I’ve decided just to start posting stuff I’ve written–

1st Up: The Chariot, WonkavisionMagazine #37, pg. 48
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THE CHARIOT
SOUTHEASTERN SHUFFLE

By Josh Spilker

[PULL QUOTE: “Basically we just do whatever we want to do, and so y’all can put that in whatever category y’all want.”]

If there was a tower that overlooked the land of hardcore, the 25-cent binoculars would be pointed towards the southeast. Eager eyes would keep watch over bands like Norma Jean, He Is Legend, Underoath, and Maylene and The Sons of Disaster. Based out of Atlanta, The Chariot is part of the cavalry leading the charge.

“Yeah, I am not sure what breeds the music and keeps it going,” says Josh Scogin, the lead vocalist/founder of The Chariot. “It could just be how awesome everything is down here. I mean, even the rappers can’t help but be good when they are from Atlanta and the southeast.”

Though Scogin may not know exactly what gives Atlanta it’s cool, he does know a little something about hardcore. He started in Norma Jean and then inexplicably left as the band began to take off on a national level, forming The Chariot a little while later. Norma Jean has continued their ascent and The Chariot is clipping along with a similar swiftness. Even though Scogin is the only original member in what seems to be a constant carousel of characters.

“Only time and touring brings out the truths of who likes life on the road and who thought they liked life on the road but then realized quickly it was not all it’s cracked up to be,” says Scogin. “Some people have to have money and some sense of normalcy in their life. Being in a band can be a guaranteed way to not have money or normalcy.”

Now consisting of Jon Terrey (guitar), Dan Eaton (guitar), Jake Ryan (drums), and Jon Kindler (bass), the trials of the road were more obvious to fans because of The Chariot’s popularity. “Our only curse is that we got to where people knew us fairly fast. So they saw the transition,” says Scogin.

The result of that transition is The Chariot’s new full-length, The Fiancée, out on Solid State Records. It’s a record that continues the intense aural assault of panicked guitar thrashing and creative sequencing. The song titles describe a duel that includes a few narrative twists and clever wordplay. Scogin once again was in charge of songwriting for The Fiancée, but this time he took a more difficult approach.

“I did not start writing any lyrics until the final song was written, so there is somewhat of a common thread among every song,” says Scogin. “But I will never do that again, because I was literally writing all the lyrics for 10 songs within about a week or so.”

One thing The Chariot certainly does not lack is originality. Scogin says they “stood out like a sore thumb” on the metal Sounds of the Underground tour, but they don’t always feel comfortable musically with hardcore acts, either.

“I hate sub-categories with other sub-categories and even more sub-categories. I usually define music as ‘heavy’ or ‘chill,’ and based on those definitions I would say we fit into the ‘heavy’ category,” says Scogin. “Because basically we just do whatever we want to do, and so y’all can put that in whatever category y’all want.”

Another aspect of The Chariot that defies easy categorization is their Christian beliefs. The Chariot wants to break the stereotypes formed by the poor examples of others.

“There are people out there who can be legitimately Christian and also be a legitimate human being. Not all Christians walk around throwing sharpened crosses at anything that moves,” says Scogin. “My only hope is that people stop grouping every single Christian they meet in the future based on bad experiences they may have had in the past.”

Despite the ever-changing scenery of hardcore and even its own band, The Chariot is becoming a solid fixture. “As far as musically, it is only now that we have what I would describe as the definition of The Chariot,” says Scogin. “Everyone has the same vision and the same goal for the music we want to make.”

For more info, go to: thechariot.com