Open for all kinds of styles, Philadelphia hardcore scene has been a staple of expression for yearsand successfully repopulated with a flood of young acts who have poured into local rehearsal spaces and venues to perform and keep the thriving area good for DIY. Today, we’re giving you the newest addition to the landscape, metallized hardcore band UNDERHANDED, featuring members of ROCK BOTTOM, FIXATION, and AGITATOR! Here’s what guitarist Pat Voytko had to say about the project. Read up, listen to their mosh-friendly demo that drops huge punches to the head and gets you excited for more!
The UNDERHANDED demo was material I wrote while coming up with ideas that I thought might be good for a new Shattered Realm record but at the end of the day the sound just didn’t really fit the original Realm feel. I offered it to Joe Hardcore to sing over in hopes to start a new project with the same Realm people but unfortunately he’s a busy guy and didn’t wanna half ass the commitment so he ended up passing on it. At that point I had this fully recorded demo and thought it would be kind of dumb to let it go to waste. I ended up linking up with my old pal Matt Karl who originally sang in a band we did together called Wrath&Ruin and he ended up taking over the vocals. I’m really happy with the way it turned out and I think its a pretty decent starting point for us as a band. I also gotta shout out my buddy Dan White (from FIXATION) for doing drums on this as he did a really great job. Also Will Schaeffer, who did all the solo and lead work on this since my fat fingers can’t shred for shit.
Artwork by Xavier / UNDERHANDED are: “Cloud Man” Karl (vocals), Dan White (drums), and Pat Voytko (guitars) / Additional solos and leads by Will Schaeffer / Recorded and mixed by Jeff Barow in Port Richmond
Looking Glass
So originally there was a longer moshy intro that actually led into the song but it just ended up being long and drawn out so we had to axe it. The song just kinda kicks the chair in immediately so to speak, I really tried to write something that was a bit off tempo and bouncy per say. The groove makes the vocal timings a bit hard to catch but Karl did a great job adapting to them here. I really like what he did over the “So I try, try again” part, reminds me of TUI era Justice.
Lyrics:
Now I lay me down to sleep
I have to face the facts
Staring into the looking glass but no one is looking backHeavenly father where have you been
You haven’t answered my calls since I let you in
No forgiveness for my sins
The darkness prevailed now I’m buried within
I tried looking to a higher power but the answers were never there
I sat around and i looked like a coward to find out you never caredSo I try try again to right all the wrongs that I ever did
And now I’m here standing here all alone
All I’ve ever known
And my thoughts in a tangled heap but i refuse to be one to walk among the sheep
So now the devil has my soul to keep i reap now i lay myself down to sleepHeavenly Father where have you been
You haven’t answered my calls since I’ve let you in
Off the deep end
This first half of this song is us doing our best integrity impersonation. You can really tell I was trying to get some old Realm influence in here with the 1-4 picking going down the line in the part immediately after. The end mosh part is probably the best mosh on the demo…that dirty stinky bass line leading into it is some real delight for the back-of-the-room-swing-on-women-and-children mosh crew types.
Lyrics:
They say the pressure bursts pipes
Feel the pressure creep in
Not a measure of might
Going off the deep end
Rather stand up and fight
Then sit and be defeated
Trying to find the light
Despite my senses weakenAll the questions they go unanswered
I looked at you to help me find my way
Held you to the highest standard
In the end you led me astray
The pressure builds as i face my guilt
It’s something i just can’t ignore
Time stops
I showed up and knocked
You were never there to answer
Never there to answer the doorAnd now I’m falling apart
Trying to pick up the pieces i don’t know where to startI looked to the sky to save me
In the end the sky betrayed me
Bound to the ground as the world enraged me
Face that fact that nothing will change meNothing will ever change
…
Nice mosh instrumental. Will really hit the licks on the second half of this bad boy. Shred city!
Vices feast
This song more or less carries the vibe from the entire demo. There is a nice melodic ending which is a cool note to end it all on and helps change the pace a bit. I’ve always felt that on your last song on any record you should really try to not put yourself in a box and swing for the fences.
Lyrics:
Demons waiting
Keep pacing
Annihilation the end of days
Heart racing
Keep chasing
The vivid thought that you’d be okay
No escape
No escape
No escape from the pain and strife
As the shackles tighten slowly
You lose your grasp on this hell called lifeSuffer as your vices feast
It’s the nature of the beast
Forever burdened in this life of pain
Shake the dice
Lose the game
Lose it all
Divided you fall
