Judge

As the 80..s started to wind down, so did the straight edge scene in America. Many formerly outspoken sXe scenesters went to college, jumped off the bandwagon and dismissed the edge as something to grow out of. It was in this climate that Judge was born. Two members of Youth of Today, Porcell and Mike Ferraro, decided to do a project band in opposition to the backlash against drug-free hardcore, and entered Don Fury studios in 1988 with something to prove. The result was the classic New York Crew EP, and with songs like ..Fed Up.. and ..In My Way,.. the band took an unapologetic hard stance against alcohol and drugs. The group would soon grow from a side project to a full-time band, with Mike becoming known as Mike Judge .. a rough-and-tumble biker sort of guy who wrote hard-edge lyrics but with heart and honesty. Judge had an uncommonly heavy sound for the time, and their style of metallic, no-compromise straight edge set the stage for the new wave of sXe bands throughout the 90s.