photo: Eugene Lucas
If you are of a certain vintage, you have likely heard stories of “Wilkes-Barre, PA’s legendary hardcore scene” of the early ‘90s. Since I grew up there, I’ve often rolled my eyes about my Podunk hometown’s revered, albeit niche, musical status. Maybe that’s because I spent a few of my teenage years avoiding karate kicks in the pit while those bands performed shows at decades-gone venues like the Factory and the Fire Hall.
In the sober light of adulthood, however, a few bands from the era do hold up. I’m not gonna list a bunch of them who won’t mean shit to anyone who didn’t come of age in the then-717 on a steady diet of Top Dog, but one was Ashley death metal freaks Ossuary, and the other was melodic hardcore crew Side Over.
The band, Aaron Ferranti (vocals), Lou Rogai (guitar), James Simon (bass) and Kevin Darcy (drums), reunited last year for a benefit show in honor former bassist and Northeast PA scene force Neil Husvar, who passed away suddenly at the age of 52. That was on the heels of losing a pair of ex-bandmates, Chris Pawloski and Brian Craig. The show proved to be not just a reunion and a benefit but an opportunity to reignite their passion for this scene and its unique community.
The result of that inspiration is Side Over – Loves You—out June 12 on La Société Expéditionnaire—a re-recording of the band’s early ’90s demos with the addition of a new song “Scars,” created from riffs from a 32-year-old practice tape. But today Decibel is proud to premiere the opening track “Sorry.”
“I wrote Sorry in ‘92 or ‘93, specifically about Brian, something I’ve never spoken about before.” says Ferranti. “We grew up together and were best friends. At that point he was going down a path I didn’t understand or agree with, and I felt like we were both changing but needed to stay close, which we did until the end.”
Stream “Sorry” below and pre-order Side Over – Loves You via Side Over’s Bandcamp.
