Welcome to an exclusive interview with Alex from Italy's band Nothing Stand, a group that's stirring the music scene with their latest album, "Asymmetrical Warfare: Teachings In The Poor Working Man's Blues." This album is a raw narrative of the working-class struggle against societal and governmental neglect, crafted through the lens of a psychologist. It's a battle cry for the oppressed, a soundtrack for activism, and a power of music in addressing life's profound challenges. Join us as we delve into the stories behind their revolutionary sound.
1. Can you describe the inspiration behind the title 'Asymmetrical Warfare: Teachings In The Poor Working Man's Blues'?
The title has to do with the fact that nowdays Governments seems to have willfully declared war on their working classes - be it the small-to-medium business sectors, be it farmers, be their offsprings - in favor of a globalized World that is now imploding, leaving behind a trail of misery. Speaking of my generation, there are many issues that have been minimized whereas they should have been tackled by our useless political class, and now many like me feel quite jaded about their future. We are in a country that has a Vatican's banker clearly admitting that they (the great finance and their accolites) were trying to create generations that will inherit nothing but dust, so you can guess the tenure of my hatred towards the state of things. Aside this, i'm all for vengeance : the warfare that as Human beings we are paying for needs to be tackled and reversed asap.
Hence, using different "teachings" to get ends meet. Trying to become a psychologist myself, i'm looking deeply into psychological warfare and hating manipulation in itself and seeing it seeping through the mass media is making me even more angry/inspired to do what i'm trying to do - both personally and musically. All this has to do with the fact that One must conduct itself in life as it is a Struggle for existence and learn how deal with Life and the Pain that it brings : hence - doing one's blues, conducing one's war.
2. How does this album reflect your experiences or observations of the working-class struggle?
My family comes from a mixed working/low-middle class background, and i've spent most of my youth from my mother's family side : which means the working class lot. That shaped alot of my "based" world view, especially for the things that my gramps taught me - especially the lowkey/work-driven attitude one needs to have to live a good working life. But despite this premise, i've been passing through different jobs my entire youth, and now still being almost 36 i still have not enough experience to get a stable job and own a house. This has to do with multiple factors, mostly things i stated before, and i do take full responsability saying that i've lost alot of time trying to get at least one thing done properly but no matter how much i tried i've been pushed out by a market of shitty job contracts made to weed out any hope for stabilization. But one has to do what has got to do, and i did "things" to sustain myself that i'd rather not talk about - you can imagine! (no drug dealing by the way. i'm against it.)
I've been working in factories and doing other menial jobs for a living and i can say there's no respect for working class folks. They are kicked out from the market with the aforementioned shitty working contracts that last a couple of months, sometimes even weeks - nor there's an interest to keep them, as it seems there's be an endless supply of new slaves coming into this country via boats and incentives. So, the condition of the working classes here are dropping down, wages are dropping down, taxes and housing prices are becoming unaffordable but it seems is all fine and dandy. Plus, i've seen closely how many in factories DO NOT CARE nor DO KNOW they're doing. They became drones and they're fine with it. Working Syndicates are just another mob and they do not care about trying to get things better for anyone. I could go on for hours about this topic, but i don't think i need to explain my self further.
3. What message do you hope to convey through the album's lyrics and themes?
There are many 'messages' encoded into the lyrics. Since i'm a bit of knucklehead with a passion of being also a loudmouth with a hobby for writing, you can check our bandcamp page and by clicking on the songs you'll find a nice little description - when is needed. I/We decided to keep this thing going, since people might misunder stand what i'm talking about, especially because nowdays people seems unable to reasonate enough without giving 'adjectives' to someone or something they're not agreeing with.
Most lyrics are about things i observe, so it is pretty easily 'existentialism' without any pretense. sometimes it can be vaguely intedend as 'political' but it is not, is more a personal 'social' perspective on things. I'm veehmently anti-political (politics are just a theatre that needs to be burn down imo) but i do have my own social dispostion, if you want to call it this way so be it.
4. Could you share the creative process that went into crafting the sound of this album?
Speaking from my perspective i've always tried out by roaring nonsense, glossolalia, when i got to rehearse things with the guys. sometimes it is fragments of lyrics i wrote before, sometimes i do things completly afresh writing down my 'ramblings' into a form that makes sense or i try to nail it down with some sense into it conveyed for cibly in a form that i do like.
Sometimes is the two latters i explained altogheter - which means controlled chaos! In Nothing Stand's case, most of the lyrics you can read in our debut EP were selected from an archive of mine that is very old dating back to 2012 or so. "Codex Of The Grudge" was written years ago and it is extremely relevant these days with the crackdown of the freedom of expression and information... But it was written from a personal perspective, rather than a "political" perspective. Every lyric is the result of personal experience and direct observations... New lyrics will be much of the same.
5. How do you balance maintaining a hardcore sound with exploring new musical directions?
We have described ourselves with the motto "Modern brutal hardcore with a foot in the Past and one in the Present" - i think it suits us for the best. I like alot the fact that although the production is modern we dont sound like a post-modern 'hardcore' band, you know the MESHUGGA-clones and all that crap. We do love and relish things made in the 80's, some stuff of the 90's and we do live in nowday's present - which means we do things with the sound quality and production that is needed to give a body to our sound. Without trying to be someone's clones! I do feel that alot of band that are trying to "experiment" with their sound are just trying to get things up for sale in the mainstream/trying to become full on a metal band with bald people... and that's makes me laugh and that's just not our case.
6. Which track on the album do you feel most passionately about and why?
"Sterilized By Your Peace" because is the first song we made togheter, and also because the lyrics are relevant to myself as for things i've seemingly foreseen years ago - namingly NATO's expansion and "interests" into keepin other's Nations in their grip. "Codex Of The Grudge" for the things i've explained before, and i'd say "A Rain Gathering Around A Missing Salvation" because it is 'decadent' without being boring/morose and depressed. I think those songs represent our best,lyrically, musically and delivery-wise. Howhever, our best still yet to be done!
7. How has the hardcore scene in Italy influenced your music and ethos?
Hard to say. There's a musical scene and there's the people's ideal of 'scene'. There are different 'scenes' and sub-niches here and there, and i've made a conscious decision from the get-go to not be entangled in their bullshit ideologies/quarrels among themselves. The music and 'doing my blues' comes first, always.
The music, this music, i came into Hardcore and the DIY concept via my hatred for metal - and i do see there's way too much of an influence in things done over here. Also, in the beginning i hated what i've seen in my City's ''scene'' and i wanted to have nothing in common with that kind of people. DIY was always an outlet before knowing the concept well before my deep dive into hardcore or punk - and i've ditched italian hardcore for a couple of years in favor of stuff that was in my eyes more aggressive and interesting. I've grown to like italian hardcore only after a couple of years,i recognize the importance and merits of certain bands - but aside of this, i don't care about nowday bands. Every thing that is made after the 80's/early 90's is mostly just shit in my eyes.
8. In what ways do you think Italian hardcore stands out from other scenes around the world?
From what i've learned thru my "formation" years : the italian hardcore scene was an exploding mass of experimentation, aggression and youthful enthusiasm. Lots of self organized events, squats, and youth centers.... Then like all the good things, it waned out or got asborved into the "current culture". But it created a whole mass of sub-genres and great bands that have still no comparison with abroad bands. They do still hold up even in these days. Nowdays bands are copying trends from abroad and you got alot of scenesters changing their sound or/and appeareance to be always on the run with people's taste. There's too much laissez-faire and a passive mindset coming from the crowd over here and those who tries to do something like organizing gigs or whatnot are those who deserve recognition, some others as i said before are just into this for fulfilling their secret desire of being seen,wined ,dined and sixtynined.... and they do deserve nothing but to be mocked and forgotten asap. Once again, i might not be the one to give you a positive answer on this topic. Sorry, i guess?
9. What challenges have you faced as a band in the Italian hardcore scene?
Organizing gigs while arranging our work schedules! People who do not respond to direct messages, people obsessed about politics and their restricted vocabulary, Clubs that wants only Guns N Wanks cover bands, relentless and hateful gossip, youth centers that decide one day from another they want only Trap music for their events, i'd say even and all that shit you probably you and your readers already know..or maybe not. Same old same old.
10. How do you see the role of politics in hardcore music, particularly in your work?
As i stated before - i'm anti-political. I'm anti-preaching from the stage, as well. I do have my views that can be seen and read for everyone's pleasure/displeasure. I ain't here to make friends, and i've made myself alot of enemies in every circle as i do have friends and acquietances from all walks of life. I do talk with everyone these days except for commies because usually i'm too much of a pain in the arse for them to deal with which is totally fine by me. Over here if you don't kiss their ass you're labeled as a fence-sitter and you hardly get a place to play. That's how "tolerant" they are. "Sterilized By Your Peace" is about their attitude as well and you can read it between the lines. As for the role of politics in hardcore or in music in general - that's bullshit. You should be able to walk into some place and hear whatever music you want without being labeled as this or that, honestly i do think that music is all about the human experience as feelings and coping with life and those feelings - politics is just a minimal spectrum in that equation.
When someone says "The Personal is Political" is just implying we're gonna be at war with each other togheter and that's fucking ridicolous. If you dont like someplace and some community get the fuck out and make your own community rather than piss all over other's lives and principles. Dont live in the internet, go in the fucking woods and get the fuck out of other people's business!
At least this is what i would do personally if i had the means, and is something i look forward too as civilization is on the brink of collapse....it would be less "selfish" i think. Also, please yall - read the Gulag Archipelago. Get out from your social justice warrior phase because the woke things is as cringe as it gets and nobody takes it seriously. Ask the man down the bar, you got my word for it. More good music & relationships = less politics
11. What has been the reception of 'Asymmetrical Warfare' among your fans and within the hardcore community?
So far so good. All the reviews we managed to read were very positive, and we got some request for gigs abroad that are currently in the backburner, but we will try to get to Germany/France as soon as we can. People here is asking about when we can play and that's a good change of pace, might have to do with the fact that there is a changing of the guard and the hardcore crowd is getting younger. Plus there is some interest by bigger indie labels and distributions here and abroad, so please if you can get in touch - do so!
12. Are there any Italian hardcore bands or artists that have particularly inspired you?
I wouldn't talk about inspiration, since nowdays it means mostly "Stealing from others and trying to see it like it is yours," but yeah there are some bands from over here that had me itching to sing again and play hardcore. I'd say Ccm, Declino, Chain Reaction, By All Means, Stige, Wardogs and Wretched speaking of Italian hardcore bands. And i would add Cripple Bastards, although they're a grindcore band.
13. How do you approach live performances to convey the intensity of your album?
As always, with an empty stomach and charging myself getting hyped up before the gig listening to our shit. Plus, getting fucking angry about the things i'm trying to exorcise/ the shit i'm trying to spit out to have the maximum cathartic effect possible. That's what i'm living for.
14. What are your thoughts on the evolution of the hardcore genre over the years?
It got way too metal for me. Both aesthetic wise and attitude wise,and that's not good. Too many kids dropping the 'hardcore' tag while they try to impress others and girls becoming wiggers or some sort of death-metal-esque gangsta rapper plaing bullshit that is miles away from hardcore. I think there are few current bands that have some identity and vision but are way too sparse, and few far and in between. Things can get better tho that's what i do believe.
Also, those stuck in the 80s needs to get a fucking grip and look things as they are now : they are worse! it is the best time to be against all the fucking things that were already there in the 70s/80s so pick up a damn instrument and/or get out and do something rather than cope and seethe while buying some ultra limited editions of things dead and gone
15. Looking forward, what direction do you see Nothing Stand and the Italian hardcore scene moving?
Do see Nothing Stand becoming more proficient and productive, and of course i do see more gigs comin soon. As for the italian scene, my only concern is to push this band forward regardless of the "scene" and the think-tank that supposedly moves it. Thanks for having us for the Compilation and the interview and remember kids, Support the scene = PAY THE FUCKING BANDS. Thanks to everyone who supported us so far. Cheers!
| NOTHING STAND MEDIA : |  FACEBOOK |
 BANDCAMP |
 INSTAGRAM |
In conclusion, the interview with Italy's Nothing Stand reveals a band deeply connected to the modern hardcore scene. Their music reflects the struggles and resilience of the working class, resonating with a raw and powerful message of perseverance. As they share their journey, it's clear that Nothing Stand is not just a band, but a voice for the voiceless, advocating through their art for a fairer and more equitable society.
