BiografieAll Out War started out as a reactionary concept and not really a band in late 1990 and early 1991. All Out War was directly formed in contrast to the state of the so-called
underground music scene of the early 90´s. In 1991 the hardcore scene was on a down swing, especially where we were located about an hour from New York City.
Locally in the late 80´s there was a small venue in Middletown, NY where bands like Underdog, Wrecking Crew & Token Entry would play just to name a few. There
were The Mansion and the Grunge Club in Middletown, NY which were really just spaces in old warehouses where Sheer Terror played and just about every local
band. There were no venues that catered to hardcore or so-called underground music. The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY had occasional Metal shows, but for the most
part, if you wanted to be involved in underground music, you really had to earn it and seek it out on your own. This was nothing like today, where every local mall
across America has the latest release of your favorite "underground" band and nerds get to be tough guys and no name critics over the Internet.

I played in a variety of bands ranging from an Oi band to a band called Step Back that bit off of Raw Deal and even covered Outburst, but never left the rehearsal space.
By the time the 90´s hit, all this was gone. Most of the bands were breaking up or changing their styles. The kids were changing too. All of a sudden, Grunge and the
Red Hot Chili Peppers were starting to be the popular rage. It´s funny because I see holier than thou "Punk Rockers" walking around today that I remember wearing
dresses because of Kurt Cobain and jocking the Lollapalooza lineup. Preppy girls and ex-jocks were moshing and talking about how punk they were because they
heard The Clash and The Dead Kennedy´s once. It was a joke and it was nothing that me or any of my friends wanted to be part of. I would rather hit these kids with a
brick than be their friend. What does this have to do with the history of All Out War? Actually, a lot. All Out War always has been a reaction to what is going on at the
time. We were always meant to be the anti-Christ. Always against the grain, always abrasive, and never a band or group of guys that was going to give in or fit in with
the bullshit around us. The original line up formed to spit in the face of the kids who were "alternative" and the self-proclaimed elite and know-it-alls of the
underground music scene.

After the breakup of a local Newburgh hardcore band, AWOL, Tom Connelly (Drums) and Sam Carbone (RIP) (Bass) were looking to start something new. Chris Bozeth
(Ex-Merauder guitarist) and I were also kicking around the idea of starting a band. I had already fronted AWOL´s last gig at the Avalon in Newburgh, a show that
resembled more of a riot than an actual show, and already knew the guys from going to shows at the Anthrax, CBGB, and other venues around the way. All involved
had no interest in starting anything remotely hardcore. With influences ranging from Carnivore to Sodom, Kreator, and Celtic Frost to Cro-Mags, Sheer Terror, and
Leeway, the four of us laid the foundation for what would become All Out Way. Early AOW songs Destined to Burn, Day of Judgment, and Fall From Grace and even parts
of Resist all had their roots in these early sessions. As well as parts that were used in many AOW songs to come. We never had goals or expectations. All we knew
was that we were going to be totally outside the box. We were pulling from Death Metal where many of our so-called contemporaries were pulling from Youth of Today
or trying to jump on the Seattle band wagon. Right from the beginning we didn´t care. A lot of bands were also indulging in their so-called post-hardcore phase. We
were going to do what we wanted. We never cared it anyone would like the band. Later that summer Chris joined the Navy and the band was placed on hold for a while.

In the fall of "91 I met Jimbo and I knew he played guitar. He was ugly and into metal and hardcore, so I figured he fit, even though I never actually heard him play. He
jumped in and things clicked from the beginning. We recruited some kid Jon to play bass (I never knew his last name) and Sam moved to guitar. Jon never really fit in
at all. He was never really down with any of us and he really never tried to be anybody´s friend. (In retrospect?that was probably a good idea on his part). We started
adding to the old songs and Jim brought a whole new intensity to some of the stuff we had already written. The name ALL OUT WAR came about around this time. In
order clear up any rumors, the name did not come from the band Earth Crisis. At this time, we had never even heard of them and if anything we were the farthest thing
from straight edge vegans. I´ll tell you right no where we came u p with name. We stole it from a fanzine I bought at the Anthrax in Connecticut written by Jaime from
Bad Luck 13 out of Philly. That´s right, no originality here, I stole it straight up, but it wasn´t from any Earth Crisis record. (Oh yeah, while I´m dispelling rumors we were
never a Christian band either?try reading the lyrics.) Practices in those early days were a mess. There was way more hanging out and breaking stuff than actual
practicing. All our hoodlum friends hung out and it was just chaos. Band rehearsal was always a freak show of sorts and I wonder how we actually ever finished some
of those songs. We finally played our first show in December ´91 at this place in Middletown, N.Y. It was a brawl from the start. What a mess. Things were out of control.
Bouncers were getting blind-sided by the crowd and you tell right away the owner regretted having us play. After the show he told us we would never play his club
again. This wasn´t the first time we would be "banned" from a club. He actually told us this about four times, but he always had us back. I still have the pictures from
this show somewhere and I always laugh every time I look at them. I have no idea what it sounded like, but Chris Chisholm and Eric Carrillo were in the crowd and I
guess those two morons were impressed. (I guess there really is no accounting for taste) Both those clowns later joined the band to become the most productive
line up All Out War ever had.

After the show everyone had it with Jon, who had by now acquired the nickname Skippy. Jon was sick of us and we were sick of him. More importantly, his girlfriend
hated every single one of us, our friends included. Jon left and Erik jumped in on bass. He was in a local band called Violent plague and we knew him from around. Sam
was on his way out at this point also. His riffs all sounded like the 80´s hair band Heart (if you ever heard the song Barracuda you would know what I mean) and Sam
never really made the transition to guitar. As much as we liked his ugly mug, he was out. In comes Chris Chisholm, daisy dukes, handle bar mustache, work boots and
all. I remember him walking in to try out and thinking, "No Way." I was wrong. Chris ripped on guitar. He was the best guitar player I ever met. I thought people like him
only existed on cassette?that´s right?I only owned about two CDs at the time 7 Seconds and GBH and believe me, none of those guys sounded like Chris. The line up
was set; me (Mike) on vocals, Chris and Jim on guitar, Tom Connelly on drums and Erik on bass. The best songs we ever wrote were with this line up. That line up felt
more like a family than a band for years. I don´t know if the other guys would feel the same, but to me that was a great time and the defining years of AOW. We
recorded two demos (that´s what bands did back then, recorded demos) and a 7" record called Destined to Burn on Hardway Records from France. We met Darkside
NYS, Starkweather, Disassociate, and the guys from Albany, all of who were influential in getting us shows and just showing us a good time in general. We played a ton
of shows?I´m talking blood baths. If it wasn´t a fight it was some other memorable event that created chaos. I remember a show at the Continental in NYC were Sob
from Merauder threw a barstool that smashed the liquor shelf behind the bar. This got us banned from another club and the disorder continued. This went on until
early ´94, when Tom had enough. The fights got old and we got older. Tom grew out of it fast. He was moving on and went on to form a more rock-orientated band
called Sky Box, ironically with our current drummer, Lou Iuzzini. We always missed Tom´s creative input. In some ways Tom was the heart of the band in the early
days. He wrote the beats and some of the riffs. He was a huge part of the band both as a musician and a friend. Tom really was a driving force. We had a tough time
keeping a line up together after he left. Maybe he was the glue that held it together or maybe I´m just an asshole. It might be a little of both.

After Tom left we went through a lot of drummers. Derek Taylor was one. He lasted from ´94-´95. He never fit in at all. I´ll never know how he lasted a year. He was the
victim of our abuse and had more nicknames than I can remember. All in all Derek was a good guy and I really liked him. We were just from different world than him. He
was more of a progressive rock guy lost in a sea of metal head hardcore idiots. Joe Branciforte from Darkside NYC came aboard in ´95 and lasted a little over a year. He
was a great drummer, much better than Tom on a technical level, but nowhere near as creative. We did a lot of firsts with Joe. We recorded out first album, Truth in the
Age of Lies (which material wise is the best record), with Joe and our first tour. The tour, which was booked by Jamie Hatebreed, was a disaster. It was a mess from
the start. Joe and Erick were fighting over pocket change in Brooklyn before we even left. Joe made sure he told us the van was his about twenty times before we hit
the BQE and Chris made some shirts that looked like Poseidon fighting a goat with All Out War in bubble letters. I would have been pissed if it wasn´t so damn funny.
Our first show was at some Polish Center in Long Island. That says a lot right there. I don´t think we ever had a good show in Long Island in our entire existence. The
tour was only two weeks, but it felt like forever. We ended up playing dives in NJ, Baltimore, Virginia, Mass, Maine and a bunch of other places I can´t remember. The
tour was not without comedy. We showed up at a "show" we were supposed to play in DC at some herb´s house. He shows up at the door with an ALL shirt and a mop
cut and all his friends had Fugazi and Dag Nasty shirts on. We weren´t going to be the token metal band in mom´s living room for these kids. We got in the van and split
while they were "setting up." (This was not the first time and wouldn´t be the last we would pull something like this?.don´t like it?....too bad?it was really funny to
us.) The funniest moment on the tour was in Ocean City, Maryland when Chris decided he hated Joe. He locked Joe out of the hotel and kept the keys to Joe´s can. Joe
slept outside that night and cried for a week straight over everything from eating space to shaving utensils. Chris decided to quit after that. At one point in Virginia he
told us, "I don´t care about what happens to any of you guys, I just wanted to get out of this state."

Chris quitting became routine at this point. Every time we got offered anything decent, Chris would quit. It was like clockwork. He was replaced at various points with
Mike from Stigmata for a show and some kid named Justin from Taste of Fear. Eventually, Chris always came back. After a while it became real difficult with Joe. We
were practicing in NYC at the Music Building and in Brooklyn at Joe V´s (Rejuvenate, Cause for Alarm, New Faith, Darkside, etc.) place. It was becoming a huge hassle.
Things finally came to a head and Joe was gone and replaced by Jesse Sutherland. Jesse was a cool kid, maybe a little timid at first, but he was young. It took what
seemed like forever to teach him the songs and we thought he would never learn them. Finally, things came together and we played our first show with him in
Poughkeepsie with Agnostic Front in ´97. Jesse´s first stint with AOW lasted from ´97 to about ´98. We did a few tours with Jesse, including our first trip to Chicago
where we were exposed to, for better or worse, Victory Records. We also went to Europe for the first time with Jesse and recorded For Those Who Were Crucified.
Jesse was a lot of fun. You could always count on him to do something stupid to make you laugh. He was the first drummer to fit our personalities since Tom.

Chris finally left for good in the fall of ´97. He had enough and it wasn´t his thing anymore. Chris is now one of the best tattoo artists I have ever seen. Tarus Appuzzo
replaced Chris. Tarus´s first show was at the Rat in Boston with Blood for Blood and Madball. Boston was notorious for violence at this point and Tarus was really
intimidated. He was young and never experienced anything real like that. The Boston guys called him the "scared kid" and he pretty much hid behind his amp the whole
show. Some dude got his wig split by an industrial fan that day. It was bloody to say the least. This may have been the single bloodiest event I have ever witnessed.

Jim stuck around to record For Those Who?and did some touring for the record, but he never liked playing for the scene nerds out side of the NY, Boston, and Conn.
areas and he quit. At the time, and still today, the majority of the people outside the Northeast were weird to us. They were all way too PC and into the gossip of the
"scene" than the people we were used to hanging out with. Don´t get me wrong we met some great people, especially in Detroit, Cleveland, Cali, Texas and other
places, but a lot of those people were too into being scenester hardcore herbs. Andy replaced Jim and AOW began looking less and less like AOW. Andy was a great
guy and lot of fun to be around, but the foundation of the band was definitely beginning to crumble. From then on we started to tour and get out of the East coast more
often. We played a lot with Blood for Blood, Buried Alive, Reach the Sky and Hatebreed to name a few. It seemed like we were picking up steam and we were having a
lot of fun, but something was always out of place.

In the fall of ´98 the bottom fell out. We were on tour with Buried Alive and our van was broken into in Chicago. Our merch was gone, our equipment was gone and
moral was at an all time low. Victory, the class label they are, gave us some plastic wrap to put over the window and some pocket change to keep the tour going. This
was a class move all the way. They were really looking out; after all, this was really going out on a limb considering all the advertising they had done for our record. We
cancelled the rest of the tour and a real problem getting back into the swing of being a band. After that things went downhill fast. The chemistry that kept the old
line-ups functioning wasn´t there anymore and we were all pretty disillusioned with the realities of being on a "real" label. The band was never the same. Jesse soon
left the band and was replaced by Matt from Hatebreed. Even though we did numerous shows and tours after much of the momentum was gone and it had a real
waiting for the next disaster kind of feel going on.

We kept going and looking back had some great times underneath it all. We did another tour with Buried Alive and Reach the Sky. Touring with those guys was always
fun back then. Scott Vogel, Ian and all those guys were good people and provided enough entertainment to keep things interesting. We did a tour with Turmoil that
was a blast. Not knowing enough about the history of Turmoil I can´t say what incarnation of Turmoil this was, but I do know that it was when they had Mikey B. and
Jamie Getz jamming with them. Mike now roadies for Hatebreed and I don´t know what happened to Jamie. Anyway, we first met the Turmoil guys in Nebraska and I
got to admit?we were thinking the worse before we met them. We never heard them, but we knew they were down with a different type of crowd than us. We
pictured PC vegetarian nerds who loved hardcore and I´m sure they imagined we were thugs. They turned out to be stand up guys and way more fun than we
imagined. There are some memorable stories from Wisconsin, South Carolina, and Chicago that I´m not sharing with any of you.

After that, or I should say in the middle of that, Andy left the band due to knew problems and him and Matt´s constant bickering. Long story short?Andy leaves, Brad
comes in. Brad was awesome on stage and when he could control his violent mood swings and long periods of mental instability, he was fun and interesting to be
around. Brad was the only band members ever to give me my abuse right back at me to my face and I always respected the guy. I was made aware of my rodent
qualities and receding hairline on many occasions. Brad toured Europe, Japan and did the Cro-Mags tour with us. He also did the Shadows Fall and God Forbid tour.
They Dying Fetus tour was also done with Brad. We also played some huge shows on and off. In 2001, we broke up officially after the New England Metal Fest only to
resurface in January 2003 for a benefit for Frank Collins of Confusion at CBGB. After that the band should have disappeared, but, hey, IT´S OUR BAND, you don´t have to
like it.

2003 saw Jose replacing Brad and the return of Andy and Jesse. Jose was a great addition to the band and he ripped on guitar. He was a little into the Swedish metal
sound for me, but he brought a lot to the table and can write some great riffs. Tarus and I completed the line up. We did a quick trip down to Houston, Texas for one
show and also did a quick tour with the mighty Ringworm. After that we recorded the Condemned to Suffer record at Big Blue Meanie in Jersey City. I was really happy
with the way that record came out and the guys at the studio were awesome. After we did the record we flew out to Europe to do two weeks worth of shows and we
had a great time making fun of the promoter and the roadie for the band we were on tour with. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and the shows both here and
abroad were, for the most part, great. We had some real shitty ones, but most of them were really good and it looked like we were finally going to get some support.
When the record came out, it was obvious things were exactly the same. The label and booking agents weren´t listening to us. They still had it in their heads we were
going to do all these shitty tours they were throwing at us for no money and a pizza. We offered to play weekends and jump on some week long tours, but it was all or
nothing for these people. We did do a short tour with some band called Misery Signals, but the camaraderie felt with the other bands we toured with wasn´t there. This
guy came from an entirely different mindset than us and all in all?even though we ran into some great old friends on the road?this tour was different. The scene was
different, the attitude was different, and it was just a shitty experience. Even playing in AOW wasn´t the same. It changed so much it couldn´t maintain its original vibe. I
haven´t heard from anyone in that line up since. Those guys went on to form a great new band called Nerve Gas Tragedy.

Currently, Jim and Erik are both back in the fold and we are currently writing a new record. We recruited long time friends Lou and Jim to fill in the vacant spots and the
old vibe is back. A lot of our old friends have been hanging out and it feels like All Out War again. We probably won´t play your town and don´t want to be your friend.
There are plenty of people who will lie to you, tell you they love you and your scene, let you be their friend on my space, and play your local teen center. Give them a
call. If you want mindless nice videos of fashion conscious elitist nerds doing goofy things to sub-par heavy soundtrack?tune in to any video channel that panders to
that sort of thing. They will have nothing to say and you will embrace them for it. You won´t see any of that from us. Were not in this for you, remember that.
Quelle: http://www.destinedtoburn.com/Discografie2007 Assassins In The House Of God
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