MAX KELLER (HANDHELD VIOLENCE)
1. I’ve got a fixture in the Southern Maine hardcore scene here with Max Keller, also known as Handheld Violence. Max, if you’d be so kind, would you please describe to the readers what Handheld Violence is.
Handheld Violence is an account I made on social media (Instagram and YouTube) that posts clips and full sets from the local hardcore shows here in Southern Maine. It’s supposed to be for those who are interested in the local scene to be able to watch previous bands/sets they missed or reminisce about the ones they did go to.
2. How did you get into videography and develop your skillset?
From a very young age, I would help my dad with his professional videography (either being the boom-man or a runner), so from a young age I was learning stuff about filming and cameras that I thought I would never put into practice. Through the early stages of putting this together, I actually had to go to him before starting to film for pointers and directions.
3. What about hardcore—when and how did you discover it, and what drew you to it?
About five years ago, I was tired of the music that I was listening to and the music that was being pushed at me. So, I decided to create a list of bands/musicians to check out to have a better understanding of music and the history of certain genres that interested me. Starting with bands in the 70s such as (revisiting) Black Sabbath's discography and Judas Priest, Dio (the “Heavy Metal” genre), I moved through doom metal, punk rock, grunge, eventually reaching the hardcore genre. Some of the first few bands I checked out were Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, and Suicidal Tendencies. There was something about how hardcore music made me feel that was completely different than any other genre. That, and (once I started going to shows) feeling the incredible force that the hardcore community is, I’ve never wanted to leave since.
4. When did you start filming live sets and what made you want to start doing this?
I started filming sets less than a year ago. The reason as to why I became a videographer is that one day after a show, I was talking with Ethan Burke (head honcho of SVU) [ed. note: you can read my interview with Ethan here] and asked him directly, “what can I do to help our local scene grow and flourish?” He replied almost immediately with, “we need an in-house videographer if you’re interested.” So I took him up on that and haven’t looked back since.
5. Are there any band’s sets in particular that stand out to you in some way?
Some of my favorite sets that I’ve filmed are Bad Move (on 2/8/26), Mortar (on 2/27/26), and Guillotine (on 3/7/26); all of these are available to watch on my channel. If we’re talking about sets I haven’t filmed but have inspired me; Laid 2 Rest at the Shaker’s Pub (2015), 6 FT Ditch at 12 Bar (2006), and Soulless at the Middle East (2025).
6. Who are some of the bands in our local scene you think folks need to be paying attention to?
Some bands in our local scene that deserve our undivided attention are Mortar, Guillotine, Satiate, and Last Embrace. Some newer bands that should be also taken seriously are BitetheBullet and Dying Mind. Some upcoming bands to watch out for are xBeaconx, End Your Life, and Fraying.
7. As a fellow Hellfest NJ attendee, I’m curious as to which sets from that weekend stood out to you as most memorable?
There were too many to count. I was enthralled to be there to begin with. If I had to pick my favorites of the weekend, I'd pick BloodShed, Laid2Rest, Years Spent Cold, Volcano, Hatebreed, Jerome, Shattered Realm, Seraph, Big Boy, and a ton of others. It was an amazing weekend.
Jerome; photo taken by the interviewer
8. Okay, time for a classic: ignoring the logistics of how you’d do it, if you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring five records with you, which ones would you bring and why?
The first record is gonna be Satisfaction is the Death of Desire (Hatebreed), just because it's an absolute staple of an album. The second is going to be Outlaw Anthems (Blood for Blood) because it's an album I resonate with heavily. The third album is going to be One with the Underdogs (Terror) because I found this band and album early on in my descent into hardcore; that album helped me understand that hardcore is more than just a genre but a way of life and made me want to dive deeper. The fourth album is The Kids Are Dead by Hammer Bros; I believe this album is a peak early 2000s album and I can listen to it in any mood and it will automatically make me want to move a damn mountain. The fifth album is going to be Before the Devil by Black My Heart, another foundational early 2000s album that I listen to often.
9. Any upcoming plans or projects you want to plug, other shout-outs, or any last words for the readers?
Go check out my accounts on YouTube and Instagram at HandheldViolence.207. I post inconsistently due to space between shows and I like to roll them out as soon as possible, but I film everything that I can. Shoutout to all my homies in my scene… SVU (couldn’t do this without you), Satiate, Tristan, Noah, Maya, Aidan, Jeff, Galen, Gavin, Ryan, Avery, AJ, Des, Andy, Ben and Hannah, and especially my man Goomba. I appreciate you all for supporting this and being the best people around. Look out for Fraying in the future.