Above the Hate formed in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1996, with Shane McCrum on vocals, Mike Vendetti on guitar, John Porciello on bass, and Dave Melaine on drums. They started by booking their own shows and putting out their first album, 'In Memory of the Unborn,' on their own label after some local venues turned them away for their lyrics.
Their second album, 'Hardies & G's,' came out in 2000 and gave them a wider audience. The title track, 'Hardies & G's,' took on police brutality and racial profiling, and it became a rallying point for listeners who felt the same frustrations. Other songs from that period, like 'The Kids From The Southside' and 'Rotten Face,' kept that raw, confrontational energy.
They were known for showing up at protests and speaking out against racism and homophobia, which sometimes got them into trouble. The band kept putting out records, but they never really softened their stance or their sound.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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