BANE Don't Wait Up (CD)
by marcs77
“DON'T WAIT UP”, needless to say, this title wasn't ever really meant to be a solicit for the lazy reviewers to type out they thoughts on the last farewell full-length album from Worcester, Massachusetts based five-some BANE. What a fucked up thought! But, I admit, I kept this review lingering so long after the kind dudes at Equal Vision records have sent me the promo and it was about time to pay my humble dues to this great band.
Yes, you read it correctly, this is the final record through which, and together with a string of “good-bye” live dates, Bane wraps up this venture they kicked off around 1995 as a side project featuring Aaron Dalbec and members of hardcore monster act Converge.
“Don't Wait Up” won't definitely disappoint those into this band that has never been about putting out new records for the sake of giving the kids new stuff or as a pretest to heading out on tour -this new album is their fourth full-length and their discography counts other 4 extended plays as well.
“Don't Wait Up” lists 10 songs in the late 80's early 90's old-school hardcore vein. A blast of feverish energy and integrity made up by tight solid guitars (with some angular riffing of Converge's legacy), slow build ups, heavy breakdowns and gang-vocals to singalong with, which proudly wear the colours of Bane -one of the main features being, inevitably, the raucous voice of Aaron Berard.
“DON'T WAIT UP”, needless to say, this title wasn't ever really meant to be a solicit for the lazy reviewers to type out they thoughts on the last farewell full-length album from Worcester, Massachusetts based five-some BANE. What a fucked up thought! But, I admit, I kept this review lingering so long after the kind dudes at Equal Vision records have sent me the promo and it was about time to pay my humble dues to this great band.
Yes, you read it correctly, this is the final record through which, and together with a string of “good-bye” live dates, Bane wraps up this venture they kicked off around 1995 as a side project featuring Aaron Dalbec and members of hardcore monster act Converge.
“Don't Wait Up” won't definitely disappoint those into this band that has never been about putting out new records for the sake of giving the kids new stuff or as a pretest to heading out on tour -this new album is their fourth full-length and their discography counts other 4 extended plays as well.
“Don't Wait Up” lists 10 songs in the late 80's early 90's old-school hardcore vein. A blast of feverish energy and integrity made up by tight solid guitars (with some angular riffing of Converge's legacy), slow build ups, heavy breakdowns and gang-vocals to singalong with, which proudly wear the colours of Bane -one of the main features being, inevitably, the raucous voice of Aaron Berard.
“What Awaits Us Now”, the shorter and more straight forward hardcore of the lot (this clocks in at 1:27), packs some blasting double bass drumming in a very grindcore fashion. When the grinding assault slows down Aaron howls words pondering the beautiful secrets hiding everywhere and how much is still there to do, feel and say “The colours...and band as a cohesive unit, screams back...Brighter, The Music...louder, The stakes...higher, The kisses...longer”.
In “Wrong Planet”, a mellow and suffered number, Aaron portraits himself as a Ronin who struggles “grasping for a world that makes some sense, where through the dark there waits the light” and finds salvation and a place where he feels comfortable in and the hardcore “In came the sounds that would see me through, Clenched fists, stage-dives, Salvation found in gate-fold sleeves”. A song about hardcore, the music and the value of being in something together.
“Calling Hours”, the more singular and varied of the record, starts off with a crunchy guitar chords sequence a la Polar Bear Club aimed to build up tension and burst, after a few bars, into a heavy mid-slow pummelling hardcore upon which Aaron starts singing his lines made stronger by the all gang screaming the opening words of some of the line. The song changes the feel with a break when a rather dynamic drum pattern played on toms marks the pace. Some gang vocals comes in to scream “What's done is done the night takes everyone” and these will be backing up this way the lines from Aaron until somebody bursts into an insane laugh and one of guests (the song feature appearance of friends like Pat Flynn-Have Heart, Walter Delgado-Rotting Out, David Wood-Down to Nothing, Terror) starts a sick rapping doubled in power by a chugging ultra-compressed and distorted bass guitar laid over the heaviest drum beat Bane has ever played. Abruptly, another unexpected change alters the mood; in comes the angelic and soft leading voice of Reba Meyers (Code Orange Kids).
“DON'T WAIT UP” is definitely one of the top hardcore records of 2014 and contributes in taking a further notch up the invaluable legacy this band hands out to the hardcore punk aficionados.
Check: www.facebook.com/banecentral
NINE ELEVEN 24 Years (CD)
by marcs77
Very first thing before getting down to my job I must ask NINE ELEVEN to excuse me for taking sooo long to get the review of "24 YEARS" up -I'm actually one of those 100 people who got their hands on the, now sold-out, special recycled-paper packaged version with the cover-artwork and layouts dedicated to the great Afro-American Mississippi Delta's blues man Robert Johnson.
Who is Nine Eleven and what's their relation with the great blues man? Sure I can reply the first question: “they are a hardcore punk band from Le Mans, France that formed somewhere in time in 2006, the year they released the debut EP; and reading the sheet, that comes with the disc, I understand the band name refers to the 9/11 and at the different impact this recent tragic event, and the death of thousands innocent people, have had for the U.S. and the Western world all, through the joined work of media and politics, compared to another September 11 (happened 28 years before in Chile) which didn't get the same coverage and therefore didn't raise the same levels of concern among the people living in the Western side of the world; how facts and events can be used by those in power to take direct advantage on the minorities, helpless, poor, uneducated. In 1973, with the back up of U.S., American intelligence, CIA and American lobbies, general Pinochet took power from socialist president Salvador Allende with a coup d'etat. During the coup's military action tens of thousands of innocent people got arrested and retained in the National Stadium and according to Amnesty International more than 3000+ people were murdered”.
As far as the second one goes, I think I won't get it wrong stating that the band drew a parallel with the poem “Faust” of Goethe (as you can read in the liner notes the EP features 6 tracks arranged in kind of 6-act tragedy pattern) and the Faustian myth that he sold his soul at a crossroads to achieve success (the local legend had it that if a musician waited by the side of a deserted crossroads in the dark of a moonless night, then the devil himself might come and tune his guitar, sealing a pact for the bluesman's soul).
All this background alone I'm sure will let you understand this bunch of French punks put their hearts in what they do and are not in this just to run along the latest fashion in hardcore.
“Into The Storm”, one of my favourite songs, is obscure hardcore with lots of suffered atmospheres that remind me of what some Gothic death bands like Anathema played in the 90's (just not to give you an easy hardcore reference).
The remaining 5 tracks move on the lines of certain darkened new school hardcore stuff but as they intelligently put it through in the press-sheet this band and their hardcore wants to escape the codes, the labels (I myself use in the reviews) therefore I will be not mentioning more reference points -go listen yourselves “24 Years” on their bandcamp.
A solid EP from a band to watch out for.
Check: www.facebook.com/nineeleven
In “Wrong Planet”, a mellow and suffered number, Aaron portraits himself as a Ronin who struggles “grasping for a world that makes some sense, where through the dark there waits the light” and finds salvation and a place where he feels comfortable in and the hardcore “In came the sounds that would see me through, Clenched fists, stage-dives, Salvation found in gate-fold sleeves”. A song about hardcore, the music and the value of being in something together.
“Calling Hours”, the more singular and varied of the record, starts off with a crunchy guitar chords sequence a la Polar Bear Club aimed to build up tension and burst, after a few bars, into a heavy mid-slow pummelling hardcore upon which Aaron starts singing his lines made stronger by the all gang screaming the opening words of some of the line. The song changes the feel with a break when a rather dynamic drum pattern played on toms marks the pace. Some gang vocals comes in to scream “What's done is done the night takes everyone” and these will be backing up this way the lines from Aaron until somebody bursts into an insane laugh and one of guests (the song feature appearance of friends like Pat Flynn-Have Heart, Walter Delgado-Rotting Out, David Wood-Down to Nothing, Terror) starts a sick rapping doubled in power by a chugging ultra-compressed and distorted bass guitar laid over the heaviest drum beat Bane has ever played. Abruptly, another unexpected change alters the mood; in comes the angelic and soft leading voice of Reba Meyers (Code Orange Kids).
“DON'T WAIT UP” is definitely one of the top hardcore records of 2014 and contributes in taking a further notch up the invaluable legacy this band hands out to the hardcore punk aficionados.
Check: www.facebook.com/banecentral
NINE ELEVEN 24 Years (CD)
by marcs77
Very first thing before getting down to my job I must ask NINE ELEVEN to excuse me for taking sooo long to get the review of "24 YEARS" up -I'm actually one of those 100 people who got their hands on the, now sold-out, special recycled-paper packaged version with the cover-artwork and layouts dedicated to the great Afro-American Mississippi Delta's blues man Robert Johnson.
Who is Nine Eleven and what's their relation with the great blues man? Sure I can reply the first question: “they are a hardcore punk band from Le Mans, France that formed somewhere in time in 2006, the year they released the debut EP; and reading the sheet, that comes with the disc, I understand the band name refers to the 9/11 and at the different impact this recent tragic event, and the death of thousands innocent people, have had for the U.S. and the Western world all, through the joined work of media and politics, compared to another September 11 (happened 28 years before in Chile) which didn't get the same coverage and therefore didn't raise the same levels of concern among the people living in the Western side of the world; how facts and events can be used by those in power to take direct advantage on the minorities, helpless, poor, uneducated. In 1973, with the back up of U.S., American intelligence, CIA and American lobbies, general Pinochet took power from socialist president Salvador Allende with a coup d'etat. During the coup's military action tens of thousands of innocent people got arrested and retained in the National Stadium and according to Amnesty International more than 3000+ people were murdered”.
As far as the second one goes, I think I won't get it wrong stating that the band drew a parallel with the poem “Faust” of Goethe (as you can read in the liner notes the EP features 6 tracks arranged in kind of 6-act tragedy pattern) and the Faustian myth that he sold his soul at a crossroads to achieve success (the local legend had it that if a musician waited by the side of a deserted crossroads in the dark of a moonless night, then the devil himself might come and tune his guitar, sealing a pact for the bluesman's soul).
All this background alone I'm sure will let you understand this bunch of French punks put their hearts in what they do and are not in this just to run along the latest fashion in hardcore.
“Into The Storm”, one of my favourite songs, is obscure hardcore with lots of suffered atmospheres that remind me of what some Gothic death bands like Anathema played in the 90's (just not to give you an easy hardcore reference).
The remaining 5 tracks move on the lines of certain darkened new school hardcore stuff but as they intelligently put it through in the press-sheet this band and their hardcore wants to escape the codes, the labels (I myself use in the reviews) therefore I will be not mentioning more reference points -go listen yourselves “24 Years” on their bandcamp.
A solid EP from a band to watch out for.
Check: www.facebook.com/nineeleven
FOUR YEAR STRONG Go Down In History (CD)
by marcelo
Four year strong is a band I always think of as a “guilty pleasure”. They haven’t got a lot to do with hardcore and punk (even if they try really hard with the beards, tatttos etc) and I never listen to them specifically on purpose but if they randomly come trough my speakers I’ll always give them a listen, given their incredible catchyness and solid musicianship.
If you never heard of them just think of New Found Glory on steroids and with an exaggerated passion for melodic breakdowns.
Their latest effort, “Go Down In History” is a return to classic FYS form and marks a significant difference with their previous, arena rock oriented album “In some way, shape or form”
The album opener “What’s in the box” explains it all (as a FYS former cover album title...). Starts nicely with a sort of melodic LambofGodoesque (nice neologism ah?) breakdown but then the song slips in the typical pop punk formula: palm muted chorus and an ultra catchy chorus.
Even if drums and guitars go uptempo on “Tread lightly” (and that means an auto 10 points more for me...)the band can’t fail to be predictable in the chorus.
To cut long story short, this EP is a nice return to their typical “pop meets hardcore metal” formula that made them famous and surely old fans of the band will be pleasured, but still they lack something to get on top of the massive crowd that plays these genre nowadays.
Four year strong is a band I always think of as a “guilty pleasure”. They haven’t got a lot to do with hardcore and punk (even if they try really hard with the beards, tatttos etc) and I never listen to them specifically on purpose but if they randomly come trough my speakers I’ll always give them a listen, given their incredible catchyness and solid musicianship.
If you never heard of them just think of New Found Glory on steroids and with an exaggerated passion for melodic breakdowns.
Their latest effort, “Go Down In History” is a return to classic FYS form and marks a significant difference with their previous, arena rock oriented album “In some way, shape or form”
The album opener “What’s in the box” explains it all (as a FYS former cover album title...). Starts nicely with a sort of melodic LambofGodoesque (nice neologism ah?) breakdown but then the song slips in the typical pop punk formula: palm muted chorus and an ultra catchy chorus.
Even if drums and guitars go uptempo on “Tread lightly” (and that means an auto 10 points more for me...)the band can’t fail to be predictable in the chorus.
To cut long story short, this EP is a nice return to their typical “pop meets hardcore metal” formula that made them famous and surely old fans of the band will be pleasured, but still they lack something to get on top of the massive crowd that plays these genre nowadays.
Check: www.facebook.com/fouryearstrong
DARKEST HOUR Darkest Hour (CD)
by marcs77
Only the die-hard fans, those into DARKEST HOUR since a long time, may perhaps understand how this new eponymous album has been to me one the most awaited releases to come out in this 2014.
Lot of things that went by since the release of “The Human Romance” (2011) sensibly, and unavoidably, contributed building up momentum, expectations and miscellaneous feelings on the new chapter, the eighth, of a career the Washingtonians started out in 1995; the more remarkable include: the band's parting ways with longtime drummer Ryan Parrish and later on with bassist Paul Brunette, respectively replaced by Aaron Deal on bass and talented drummer Travis Orbin (formerly in d-jent trade mark owners Periphery), the writing and recording sessions for the new record under the guidance of the relatively-known producer Taylor Larson, the re-release of their now-classic debut “The Mark Of Judas” and the official signing with a new record label (Sumerian records). How Darkest Hour's dudes are gonna cope with all this? Will their sound be influenced, and if so, to which extent? These were just a couple of questions floating in my head and waiting for the judgment-put-my-hands-on-it-day (this corresponded, first with the listen of the song “Wasteland” early July, and secondly, finally, when the promo invitation hit my email-box).
“Wasteland” left me off with mixed feelings -at the very first I dropped a comment like this...“The song shows to me some unexpected influences a la Soilwork produced by Devin Townsend (more audible here than on the records DH did with him) and features a Dimebag inspired solo” but crawling off the deepest of the guts came a thought “will this be just a one off or will the dudes be delivering a plate full of modernist metal like they never did thus far?
Well, to clear it all, “Wasteland” comes up first opening a record which clearly shows the Darkest-dudes worked their hardest to include in their musical palette everything modern metal (core-ish, electro-ambient-ish, Djent-ish) many much younger combos brought out the underground to the brightest spotlights.
Did Darkest Hour really need to feature clean vocals? This move counts as the most disappointing in my book. Why dudes???
My favorite song here is “Lost For Life” and it's not a case; this track is Darkest Hour unleashing fast, furious thrash-Swedish-death fire marked metal with hardcore attitude. However, also “Rapture Exile” keeps the old flag high up.
“The Goddess Figure”, the next song just up after “Lost For Life”, it's a damn monster of unrelenting force to be reckoned with but it just gets killed by a bunch of crappy clean vocals.
“The Misery We Make” would easily make it for a solid radio-single, if commercial radio aired metal, and I realize that there's something of Megadeth Youthanasia's era going on here -melodically-wise. But sure it's gonna be a big “NO-NO!” for the long time supporters.
I think you got it. This is a review written by one of those old time fans which have been decently let down by the abrupt and unexpected turn of things.
“Darkest Hour” would be a great record from any of young modern metal acts that battle and struggle everyday for recognition but it's really not Darkest Hour, period.
The dudes have the chops, heart and are known to thrash stages all over the world. Hopefully, we all get to forget this freak affair soon.
Check: www.facebook.com/DarkestHourDudes
HUMAN TOUCH True Justice (digital)
DARKEST HOUR Darkest Hour (CD) by marcs77
Only the die-hard fans, those into DARKEST HOUR since a long time, may perhaps understand how this new eponymous album has been to me one the most awaited releases to come out in this 2014.
Lot of things that went by since the release of “The Human Romance” (2011) sensibly, and unavoidably, contributed building up momentum, expectations and miscellaneous feelings on the new chapter, the eighth, of a career the Washingtonians started out in 1995; the more remarkable include: the band's parting ways with longtime drummer Ryan Parrish and later on with bassist Paul Brunette, respectively replaced by Aaron Deal on bass and talented drummer Travis Orbin (formerly in d-jent trade mark owners Periphery), the writing and recording sessions for the new record under the guidance of the relatively-known producer Taylor Larson, the re-release of their now-classic debut “The Mark Of Judas” and the official signing with a new record label (Sumerian records). How Darkest Hour's dudes are gonna cope with all this? Will their sound be influenced, and if so, to which extent? These were just a couple of questions floating in my head and waiting for the judgment-put-my-hands-on-it-day (this corresponded, first with the listen of the song “Wasteland” early July, and secondly, finally, when the promo invitation hit my email-box).
“Wasteland” left me off with mixed feelings -at the very first I dropped a comment like this...“The song shows to me some unexpected influences a la Soilwork produced by Devin Townsend (more audible here than on the records DH did with him) and features a Dimebag inspired solo” but crawling off the deepest of the guts came a thought “will this be just a one off or will the dudes be delivering a plate full of modernist metal like they never did thus far?
Well, to clear it all, “Wasteland” comes up first opening a record which clearly shows the Darkest-dudes worked their hardest to include in their musical palette everything modern metal (core-ish, electro-ambient-ish, Djent-ish) many much younger combos brought out the underground to the brightest spotlights.
Did Darkest Hour really need to feature clean vocals? This move counts as the most disappointing in my book. Why dudes???
My favorite song here is “Lost For Life” and it's not a case; this track is Darkest Hour unleashing fast, furious thrash-Swedish-death fire marked metal with hardcore attitude. However, also “Rapture Exile” keeps the old flag high up.
“The Goddess Figure”, the next song just up after “Lost For Life”, it's a damn monster of unrelenting force to be reckoned with but it just gets killed by a bunch of crappy clean vocals.
“The Misery We Make” would easily make it for a solid radio-single, if commercial radio aired metal, and I realize that there's something of Megadeth Youthanasia's era going on here -melodically-wise. But sure it's gonna be a big “NO-NO!” for the long time supporters.
I think you got it. This is a review written by one of those old time fans which have been decently let down by the abrupt and unexpected turn of things.
“Darkest Hour” would be a great record from any of young modern metal acts that battle and struggle everyday for recognition but it's really not Darkest Hour, period.
The dudes have the chops, heart and are known to thrash stages all over the world. Hopefully, we all get to forget this freak affair soon.
Check: www.facebook.com/DarkestHourDudes
HUMAN TOUCH True Justice (digital)
by marcs77
HUMAN TOUCH pummeling heavy rhythms, at times very squared, which don't cross the borders of metalcore, vibrating melodic guitar lines, lotta melody-driven-yet-angry hardcore vocals and all this without abusing the “jump up to the skies” break moments all the young bands fill their song with.
I'm sure band's everyday's listens include something from NYC hardcore and crossover punk thrash and I would defintely count these as their influences.
The mysterious, esoteric black metal inspired cover artwork of “TRUE JUSTICE” had gotten me expect for totally diverse stuff.
4 tracks, fresh honest hardcore, any true reasons to ask for more?
The five-piece resident in Karlsruhe, Germany features all ex-members of The Haverbrook Disaster, a band you shoulda know, that after 6 years called it a day earlier this year.
Go grab this EP from Acuity music.
Check: www.facebook.com/humantouchhc
MASKED INTRUDER MI (CD)
by marcs77
I just don't know there's always something wrong between me and masked bands -of course that's not really the case with icons Kiss but that's a totally different story, you couldn't like Kiss and hate their masks, attires and light-pyrotechnic shows.
So I don't feel much confident, and I must admit I start off kind of biased, approaching modern bands who add masks or dress-ups to their delivery.
Fat Wreck Chords' MASK INTRUDER falls into that category of band and this is, once again, made clear with the cover-artwork picturing 4 black-clad blocks wearing shoes and colour matching balaclava masks who stand before a glittering backdrop with the title of their latest record.
As said the masking and dressing up is something delivered as a plus to the music and I guess some of you won't care about this aspect either so, what this bunch of undercover musicians play?
Stripped down, uplifting, Punk Rock with tons of melody pop punk beats and very much in the vein of Queers, Screeching Weasel, Green Day, Weazer and those outfits of Ramonian descent.
They also launch themselves into an entire lollipop a capella doo-wop number “Almost Like We’re Already In Love”.
Lyrically, they fit in romantic-dude fold and sing about beautiful girls, love, “having ice-cream everyday and pizza every night” and there's kind of a redo of Clash's classic “I fought the law” that opens up the album.
The hasty nasty punks will keep away from this band and this record but those with a beautiful gal by their side may find here the perfect sound-track for their love story.
Check: www.facebook.com/maskedintruder
ULTRAMANTIS BLACK S/T (LP)
HUMAN TOUCH pummeling heavy rhythms, at times very squared, which don't cross the borders of metalcore, vibrating melodic guitar lines, lotta melody-driven-yet-angry hardcore vocals and all this without abusing the “jump up to the skies” break moments all the young bands fill their song with.
I'm sure band's everyday's listens include something from NYC hardcore and crossover punk thrash and I would defintely count these as their influences.
The mysterious, esoteric black metal inspired cover artwork of “TRUE JUSTICE” had gotten me expect for totally diverse stuff.
4 tracks, fresh honest hardcore, any true reasons to ask for more?
The five-piece resident in Karlsruhe, Germany features all ex-members of The Haverbrook Disaster, a band you shoulda know, that after 6 years called it a day earlier this year.
Go grab this EP from Acuity music.
Check: www.facebook.com/humantouchhc
MASKED INTRUDER MI (CD)by marcs77
I just don't know there's always something wrong between me and masked bands -of course that's not really the case with icons Kiss but that's a totally different story, you couldn't like Kiss and hate their masks, attires and light-pyrotechnic shows.
So I don't feel much confident, and I must admit I start off kind of biased, approaching modern bands who add masks or dress-ups to their delivery.
Fat Wreck Chords' MASK INTRUDER falls into that category of band and this is, once again, made clear with the cover-artwork picturing 4 black-clad blocks wearing shoes and colour matching balaclava masks who stand before a glittering backdrop with the title of their latest record.
As said the masking and dressing up is something delivered as a plus to the music and I guess some of you won't care about this aspect either so, what this bunch of undercover musicians play?
Stripped down, uplifting, Punk Rock with tons of melody pop punk beats and very much in the vein of Queers, Screeching Weasel, Green Day, Weazer and those outfits of Ramonian descent.
They also launch themselves into an entire lollipop a capella doo-wop number “Almost Like We’re Already In Love”.
Lyrically, they fit in romantic-dude fold and sing about beautiful girls, love, “having ice-cream everyday and pizza every night” and there's kind of a redo of Clash's classic “I fought the law” that opens up the album.
The hasty nasty punks will keep away from this band and this record but those with a beautiful gal by their side may find here the perfect sound-track for their love story.
Check: www.facebook.com/maskedintruder
ULTRAMANTIS BLACK S/T (LP)
by marcs77
Even at a young age I've never been really into wrestling so needless to say I don't know what it's going on these days.
When looking for the fb page of Pennsylvania's ULTRAMANTIS BLACK I got directed onto a page of a professional wrestler called UltraMantis Black who has pictures of himself wearing a green-mantis mask exactly identical to that worn by the black-silk-attired character on the B-movie-esque cover artwork of Ultramantis' debut EP record. I was like, what the hell...are Ultramantis a band who took their name from a pro-wrestler, or are they just registered on fb under another moniker?
The mindboggling enigma is readily revealed; Mr.UltraMantis fronts this band which features members of homey noise rock band called Pissed Jeans.
There's lotta loud noise, angular guitars and vicious grindcore tirades here. The attitude his punk hardcore to the bone from start to finish. The screams of Mr.UltraMantis are sharp, angry and desperated.
And things cut the pace a bit only when heavy Black Sabbath inspired riffs are thrown in as backing for some disturbing filtered spoken parts -“Gloom Of Prosperity”.
Even at a young age I've never been really into wrestling so needless to say I don't know what it's going on these days.
When looking for the fb page of Pennsylvania's ULTRAMANTIS BLACK I got directed onto a page of a professional wrestler called UltraMantis Black who has pictures of himself wearing a green-mantis mask exactly identical to that worn by the black-silk-attired character on the B-movie-esque cover artwork of Ultramantis' debut EP record. I was like, what the hell...are Ultramantis a band who took their name from a pro-wrestler, or are they just registered on fb under another moniker?
The mindboggling enigma is readily revealed; Mr.UltraMantis fronts this band which features members of homey noise rock band called Pissed Jeans.
There's lotta loud noise, angular guitars and vicious grindcore tirades here. The attitude his punk hardcore to the bone from start to finish. The screams of Mr.UltraMantis are sharp, angry and desperated.
And things cut the pace a bit only when heavy Black Sabbath inspired riffs are thrown in as backing for some disturbing filtered spoken parts -“Gloom Of Prosperity”.
Interesting and social conscious lyrics which sink their teeth deep into delicate and utterly todays' themes like science research, bio-technologies, corporations, earth and ecology -not knowing the character Mr.Ultramantis I count this really as a plus, I mean this isn't the usual ultramacho larger-than-life shit a la wrestler.
For fans of grindcore, hardcore and loud noisy stuff.
Well, done Mr.UltraMantis.
Check: www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords
ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES Are We Not Men? We Are Diva! (CD)
by marcs77
Fat's own punk rock pub-band ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES is back with a brand new full-length album. Cool?
The supergroup side project of Nofx and Fat's boss made it to take one the usual escape, planned up in one of the watering-hole hang out of a bunch of musicians, into something which got to grow record after record, tour after tour to the status of most loved, envied, hated and talked about band able to deliver all-music-genre punked up versions of world recognized popular tunes and fun energy packed shows.
They started out in the 90's covering 60's/70's hits, show-tunes, R&B songs, country and western tunes and also recorded an actual live bar mitzvah which had a play-list featuring Israeli traditional tune Havah Agilah with songs by Led Zeppelin, Reo Speedwagon, Blondie, The Beatles and more.
This time around, with their eight album, they offer a 12-song effort including cover versions originally performed by female singers.
You get “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor), which got the honour to open up, Donna Summer's “On The Radio”, “I Will Always Love You” (Dolly Parton), “Believe” (Cher) -to name a few.
Have fun with these new punkrock Divas.
Check: www.facebook.com/gimmegimmes
IRON REAGAN The Tyranny Of Will (CD)
by marcs77
I'd expecting a political-hardcore-thrash-crossover band to break in all guns blazing with a fast mean thrasher of a number while indeed IRON REAGAN have decided to open up their new long playing album, their sophomore, with a powerful-crushing and squared-mid-80's-thrash-tempo «perhaps that's the point to be crossing-over; you expect one thing I'll give another...» that only a few bars in launches into a fast hardcore punk to get back to the initial rhythm to laid a proper back up for a Kill 'em All era Kirk Hammett-esque guitar lead and the closing old-school hardcore gang vocals that scream top of dudes voice “Why To Change The World”. Does this start count as a big disappointment? No at all!
Anyway they make immediately amend delivering a second track titled “I Won't Go” which is fast, skull-crashing-fast, heavy and thrashy like the best Nuclear Assault (the hardcore barking resembles a lot to .
If you guys know bands like aforementioned Nuclear Assault or the likes of Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, SOD, Suicidal Tendencies, The Accused, Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, D.I. and other household names among the booming thrash-crossover-hardcorepunk scene of the 80's then with this “The Tyranny Of Will” you'll get everything you are surely to find yourselves comfortably with.
“In Greed We Trust”, one of my personal favourites, is fine mix macho NYC hardcore and break-neck thrash tempos with the bit where Foresta screams “Everyone a lot of” and band screams back “Moooney” before the chorus “In Greed We Trust” kicks in.
The hardcore purist of the genre might be finding themselves speculating over where the heart of Iron Reagan actually is and whether they can be considered a real band or nothing more than a side-project of Municipal Waste. Well, do you think these dudes will give a shit?
For hardcore-thrash, crossover and metal maniacs!
Check: www.facebook.com/IRONREAGAN
For fans of grindcore, hardcore and loud noisy stuff.
Well, done Mr.UltraMantis.
Check: www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords
ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES Are We Not Men? We Are Diva! (CD)
by marcs77
Fat's own punk rock pub-band ME FIRST AND THE GIMME GIMMES is back with a brand new full-length album. Cool?
The supergroup side project of Nofx and Fat's boss made it to take one the usual escape, planned up in one of the watering-hole hang out of a bunch of musicians, into something which got to grow record after record, tour after tour to the status of most loved, envied, hated and talked about band able to deliver all-music-genre punked up versions of world recognized popular tunes and fun energy packed shows.
They started out in the 90's covering 60's/70's hits, show-tunes, R&B songs, country and western tunes and also recorded an actual live bar mitzvah which had a play-list featuring Israeli traditional tune Havah Agilah with songs by Led Zeppelin, Reo Speedwagon, Blondie, The Beatles and more.
This time around, with their eight album, they offer a 12-song effort including cover versions originally performed by female singers.
You get “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor), which got the honour to open up, Donna Summer's “On The Radio”, “I Will Always Love You” (Dolly Parton), “Believe” (Cher) -to name a few.
Have fun with these new punkrock Divas.
Check: www.facebook.com/gimmegimmes
IRON REAGAN The Tyranny Of Will (CD)by marcs77
I'd expecting a political-hardcore-thrash-crossover band to break in all guns blazing with a fast mean thrasher of a number while indeed IRON REAGAN have decided to open up their new long playing album, their sophomore, with a powerful-crushing and squared-mid-80's-thrash-tempo «perhaps that's the point to be crossing-over; you expect one thing I'll give another...» that only a few bars in launches into a fast hardcore punk to get back to the initial rhythm to laid a proper back up for a Kill 'em All era Kirk Hammett-esque guitar lead and the closing old-school hardcore gang vocals that scream top of dudes voice “Why To Change The World”. Does this start count as a big disappointment? No at all!
Anyway they make immediately amend delivering a second track titled “I Won't Go” which is fast, skull-crashing-fast, heavy and thrashy like the best Nuclear Assault (the hardcore barking resembles a lot to .
If you guys know bands like aforementioned Nuclear Assault or the likes of Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, SOD, Suicidal Tendencies, The Accused, Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, D.I. and other household names among the booming thrash-crossover-hardcorepunk scene of the 80's then with this “The Tyranny Of Will” you'll get everything you are surely to find yourselves comfortably with.
“In Greed We Trust”, one of my personal favourites, is fine mix macho NYC hardcore and break-neck thrash tempos with the bit where Foresta screams “Everyone a lot of” and band screams back “Moooney” before the chorus “In Greed We Trust” kicks in.
The hardcore purist of the genre might be finding themselves speculating over where the heart of Iron Reagan actually is and whether they can be considered a real band or nothing more than a side-project of Municipal Waste. Well, do you think these dudes will give a shit?
For hardcore-thrash, crossover and metal maniacs!
Check: www.facebook.com/IRONREAGAN
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