Hardcore Essay, Research Paper
Dedicated to all the people who see hardcore as it was ?meant to be?. Identified not by a
particular sound or certain style but by its ideals-in the pures t sense- as a way of life, a
way of thinking. A mindset that comes naturally to some people. A way of life we still
very muchbelieve in. Hardcore was ?meant? to be free form of aggressiveexpression- an
underground subculture- a community joined by differenceof opinion – with no limits or
rules. There is no uniform. No rules andno standards. Hardcore is not a slogan or a catch
phrase on the back of at-shirt. It?s real. It?s still alive. The ?D.I.Y.? ethic is still verymuch
alive in our eyes. It?s not just a scam or a buzz word. It?s real. Hardcore was meant to be
the norm- the complete polar opposite tosociety?s standards and expectations. There is no
checklist Nevercompromise. Be who you are. Forget the tidal wave trend bandwagon
andits drooling bandwagoneers -the blind lead the blind wearing concreteshoes- sinking
more and more with every day that passes. Live your life yourself. Believe in yourself and
no one else. Hardcore wasn’t meant tobe ?P.C.? or safe. Hardcore was meant to be
unpredictable threat to thenorm. Smash what is expected of you. Live up to your own
expectations. Why would you even bother considering living up to someone else’s?
Whocares about the bitter, self-glorifying pseudo-traditionalists who preachas to ?what IS
and ISN’T? hardcore. The glory days of hardcore may begone in jaded eyes but why
waste your breath sitting around complainingabout how great yesterday was? Today is
here. Today is passing you byright now. The time is now. Yesterday will never return no
matter howmany stories you tell. If your still alive- don?t sit around remembering. Life is
fluid. Life spontaneous. Life is not a procedure. Life is nota machine. Life is erratic and
impulsive. Think about the spontaneity ofemotion of life and love. The emotion release
that is music. Music isour therapy. Our remedy. Everyone is so preoccupied and so busy-
so busydoing nothing at all. Working their lives away, 9 to 5 like slaves- for what? For
money? For success? Are you satisfi
fulfilling other peoples expectations. Noone has a second to breathe- to appreciate life.
No one has a free secondto listen to their heart. Everyone is a machine. Always working-
fueledby their selfish desires and their fear of not fitting in to the endlesscycle. School,
job, success, death. People work their lives away – justto another old, rusty, boring,
forgotten the chain. You must work hardfor that nice car and big white house in the
suburbs and your 2.2 kids perfamily. Success? What is success? Do you measure success
by what Ipossess? Is it all material? If your If your house was on fire – wouldit be a
question if who or what you would save first? Honestly… askyourself. Granted success
does not mean the same thing to everyone butthere are more things to life, more things to
us at least. Life is experience. When you’re dead and old and there?s no time will you be
ableto look back on your life feel satisfied? If you died at the end of thissentence would
you feel you lived today like it was your last day alive? Life is love. Love is all that
matters. I mean, REAL live. Be it lovefor someone or something, like hardcore or just
music. The carefreeabandon that defines love. You know when you get goosebumps from
hearingthe certain song ? Real love. Not just loved based on solely beauty. Thefeeling of
no tomorrow- it?s so apocalyptic. We feel it is important torealize that the time is right
now. Nothing can wait. The time is here. Seize the day- because someday tomorrow will
be too late, that much I canassure you of. We must live for today. When you leave your
house todaythink about closing the door- turning that doorknob- someday there will bea
last time you do that. A last time you do everything. Think about it. What we have here
and now is everything and we should embrace it becauseonce it?s all gone all we?ll do is
wish it would return, daydreaming, looking at pictures and reading old letters and
fanzines… live everydaylike it?s your last make no mistake, hardcore- the threat- IS still
alive. Your empty slogans have never changed a thing. It?s time we took itback, and made
it ours again.