So maybe you’ve been wondering . . . “Hey Loyd, what’s your favorite hardcore song of all time?” Yes, yes, I know. Many of you have been wondering, even asking me this for years. I get emails almost every day asking me to reveal the winner.
All kidding aside, I’ve been wanting to unleash this beast on our followers for a long time. When I first entertained the idea of featuring this track, it wasn’t available on YouTube. But good news for us, a few years ago Jason Park (who played in the band, as well as Outnumbered, Sandalwood, and a few others) treated us by uploading the compilation for streaming.
This is such an atypical hardcore song. Instead of short and fast, it’s long and slow. Heavy, brooding, and above all–passionate. It’s essentially a worship song. This is probably what grabbed me about it when I first heard it in 1994, on the groundbreaking compilation Helpless Amongst Friends. If it sounds familiar, it’s actually an extended version of the song “Forever” that includes some of the spoken portions of “Bow” (both from the Bow album), with some added sections.
Focused was a pivotal part of the early SFHC (Spirit-filled hardcore) scene from Southern California in the early- to mid-90s. Guitarist Jason Park (mentioned above) is currently facing a battle with skin cancer. I know that he and his family would appreciate your prayers. There is also a GoFundMe account to help offset the costs, if anyone feels led to help (GoFundMe.
For now, enjoy these tasty riffs and worshipful lyrics!
