Chokehold (band)
Encyclopedia
Chokehold were a vegan straight edge
hardcore
/punk
band hailing from Hamilton, Ontario in Canada. They first formed in 1990, releasing the "More Than Ever" demo tape in 1991. This was quickly followed in 1992 by a split EP with Crisis of Faith
and the Life Goes On EP that same year. Their rise in popularity paralleled that of other vegan straight edge
bands such as Earth Crisis
and hardline bands like Vegan Reich and Raid. While bands that adhered to Hardline were totally opposed to abortion, Chokehold was vehemently pro-choice
.
In 1993 Chokehold released the Prison of Hope LP through American label Conquer the World Records (CTW). They released their next record, 1994's Instilled EP, on Philadelphia, PA's Bloodlink Records. This EP featured some of their most political material to date, notably the anti-religious song "Anchor" and the anti-homophobia song "Mindset", and their kind of manifesto "Burning Bridges", that proclaim the Animal, Earth and Human Liberation.
They followed this in the next year with their second LP, Content With Dying. This album contained "Not a Solution," a militantly pro-choice hardcore song.
They signed in 1996 to Germany's Mad Mob Records and recorded four new songs to be released as a split CD with Feeding the Fire, but after a European tour in 1996 the band decided to break up. They played their last show in March at the New Bedford Fest in Massachusetts. These four songs were released as a self-titled EP on Jawk Records the following year. Members went on to play in such bands as The Swarm, Brutal Knights
, Left for Dead, Haymaker, Our War and Seventy-Eight Days.
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
/punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band hailing from Hamilton, Ontario in Canada. They first formed in 1990, releasing the "More Than Ever" demo tape in 1991. This was quickly followed in 1992 by a split EP with Crisis of Faith
Crisis of faith
Crisis of faith is a term commonly applied to periods of intense doubt and internal conflict about one's preconceived beliefs or life decisions...
and the Life Goes On EP that same year. Their rise in popularity paralleled that of other vegan straight edge
Straight edge
Straight edge is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs. It was a direct reaction to the sexual revolution, hedonism, and excess associated with punk rock. For some, this extends to not engaging in promiscuous sex, following a...
bands such as Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis is an American metalcore band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Their most recent record, To the Death, was released in May 2009 through Century Media....
and hardline bands like Vegan Reich and Raid. While bands that adhered to Hardline were totally opposed to abortion, Chokehold was vehemently pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
.
In 1993 Chokehold released the Prison of Hope LP through American label Conquer the World Records (CTW). They released their next record, 1994's Instilled EP, on Philadelphia, PA's Bloodlink Records. This EP featured some of their most political material to date, notably the anti-religious song "Anchor" and the anti-homophobia song "Mindset", and their kind of manifesto "Burning Bridges", that proclaim the Animal, Earth and Human Liberation.
They followed this in the next year with their second LP, Content With Dying. This album contained "Not a Solution," a militantly pro-choice hardcore song.
They signed in 1996 to Germany's Mad Mob Records and recorded four new songs to be released as a split CD with Feeding the Fire, but after a European tour in 1996 the band decided to break up. They played their last show in March at the New Bedford Fest in Massachusetts. These four songs were released as a self-titled EP on Jawk Records the following year. Members went on to play in such bands as The Swarm, Brutal Knights
Brutal Knights
Brutal Knights are a punk band from Toronto, Canada. The band has been described as having a "raw" punk rock-and-roll sound reminiscent of early-1980s hardcore. Brutal Knights are also known for their humorous lyrics, written by vocalist Nick Flanagan. Flanagan is also a comedian, and sometimes...
, Left for Dead, Haymaker, Our War and Seventy-Eight Days.
Demos, EPs and Splits
- The Whole World Is an Addiction (1991), self-released
- Split w/ Crisis of Faith (1992), Grinding Edge Records
- Life Goes On (1992), Arm's Reach Records
- More Than Ever (1992), self-released - demo tape
- Instilled (1994), Bloodlink Records
- Split with Left for Dead, Rhythm of Sickness Records
- Tooth and Nail (1997), Jawk Records
Full Lengths
- Prison of Hope (1993), repressed in 1997, Conquer the World Records
- Content with Dying (1995) , Bloodlink Records/The Great American Steak ReligionThe Great American Steak ReligionThe Great American Steak Religion was an independent record label which released many notable hardcore records from the likes of Shotmaker, His Hero Is Gone, and Chokehold during the 1990s. Originally based in Ottawa at 5 Arlington Ave, Yannick moved to Quebec City and then Montreal, taking the...
Compilation Appearances
- Negative Approach Cover Track on the Reproach compilation EP, 1998, Ugly Pop
- Breakdown Cover Track on the Redstar Records compilation "The Sound and the Fury," 1999