Ordinance Retrospective

After 2020, most of the bands I played in came to a complete halt. Someone had told me I should reach out to Monica about playing in Ordinance, since they were just starting out and I was itching to play music after moving to Richmond. I had no idea what to expect since my only impression of them was a couple Instagram stories of their live sets.

I got a file link to a final mix or master of the demo in October 2022, and I blasted it in my car. I remember being blown away. It was noisy and raw, its parts were simple but rhythmically interesting, Tan’s drum fills made the songs feel like they’re about to fall apart, but they always came back and delivered. The thing I liked the most about the demo was its seriousness. But its seriousness wasn’t the typical posturing you’d hear in other current d-beat/raw hardcore bands, it felt like its seriousness went beyond hardcore altogether.

What I heard was more than just GBG raw hardcore riffs done over again by Americans. It felt moreso influenced by the essence of what makes those bands so great—like Shitlickers’ wall of sound that only the noisiest of noisers could dream of. Slow parts that didn’t have much to do with mosh-oriented breakdowns, and more with a heavy and oppressive atmosphere like you’d find in noise rock and post-punk.

So I joined Ordinance and the live shows ramped up. Hank lived in New York, so we didn’t even meet for a month or two while I was in the band. Sometimes we were rocking sets with just me on guitar, other (better) times we were rocking with both Hank and I on guitars.

When we started writing for the next release, I didn’t want the band to compromise on their vision. So we made the tape just as raw, just as noisy, recording the songs live with Brendan Reichardt on Belt Blvd.

But after recording, things just started falling through the cracks. Ben had just moved to New York, so we had to turn down playing shows. Multiple shows we were booked on were cancelled, and nobody was really interested in putting out the record. And to be fair, there wasn’t a lot of interest to generate—we had slowed down on playing shows and there was no cover art, so there wasn’t really a finished product to show anyone.

So the band just vanished. No last show. Nothing set in stone. And eventually, Ben finished the art. But everyone had already moved on.

I will always love Ordinance. This was a band of many firsts for me, which I didn't think would happen for me after a decade of playing music. There was a time when we had a weekly practice, and unlike when I lived in Florida, I could drive to practice in 10 minutes. Gigging with Monica, Tan, Hank, and Ben always felt so right—whether we rocked together under the bridge in the summer heat, on the light-up dancefloor of Foto Club, some kitchens of some very generous people, or in that weird taco spot in Baltimore. I just wish it could never end.

Ordinance - Strychnine Hill is available to stream on Stasis Fanzine. Cassettes will be made and shipping in mid-June.

Listen to the demo

Listen to Strychnine Hill