Diverging from their counterparts in hardcore, Slapshot decided to make the first album a 24 track cut as opposed to the usual 16-track hardcore album. To reduce costs, they recorded at night and completed the album in four sessions. Back On The Map was released by Taang! Records in 1986.
The band's lineup underwent a number of changes in its first few years, although its sound remained consistent. Jordan Wood, formerly of S.T.P., joined as an additional guitarist, but took over bass guitar when Anastas left the band to continue his education. In July 1988, the band welcomed Jamie Sciarappa, the former bass player for SS Decontrol; Sciarappa made his debut with Slapshot at CBGB. He departed in 1990 and was replaced by Chris Lauria.
After releasing the 1993 album Blast Furnace which was both a move into sample-based Industrial/Metal/Hardcore and only included one original member (Choke was joined by a more "Metal" backing band including members of Slaughter Shack), Slapshot toured in Europe that spring. On the second date of the tour, they recorded a live album in Berlin called Live At SO36. The following year, they recorded Unconsciousness in Chicago with Steve Albini, ex-member of Big Black and producer for Nirvana.
In July 1997, Slapshot played what was to be their last show in the United States for five years in Plymouth, Massachusetts. They toured Europe in 1999, including a stop at the Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium. In December 1999, a Slapshot tribute album called Boston Drops The Gloves - A Tribute To Slapshot was released by Flat Records (the label owned by Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys) and San Francisco-based TKO Records. The album included homages from twenty-two Boston bands.
In 2001, Slapshot issued a new album entitled Greatest Hits, Slashes And Crosschecks featuring rerecorded versions of classic Slapshot songs. They followed up with 2003's Digital Warfare and 2005's Tear It Down, along with several more European tours. In 2006, Slapshot released a statement on their website announcing that the band was defunct. A DVD release from Taang! Records is still expected.
Also their official website recently anounced a summer 2007 reunion show.
Chant
Slapshot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't smoke, don't drink, don't fuck around
Kill anyone with a beer in their hand
'Cause if you drink you're not a man
Straight-edge, Straight-edge in your face
You don't belong in the human race
Sound off 1-2, Sound off 3-4
We don't want you 'round here no more
We'll step on you and watch the blood pour
Boston, Mass. is the rippen'ist town (4x)
Fall out!
Yeah!!!
Chant from the Lp 'Step on It' by Slapshot
Slapshot's song Chant is a straight-edge hardcore punk anthem that is fueled with anger, aggression, and a sense of counterculture. The song is primarily an anti-alcohol message. The opening line of the song, "Boston, Mass. is the rippen'ist town" expresses the band's pride in their hometown, Boston. However, they go on to state that drinking and smoking are not acceptable behaviors, especially in Boston. They declare that anyone with a beer in their hand will be killed because drinking makes them "not a man". The use of violent language and imagery emphasize their strong stance against alcohol consumption.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the band's straight-edge ideology with the lyrics "Straight-edge, Straight-edge in your face. You don't belong in the human race." This sentiment is continued in the following verse, "We don't want you 'round here no more", further emphasizing the separation between straight-edge punks and those who drink or use drugs.
The chorus is followed up by a gruesome verse that indicates a violent response to those who drink. The lyrics, "You can get drunk, fall down on the floor, we'll step on you and watch the blood pour," are undoubtedly graphic and disturbing. However, this serves as a warning to the listener that the straight-edge community is not to be messed with.
Overall, Slapshot's song Chant is a powerful anthem that speaks to the straight-edge punk culture. It is full of rage and anti-establishment messages, but it also prioritizes a sense of morality and responsibility.
Line by Line Meaning
Boston, Mass. is the rippen'ist town
Boston, Massachusetts is the most excellent city
Don't smoke, don't drink, don't fuck around
Do not smoke tobacco, do not consume alcohol, do not engage in promiscuous or frivolous behavior
Kill anyone with a beer in their hand
Commit homicide against anyone who is holding a beer
'Cause if you drink you're not a man
Consuming alcohol makes you less manly
Straight-edge, Straight-edge in your face
The straight-edge lifestyle is being promoted with aggressive assertions
You don't belong in the human race
Drinking alcohol makes you subhuman and unworthy of being in the human race
Sound off 1-2, Sound off 3-4
Call and respond chant to emphasize a unified stance against alcohol consumption
We don't want you 'round here no more
People who consume alcohol are unwelcome in this space
You can get drunk, fall down on the floor
If you choose to drink, you will inevitably become incapacitated
We'll step on you and watch the blood pour
Those who consume alcohol will be treated with extreme violence
Boston, Mass. is the rippen'ist town (4x)
Reiteration of the idea that Boston, Massachusetts is the best city
Fall out!
End of the chant
Yeah!!!
Exclamation of enthusiasm for the straight-edge lifestyle
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind