BDR: A LESSON IN HONORING HARDCORE CULTURE BY: MIKE MUSILLI. LEAD PHOTO BY: DANE RAWE
Every so often there is a convergence of cultural awesomeness in our underground. And it’s worth noting whenever it happens. This past August offered us another one. Crucial hardcore label Indecision Records released an absolute banger from Tehachapi, California’s BDR. I hope I don’t need to recap the greatness of Indecision Records, but I will at least offer some of the awesomeness of BDR. The band is led by vocalist Andy Diehard formerly of Diehard Youth, With Or Without You, and Ill Communication. And Andy’s son, Brody, who also plays in The Warriors is one of the guitarists. So, what we have here is a generational hardcore band with a lot of pedigree releasing music on a pivotal record label. And yet, they’re low-key and humble people. But BDR as a unit plays some of the best hardcore around. It’s honest, heavy, and well-written.
The band’s latest release, “Reaper Syndrome” on Indecision Records, is an amalgam of new songs, covers, and older material. The relationship between band and label here really is very much about greatness and cultural history. Vocalist Andy says, “Putting out music on Indecision Records is bucket list stuff. It’s a label I’ve loved for 30 years, putting out some of my favorite records and always hanging at shows being rad humans.” This is the convergence I was talking about. The relationship here fits because it’s truly symbiotic, and one that offers a glimpse of what hardcore music can be: a binding agent amongst wonderful people and institutions within the culture. Andy’s right, after all, about Indecision Records. They’ve put out some of all of our favorite records over the years.
BDR FROM L-R: TYLER BROWN, BRODY FRANCHERE, JAREN SANCHEZ, JERRY SNOW, ANDY “DIEHARD” FRANCHERE
For Andy, BDR is also about honoring the past and the present, offering, “We’re leaning into the 2000’s-roots hardcore like Count Me Out, Carry On, and Blacklisted. We’re trying to play songs that make kids want to sing along and stage dive.” And, for me, the best example of that on their new record is “Helldivers.” The fast-pace of the opening riffs harkens to that great early-2000’s Boston/Philly sound. There’s the horse-hop riffage, the bass line up front, the well-placed guitar feedback, all set behind aggressive and clever vocals. But the song’s closing breakdown is just so well-written. It’s chunky, and heavy, but grooves with the vocal lines perfectly. Andy screaming “No greater wrath than a vigilant motherfucker” as the breakdown starts should be enough to get any of us singing along and stage-diving. The energy captured therein is not easily done, and BDR absolutely nailed it on “Helldivers.”
With further consideration to honoring the past and putting on for hardcore culture, Andy and the boys do it right. The record’s two covers, The Movielife’s “I Hope You Die Soon” and Striking Distance’s “Fail Me,” only serve to reinforce BDR’s collective ethos of paying tribute while also educating about the rich and diverse history that hardcore offer those willing to listen closely. That’s not typical, and we should take notice. It certainly doesn’t hurt that they put their own stamp on both songs too.
Simply put, BDR are a musical reckoning. They’ve become a necessity for us all. We need bands to honor our past. We need bands who educate about hardcore culture. We need musicians who use their platform to bring us together. Andy, his son Brody, and all of the BDR crew do that with every show they play and every release they offer us. “Reaper Syndrome” is another shining example of what can be if you put your heart and your mind into your art.
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