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.
In Your Face
Slapshot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How can you think straight when you've had to much - in excess
You don't know what that shit does to you
How can you say that it's safe in small amounts
Until it's to late and the damage has been done
Straight-edge in you face
Straight-edge in you face
Straight-edge in you face
Clubs all night is your life
Drink to much passing out
One day you get to much then you go out
You are dead and nobody cares about you
Nobody's learned anything
Cause they all do what you do
Everybody does it why shouldn't I?
'Cause it's sick!
Get your booze away from me
Keep your pills out of sight
Don't get smoke in my face
Or you'll get the Straight-edge in your face
Straight-edge in your face
Straight-edge in your face
Straight-edge in your face
Straight-edge in your face
I keep my head in tune with my thoughts are always clear
How can you think straight when you've had to much -n excess
You don't know what that shit does to you
How can you say that it's safe in small amounts
Until it's to late and the damage has been done
The lyrics to Slapshot's "In Your Face" are a clear statement about the straight-edge lifestyle and the singer's belief in the dangers of excess. The song is a call-to-action for people to be more aware of the choices they make and the consequences they can have. The opening lines of the song, "I keep my head in tune with my thoughts are always clear," suggest that living a straight-edge lifestyle allows for a more focused and clear-minded life. This is contrasted with the idea of "thinking straight" after having too much of something.
The second verse further emphasizes the dangers of excess, with the lines "Clubs all night is your life/ Drink too much passing out." The singer then goes on to suggest that this kind of behavior leads to a tragic end, with the lines "You are dead and nobody cares about you/ Nobody's learned anything/ 'Cause they all do what you do/ Everybody does it why shouldn't I?/'Cause it's sick!" These lines suggest that the cycle of dangerous behavior and tragic outcomes is an endless one, and that the only way to break the cycle is to take a stand against it.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Straight-edge in your face" over and over again, as if to assert the power and importance of the straight-edge lifestyle. The final verse reiterates the idea that excess is dangerous and that the damage it can cause may not be apparent until it's too late.
Overall, "In Your Face" is a powerful and important song about the dangers of excess and the benefits of living a straight-edge lifestyle. It's a message that is just as relevant today as it was when the song was first released in 1989.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep my head in tune with my thoughts
My mind is always clear and focused
How can you think straight when you've had too much
It's difficult to make rational decisions when you're intoxicated
You don't know what that shit does to you
You're unaware of the potential harm that substance abuse can cause
How can you say that it's safe in small amounts
Just because something is acceptable in moderation, doesn't mean it's completely safe
Until it's too late and the damage has been done
Only after negative consequences occur do we realize the severity of our actions
Straight-edge in your face
The Straight-edge lifestyle is presented as a bold and unapologetic stance
Clubs all night is your life
Your life revolves around partying and socializing
Drink too much, passing out
Excessive drinking leads to loss of consciousness
One day you get too much, then you go out
Overindulgence can lead to fatal consequences
You are dead and nobody cares about you
The negative effects of substance abuse can have fatal and lonely outcomes
Nobody's learned anything, cause they all do what you do
Substance and alcohol abuse are often portrayed as collective and cyclical behavior
Everybody does it, why shouldn't I? 'Cause it's sick!
The ubiquity of certain behaviors doesn't mean they are justified or healthy
Get your booze away from me
I don't want to be associated with alcoholic beverages
Keep your pills out of sight
I don't want to be involved with drugs or medication
Don't get smoke in my face
I don't want to be around smokers or inhale harmful substances
Or you'll get the Straight-edge in your face
This phrase reinforces the idea that the Straight-edge ideology is non-negotiable and creates a boundary between the individual and negative influences
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind