Youth Of Today was formed in 1985 by two
members of the New York Hardcore band VIOLENT CHILDREN: Ray
Cappo (vocals) and John Porcelly (guitar) . They wanted to start a Straight
Edge band, at a time when almost all
the old school Straight Edge bands were gone. It wasn't easy to find bassist
and a drummer to complete their band,
so Ray and John were helped out by two friends from highschool, Graham
Philips and Darren Pesce.In 1985 Youth Of Today recorded their debut EP for Positive Force Records:
"Can't Close My Eyes". After touring
for a while both Graham and Darren left the band, and two members of New
York band STRAIGHT AHEAD joined
Ray and John: Craig Setari (bass) and Tom Carroll (drums). During their
second tour Tom left, and Drew Thomas,
drummer of brotherband CRIPPLED YOUTH, was asked to finish the rest of the
tour. A short while later UNDERDOG
vocalist Richie Birkenhead joined Youth Of Today on second guitar. With this
line-up the first Youth Of Today album
was recorded. It was titled "Break Down The Walls" and released by Wishing
Well Record, the label of California
S.E.-ers UNITY and UNIFORM CHOICE.
band photo from disengage 7"
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Soon after recording the album Drew was replaced
by
Mike
"Judge",
who played
In DEATH BEFORE
DISHONOR
and
SUPERTOUCH.
Bassist Craig left
to
reform STRAIGHT AHEAD,
and Walter Schreifels,
who
played in the New
York hardcore
band
GORILLA
BISCUITS,
became the bassist.
At the end of the
"Break
Down The
Walls" tour,
that followed the release of the LP, second
guitarist
Richie left YOUTH
OF TODAY,
and with this line-up Youth
Of
Today appeared with two
songs
on the
Revelation Records
sampler
"New York Hardcore
- The
Way It Is", alongside New York
bands like
BOLD,
GORILLA
BISCUITS,
SIDE BY SIDE and SICK OF IT ALL.
At the end of 1987 Mike left the band,a nd Sammy Siegler
(ex-
SIDE BY SIDE) became the new drummer. In 1988 Youth OF |
Today recorded their classic second LP "We're Not In This
Alone", which was released in America
by Caroline
Records and in Europe by Funhouse Records. The beginning of the
next year, Youth Of Today, whose |
line-up was steady at last did a Europe tour,
playing shows in
Sweden, Norway, Denmark,
Germany, Switzerland,
Austria, Italy,
France,
Belgium, Holland and England. In 1990 Youth
Of Today
decided to quit and recorded 4 songs
for a farewell 7" on Revelation Records. 3 of
those songs appeared on the
single
"Disengage".
Ray Of Today started the Hare Krishna band
SHELTER, and was later joined by John Porcelly.
Walter was
playing guitar in Gorilla Biscuits from 1987 on, and was joined
on the European tour of
GORILLA BISCUITS in 1990 by Porcell
and Sammy on guitar and drums. After split of GORILLA
BISCUITS, Walter started QUICKSAND. Sammy
is playing drums
in CIV these
days,
with former members of GORILLA BISCUITS
and
UNDERDOG. |
break down the walls, we-bite reissue |
When Youth Of Today split, it seemed the beginning of the end for the
second Straight Edge wave, which has begun
in 1985, and which was at its height in 1988-1989. Together with bands
like Uniform Choice, Unity, Insted, No For An
Answer and Gorilla Biscuits, Youth Of Today were an inspiration for
hundreds of bands all over the world, who combined
the message of Positive Thinking and Straight Edge with energetic
and fast hardcore.
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