Hailing from down the street (from where I live, anyway) come punkers Hellbent with their rowdy and raucous style of hoser hardcore. Self-described as “the smokiest band in the game,” Hellbent are fiercely DIY having extensively gigged and toured across our home and native land by the skin of their teeth this past year. Additionally, each of their collection of singles, splits, EPs and full lengths have been issued mostly by their lonesome. As a bit of a holiday treat, they’ve released their rendition of the Day-Glo Abortions’ classic “Drugged and Driving” with an accompanying video, ironically enough collected and edited together from the raw footage of a recent tour the two bands did together.
People always used to ask me — well, they still do — why I shy away from going out much during the holidays, especially at night. Common sense and growing up listening to Day-Glo’s Here Today Guano Tomorrow, where “Drugged and Driving” originally appeared, on repeat drilled it into my head that most people behind the wheel are lit to some degree and description, especially around the holidays. So, staying at home under a bundle of blankets always seemed like a better option.
Says the band: “A modern twist on a Canadian hardcore punk classic, our cover of ‘Drugged and Driving’ pays homage to the Day-Glo Abortions while keeping it as Hellbent as possible. The video is a DIY edit made up of phone footage, IG stories and a couple cameras roaming around our last tour with the Day-Glos, perfectly encapsulating the experience. It was never about production value, but taking us back to those shows and anyone watching feeling like they were there. It’s the perfect tour recap and we’re super grateful Murray, Matt, and Marc like our band and have taken us out for so many shows!”
