Act of War is a new band comprised of veterans of the Connecticut hardcore community. The lineup features founding Hatebreed drummer Dave Russo, original Jasta 14 guitarist Jimmy Dillon, former Fall From Grace guitarist Nathan Card, bassist Matt Rivers, and vocalist Jordan Nadeau, bringing together decades of hardcore experience under one banner.
Ahead of the band's first live show and the release of its debut demo, No Echo caught up with the members to discuss their Connecticut Hardcore lineage, what inspired them to start a new band at this stage in their lives, their thoughts on today's scene, and Act of War's next steps.
How did Act of War come together, and what made now the right time to start a new band together?
Dave Russo (drums): Jimmy and I have been friends for almost 30 years, and about three years ago he gave me a guitar for my birthday. He would come over to my house to teach me chords, and in return I would teach him to play the drums. Those sessions eventually turned into us just jamming, and it sounded good, so we decided maybe we should start a new project.
When we started thinking about who could round out the band, I instantly thought of Nate. Since Fall From Grace ended in 2005, Nate and I had tried to get together and write music, but it never happened. It just seemed like the right opportunity to finally make it happen.
Matt and I have worked together for over 10 years and have jammed on short-term projects before, so he was on board with doing something new. When it came to finding a singer, we asked a few friends, but after hearing the music, they all said we needed someone distinctive. I'd known Jordan for years through the scene and knew he had a great, versatile voice, but I thought he was busy with another project. We happened to run into each other at a show; I brought up the band, and he said he'd be interested. The rest is history.
Nathan Card (guitar): I've stayed in touch with Dave since our last project together. We live in the same town and would always try to get something going. I'd send him riffs every once in a while for an honest critique. Even when family and career dominate the schedule, practicing music and guitar never completely stops.
What were some of the influences that you talked about during the planning stages?
Matt Rivers (bass): Since we're all at different stages of involvement in hardcore, I think that gives us a wide range of sounds and styles, and all of that goes into our music.
Dave Russo: We're all into the early-'90s South Florida death metal sound and the early Earache bands, so gravitating toward something heavy like that feels natural. Those bands were the inspiration over 30 years ago when Jamey and I were putting Hatebreed together, so I guess nothing's changed. You like what you like. Seeing bands like Fuming Mouth, Gatecreeper, Fatal Realm, Final Resting Place, and our friends in 100 Demons, Palehorse, and END definitely motivated us to start writing again.
Tell us about the songs on the demo.
Jordan Nadeau (vocals): "Victim Mentality" is pretty much what it sounds like. It's about my frustration with the mindset of people who continually play the victim, feeling they've been wronged by society or some social injustice. The song says you're not a victim. I'm not a victim. We all go through hard times, and you have to overcome obstacles and toughen up. That's life.
"Act of War" is about reckless reactionaries—people who are so influenced by social media and online personalities that they repeat things without understanding what they mean. They're blinded by their ideals and willing to go to war with anyone who disagrees with them.
"Plague of Addiction" is based on a personal experience with betrayal. Someone close to me, who was like a brother, became addicted to heroin and stabbed all of his friends in the back along the way, including me. It's about that experience and the anger and pain that came with it.
How closely have you followed hardcore over the years, and what do you think of today's scene?
Dave Russo: Pretty closely. I've always kept an ear to the street and never stopped following hardcore or playing in bands. We formed IG! in 2005 and played hardcore shows regularly before settling into annual Halloween shows. I joined Lost Generation in 2009 and still play with them today. Jimmy actually joined Lost Generation two years ago, and we just finished the band's first full-length in 37 years.
I've also been close friends with Jay Reason for decades. We played together in Blackened, and he's always kept me in the loop on newer bands through Static Era. I love discovering new bands just as much now as when I first got into hardcore. Living Weapon, Mercy Whip, Division of Mind, Holder, Intrusive, Mongrel, and Azshara are all great. It's a great time for hardcore.
Jordan Nadeau: I've tried to keep up. Hardcore has really blown up over the last 10 years, which is awesome. There are so many great new bands. Hatebreed, 100 Demons, and Terror are still bands I try to see whenever they come around. They're still putting out great records, and that's inspiring. I also follow bands like Mindforce, Fatal Realm, Palehorse, With Honor, and Mongrel. Having younger kids makes it harder to get to shows, but I still try to support whenever I can.
Dave Russo: Hardcore has grown exponentially and is much more accessible now because of social media, but I still think the values are the same. If you truly connect with the music, you'll support new bands, go to shows, and buy records and merch.
Jimmy Dillon (guitar): I played my last show with Jasta 14 around 1994 or 1995 and pretty much left the scene behind. Dave got me back into it over the last few years.
I don't go to shows every weekend anymore, but I still see the same passion and integrity that we had when we were younger. If anything, the scene feels even stronger.
What are your goals for Act Of War?
Dave Russo: I'm looking forward to finally playing live with this band and seeing how people react. It's taken a while to get this project off the ground, so seeing it reach this point is awesome.
Jordan Nadeau: We've all been playing live music for years, so we're comfortable performing. We're really happy with the songs we've written and hope they connect with people.
Matt Rivers: I'm excited to see how the demo is received. We're not reinventing the wheel—we're just making music we like. If people are into it, that's great. If not, that's okay too. We're going to keep doing it regardless.
Dave Russo: We already have four more songs in addition to the three from the demo, enough for a 20-minute set. We also have a few intro covers we might break out, and we'll play Sepultura's "Territory" if time allows.
Jimmy Dillon: The sky's the limit. Dave and I started this as jam sessions, and it's grown into something much bigger than I expected. There are no egos, and it's incredibly easy to write together. We've already got plenty of ideas for future songs.
Nathan Card: We just want to keep writing music we'd want to listen to ourselves. Hopefully we'll release an EP or a full-length down the road and keep pushing each other creatively.
Matt Rivers: We want to play more shows, release the material we've already written, and keep writing new songs as we go.
Finally, if someone wanted to dive into Connecticut Hardcore, what record would you hand them first?
Jordan Nadeau: Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire by Hatebreed. Every song hits. Jamey's vocals are brutal, the lyrics are real, and the breakdowns and song structures became the blueprint for so many hardcore bands.
Nathan Card: Amongst the Flock by Palehorse. We played a lot of shows with them when I was in Fall From Grace, and that record captures everything I love about heavy riffs.
Jimmy Dillon: Either the Mindwar/Evolve split 7-inch or the Thinner 7-inch. Those were two of my favorite bands to see live, and both releases still hold up.
Dave Russo: The 1992 Hardcore (Round 2 In An Endless Fight) 7-inch is essential. It captured so many incredible Connecticut bands at the time. I'd also recommend Sum of All Fears' From This Day Forward.... It's flawless, and being asked to step in for Rob Blauner after his cancer diagnosis remains one of the greatest honors of my musical life.
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Act of War on social media: Facebook | Instagram
Tagged: act of war, hatebreed, jasta 14
