Purification - Official Website

Purification - Signs w/ Bastardized - New CD feat.John Joseph!

2011-12-03T16:00:00.002+01:00

After 15 years from our debut 7”, “Vessel of Wrath”, Purification’s legacy continues with the release of a brand new CD called “A Torch To Pierce The Night” due out February 2012, courtesy of the Germany based label Bastardized Recordings

The CD will feat:

- A spoken word by John Joseph (lead singer for the Cro-Mags)
- Artwork done by Dave Quiggle
- New versions of Legion & Lex Talionis

For further news, merchandise & music, you can check our Facebook page!

South America Tour

2011-05-09T10:37:00.003+02:00

Este e' o nosso proximo tour na America Latina, comeca esta semana:

13/05/2011 Brasil - Sao Paulo @ CCJ
com: Positive Youth

14/05/2011 Brasil - Itapira @ Vip Bar
com: Still Strong, Alternative System, Integrita, Take Me Back

15/05/2011 Brasil - Sao Paulo @ Animal Liberation Fest
com: Still Strong, Good Intentions, Positive Youth, more

20/05/2011 Argentina - Rosario @ Club Italiano
com: Knockout, Mantiendo el honor, Discarne, Rising Crypts

21/05/2011 Argentina - Buenos Aires @ Unione e Benevolenza
com: Knockout, Mil Caras, Enquirer, Igual Ierarquia

22/05/2011 Chile - Santiago @ Centro Cultural El Abasto
com: La Miseria de tu Rostro, Contras Todos Mis Miedos, 562

The Revolutions

2011-03-01T10:54:00.003+01:00

I've been following the recent rebellions in North Africa with quite some attention, and a mix of sadness and high respect for those who gave their life for their freedom after years of dictatorship.

The revolution is a very strong, meaningful and inspiring act, when exacerbated people can't take it no more and want change, they bring change no matter what, even at cost of their life. As the dictator on the other hand never wants to leave and tries everything to stay in power, civil war is what this comes down to.

We just saw an example with Libya, after more than 40 years in charge building a personal empire of billions of dollars, Gaddafi is (hopefully) taken away from his throne. But I'm always trying to think through these events as to why they develop this way. All those dictatorships (and the ones still existing, especially in North Africa) have been going on for decades, every government knew about them, knew about their bloody mercenary rulers and instead of doing something to change that, to try and help bring freedom to those people in need, they just kept doing business with their leaders.

Despite embargo, weapons were always traded for something in return, after all war is a great business to them. I'm not surprised also in the interest of the USA to be part of this process of redefinition of who's gonna be in charge now, there's lot of oil in that part of Africa, which is the only reason why many countries want to be there splitting the power.

I might be wrong, but I haven't seen much interest from the same all countries that repel those “illegal” governments (even if after many years) to do something in Darfur or Ivory Coast or in many other places where there's not much economical return to be had. Well, there's much more return to them if the civil war keeps going on rather than to stop.

It's always money ruling this world, and what makes me even more sad is that history tells us that those “powerful” nations that bring “freedom” want to change everything to not change anything. When the dust sets, it will be back to business as usual. The question is for how long this can going on.

A torch to pierce the night

2011-02-09T11:59:00.005+01:00

It happened to me a few time ago at a show to compare my vision of hardcore to what's nowadays. And I felt out of place. To me this music came together with social, political and/or spiritual backgrounds, where bands would take a stand and care deeply about their beliefs.

The great thing that attracted me to hardcore in the first place is that I don't have to behave as “I'm supposed to”, that is totally OK to question everything and everybody, that there is a place for the “outcast” that do not fit in this world's rules, that life is way more than just “party” and be stupid. It's about knowledge, struggle, rebel. Not a teenage-like rebellion that after a few months vanishes away, following another trend. I'm talking about inside rebellion, constant inner struggle to achieve your goals. Not closing your eyes to accept things as they are. Resist. Never take yourself too seriously as well, but never forget where you come from.

I think it's very important to hear bands talking between the songs, having something to say they care about, being about political matters, social issues or spiritual paths they follow. It's vital to me that we keep in mind hardcore is not just about the music. It's about the music AND the message.

I might feel too nostalgic of the old days, but I rather disagree completely with somebody over something they believe in than just not thinking about anything and not taking a stand. This way hardcore becomes just like any other kind of music, and the motto “shut up and play” can be very real.

But I refuse to believe that. Despite of my nature to be aware people regularly let you down, I still think there's somebody in the crowd that wants more. That feels this is our time and we have to be able to do something about the shit that's going out in the world. That refuses to accept the things as they are without trying its best to change them. That dislike apathy. That feels that each one of us can make a difference every day. That thinks that never “giving a shit” doesn't make the life easier, it makes the life worthless.

A torch to pierce the night is the title of our new album. For all of you who are still resisting, rebelling, believing.

New Interview!

2010-10-21T16:56:00.030+02:00

Copy and paste the link in your browser

http://sparksofdissent.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-10-31T13%3A08%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

The big screen

2010-09-07T11:50:00.010+02:00

I recently had the chance to watch quite some episodes of series and movies, and one particular thing caught my attention: Veganism is coming up in several occasions. For example, in "Scott Pilgrim vs the world", there's this guy who claims to be Vegan (and he added Edge as well), and while watching one episode of "Six Feet Under", there's a friend of one of the main characters that is vegan and cooks vegan food.

In both cases though, the vegans are seen as stupids or pictured as assholes. In case of Michael Cera's movie, the Vegan guy thinks he's better than everyone else just because he's Vegan and the worst is when it's generalized saying the Vegans think they are better than everyone else. I'll leave out the comments on the “Vegan police”.
In the second case, the Vegan girl is seen as a freak, and after she cooked a vegan meal with organic veggies and everything, the main character and his sister just mock her up and go to a fast food to get a burger.

It's not this is a complete surprise, we are even too aware of the stupid “fast food” American way of living where 34% of the population is obese, with severe health problems due to that. It means that over 1/3 of the US population is not fat, it's extremely overweight.

Maybe I was just hoping for a different approach on the subject, but after the first reaction of anger and disappointment, I realized they ARE talking about Veganism. It means it's spreading and whether it's been treated as something stupid to joke about, it's there, it means that it is a reality of modern times and that “those people” started to fear the growth of the cruelty free lifestyle.

The 2006 survey found that about 1.4% of men and 1.3% of women in the United States have vegan diets. In 2007 a survey of UK attitudes and behavior towards the environment found that 2.24% of the population identified as vegan. This means excluding the Vegetarians that are about double that number.

We are there and growing fast and they are starting to notice it.

PS: Big Fuck you's to Angelina Jolie.

Matteo

Purification Merch

2010-09-05T11:52:00.002+02:00

We have a few shirts and CDs in, check them out HERE.

Reunion Tour announced!

2010-07-28T19:58:00.002+02:00

31.07 Aachen – Musikbunker (GER)

02.08 Paris – Pixi (FR)

03.08 Zurich – Dynamo Werk 21 (CH) + FIRST BLOOD

04.08 Augsburg – Circus (GER)

05.08 Mannheim – Red Box (GER)

New CD Pre-order!

2010-06-02T00:12:00.002+02:00

Check this out:

CD only:

http://www.hurryuphc.com/product/687

CD + t-shirt:

http://www.hurryuphc.com/product/688

New song online NOW!

2010-05-31T17:27:00.000+02:00

TRADERS OF ONE THOUSAND DISEASES is online on our Myspace’s page - http://www.myspace.com/pvrification

The song is one of the 2 bonus tracks that will be included in the re-issue version of “Banging the drums of war” due out this summer on:

Hurry-up Records (Europe & South America) - http://www.hurryuphc.com/

SelfxTrue Records (Russian Federation) - http://www.xselfxtruex.ru/

Pee Records (Australia & New Zealand) - http://www.peerecords.com/

New CD announced!

2010-05-26T17:50:00.001+02:00

The Official Press Release can be found here:

http://www.hurryuphc.com/article/206

Afghanistan and the war

2010-05-23T12:03:00.002+02:00

A few days ago two Italian soldiers have been killed in an attack in Afghanistan, all the newspapers put the news on big titles and most of the Italians defended the “troops sent to combat terrorism”...I just wish the reason why they choose to be sent to war was that one.

Not many people bothered to think why Italy, a nation that refuses the war as written in the Constitution, is invading a Country without no apparent reason other than Americans telling to go there because bad people, those Taliban, are terrorists.
But there's a little confusion here: aren't those the same Talibans that were negotiating with U.S. Government about the oil/gas pipeline that had to run through their territory to carry it to Pakistan and India?

So, until the main company supposed to take care of the construction was American and giving benefit to the USA, everything was fine. When instead the Afghans decided to go with a Middle East competitor, then there's the urgency of destroying the terrorists in Afghanistan, those Talebans (which represent 90% of the population) that dared to refuse to bent to the American Imperialism. And to do this, Italy (as other nations) sends his soldiers to kill and be killed in this “peace mission”.

But in all Italian history we never had a single Taliban terrorist attack, if there are risks is simply because of the US military bases all over the territory.

The general rule is simply not to oppose the US politics or you will be labeled as terrorist or communist and then invaded and attacked.

It worked with Iraq after 9/11, the terrorist attack was officially linked to Talibans but Saddam Hussein wasn't a Taliban, neither Iraq as a Country. This fake excuse worked out well as Americans were then justifying their invasion of Iraq to take control of the oil trade with the new Government forced on the Iraq, where US obviously had enormous control.

So I just thought, take for example Brazil, a new powerful economy that has a lot of natural resources to be used: so far so good as Lula is in good relationship with Obama and the US, but what if he decides that for the good of his own country and people it is better to go with China instead of US? I just guess that US will find another excuse (maybe the Taliban again?) to try to force Brazil to obey them. If they won't, they will send their troops, as it always happened.

How quickly did we forget about Vietnam? Because Afghanistan is following the same line. Local army defending their own territory against the US and European invaders is winning over the “good” one, with great losses for the Italian, US, UK and so on people.

The bottom line is always the same, war for oil power overcomes the life of people, soldiers, civilians, families, kids masked by “peace mission”.

Who really are the terrorists?

Small steps?

2010-05-05T21:50:00.003+02:00

The factor that has the heaviest impact on the Earth is the production of food, it affects every economy and it is deeply responsible for the over-exploitation of this world resources.

It is demonstrated that one average meat based meal produces 3 times more Ecopoints than a vegan one, with Ecopoints intended as the international measure of the impact of the food over the environment.

It is incredibly clear how a vegan diet is absolutely better for the Earth and obviously for the health (but I leave this for another post).

Shall everybody be vegan? Of course. Will everybody be vegan? Definitely no.

We have to confront each day small achievements against maybe bigger losses, it is impossible that the normally unaware and uncaring human being would drop eating meat and animal related products from one day to another.

So what I look forward on an educational path in everyday life, is to see people stopping and thinking that even reducing the consume of meat, or replacing meat or fish with some soy or corn based products, can improve our life and diminish the impact we have on the Earth.

Would this be a victory? It is hard to say.

Let's take another example: Peta 2 successful campaign to introduce a vegetarian burger option in large fast food chains like McDonald's or Burger King: is this really a success? I mean, besides the vegetarian issue, on an ethical aspect these companies are the worst. They mean profit over everything, over people's health, over employees' rights to be treated decently. I seriously doubt I would eat there even if they had vegan options.

So, is this a victory? Again, it is hard to say.

Many people claim that a too strong and straight approach on these issues would do more harm than good to the cause. On the other side, there's the need to have people standing their ground with strong minds and hearts so that they can set the path.

But at the end of the day it is all about small steps, because that's how we can move towards a possible vegetarian majority. I believe it is anyway better than doing nothing.

Is this utopic goal unachievable? A hundred years ago nobody would imagine that it could have been possible to end the slavery in the world (well, almost everywhere), but still humanity did it.

Can we do it? Just make your steps count.

Matteo

Obama, can you really?

2010-04-29T13:07:00.002+02:00

I was pretty excited when Obama got elected, his program and ideas were pretty much about to renew everything that America always was and is nowadays, a country founded over the blood of wars. The blood shed of the native population after the arrival of the English, an imperialist approach over the rest of the world forced by the oil need, repression of the local people and cultures applying the "western civilization".

I hope he would keep up the promises, and I think many people around the world did expect the same, a sign the very quickly assigned Nobel Price for Peace would suggest (an honor that people like Nelson Mandela or the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso received) that was supposed to push Obama to keep the straight line in his mandate.

Instead of empowering and push the green economy, Obama recently allowed more drilling for petrol extraction in USA, a thing that was avoided even by the warhead Bush.

Still 50% of the tax income goes to war/military and the presence of United States is still heavy in all Europe with bases and occupying the middle east territories most of the times not even knowing how to deal with local people and cultures. Obama should have avoided this in primis, this is again a war masked as a "peace mission".

Or take Monsanto, the huge company that produces GMO that pass all the tests because of the influence his administrators have over the politicians. It created vegetables that have extremely high allergy issues, that need an increasing use of pesticides to be grown, that cause death of animals who eat them in the fields and cost more than the normally grown ones. And still we see people directly connected to Monsanto very close to Obama in his administration.

America has trillions of dollars of Public Debt, so I should have guessed that a single person couldn't change the whole system. But somehow I put quite some expectations into Obama's mandate, if he could keep what he was saying in his campaign, or at least try to, it would have been an incredibly clear sign that politics can still do something good. Instead he's going with the flow and we HAVE to make the change.

Buy local products from local markets, buy organically grown and possibly national vegetables, oppose to the tendency of "letting go", spread the TRUE FACTS wherever and whenever you can, talk your friends into vegetarianism. We need to make a change but we have to do it by ourselves.

Yes WE CAN Obama, even not with your help.

Matteo

Official Myspace launched!!!

2010-04-26T12:35:00.001+02:00

Here you go folks, add us to your friend's list ;-)

http://www.myspace.com/pvrification

2010 Sometimes they come back...

2010-04-24T22:13:00.000+02:00

Purification always meant militant vegan straight edge. And in this lack of bands carrying the ideology nowadays we found the main reason to bring Purification back to life. As the spirit of the message always overwhelms the mere members of the band, we still believe that it makes sense to play and tour again even if with a major change in the line-up.

A new era in Purification history has begun carrying the same passionate spirit that made the band appreciated worldwide, that gave us wonderful memories and we are sure will give us wonderful times again.

While some people would think we are doing a mistake, or that we are doing it for the money (what money by the way), or that hate us for some reason...well, we hope you change your mind.

We are deeply connected to this reality and we still have the power to change it for the better. We believe that spreading the Vegan Edge message through the band is a powerful weapon that we have to use.

We particularly believe a new horizon is to be seen and hopefully we will accomplish something more with the comeback of Purification.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” - Martin Luther King

Facebook!

2010-04-22T17:49:00.001+02:00

Hi folks ;-)
We just launched our Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pvrification

Feel free to add us and spread the word!

Reunion Tour summer 2010

2010-04-02T17:32:00.000+02:00

The dates of our Reunion Tour, scheduled for the summer-time, are going to be announced really soon.
We are already confirmed at some of the most important european festivals like:

Fluff Fest (CZ)
http://www.fluffmusic.com/
Burning Season Fest (AT)
http://www.bsr-festival.com/
Ieper hxc fest (BE)
http://www.ieperfest.com/

Stay tuned for more infos coming soon!

Warm regads

Official Discography

2010-03-28T16:48:00.000+02:00

1996 - ARKANGEL DEMO TAPE (3 tracks) SURROUNDED RECORDS
1998 - VESSEL OF WRATH 7" SURROUNDED RECORDS (EU) / XCATALYSTX RECORDS (US)
1998 - aa.vv. "ANIMAL TRUTH CD" SOBERMIND RECORDS
1998 - aa.vv. "OUT OF THE CAGES CD" SURROUNDED RECORDS
2001 - "1996-2000 CD" SOBERMIND RECORDS
2002 - "split w/ UNBORN CD" KEROSENE RECORDS
2003 - "BANGING THE DRUMS OF WAR CD" UPRISING RECORDS
2003 - "1996-2003 JUDGEMENT DAY CD" OUT TA BOMB (Japan release)
2004 - "1996-2003 JUDGEMENT DAY CD" XLIBERATIONX RECORDS (South America release)

Official Statement

2010-03-27T13:20:00.001+01:00

In reply to the false rumors that have been circulating, we want to make clear that Purification NEVER had, has or will have anything to do with any xenophobe, nationalist, fascist or nazist movement.
We are outraged by those people filled with envy and hate with nothing better to do that spread false news over the web to put Purification in a bad light.
We invite also whoever has any doubt or question about Purification to talk to us at any of the upcoming European shows.

Warm regards

Official biography

2010-03-27T13:16:00.000+01:00

PART 1: FROM THE 'OLD SCHOOL' TO THE 'NEW SCHOOL'

Roma, Italia's capital city, summer 1996: some friends, who have been active in the local hardcore scene since its start in the late eighties, decided that it was about time to make a conscious effort at trying to raise the quality and political awareness of the local scene. Inspired by bands like Raid, Vegan Reich and Earth crisis, these long time scenesters decided that the time had come to provide the Eternal City with its own 100% Vegan Straight Edge band. The decision was taken right after a Warzone show in Roma, and few days later the first sessions took place. Everything started as a project between a bunch of old friends who were fed up with the inconsistence and decay the hardcore scene was going through. So, since the very start, Purification presented itself as an outspoken and aggressive political band, not afraid to show the world its true colors.
As obvious, this attitude resulted, through the years, in a lot of immotivate hatred and gossips concerning the band. The band's approach was clear and honest since the beginning, and up to today they have not betrayed nor sold out their commitment to a better and more fair society. With the passing of days many have been those who tried to follow in the footsteps of the Vegan Straight Edge lifestyle, but very few those who have been able to be true to their words.
A stable line-up was decided and rehearsals began, and as a result a demo was recorded short after. It was a three tracks tape titled 'Arkangel' after the name of the first song. It was recorded with very poor means and made in only one hundred copies.
The following year the band recorded three new songs that came out in the beginning of 1998 as a 7" on Surrounded records from Italia, and also placed some tracks on a couple of benefit compilations for animal liberation prisoners and activists. The "Vessel of Wrath" 7" was also released in the United States courtesy of Catalyst records.
1999: with the new year the band recorded four new tracks, this right before falling in a two years lethargy due to some very serious line-up problems. A couple of new members joined and the band could continue its activity of shows and rehearsals. During this period of 'interregnum' the band played some shows, the 'Vort'n Viz' festival in Belgium in the summer of 2000, and few others. But because of the already mentioned problems Purification had to mantain a low profile and couldn't play around too often.

PART 2: "THROUGH THE DANCE OF DAYS I HAVE REMAINED"

As we sadly know, trends come and go quicker than most bands themselves, and with 2000 the band witnessed the death of the once famous and numerous 'Roma Straight Edge Legion'. Like in a domino game, where all the pieces fall down one after the other, the local scene fell down and sold-out to other trends and fashions. Confronted with a reality mostly made of insincere and weak individuals, people in Purification decided that they had to hold their ground with commitment and sincerity, and to continue where others failed. Purification was, among the many bands active in the local scene, the only one that remained loyal to the words once spoken.
With the year 2000 a deal was agreed with Sobermind records from Belgium for the release of a CD containing the four new tracks and the three old ones already released on the "Vessel of Wrath" 7". The CD finally came out in 2001, titled "1996-2000", as it was conceived as an anthology of the first five years of life of the band.
In the summer of 2001 something unexpected happened, and an old friend made a comeback, returning the band to its ancient splendor and strength.
October 2001: the band entered the studios again to record four new tracks for a split CD with England's VSE band Unborn. The CD will be released in the beginning of april 2002 on Kerosene records, a label from Germany.
With the band finally back on track many shows were played in Italia and all over Europe, and a new deal for a full-length CD came up with the people at Uprising records, a label from the USA, that already released many important bands (Stretch Armstrong, Vegan Reich, 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Race Traitor, Burn It Down, etc.).

PART 3: ASSAULTING THE FUTURE!

2003 and here we are, with what's without any doubt the best line-up Purification ever had. All of the three founding members still into it: Maurizio (vocals), Monster (guitar) and Kappa (drums), and Emiliano as the bass player.
The musical style has remained the same, which means heavy and aggressive metalcore with slayerish solos and a pounding, merciless drumming. Same for the lyrical content, a longtime quality mark for the band, providing intense and provoking thoughts to a open minded audience.
In the beginning of april 2003 the band completed the recordings of their first full-length CD, which will be released worldwide by Uprising records in august 2003. The CD will contain 8 tracks, 6 new ones and a couple of new versions of old songs: 'Holy war' and 'Afraid of this world'. Special guests on this one are Karl Buechner (Earth Crisis/Freya), and Sean Muttaqi (Vegan Reich/Pressure/Captive Nation Rising), both laying down some guest vocals on a couple of tracks. Even if the sound, trademark style of the band, has remained the same over the years, this CD will have some interesting innovations, and the most brutal tracks ever recorded by the band, raising the standards at violent and aggressive metallic-edged new school hardcore.
In a world ruled by apathy and injustice, Purification members know that playing in a hardcore band will never really affect or change this society's wicked ways. But despise this they feel that's very important to go onward and to bring witness of what they believe in, of their undying commitment to the hardcore scene and to the dream of a different world where compassion and respect for all innocent life will be the norm.

To support their Uprising Records debut the band toured all over the world(USA,Japan,Brazil,Europe)carving their name into the history of the vegan sxe movement along with historical bands like Earth Crisis,Vegan Reich,Raid.

PART 4: SOMETIMES THEY COME BACK

In the end of 2009 the band decided that the time was right for a come back, Purification is writing new material and they are ready to hit the road again.

http://www.myspace.com/xvxpurificationxvx