WISDOM IN CHAINS - "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" (2018)

WISDOM IN CHAINS - "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS"
(Running time: 39:44 minutes; 13 songs)
("Demons Run Amok"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, finally a new post up here and obviously I couldn't keep up the momentum from the promising start of this month, so to say, but in real life the pre-christmas-time is this year simply damn work-intensive and with also having a real social life then so this little blog of mine up here simply comes off a little bit short currently but I guess that's just life and so all is more than just good and fine with that at the end of the day(s). But with that out of the way it's finally time to do again a little bit up here and so here and now you get my record-review on one hell of a masterpiece and this one is the new WISDOM IN CHAINS album "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" released this summer via "DEMONS RUN AMOK" and if you know this blog now already for a few years longer and/or if you know me personally than you know that WISDOM IN CHAINS are some of my total favorites and this latest since they way back then released their immortal "CLASS WAR" masterpiece in 2007 and now we are eleven years later in 2018 and WISDOM IN CHAINS are going sort of stronger than (ever) before with "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS", hell yeahr, and two months ago I did my record-review on SLAPSHOT's new one and what I wrote there about it (of) being my Hardcore album of/for 2018 I definitely stand for it but I also definitely already knew back then that this 'title' SLAPSHOT's "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" had too share with WISDOM IN CHAINS' "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" but simply did not want to 'pre-anticipate' and spoil it back then already, yes, and so now here we are. (And after the almighty SICK OF IT ALL also finally released also their new one very recently we will later on see what that now may mean…) WISDOM IN CHAINS serve us here on and with "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" the newest and most impressive dose of their highly intense and highly atmospheric, incredible creative and clichée-free Hardcore full of ongoingly delivered heavy truckloads of devastating heavy and highly dynamic energy and and a rousing attitude and potential like not much else outta there, yeahr, and they even enriched it all far more today in 2018 with "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS", so at least my impression, and cultivated it even more than before with totally getting rid of any bullshit Hardcore clichée crap and with just doing their completly own thing and this so even far more consequent than already before. Melting heavy amounts of catchy and sharp Heavy Metal and crushing Thrash Metal as well as symphonic Classic Rock into their bonecracking heavy and at the same time incredible hymnal and with breath-taking melody lines shining Hardcore the Land of Kings style and that's still deeply rooted in the NY(H)C and that then is all pushed only more and only heavier forward by a massive input of Punkrock, Streetpunk and some Oi! ingredients and that is this time with working- in some good and healthy doses of atmospheric ambient-Pop even only made more rich, rousing, grapping, exciting, and also entertaining. And also only even more conquering. So expect one hell of an impressive and 'overwhelmingly-conquering' rich and grapping songwriting full of great fresh ideas, surprising twists and turns all down the road along the ride as well as open huge surprises and a in that definitely larger than life way still before "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" in that manner just unexpected and so damn strong moments of unrestrained and 'bubbling-over' creativity without any 'scene-limitations' that is just so damn impressive and grapping that WISDOM IN CHAINS take you for an overly exciting ride full of authentic, heartfelt big emotions that they will leave you with your mouth opened wide and a satisfied joker-grin drawn on your face, oh yes, and all is marked by a very strong and huge own unique identity and charcter and a larger than life intensity as well as a damn dense'n'tight atmosphere, yes, served to us by damn skilled musicians from start to finish on the highest grade of quality and full of soulful and heartfelt, sympathic authenticity and that's something that hopefully will never change in camp WISDOM IN CHAINS. All is delivered via highly charismatic and today more than ever versatile lead vokillz backed up by widescreen crew back ups and well placed co-lead vokillz, by a damn diverse and multi-layered, multi-facetted guiatr work, by a heavy smacking bass, and by a thunderous drum work. Any band comparisions? Senseless, too huge, too strong, too characteristic, and too unique is the identity of WISDOM IN CHAINS. But, okay, let me try it this way: Throw SICK OF IT ALL and MADBALL together with METALLICA, ANTHRAX, and LED ZEPPELIN into one big bowl and garnish it with some BONECRUSHER, RANCID, and OXYMORON and you have a good starting point to finally discover WISDOM IN CHAINS on your own. If you ask for any listening tipps then it should be clear that the whole album is the purest platinum outta there and this from start to finish, definitely, but if you're interested in my personal favorites then this are probably "LIFE LESSONS", "SOMEDAY", "BETTER THAN I WAS", "THE BOY AND THE CAVE", "HEART OF A CHAMPION", "TURN MY BACK", "DUCK DOWN, STAY DOWN", and "HALFWAY THERE" simply because this are the songs I've probably listened the very most to and so maybe check this songs out first. A great, sinister 'cartoonish' artwork, a heavy smashing and yet clear and warm production-sound, and absolutely first-class lyrics then finally turn WISDOM IN CHAINS' "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" into the complete package and the real deal. What? You still need some finishing closing words? Really? Okay, then… damn it, just go out and (finally) get WISDOM IN CHAINS' "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" and this instantly. One hell of a fantastic album. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!

(10 of 10 points)

https://de-de.facebook.com/WisdomInChainsPAHC (-the link to the facebook site of the band)

WISDOM IN CHAINS - "THE BOY AND THE CAVE" (2018, "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS")

RISE AGAINST - "WOLVES" (2017)

RISE AGAINST - "WOLVES"
(Running time: 40:10 minutes; 11 songs)
("Virgin Records"; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, yes, I am back again - finally... and the flow of the last weekend and the start of this now already pretty much over'n'out week didn't last that long at the... hm... at the end of the week... but that's simply what happens when 'real life happens'... but anyhow now finally back straight into the action; and so now here you have the next dose, yes, the next record review on the next 2017 album  and this time it is all about RISE AGAINST and their "WOLVES" titled 2017 album released this summer (or so...) via "VIRGIN RECORDS", yes, and so now let's go: I know now RISE AGAINST already quite a while and also already a bit longer and I pretty much like(d) all of them that I knew/know and so don't ask me now why the bloody hell I never followed them 'closely' so that their 2011 masterpiece album "ENDGAME" that totally conquered me back then (and still continues to do so) is or was since then my 'last encounter with them'... and then "WOLVES" was released and caught instantly my attention and so without thinking twice I got it, yes, and now here we are and here you get my review on it, finally. Very melodic, highly catchy, massively rousing, and very well-skilled Modern Punkrock with good healthy doses of melodic (Modern) Hardcore and maybe also some very few Emo impressions in it as well we get of/by/from RISE AGAINST and this all on a (very) high level of quality and all with owning a through-and-through very strong own identity. Maybe still to be located very loosley somewhere between BAD RELIGION and SICK OF IT ALL and maybe with some very few NOFX in it as well, more-or-less, all melted together with great fresh, modern, strong, melodic, and pretty often surprising and especially grapping ideas and elements, yes, and I am pretty sure that also fans of alternative 'Modern Rock' acts like for example BILLY TALENT will or do already cheer up loudly, heavily, strongly, and massively to RISE AGAINST - and this for all the right and justified reasons. Melodic and rousing yet heavy and pushing'n'driving guitars, first class (lead) vocals, a diverse and stunning rhythm section, hymnal refrains with strong sing-a-long potential, rousing verse arrangements, exciting rhytm structures, shining melody lines, and a high dynamic are the main ingredients of the music of RISE AGAINST (also on "WOLVES", what-else) and all is melted together via (very) strong songwriting and all is delivered by very (high) skilled musicians, yes, delivering with "WOLVES" an exciting ride through the world of Modern Punkrock. My personal favorites are without a doubt the über-hit "HOUSE ON FIRE" as well as the just absolutely fantastic "THE VIOLENCE", the totally beautiful "MOURNING IN AMERICA", "POLITICS OF LOVE", "PARTS PER MILLION", and "HOW MANY WALLS", hell yeah', and so start your discovery of "WOLVES" maybe with this bright shining gems. The not mentioned songs are also damn good stuff, for sure, but are really no rivals to/of the mentioned ones. Fantastic diverse lyrics, a beautiful artwork, and a loud blasting production sound then finally round "WOLVES" in an impressive way up. Even "WOLVES" is (in my book, at least) definitely not as strong as "ENDGAME" it is still one hell of an album and RISE AGAINST are still for sure one of the best and most important Rock and Punkrock bands around these days and if you are into this kind of music and you really still should not have RISE AGAINST's "WOLVES" (why the fuck ever...) then it is really about time that you finally change this, yes, and so go out there and get this damn strong album, oh hell yeahr, and this definitely as soon as possible.

(8,5 of 10 points)

http://www.riseagainst.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

RISE AGAINST - "HOUSE ON FIRE" (2017, "WOLVES")

RISE AGAINST - "THE VIOLENCE" (2017, "WOLVES")

RISE AGAINST - "WOLVES" (2017, "WOLVES")

RISE AGAINST - "MOURNING IN AMERICA" (2017, "WOLVES")

COUNTERFEIT - "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" (2017)

COUNTERFEIT - "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER"
(Running time: 32:32 minutes; 10 Songs)
("Xtra Mile Recordings Ltd."; 2017; CD):

Hey guys, finally back straight into the action again and so here now comes a new post which means in this case (again) a new record review for you, and this time we finally will have some good close looks and even closer listens to a new 2017 release, and this means in particular here and now that the "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" album of the young, british/english Modern Punkrockers COUNTERFEIT from the city of London is in the centre of the interest; okay, yes, and so here we go: This album was a birthday present from my beloved sister, and before I got it this band and album were totally and completly unknown to me. I'm glad that this finally changed simply because this is nothing but a really damn good band, COUNTERFEIT, that had delivered this year  here with "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" a truly strong piece of up-to-date "modernised" Punk/Punkrock with some strong Modern Rock/Modern Metal and huge Melodic Hardcore influences in it and that will please fans of like (only for example) RISE AGAINST definitely and also fans of (again for example) late/later BLINK 182 and +44 will surely like if not love COUNTERFEIT and will surely enthusiastically cheer up to "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" (even you should keep in mind that COUNTERFEIT play it all definitely much heavier and with strong Modern Rock/Modern Metal marks in it and also with a lot of up-to-date "corey" elements to enrich it all, and the play it pretty self-contained after all), and it's something that I would best describe as Modern Punkrock and, even far more important than how I would or in fact do describe it, it is something- and especially in this particular case of COUNTERFEIT with "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER"- that I really fucking like and celebrate hard, period. The frontman and lead singer, Jamie Campbell Bower, is also known from the cinematic screen and from movies like the great "HARRY POTTER" saga and also the ridiculius bullshit farce that is "TWILIGHT", but that all is just to be mentioned as a side note, now back to the really important topic, the music of/by COUNTERFEIT delivered here on/with "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER". It's a very high energetic and a damn highly dynamic 'cory'n'punky' stunning rockin' musical cocktail with rousing and stunning changes in pace and rhythm of the songs, full of fast speeding pogo parts, crushing "slammy" grooves, and a lot of cool nice surprises and some damn grapping unexpected twists and turns along the ride. All delivered by really heavy and yet very melodic and nicely diverse-varying guitars (that deliver strong bulky rhythms as well as a great melodic work with their leads'n'stuff); powerful and strong, pretty charismatic and snotty lead vocals; some strong chanted crew back ups; and a massively asskicking rhythm section. The songs offer huge sing a long potential and shine very often in an impressive hymnal and anthemic light. The songwriting is "grappingly" varying and also above all pretty intense and creates a tight and already pretty unique atmosphere with its somehow sinister-and-yet-still-gladiatorial'n'uplifting-attitude to it all. All in all COUNTERFEIT's "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" is maybe or surely not yet a through'n'through masterpiece of an album, but it is a very good and a damn strong asskicker that I simply and clearly can and will calmly recommend to you all outta there with a faible for modern Punkrock/Core/Rock/Metal with a big heavy hitting intensity and a very intense melody work as well and a simply exciting approach and style to it all. COUNTERFEIT are definitely a band to look out for; and with saying this I now will close this review and you better make sure to get your hands on a copy of "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER" - and don't get a wrong impression because of the lame and dull boring artwork, and beside this we also get (thankfully) interesting and diverse lyrics and a first class production sound. So, yes, that's it, so now go out and get it.

(8 of 10 points)

http://therealcounterfeit.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

COUNTERFEIT - "LOST EVERYTHING" /my.personal.favorite (also lyricwise, sort of pretty exact my current situation... again... or so...)\ (2017, "TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER")