All of this is not to suggest that thegroup has not grown during its existence. The group, who will be celebratingits fifth anniversary (which translates into at least 15 years in punk time) onMarch 26 with a show at the Bay View Brew Haus, recently released the stellar I Can Always Live, one of the besthardcore records of the past few yearsin Milwaukee or elsewhere. The recordsounds surprisingly little like Midwestern hardcore. Instead, it sounds like anamalgam of East Coast veterans like Sick of It All and West Coast luminarieslike Infest, Chain of Strength and Blast. Yet one also hears some melodysneaking into Get Rad’s frantic thrash, along with some Tragedy-inspired guitarlines. Explaining the evolution of the band’s sound, drummer Ben Davison notesthat, after five years, “We need to keep things fresh and interesting for ourselves.”
And this record does seem to raise thebar. While the group’s sense of humor is still intact (the pro-pizza anthem“Drug of Choice” notes that “Crack is whack but pizza’s good”), the album upsthe ante in terms of emotional impact. This is often a very angry, very seriousrecord. There is a relentlessness present within these songs, one that createsa mood of near-claustrophobia at times, and the lyrics often help sustain thisfeeling of desperation. The album’s final track, “I Want to Kill a Priest,”touches upon the Catholic Church’s molestation scandal in a way that is bothinflammatory and understated. The pain in vocalist Kevin Herwig’s voice as hescreams “It’s something I never really understood” is undeniable, and it isdifficult not to be moved by his anguished plea to protect the vulnerable.
These tracks hit so hard in partbecause of the production of Shane Hochstetler. Recorded at his Howl Streetstudio, I Can Always Live providesyet another example of why Hochstetler has become such an in-demand producer.Hochstetler and his studio have grown up with Get Rad, and there is a tightconnection between producer and band.
“He’s definitely an integral part ofthe band now,” explains bassist Dave Rudnik. “He’s been with us since the veryfirst demo, and we try to play with [Hochstetler’s band] Call Me Lightning asoften as we can. He’s a good friend, and he knows what we want to do.”
There is little doubt that thisfriendship has worked well for Get Rad, as it is clear that Hochstetler knowshow to record heavy music. Most importantly, he understands how to record groupvocals, a skill that many who record hardcore bands simply lack.
Yet one gets the sense that Get Radwould record with Hochstetler even if he didn’t make the band sound so good. Whatis most noteworthy about the band is the commitment they feel toward theirmusic, their friends and each other. When asked why the band has been able tostay together for so long, guitarist Brad Dunn immediately answers,“Friendship. I’ve known Ben since I was 12 years old. And Kevin is my brother,and he was best friends with Dave.” To the band, Hochstetler may be a risingstar, but he is first and foremost a friend. To record with someone else wouldbe unimaginable.
Such commitment would be laudable onits own. Couple it with the ability to turn out powerful blasts of hardcorepunk and it becomes inspirational. Congratulations, Get Rad, on sticking it outfor five years. Here’s to another five.
GetRad plays a record release show behind I Can Always Live with Call Me Lightning, Direct Hit andBurning Sons at the Bay View Brew Haus on March 26.
