Overpower - Demo 2011

Wow, what we have here?

A new band from some old pogo wolves of the german hardcore scene.

My knowledge-owner informer told me that the band consists of ex members of brutal masterminds BURIAL and THE NOW-DENIAL. I don't know if that's accurate but I believe him and propably you'll do the same when you'll listen the first song.

This is fuckin' rock-driven, fast forward hardcore punk the good way. Their singer yelling his lungs out – not the japcore style as you might except – with a true sincerity and a knife in his hand. Yep, that's fucking deadfull hardcore guys. The guitar is over the whole production and this is the main reason, I think, this demo is so “strong” and tight. The riffs are the usual speedy freaked-out ala Paintbox illness while the drums and bass lines offers cathcy dancing songs reminding me the first 7'' of Burial without the deathside vocals or the Doomtown Lp (check for example “the power to be” or “24 hours”). This demo have been released as a limited lp (300 copies) and it's maybe the best album I listened to lately alongside the ropes second demo. Thanx goes out to stathis who pointed his finger to this shit.

Check here for the lyrics of the album

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Kafka - Truths

Another great mini-cd that came ten years ago in my mailbox, in the golden ages of tape-trading. Kafka born in genova in 1995 as a melodic hardcore punk band but quickly changed their sound and their influences to more metallic edge paths. They were a straight-edge band, that everyone that have seen them live back in the day in villa amalias have only good words to say.

To understand their sound better, think Blackfish records sound, yep Ian Glasper's label with that early 00's good metallic-hardcore releases. In this mini cd the band have clear influences from the NYHC scene with all that great mid-tempo parts that turns out the delight soundtrack of a violent mosh-pit. Their guitar riffs make clear that the band loves Slayer, especially on the opening riff of Generaziona di stupidita.

Add some really screaming low-edged vocals and Kafka turns into the ultra-chaotic hardcore band in my ears, or it's just that when i buyed that disc i was only 15, so the band sounded to me really extreme, but then i still enjoy this shit. One is for sure, Kafka alongside Frammenti, have very igh standards for the italian hardcore of the late 90's. Two bands worth checking out. Last but not least : "If Biohazard didn't play for money and were from italy their name would propably be Kafka." and "The perfect impact is of course live, with a high shrill voice over a chaotic metallic background that blows anything up.".

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Memories aren't always golden (in our case they are)

me and myfriend going to our first show

 So, lydia created a new blog called "my first punk show" to gather different opinions on how much we love punk or what was the dynamiter that blown away our minds years and years ago...So, i have to tell that behind the love for music, it was something bigger. To be part of something bigger than ourselves, to be active, to respect each other, not to gain profit from our friends or any other person, to help each other out, to communicate and i don't know what other fucked-up thing. Bigger than punk is the small actions that making it true.So, go and read my column here and hit me up. last but not least check also this video:

My turn - Noble intentions (demo 2010)

So, the time is now for the most boring review of the whole blog-sphere.

Apostolis sent me his band's demo a couple of months ago and i still digging the words to make it through. Here you'll find no nice words.

My turn comes from athens, greece and they play positive hardcore (no, i'm  no kidding... they declare it).

So, in the vein of 7 seconds and with their original name to be Positive Approach, My Turn delivers short-fused hardcore tracks full of of childish freshness (even if they are close to 30).

Add the screams of a young virgin girl and you have the new must of athens city, something like mojito with fresh lime...

Enjoy respectivelly

trust no-one

IRE - I discern an overtone of tragedy in your voice

On the last masakari's album we can find a song under the title "pain convicted as a tool", perhaps the verb convicted may not be the right one but the canadian powerhouse that combines the three letters IRE is the true description of how the human mind can create or describe a painfull atmosphere. Ladies and gentlemen, from '97 comes the vocabulary of grief, the mighty "I discern an overtone of tragedy in your voice".

Members of IRE have been or still are on famous bands of the canadian scene such as: Cursed, The black hand, Land of Kush and Cobra noir. Not bad at all, huh?

Ire delivers four tracks in more than 24 minutes, mixing the technical hardcore and enmocore of the mid-90's scene aka Catharsis with ultra sink(y) parts, the guitars are deep inside shit, the mind that came up with that riffs is deadly ill while some black metallic blast beats creates a nightmarish environment. Have in mind that we are in '97 and still bands have something to say (i can't understand why people are so impressed with bands like Light Bearer and the other boring kind).

I made an arrangement with bat from fugitive equilibrium to make a short tribute to IRE so here you can find the split with seized and their self titled 7''. He will also post their other Lp "What seed, What Root?".

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Active Minds

"The road to fame and fortune is an easy one to take - the door is always open for those who are on the make. If you're dumb enough to stick your head's in corporate mouths, they're ready to chew you up and spit you back out." are the opening lyrics of the song "The road to fame and fortune", a bright piece of "guidance" in my youth years. Active minds were one of my favourites bands of my childhood and they still are, so let's see the reasons why.

It seams that some people stick so badly to their opinions and have the willing to express it, a fact that always attracted me. Those brothers from scarborough have express their views to all the fucking topics that a human mind could ever think about. Like the above mentioned track they do a hard but true critic to all that bands that beginning from diy ethics did the crossover and signed contracts with major labels and multinationals of the music industry, bands like chubawamba and the blaggers. They had the strenght to say "dis is getting pathetic" in a time that more and more discharcge clone bands popping up (still do) or with the whole crap the hardcore scene appears to be, pathetic, apolitical and stagnant. They wrote lyrics about the animal exploitation, the human stupidity (they had a serious theme with metal bands with stupid lyrics (do you remember "stupid lyrics - why bother?'or "at war with satanists")), the straight edge or the alcoholism problem.

this is the backside from the "dis is..." 7''. I love the "put your name here" style

My personal favourites are "The natinal lotta E" and "I'm not atourist..." seveninches. It's so amazing what can do only two persons with a guitar and a drum-kit, full of dreams, ideas, views, and love for what they're doing. Even if you think they are "puritans" i higly recommend to give'em a good listening 'coz here we have some some shining hardcore diamond moments. check out for example "insomnia" with that "hyped-wannabe" rhythm that gives spins to your head.

"What sort of a world are we living in where people are discriminated against for their colour of your skin?" from "Sick world" seems to be the soundtrack of modern life in the centre of athens with so many racist attacks lately. They also run Loony Tunes records and i don't what else to say...

download part 1 : The national lotta "E" & I'm not a tourist
download part 2 : Dis is getting pathetic & Lunatics have... & Capitalism is a disease

also check out a very interesting interview here : part 1 & part 2

Wild//Tribe - Endless Nights

Found this band on the net "by accident" and fuckin' blown away. Wild//Tribe comes from texas and share members with the great crust/core band Unit 21 (or Tribe is the new band of that fellows, i don't know for sure).

So, i don't really have so much to say.. Here we have a band that combines great japanese hardcore with that Tragedy pogo parts. They keep on reminding me the better stuff of World burns to death (early days) with that metallic edge d-beat or how Masakari would propably sound if they didn't change so much their sound after their first 7''. This is a 6 track album with great tracks that will make your neck ache and knees broke, and by the way this is awwweesome. Cover art by Sugi!

buy here

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Burn Again - Excuses for apologies

Let's get this straight, this post is definitely not for those who don't afford modern styles of music, talent, well played crust and the land finland. It's also not for those who wear police sunglasses, eats ice-cream in a cool shiny day or even think that they live in a perfect world. This world has hate, famine (and Darkthrone) and Burn Again, a band who can drop the whole sky in your little head (as their track "the sky is falling" declares).

As my good friend billy asked for some scandi-crust i felt i owe him a post, not that his taste is similar to burn again, but at least i tried. So, let's start with the infos. "Excuses for apologies" is the cd release of the band's demo alongside the side of the split with Lahdon Aika (also a killer band from finland. Here you can download some tracks the band offers for free). It has been released in Japan by Acclaim, Urban resistant and Reset not equal zero records.

Here we have pure d-beat orgy with tones of modern crustcore guitar leads and riffs, melodic and catchy bridges, fast drums and dual male vocals, both angry and mean. I know you think From Ashes Rise (also Never Built Ruins and the other brutal neo-crust german bands) etc and you should do, but here is something bigger than just "neo-crust" label, it's about heart, passion and beating, or even better i like to think is the legacy of another great finnish band called Sharpeville. So, be ready to feel the sky crushing you.

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Sucked dry - tape & 7''

Some time ago, while i was chating with Dan from http://old-fast-and-loud.blogspot.com/, he told me that he will release a 7'' from a new band from Kansas city called Sucked dry. I somehow (or dumbhow) found a digital copy of that 7'' (called "falling apart at the seams'') and i was blown away. Heavy and clear bass lines played super fast, drums that makes the less of the less turns, great angry vocals and catchy riffs. You know that i love everything that combines old-school hardcore played in our time. Fresh, ultra-violent, pessimistic and strong like tornado (Βαγγουρα τσεκαρε). Does Out Cold comes in mind? It should be, 'coz this young lads delivers first-class negative hardcore like the "fathers" did. On the bottom of the post you'll find a download link. The folder contains both the new casseette and the "falling apart..." 7''.
I sent the band an e-mail and we start chating, the rest column you can call it an (extra-mini) interview (but it's not). SUCKED DRY have my respect, time for you now :

FC : Who the fuck are you?
SD: Hi, I'm nic. I'm 21 years old, I'm the guitarist and vocalist. David (drums) is 19, and Jake (bass) is 22. We've been playing bands together since we were 15-ish, but nothing of note, really. Jake and I went to elementary school together. We live in a house on the East side with 3 other guys.

FC: What is like living on Kansas city? any notable hardcore bands i should check?
SD: Kansas City is cool. It's not different from any other smaller sized city. I think we're the 9th most dangerous city in US, but that might be a little misleading. We live in pretty serious Crip neighborhood (listen to Fat-Tone), but we've never had any problems. The neighbors are all really nice to the weirdo white kids, and this group of little girls from down the street are always hanging out with us on the porch and asking us dumb questions. We've got a lot of great hardcore bands, too: Dark Ages, Der Todesking, Sorry Excuse, Kicked In, and No Master (which Jake and David are now in doing their respective instruments after our friend Johnny passed away last year.)

FC : Are you politically active (in general)?
SD : It's hard to be really politically active in the Midwest, let alone the US in general. Political candidates don't really disclose their views or policies very earnestly, so public knowledge on the people you vote for tends to be fairly vague and murky, so needless to say, it's pretty discouraging. Plus, you know, whatever. Fuck those guys. I mean, college tuition in England gets raised a pound and people are burning buildings down, while in the US college tuition is tripling (in some cases quadrupling) the rate of inflation, and there's an immense feeling of, not necessarily apathy, but a kind of impotency. At least, I feel like there's very little I can do to change anything.

FC : Your songs are fast and mean. What's the fuel that makes you write those hateful lyrics?
SD :  The songs we write don't espouse a very specific political agenda. The lyrics are more of a reflection on what it means to be a person these days. We're all pollution producing, boot licking egomaniacs. It's almost inescapable.

FC : why are you hating the police?
SD : The boys in blue don't miss out on our dedications. ACAB

FC : Last comment?
SD : We're all vegeterians.

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buy the tape here

Cross stitched eyes - II

Here we have my latest obsession. Cross stiched eyes comes from different countries (uk, germany and usa) to deliver the one and only deadly thing: Amazing hardcore punk. Tim Crow (check out desperately Bad Influence and Zygote if you haven't already) plays the bass guitar.

Members of Cross Stitched Eyes consist of the bands, some past, some present: ZYGOTE, UK SUBS, ENEMIES, ANGER OF BACTERIA, COLD DEATH, SUBHUMANS, BLACK MASS, ENDROPHOBIA, TUORETTE SYNDROME, SWORN LIARS, and ALARIC.

Now, here we have their recording called "II". It consists of their first ep ("I"), some newer studio recordings and some demo versions. It has thirteen tracks, some of them are highlights such as : "cross', "cast out", "suffer" etc. They blend with a nature feeling totally different stuff with a great spell. Awesome vocals that reminds early uk crust, some Rudimentary peni atmosphere, With a solid foundation of heavy, pounding drums, dark, driving riffage, and an overall evil/scary ambience, they are truelly a great band and i'm glad i finally got to listen their records.

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