Moral Law

Vegan straight edge (often stylized xVx) is a militant, ideologically driven current within the hardcore/metalcore underground that fuses straight edge sobriety with vegan ethics and animal liberation. Musically it leans on metallic hardcore: down-tuned guitars, palm‑muted chugs, two‑step and d‑beat propulsion, and shout‑along gang vocals. Lyrically it is unambiguous—songs advocate veganism, anti‑speciesism, anti‑corporate critique, and personal discipline, often in stark, slogan‑ready lines. The aesthetic emerged around a tight scene of 1990s bands (most famously Earth Crisis) whose sound and message helped codify a distinct identity, iconography (the xVx mark), and show culture within the broader straight edge movement.

Colorado hardcore refers to the network of hardcore-punk and metallic-hardcore bands, venues, and DIY organizers centered around Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, and the Front Range. It combines the speed and directness of early U.S. hardcore with two parallel local tendencies: a tuneful, Blasting Room–honed melodic strain, and a heavier, metallic/crust-leaning attack. The scene is rooted in classic, fast, and abrasive hardcore (circle pits, two-step parts, short songs) but often folds in skate-punk melodies, anthemic gang vocals, and, on the heavier side, breakdowns and sludge/grind textures. Lyrically it runs from anti-authoritarian and community-minded themes to personal struggle, recovery, and local issues, sustained by a strong DIY ethos and all-ages culture.