Defenders Of The Faith

If there's any band synonymous with hardcore it's LA veterans Terror. Hardcore is more than just a style of music or an accepted dress code, it's an ideal, all-encompassing lifestyle and an unceasing advocacy of what that lifestyle entails. Terror doesn't just say it: they live it.

“I know it sounds clichéd but hardcore is more than just a guitar sound, or a way of dressing, or something to do on a Friday night,” explains Stewart. “To me hardcore is about walking away from what society expects you to do or be. It's about standing up for yourself and your choices whatever the consequences and whatever the shit you cop from other people for doing it. That's what this band is all about – all of us at one time or another have been told we're wasting our lives and we refuse to take those attitudes lying down. So when you hear all the stuff about hardcore being a way of life and that people in this scene should stick together it's more than just rhetoric. We're standing up for ourselves and for the kids that come to our shows.”

It's been a busy couple of months for Terror. Along with playing their usual ridiculous amounts of shows the band have been hard at work crafting a follow-up to 2010's superlative Keepers Of The Faith. Not surprisingly Stewart maintains that the new record, which will be Terror's seventh full-length LP, contains some of the band's finest material to date.

“The new album's going to be called Live By The Code and we recorded 14 songs although we're probably only going to put 12 on the actual record,” he explains. “Right now it's slated to come out in January of 2013 so we still have a bit of time before it drops.

“Everyone is going to know that this is a Terror record as soon as they put it on. It's a continuation of what we were doing on Keepers Of The Faith but at the same time there's some different stuff on there as well. The material is definitely exciting, the band is playing better than ever, so the creative juices have really been flowing well, and I think the songs reflect that.”

Now free of the studio, Terror are returning to our shores for a series of shows across the country, and not surprisingly Stewart is more than happy to be coming back.

“I don't want this to sound the wrong way but coming to Australia is like going on vacation for us,” he laughs. “The shows are always so good and we always make a point to get out and see as much of your country as well can because it's such an awesome place.

“The hardcore scene in Australia is so amazing and in many ways represents the best of what hardcore as a scene has to offer. I mean you've got guys like Mindsnare and Miles Away who have built great reputations across the world and then there are all these newer bands coming out of the underground – we'll be playing with a band called Iron Mind at some of the shows who are just incredible and everyone should go and check them out.

“Hopefully everyone comes out to support all the bands who are playing – we're really looking forward to the tour and we'll be playing a wide range of stuff and might even do some of the new material although that's not been decided yet. We've never had a bad show in Australia and I guarantee that we don't intend to start now.”