Tripface




In 1992 Jeff Fabb (Drums), Brian Langan (Guitar), and Brian Green (Bass) started an unnamed punk metal band out on the Eastern End of Long Island. They enlisted a local skater kid Scott Jarzombek to sing. The band was originally named Godhead, after the song by the New York Hardcore band Burn, a major influence of the bands singer.

The bands geographic location, the eastern sticks of Long Island, automatically made them outsiders to the LI and NY scene. The band began to organize and play shows with their friends in their small town. These shows were in local basements, recreation halls and garages. For the most part they were more parties then shows, a handful of skaters, metal heads and geeks from the local area high schools coming together to hang out. The show line ups were always with their friends Grid and a mix of side projects.

Over the first year of their existence the band went through numerous member, style and name changes. Existing for a short time as the side project Offsides, with Scott moving to bass and his best friend, Ross Milligan, on vocals. Sometimes the band would play under the name Offsides and other times as Tripface. Sometimes they would play together, sharing a set. It was Ross who gave the band the name Tripface.

Offsides would give birth to the first recorded line up of of the band. Austin Macdonald, Offsides guitar player moved to bass, Scott back on vocals and a friend from school, Rory, on guitar. It was with this line up that the band would play live on WUSB’s Riptide. The set was recorded, and released as a split cassette with their friends Grid. After a kind review in Artie Philly's Paranoid Zine section of Under the Volcano, long Island began to take notice of the small “East End” hardcore scene.

After a handful of shows and a failed attempt to record a demo, this line up ceased to function. Their popularity continued to grow thanks to the circulation of their live split. Jay May, a fellow East End resident who had been doing sound at local LI shows and had recorded the unreleased “Offsides” demo, approached Scott and Austin about reforming the band with him on guitar.

The band was reborn, recruiting Dave Allen to play bass and Pete Ruland on drums. This would be the final and most productive line up of the band. Playing a cross of Snapcase meets Judge; the band grew in popularity in their home scene of Long Island and began to make a dent on the east coast.

After only a few months of having the new line up together the band recorded the “Closed In” demo. This included the newly written title track, a song written by the original Godhead line up, “Brotherhood” and the Offsides song, “I’ve Lost”. The band played WUSB again, and another cassettes split was released, again with their friends Grid. Austin soon left the band over musical and ideological differences.

This final line up was the most productive and well know version of Tripface. The band would stay a four piece, with Ryan Motive filling in on bass for tour. The band would go on to play such legendary clubs as CBGBs, The QE2, Right Track Inn, The PWAC and The Wetlands where they shared the stage with bands like Warzone, Sheer Terror, Agnostic Front, Hatebreed, and Outburst. They only did one East Coast tour, with NYHC legends Indecision, and did long weekends with bands like Marauder, Blood for Blood and Earth Crisis.

The band was picked up by Artie Philly’s new subsidiary of Wreakage Records, Exit. They were also taken under the wing of Tyler King at King-sized booking, who can be credited with much of the bands later success. The band recorded a 7-inch “This Foundation” in 1995 and then their full length CD "Some Part Sorrow" in 1996. They were also featured on the From the Ground Up Compilation (Eyeball Records), The Mindset Overhaul Compilation (Wreakage Records) and the Release DVD (Victory Records).

In 1997 Scott Jarzombek left the band over internal differences. School, work, distance and lifestyle changes had driver a rift between band members. After Scott’s departure the band recruited Tommy Corrigan from Silent Majority to form the short lived Advent. Even after their break up the band continued to get critical acclaim for their recordings. "Some Part Sorrow”, was voted as best NYHC Album of the Year by In Effect Fanzine and was featured on a list of AP's “Essential but Obscure Long Island Records”.

Dave Allen would later go on to play bass in Glassjaw, Jeff Fabb currently plays in In This Moment and Scott Jarzombek does the online fanzine Bystander . The purpose of this myspace account was to promote the forth-coming release of their discography “Some Part Hope.” This will feature a remasted version of “Some Part Sorrow,” the original recording of the bands debut E.P., the “Closed In” demo and select tracks from their live at WUSB recordings.

Tripface - Some Part Hope (1993-1997)

Snapcase


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