Judge

Judge are a US straight edge hardcore punk band formed in 1987 in New York. The group is associated with the New York hardcore and youth crew scenes, and remains active.

Formation and early releases

Judge is formed by Youth of Today guitarist John “Porcell” Porcelly and former Youth of Today drummer Mike “Judge” Ferraro. Their first release is the 7-inch EP New York Crew, issued on Porcell’s Schism label, which he runs with Alex Brown of Side By Side and Gorilla Biscuits. The record contains five tracks, including a cover of Blitz’s “Warriors”. On this release, the band is a two-piece, with Porcelly on bass and guitar and Ferraro on vocals and drums.

Judge later adds bassist Jimmy Yu, who comes from Mike Ferraro’s former band Death Before Dishonor, and drummer Luke Abbey, who also plays in Warzone and Gorilla Biscuits, to form a full live line-up.

Style and lyrics

The band’s lyrics are strongly associated with militant Straight Edge themes, which draw criticism from some fanzines, including San Francisco’s Maximum Rock'N'Roll. The approach is deliberate, intended as a provocation and as a response to criticism directed at bands such as Youth of Today. Musically, Judge combines hardcore with metal-influenced riffing while staying rooted in hardcore rather than moving fully into metal.

Albums and later activity

With a line-up that includes Sammy Siegler on drums and Matt Pincus on bass, Judge records the full-length Bringin' It Down for Revelation Records at Chung King Studios in New York City. Dissatisfied with the result, the band re-records the album at Normandy Sound in Rhode Island. Revelation also issues a limited pressing of the original version, Chung King Can Suck It, which is given to people who pre-order the record. Only 110 copies are pressed on white vinyl, making it one of the most sought-after hardcore records.

Bringin' It Down is eventually released in 1989. Judge continues touring until 1991 and later releases the 7-inch There Will Be Quiet, which includes “The Storm” and “Forget This Time”; the CD version also adds a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “When the Levee Breaks”. The band reunites in 2013 and continues to perform in the United States, South America and Europe.

Members

Members associated with Judge include John Porcell, Mike Ferraro, Jimmy Yu, Luke Abbey, Sammy Siegler and Matt Pincus.