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MUSIQUE
Chroniques
Prévenez-nous si vous voyez des liens morts, ou pour envoyer vos productions à chroniquer : Yann ; coinxxxcoin[at]yahoo.fr. Si vous cherchez à vous procurer certains de ces disques, écrivez-nous, nous pourrons peut-être vous aiguiller vers des distros qui les ont.
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VITAMIN X "bad trip" Cd (Havoc)
VITAMIN X are one of those bands that never managed to capture the intensity of their live performances onto disc. Although they’re not bad, I never fully enjoyed their previous releases. But this one -at last !- it’s the good one. The production is top-notch, and the music is good, fast and raging Hardcore with a touch of old school and thrash. It’s great. The lyrics may be a little simple, though. http://geocities.com/vitaminxhc (Y.B.)
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POLLUTION "sigloxx" Cd (Invisible)
Good new spanish posicore band. POLLUTION bring us back to the good old days when old school Hardcore bands started to play post-Hardcore (OUTSPOKEN, ENCOUNTER, SPLIT LIP...), they also bring to mind melodic old school Hc bands like X-MILK, NINE ELEVEN or POINTING FINGER, with whom they shared a split 7". Smart lyrics. http://www.myspace.com/pollution (Y.B.)
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REGRES "punk rock pozytyw" Cd (Refuse)
Hehe, the title defines the band pretty well. REGRES play mid-tempo old school Hardcore with punk-rock influences and melodic lines. They aren’t bad, there’s actually some really good moments, but on the whole I think they lack power, or faster rhythms. The lyrics are good, both introspective and socially aware at the same time, although the whole "life is great, let’s stay positive" stuff gets on my nerves. http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl (Y.B.)
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GAMENESS/ AMEN RA/ GANTZ/ VUUR split Cd (Impure muzik)
Those four bands fit well together as they all play intense, well produced, screaming emo. I remember hearing the first GAMENESS mini-Cd ; they used to play NyHc with a metal touch. We organized a show for them a few months later, and they had gone totally emo ! These new tracks are in the tradition of classic emo bands like YAGE, ICONOCLAST, etc. AMEN RA are a bit more on the "new school", slower, darker side of things. GANTZ are more noisy influenced, while VUUR have a slight Hc-violence approach. Definitely not my style, but emo fans will enjoy for sure ! http://www.heartonfire.be (Y.B.)
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G-WHIZ "the pop punk singles collection 1989-1992" Cd (Boss tuneage)
Well, the title says it all, doesn’t it ? Cd compilation featuring all Ep’s by this quite famous American pop-punk band in the GREEN DAY/ SAMIAM vein. To be honest I was expecting something more powerful, this is really poppy. http://www.bosstuneage.com (Y.B.)
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LECSA PUNK "10 eve szemben az elnvomassal" Cd (Kanivo chaos)
Live, they were ok but basic, and sounded like G.B.H. a bit. This Cd is the same, but better. The sound is great, and the band plays uptempo punk, with political lyrics. Not bad ! http://www.kanivo-chaos.com (Y.B.)
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ESCUELA DE ODIO "Ep’s 94-96" Cd (Fragment)
That’s a good way to get those two old and "rare" Ep’s. However, how silly from them not to have included them on their two other Cd’s ! What a waste of plastic... Well, anyway, I’m a bit disappointed ; back then, these two Ep’s ripped. We loved them. But 10 years later... man, so many bands have played New York Hardcore, and with a better production too. Those songs are good, but don’t really stand the test of time. They’re still ok, especially if you’re a big fan of INTOLERANCE, JUDGE and AGNOSTIC FRONT. Cool lyrics, as always with Spanish bands. http://www.fragmentrecords.com (Y.B.)
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DELUSION "congratulations" Cd (Samuel rds)
Let’s go for labels : mid-tempo old school Hc with NyHc and post-Hc influences, from the Czech republic. Obvious influences : SICK OF IT ALL, REFUSED, SNAPCASE, ENDSTAND. Decent lyrics written in an approximate English. Decent stuff overall. http://www.delusionmusic.net (Y.B.)
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SICK TERROR "eu me vendo por bem menos do que voce imagina" Cd (Usina de sangue)
Ex-members of PERSONAL CHOICE, NEGATIVE CONTROL and DANCE OF DAYS teaming up to play a fashionable kind of music ; thrashcore. Let’s face it, the music rips. It’s fast as hell and there’s nice metallic guitar riffs. I don’t like the screaming vocals much, but they’re ok. And I don’t like the lyrics much either, they’re really emo/modern Hc in a "I don’t care about anything" way, full of criticisms of the Hc scene. Some of them fall right, but for the most part I believe it’s too easy to criticize and criticize, but offer nothing. usinadesangue@hotmail.com (Y.B.)
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HELLNATION "dynamite no seu cu" Cd (Laja)
I believe this is the Brazilian version of the Cd that came out on SOUND POLLUTION ? ("dynamite up your ass" - great title !). I found most of the band’s albums to be disappointing, but really enjoyed all of their Ep’s... But this one, gosh !! It is totally brilliant ! Ultrafast, raging Hardcore with a powerful sound and manic drumming. Excellent. 24 tracks in 17 minutes !! Good lyrics !! Buy it !! http://www.laja.com.br (Y.B.)
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DAG NASTY "minority of one" Cd (Revelation)
I had heard good things about this reunion album, and when I put the Cd in my player, I was blown away by the first track. Unfortunately, the next ones are average, and some are almost bad. It’s all too mellowed out and poppy. These grandfathers should have thrown the towel in once and for all (and keep their conservative politics out of punk). Ask a friend to tape you the best songs. http://www.daghouse.com (Y.B.)
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APRIL "kill depression" Cd (Pasazer)
Ok, they sell this as a full-length, although it’s only 19 minute long. That’s about the only bad thing I’ll say about this piece of gem. The Cd comes in a nice digipack, and includes a video track. Musically, this is kick-ass, super-tight Hardcore full of melodic lines, danceable mosh-parts, faster rhythm-beats, even metal riffs, and tunes that will stick to your head for weeks. The lyrics are awesome as well, so heartfelt, both personal/ introspective and socially aware at the same time. I wish there would be hundreds of bands like these, the world would be such a better place ! Who could I akin them to ? ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW, of course, their brother-band. SHELTER maybe ? COALITION ? UNDONE ? Buy a copy and find for yourself. www.april.band.pl (Y.B.)
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CRASHED OUT/ ISTUKAS OVER DISNEYLAND split Cd (WGF)
Nice stuff. One band from the Philippines, one from Indonesia, together on a Cd released by two French labels. ISTUKAS are a famous Filipino band playing quality Oï/punk with decent lyrics. CRASHED OUT are the same, but more punk-crust and more political. The sound quality is good for both bands, and the Cd comes with a scene report and a text about the history of Indonesia. This sounds so much more sincere than all the overproduced anglo-saxon bands you’ll ever heard. xwgfx@yahoo.fr (Y.B.)
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HEROS & ZEROS "wake up call" Cd (Mad butcher)
Yes, this is the Dutch Oï band that features the singer from VITAMIN X. No, after several listens I still can’t get into it. They play kinda typical left-wing Oï with a trumpet. Musically, I would say they are ok, although it seems to me like the musicians always want to speed up and play Hardcore. But my main problem is the vocals, which suit thrashcore music alright, but not this kind of stuff. That’s my opinion. The lyrics are pretty good, but I’m sure they would sound better if they were written in Dutch. http://www.madbutcher.de (Y.B.)
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ROUGH "indelebile" Cd (Oi strike)
I can see why this is such an important document. ROUGH, from Italy, were one of the first Oï bands in the world. They started in 1981, and only put out one Ep. These are the only good tracks on the Cd. The others are taken from demos and live recordings, and pretty much suck musically speaking. Lyrically, they were a typical Oï band with apolitical lyrics about life on the streets (but also lyrics about fighting bosses, cops, unemployment - go figure -skinheads will never change). What can I say ? Decent stuff. http://www.soarecords.it (Y.B.)
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THE SKULLS "the golden age of piracy" Cd (Dr strange)
This is an old Californian 77’ punk band that got back together in 2000, recorded two albums in a row, and split up for good in 2006. They’re not bad and have that typical south-Californian 80’s sound (BAD RELIGION, SOCIAL DISTORTION, CIRCLE JERKS, ILL REPUTE, TSOL) mixed with a more ’77/ rock’n’roll/ melodic Hc sound. The lyrics are Ok and are written in the ’77 way, dealing with death, suicide, love and boredom. The production is too clean for that kind of music and they certainly don’t have the anger, the urgency of the aforementioned bands. http://www.drstrange.com (Y.B.)
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THE SKULLS "therapy for the shy" Cd (Dr strange)
Same as above. http://www.drstrange.com (Y.B.)
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ZEBARGES "putain d’métal" Cd (Self released)
Oh shit. Their first demo sucked, but they still went on to release a real disc ! This French band, I don’t know how to describe them ; one drum machine, one bass, one vocalist, and lots of goofy lyrics about sex, religion, jocks, masturbation... Maybe one song would be ok, but twelve ! They probably wanted it this way, anyway... aczebarges.dk@caramail.com (Y.B.)
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HEY YO ! #10 fanzine (in French)
Héhé, marrant (une première dans l’histoire ?) ce fanzine Hardcore qui sort un numéro spécial rap, avec à la fois une rétrospective du mouvement rap depuis ses débuts et des interviews/chroniques de groupes actuels. J’en attendais pas mal et j’ai été un peu déçu, parce que même si les groupes sont "underground", ils ne sont pas à proprement parler "Hardcore". Or dans le rap, j’aime que le Hardcore et le reste m’insupporte. Donc je m’attendais à des trucs genre PILOOPHAZ, CALAVERA, PARIS, NWA, etc, et il n’en est pas question. Au niveau des interviews, sans être cons pour autant il faut reconnaître que les groupes sont assez peu intéressants (à part LA RUMEUR, qui ne fait pas dans la langue de bois !), et au niveau musical, le Cd-r qui accompagne le zine (26 groupes !) est assez mou, pas dansant mais pas haineux non plus, quoi... Bref, sympa, mais pas mon truc. twsheyyou@hotmail.com (Y.B.)
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OI POLLOI "in defence of our earth" Cd (Nikt nic nie wie)
Yummy, one of the best albums of all times re-released for our listening pleasure. Awesome from start to finish. Strong production, great mix of Oï, punk and metal, and excellent socially and environmentally conscious lyrics. It’s just sad they didn’t include any extra video or audio tracks, as they could easily have fit 30 to 40 more minutes of music on a Cd. Buy a bunch of copies, and pass them on to your friends, they’ll be happy. http://www.nnnw.pl (Y.B.)
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NONSENSE "burning inside" mCd (Senseless)
This French band from Selestat have improved a lot since their first demo ! The production is top-notch and the music is really tight. They play versatile, modern Hardcore ; there’s mosh parts, fast parts, emo parts... some fast parts are really great. I could do without the vocals, but this is a nice debut. http://www.nonsensehardcore.com (Y.B.)
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THE FREEZE "land of the lost/ rabid reaction" Cd (Dr Strange)
Holy shit, two classic albums and one Ep for the price of one disc. THE FREEZE started off as a raging Boston Hc-punk band, and slowly turned into a melodic Hc/Hc-rock band. These two albums & one Ep were recorded between 1982 and 1985, and they’re great ! They had a galloping drum rhythm, melodic guitar lines, and sounded a bit like early 80’s Californian bands (CIRCLE JERKS, BAD RELIGION ?). Good stuff ! http://www.drstrange.com (Y.B.)
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SLEAZY JOKE/ BURN AT ALL/ ASKIDA/ FIFO split Cd (Mass prod)
This is a good initiative. 4 punk bands from Fougères (French town in the west of France) teaming up and releasing a Cd featuring their four first demos. The sound is good for all bands, and the musicianship is ok. SLEAZY JOKE’s first Ep is featured on this, and it’s good, typical, powerful Breton punk-rock. BURN AT ALL sound the same and are pretty good too. ASKIDA’s sound is less good, but they’re more powerful and sing in basque ! FIFO play punk-rock with horns, thankfully they’re not too poppy or dull. Nothing incredible on that cd, but nothing bad either. http://www.massprod.com (Y.B.)
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THE COLD WITHIN/ SEE THE LIGHT split Cd (World of illusions)
Nice label name and really nice artwork. Musicwise, "modern Hardcore" ain’t my cup of tea, but both bands do their thing well. One is from France, and sound a bit more metal, while the other is from Japan, and sound a bit more emo. Other reviews I read mentioned SHAI HULUD, THE HOPE CONSPIRACY, GRADE and 1000 TRAVELS OF JAWAHARLAL. Sounds right. www.worldofillusions.fr (Y.B.)
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JULIETTE "from somewhere in the east" Cd (Refuse)
REFUSE is one of the best labels in the world. Almost all of the records he’s put out are excellent. But one day, some of his friends had him drink a lot of vodka and forced him into signing their band, JULIETTE. JULIETTE (why do emo bands always name themselves after female names ?) hail from Poland and play typical emo ; no pop, no metal, just offbeat emo with screaming vocals, like many French bands are known for : FINGERPRINT, RACHEL, AGHAST, UNDONE, GANTZ... or US bands like ICONOCLAST, POLICY OF THREE. Blah. Nice digipack though. http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl (Y.B.)
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ACTITUD SUBVERSIVA/ TROPIEZO split mCd (Discos de hoy)
I had already heard a couple recordings by both bands, and this Cd is no different ; ACTITUD SUBVERSIVA are a punk-Hc band with an original sound, I can’t say I dig their music much, but I do like the fact that they sound different. TROPIEZO fucking rule as always with their fast, angry, pissed off Hardcore-punk ! Both bands come from Puerto-rico, sing in Spanish and write political lyrics. discosdehoy@yahoo.com (Y.B.)
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MIZARU KIKAZARU IWAZARU Cd compilation (Blind destruction)
Nice compilation featuring 6 current British punk bands, playing raw and traditional punk (in the UK ’82 vein) but with a modern sound and full production. DA CAPO, THIS SYSTEM KILLS, IN THE SHIT, POUNDAFLESH... And the two last bands are less good although still ok : GURKHA and BOMB BLAST MEN. Not bad. http://www.bdrecs.com (Y.B.)
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ANTIGAMA/ THIRD DEGREE/ HERMAN RAREBELL Cd (Self made god)
These three bands fit really well together. They’tre all Polish, right, but also play the same style of super-powerful, well-produced, noisy & technical grindcore. They’re quite impressive, although those noisy riffs give me a headache. ANTIGAMA sound the same as on their album. I was a bit disappointed by THIRD DEGREE, who sound less crust than before. HERMAN RAREBELL are the fastest... and the best ! Hey, where’s the lyric sheets ?? http://www.selfmadegod.com (Y.B.)
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NO CRYING IN HARDCORE Cdr compilation (Time up)
Jesus fucking Christ ! Indonesia has the best current hardcore scene. Period. They have billions of bands, and all styles are represented. Most of what I have heard coming from Indonesia was excellent. This great compilation features about 25 fast-core/ thrashcore/ grindcore/ power violence/ old school Hc bands. Most songs are taken from demos so sound varies from good to average, and some bands are young and still a bit basic, but this is an impressive document, and some bands rip, especially the old school Hc ones ! Forget about those boring overproduced American bands ! Buy this, and it’s cheap too ! sng_zine@yahoo.com (Y.B.)
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LOS FASTIDIOS "sopra e sotto il palco" Cd (Mad butcher)
14 tracks recorded during their 2004 tour. Pretty good sound quality. Good Italian Oï with Hardcore influences. What more can I say ? This is not an essential album, but fans of the band should enjoy. http://www.madbutcher.net (Y.B.)
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SOON IN HERE "screaming for justice" Cd-r
I loved them live so I bought both of their Cd-r demos, and they sound just the same ; fast Hardcore from Israel with NyHc roots and metal riffs. I could do without a couple guitar solos, but the music’s still good. The sound quality is great too. http://www.geocities.com/sooninhere (Y.B.)
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SOON IN HERE Cd-r
This is their first cd from 2003. The other one is great, but this one is totally awesome ; faster and less metal, with good lyrics. Excellent stuff ! http://www.geocities.com/sooninhere (Y.B.)
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SKARFACE "merci" Cd (Black butcher)
They claim they’ve been around for 10 years, put out 10 albums, sold 80000 Cds and played 800 gigs. Is that true ? It’s hard to believe, especially considering there are so many better ska bands in the world ! I don’t know. I never liked them. The music doesn’t move me. For their tenth anniversary, they recorded 16 cover songs, everything from pop music to punk, but I preferred all of the original tunes... http://www.madbutcher.net(Y.B.)
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KTS "Tapage nocturne" Cd (Let’s go)
Same as their first album ; Paris punk-rock bordering on Oï and Hardcore, and bringing to mind L’INFANTERIE SAUVAGE, FINAL BLAST, NEOPHYTE and more (without being as good as the bands mentioned). This is a solid album, maybe a bit short, with decent lyrics dealing with life on the streets. http://kts.free.fr (Y.B.)
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MAD AT THE SUN "hot snow falling" Cd (Boss tuneage)
Discography Cd by some late 80’s English band. I had heard a track on the "year zero/ Exeter punk" compilation, and read in the booklet this was one of the first Hc bands of their area, and that they were influences by bands like MINOR THREAT, DAG NASTY and so forth. So I was really surprised when I heard this Cd, because they don’t have an old school Hc sound at all. On the contrary, they were a bit ahead of their time with their post-Hardcore, melodic, almost poppy sound and danceable rhythms. I can’t say I liked it much, but it was interesting nonetheless. Different. http://www.bosstuneage.com (Y.B.)
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THEMA ELEVEN "choose your beast" Cd (Old skool kids)
Hehe, not bad. Czech band co-released by two Russians labels. Strong NEUROSIS influenced noisy/emo with long, dark, yet varied songs. I surprised myself kinda enjoying it. The lyrics aren’t so good but there’s a nice text and links to social organizations included. http://www.oskrecords.com (Y.B.)
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THE SNOT ROCKETS "bankrupt" Cd (Boss tuneage)
Together with PROPAGANDHI, GOOD RIDDANCE and a couple others, this is one of the best of the melodic Hc bandwagon. Their first Cd was pretty good, they still play tight Hc, half-way between melodic Hc (EPITAPH style), punk’n’roll and punk-Hc. I was however disappointed by the weird lyrics. http://www.thesnotrockets.com (Y.B.)
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THE LOCUST "plague soundscapes" Cd (Epitaph)
Why does everyone like them ? I saw them live once and wasn’t impressed. This Cd won’t change my mind. It’s fast and noisy, goofy, experimental "grindcore" with screaming vocals and absurd lyrics. I don’t even think this is grindcore. It’s just chaotic noise. http://www.thelocust.com (Y.B.)
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THE NOW DENIAL "viva viva threatening" Cd
One band "creates" a new sound (ok, actually all TRAGEDY did was to copy MOTORHEAD), and a thousand sheep jump on the wagon. THE NOW DENIAL are yet another "emo-crust" band, mid-tempo, well-produced, metallic, with screaming vocals and emo-crust lyrics (whatever this means ; both abstract and political ?). They’re not bad, maybe a bit slow, but their music definitely is trendy. www.thenowdenial.de (Y.B.)
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UNKIND "ei mitään" Cd (Combat rock)
Hey, I didn’t know they were still around. These Finnish crusties still play crustcore, but with more variety than before, and some modern influences too (read : emo-crust). The production is good, the lyrics deal with capitalism, this is an ok album. http://www.fireinsidemusic.com (Y.B.)
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SPACCIATORI DI MUSICA STUPEFACENTE "la solita rabbia" Cd-r
Coming out of nowhere, one cool Italian melodic punk-Hc demo (I believe it’s a demo but it looks really professional). The band have that typical Italian sound, if you’ve heard FRAMMENTI, AFFLUENTE, ARTURO, BOCCA CHIUSA, BELLI COSI, you’ll know what I’m talking about ! The sound is good, the music’s great, I would like to hear more. http://www.spacciatori.org (Y.B.)
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WASTED "here we ago again" Cd (Boss tuneage)
Geez, this band is so productive. This is a comp of all their Eps, four of them, and compilation tracks too. And live tracks. And video tracks ! Let’s face it, their early recordings suck, but the lastest ones (after 2000) are actually pretty good. Rocking Finnish punk/punk-rock, with good lyrics about the army, capitalism, and boring life in their hometown. http://www.bosstuneage.com (Y.B.)
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ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW "ten moment" Cd & Cassette (Refuse)
Second album by this great Polish post-Hardcore band. I like everything they’ve ever recorded ; the first tape, the live tape, and both albums. And check out their side project, APRIL, too ! ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW ("bicycle thieves", cool name) play emotional post-Hardcore with great melodic lines. They are one of the most sincere-sounding bands I’ve heard. They are not emo. Their sound is modern but also brings us back to the days when emo did not exist ; VERBAL ASSAULT, SHELTER, DAG NASTY, some mid-80’s DISCHORD bands come to mind. Great metaphorical lyrics, to top it off. http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl (Y.B.)
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ANGSTZUSTAND "malen nach zahlen" Cd (Shove)
Yawn. German well produced and fashionable "emo-crust". Who would have thought these two styles would have ever blended ? This is beyond me. Fans of the genre should enjoy, as for others... don’t even try. http://www.shoverecords.com (Y.B.)
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US ROUGHNECKS "twenty bucks and two black eyes" Cd (Hellcat)
Oï music from the Usa with a heavy rock’n’roll touch, reminiscent of THE BRUISERS, maybe RANCID, that kind of stuff. They have those typical silly skinhead lyrics ; first, they claim to be a-political, and then they say they want to kill the president and "want lower taxes and more jobs". Ha ! If this ain’t politlcal, what is ? And conservative at that. www.hell-cat.com (Y.B.)
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WOLFBRIGADE "progression/ regression" Cd (Havoc)
Well, Swedish dis-beat crust-punk. 16537th generation. I think I stopped paying attention at the 2nd generation. There’s a bit of metal and modern "emo-crust" riffs here and there. Not too bad. Surprisingly decent political lyrics. http://www.havocrex.com (Y.B.)
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WAR OF DESTRUCTION "the danish collection" Cd (G.T.A.)
Ok, the cover is one of the worst I’ve ever seen, but the music’s great ! This is 70 minutes of classic Danish Hardcore-punk here, one of the first Hardcore bands from this country. All recordings, from 1983 to 86. It’s good stuff, that almost stood the test of time, although the songs are a bit linear. I guess they were the Danish equivalent to SKEEZICKS, WRETCHED, L’ODI SOCIAL, BGK, HEIMATLOS,... http://www.myspace.com/grandtheftau... (Y.B.)
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TAME THE TIKBALANG "forever shall be" Cd (Carmen)
Hey, pretty good surprise from the Philippines. My friends tell me the band’s big over there, and I can see why ; they play tight old school Hc with an early NyHc sound, kinda similar to SICK OF IT ALL or SHUTDOWN. I was, however, disappointed by the personal and religious lyrics (just as many people over there, they’re Christians). tamethetikbalang92@yahoo.com (Y.B.)
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VIKTIMS "busherie" Cd (Kanivo chaos)
There aren’t many crust bands around in France, so this digipack comes as a nice surprise. The music is typical (but well-produced and totally decent) crust-punk/ dis-beat, along the lines of... I don’t know... DOOM, DISCHARGE, VICTIMS, etc etc. Not bad, but where’s the lyric sheet ?? http://www.kanivo-chaos.com (Y.B.)
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WEIGHT OF GOVERNMENT "until the end" mCd (Invisible)
Ach, spanish bands rule. You can see this is a cool band by just looking at the band photo ; half of the members wear a punk outfit, while the other half wear a Hardcore or skinhead one. :) And indeed, they sing many songs about "unity". They play powerful punk-Hc bordering on old school Hc and Oï, nothing really original here, but for a first Cd this is a nice shot. [No address available] (Y.B.)
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