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Hardcore gentlemen
By Billy Schear
wschear@mscd.edu

Photo courtesy of Code of Chivalry Chivalry is not dead, it just got younger and scarier. Code of Chivalry, from left, Matt Marsh, Jeremy Stark, RJ Powers, Arnold Rodriguez and Adam Giffen.

Striking out on a crusade to convert the heathen world to the healing power of hardcore, five knights from Arvada have a new definition for the word retro.

Bringing you closer to the Middle Ages than you’re ever likely to get without the aid of an enchanted wand, Code of Chivalry sings of dark times when a man’s coolness was measured by how much plague his body could tolerate. Surprisingly, they do it without being gimmicky. They don’t dress up in Renaissance Fair garb, and they don’t play with pan flutes and lutes. Instead, vocalist and Metro student Matt Marsh digs back to medieval times, where he finds inspiration for stories that he then weaves into lyrics.

“Rather than singing about the same old things, we tell these grand stories of old times and old religion, but with modern music,” Marsh said. “It’s very unusual for a band to write about these things.”

The religion Marsh speaks of pertains to his cultish way of worshiping the music he plays.

“None of our lyrics relate to traditional religion such as Christianity, etc.,” Marsh said. “We strive to tie in the fanaticism of the Crusades era with the rabid fan worship of certain musical groups today.”

Although they utilize many of the brutal-sounding conventions the hardcore genre has already set, Chivalry does their best to separate themselves from the chaff by writing songs beyond the standard 4/4 time signature. Instead they branch out by writing tunes in 3/8 signatures, giving their wall of sound an erratic, experimental quality.

“When we get together, we don’t think about being in a hardcore band,” Marsh said. “It just comes out that way.”

The frenzied guitar work of Arnold Rodriguez and Jeremy Stark is reminiscent of two roosters in a cockfight for survival, while the rhythm contains this chaos with the arresting bass work of Adam Giffen, and the captivating drumming of RJ Powers.

When Marsh growls through the microphone, you can hear the words raking cruelly over the back of his throat. Right before his larynx combusts, he does a quick about-face, singing with an earnest harmony that’s bound to make any boy band weep with jealousy.

Smoke machines, elaborate lighting and an attention to each member’s personal style creates a live atmosphere seldom experienced with local bands. Although Marsh said that 100 percent of their time is focused on the music rather than the package, it is clear that Chivalry is a band striving for more than just competent musicianship. They want to electrify their crowds with energy.

“We don’t want to be categorized with any other groups,” Marsh said. “We want to be daring in the way we present ourselves – uniform, intense.”

Putting an eclectic spin on the traditional hardcore noise, Marsh uses a slew of nontraditional instruments, including the Australian didgeridoo, the African djembe, conga and bongo drums.

“I’m also learning the harmonica while contributing some synth,” Marsh said.

A desire to tour has lit a fire under the band to release an EP by this summer. Code of Chivalry’s recordings are homemade with love and care and can be heard on their website. Marsh urges any and all who are interested to not only listen to their jams, but to offer comments and criticism as well.

“We take our fans’ opinions to heart,” Marsh said.