Hello T. How have you been man? It’s been a while. If memory serves me right, last time we corresponded was either 2007 or 2008. What’s keeping you occupied lately?
T : It has been quite a while indeed and it is great to reconnect. Hope the upcoming Pahiyas Festival will go ahead in Quezon City ahead as scheduled.
The secret to avoid being miserable is to be occupied enough so one does not have leisure enough to wonder is one is happy or not.
You used to work and live in China, correct? How long ago was that? On a side note, what are your thoughts on the current Covid-19 outbreak?
T : It has been more than a decade now that I followed my star to China to steep in the rawer and inflexibly territorial regions of the universe. Tempus fugit. Been back many times but could do stint after stint there and still die ignorant.
Nature does nothing in vain and attaches her curse to all excess and invasion. The Covid-19 pandemic is something that we brought on ourselves. Unlimited economic development on a world with finite resources and growing human population comes at a cost.
On the upside, the air is cleaner, and one cannot help but enjoy a clear sky with twinkling stars.
One of our new songs, i.e. “VVorld Soul” encapsulates recent developments:
For the uninitiated, can you give a brief history of Vegas? Who are the current members?
T : V.E.G.A.S. was incepted shortly after the dawn of the new millennium and ignited by the physically confrontational nature of Japanese punks G.I.S.M. via the unrepentant early-80's ferocity of bands like Life's Blood and Negative Approach.
From thereon, we have been channeling what some consider to be a raw metallic attack through the more arsenic aspects of hardcore punk, while thriving in the subversive climate of undertaking calculated experiments with avant-garde dynamics reminiscent of fringe acts such as Throbbing Gristle or flirtations with apocalyptic folk.
or alternatively the streaming service of your choice.
What can we expect from Vegas this year?
T : We are about to release a new full-length LP with twelve songs, which we had a lot of fun recording. The new album is comprised of tracks ranging from nods to discrust bands that found a home on Clay Records in the early 1980s via gut-punching metal-infused songs based on the backbone of the more arsenic side of what made the heavier end of hardcore punk interesting and powerful in the mid-90ies. To round it out, the record is sprinkled with a ditty that Seymour Stein would have been pleased with for his “Don’t call it punk!” campaign in support of new wave.
Besides Vegas, you are also member of ‘Roses Never Fade’. The last record that you guys released was “Devil Dust” from Neuropa Records (Belgium). Since members are located all over the globe, what’s the song process like?
T : I have ceased contributing to what once started out as Roses Never Fade after the “The man they want to hang” 7” was released on Rock Vegas Records. It started to lose appeal when menthol cigarettes were no longer used in the recording process.
T’s top 5 Holy Terror Records:
1986 demo
Terror and Submission
Mind Wars
El Revengo
Guardians of the Netherworld: A Tribute to Keith Dean
T’s top 5 Books:
T : I like books where you as the reader can discover your own order.
The commonality between books I like is that they teach me better than to read them – no matter the genre, a book should ideally give you the impulse to act on its hint.
Thank you so much for the friendship and inspiration T. Keep in touch.
T : Thank you, Led. Greatly appreciated - a pleasure and privilege.
Boundless is a five-piece metallic hardcore band from Melbourne, Australia that will have you "bedroom moshing" in no time! This EP opens up with a song entitled, "Vasbyt". A track about the constant battles that the society is facing when it comes to oppression and racial inequality. It opens up with a slow heavy 90s riff that reminds me of Indecision and Turmoil. The vocals is straight up furious and aggressive, similar to Die Young, Undying, and/or Walls Of Jericho. Second track, "Without", is a song that tackles social objectification. "Another Hell" is about the rampant deterioration of our world and society. Fourth track, "Boundless", is about taking hold of your life and breaking the chains of conformity. "Never" is a short song about freeing oneself from the clutches of a manipulator. Last track, "Ego Death", reminds me of an All Out War song; fast and brutal, with some heavy breakdowns. Seriously, this 7" feels like it was released in the late 90s. My cup of tea, definitely...
