Cursed One

Cursed 'One' (Deathwish Inc., 2003)

Little known fact pop pickers; Chris Colohan, vocalist of Cursed and ex member of practically every Canadian hardcore band since the late 90s (including Left for Dead, The Swam, Career Suicide and now Burning Love) designed the logo for The Process. Amazing, eh?

In March 2005 The Process embarked on our second UK tour and the first or second gig was with Abandon Ship, who we played with in Brighton on a couple of occasions, and Cursed at the famous London Underworld in Camden. Jim Martin reviewed the gig in the June 2005 issue of Terrorizer as follows:

'So unpretentious and lacking in rock star grandstanding is tonight that Brighton's Abandon Ship, who open up proceedings with a wired blast of uncomplicated hardcore energy, look slightly uncomfortable playing on a stage even as large as that of the rather less-than- arena-sized Underworld.

Slightly fuller of stage presence, and indeed of girth, are The Process. Including ex-members of Scottish sub legendary blast kings Shank, they belie their fairly ropey moniker by dealing out an utterly vicious blast of spazzy mayhem, bordering on power violence territory, yet retaining a central mainline of noisy hedonistic abandon into the bargain.

Many a lesser troupe would have trouble following their incisive energy, but it's Canada's mighty Cursed that this scruffy throng has braved a freezing Sunday night to witness. And they do little to tarnish their reputation as one of the most ferocious hardcore gangs treading the boards anywhere....'

What this great review, I've always loved the 'girth' description, fails to note is that for a full five minutes prior to Cursed taking the stage Finchy and I force fed Mike, the drummer, packed bullet after packed bullet. Even two songs into the set we were passing the silver destroyer to him through the curtain behind the drum kit.

After their incendiary, heavy, crusty and brutal show Mike told me and Finch that he had no idea where he was for the whole gig but it was his best performance ever; brilliant!

The tour ended a week later with The Process in bits; literally. Tommy was hospitalised, after foolishly trying to tour with two bands at the same time, and Finchy projectile vomited over crowd members in Glasgow and was so ill he couldn't go to see Jimmy Eat World the next night!

This white vinyl, clad in a beautifully stark arty cover, came from that tour and I will always enjoy the memories it evokes as much as I enjoy it's snotty hardcore take on the dirty death and roll sound perfected by Entombed.

Peace