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Warzone Don’t Forget the Struggle, Don’t Forget the Streets
War Zone was one of the first hardcore bands I was ever aware of as a youth. Of course this was the 90’s so my introduction to them was their Victory years, but even a rerecorded version of Lower East Side Crew still has great songs, despite not being the genuine article. The first time I heard “Escape Your Society” from the Revelation comp, I never wanted to play a guitar solo so bad. The first one comes in just a few seconds after the start of the song with an absolute vengeance. It’s so short but it’s beyond perfect. I’m sure there’s a theoretical music college reason for that, but I don’t know it. It just sounds like all the right notes get hit. With the exception of one or two Dr. Know runs on the first Bad Brains album, it’s my favorite solo in a hardcore song. I studied that thing. Other than the rather loud ride cymbal throughout, I consider it a perfect hardcore song and my favorite War Zone track.

But Escape Your Society wouldn’t be half of what it is if it wasn’t for the Raybeez. “I can’t take it no more… I’m buggin out!”. The song rushes forward hereafter with Ray ranting from the perspective of a reformed drug addict whos had a few too many bad trips, rasping and growling all over the beat of the song. His vocals almost have an additional percussive element because, while they never go off-time, they shift and break against the tempo the same way the firey solos do.

The power of this song, and the classic As One (which it’s paired with), of course set the stage for War Zone’s first lp “Don’t Forget the Struggle, Don’t Forget The Streets”, originally self released by the band on Fist Records(you can tell the first pressing by the original hand written lettering on the back). I’ve mentioned before that Agnostic Front’s first lp is the ultimate summary of Hardcore music, and I stand by that, but I think DFTS occupies a similar, if somewhat different space in the NYHC lexicon in that it’s probably the most effective combination of all of the disparate elements of late 80’s New York City hardcore in one package. Street cred - check. Straight Edge - check. Skinheads - check. Metal licks - check. I suppose it doesn’t account for any sort of peace punk sentiment, but there is an underlying lack of trust in the government to their overt patriotism (I guess that’s libertarian in spirit). Regardless, War Zone manage to combine a lot of stuff that shouldn’t really go together here, and I think you have to give a lot of the credit for that to Raybeez, who was, by all accounts a man of the people. There’s something to be said for a guy who gets along with, and is well liked by, sketchy guidos from Long Island, Straight Edge suburban youths, and the archetypal skinhead.

 R.I.P. Ray Barbieri.
 (drumming in AF circa ‘83)