Hardcore CD Reviews – Page 2

Bum City Saints – Spirit of the City

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Spirit of the City is fast becoming one of my favorite releases. The disc came out in 2013. I’m just getting around to reviewing. My laziness often betrays me. As a saving grace, I had this CD in my car for a couple weeks and kept listening to it on my daily commute. The more I listen, the more hooked I become.

For those that don’t know about this band, (including myself) They hail from the bay area and have been rocking the fuck out since around 2007. Like many other badass rock and rollers, they’re a trio. And, as if you didn’t already know it, the triangle is the strongest geometric shape found in nature. Don’t believe me? Look it up.

At any rate, Spirit of the City is an intense blast of punk rock channeling the energy of both West Coast punk and East Coast hardcore. The sound, while distinct is reminiscient of Rancid, Jughead’s Revenge and Agnostic Front (albeit with more whoa whoa whoas)

The release kicks out 13 tracks. You can check out their Reverb Nation (http://www.reverbnation.com/bumcitysaints) page for a sample.

Support local punk rock, kids! Go find some of this and go see them live if you can. And stay tuned, ‘cause I hear there’s some new music from Bum City Saints coming out in the next few months.

–Jerry Actually

The Welch Boys – Bring Back The Fight

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The Welch Boys are indeed bringing back the fight. Hand’s down my favorite release so far this year brings back these Boston stalwarts. I haven’t taken much time to write as of late, but I felt I owed it to you to tell you about this. If you haven’t caught on by now, I’m talking about “Bring Back The Fight”, the brand new album from The Welch Boys. Grit, vitriol, and punk rock are all well intact in the new one. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This time around, the tunes bring a whole new level of polish. Not that things were shabby before, but time, and time well spent, bring about the next level of songcraft. It’s fucking here. It’s fucking now. It lets you realize that hardcore punk rock and roll is still alive!

Slight aside, but I’m a little bit concerned that The Welch Boys are so poorly represented here on the left coast, and hopefully my little bit of lip service will help to remedy that. Maybe it’s California where the sun never sets and it never gets cold where folks just don’t appreciate anthems of angst, hardship, and hope? I don’t know. Maybe I have an east coast soul that draws me to the aforementioned. No matter what it is, this is the real deal.

I’ll quit boring you with my gushing. At the end of the of a hard working day, what more do you need than a fist full of beers and a new album to ease you back into the world of the living?

–Jerry Actually

Chotto Ghetto – Sparkles

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I’m not immediately sure what to make of Chotto Ghetto. Their music is a bit of a mystery, the good kind of mystery though. I’ve heard folks say that they are “progressive hardcore”. I suppose that is as reasonable a description as is needed for the time being. Reasonable, that is, if you think that unusual structures, instrumentation and odd melodies are progressive.

Vague descriptions aside (to be followed by vague postulation) Chotto Ghetto brings an interesting amalgam of sounds that you are sure you like but aren’t quite sure where they are from. If I had to try to pigeon hole this, which will be hard, I’d go with this. The band is a largely unidentifiable hybrid of Yes, Death by Stereo, The Police, Sound Garden, Pink Floyd and Voivod, only with more hardcore riffs and beats. You’re probably thinking, wtf, but I assure you that it works. I think their website says it all, “Chotto Ghetto is a band from Los Angeles California.”

Anyhow, their new release, “Sparkles”, out now on Asian Man Records, offers 15 tracks of musical diversity and a rare fresh sound that you just aren’t hearing much of these days. Some of the stand out tracks, at least for me are 3. Ghost Finders and 5. These Kids Crave Discipline.

Overall, this release is a winner and a great choice for any serious fan of the arcane art of music collection. It may not be for everyone. However, if you like you music (mostly) fast, diverse and complex, then this is a must have for you.

–Jerry Actually

Getting to know 20 Bulls Each

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Getting to know 20 Bulls Each

Where are you from and when did you get started?

We’re from Dublin – Ireland, not Dublin Ohio! We started in 2002, and have been at it ever since, line up has changed a little over the years and we’ve recently moved to being a 5 piece band. Hopefully we’ve improved slightly since then too as we were truly terrible at the start.

Who are you and who does what in the band?

We are.
Gar – Vocals
Gav – Guitar
Adrian – Bass
Olly – Guitar
Paul – Drums

Olly and Adrian are the new guys, who joined us recently after Gar decided that he didn’t want to play guitar anymore and our last bassist left due to other commitments. Standard issue 5 piece hardcore line up.

How would you best describe the sound?

On a good day we sound somewhere in the middle of a rumble between Sick Of It All, Misfits & Cromags.

Paul said this when I asked, he’s got a better explaination:

“Hard to describe our sound. We all bring somethign different to the band and it all gets melded together so it’s hard for us to pinpoint any one style as sticking out. I guess we sound like hardcore, heavy riffs, shouty vocals, the occaisional melodic sing along bit and some slow stompy parts too.”

Adrian had this to say:

“Journalists are the best in pigeonholing bands so it’s up to them to describe our sound.”

Thanks Adrian, very helpful!

Dream rock moment (real or not)?

Dream rock moment for me would be to play at Reading festival, it’s always something I went to as a kid. Bands would always say that their first time playing Reading was amazing. Maybe someday…

Asked Paul again:

“Real dream rock moment was for me was probably meeting Mackie and John Jospeh when we palyed with them as the Fearless Vampire Killers in the Voodoo Lounge. that was amazing and they were both really really nice blokes. Another Dream Rock moment would be being able to give up my crappy job and being able to do this full time.”

And Adrian:

“My dream rock moment, realistic one would be:to make living out of what we’re doing (is that a rock moment?it would rock for me) and unrealistic one would be playing Wembley”

Still got day jobs?

Unfortunately yes.

I work in an office, Paul works in a place printing funeral cards, Olly is a part time piercer and film / video maker, Adrian runs ReINKarnated tattoo studio in Dublin and Gar runs a pub called The Thomas House. I fully endorse these two establishments! Come and visit us in either of these places if you’re in Dublin, drink and get tattooed.

Any regrets?

No big regrets. You’ve got to make the most of what you have. Adrian wanted to add: “Only regret I have is: I wish I started earlier.”

Oh and I regret that some dick head stole my Fernandes guitar before I had even played a show with it. Bastard.

Society’s Ills – Full Length

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I don’t want to be the guy that throws labels around. Honestly, there are just too many of them, but since I’m a jerk, I’ll throw one more in the mix. Montreal’s Society’s Ills is (and you can quote me on this) “post-punk-core/hardcore/semi-melodic”

No, but really, I’m listening to the new full length by Society’s Ills and it is pretty damn rockin’. My goofy labels aside, it is 14 tracks of short burst hardcore laced punk with a lot of energy and decent amount of grit. As I listen to this, the tracks get better and better. I can see this becoming a regular rotation release on my car ride to work, ‘cause nothing makes the ride into work better than some kickass fastbreak punk rock.

So, um yeah, 14 fast tracks of hardcore punk with great guitar work, intelligible vocals, and a rock solid rhythm section. It reminds me of H2O a bit with undertones of way fast Black Sabbath, but more punk less posicore (regarding H2O, not Sabbath) if you know what I’m saying.
Bottom line is, great stuff, buy it now!

–Jerry Actually

20 Bulls Each – A Glorious and Bloody Revolution

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Hell f-ing yeah! Dublin, Ireland band 20 Bulls Each rips it up on A Glorious and Bloody Revolution with a fusion of hardcore, punk and metal. The band has been channeling these influences for nearly a decade. All that time and work has culminated in this brand new release.

Borrowing as heavily from NYHC as it does from late 80’s thrash/metal, the album is a whirlwind of guts and fury. The tracks are articulate and precise with great breakdowns and a spit in your face delivery ala Blood for Blood. However, the outlook on the tracks doesn’t always take the same pissed off at the world path as the aforementioned band. Don’t get me wrong, the band is pissed, they’re just not going about it as many complaints about how they have to live.

11 tracks, just under 30 minutes of modern classic hardcore that won’t weigh down your soul on a Saturday afternoon and more than enough to get you fully revved up for more on a Saturday night. 20 Bulls Each is weighing in heavily as one of the best new (to me) bands that I’ve heard in 2011 and if you’d like to check out more, you can hit up their bio on the Thorp site: http://thorprecords.com/bands/20bullseach.php

So by all means, scream, shout, and let some aggression out because after all it will be a Glorious and Bloody Revolution. Mosh to this and enjoy as 20 Bulls Each turns the Emerald Isle a bit closer to black and blue.

–Jerry Actually

For fans of: Blood for Blood, Gallows, M.O.D.

Lineup:
Vocals, Guitar: Gareth Cummins
Guitar: Gavin Husselbury
Bass: Ciaran Mangan
Drums: Paul Duffy

The Crisis Kings

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Rating:

The Crisis Kings are a new band in the old familiar genres of thrash/grind/hardcore metal. Newly formed in 2011, the East U.K. quartet wasted no time in busting out a 7 track EP. The seven tracks do an adequate job of showcasing the band’s skills and for a debut effort recorded in a pig shed, it really deserves praise just for sheer effort.

The music is great. It is aggressive and brutal with overtones of Sick of it All, but tempered with more plodding riffs and screamo / growl vocals in the vein of Superjoint Ritual and perhaps Crowbar. There is also a certain dissonance that I enjoy. This style is especially prevalent on track 4 – S.O.W. the overall effect really reminds me of Leatherface.

However, (and here’s where we bring in the down note kids) As with so many things musical, the major detractor for me is screaming vocals. I just don’t like ‘em. So take that in stride if you’re reading this review. Again, the music lives up to its brutal roots, but takes it over the top with too much throat sandpaper. Seriously man, you’re gonna snap a vocal cord or something.

But, here, check ‘em out for yourself: http://www.facebook.com/thecrisiskings

–Jerry Actually

Part Time Killers – People. Religion. Death

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One of the best parts of doing what I do (whatever that is) is getting music from across the globe. Right now I’m listening to People. Religion. Death from Finnish band Part Time Killers, a punk rock quartet from Lahti Finland.

The sound is familiar punk with a hardcore backbone much like H2O with a more melodic core and the charming accented vocals that you only get with someone singing in English with a pronounced accent. As a side note, the Finnish language is one of the most isolated languages in the world with only very loose ties to an old Hungarian dialect. (If any linguists are reading this, I hope I didn’t butcher that. It just came to mind from something I read a while back)

People. Religion. Death kicks out 12 tracks, all of which clock in at under three minutes. I’m a fan of that. In today’s modern age, who has time for longer songs? Not this guy. Of note, I’m never a big fan of pointless guitar solos. The solos on this disc are short, discreet and compliment the tunes. They are an added bonus instead of the pointless wanking that so much guitar work can be.

To sum it up, Part Time Killers = good. People. Religion. Death = good new CD with a fresh coat of paint on a familiar sound.

–Jerry Actually

Blood for Blood – First US Show in 6 Years

Blood For Blood announces first US show in over 6 years and gears up for another European Tour

After a very successful European Tour in December 2010, as part of the 2010 Persistence Tour with Sick Of It All, Unearth Official, Evergreen Terrace and more, Blood For Blood announces that they’ll be performing at the New England Metal Fest on April 15th in Worcester, MA, which is the bands first US show in over 6 years.

A few days after this long-awaited US show Blood For Blood will kick off a short European run including a performance at Belgium’s Groezrock Festival on April 23rd. Blood For Blood will be joined by Crushing Caspars and My City Burning.

More European dates will be announced very soon.

Blood For Blood upcoming shows

April 15 – Worcester, MA / New England Metal Fest

April 20 – Bydgoszcz, Poland/ Estrada Stage Bar

April 21 – Berlin,Germany / SO36
April 22 – Haarlem, Netherlands / Patronaat
April 23 – Meerhout, Belgium / Groezrock Festival
April 24 – Stüttgart, Germany / Röhre

Headbangers Ball – Still Exists

Life Of Agony performs for MTV’s Headbangers Ball

On Monday December 6th 2010, Life Of Agony was invited by MTV2 for an exclusive in-studio performance and interview for Headbangers Ball’s: “The Year in Metal”. The band performed the classics “Underground” and “Through & Through” and one of these performances will air on Headbangers Ball, on MTV2, on Saturday December 18th 2010, at midnight.

In the meantime the band is flying out to Europe this week to perform 3 exclusive shows during the upcoming weekend:
Friday December 10th at De Mast in Torhout, Belgium
Saturday December 11th at the Klokgebouw (2010 Speedfest) in Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Sunday December 12th at the Live Music Hall in Cologne, Germany.

Life Of Agony will also be playing a co-headline show with Biohazard on December 16th at the Best Buy Theater (formerly, NOKIA Theater) in Times Square, New York City!!!
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and V.O.D. will be the main support.

On Saturday April 3rd 2010 I Scream Records recorded & filmed Life Of Agony’s performance at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels, Belgium, this was the second show of their exclusive European “20 Years Strong” tour. In late 2009 the band performed their debut album “River Runs Red” in its entirety during a few exclusive, sold-out, US shows and, after popular demand, they went over to Europe in April 2010 to perform a set built around this amazing, legendary album.

The highly anticipated release, “20 Years Strong: River Runs Red | Live In Brussels”, a digipak combo release holding a CD of the entire show as well as a DVD with a 10 camera production of the show, an on-the-road documentary and much more, was released on July 19th in Europe & July 27th in the USA.

Continue reading Headbangers Ball – Still Exists