Kingpin is a five-piece from Ieper. Existing out of current members of Congress and ex-members of Spirit Of Youth. The band was formed in the summer of 1998 when Sim (guitar) joined Vinnie (drums), Vez (bass) & Pedro (guitar) after they had begun jamming a few months earlier. The main reason for starting the band was, so they could play some fast old-school NY hardcore which they were all fan of. A few months later Josh (lead guitar Congress) joined the band, taking the mic and spreadin' the message. Kingpin were now a complete outfit. After searching an own style while mixing Cro-Mags' aggression along with Crown Of Thorns & Leeway melody, the band rehearsed more and more and found their own sound. Their first gig was planned in the summer of 2K appearing at the GoodLife Fest! The reactions were positive and soon gigs followed. In the fall of 2K they visited "Studio 13" where they recorded a 5-song demo. There were only a few hundred made and they sold out quick. Next up was their participation to "Respect your roots : The American Tribute Of Hardcore" on I scream Records, when they covered Crown Of Thronz' "Icepick". 2001 Was a good year for the band, who played several shows and also played the annual Ieper Fest which turned out great! The band rehearsed a lot and planned to visit the studio in 2002. They were playing on stages almost every week and got lots of support from people everywhere. In march 2002 they visited the "Grindhouse studio" to record their first mini-cd entitled "Bad Habits Die Hard" on Pyro Records and a 10" vinyl on Reality Records.