One of the mixed blessings of growing up in the hardcore scene is the myriad network of contacts that one builds by simply showing up and being involved. To the eyes of the outside world it may seem strange to connect with people from all over the world based upon shared enthusiasm for agressive music, jumping off of stages and embracing the type of values that are still considered out of step with the squares, but it is what it is. Discontent seeks out it’s own.

One such individual is Javier Van Huss. I had been aware of Jav for a long time before we started talking simply because I liked some of his former bands and I soon realised that we shared mutual appreciatons for the works of Bloodlet, Integrity folklore and pissing people off.

A former member of California hardcore bands 18 Visions, Enewetak, Throwdown and The Mistake, Jav did a brief stint in Poison The Well  as well as being a raconteur, promoter and a damn fine cutter of hair.  Following my departure from Rot In Hell, Jav made an effort to stay in touch which I appreciated although I had no idea at the time that he was following the development of Corehammer. A few weeks ago the following article dropped into my inbox.  Thanks to Jav for reaching out and sharing his thoughts, I have a feeling this won’t be the last we hear from him!  You can follow his musings on twitter @javjavjav and instagram @alloverthistown and for awesome old West Coast Hardcore stuff, Disembodied worship and Morrissey fandom, go check out ALL OVER THIS TOWN

When I was around 11 years old I discovered punk rock from two outlets. Thrasher Magazine and a local cable channel that had a show that aired punk videos. That same year we moved to Orange County, California and from there it was, well I wouldn’t say “easy” to find punk things but it was there. Skater friends started passing me cassettes, then flyers, then I started being able to go to gigs and record stores. We read about new bands and scenes and we scoured the thank you lists looking for other cool bands to check out.

I feel like all of that stuff is so easy now, with the internet. Almost too easy. Look on tumblr or Instagram or B9 Board or Lambgoat or whatever, and there’s some new band. How do you even wade through the sea of shit? What if I was 12 years old in 2014 trying to find the “cool” punk and hardcore bands? How would I find where to go, which side to choose, where the shows are? Think about trying to find your identity in adolescence.

Now imagine that you’re 37 and you’ve been exposed over the last couple of years to tabletop miniature gaming through social media, and you are thinking about diving in. Where do you start? Where do you go? Who do you need to know?

The amount of information on Warhammer 40k and X-Wing miniatures (the two games that appeal to me most) is both thrilling and overwhelming. And like a punk/hardcore kid in the 90s, I feel like this is something cool that the “real” world doesn’t know about, and I don’t want to explain it to them because fuck off. Am I too old? Will I find anyone to play with? Can I afford the time and money, now that I have two jobs and three kids? Did I miss a Golden Age?

I guess at some point I either have to shit or get off the pot. Either way, I have enjoyed the Corehammer Instagram and blog as an outsider. Voyeur. And it has been more of an influence than I can tell you. Ask Nate and Duggan, I like EVERY one of their photos even though I have no fucking clue what a Blood Angel is.

So thank you, for being like zines were to me in the 90s. An exposure to a cool subculture. Maybe we will get to throw some dice in the future.