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Judge (band)

From Alfawiki
Judge
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded1987
FounderJohn "Porcell" Porcelly, Mike "Judge" Ferraro
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
ProductsMusic recordings (EPs, LPs, CDs)

Judge is a New York hardcore group established in 1987 by Youth of Today guitarist John "Porcell" Porcelly alongside former Youth of Today drummer Mike "Judge" Ferraro.

History

Their debut release was a 7-inch EP issued on Porcelly's label Schism, which he co-managed with Side by Side/Gorilla Biscuits guitarist Alex Brown. This EP, titled New York Crew, contained five tracks, including a rendition of "Warriors" originally by the British oi!/punk band Blitz. Initially, Judge functioned as a duo with Porcelly handling bass and guitar duties while Ferraro performed vocals and drums. The lineup for live performances was completed with the addition of bassist Jimmy Yu, formerly of Mike’s previous band Death Before Dishonor, and drummer "Lukey" Luke Abbey, known from Warzone and Gorilla Biscuits.

The band attracted controversy due to their forceful straight edge lyrical themes, particularly drawing criticism from fanzines such as San Francisco’s Maximum Rock'N'Roll. This confrontational stance was deliberate, intended as a rebuttal to accusations directed at bands like Youth of Today, who were recognized for their positive messages but sometimes viewed as militant. Mike Ferraro later admitted that provoking reactions was a deliberate goal.

Musically, Judge fused heavy metal-inspired guitar riffs with hardcore punk foundations, steering clear of the complete metal style embraced by groups like Agnostic Front and D.R.I..

With the recruitment of drummer Sammy Siegler (known for Side by Side, Youth of Today, and Project X) and bassist Matt Pincus, Judge recorded their album Bringin' It Down at Chung King Studios in New York City for Revelation Records. Unsatisfied with this initial recording, they opted to re-record at Normandy Sound in Rhode Island—the same studio where the Cro-Mags produced Best Wishes. Revelation Records issued a limited run of the original Chung King sessions under the title Chung King Can Suck It, pressed on white vinyl in an edition limited to 110 copies distributed exclusively to pre-orders. This scarce pressing now commands auction prices reaching up to $6,600.

The official release of Bringin' It Down occurred in 1989. Judge continued touring until 1991 and released another 7-inch EP titled There Will Be Quiet, which included tracks "The Storm" and "Forget This Time". The CD version featured an additional cover of Led Zeppelin’s "When the Levee Breaks".

In May 2013, Judge reunited for two performances in New York City. They maintained an active presence with shows across the United States, South America, and Europe throughout 2014 and 2015.

Careers after Judge

Following Judge, John Porcelly toured and recorded with Shelter, a Hare Krishna hardcore band featuring Ray Cappo from Youth of Today along with various notable hardcore musicians such as Tom Capone from Bold and Quicksand, and Vic DiCara from Beyond, Inside Out, and 108. Porcelly later formed the groups Never Surrender and Last of the Famous, as well as operating the Fight Fire with Fire record label alongside TrueTillDeath.com; however, these ventures appear inactive currently. Additionally, he participated in the Bold reunion during 2005–06. That same year saw the publication of a book documenting his fanzine Schism.

Mike Ferraro created Mike Judge & Old Smoke with Judge’s roadie Todd Schwartz, producing music influenced by Neil Young characterized by acoustic elements and guitar-driven arrangements. They released a 12-inch record through Revelation Records in 1993. Presently, Ferraro manages a family chicken farm located in West Virginia.

Sammy Siegler played in multiple hardcore bands throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s before recording and touring with CIV, which included members from Gorilla Biscuits. He also performed with Shelter and major-label rock band Rival Schools, led by Walter Schreifels. Siegler contributed to Glassjaw’s debut full-length album and temporarily filled in as drummer for Limp Bizkit in 2005.

Matt Pincus became Founder and former CEO of Songs Music Publishing, recognized as one of the leading independent music publishers in the United States until its acquisition by Kobalt Music Publishing in 2017. SONGS represented prominent songwriters such as The Weeknd, Lorde, Diplo, and DJ Mustard, spanning various musical genres.

Jimmy Yu embraced Chan/Zen Buddhism in 1991 under the monastic name Guogu. He now teaches Buddhism and meditation following Master Sheng Yen. Yu holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University and serves as Assistant Professor of Religion at Florida State University. His academic focus includes East Asian religious traditions with research centered on Buddhist monasticism, Chan/Zen Buddhism, and cultural history during late imperial China. A 2008 interview explores his roots within the hardcore scene.

Members

Current
  • Mike Ferraro – lead vocals (1987–1991, 2013–present), drums (1987)
  • John Porcell – guitar (1987–1991, 2013–present), bass guitar (1987)
  • Sammy Siegler – drummer (1989–1991, 2013–present)
  • Charlie Garriga – guitarist (2013–present)
  • Matt Pincus – bass player (1989–1991, 2013–present)
Former
  • Luke Abbey – drummer (1988–1989)
  • Jimmy Yu – bassist (1988–1989)
  • Lars Weiss – guitarist (1990–1991)
  • Ryan Hoffman – guitar (1991)

Official releases

  • New York Crew 7-inch EP (Schism Records (SKIZ-2) (1988) / Revelation Records (REV 14)) (1989)
    • The original Schism pressing consisted of 3000 copies.
    • Subsequently reissued by Revelation with a unique picture label depicting Sammy Siegler performing at CBGB's. The first Revelation edition included 4000 black and 1000 blue vinyl records, followed by further repressings.
  • Chung King Can Suck It LP (Revelation Records (REV −1) (REV200-1))
    • Initial limited run of 110 white vinyl copies.
    • The 2024 remastered edition features updated photography and inverted cover art, commemorating Revelation Records' 200th release.
  • Bringin' It Down LP (Revelation Records (REV 15)) (1989)
    • Multiple pressings: the first included 5458 black and 712 green vinyl copies; later editions featured various label colors; the final pressing in 2001 consisted of 333 orange vinyl copies.
  • There Will Be Quiet... 7-inch EP (Revelation Records (REV 20)) (1990)
    • Pressed in quantities of 4000 black and 1000 gold vinyl copies.
  • What It Meant: The Complete Discography CD/2×LP (Revelation Records (REV 122))
    • An all-encompassing compilation containing every recorded track, officially presenting Chung King Can Suck It beyond its limited releases for the first time.
    • The CD sequencing includes New York Crew, Bringin' It Down, There Will Be Quiet...,Chung King Can Suck It, along with the demo "Like You".
    • The LP editions arrange tracks in chronological order and incorporate additional demo recordings.

Bootlegs

  • Revelation Can Suck It 10-inch (Revoltation Records) (1992)
    • Unauthorized release of the limited Chung King Can Suck It LP material formatted as a 10-inch record.
  • No Apologies: The Chung King Sessions LP (Lost & Found Records (LF033)) (1992)
    • Bootleg containing the Chung King... LP plus four extra tracks.
  • Vivo En WNYU 7-inch
    • Contains a portion of the band's live performance from their 1988 session on New York City's WNYU radio broadcast.
    • Produced in restricted numbers: 500 black and 50 red vinyl copies with xeroxed sleeves.
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