RIP AL BARILE

As a child, the back cover of SSD's 12”EP Get It Away was stared at for hours on end in the bedroom I shared with my brother in our childhood home. Being a weird antisocial kid, the Hardcore Punk fanzines and records scattered around our room became my version of comic books. Bald dudes soaring through the air were my superheroes and Al Barile was at the top of that list.

He and SSD were immediately relatable with their very “unpunk” look and their message of Straight Edge, which totally dismantled the suburban, teenaged party culture that I witnessed via my older siblings. Al and the band’s influence carried on through high school and their championing of the DIY aesthetic continued on as I did fanzine after fanzine well into my adult years.

Getting to know both he and Nancy in the past few years was a honor and it never left my mind how blown away my 12 year old self would have been at the situation. Thank you to both Al and Nancy for being so generous with their time. Providing me with the opportunity to find out all the info that flooded my brain for so many years will never be forgotten. RIP Al Barile.