New York hardcore
New York hardcore (NYHC) is hardcore punk and metalcore music created in New York City, and the subculture associated with that music. New York hardcore grew out of the hardcore scene established in Washington, D.C., by bands such as Bad Brains and Minor Threat. It was primarily a phenomenon of the 1980s and 1990s.
1980s
New York City had been, arguably, the birthplace of punk rock with the Ramones and the scene at CBGB in the late 70's, but while the next generation of punks emerged in the hardcore scenes in places like Washington DC and Los Angeles in the early 80's, NYC was initially quiet. A few bands like The Undead, The Mad, and The Stimulators hinted at a new direction. The Stimulators featured Harley Flanagan on drums, and attracted some of what would become the NYHC scene to their shows. The Stimulators and the Mad also made friends with Washington, DC's Bad Brains, and gave the latter places to stay in town.
New York City would come to play a central role in the development of hardcore. An important scene finally emerged in 1981 with the emigration of the Bad Brains.Roger Miret of Agnostic Front asserts that "We started using the term 'hardcore' because we wanted to separate ourselves from the druggy or artsy punk scene that was happening in New York at the time ... We were rougher kids living in the streets. It had a rougher edge". The early scene was documented on the 1982 New York Thrash compilation.
N.Y.H.C. (film)
N.Y.H.C. is a documentary film directed by Frank Pavich about the mid-90s New York hardcore scene. Filmed in the summer of 1995, it was completed and self-released on VHS by the director in 1999.
The documentary was acquired for distribution by HALO 8 Entertainment in December 2007. On March 25, 2008, Halo-8 released a two disc Special Edition for the documentary's first time on DVD. Disc 2 features previously unreleased footage including "Where Are They Now?" interviews shot ten years after the original documentary, live performances of complete songs by Vision of Disorder, Madball, 25 ta Life, 108, No Redeeming Social Value, District 9, and more, as well as new interviews with Lou Koller (Sick of It All) and Toby Morse (H2O).
Synopsis
One of the few documentaries focusing on the hardcore music scene of one city (after the genre became much less tied to, and a subgenre of punk rock), N.Y.H.C. featured seven bands prominent in the mid-90s scene. A diverse grouping was selected, from Long Island suburbanites to Bronx inner-city youth to Hare Krishna devotees.
