In October 2011, the activist hacker group Anonymous released the names of 1589 users of Lolita City, an underground pedophile community. In an interview about the effort to expose the bastards, a hacker named “Arson” stated that the mission was only to take down illegal materials. He said the operation wasn’t triggered by any particular event. “We vowed to fight for the defenseless, there is none more defenseless than innocent children being exploited,” he said in the interview.

Inspired by that event and the interview with “Arson,” the local hardcore band Stark’s Pond wrote the tune “Under Electric Skies.” Now, the group has just released a lyric video for the song, which features parched vocals and heavy drums but ultimately comes off as a ballad (at least by hardcore standards).

“This song is dedicated to those who defended the defenseless,” explains singer Paul Kahan. “It’s a subject matter that hits super close to home for me. I’ve seen the damage its done both up close and from afar. I think it’s something we should all band together to fight against. I love that Anonymous did that.”

Youtube video

This article appears in Apr 27 – May 3, 2016.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.