The Saint Alvia Cartel: Hardcore Punks Learn New Language

The Saint Alvia Cartel are surprising a lot of people.

"The responses I've received have been almost unanimously, 'Whoa! Totally not what I was expecting, but I really like it,'" says guitarist Rob Pasalic.

One thing people learn quickly when listening to the Burlington, Ontario sextet's self-titled debut is simply to expect the unexpected. Despite being comprised of current and ex-members of well-respected hardcore and punk acts Grade, Jersey, Boys Night Out and The Video Dead, their tunes bare little resemblance to the aggressive scenes they grew up in.

Refusing to constrict themselves, TSAC incorporate elements of rock, reggae, soul and even a little dub into an infectious, melodic sonic concoction.

"We're not trying to prove anything," explains vocalist Ben Rispin. "We just wanted to make songs from our hearts that mattered to us. I think because we took that approach, we've connected musically with a lot of people we didn't think we would."

Although some supporters of their past projects may scoff at the poppy nature of the group, Rispin makes no apologies for the new directions they're exploring as TSAC.

"Video Dead played with Kill Decibel once and I liked how they described certain genres — 'It's the same message, just a different language.'"

The following Listen Up article is from the September 2007 issue of Chart Magazine. To purchase the issue go to the Chart Shop.