"We started Redacted in 2013, following the passing of our brother, OG Dank Daddy, Stinkweed," says Frank Ripple. "Our members represent the West Bay Coalition bands Plutocracy, Immortal Fate, No Less, and Agents of Satan, and we play in that style."
The Redacted bassist is chatting with me about his band's musical lineage, which is deeply rooted in the West Bay region of Northern California. Frank is an old friend and former collaborator in Deny the Cross, a one-off project we did together along with Dave Witte (Discordance Axis, Municipal Waste) and Dan Lactose (Spazz, Funeral Shock). But I first met the insanely talented bassist back in the '90s, when he played in such outfits as the aforementioned Plutocracy and Agents of Satan. Redacted is cut from the same kind of cloth as those bands, and it's no surprise when he tells me the inspiration behind their sound: "We are influenced, I'd say, by the 30 year history of West Bay hardcore and grind bands."
Though he grew up in Foster City—about 5 miles north—the bassist says Redwood City is a place near and dear to his heart. In fact, I learned that everyone from the punk scene there shares a profound love for the city. What is it about that place that makes it so special to Frank and his friends? "Redwood City is a state of mind, especially now because of gentrification. Thankfully, Tacos El Grullense is still down the street from Camp Chestnut. But, the peninsula has spawned a disproportionate amount of heavy bands.
"Sonically, we have similar influnces, having been born in the '70s, we were exposed to a lot of the same stuff, Bay Area thrash, the birth of hip-hop, skateboarding, and the underground punk/hardcore scene."
Listening to the group's musical output to date, I can see Redacted playing on everything from death metal to hardcore to power violence to straight-up punk gigs. "You forgot party thrash and pizza metal, but yeah, we've played on every type of bill you mentioned. The devil recognizes his own and we have a very small, cult-like fanbase."
Our conversation comes to a close, but not before I ask Frank what Redacted have planned for the rest of 2019. "On July 27th, we will be playing with OG West Bay legends, 976 in San Francisco. Fellow West Bay heads These Bastards, Healer, and DJ EONS will also be performing. A West Bay compilation 12" is being put together that will feature the current group of bands on one side and some older material by past bands on the other. Beyond that, I see myself going into porngrind, also, keep an eye out for Doomryder brand craft beer, hot sauce, and fair trade coffee!" Hustle hustle hustle!
You can find more Redacted music on their Bandcamp page. The band is also on Facebook.
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Tagged: agents of satan, deny the cross, immortal fate, no less, plutocracy, redacted
