When outside of Appalachia, talk about West Virginia, the conversation usually revolves around poverty, addiction, and economic hardship. Tommy Convicted doesn't deny that those realities exist. In fact, the Violent Convictions vocalist has seen the devastating impact of all three firsthand.
"Unfortunately, Appalachia has been absolutely ravaged by opiates," he tells No Echo. "We've all lost scores of friends and family to heroin and fentanyl." That pain is channeled into the Charleston, West Virginia band's furious take on hardcore, a metallic and ugly-sounding approach that can be heard on Violent Convictions' forthcoming debut album, By My Hand.
Out in July, the record channels grief, anger, and steadfastness, pulling from personal loss and the long history of exploitation that has defined life in Appalachia. Check out "The Cure," a teaser single from the LP:
Violent Convictions formed after the end of Causes of Humanity's Urban Decay (CHUD), with Tommy Convicted, Corey Lake, Matt Strobel, and Ricky Steele starting to write new material with bassist Nick Nacho. Where CHUD embraced hardcore punk, this new band set out to go heavier from the start.
"We wanted to go in a more metal-tinged hardcore direction than the hardcore punk that CHUD played," Tommy tells No Echo. Lineup changes came quickly. Strobel left to tour with Horseburner, and Steve Slack stepped in on lead guitar. Not long after, Ricky Steele left for family reasons, and J.D. Laney took over on drums.
This lineup is behind By My Hand, a record that wears its influences on its sleeve but still carves out its own space. "We play metallic hardcore in the same vein as Hatebreed, Blood for Blood, Terror, Lionheart, Biohazard, Madball, and 100 Demons," Tommy says. "Those are all bands that heavily influenced us as well."
One comparison keeps coming up for Tommy. "I get told pretty frequently that my vocals remind people of Pete Morcey of 100 Demons, which is a huge compliment because he's an incredible vocalist."
Those bands shaped the sound, but the heart of By My Hand comes from Tommy’s own life.
The title track of the album was written after a close friend died from an overdose. Tommy doesn’t hold back when talking about what led to it. "The first line, 'Her son found her this way, she was doubled over dead,' is factual, and unfortunately, a story all too common in West Virginia."
For Tommy, addiction is tied to the same forces that have molded Appalachia for generations. "Substance abuse all ties in, ultimately, with poverty and mental health issues," he says. He sees a pattern: outsiders profit from Appalachia, and locals are left to pick up the pieces.
"West Virginia, in particular, and Appalachia in general, has been raped by those who have attempted to exploit the land and the people that live here for over a hundred years." Coal companies, unsafe jobs, political neglect, and the opioid crisis all shape how he sees the region’s struggles. "Then the pharmaceutical companies and the Sackler family flooded the hills, hollers, and cities with opiates as sort of the final coffin nail in abuse on the Appalachian people."
Still, Tommy finds hope, especially in the hardcore scene. "Hardcore is alive and well in West Virginia," he says. "We're pulling hundreds of kids literally on weeknights."
Vile Mind’s recent EP, Doomed Future, has helped shine a spotlight on WVHC , but Tommy is quick to say they’re not the only ones making noise. "Our brothers in Vile Mind are absolutely crushing it, and there are tons of other incredible hardcore bands here." He rattles off names: Bad Terms, Vilomah, Truth Is Treason, Ghost Home, Torches From Above, Dragged, Civil Disgust, False Sense. For him, it’s proof the Mountain State scene is alive.
READ MORE: Vile Mind Guitarist Ryan Herndon on How the West Virginia Oxy Epidemic Informed Their EPs
What stands out most to Tommy is the wave of young straight edge kids showing up at shows. "Drugs are awful, and I'm proud to see so many young kids coming to our shows X'd up."
Tommy is the only straight edge member in Violent Convictions, but he sees it as a direct answer to the damage opioids have done here. "It's a natural progression for the youth to take up the fight against the poison that's plagued their land."
Outside of their own music, Violent Convictions have put in the work to build up the scene through Remain Convicted Promotions, booking hardcore heavyweights in West Virginia. The group has helped facilitate appearances from Agnostic Front, Murphy's Law, Hoods, Haywire, Bayway, Death Before Dishonor, Shattered Realm, Terror, Eyehategod, Cro-Mags, and Sheer Terror.
That DIY drive now includes releasing their own music. By My Hand is coming out on Remain Convicted Records, the label they started themselves. They recorded the album with Joey Kusack at Amplitude Record in New York City. For Tommy, this record is years of work, frustration, and passion finally coming together.
"It was a labor of both love and hate." The love, he explains, is easy to identify. "Love for our friends, our families, our community, hardcore, and metal." The hate comes from somewhere completely different. "Hate for this evil, sick society, drugs, drug dealers, and the rich oligarchs that ravage our lands and our people."
That same feeling shows up in the album art. Tommy remembers showing up for a photo shoot and finding clear signs that heroin users had been there. The cover, drawn by Australian hardcore artist Mick Lambrou, shows a boot crushing needles and drug gear. The setting couldn’t have been more fitting. It was all too fitting to bring the album cover to life by stomping on and destroying a needle that was left there."
In addition to the LP's release, Violent Convictions will hit the road for a 6-show run with Sacramento hardcore veterans Hoods. As Tommy puts it, they're ready to "bring the violence to a town near you."
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By My Hand will be out on July 10 on LP, CD, and cassette (pre-order).
Violent Convictions on social media: Facebook |TikTok | Instagram
Tour dates w/ Hoods:
7/14 - Kansas City, KS @ Howdy
7/15 - Cookeville, TN @ Mean Mel's
7/16 - Columbus, OH @ Donatos Pizza
7/17 - Butler, PA @ Jesterbrick Fest (VC only, Hoods playing Rumble Fest, Chicago, IL)
7/18 - Dunbar, WV @ Live at “The Shop”
7/19 - Cleveland, OH @ No Class
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