A year ago, at The Stone Church in Vermont—a literal church-turned-music-venue—The Path found themselves in the middle of absolute mayhem. The occasion? Opening for New York hardcore legends Gorilla Biscuits. But the real chaos came when their friend Spencer Crispe, a Southern Vermont attorney known for unpredictable antics, joined them on stage for a Minor Threat cover.
“We agreed to play four Minor Threat songs, but due to scheduling, it got whittled down to just ‘Screaming at a Wall,’” recalls guitarist Matt Kimball.
“Spencer took it way too seriously. He practiced. He prepared. And then…he didn’t even sing half the song. Instead, he started throwing mic stands like spears into the audience, knocked over trash cans, dumped an entire case of water bottles on stage, and took out half the band like bowling pins.”
Some found it hilarious, others were visibly confused. “I just moved far left so I wouldn’t get knocked out. Otherwise, the whole song would’ve collapsed.”
That performance left an impression, so much so that when The Path hit the studio to record their fourth album—11 songs in 16 minutes—they decided to properly track the Minor Threat classic.
“We needed at least one cover to fill space. Screaming at a Wall was an easy choice.” But their vocalist, Jon, wanted to mix things up. Instead of handling it alone, they brought in vocalists from four other Vermont hardcore punk bands—Amy, Roger, Oz, Bobby, and Andy from Violet Crimes, Old North End, Cooked, and Void Bringer.
“The whole thing came out great,” says Kimball. “It’s a cool twist on a hardcore classic.”
While the band is holding off on teasing their upcoming full-length—set to release via State of Mind Recordings—this cover serves as a bridge. And it’s coming at a time when Vermont’s hardcore punk scene is thriving. “There are a lot of younger kids showing up to shows, bringing energy. It’s refreshing. We know we’re becoming dinosaurs, so it’s great that other bands are carrying the torch.”
On the hardcore side, bands like Voices in Vain, Cooked, Blossom, Old North End, Void Bringer, Fifth World, Torn, No Soul, and Split In Half are keeping things heavy.
On the punk side, acts like Violet Crimes, Dead Street Dreamers, Robbery, Burly Girlies, Slobdrop, Doom Service, Rough Francis, and Corrupt World are holding it down. “Venues close, but people don’t give up,” says Kimball. “If you’re in town, check out a show.”
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