Their first release was a 7" EP on Porcell's label Schism (which he ran along with Side By Side/Gorilla Biscuits guitar player Alex Brown) entitled New York Crew. The record featured five songs, one of which was a cover of "Warriors" by the British oi!/punk band Blitz. On this recording, the band was merely a two-piece, featuring Porcelly on bass and guitar, and Ferraro on vocals and drums. But with the addition of bass-player Jimmy Yu (of Mike's former band Death Before Dishonor, which eventually evolved into Supertouch) and drummer "Lukey" Luke Abbey (Warzone/Gorilla Biscuits), they got together a fully functional live line-up.
The band received much criticism due to their militant Straight Edge lyrics, especially from fanzines like San Francisco's Maximum Rock'N'Roll. The militant lyrics were a conscious move on the band's part, as they were sick of seeing bands like Youth Of Today, who in reality had a very positive message, get slagged for being too militant. So they decided to give the nay-sayers exactly what they wanted – the most militant Straight Edge band imaginable. Mike Ferraro has later on admitted that provocation was an important aim for the band.
Judge was not just heavy in message, the music had very metal-influenced riffing, but remained close to its hardcore roots, without going all out metal, such as bands like Agnostic Front and DRI.
With a new line-up of Sammy Siegler (Side By Side/Youth Of Today/Project X etc.) on drums and Matt Pincus on bass, the band proceeded to record their full-length LP Bringin' It Down for Revelation Records at Chung King Studios in New York City. The recording was finished, but the band were so unhappy with the result that they decided to scrap it and re-record it at Normandy Sound in Rhode Island, where The Cro-Mags had recorded their Best Wishes album. Revelation did however put out a limited pressing of the original recording, fittingly titled Chung King Can Suck It (LP). It was given to people who had pre-ordered the record, and with only 110 copies pressed (all on white vinyl), it is one of the most sought-after hardcore records in existence, going for as much as $6,600 USD on online auction sites such as eBay. Eventually, Bringin' It Down was released in 1989. Judge continued touring up until 1991, and even released another 7" EP, There Will Be Quiet, featuring "The Storm" and "Forget This Time" (the CD-version also contains a cover-version of "When the Levee Breaks", originally by Led Zeppelin).
In May 2013 Judge have reunited and played two sold out shows in NYC. In 2014 and 2015 the band have continued to play shows in United States as well as in South America and Europe.
Warriors
Judge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the day grows late
As we walk home
This wasteland of hate
There's people getting angry
In the darkest hours
There's blood on the streets
Warriors, Never Forget The Warriors
Our mates are a diamond
And we shine like steel
You'll never beat us down
Because the wounds will never heal
Don't take us for a ride
You can't rob a warrior
Of his pride
Warriors, Never Forget The Warriors
It's your hate on which we feed
We are the new class
We are the new breed
Send our regards
To a nation on fire
And with love
A bouquet of barbed wire
From The Warriors,
Never Forget The Warriors
You'll Never Forget The warriors
The Judge's song "Warriors" captures a sense of hopelessness, anger and defiance amidst a world full of hate and violence. The song is a call to arms for those that are tired of being oppressed and discriminated against, and empowers the marginalized and downtrodden to fight back against their oppressors. The lyrics start with a bleak but poetic description of the world around us, using a metaphor of the sun setting and the day growing late to signify a sense of impending doom.
The song then shifts to a more hopeful and uplifting tone, celebrating the resilience and strength of the "Warriors". The "Warriors" are described as a shining diamond that can never be beaten down, with their pride and resilience being untouchable by those who seek to oppress them. The lyrics also convey a sense of defiance and rebellion, with the "Warriors" feeding off the hate directed towards them and using it as fuel to rise above their oppressors.
Overall, "Warriors" is a powerful anthem that captures the spirit of resistance and resilience in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Your sun is setting
The end is near for you
And the day grows late
Your time is running out
As we walk home
We are taking back our territory
This wasteland of hate
The place has been corrupted by violence and anger
There's people getting angry
There is tension building up
In the darkest hours
The most dangerous time of night
There's blood on the streets
Violence is common
The streets are ours
We claim this place as our own
Warriors, Never Forget The Warriors
We are fighters who stand together
Our mates are a diamond
Our comrades are valuable and precious
And we shine like steel
We are strong and unbreakable
You'll never beat us down
Our spirit cannot be broken
Because the wounds will never heal
The damage done to us will last forever
Don't take us for a ride
Don't underestimate us
You can't rob a warrior
We are unshakeable even in adversity
Of his pride
Of the self-respect we have for ourselves
It's your hate on which we feed
We draw power from the anger of our opponents
We are the new class
We represent a new way of doing things
We are the new breed
We are a new kind of people
Send our regards
Our message to
To a nation on fire
A country in turmoil
And with love
With sincere emotion
A bouquet of barbed wire
A gift of danger and pain
From The Warriors,
This is who we are
You'll Never Forget The warriors
Our legacy will endure
Lyrics © WKM Music Publishing, Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN), BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BRINSLEY ALLAN FORDE, ANGUS GAYE, TONY ROBINSON, PAUL CARTER, MANDA GLANFIELD, HENRY PRIESTMAN, GARY BENSON, ALAN M. GLASS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind