In an era where Hardcore has been sliced and diced and its byproduct Metalcore is sold as a high end replacement to an era where there was more grit then glamour and more balls then precision, an act like Colin Of Arabia was the only likely reaction to the corporate takeover of the beloved ‘Core. Bands today deceive the masses by ducking under the pretenses of “Hardcore” building a legion of loyal fans within the underground only to use them as a weight in a major label deal. Yet it’s the bands like Colin Of Arabia that not only place themselves at the heart of the scene but also facilitate its growth and its rebellion against the big glossy over priced glam versions of its roots. As I mentioned above it took grits and balls tacked together with a healthy dose of punk and a dab of metal to make Hardcore what it was. Colin Of Arabia are a rare breed of bands bent not on world domination and Ozzfest but of changing the face of Hardcore back to a time when it took more then a few visits to Hot Topic to make the cut out on the floor each weekend.

Based firmly within the Boston/Brockton scene, COA champions their own brand of disgust each weekend the old way, one weekend at a time with only a beat up van to get them to their next show. While not only being the backbone behind many of the bands and shows that make up one of the best hardcore scenes in the country, they are currently positioning themselves to make themselves true road warriors, blasting off on tours upon tours. It’s through these methods that a real band cuts its teeth and earns its stripes. Leave the fancy MTV commercials and ads in psuedo hardcore magazines to the kids who will never know what’s it like to be cramped in a van on the side of the road waiting for the tow truck. Blood, sweat, never tears and countless halls and basements laid to waste is what is the legacy and destiny for Colin Of Arabia. Call it nihilistic outlet of aggression, call it punk and disorderly, and call it the return to the roots of where it all began. But don’t discredit or disbelieve that Colin Of Arabia is on the verge of awakening the world to its name, and let me tell you something– its coming a lot sooner then you think.