for a 12-inch coming out later this year. Also, Jon A recently opened a new bar, go get yourself a beer at HOR HOR if you’re ever visiting Oslo.
Oslo Hardcore
To be honest I’ve been too busy being a parent to be able to follow the scene in detail, but here’s what I know. Modern Love and Knuste Ruter are still playing shows and releasing new material. The autonomous Blitz-house has a couple of active bands and does shows regularly. Shipwrecked practice in Oslo, but refuse to play any gigs on Norwegian soil. For Pete’s Sake are still a band, I guess. Problems are currently on hiatus after the singer fucked his neck up.
Other bands worth a check
I recently got into Age of Apocalypse and they’re my new favorite band now. Mindforce and Ekulu also rule. Enforced as well. Other than that I like the latest Freddie Gibbs and Madlib album and Benny the Butcher’s The Plugs I Met. And check out Incinerator from Kolbotn!
WEIGHT is Fobba, Daniel, Petter, Anders and Jon A.
