25 ta Life
Encyclopedia
25 ta Life is an American
band from New York City
, originally formed in Queens, N.Y.
in mid-1991.
In early 1992 they recruited former Agnostic Front
roadie Rick Healy (AKA Rick ta Life) who added the lyrics to all the songs. They adopted the name after it was suggested by Freddie Madball. Madball
also helped the band by giving them guest appearances at the end of their sets. 25 ta Life played their first full show at Studio 1 in New Jersey on May 10, 1993 supporting Obituary
. After a few failed attempts to add a second guitar player, Beto (formally of D'mize & Madball) joined the band in late 1993. In January 1994 Bassist and co-founding member Frank Smarra left the band due to family commitments and was replaced by Warren Lee. The Band continued to play massive amounts of shows in the tri-state area and all along the East Coast. In early 1996 25 ta Life traveled to Europe for the first time playing in Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Poland. By late 1997 co-founding member Harry Minas left the band and was replaced by Seth from One for One.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
band from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, originally formed in Queens, N.Y.
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
in mid-1991.
History
The band was started by Frank Smarra (bass) and Harry Minas (drums) in Astoria, Queens, N.Y., they were soon joined by Fred Mesk (guitar) and together wrote most of the material that would be on their early releases.In early 1992 they recruited former Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front
Agnostic Front is an American hardcore band. The band began playing hardcore similar to their contemporaries, and were thrust to the forefront of the burgeoning New York hardcore scene in the mid-1980s with their widely regarded 1984 classic Victim in Pain before evolving to incorporate thrash...
roadie Rick Healy (AKA Rick ta Life) who added the lyrics to all the songs. They adopted the name after it was suggested by Freddie Madball. Madball
Madball
Madball is a New York-based hardcore band that originated in the late 1980s, as a side-project of Agnostic Front .- History :Madball was founded in 1988 and featured most of Agnostic Front's members...
also helped the band by giving them guest appearances at the end of their sets. 25 ta Life played their first full show at Studio 1 in New Jersey on May 10, 1993 supporting Obituary
Obituary (band)
Obituary is an American death metal band formed in 1984 in Tampa, Florida under the name Executioner, then changed the name's spelling to Xecutioner, and later changed their name to Obituary in 1988. The band comprises vocalist John Tardy, drummer Donald Tardy, guitarists Trevor Peres and Ralph...
. After a few failed attempts to add a second guitar player, Beto (formally of D'mize & Madball) joined the band in late 1993. In January 1994 Bassist and co-founding member Frank Smarra left the band due to family commitments and was replaced by Warren Lee. The Band continued to play massive amounts of shows in the tri-state area and all along the East Coast. In early 1996 25 ta Life traveled to Europe for the first time playing in Italy, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Poland. By late 1997 co-founding member Harry Minas left the band and was replaced by Seth from One for One.
Members
- Rick ta Life - VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Ezra Vanbuskirk - lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
- Chris Manning - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Big Ed - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Petey Pabblo - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Former members
- Fred Mesk - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Steve Petit - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Beto - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Zack Attack - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Mark Da Fist - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Frank Smarra - bass
- Warren Lee - bass
- Mike H. - bass
- Big Dave - bass
- Chumley - bass
- Big Ed - bass
- Harry Minas - drums
- Seth - drums
- Rob Pallotta - drums
- J. Skams NWR - drums
- Justin the Jew - drums
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Friendship Loyalty Commitment Friendship Loyalty Commitment Friendship Loyalty Commitment is the debut studio album by the American hardcore punk band 25 ta Life, which was released on July 6, 1999. This album features a Warzone cover song "As One", and special appearances by Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, Roger Miret and Vinnie Stigma of Agnostic Front, Jimmy... |
Triple Crown Records |
| 2005 | Hellbound Misery Torment Hellbound Misery Torment Hellbound Misery Torment is the second studio album by the American hardcore punk band 25 ta Life, which was released on January 27, 2005-Track listing:# Abort - 6:40# Believe in Me - 3:39# Heavenly Sleep - 5:50# Question Yourself - 1:59... |
Back Ta Basics |
| 2009 | Strength Integrity Brotherhood | Back Ta Basics |
EPs
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 25 ta Life | SFT Records |
| 1996 | Keepin' It Real | We Bite Records |
| 1997 | Strength Through Unity: The Spirit Remains | Triple Crown Records |
| 2003 | Best of Friends And Enemies | Back Ta Basics |
| 2006 | Fallen Angel Fallen Angel (25 ta Life album) Fallen Angel is an extended play by the American hardcore punk band 25 ta Life, which was released on May 23, 2006. It is also available on blue vinyl LP, which was limited to 500 copies. This record was dedicated to Ahileas "Archie" Kalafatis. S.I.B... |
Superhero |
Splits
| Year | Title | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Morning Again/25 ta Life | Split with Morning Again Morning Again Morning Again was a hardcore band from Florida. They were known for their extreme metallic hardcore sound as well as for their straight edge, vegan and anti-government ideas. The band... |
| 1996 | Make it Work | Split with Skarhead Skarhead Skarhead is a hardcore punk band from New York City. The band is a side project from lead singer Lord Ezec aka Danny Diablo of Crown of Thornz, and includes members of Madball and Subzero. It is considered the originators of thugcore music, a subgenre of hardcore punk "full of relentless breakdowns... |
| 1998 | Highway to Hellfest | Split with Spazz Spazz (band) Spazz was an influential American powerviolence band active between 1992 and 2000. The trio released numerous records within this time, many of which are now highly collectible due to their relative rarity... |
| 1999 | Never Tear Us Apart | Split with Slang |
| 2004 | Hellbound Split | Split with Last Hope |
| 2006 | Cut Throat/25 ta Life | Split with Cut Throat |
| 2006 | 25 ta Life/In Search of | Split with In Search of |
Demos
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | NYHC Demo | Back Ta Basics #01 |
Live albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Live at Few da Real | Back Ta Basics |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | N.Y.H.C. Documentary Soundtrack | SFT Records |
| 2004 | Haterz Be Damned | Back Ta Basics |
| 2006 | Early Dayz | Back Ta Basics |
| 2008 | Forever, True, Represent | Back Ta Basics |