Mittwoch, 29. Februar 2012

TIRADE - ''DEMO 2011'' (D.I.Y. London Hardcore atomizing any resistance + Download Link)

TIRADE - "DEMO 2011"
("D.I.Y."; MP3-Download):
Whooaaa, this is some great stuff I've stumbled upon when surfing through Facebook. I don't know if this stuff was ever released on any physical copy way even it would be more than worth it but this here is officially put up for free downloading affair by the band itself and as usual in cases like this I will give you the link to the download at the end of this very review here so calm down and do it then but make sure to do it anyway. So okay, back to the topic: TIRADE are from London and they are playing incredible strong and truly great Hardcore in the tradition of almighty London Hardcore like it was born and bred by the brilliant KNUCKLEDUST but they do it their very own way and know to work influences of New York Hardcore (AGNOSTIC FRONT, MADBALL, SICK OF IT ALL, BIOHAZARD) and Boston Hardcore (SLAPSHOT) into it as well as metallic Hardcore from xEARTH CRISISx and HATEBREED to xTYRANTx and DO OR DIE left it marks and somehow the almighty ST. HOOD also come to my mind, too. And TIRADE not only throw it all into the mix of things but they do it all also their already with this very demo here their very, very own style and way. All done very well-versed and damn multi-layered as fuck, with a lot of emotions and expressions as well as attitude and spirit in it, full of heart and passion, packed up full with massive, heavy, harsh and hard yet damn catchy and also damn diverse guitar work already with a very own tone that marks the music very strong, with really incredible damn hard yet very clean shouted throaty lead vocals and broad and fat and massive gang back up chants, as well as a very bulky and beefy pounding bass and devastating and smashing everything down into the ground drumming, marked by great grapping interesting and diverse multi-layered songwriting and really damn good and strong musicians are here at work anyhow. And like I've already said, they do it their very own way and style already, they already own this special something you can't really describe and instead of this we just name it the ''X-Factor'' here and now. This is some damn great stuff, and even more!!! The lyrics are damn strong stuff as well, the artwork got a great look and the production sound is a true bomb, period. Awesome shit, I need more, and hopefully a good and fair and hard working label will get this guys signed to a fair and proper deal very soon. Pure gold!!! HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! (10 of 10 Points)

NICKELBACK - "HERE AND NOW" (Heavy Rock on "ROADRUNNER RECORDS" released back then in 2011)

NICKELBACK - "HERE AND NOW"
("Roadrunner Records"; CD):
Chartstorming Megasellers are next up here to freshen it all up, all the angry and noisy Underground Hardcore noise and other stuff up here, haha;-). I always liked this band more or much pretty well and pretty much. So shut up if you now think "WTF?!?", yes, this is corporate rock music and I think it's pretty bizarre if I look back at times when "ROADRUNNER RECORDS" used to release classics of extreme musick like DEICIDE and OBITUARY and other legendary stuff like SEPULTURA and so on and now seeng them releasing ''soft'' Hard or Heavy Rock music the modern way like NICKELBACK but anyway who am I to judge anything or so on. I first listened to NICKELBACK at the end of the 1990's when they've released their back then album "THE STATE" (or something like this) and used to come off pretty big since then together with other bands more or less of this kind like PUDDLE OF MUDD and THREE DOORS DOWN and other bands like this, maybe to name STAIND and the from then on up to now more and more into Rock and Hard Rock tending FOO FIGHTERS as well. NICKELBACK are still around and used to become bigger and bigger since then as well as more and more heavy since then. So today their music is marked by dynamic and forceful, damn heavy and really pretty hard yet melodic and emotional guitars, all done truly well-versed and multi-layered as well for sure, and also marked and dominated by the damn charismatic and full of expressions and emotions being lead vocals, and the rhythm section is backing it all up the beefy way and the massive kind. Damn strong musicians are here anyhow at work and the songwriting is also pretty interesting and grapping the very most of the time. Combine METALLICA to the times of their legendary and still amazing self-titled and so called "BLACK ALBUM" with MEGADETH to their "YOUTHANASIA" period with modern Rock like today's FOO FIGHTERS and other stuff like this and this all done the very stand-alone way of NICKELBACK then you know what you get, from emotional (Power) Ballads to angry and smashing modern Heavy Metal songs we get a lot of different stuff up here. Also very diverse and strong lyrics, a great artwork and a outshining production sound on top of it as well. So if you want some corporate Rock music then make sure that it better is this album and not some other corporate Rock music album stuff, period. (8 of 10 points)

THE GHOUL GANG - "DEMO 2012" (D.I.Y. Hardcore from Detroit)

THE GHOUL GANG - "DEMO 2012"
("D.I.Y."; MP3-Download):
A young band from Detroit, U.S.A. playing some straight ahead and fast forward ''punky'' as well as ''groovy'' and ''moshy'' Old School Hardcore with plenty doses of speed and some good doses of melodies and rocking attitude as well in it, offering this two track D.I.Y. demo as a free MP3-Download on their bands own Bandcamp site (the link you find at the end of this review). What we get? Two songs in two minutes!!! Fast raging as well as pretty meldoic and strong rockin' guitars, had yet clean shouted charismatic vocals tight and fast rhythm section, all pretty hymnal and fist in the air compatible and to dance pretty fucking hard to it you can also all the time anyhow anyway if you like to. Maybe nothing special but anyway something good. Positive and ahead going hard and fast, yet melodic and rocking'n'grooving ''punky'' Old School Hardcore that will make your fist start to go up high and that will make you sing a long with the band. I would love to get more to listen to from them to find out if my impression that they promise us a lot of potential here is a correct one or not and so hopefully more than just two songs in two minutes will come pretty soon. Until then check them out, period. To the lyrics I can't say that much, an artwork isn't really given here and the production sound is pretty good. That's it, short demo, short review. Nice start anyhow. (7 of 10 points)

Sonntag, 26. Februar 2012

BERSERKER - "REINKARNATION" (German Metal/Rock from Berlin on "SUNNY BASTARDS RECORDS" to be released in 2012)

BERSERKER - "REINKARNATION"
("Sunny Bastards Records"; CD):
Here's the new album of BERSERKER from Berlin that will be released this spring of 2012 or so and this is a promo copy CD and so I don't have a clou if artwork (okay) and production sound (good, for sure) have any meaning for the proper release but however it may finally be. Today they release their albums via "SUNNY BASTARDS RECORDS" and not via "KB RECORDS" anymore but who cares. I have a old album of BERSERKER titled "KEIN BLICK ZURÜCK" or something like this released three or four albums before this one here (and back then still the D.I.Y. way, I guess) and compared with this album the new one here is a damn heavy and metallic one and the slogan of the band that goes "Stay Brutal!" they seem to want to backen up desperately. Anyway, BERSERKER were one of the uncountable bands that came up off ''big'' after the decline of the BÖHSE ONKELZ now already quite a few years ago trying to participate of and from the legacy of the B.O. and even they played it pretty heavy right and straight from the start they had always been a German Rock band in the tradition of the mid to (very) late B.O. and they are this also today. But this far more heavy and quite a big bit metallic so that they turn more and more from German Rock to a German Metal band or something like this. Metallic and heavy guitars, gruff and grim grunted vocals (that sing us pretty ''brutal staying'' tales of the typical German Rock style and stuff...), pounding bass and marching drums, good technical skills of the musicians without a doubt, songwriting also works more or less good without too much blank holes, and if you throw beside the B.O. also MOTÖRHEAD, SLAYER and some but onl very few very current PRO-PAIN impressions into the mix then you are pretty much there in the camp BERSERKER. What they do they do pretty good without a doubt and they work also pretty hard without a doubt but also it leaves me totally ''cold'' and ''non-grapped'' without a doubt, too. After the quality is okay to better and maybe nearly good it's maybe just and only a case of personal taste... Or they aren't simply that good and necessary anyway at the very end of the day... Who cares... Anyway... German Rock fans (that like also Metal music and especially the mentioned bands) will love and celebrate this album, Metalheads maybe should risk an ear as well because they could find something interesting for them, hm, and suburban village style ''rebel'' kids that want to act hard and tough from time to time trying to be somehow brutal and then also trying to somehow stay this should also give it a try but for me this is nothing or so, I mean that I simply can't find a way into this whole German Rock stuff what also means BERSERKER and so I'm out of it. Maybe they are a good band or they are not after all but it's simply not my cup of tea, point and fact. Average stuff or something like this, nothing more, and then that's it. I'm out of it folks... (5 of 10 points)

Freitag, 24. Februar 2012

DEVASTATED - "DEMO 2011" (D.I.Y. Crustcore from Slovenia brought to light in 2011 + Download Link)

DEVASTATED - "DEMO 2011"
("D.I.Y."; MP3-Download):
Okay, here's another band I've stumbled upon lately due to sites like Bandcamp and stuff comparable to it and after by the end of the last year my interest in and love for Crustcore musick simply used to awake again it won't make you wonder that much that this here is finally some Crust stuff again. It's the current demo release by this long running band from Slovenia that is to get for free via an Download at their Bandcamp site (the link you will find closing this post) and was done and released back then in 2011 all the D.I.Y. way. And today you can also find it online and the damn good "CRUST DEMOS" blogspot site (http://crust-demos.blogspot.com/2012/02/devastated-demo-2011.html) also features it with a I think so by the band authorized download opportunity. And to get the download you should do promptly, not because it's for free, but because DEVASTATED totally rule, period. Hard raging, sharp hitting, (Har-) Core fueled, D-Beat bred and Metal inspired devastating Crustcore on a very high level of skills which means the technical aspects as well as the awesome songwriting and the production niveau, too. Great stuff!!! Somewhere between pretty much DISGUST (someone out there remembers their almighty "A WORLD OF NO BEAUTY" full length album... amazing) and some few EXTREME NOISE TERROR as well as DISCHARGE notes, but all enriched with a huge dose of their totally very own stuff like apocalyptic acoustic guitar intros and just pure great long running guitar solos that are truly just awesome done and no guitar wack off bullshit. Forceful and incredible heavy and harsh and sinister and intense double guitar work, aggressive and brutal harsh shouted vocals, and a rhythm section that's just an pure apocalyptic inferno of savagely raging D-Beat Crustcore violence the über-brutal way, and all nicely pretty unique and characteristic, roamed by a sinister and dark yet aggressive and offending intense atmosphere. It all comes in a great production sound, with great artwork and the lyrics aren't part of the download but you can get them while you are listening to the songs and they are also totally good stuff. Five songs in something nearly around fifteen minutes at all we get here by DEVASTATION, five songs with the titles of "VIEW YOUR MISERY", "UNHUMAN TORTURE", "NOTHING HERE REMAINS", "LONGING FOR LIFE" and "DEAD MAN WALKING". Anyway, don't think twice anymore, better just get it, period. Cheers!!! (9 of 10 points)

Donnerstag, 23. Februar 2012

"PARADISE COVE" Issue No. # 01

"PARADISE COVE"
(''Street R'n'r Zine'')
Issue No. # 01
(Price: 0,50 Euro)
Okay, here it is the first issue of the more or less new "BANDWORM RECORDS" own house zine named the "PARADISE COVE" after the CEO of this zine is named ''Paradise'' who is a well-known name from Germany in the national as well as the international Oi!, Streetpunk and Punkrock scenery and you maybe know him as a cover drawing artist and stuff like this and so on and on. This zine started as a free garnish on some few pages as a part of the regular "BANDWORM RECORDS" mailorder catalouge and then with the last year 2011 the first real issue as a zine saw the light of the day. It comes in the typical ''culty'' standard format of any zines and in a professional and full-coloured printed layout, written completely in german and in nice tongouing. Hm, after this is more or less the "BANDWORM RECORDS" own zine it should be pretty clear that this is also not at least but maybe even first and foremost some sort of a promotional affair for all the "BANDWORM RECORDS" bands out there and so in good and really nice to read but everything but anyway critical interviews and as well as via other sorts of introductions and so on here we do get stuff with the great PERKELE, the ''reanimated'' VOGELFREI, the pretty sympathic but totally everything but necessary ROTZ & WASSER, the totally retarded German Rock nutjobs of KÄRBHOLZ, the great RAZORBLADE (even their ''german album'' of the last year was and is and pretty much stays utter garbage), the highly overrated comedian ''Oi!'' band BERLINER WEISSE, as well as a very good Oi! in France special (titled "CHAOS EN FRANCE"), a GLEICHLAUFSCHWANKUNG special report, a nice but way too short American Oi! "WAX & VIOLENCE" special report, a Boni/BLUTIGER OSTEN column, some few record reviews, a DJ EMPEROR special record reviews corner, a promotional article for the "REBELLION FESTIVAL" in Blackpool, great Britain titled "THIS IS MY WORLD", some nice introduction words, a big bunch of News and a handful of record reviews, hm, and then that's it. All in all it's all damn pretty nice and anyway after this is some sort of a "BANDWORM RECORDS" promotional affair you all know what you get anyhow here. This is the first issue of this promo zine and anyway and knowing what you get this is a nice read anyhow, the second issue is since a short while also already released and I have it also so that a review of it will also come up here sooner or later and this means also that this zine here you can get today for free and so if you like to then order it and give it a try. Promo stuff? For sure. A good read anyway? Yes anyhow.

Mittwoch, 22. Februar 2012

HERE I VANISH - "HERE I VANISH" (Metalcore from out of the D.I.Y. dephts of the Harz Mountains in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany)

HERE I VANISH - "HERE I VANISH"
("D.I.Y."; CD):
A month ago or something nearly like this my grilfriend and I drove and went to a so called Hardcore show in the city of Wernigerode in Saxony-Anhalt something like twenty to thirty minutes or so away from where we live. All in all again a great concert and with at least some few good guys around. Even I have to say that I'm fed up of concerts with lousy ''groovy'' (Melodic) Death (Thrash) Metal bands consisting out of short haired and like Hip Hop guys dressed suburban over-privileged Metal guys singing about stupid and senseless and unaimed violence but never had been involved in it and playing cheap and over a thousand times (and pretty often of it better) heard Beatdowns and calling this whole crap Hardcore and not to mention the most of the nutjobs in their jogging pants infront of the stage that also dare to call themselves Hardcore. But okay, anyhow, who cares and now back to the topic that is HERE I VANISH, period. I was really quite a bit heavy excited to finally see and hear them live up on and down from the stage, not at least because I only heard good stuff about them and because Lars of THROAT-CUT also plays in HERE I VANISH the bass and so it was up to the band and they convinced me right from the start and so I bought a T-Shirt as well as this CD of them. Seven songs at all including one intro ("INTRO") and one intermezzo ("RADIOINACTIV") track HERE I VANISH give us here to listen to, also including a truly nearly brilliant cover version of the legendary 1980's Pop music hymn "HIGH AND LOW". They play some damn good Metalcore with a lot of mighty and powerful melodies in it, as well as forceful changes of the structure, pace and mood as well as clever arranged everything but not your ordinary Beatdown moments in it, great, thumbs up!!! All is marked and dominated by multi-layered, rich-on-variations and more than ''just'' well-versed diverse guitar work, no matter if you take the powerful and great varying guitar riffing or the somehow complex yet fucking catchy leads or the shining solos, it all sticks fucking out, as well as also the truly charismatic vocals that cover from screams to grunts over shouts to clean melodic vocal lines a grapping wide distance and all done very smart and damn good, and also the rhythm section knows to totally convince in all aspects and leaving not one single small blank space uncovered and all ''sound-/music-holes'' get filled promptly. The technical skills of the involved musicians are pretty impressive as well as their abilities to write songs are really damn good to truly great shit, grapping and interesting, thumbs up for that. And also they have alreay quite a nice own stamp on the music that they play which is namely Metalcore and even the described ingredients sound now maybe somehow usual they really have what it takes to make it their own and something fresh and alive-lively you might can call the ''X-Factor'' or something so like this. What's missing is maybe the last consequence in writing and playing their songs straight and concrete down to the point and not loosing focuss on the way maybe here and there just a few times, so that it all would leave truly no possible or just thinkable resistance at the gates, if you may now know what I want to say with these words. Then they would get an even better rating up here by me. Anyway, already a damn good if not maybe already a great release that comes with truly good lyrics (not printed but you get them while you listen to the songs), a very nice artwork and all songs coming clothed in a very good production sound. Check this guys out, go to a concert of them, dance hard and mosh harder, wear their shirts and first and foremost buy this CD (already recorded and released back then in 2010 but don't ask me why I just got it now in 2012) and support this still pretty young band that owns a huge potential and promises us a lot, they could really become something pretty ''big'' if they just work on as good and hard as they already do so and if they are also given the fair, honest and proper chance to do so. Thumbs up guys, I hope more by and of you will come soon. Cheers!!! (8,5 of 10 points)

Dienstag, 21. Februar 2012

CALVIN RUSSELL - "DAWG EAT DAWG" (Texas Rebel Roots Rock)


CALVIN RUSSELL – “DAWG EAT DAWG“
(“XIII BIS Records“/”98L Productions”/”Raweyed World Productions”/”SCPP”; CD):

This record that now gets reviewed up here is the current release of the living legend CALVIN RUSSELL. This album was released back then by the end of 2010 and I bought it with curious joy about it during january 2011 and always wanted to review it since then and now I’m pretty much clueless why the fuck I just get it now managed to do it so after nearly a year. I was this year a damn fucking lazy bastard up here on the blog due to fucked up certain circumstances, I guess. Okay, anyway and anyhow, and now finally back to the topic up here, the review of this very album, “DAWG EAT DAWG” by CALVIN RUSSELL. I first saw this veteran and listened to him and his music for the very first by the beginning of 2007 I guess and this with him live up on stage at the place where good music is always the best and can proof how great it really all is. After this it was clear that CALVIN RUSSELL found a new fan in me and I started to work myself into the musical and lyrical world and work of him with his back then current album and from that on I started moving backwards and it was also damn clear when I saw this album for the first time now nearly already a year ago that I needed to have it and so I went and bought it and what shall I say, there was not a single minute when and where this album disappointed me, nah, instead of this the album here convinced me more and more every time I listened to it. At first, to be honest, I needed some time to get really into it, because this album is ruled by a pretty sinister spirit and a dark, melancholic atmosphere but also a very critical and gladiatorial attitude, yes, and so maybe let us call it a political approach with a somehow cynical worldview lurking through behind it all, but trust me if you just give this album this time you will find a through and through true and real treasure. Now, after all this never ending words for the introduction talking, what we get here musically? One term: Rock & Roll!!! Mix good old Rock and Rock & Roll music with some heavy and huge doses of emtional and intense and pretty much fucked up through (what’s here and now meant totally positive, to set this straight) Blues as well as Country and old yet fresh classical Rhythm’n’Blues and a big dose of ‘’french cultural music’’ (don’t know how to say or describe it somehow better) and you’re pretty much there. The atmosphere is pretty sinister and dark, yet fucking rebellious and gladiatorial and anyhow through and through fucked up pretty to very much. The multi-layered songwriting is amazing and graps you in an iron hold without letting you loose again, and also the technical skills are phenomenal high, more than ''just'' well-versed. The lyrics are brilliant, as well as also the artwork and the production sound totally rules. If you like amazing Rock (& Roll) music don't think twice and damn fucking get this album. Texas Rebel Roots Rock rules totally okay!!! Outhining!!! Cheers!!! (10 of 10 points)
(http://www.calvinrussell.net/)
Update: Now just you enjoy if you like to the folowing live clip of the almighty CALVIN RUSSELL playing and performing in a spontaneous arranged jam session with several other talented musicians the immortal JIMI HENDRIX classic "ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER" and I could talk right now nuch if not far more about it but I will spare me every word more and just leave you with the comment:" Awesome and amazing!!!" and then now just enjoy it!!! Cheers!!!


CALVIN RUSSELL - "ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER"

IN FLAMES - "SOUNDS OF A PLAYGROUND FADING" (Modern Metal on "CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS" released in 2011)

IN FLAMES - "SOUNDS OF A PLAYGROUND FADING"
("Century Media Records"; CD):
Okay, anyone remembers the review that I've did of their ''for free'' and/or ''give away'' appetizer CD last summer? I've written back then that IN FLAMES would sound today like acts like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and that it all would be some nice stuff but that you also shouldn't be expecting something all in all too ''special'' or something so like this and that I simply couldn't understand why everyone is making such a noise because of the ''new'' IN FLAMES... Okay, what should I say now, by the end of last year I finally decided to buy their current release anyhow and they turned totally my head around, what a brilliant album they've recoded and done here with this very one, period. It's Modern Metal, ya can't name it any different anyway and why should ya anyhow and fans of acts like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will like if not love what IN FLAMES celebrate and give us here on this very one. But they do it very much with and in their very own way and style and attitude and aestehtics. Blending their deep rooted Melodic Death Metal the Sverige Way that they've established and then more and more cultivated and developed over the last two decades or so with up to date modern Mealcore and Modern Metal like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE as well as stuff like CALIBAN blend it with almighty stuff like STUCK MOJO (just listen to the groove and rhythm work that IN FLAMES are doing here, keeping on the legacy that the almighty STUCK MOJO  left behind and keeping it alive) and they cultivate it all with their very own identity and their very own unique character as well as a big bunch of suprises. Incredible high technical as well as also songwriting skills of the musicians, it's all and I mean really and truly all done incredible well-versed and multi-layered as or like not much else today out there and it's strongly and highly grapping and interesting and it will grab and keep your attention over the complete distance of the album. The incredible and phenomenal strong and rich on variations multi-layered guitar work is carrying each song to its heights as well as the brilliant done and very varying rhythm work and structure architecture and the outstanding charismatic vocals and don't forget about the atmospheric and ambient suprises and tracks we find here clever worked into the mix. A tight and strong and intense atmosphere is marking the complete album as well. Great diverse and demanding metaphorical lyrics, a truly just outstanding great artwork and a just perfect fat and broad and clean yet very, very heavy production sound we get as well. Anyway, this review is also already long enough now and I think you all reading this here and now should have already understood that this is a must have release that's just pure platinum and total amazing shit that you really should call your very own and so don't think twice and better just get this album if you still don't have it anyhow and especially if you are interested in outstanding strong and diverse and emotional atmospheric music that is really something ''special'' and ''gifted'' and don't give a shit about genre or musical borders. An awesome and amazing pure platinum album and one of the best 2011 releases. Highly recommend this to everyone out there interested in brilliant and ''special'' and ''gifted'' music!!! Cheers!!! (10 of 10 points)

Montag, 20. Februar 2012

REALITY CHECK - "NO LOVE FOR THE UNDERDOGS" (Hardcore from Warsaw, Poland released the D.I.Y. way back then in 2011 + Download Link)

REALITY CHECK - "NO LOVE FOR THE UNDERDOGS"
("D.I.Y."; MP3-Download):
Straight Edge Skinhead Hardcore (for all what I understood) from the city of Warsaw in Poland by this to me pretty new and also young (from my perception) band playing it the up to date way inbetween TERROR and HOODS and doing it with a pretty own identity and a lot of skills and class, thumbs up. For all what I understood this here is a ''only'' MP3-Download release by the band itself and so the link to download it will follow at the end of this review (download it at their Badcamp site). All in all six tracks in around ten minutes REALITY CHECK give us here, unleashing a firy and furious, harsh and heavy Hardcore inferno marked and driven forward by sharp and cutting, heavy and massive guitar playing, a really brutal and heavy and damn present bass (great!!!), hard stomping and heavy pounding drumming, fat crew back up shouts and pissed off some sort of spoken heavy and dry throaty shouted vocals, in mostly fast but also very ''moshy'' pace and great forceful rhythm structures of the songs, damn good songwriting and really good technical skills of the musicians we do get also ''for free''. They aren't changing the formula or something like this, but give us some good own new ideas as well as a high quality of the standard of the music so why should they change anything at the end of the day. Good battle-scarred and authentic underdog lyrics, a great artwork and a powerful production sound on top of it to make the package complete. If you ask me then you need to have to know them especially if you are into stuff like TERROR and HOODS, they show us a lot of potential here and they are promising us a lot for the future on here and so get it and check them out. HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! (8 of 10 points)
(Bandcamp, Download - REALITY CHECK: http://realitycheck13.bandcamp.com/)
(Homepage - Warsaw HC: http://www.warsawhardcore.pl/)


Donnerstag, 16. Februar 2012

THE OPPRESSED - "ANTIFA HOOLIGANS" (S.H.A.R.P. Oi! on "MAD BUTCHER RECORDS" released in 2011)

THE OPPRESSED - "ANTIFA HOOLIGANS"
("Mad Butcher Records"; CD):
Let me start this review with the weak and negative sides of this release: (1.) It's again somehow sad to see how this whole AFA and anti-AFA lowlifechoose your side confrontation bullshit is crawling up when it's about legendary bands that seem to join the close minded ranks of this whole "With us or against us!" attitude crap of one of the two sides and the label, the title, the artwork all here showcases this in total and instead of AFA Oi! why not only name it what it is and this is Oi! or if you like to S.H.A.R.P. Oi! instead of making such a fuzz... maybe it's also just me who can't stand this whole anymore with becoming 31 years young this year and feeling uncomfortable which such stupid stuff, who knows...; (2.) The production sound is utter garbage and that it sounds like a cheap CPU Drumset is used here isn't making anything better here, and it's sad, this album would have deserved it by far so much better anyhow anyway...; (3.) No real new 'true' THE OPPRESSED songs  up here, sadly enough. And that's it!!! Despise this three points this album totally rulez right from the start to the finish of it!!! And this lyrically as well as musically!!! With me you won't discuss the enormous importance of THE OPPRESSED and also of S.H.A.R.P., it was damn important back then to make a stand and taking it back from the lowlife subhuman WP NS scum and to make a stand against Fascism, Racism, Anti-Semitism as well as first and foremost Nationalsocialism is always important. Does this mean to close your mind, to become a not on his own thinking politically correct nutjob, join unquestioned the ranks of idiots like the AFA and to judge people based on the fact if they share your ''wisdom'' or not, etc. pp.?!? NO!!! And did S.H.A.R.P. got violated by idiots back then as well as today? Yes! Of course! But is this changing anything at the end of the day?!? HELL NO!!! So here we do get three new cover versions of the LOS FASTIDIOS and their silly but funny and incredible sing a long friendly evergreen "ANTIFA HOOLIGANS" (I like it far more than the original one), of the THE MAYTALS classic "MONKEY MAN" (awesome) and (yes, yes, yes, you read it right and correct) of the HOT CHOCOLATE 'hymn' (...) "BROTHER LOUIE" (already legendary) and all songs are done in the typical THE OPPRESSED style, pushed forward by a hard stomping and rocking rhythm section (even the drumming here isn't anything hard...), heavy and dustdry guitar work, mighty back ups and this great harsh yet snotty and somehow still young sounding lead vocals. Then a big bunch of new recorded classics from "SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY" to "WORK TOGETHER" comes along the way, and even it might have been not so necessary at all and really new songs would have been far more interesting it still rocks and rules anyway. Old School S.H.A.R.P. Brickwall Oi! from Great Britain, angry and pissed off as fuck, great!!! Clear message carried by the politically left winged lyrics that are great done and about the aesthetics of the artwork as well as the terrible production sound I've already said at the beginning enough. A great release of this legendary band that would have become a even better rating if the three weak points mentioned at the beginning would not have been. Anyway, THE OPPRESSED and their style of Oi! are still about having a laugh AND having a say and that's damn good so and will hopefully never change!!! Great!!! Get it asap!!! Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi! (9 of 10 points)

Mittwoch, 15. Februar 2012

KRIGBLAST - "DEMO RECORDINGS 2012" (Metal Crust from Austin, Texas/U.S.A. + Download Link)

KRIGBLAST - "DEMO RECORDINGS 2012"
("D.I.Y."; MP3-Downlad):
Here's something pretty cool that I found by accident while I was surfing through Facebook and Reverbnation the last days and this four piece band caught my attention because of their great bandname and the damn cool aesthethics and artworks they showcase. The band is hailing out of Austin in Texas, U.S.A: and is giving us forward storming and everything crushing and atomizing modern metallic Crustcore (or maybe better Metal Crust) in the tradition of a legendary and great band like WOLFPACK respectively WOLFBRIGADE which means: Charismatic mean aggressive throaty and 'growly' shouted and screamed grim lead vocals, forceful yet diverse and hard yet melodic as well as bonedry and über-brutal guitar work (mighty and brutal riffs, aggressive yet melancholic leads, clever solos, all well-versed and multi-layered, great), mighty and powerful sawing and shredding bass work and militaristic and hammering stomping and pounding drumming, all delivered in a great way and this non stopp. The technical skills of the musicians are way up high and the varying and grapping and interesting songwriting is pure gold. Also make no mistakes, this here is not a copy of any band, nah, they do it already their very own way. If you like WOLFPACK/WOLFBRIGADE, TRAGEDY and FROM ASHES RISE and mix it up with some MOTÖRHEAD and few DARK THRONE impressions then you know pretty good for the start what you get from them and then start to discover KRIGBLAST by your very own. We should all really keep an eye on KRIGBLAST, this three songs will just be the beginning, hm, and for all what I got they are also meant as an appetizer for a coming proper release or something so like this. Ah, also cool lyrics that underline the somehow depressive and melancholic yet aggresive and anyhow sinister atmosphere of the music perfectly, and the production sound fits supreme. Great stuff, I demand more. (9 of 10 points)

Dienstag, 14. Februar 2012

RISE AGAINST - "ENDGAME" (Modern American Punkrock on "DGC RECORDS" released in 2011)

RISE AGAINST - "ENDGAME"
("DGC Records"; CD):
One of the next reviews of 2011 releases I finally want to get worked through. RISE AGAINST... a Punkrock band from the U.S.A. that grew very big over the last years or the last decade or something like this. Never followed them really anyhow anyway. I just remember that a friend of mine once gave me their "SIREN SONG FOR THE COUNTER CULTURE" (or something like this) titled album, remembering it I know that I liked pretty well and that I somehow meant they would be to be located somewhere in between the middle of BAD RELIGION and SICK OF IT ALL, but don't nail me on that. Anyhow, don't know why I haven't followed RISE AGAINST since then, don't ask me about it. And also don't ask me why I then now finally decided from out of nowhere to finally buy this very album here by the end of 2011, I just don't know it as well. Anyway, RISE AGAINST are more than just well known I think so these days and even this stuff normally isn't all in all too high on my personal fave list I have to say that this album is really some damn good and also by far better stuff. Yes, it's totally political correct and over "critical" and "political" and "self-righteous left winged" lyric wise, and it's very melodic, über-catchy and damn "poppy" music wise, but it works all totally great togther and out in the end and so I don't care about this whole political correct mainstream attitude of RISE AGAINST and not at least because anyway they have some good lyrics settled together. Fast forward driven and driving modern melodic Punkrock with a slight mark of meldoic Hardcore in it as well as some few Emo/Screamo impressions, marked by the amazing and very charismatic lead vocals, great well-versed and strongly varying guitar work on all fronts (riffing, rhythm, leads, solos), as well as by the truly being damn strong and interesting and grapping and rich on changes and suprises as well as energy and dynamic and pulsating life songwriting and songarchitecture. Great!!! That the back up chants rock like hell and that the rhythm section is doing a brilliant job should be clear to everyone. A lot of political lyrics and stuff like this on top of it, but all done more or less pretty good and interesting and grapping (and to be honest and to say it precise and clear the lyrics are great, period), and then there's also a pretty good artwork and a full and "fat" production sond that totally benefits the music perfectly all on top of it. By far the very best song in the bunch is the almighty "SATELLITE" but also all the other tracks rock and rule like not much else. I think anyone interested in RISE AGAINST and stuff like this does already own this album but anyhow I really highly recommend this to you even stuff like this is normally not your top notch stuff. Really damn great stuff that you have to check out if you ask me, period. And if you ask me again maybe the best Punkrock album released back then in 2011 anyway anyhow despise all the hype and so, this is great and even better, period. Great band that I really should finally start to follow more intense. (10 of 10 points)
Now comes a live video of RISE AGAINST playing their almighty anthem "SATELLITE" live on stage and they totally rock and rule, so just enjoy it and form your own opinion about them.


RISE AGAINST - "SATELLITE"
(Live @ "SUMMERFEST" in 2011)


Montag, 13. Februar 2012

SHADE OF MANKIND - "FALLOUT" (D.I.Y. Crust Core from Porto Allegre, Brazil - released in 2011 + Download Link)

SHADE OF MANKIND - "FALLOUT"
("D.I.Y."; Demo EP via MP3-Download):
Okay folks, next up is once again some pretty new and surely damn good (if not even more than this) Crust Core and this time the sinister and heavy music is detonating and falling out right from Porto Allegre in Brazil. This is a demo release by this for all what I know young one man band of the name of SHADE OF MANKIND that's the offspring of a guy named Roderick Hellion and don't ask me about any ties to Dwid Hellion of INTEGRITY anyhow. The demo is up for free to download on the ReverbNation site of this band (as usual in cases like this the link will follow at the end of this review) and I stumbled upon them while and when I was surfing through Facebook the last days. Interested in the stuff of SHADE OF MANKIND I managed to get the download done and what I listened to knocked me first out and then took me by storm. Seven songs in someting around 15 minutes or so of a total Crust Core inferno cultivated with some few metallic Hardcore notes, some Grindcore marks and some Death Metal impressions in it as well. Take DOOM and SKIT SYSTEM, throw some INTEGRITY and IN COLD BLOOD into the music, give some good healthy doses of EXTREME NOISE TERROR in good rounds to it, combine it with some few NAPALM DEATH marks and make it round with some old school british Death Metal like BENEDICTION and BOLT THROWER and you are right in camp of SHADE OF MANKIND. Evil and total heavy and destructive noisy and distorted shredding and sawing guitars, sinister and pissed off and mercyless buzzing and pounding bass, fast raging and brutal hammering drums and damn aggressiv and brutal, throaty as well as guttural grunted and shouted pure filth and evil vocals make the music and the atmosphere is damn dark,sinister, depressive and apocalyptic, not much light shines in it it's instead of this dark, sinister and gloomy, as well as it's all damn intense and grapping and heavily and distorted on all levels. The songwriting is tight, well-versed and fucking damn intense, and to play all the instruments really damn good Roderick Hellion knows also anyhow. The lyrics are also damn dark and sinister, heavy and harsh stuff, the raw (but not too raw) production sound is also just pure gold in this very case here and the artwork of this demo got a great look. SHADE OF MANKIND works currently on a new and proper full length album that will hopefully be out very soon and this on the level of high quality like this demo here offers to us, until then make sure to get this album. Thumbs up, want more!!! Great!!! (9 of 10 points)

FREI.WILD - "GEGENGIFT - 10 JAHRE EDITION 2001 - 2011" (German Rock released on "ROOKIES & KINGS" in 2011, and here's the edition to celebrate ten years of German Rock by FREI.WILD)

FREI.WILD - "GEGENGIFT"
(''10 JAHRE GEGENGIFT 2001 - 2011'' // ''10 YEARS ANNIVERSARY EDITION 2001 - 2011'')
("Rookies & Kings" + "Soulfood Music Distribution"; Double CD + DVD):
Next up another record review of another 2011 release. This here is the current album of the German Rock stars of FREI.WILD. German Rock (= Deutsch Rock) was and still is a pretty big trend over here in not so good but surely old Germany that came up after the official end of the BÖHSE ONKELZ quite a few years ago. A big bunch of bands popped up and an hurricane of albums was and still is released by this armada of bands and like the BÖHSE ONKELZ themselves also more or less this whole German Rock scenery is defamed as being Nazi music or at least Nazi friendly music and a so styled scene. What a big bunch of ridiculous (but also sad) bullshit this is I don't have to tell you. Okay, the most part of this whole German Rock stuff isn't ''something for me'' anyhow and that it seems to me that huge parts of the German Oi! (and also Punk) stuff is seeming to jump up on the German Rock Trend-Train is total crap for me, but anyhow anyway, sometimes also German Rock bands know to convince me and FREI.WILD are absolutely one of this few bands and this latest since when some years ago back then their great "GEGEN ALLES, GEGEN NICHTS" (= "ANTI-EVERYTHING, ANTI-NOTHING") album was released they took me by storm. FREI.WILD are from South Tyrol and are maybe something like the (in-) official superstars of the whole German Rock scene and if you ask me they surely have the potential to survive this whole cheap trend crap because they are really this damn good at the end of the day. Some years ago FREI.WILD caused heavy (and still ongoing) rumours because of a so called dubious past of certain members of the band in and with the so called Right Wing Fascist Rock band KAISERJÄGER (never heard of them, don't know them, don't care about them), some strange activities in separatistic right wing party down there in South Tyrol, some patriotic lyrics and that's it, sadly enough even their back then label "BANDWORM RECORDS" from Germany fell to its knees to benefit the AFA PC crowd out there. Okay, it didn't hurt the ongoing uprising of FREI.WILD anyhow anyway (and that's good if you ask me) and if FREI.WILD would be (for a good example) a Palestinian band singing Arabian (or something like this) about separation and patriotic-nationalistic sovereignty from the oh so evil "Jew-State" known as Israel the whole german AFA PC nutjobs would salute them and join them at least or first and foremost virtually in their oh so just battle for separatistic freedom but sadly enough FREI.WILD sing in German sometimes more or less about something like nationalistic separation of South Tyrol from Italy and about protecting the traditions and existence of the German speaking minority down there and so FREI.WILD aren't freedom fighters to them but Fascists, Xenophobs, Racists, Nationalists, if not Nazis. Stupid fucking idiots with no real life and far too less intellect and by far too much ridiculous hobbies. Fuck them!!! Just read "OIRE SZENE" and bullshit blogs/sites like this and you know what bunch of shitfaced idiots I mean. So okay, finally enough of this here and now. Finally to the music and this album. We get hard and sometimes heavy Rock music in the tradition of the mid to late and especially last BÖHSE ONKELZ albums. (So no, nah, no Skinhead music or so anyhow, period.) Packed up full with heavy rockin' and hard rollin' yet melodic and catchy guitars, forward pushing hammering slightly metallic Hard Rock riffs and pretty nice and damn catchy leads, melodies and well-versed solos, heavy and throaty and slightly wasted on a drink (lead) vocals, a powerful and tight as well as precise in time pounding bass and stoic massive drum playing with a good vibe and pretty bulky power behind it. The songwriting is pretty to very good and nicely grapping, with some nice suprises as well as good doses of twists and turns, i mean, okay, they know the schedule and about the deal about German Rock and the music of the BÖHSE ONKELZ and they aren't changing the formula anyhow aynway but they make out of it pretty much their own thing and add some own stuff to it and make it with and through this procedure fresh and exciting and simply by far better than the rest of this whole German Rock stuff, music and scene, and anyhow, good rhythm architecture, work of and with the pace, not too much pathos, good emotions and expressions of them, and from metallic high energy Hard Rock songs to violative emotional (power) ballads they do truly offer us a lot to discover and enjoy here. Also lyrically we get from political and/or social-critical stuff to personal topics a lot of themes covered here by FREI.WILD and all done really pretty strong and good. Ah, and the production sound is a really powerful and so good one. So, okay, anyhow nothing new but some fresh air definitely and also truly a big and bright ray of light out and in an otherwise extreme crappy genre of music. This here is the 10th anniversary edition of their latest "GEGENGIFT" album and it comes with a damn cool and really pretty good bonus album on a second disc (great stuff) and an more or less interesting bonus DVD and this all in a fantastic artwork as well as it all comes up just for the price of a normal single CD, cool move by the guys. Check this CD out if you're more or less into German Rock and the music of the BÖHSE ONKELZ (in this case here this means especially their latest works), because then you will really find a lot of stuff to discover that you will enjoy. And check it also out if all the other German Rock crap bands out there are from your point ofview nothing but utter garbage (that's also my standpoint) because FREI.WILD truly hold much more in store. Check it out, enjoy it!!! (8 of 10 points)
(http://www.frei-wild.net/)

Mittwoch, 8. Februar 2012

DEATH IN JUNE - "ALL PIGS MUST DIE" /// Cover by an unknown artist who's really done a great job if you ask me, check it out!!!

Okay folks, here comes again a post more or less (read the headline of the post and you will know what I mean with this words) about DEATH IN JUNE. Btw, first up, haha, it's funny, promptly after posting first about DEATH IN JUNE yesterday or so the first brave anonymous out there posted his brave anti-fascist beliefs and stated that they would be respectively are Nazis. However, I wouldn't mind and I wouldn't comment but two things I simply have to say about it, and so here they come, the two things: 1.) It's always interesting, may they or may you be right wing or not that anyhow being right wing means to them being Nazi, haha, long live hermetic close minded arrogant elitist world views; 2.) The particular guy posted ''Gay music for Gay Nazis'' or something like this, hm, but since when brave anti-fascists are allowed to use the term gay to drag down their anticipated political opponents, I mean, isn't that not sexist or homophobic or so?!? I mean, if a guy from the right wing would do so it would be exactly this for you or not?!? Haha, come on, get all a real life. Now to this post here: I stumbled upon this video clip by a to me totally unknown guy a few minutes ago on YouTube and it took me by storm and this means a lot especially because he did a cover of one of my absolutely favorite DEATH IN JUNE songs and I truly think this young boy really did a great job, interpreting it all just with his voice and his acoustic guitar, and he really made it his own, at least if ya ask me. If anyone out there reading this knows more please stop by and drop a line in the comments about it. I now will leave ya all with the clip and maybe now just you enjoy it as much as I do enjoy it. Great, great stuff!!! And then good night for now!!! And never forget: "ALL PIGS MUST DIE!!!"


UNKNOWN ARTISTS - "ALL PIGS MUST DIE"
(DEATH IN JUNE - Coverversion)

"CAMPAIGN FOR MUSICAL DESTRUCTION" Fanzine Issue No. # 16 (***Fanzine Review/-s***)

"CAMPAIGN FOR MUSICAL DESTRUCTION"
("C.F.M.D.")
Fanzine
Issue Nr. # 16
(Price: ?!?)
Okay, next one of the ''Fanzine Reviews'' up here, and this time our review journey in the case of fanzines will take and lead us into a pretty extreme direction in musical affairs. First of all I have to say: "Thanks a lot man!" for handing this fanzine to me and this ''thanking shit/stuff'' goes out to Andre "Der Bucklige" B. a.k.a. the "Cowboy" named "Old Beerhand" of the "REALM OF SHADES" (former "BENEATH THE TREES") and the "NO BEER UNTIL METAL" fanzines who gave it to me, why the fuck ever he wanted to get rid of it, but anyhow, and again: "Thanks man!!!" Okay, where did I use to stop before this ''thanking shit/stuff''?!? Ah, exactly, pretty if not or better very extreme musick and so we do get a big truckload of Grindcore, Crustcore, Powerviolence, D-Beat, Death Metal and (extreme) Hardcore. And no matter if I no may like every single style or every single featured band or not (and I love especially the Crust and Grind stuff featured in this one here) and no matter if this a little bit disgusting "we see the world only in black and white and we are the good guys and in the right" politically correct AFA attitude makes me in weak moments wanna puke or not, this zine is really one of those few fanzines out there that still really remind me about how great this ''analog medium'' in a ''digital world'' still can be and in this very case here still damn fucking is!!! Totally full of enthusiasm and passion, great!!! If you are into the mentioned styles and kinds of extreme musick than do yourself the favor and check this great zine out. We get huge truckloads full of reviews of records, gigs and fanzines, over the top introduction words, pissed off thoughts as well as great funny humor non stopp, brilliant done interviews with COLLAPSING SYSTEM, W.H.A.T. (the interviewd guy really has not a single clou about Oi! music and is talking utter garbage about it that's left standing uncommented but what did ya expect if Crusties write or talk about Oi!, right... nothing, exactly), KATYUSHA, GREED KILLING, MANDATORY, CHAOSREIGN, ATTACK OF RAGE, BANGSAT and Dan Swanoe and Thomas Skogsberg (all interviews are great stuff, grapping and incredible rich on informations, thumbs up), as well as a cool mass murder or serial killer special and an disgusting symphonies of sickness special. Thumbs up!!! The layout is black/white cut'n'paste styled and got a decent cool great look, it's written completly in german and in an brilliant and grapping tonguing. Anyhow anyway this is a must read so go and buy and read and enjoy it. Amazing shit, a more than great read!!! I'm really lokking forward for a new issue to finally come out hopefully very soon. Cheers & Oi!

"REALM OF SHADES" Fanzine Issue No. # 07 (***Fanzine Review/-s***)

"REALM OF SHADES"
Fanzine
Issue No. # 07
(Price: 2,00 Euro)
Okay, and after reviewing the issue no. one of the "NO SLEEP UNTIL METAL" fanzine it's now about time to do a review of the first born one of the fanzines of Andre "Der Bucklige" B. a.k.a. the "Cowboy" and this fanzine is none else than his "BENEATH THE TREES"... ah... I mean... his "REALM OF SHADES" titled zine. Okay, WTF?!? "BENEATH THE TREES" turned for what reasons ever into "REALM OF SHADES" and the "Cowboy" decided to continue the counting of the numbers of his pubished issues also with his new named old fanzine. Isn't this a litlle bit like, hm, wait, hm, let me say it this way so: Isn't this not in one way or another some sort of cheating?!? ;-) And "Cowboy", one personal question: Why the fuck didn't you send me an issue no. six or at least informed me back then that it was finally released by you?!? You damn bastard called "Old Beerhand";-)!!! So okay, this zine respectively issue came out early fall or so last year and I really want to say sorry to Andre that the review is coming up online and ready to read that late and with a so big delay... Sorry man!!! So, okay, onward we march into and through the further review;-):  This fanzine started up under the name of "BENEATH THE TREES" and today is running wild ;-) under the "REALM OF SHADES" banner. Started as a Black Metal fanzine with a huge Pagan/Viking impact it turned out to focuss more and more on (Old School) Trash Metal as well as a lot of Traditional Heavy/Power Metal and some Death Metal, while Black Metal as well as Pagan/Viking Metal isn't anyhow dominant more anymore. No matter if "BENEATH THE TREES" or "REALM OF SHADES", the zine always was and still is heavily anti-P.C. even NSBM and so isn't featured here in the content of the current issue (even AFA faggots would or will see this in a total different light or so, I would bet), but a btw pretty if not very pleonastic, infantile, ''mentally handicapped'', totally ''sticked-in-the-mud'', reactionary and bitterly and poorly nonreflective open to the far right as pseudo-rebellious anti-P.C. disguise attitude and world-view on politics, subculture and stuff like this you simply can't deny anyway anyhow by reading through the zine. Anyway, more strange is this totally redundant attitude of being opposed to the Internet, MP3's, MP3-Players, I-Pods, CD's, DVD's, CD-R's, etc. pp. and daming this all as bitter trends that destroy the true spirit of D.I.Y. Underground bands that before this all had it far better and easier with releasing lousy self-copied tapes and just be able to sell it for something like hundred copies ''worldwide'' and then just have to trust in that some of the guys who bought their tapes self-copy it enough to spread it on in their friends-circle etc. pp. and on and on than now with having Bandcamp sites and stuff like this and being able to get in contact with potentially interested listeners from around the world in a second and becoming far more well-known than before without that heavy costs anyhow, but hm, who am I... Nah, this attitude is really ridiculous and I have not a single clou why the "Cowboy" is spreading and believing such bullshit anyhow. But however... let us call it Old School (...) or better ''Old School'' (...) and let us live them all on in their strange world of ''pseudo-elitistic'' True Underground Metal Maniac bullshit attitude and world view... On something around 62 pages the "Cowboy" is giving us some nice introduction words (always good), big bunches of reviews of records, concerts and zines, tons of pictures of weird guys wearing black/white make up, of typical and also pretty much 1980's styled Heavy Metal guys, of naked chicks showcasing their naked boobies and asses and clits to us the readers, demons, monsters, devils, skulls, Metal record covers, 1980's movie pictures, pictures of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bud Spencer, Terence Hill, Klaus Kinski and typical Metal band logos, promotions for bands and zines and distros and labels, as well as a big bunch of interviews with APOLION, AXE BATTLER, CHRISTBASHER, CRIMSON AEON, DEMONA, WITCHING HOUR, WYROCZINA and the "PAPYRUS" fanzine, and even I know not a single band and checking them out on the web I know now why and that's because of the fact that they simply don't play ''my'' music (and why should they anyhow, I mean...) I have to say that all interviews are truly great to read stuff, and on the front cover is a nice little tribute to the almighty VENOM, and that's always a nice thing. I think that if you are into Underground Metal musick you really should have to read this great little zine, it's great fun to read through it, even you truly don't have to agree on all the propagated redundant bullshit in here. It's written in german and in great tonguing, it's D.I.Y. Old School in a black and white cut and paste lay out done in a copy shop work way. I don't know if there are still copies floating around but if you're interested in it send a mail to the "Cowboy" and maybe get it. Great read, always much fun and pleasure, point and fact. Hopefully the next issue will finally come out soon. Cheers & Oi!

"NO BEER UNTIL METAL" Issue No. # 1 (***Fanzine-Review/-s***)

"NO BEER UNTIL METAL" - Issue No. #1
(Price: 2,00 Euro)
When I discovered this little black and white copied cut and paste fanzine I thought: "What the hell?!?" (...) Like the name or title may already say to you this here is dealing with Metal music(k). Don't know from where it popped up so suprisingly and quickly but after I figured out that Andre "Der Bucklige" B. a.k.a. "Cowboy" is doing this fanzine I knew that it would be a pretty nice read anyhow, haha;-). "Der Bucklige" a.k.a. the "Cowboy" (how he uses to call himself today or how he used to be called these days.... "OLD BEERHAND", you know...) also used to run the Underground Metal fanzine "BENEATH THE TREES" or how it is named today "REALM OF SHADES" and no matter if most of the in this fanzine featured music is nothing for me or not it is always a great read and this very fanzine here promised exactly this to me not at least because of the funny name and logo and brilliant Bud Spencer tribute on the frontcover of it;-). (I truly love Bud Spencer and Terence Hill!!!) Okay, the only thing that's a little bit strange is the fact that I can't really see a reason for the "Cowboy"  to do this very fanzine here because in style, attitude and content it offers pretty much the same storyline and schedule as his "BENEATH THE TREES" respectively "REALM OF SHADES" stuff. While he started with this fanzine as a Black Metal zine with a heavy Pagan/Viking impact he moved heavily into the direction of Traditional Metal (from Heavy and Power to Thrash and Death Metal) with only a few Black and Pagan/Viking Metal impressions in the complete package. And this mixture he also offers here. The only difference is that "NO BEER UNTIL METAL" is written in english, displays even far more naked boobies and asses, celebrates it even far more to be a (heavy) boozer, is even more cliché and is taking it all not that heavily serious but offers a little bit a more funny side of the whole things, but anti-P.C. and close minded dogmatic old school and ''true'' as hell it is also anyhow anyway. Maybe the "Cowboy" just have to much free time to spend or so, I don't know it, anyway, nice and good that he spends his too much free time this way of doing more zines, period, haha;-). The layout is totally old school, black and white, copy shop work, cut and paste, self-drawn logos, comics and pictures, etc. pp., the used english is pretty simple but okay and it works and is written down in good tonguing and the something around 41 pages are packed up full with propaganda to make tapes instead of CD-R's (no comment...haha;-)...), naked boobies and asses, partypictures and worshipping of the almighty Chuck Norris and even more of Alcohol and impressive celebrations of the life of being a (heavy) boozer (it's totally stupid and ridiculous, to say this honestly as clear and as direct as posible, but if the "Cowboy" and the guys featured in the zine think so and feel good with it then who am I to judge them...) and also you'll find a lot of promotion of and for underground labels, bands, distros and other zines and it all seems very well linked in this whole Metal Underground stuff. Then we find a big bunch of reviews for example from AC/DC to WITCHBURNER and from ALCOHOLOCAUST to SEX GEPARD (huahaahahaha, great name:-)....!!!) and a big bunch of long interviews with BAPHOMET'S BLOOD, the "BEERHAMMERS" Heavy Metal Fan Club, ANTACID, BLIZZARD, DRUNKEN BASTARD, REZET, WITCHBURNER and the legendary TANKARD. To be honest then I knew beside WITCHBURNER and TANKARD not a single band of the ones featured here (and some surfing taught me that I now may know the rest of the other bands a little bit but that they simply not please my gusto, but anyhow) and the two mentioned ones I knew and know now for and from many, many years ago but anyhow, at least TANKARD still rule, haha;-), but all the interviews are done great and are a great read. That this fanzine and its attitude is totally redundant and pleonastic (even more than  "BENEATH THE TREES"/"REALM OF SHADES") and that a clear (and maybe just a little bit sober and demure) thinking and being guy simply can't take this here all anyhow serious shall be said only to make this review round  but this fanzine is anyhow a great and especially a funny read so check it out if you're into Metal music (as well as heavy and I mean really damn heavy boozing) and the so called Die Hard Underground Metal Maniacs will maybe find their holy grail here with this, haha;-). Don't know if there are still copies of it floating around and a second issue is very long overdue, hopefully it will come one day. A contact address isn't given here and so I will give you the one I found in the current "REALM OF SHADES" issue at the end of this review. Ah, and to close it now I will give ya the political demand number one of the "Cowboy" and the "NO BEER UNTIL METAL" fanzine and the in it featured bands here: "NO BEER FOR POPPERS AND HIP HOPPERS!!! YOU HAVE TO BE ANTISOCIAL TO BE ALLOWED TO DRINK BEER!!!" Okay, if this is so then : Cheers & Oi! ;-)

VHS - PLOITATION (***New life was given to a great new blog!!!***)

Hey folks, short 'News' post up here for you. Bernando of the phenomenal "THE U.S. OF Oi! OF SWEDEN" blog and active writer and poster on the great "DOWN UNDERGROUND" blog used to delete and defunct his cool "FUCK YEAH!" blog quite a while ago, sadly enough, but he started over the last few weeks or so a new project and this means a new blog dealing with let me say it all meant positive and not ironically sheer and pure Cult Movies and this on an incredible high level of quality and it's just a big, big pleasure to read through the blog. So make sure to check it out if you're a movie nerd or if you are just interested in amazing reads to tick down the clock. Ah, and the VHS in the name of the blog, which is "VHS-PLOITATION", should alreday give you an very good impression of which movies he's dealing with up there. Make sure to check out the blog, a great read!!!
Visit the blog at http://vhs-ploitation.blogspot.com/?zx=88c0253a4d2ba0af and enjoy it!!! Cheers & Oi!

Dienstag, 7. Februar 2012

FOR MY ENEMY - "READY TO ATTACK" (Violent Beatdown Hardcore) (***Video***)

Okay, a pretty good day up here, I finally moved a bit forward on my to do record reviews list up here and now I will close the postings of today at least for now with a little video for ya by the Ultra Heavy Weight Beatdown Hardcore band FOR MY ENEMY and their demolishing slasher "READY TO ATTACK". Not the most creative or best stuff around, but some good dose of ultra-violence and sheer brutality set to music that gives you some good mood for pumping some heavy iron anyhow anyway. Enjoy it!!! If you like to  then we'll read us very soon again!!! Ah, and don't you ever forget: "Dance hard or die!!!" HARDCORE!!! FIST!!!


FOR MY ENEMY - "READY TO ATTACK"

A DYING BREED - "THIS IS OUR CULTURE - A Oi! COMPILATION" (Digital Compilation Album + Download Link)

VARIOUS ARTISTS /// A DYING BREED - "THIS IS OUR CULTURE - A Oi! COMPILATION"
("A Dying Breed Records"; Digital Compilation Album):
This is a free online compilation that was done by Brandon of FIGHTING 84 (best greetings man) over the last year and was released soon to the end of 2011 finally via his own new label "A DYING BREED RECORDS" and for all what I know at least currently solely as a officially for free downloading online release as a digital compilation album. The compiled and featured bands gain no money out of this and never asked for this, thumbs up for that, for not only singing in countless songs about Unity and comparable topics but for living this, Unity, and that's great to see. Brandon compiled a good round of bands that cover the whole geographical distance of American Oi! from North to South America, from the U.S.A. to lands like Colombia and Peru from where I would bet not so many of you out there know all in all too much bands (at least that was the case with me). The direction is clear, militant and battle-scarred, patriotic and proud Oi! Oi! Oi! music from the north and the south of the new world and pure and direct against the ruling politically correct Mainstream Oi!'n'Streetpunk direction that seems to be the order of the day across the globe after I always thought that especially if not solely ove here in Germany this kind of absurd and obscure AFA and PC fascism was born and bred and is ruling with it's red and black painted iron fist the world of Boots & Braces so much and so often today... And at least here in Germany this comp would be labeled a WP NS sampler just because of the fact that some anti-communist Oi! and R.A.C. (mostly I guess in a thru'n'thru literally sense) is featured on it. Fucked up sad world, period. Anyway, great to see a comp like this being done and released and much honour and respect to Brandon for doing it all. So, okay, now to the sampler and we will go through it more or less band by band. Kicking it all off are the great BLEACH BATTALION with their two songs "HATRED" and "LOYALTY". Female fronted, angry, pissed off, snotty, aggressive and well paced American Oi! full of energy and attitude with some strong fist in the air and shout out loud potential. Nice guitar work and very good stomping rhythm structure, great snotty and aggressive pissed off lead vocals and very good lyrics, a great bad and a very good kick off for the album. Then follow RESSIDUO from Colombia with their two songs "CABEZA RAPADA" and "NUESTRA TIERRA" and they deliver us heavy and harsh pounding latinamerican Oi! Oi! Oi! music with a gladiatorial attitude to it and dominated by throaty yet brutal lead vocals and no prisoners taking rhythm structure and work and they make you want to start to sing a long and dance pogo fucking hard to their music. Thumbs up!!! Next up are the brilliant YOUNGBLOOD and they give us a incredible strong and intense and tight great atmospheric version of their soon to be a classic anthem "FIST CITY" that lives totally larger than life by the phenomenal guitar work and the great songwriting and musicianship, it's awesome, check it out!!! Something very gifted and special, something fresh and new that you won't be able to listen to that often in days like ours. And damn it: I love it!!! After YOUNGBLOOD next up are ARMADA Oi! from Peru with low-fi mid paced brickwall Oi! and their two songs "ORGULLO SKINHEAD" and "ANOS DE DOLOR", hard and heavy shit with a lot of brutal and aggressive intent in it, dominated by snarling guitars, a buzzing bass, heavy pounding drums and brutal throaty screamed vocals. Give this guys a heavier sound and some good back up support and they have the potential to kick it off pretty well. Good band with a lot of potential. Then follow SPIRIT OF THE PATRIOT from the U.S.A. with their angry and nasty slasher "FUCK IT", anti-PC and anti-communist and anti-liberal strongly right wing Streetpunk with a lot of aggression and violence in it, dominated by the charismatic lead vocals, a well-paced stomping rhythm structure, damn effective songwriting, the skrews in your head driving guitar playing and a great tight rhythm section. A band more than worth checking out!!! Then NYC Oi! is up on the list with the mighty COMBATE 49 and their two tracks "FLAGBURNER" and (their old one) "SOMOS PATRIOTAS" (but in a new recoded version). Like the demo of the last year already displayed also here we can get aware of a huge development again. Can't wait for new material of them and if they keep up the standard then it's really about time that a good label is giving them finally a proper deal. Patriotic and proud, anti-communist and militant NYC Oi! in the tradition of legends like OXBLOOD, SKIN DISORDER and FIRST STRIKE that comes also with a nice own stamp on it all and with a lot of potential. Thumbs up guys!!! COMBATE 49 are followed up by another band from Latinamerica (but don't ask me from where exactly) named SANGRE X SANGRE with two songs titled "MATO COMMUNISTAS POR DIVISION" (I would bet some anti-communist R.A.C. stuff, righty right, hehe;-)?!?) and "TRAICION A LA PATRIA". Hm, but even I like the female lead vocals I have to say or ask: WTF?!? The production or recording sound is terrible and not really existing so that beside the vocals you just get aware of the not so really tight lead guitar playing and the terribly out of tone male back up vocals, while bass, drumming and rhythm guitar nearly aren't existing in the mix of it all, hm, musically it's some bastard out of 'punky' yet heavy low-fi old school Oi! Punk and melodic as well as (trying to be) hymnal old school rockin' R.A.C. music that surely holds some potential... but in this form it is just ticking me off. Then come the almighty FIGHTING 84 with three tracks of them (all recordings done already back then in 2009) titled "BLACK POWER" (yes, their classic finally on an album, right), "CLASS RAGE" (in a rough and very guitar dominated old version) and "LOVE HANDLES" (yeahr, their next so far unreleased classic). I love FIGHTING 84 like you may already know if you're reading this blog here now for quite a while and here they give us three songs where especially the guitar playing and the lead vocals showcase us a lot of class and potential and where their undeniable SKREWDRIVER influences especially in case of the guitar work shine through. Great band with a strong own identity that hopefully will finally get some more attention this year with their great strong American Skinhead Rock & Roll music. Patriotic and proud Oi! Oi! Oi! After FIGHTING 84 comes a band that's often and by many named to be the biggest suprise in American Oi! (from the States) of the last year, no one else than MAJOR DISSAPOINTMENT with their two songs "TAX IS CONTROL" and "WORKING POOR". Old School NYHC fueled East Coast Hooligan Pogo Oi! Punk in the tradition of a legendary band like SQUIGGY is the order of the day and MAJOR DISSAPOINTMENT totally rule. With YOUNGBLOOD maybe the total winners up here (if it would be a competition anyhow, you know hopefully what I want to say) and I really finally need to get my hands on their full length I guess. Great!!! The biggest suprise in American Oi! in 2011?!? Maybe not, hm, nah, really not, but who cares, a great band anyway and so just make sure you check them out. Okay, now you know what we all get here, you know what I think of this comp over all, you now about the attitude, and yes, I love this shit and hopefully more comps like this will come and hopefully the here featured bands will ge some more support through out of it. The production sound varys heavily but beside SANGRE X SANGRE the production/recording sound always is a good and better one, and btw the artwork rulez. Don't think twice, get it if you still don't have it. True Skinhead Rock from America!!! Cheers & Oi! (9 of 10 points)
(Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?jdp9vj2vgokbr2l)

MUSICA DE LA CALLE - "THE R*A*S*H UNITED ARMY VOL. III - WE WILL NEVER FORGET, WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE!" (Digital Compilation Album + Download Link)

VARIOUS ARTISTS /// MUSICA DE LA CALLE - "THE RASH UNITED ARMY VOL. III"
(''WE WILL NEVER FORGET, WE WILL NEVER FORGIVE!"
("Musica De La Calle"; Digital Compilation Album):
Next up is another digital compilation album that's up to download for free, this time featuring Oi! and Streetpunk, as well as Punkrock and SKA bands from across the globe and old as well as new ones and all like already the titles says from the far left, RASH united, like it says, and compiled by the guy or guys running the "MUSICA DE LA CALLE" blog that's also packed up full with imagery of the far left so if you're heavily involved into things going on on the far right you might get sick of it but that's your problem and not mine. (Even they showcase an "interesting" outlook at the world THEY live in... guys, get a real life, could help to cure the worst pain of you all...) Okay, I have by myself my own troubles with this dogmatic and orthodox deep red stuff and Anarchists are nothing but unrealistic dreamers to me to say it nice but at the end of the day I can even to this more rely than to ''your'' White Power crap and NS dickheads around. But to say this also clear and precise if you ask me I would rather need the one not the other soap box preachers around with their fanatic and senseless dreams and blatant stupid world views of being with them or against them and yes then I rather decide to stand and stay against them all, opposed to them all. And what's interesting is the fact that it's obvious to see how similar the far left and the far right in their way of looking at the world and in their attitude are today, it's pretty frightening what used to become out of it all, and that especially the subcultural left seems to be unable to recognize this (which means not at least their very own) development... But this all wouldn't stop me from listening to the music I like and so I decided to do and get the download. This compilation is for what I believe or think to know a non official bootleg release and is solely released as a digital compilation album and dedicated to the memory of the victims of deadly violence and assaults on Anti-Fascists and Anti-Racists by lowlife WP NS scum world wide from Russia to Spain. A lot of spanish and/or latinamerican bands are featured on this one beside some few classics of left wing Oi! and Streetpunk music namely the almighty ANGELIC UPSTARTS and their hymn "TEENAGE WARNING". Mostly the genre description of the bands and the music is called´''Rock Proletario'' or so and in the lyrics revolucion and so on are pretty if not very important topics and the attitude is a strictly by the AFA and the reigning PC mood defined anti-fascist, ant-racist and anti-capitalist one (and this is hurting a lot even the bands up here are prett right with a lot of the stuff they sing about but one-sided views on complex topics aren't often the holy grail of wisdom even if you may think so and yes, call me a fencewalker but still I won't join your ranks again), while the played music is mostly up to date written but still pretty much traditional and really good played Oi! as well as Streetpunk enriched with some very few SKA and pure through and through Punkrock tunes. The production sound is always varying (for it is a compilation album) but also more or less always a really good one, the artwork is done pretty good and truly cool, to the lyrics I said already some words and beside this I think all of you know about the deal here, the attitude you may like or share or nothing of it, who cares, at least not I, and featured bands up here are the already mentioned ANGELIC UPSTARTS, as well as GUM BLEED (terrible and horrible, what is this, Screamo Proletarian Punk or what... put it down the toilet, total crap), FALLAS DE ORIGEN (hm...), SUDAMÉRICA Oi!, OPCIÓ K-95, ESTANDARTE, SUBVERSIVOS, KOMINTERN, RED SECT (no comment about/to this total rubbish name... I mean, guys, oh damn, come on...), FIRECRACKERS, BOOT BOYS (nah, not the great and legendary old school American Oi! band but also this band totally rules, great killer stuff, maybe my favorites up here on this one), UNITED STRUGGLE (geat stuff, also lyrically, fists in the air, may they red or not, and yes, also great songtitle "THE REDS ARE ROCKING", brilliant!!!), BITOV TERROR, CLASSICAL SLUM, TRADE UNIONS, BRIGADA Oi! and K.A.S. beside some other bands more. A lot of bands from Spain and Latinamerica as well as Russia and East Europe featured up here I would say. I would also say that this is a pretty good up to date overview over the RASH music scene worldwide that features some more than the typical and always named usual suspects of the LOS FASTIDIOS, SCRAPY and the STAGE BOTTLES and maybe also LOIKAEMIE and so it is a pretty interesting and also a pretty good affair that you should check out, not at least because the download is up for free on the blog (the links will follow at the end of this review which will be very soon). Good stuff anyhow, check it out, period!!! Greetings to the Red Front anyhow anyway;-). Cheers & Oi! (8 of 10 points)