Gorilla Biscuits

About Gorilla Biscuits

Gorilla Biscuits came out of New York's late 80s hardcore scene when that world was starting to split between people who wanted to keep things fast and angry and people who thought maybe hardcore could be about more than just being pissed off. They landed firmly in the second camp, pushing what became known as youth crew hardcore — positive lyrics, straight edge ethics, and a sound that hit hard but somehow felt cleaner than the grimy NYHC that came before it.

The band formed in 1986 with Anthony "Civ" Civarelli on vocals, Walter Schreifels on guitar, Arthur Smilios on bass, Alex Brown on drums, and later Luke Abbey taking over on drums. Schreifels was already making a name for himself in Youth of Today, so Gorilla Biscuits had instant credibility in a scene that was pretty small and intensely connected. Their first 7-inch came out in 1988 on Revelation Records, the label that basically defined youth crew hardcore.

"Start Today" is the album everyone knows. Released in 1989, it's maybe the most accessible hardcore record of that era without losing any teeth. Songs like "New Direction" and the title track became instant staples, the kind of thing that still gets crowds moving decades later. The production was clearer than most hardcore at the time, and Civ's vocals had this urgency that felt genuine rather than performed. Lyrically, they wrote about self-improvement, friendship, staying drug-free — stuff that could've come off preachy but mostly just sounded earnest.

What made them different was the melody. Schreifels brought melodic sensibility to a genre that often treated tunefulness with suspicion. The songs had hooks, breakdowns that weren't just excuses to mosh but actually served the song. "Things We Say" and "Good Intentions" showed a band thinking about song structure in ways their peers sometimes skipped.

They broke up in 1992, which felt inevitable. Most hardcore bands from that era burned bright and short. Schreifels went on to form Quicksand and later Rival Schools, continuing to explore that melodic-heavy intersection. Civ fronted CIV and had a brief major label moment in the mid-90s.

The reunion thing started in the mid-2000s. They've played shows on and off since then — festivals, occasional tours, the usual spots where legacy hardcore bands end up. No new album, which honestly feels right. "Start Today" exists as this perfect snapshot of a moment, and there's something to be said for leaving it alone. When they do play, people show up, often spanning generations at this point. Kids who weren't born when the band first broke up singing along to songs their older siblings or parents wore out on CD.

They're not reinventing anything now. They're just the band that made one of hardcore's essential records and occasionally reminds people why it mattered.

Their shows are tight, relatively short sets that hit hard without relying on flash. The crowd tends to be genuinely affectionate rather than aggressive—lots of singing along, arms linked during the slower parts. Pure endorphin release without the performative aggression of some hardcore shows.

Known for Cats & Dogs, Memory Serves, Bergamot, New York Crew, Stand Together

See Gorilla Biscuits Live