Hello life lovers, ladies, gentlemen, everyone and anyone in between… there’s a whole lot to say this time around, so let’s get into it!

The yearly tradition of migrating to Central Florida for two days and experiencing the best hardcore fest the world has to offer has come to a close. And the title of “the best” is not one that I use lightly by any means. This year marks the 12th consecutive year of FYA Fest, or “Fuck Your Attitude” for those unaware, and this year especially I think it has been one that was very special to many people.

Exit Life, ahh yes, our golden boys started Saturday off in spectacular fashion. And that’s a firsthand account, because I was up there front and center. The room of some odd 500 people erupted at 11:30 in the morning, of which 30 of us from South Florida, in full support, were in the front running the dance floor. Words can’t describe how happy and proud our scene is of Danny for starting this band, as well as Esco and Sebas for having his back as friends. I know that’ll be something they remember for the rest of their lives. We’re all rooting for you! This set was dedicated to Aaron Levine and Mean Pete (rest in peace), who we all miss very much.

Exit Life wasn’t the only band to be excited about. On the first day, some bands I found very sick to watch, other than the headliners, were Start Today (who I personally thought was awesome to see), Seed of Pain, Forced Order, Magnitude (Magnitude’s always fun to watch for the dogpiles), Whispers, Haywire, I Promised the World, Final Resting Place, Turmoil, and Fleshwater. As of writing this, Start Today and Haywire’s sets are available to watch in full on the Feet First Productions Youtube Channel. So go check it out right now! I would assume that by the time you see this, more sets will be up.

And of course... Hatebreed and motherfucking Kickback (and merauder too I guess don't kill me guys). I gotta be honest man: I think Kickback was the craziest set of the weekend. Manny came up to me during the set and just said "It feels like I was never meant to see this band." which is a pretty apt description of what was going on. You'll probably see it in the videos whenever the set is posted, but the mosh pit extended from the stage all the way to the last back door of the venue. I heard Stephen Bessac said something about Drowning being a band full of posers and f*gs? that got a chuckle out of me haha! As far as Hatebreed goes, there's nothing I could really say other than it was perfect. They only played songs off of Satisfaction and Under the Knife, and as someone who thinks Satisfaction is a 10/10 record, it was an all timer set to watch. A lot of people saw their favorite bands this weekend. At least for me, seeing Hatebreed felt special. I know for Gabi and Jayson, seeing Turmoil felt special, and for Alex, seeing Kickback felt special — so special, in fact, that they threw hundreds of dollars at the bands for merch!! lol… I’m only kidding ;). Speaking of which, here are some pics of my best friends that I got this weekend (including a Lifechord band pic!).

On a more serious note, I do have some sort of an anecdote to tell, as it sorta relates to this whole "special weekend" thing I've been doing a horrible job of alluding to. It's day 2 of the fest and I haven't bought anything yet as nothing at the merch tables or the warehouse next door with label merch really piqued my interest. Or at least that was the case until I saw the "Have Heart 2024 Photobook" at the Disorder table. Merlin really wanted to get me something, so the moment I saw it she bought it for me instantly, which means alot because I've wanted it for a while but never got around to actually buying it. I went to the car to look at it and read the foreword and afterword. And there I was, fighting back tears as I'm reading what felt like someone's attempt at telling a loved one "I miss you, here's what I accomplished since you've been gone." It's bittersweet really: doing and expierencing all these cool things, connecting with people in a way that words can't truly describe. Reading this at a place like FYA felt warm. Sometimes it's hard to look at where you are and appreciate the moment for what it is, knowing that it won't last forever. All the anger, frustration, and dissent we carry against the world somehow turns into compassion and connection in a place like this. A place where people who don't really fit can relate with one another. A place that many people have learned to call home. Hardcore is special. And I agree with the sentiment that sometimes it really is just music. But hardcore can be special... to someone who needs it. It's a thing that many people in their life never get to experience. When the melodies you wrote, and the words you so passionately yelled into a microphone truly connect with people. And they fight for the microphone at a show to scream with you. This ultimate moment where in spite of all the fucked up shitty things happening in the world, a little bit of humanity shines through. A moment that screams violently through the heart.

I've crossed paths with Pat Flynn many times in my years of going to shows. Merlin upon being told this asks me "Why don't you tell him how you feel the next time you see him?" The truth is, I can't. I'm not sure he'd truly understand how much the music he made has made a profound impact on my life. Or how much the music of others have impacted the life of my friends. I can explain it all I want, but I can't understand it for him. But it’s for this reason that we gravitate to spaces like this: to express ourselves in a way that is pure, to wear our passions on our sleeves, to cast the world aside for one Saturday evening and tell the world how we really feel.

Hardcore is special. And in hardcore, the things you care about, are cared for. Something like that? That's rare.

So keep caring, nobody's waiting for you.

Yours Truly, Albert

Yeah... long story short, I got bored. For a couple weeks now i've been looking at the old version of the site and thought it was kinda plain, a little dull even. It was just a lot of white everywhere, some things like navigating was a little cumbersome and inconsistent... And so like all sane people do I burned the whole thing and started from scratch! Well not really from scratch I mean having the old files helped tremendously, I probably spent about 5 man hours working on what you're seeing right now? I think? hmm... I hope.... anyways, not bad huh?

I even included a way to view memories (aka images if you wanna be like that) in full! You can try it out now if you want, just click memories in the navigation bar at the top of the page and you'll get to see all of our pretty faces in full HD.

In other news, We just played our 3rd show this past Saturday, and my god what a show. Jeff's really been putting in work to give back, $10 for a 12 band bill? That's crazy! Barricade was awesome, it's always fun to put dead weight onto my friends during the side the side part. I watched Retina for a bit and they covered Shai Hulud for about 30 seconds. I didn't realize they were covering "Soley Concentrating on The Negative Aspects of Life" until the callout, and when it clicked I flew to the dancefloor. That's had to be the fastest I've ever moved, at least according to some people who saw me from the across the hall. Contention was always fun to watch aswell.

We also finally printed a first run of merch, navy blue shirts with white and gold print and... WE SOLD OUT It really warmed our hearts to see that so many people no only loved our set but liked it enough to spend their hard earned cash on us. If you're one of these people, thank you for the kind words and support it means a great deal to us. Here's some pics!

So, what's next? Well we're planning on recording in January. We have some dates planned already so the music should be out sooner than you'd expect. We're thinking maybe printing a new shirt design, along with putting the recorded music on CDs when it's finished and ready. So many things to look forward to in 2026, thanks again to our friends and families for the support this early on. This can only work because of you.

With much LOVE, HOPE and COMPASSION,

Albert

albert@lifechord.net