Fortitude was started back in 1997 with the foundation of what we call "Old Ethics". That is staying true to your friends, family, and self.In the songs entitled "Old Ethics" and "The Game" the lyrics say it all..."I remember when we went to the shows, with x's on our hands, everyone was down with each other, we were all friends, str8 Edge, Skaters, Skinheads, and Punks, with hair spiked everywhere, it didn't matter 'cause the song was the same, and we all showed care"..."I'll stand by you, no matter what you do, promises we made, our love is real, no one can steal, loyal to the grave, pain felt by all, stand where you fall, anger takes lead, I will still bleed."Our front 2 are Vegan and Vegetarian whereas Big Dave on the other hand might be spotted behind the kit in between songs with a drumstick in his mouth (and not the wooden kind either), but we respect everyone's lifestyle choice. We aim to inform, not denigrate. Check out "Far Too Late."We also believe that everyone is welcome to hardcore. Males typically dominate the hardcore scene and shows. "Broken Dreams" is a song that stands up for females, in life, in love, in respect.We've had member changes over the past 8 years, but still stay true to the spirit of hardcore and the lifestyle. We live by our rule, not just play it on stage. We've played a bunch of shows, toured, made friends, but unfortunately lost a few along the way. One being Mike Aronson, a founding member. We miss him dearly, but keep his memory alive in our music. In "Side by Side" we pay our respects and tribute to him..."There's no turning back, there's no love you lacked, we'll see you again, forever our friend."Don't take life for granted..."At least I can say, I live for today." from "Average Lifespan"
