History & Biography Barcode was formed in 1995. Strangely enough, guitarist Sorensen was the editor of one of '80s' biggest metal and anti-hardcore fanzines, Blackthorn. Working at Diehard, Sorensen's new hardcore band got signed to the label and released albums about alcohol and fun. Madsen and Fastrup were turfed or voluntarily left in 1998.
The Barcode versus Ciaff disc was released in 2002. The band signed to Nuclear Blast and issued Showdown in the summer of 2005. The album featured a political hardcore band. Butch left the group in January of 2006. Ahead Of The Game appeared in June of 2007 through Scarlet Records. It featured SS Graveyard on vocals and Sick of It All’s Lou Koller as a guest. Drummer Snick left the band after undergoing surgery for his back in the autumn of 2008.
Reviews BARCODE - HARD JET SUPER FLASH - DIEHARD
As the editor of the underground's, arguably, best and simultaneously biggest anti-hardcore fanzine Blackthorn, guitarist Esben Slot Sorensen has a lot to live up to. For he was also the axe man on the tape next to me right now, Samhain's (no not them) The Courier. So is Barcode album number one a hit? Does it live up to the man's journalistic standards? I will put it this way: musically it's average; image-wise you'll find nothing new, and did I mention that... it's hardcore? Delivering music best described as a cross between UK punk and Euro-hardcore, the five young lads pogo with the best of them. That is hardly what one would expect. One supposes that there is something to be thankful about. After all if the album could be comprised of anti-underground, metal bashing rap. But hey, Esben would still have been as much away from his roots had it actually been that. What would Mr. Leviathan say? And how would this be reviewed in Blackthom fanzine? - Ali "The Metallian"
BARCODE - SHOWDOWN - NUCLEAR BLAST
Boy oh boy! What happened to these guys? Something is pissing them off and I have a hunch it might be the state of the world. To even have to mention so is unfortunate, but Barcode takes the listener right back to the days when hardcore was hardcore and did not posture on TV talk shows, incorporated rap or wore Michael Jackson T-shirts. This is the sound of early Agnostic Front or Sick Of It All all the way from... Denmark! That's right. If songs like Fanatics (read the lyrics and weep Amerikkka), Make my Day (more great reading), End The War or Rise To Dignity wont launch you into mosh position then nothing will. In keeping with tradition the five have covered a metal song. The honour has fallen to Accept's I'm A Rebel this time around.
Barcode does not give a fuck. This is short, gaddamn hard, tight, straight and for real.... "revolution to the core." - Ali "The Metallian"
BARCODE - AHEAD OF THE GAME - SCARLET 
The way Barcode changes labels one would think the band is sub-par, weak or stupid. On the contrary, Barcode is a true hardcore band with the music, fury, assault, attitude, outlook and lyrics to match. No wonder Lou Koller of Sick Of It All puts in an appearance. He knows his stuff and so does the band. The group’s new singer is a win all around. Good music of any genre is always less popular than the crud of that style and perhaps that explains Barcode’s label changes.
This is hardcore so in order to match the song I will keep it short. Suffice to say for genuine hardcore one can hardly do any better this year and, oh, check out these lyrics - great! - Ali “The Metallian”
Interviews
|
