Triple Threat

Summer 2004: Orange County California Straight Edge Hardcore legends Insted had a three-date east coast romp in the works, and invited long time friend Tim McMahon onto the New Jersey show bill to front whichever of his prior bands he chose (Mouthpiece, Hands Tied, Face The Enemy). Any of your bands, we want you on the show singing they told him. Quite a nice thing to hear for McMahon, who had caught Insted in his teenage years in '89 and '91 and no doubt had fond memories, especially those of Mouthpiece opening for the O.C. group at Trenton, New Jersey's City Gardens in 1991. Rounding up the Mouthpiece crew for a final reunion celebration would have not only been easy, but a sure-fire crowd pleaser involving minimal effort. However, the growing conceptualization of a new McMahon-fronted hardcore powerhouse with longtime sidekick Ed McKirdy (Hands Tied, The Killing Flame, Face The Enemy, Suppression Swing) on guitar duties had already been taking place. The subject of hours of discussion and analysis between the two already had a working name: Triple Threat.