Wasted is a punk rock quartet who form in Joensuu, Finland back in 1996 and this is their latest album released some days ago from Combat Rock Industry (a label that i never seemed to get along with - the only album i've ever buyed from them is "Killer" from VICTIMS). In their sixth album Wasted delivers once again great old-school punk rock much influenced from bands such as The Clash, The Adolescents, The Wipers etc. If you liked their previous album "Outsider by choice" i think you'll fall in love with this one because all the great stuff which made Wasted so famous among the punk-rockers all over the globe are here present too. Easy to learn choruses, guitar riffs that goes in your head like a nail in a coffin while you're trying to catch the melody from one of the songs going through your walk in the morning and a moody feeling above the whole lyrics, resumes the intensity of the band's live performaces with exausted crowds and endless sing-alongs. The album contains 10 tracks and all can be described as "radio-edit hits". You're maybe know my love for old-school stuff and this album made it in my picks for "the album of the year", plus if you call yourself a dj you owe to your friends always playing "Death Bells" and let them hit you in the face.
"We gonna steal that what is ours
Death bells are ringing - It's time for new beginning"
Sometimes it's so hard to find the correct words to describe something, a feeling, a movie or even a song and some of these times is happening right now as i'm writing this boring words trying to make 'em something worth paying attention to it. And still, i can't find the proper words. As my pal D. did a brilliant review for a "blog" about Proxy's first album "Something we've all seen before" i've chosen to review the band's latest - the third - release called "Police car". The self titled track have been also part of the mind-blowing first demo of the band two years ago and i have to confess the demo's version was more raw and ugly than this one. The band i think tried to put out a 7'' full of rock'n'roll influences blending the ultra powerfull UK82 style ala Blitz (first era), Varukers or/and GBH (and a little bit of Infa-Riot??? listen the track "Schackled to a corpse" from their 12'' and you'll see) with heavily Motorhead influenced parts and as a result this release tends to by more "funny" and ass-kicking in a good way. "Fountain of Youth" is my favourite track and you can think of me pogo-ing my self while yelling WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT, ANYWAY. Too many good albums and seveninches lately guys, and i can't afford to buy them all, so now you know what i want for a gift for my birthaday. Released by DiscosMMM, go grab it.
You got back from your vacations. You've been there for a week at most. You feel nostalgia and anger when you look at the concrete in the front of your door. You wish to had the guts to talk to talk to that girl on the beach. Monday morning your boss will have the look "you-got-vacations-now-back-to-work" and you'll wanna smack him. Ok, spin the new Criminal Damage record and try a walk, man. Winter is not coming yet. Criminal Damage is the "the most anticipating album" band and their third lp is out already after such a long time. I still prefer their first album but you know what you'll get. Amazing english punk ala BLITZ with dual vocals and steady rhythms, poppy and happy tunes with dark and tough lyrics. Songs like "the storm" or "anxiety" are instant hits and i think you'll have the album spinning again again. Well done mr. Burdette and the rest of the Criminal Damagers.
If you wanna be trendy, look elsewhere. Here's the Varukers first ep ( also known as "Protest and survive" ep) and here's the first step in d-beat's odyssey. Varukers alongside GBH, Amebix and Discharge created (by accident?) that music genre known as UK82. Classic 77 punk blending the heaviness of Motorhead and heavy, monolithic drum beats and anarchist ideology. All of the four tracks included here are fucking classic and this 7'' is all i want for my summer craziness plus Discharge's "Realities of war" ep and Motorhead's "Bomber" ep. That's it.
Hey cats, what's up? Life here in athens are pretty "cool" with all the shiity things goin on and around of Villa Amalias squat and the constant trying of the police eviction, but we will take it back for sure (some columns in english here). A lot of the fellow athenian punks feel Villa Amalias like their second home and so i am too, so this post is dedicated to the squatters, the squat and the punks.
Warsong comes from the Zaragosa desert, where the sand is gold and there is no water, nomads of the modern-day-life Warsong sing their loving interludes as an elixir to our poisonous and ruined lives. You may be familiar with bands like Insomnio and No Escape, bands who recorded some of the most intense yet melodic, soft yet PUNK rock tunes the last 5-6 years (or maybe more). Tracks like "Too hard", "she says no", "still remember" or "any moment" holds a great place in my heart, mainly because when i'm tired of all the speedy hardcore tunes or the dark crust/core bombardment i tent to listen to some smooth and chilling tunes, tunes i can go sing along or shed a tear. Mihael (the good friend behind Teenage Lobotomy and Doomtown records) was kind enough to sent me this ep (12'' lp) but i never listened to it (stubborn i fucking am) cause their previous album "Ancient Times" it was THE letdown. While a friend spined the record on his turntable i was "what's that shit?", and i immediately went to buy a copy. "The Caravan" is the lost Atlantis of the modern melofic punk, bass rtyhms anchored to the drumming simplicity, while the lyrics have been forged with ice and fire, strenght and gentle. Add a great cover to the "window shop for love" of Wipers and you got what it takes.
Wear your parka, your hiking boots and a pair of warm socks, grab a cognacand get ready to pogo your way straight to santas' cold village in Finland.
Maybe Terveet Kadet is what makes Borja trim his mustache with candles up his buttocks, maybe Mike was impressed with Cavalleras' Kaaos t-shirt, but when i think of Finland the first thing to come in mind is FUCKIN BASTARDS and their patented "Siberian Hardcore".
This 1983 LP starts off like a well oiled Kamaz war-truck running over everything in the ice tundra, and never lets go!! Simple, catchy as hell and to the point hardcore riffs, and some Finns doing their best english accents (sounding like russians giving you instructions in your home town), while screaming their lungs out. This record has a slight Discharge feel to it, but think more cold, drunk and demented (Finland!)... Bastards is essential
...on a not so punk, but Finland related ending note, the Finn Sami Hyypia was amongst the most loved players according to Liverpool fans... This has little to do with Bastards, but defensive Hyypia almost scored a header goal at his last game against Tottenham Hotspur. Continuing the non-punk related notes to seal off this really really good Bastards post, Sami Hyypia has also run a marathon in 3h 56 min and 09 secs. download
I first got into finnish punk through thrash metal. As a young kid and living in a small town with no punks it's natural to start listening whatever your classmates listen, and so i get in love with Sepultura. For my own good, Sepultura had a lot of hardcore and punk influences plus political and social aware lyrics so it was so good to listen to a band that was not stupid metalhead-type. When i saw for the first time the Arise video-clip i noticed that max was wearing a shirt with the logo KAAOS, and thought "nice pun". But after some time a friend of mine pass me the "Ristinnaulittu Kaaos" tape and fuck, i was blown away. Fueled by hate, those "crucified" (ristinnaulittu) bastards delivered a feast of unchallenged music power, with a crazy guy yelling at the microphone with the reverb to be on max, the guitars spitting riffs of chaos like venom with clear and deep drums, Ristinnaulittu Kaaos must be the best finnish punk album of all time. You can just hear "Syytön Sivustakatsoja" or "Vaihtoehto" and you can think about how many bands copied that crazy riffs, the pumpeling drums and the reverbed vocals (i'm just thinking of Destino Final...heheheh).
First band of our mini special for the Finland series, and could not be else than the first punk band outta there, Terveet Kadet and their 1982 ep (their third ep) Aareton Joulou. Although i had some concerns if we must post their self titled Lp, borja made himself clear : "the 7'' is way better". -Borja, with candles in his butt :
It is always a difficult thing to talk about finnish hardcore punk because of this fucking diversity they had. bands like kaaos, lama, 013, riistetyt, rattus, appendix, eppu normaali (the first seven inch, Poliisi Pamputtaa Taas, is one of the best punk records in fucking history) bastards... or fucking destrucktions... you see and even much more bands i don't write down... exactly when i talk about terveet kadeet, then i just talk about hardcore. last time i tried to explain the differences about finland and sweden i said that finland was freaky and crazy and that swedish bands were just more brutal... and i am fucking wrong. finnish hardcore is freaky, unique and totally ultra-brutal. brutal as the wild youth in athens getting crazy in front of the fucking cops. this unique singer, screaming the last shit out of his mind, out of his ass, out of his skin and in fact out of YOUR fucking life. fast as shit, when hardcore was being invented and it was definitely the best time. this band made two really great 7 first seven inches, but when you listen to to aartun joulu (fucking 1982) 7 inch... then you don't really now why nobody was able to play close to this totally demented frenetic hardcore. yes, this is the word. tervett kadeet are just a demented hardcore and frenetic band. and maybe one of the few ones.
Kobayashi is an amazing melodic hardcore / punk rock band from bremen, germany. While i thought they are gone for good, they are active and they did a german mini-tour back in september. I have to say that three years ago i knew shit about them. By luck i got on my hands this lp (i have made a big order from a distro and the guy was kind enough to sent it as a gift). From the first guitar riff i knew i'll go mad with them. I have to admit that i really like bands with melodic riffs and clean bass-lines and Kobayashi delivers those amazing deutsche anarcho-punk tunes from the 80's with a great refreshing air. Here you can check the translations to their lyrics.
Snaggletooth is the fanged face that serves as the symbol of Motörhead, but also Snaggletooth are some freaked out guys from Singapore. With their first three track demo they deliver cathchy as hell up tempo dity metallic punk with lots of rock'n'roll in it. They listen to MIDNIGHT with breakfast, they drink coffee with BURNING LEATHER and they spitting steel all night long with MOTORHEAD. If you like your balls catching fire Snaggletooth are gonna punish you for being so cunt for not knowing them already. members of Distrust and Vaarallinen (finnish punk at it's finest - check them). Lay down your souls to the gods rock 'n roll
Arnakia (Lambs) started as a band back in 1984 jamming under the sounds of the Clash, Stranglers etc in various basements around exarchia and kipseli in the center of Athens, Greece. They participated two tracks on the infamous various artists LP “Syllogh Antithanatou”. The band changes constantly members till '88 when bassist Dimitris Papatheofilou meets during his army's service Haris Papasideris who joins the band as a guitarist, soon after that an advertisement on the “Pop & Rock” magazine brings Antonis Protonotarios in the band as their new drummer and that's their final line-up. They recorded the LP “Sto stoma tou lykou” (In wolve's mouth) somewhere in 1992 and in 1996 they started to record for their new Full-Length, but suddenly Antonis after the drums recording session dies due to heart problems. The rest members record later that year the tracks on antonis pre-recorded drums and finally release their second LP “To Ergostasio” (the factory) in 1999. Arnakia is a band that take equal parts from the 90's rock alternative scene of Athens as of course elements from the 80's punk scene. They may have a clear and bass-driven sound but you can definitely listen some huge tracks, nice melodic vocals and lyrics that goes from personal frustration to social rage all written in a personal way. The last track of the second LP (that everyone knows as their self titled LP and not as “To ergostsio”) “Imouna nekros” (I was dead) it's written for the death of the greek anarchist Christoforos Marinos. Here you get the second LP on a 256kbps rip from my hard-copy and this LP is my favorite tune for my running sessions lately because it fills me with a great feeling of inner peace. Take care. download
I'm trying some time now to find the right words to start explain my feelings about one of my favorite bands of my childhood. Alt T.C were a band that I got so fucking much of, mainly to my friendship with one of the band's members, Doros who was the bassist of the band and the first person who copied tapes for me. He opened the magic world of punk in front of me with cassettes of Blitz, One way system, GBH, Dead Kennedys, Antidrasi, Genia tou Xaous, Negative Stance, Naytia and so many more great bands so this post is also a big THANX dude. Alt t.c born in July of 1994 in the island of Corfu, greece. Four young men that wanted to express their concerns and beliefs and anger through their music, they released one demo and a 7'' till 1998 that they changed vocalist and they added a second guitar with the sound going-on more on the anarcho-punk scene of that era, sharp and tight punk with dual angry vocals. They self-released their second demo Akoma Zontanos (Still Alive) with ten great hardcore punk songs. The sound is not the best but, for a one-day recording on a four-track I think it's dynamic and powerful. I remember like it was yesterday -back in the high-school years – when mom was going to take a nap after her work I was snicking in her car and played fucking loud this cassette. Three years later they released a split LP with 20 minutes de chaos from france on the anarchist collective / record label Maloka. Better production and sound enforce the synthesis with melodic riffs, tight rhythm section and political lyrics. I can say that this band did it for me back in the day and from time to time when I feel frustrated I put the demo on the player and start screaming the lyrics right through my heart. Maybe the greek answer to Sin Dios? Enjoy...
So, once again Borja did a great job as a coordinator and lazy Berlin-based bastard and here's his deliverance about a new ace hardcore punk band outta Olympia, Washington. I got two reviews, so i split 'em and i added both cassettes on a single file. Go download
-Borja, the tattooed monkey :
ones more a crude thought review. yesterday i wrote mike a review about this fantastic band from olympia (washington state) called Crude Thought. After writing him some shit i found a lot more about this band, sooo i must recover everything and start again. I don´t mind ´cause i discovered that they have TWO demos (i just knew the first) and since yesterday i have been enjoying the second one like a fucking puppet waiting for a new bone. the first time i listened to them it was back in athens, somewhere somehow in the internet. the demo was incredible fresh, brutal and fantastic. i have being listening to them a long time and sent the videos or the demo on youtube to countless friends. i am totally overthrown by all this new bands (ok, new is maybe exaggerated the last 3 - 4 years) in the US and Crude Thought is definitely one. actually their music is quite simple, it´s totally tense and frightening. in my opinion hardcore punk as it´s best. this band is crude, raw, tight, with great mid-tempo beats and as well a fucking noisy sound. their first demo was an incredible opening and the second demo i couldn't say that is better or worse, they have a darker sound (some songs remember me to siouxsie and the banshees but in a punk way) and they play some songs as well from the first demo and it sounds more evil. anyway a band that is absolutely great. simple drums like a warhead coming closer, a bass which is cutting wounds deeper and deeper in your skin and at last but not least the voice blasting your alienation out of your head. this makes it being like spending the last minutes of your live in a roller-coaster without safe-belts puking everyone in the face during the loopings. HAHAHAHA, what a great feeling. enjoy this unique band which created their own sound which is for every band something exceptional.
You have been drinking for hours, you driving the rubbish called car a night ride near by sea, you wear your favorite Midnight shirt and your tight pants, Motorhead delivers “On parole” and you wanna puke. Take a deep breath, throw Crime Wave cdr into your stereo and let it work. Here's just a brilliant three chord 12'' ep came out in 2010 from agrowax records (a great label, and Mike who runs it is the guitarist/vocalist of Janitor). Eight songs in less than 16 minutes and the lethal touch by No Talk, PMRC, Janitor and Sore Loser members offering the perfect soundtrack for a Monday morning bank robbery or a well planned stabbing on your boss throat. Some times I think that punk is just a metal chain on your hand and the ability of causing problems and Crime Wave flashes pics like that on my mind. Don't try to understand, just go with the flow “if you know what I mean”...
The kind asshole who their stepfathers called him borja, sent me another great review folks (and save me a huge amount of time) with the promise for another two columns (have you seen the length? alright then...). So, the pride of basque country delivers some aggressive punk / proto hardcore madness and you should take his words for granted as i am right now (these guys sounding like early Chaos UK with a bit of Blitz).
-Borja, the violent queer dancer:
I was surprised that Mike remembered our first conversation. It´s more or less true what he says. But whatever, thinking about Mau Maus and that he didn’t listen to them let me thougt a bit. I am a punk fanatic, I was born for punk and for hardcore. Specially for the aggressive and fast one. I don’t care where this bands comes from or if their lyrics are not 100% political. This is anyway a important point of view, because just singing about anarchy doesn’t make you an anarchist, and being one and talking all the day about it is quite boring. So after so many years listening punk and hardcore and trying to be an anarchist the moment came to talk about
Mau Maus.
I don’t remember the first time I listened to this band. I think it is a lot of years ago and for sure one of my friends from Barcelona who opened to me the fantastic world of European hardcore. Because this is a very important think to say. It is not about fucking countries and nationalism, but the European hardcore (not just the English, but the Italian, the German, the Spanish, the Yugoslavian,…) has become a shadow inside the world of hardcore. When in the 80s in the USA incredible bands started, in Europe there where as well totally brutal amazing hardcore bands. Even much more aggressive and rough, and not slower or something similar. One of this bands is definitely Mau Maus from Sheffield. This is HARDCORE!
Their first seven inch, Society's Rejects, is in my opinion their best. They don’t take fucking prisoners. Two, three, four… what a voice, you feel like a society's reject. A society you don’t want, and which definitely doesn’t wants you. The drummer hits the snare drum like a prisoner the bars of his cell. With hate and doesn’t regret it for a single moment because he wants to get through. Yes, that’s it, this single is a fucking hymn for every prison escape, into a society you hate and you want to tear down, nothing has to last, not even a single brick. If you listen to this during you are driving a car, you wanna hit every cop, crush into every bank… If you are still alive when you are listening. Leaders (song number six), the enter into Crisis, which starts soft, but the kicks your head. And at the end, when you listen the Oath, you´ll remember a band called like this and you will think that Mau Maus is hardcore and everything you listened before was just power pop.
The second, No Concern and the third, Facts of War, seven inches don´t miss a bite of the furiousness of the first seven inch. They are just more clean recordings. The aggressive moment when you want break every single of your bones in the library during you are listening to them wont stop. But you´ll do it more carefully, because after the first seven inch you´ll be already in a wheelchair. This is something forgotten, and it must be discovered again, hundreds of punks singing Mau Maus while they assault society, that’s a must, all what I want. They kids will have their say!
For those who remember Ungdomshuset squat in denmark and the conflict with that shitty christian sect as much as the "evacuation" and the daily riots with the bastard police will may remeber a little poster about Antimob, World burns to death and Love potion concert in copenhagen that had a member of that sect nailed to a dick, so you have to know : the dick belongs to Lasse, this band's guitarist, the same person that claimed a lot of negative comments during the HjerteStop gig in athens some years ago due to his weird jokes. So, The War Goes On includes members from the already mentioned Hjerte Stop and No hope for the kids. And they are too close to No Hope For The Kids as i can judge, nice vocals and lyrics drenched in alcohol and rock n roll. Classy moody danish punk rock folks...The rip is taken from the Cold War blog but i ripped it from wav to 320 kbps mp3s...
Lately nobody seems to give the less interest, rather our lives passes in front of our eyes, and we can not even touch em. We may are close to distance. Nobody seemed to care about the mundo muerto post, but I'll continue and today we will talk about an amazing band coming from Pittsburgh, the icon gallery.
One or two years ago, batguano have posted the demo and 7'' and wrote "What we do have is some kind of awesome post punk-rock-hardcore with a fair amount of complexity, melody, grit, and hooks; the kind of rock that needs to be heard and not analyzed". My love for the melodic female punchy vocals is beyond doubt with bands like Petrograd, Cojoba, or the Assassinators always been on my top-lists when i have to make a suggestion to some buddy that has some serious psy problems, and that's where Icon Gallery settles in. Powerful, passionate, with some high edged vocals with sincere depression that fluids outta the lyrics ("highway 44" is the proof). To say it in other words, music played be three hipsters and a girl in a Hellshock t-shirt. Or just the american answer to the TERRIBLE FEELINGS madness, or maybe even better. Listen and don't analyze.
"so i got to hold tight and pray, we'll never see the light of day"
Mundo Muerto comes from California and delivers catchy, up-tempo hardcore punk. They have released a tape and two 7'' and this is their first lp with eleven dynamite punk hymns. Fast, tight, somewhere between the usual latino hardcore of the california scene and the spanish punk of the 80's, something like modern Eskorbuto, or something like Appendix flerting with Peligro social. Nice distorted guitars without being noisy, the vocals are great, just what you want to go on with your filthy life. Sounds like being recorded especially for gigs. I can imagine dozen of punks attack the singer only to shout some words on the mic. I can see "Ciegos al poder" or "Dias oskuros" be on your next car cd compilation. Ace...
Another high-school post. I must have been 15 years old when my mutual tape-trading friend D. has sent me two Cojoba demos alongside the "booklets" photo-printed in a C-60 cassette. We'll focus on the second demo "Vienen por nosotros" (exp. They're coming for us) recorded back in 1998 in Puerto Rico, self-recorded, self produced and self released through band's label Anaconda records through the big diy worldwide network of the time. I used to know Cojoba through their participation to the New Days Rising compilation, and i have to say that i was so amazed with their up-tempo energy. Powerful female vocals (i always thought Taina is the sweeter Saira for some reason) who add great feeling to the simple three-cord punk assault. True latin melodic and political punk with drum machine instead of a human drummer. The booklet have all the lyrics with the translations, and i'll scan it tomorrow (hope...).
This is my latest obsession. Terrible feelings comes from Malmo, Sweden and delivers the catchiest punk rock i have heard in ages. I can imagine that they have been in numerous other bands but i don't have a clue. If you see a crustie with lots of patches of Framtid and Death Dust Extcractor and a girl in a Repulsion sweater talking on their new favourite band (it happened to me and a fellow hipster friend in a gig some days ago), then you know this worth a listening.
The guy from Tadpole records hooked up with this from a youtube track and i can't get enough lately. This band creates so beautiful environments, a psych feeling of loss and defeat played with no distorted guitars and nice rolling drums. The songs could be described as a mix of modern punk rock with power pop. They remind me all the female fronted bands that wrote history in the underground hardcore scene but i think they're gonna be bigger. Masshysteri and Gorilla angreb comes to my mind flerting in a bar full of smoke with The Wipers and The Enstranged. "Death to everyone" is the Japanese release of the two 7'' ("tied up" & "impending doom") and the first demo with better sound quality, released from donuts pop records.The song "Hollow" have THE lyrics : "I punish people round me, i know they care for me". Dark, vein-cutting and punk!
