SICK OF IT ALL - "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" (2018)

SICK OF IT ALL - "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON"
(Running time: 33:04 minutes; 17 songs)
("Century Media Records"; 2018; CD):

Hell yeahr, trust your eyes because here's now alreaday the next round fired at you and this time in the here'n'now it will be and it is all about the brandnew SICK OF IT ALL longplayer titled "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" released still sort of very recently at the 2nd of November of 2018 via the veterans of and at "CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS". If you know and read this blog now for already a bit longer or if you would (or in fact do) know me personally then you would or should know that SICK OF IT ALL are one of my top five bands ever and personally to/for me one of the very most important bands of all time ever and so the passed sort of four years or so that passed us by leading up to "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" had been sort of pretty long years - but pretty long years that are now finally over. And so, yes, I was truly incredible curious when SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" finally hit the shelves and dropped and thanks to preordering I received it right at the day it was finally released. And, yes, I know… don't ask me why it again took me nearly two months to finally get this review done and out to/for you… anyhow anyway, I guess… So, yes, it's 2018 and SICK OF IT ALL are finally back with "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" (and they are back with a bang) and so without any more introducing ramblings now finally let's go: 17 songs in roughly 33 minutes running time, yes, and so one thing should be clear and this is that right from the get-go we will be or better are in for a fiery, wild, and furious ride here with SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON". And so, oh hell yeahr, expect some amazing and outstanding New York Hardcore of the most supreme and unique kind done and delivered by this finest and almighty NYHC silverbacks that's just still after sort of 32 years of being around still is so incredible fresh and so unbelievable alive'n'lively that any new'n'young band outta there should shy away when confronted with this already immortal masterpiece, yes, and especially when we talk about Hardcore in 2018 things have changed a bit in my book which means that as fantastic as SLAPSHOT's "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" and WISDOM IN CHAINS' "NOTHING IN NATURE RESPECTS WEAKNESS" definitely are from sort of now on both bands and albums share the 2nd spot with SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" turning into my Hardcore album of, in, and for 2018. Here we get the absolutely real deal in form of amazing and fantastic highly energetic and highly dynamic as well as also damn diverse and multi-facetted/multi-layered songwriting that's offering a good healthy bunch of twists'n'turns and some fresh new notes'n'tones here and there and serving some good doses of cool surprising moves and parts, a damn huge and very fresh arranged and done sing a long hymnal potential, and adding several culminating moods all together (in)to nothing but and nothing less than absolutely amazing, exciting, grapping, rousing, conquering and just sheer amazing larger than life anthems of that totally unique own special SICK OF IT ALL tone and that's one more time so incredible strong present and marking here on and with "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" and (at least so my perception) above all it's incredible fresh and diverse on here and this (even) more than the last times SICK OF IT ALL were around before. The ingredients out of raging (New York) Hardcore, some Metallic Hardcore notes, and a big bunch of Punkrock, Streetpunk and Oi! with added huge doses of hymnal melody lines and sing a longs in(to) it all, yes, this ingredients are all here and stayed the same (and why shouldn't they) but are done and arranged, composed, and structured damn fresh and sort of in a 'new' way and are unbelievable grapping, exciting, rousing, and energizing and this all will make sure that SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" will massively conquer you with supreme overwhelming force and will push you on and through everything and this also for hell a lot of some time for sure. Yes, this is Hardcore!!! All is served to us via one of if not the most charismatic and unique lead singing voice(s) especially in Hardcore outta there with Lou Koller delivering his absolutely almighty vokillz like only he can do it; via everything down smashing guitar-work delivered by Pete Koller shining with full force riffing and devastating rhythm work and adding great cool into the crushing riffing integrated great melody lines to it all and keeping it exciting with a huge bunch of great smooth flowing changes in the rhythmic arrangements and the pace structures of the songs and adding a lot of dynamic(s) to it all with doing so; via a loud'n'proud roaring and strutting and nicely present bass playing delivered by Craig "Ahead" Setari; and via powerful full force punching and smashing and not only incredible heavy but also damn smooth delivered crushing drumming by Armand Majidi; and a bunch of very strong guest singers join in as well as a damn huge sing a long fueled hymnal character is added to it all. This all makes an album that's from start to finish nothing but an all killers and no fillers album and so to name here any listening tipps maybe isn't making that much sense after all at the end of the day but if you really want or deman some then I would say my personal favorites so far or right now are probably "INNER VISION", "THAT CRAZY WHITE BOY SHIT", "BULL'S ANTHEM", "ROBERT MOSES WAS A RACIST", "SELF IMPORTANT SHITHEAD", "TO THE WOLVES", "ALWAYS WITH US", "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON", "BEEF BETWEEN VEGANS", "HARDCORE HORSESHOE", "DEEP STATE", "WORK THE SYSTEM", and "THE NEW SLAVERY" and so maybe or why not start your discovery of SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" with this ultra-platinum gems. Top notch diverse and very outspoken and also highly socially aware and political lyrics, a pure beauty of an artwork, and a clear and heavy and nicely warm'n'earthy production sound then finally round it all perfectly up. Okay, yes, I think so far I've said all what there was or what I had so far to say to/about SICK OF IT ALL and their brandnew "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" masterpiece, the Hardcore album of and for 2018 (and probably also in and for years to come) and definitely also one of the very best and very most strongest albums in general of, in, and for 2018 (and again also probably in and for years to come), yes, and I can only most highly recommend this larger than life masterpiece to anyone outta there and so best just go out and get your copy of SICK OF IT ALL's "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON" and this best instantly. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!
(10 of 10 points)
https://www.sickofitall.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

SICK OF IT ALL - "THAT CRAZY WHITE BOY SHIT" (2018, "WAKE THE SLEEPING DRAGON")

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")

SLAPSHOT - "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" (2018)

SLAPSHOT - "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN"
(Running time: 23:26 minutes; 11 songs)
("Bridge Nine Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey folks, I just came home recently and thought that it would be an anyhow anyway 'nice' move to finish this weekend with another post for you all up here and so, yes, trust your eyes because here and now this weekend from friday on you now get the 4th post up here, yes, it's true, and in all honesty right now and right here I can't tell you when this happened the last time up here but anyhow and so let's go: We will stay in camp 'HARDCORE' also with this very one here and now and we do also stay in the U.S.A. and after we moved yesterday from Los Angeles to New York today/tonight we stay on the east coast and move up to Boston, M.A./U.S.A. because here and now it's all about no one else and especially no one less than the almighty SLAPSHOT and/with their newest offering "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" released at the (if I am now not completly on the wrong tracks) 1st of June of 2018 via the legendary "BRIDGE NINE RECORDS", oh yes, and if you look at the damn short running time that only 'shortly outruns' the 23 minutes marks I can tell you that I will keep this review also short, I can further tell you that this 'shortness of the review' is definitely not to be mistaken as a 'symbol' or 'metaphor' or something like this of/for the quality of this album, and you should also already right now know that here on and with SLAPSHOT's "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" you're in for one hell of an intense ride. This is Hardcore. True Hardcore. Authentic, honest and real through and through Hardcore. Old School Hardcore. Boston Hardcore. In one word, in one term, in one name: SLAPSHOT. Incredible intense, very dense and compact and highly characteristic and unique, massive and harsh songwriting, full of huge rousing high energy dynamics and on an incrdieble big, intense, and just almighty level of heavyness so that SLAPSHOT's "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" is from start to finish highly'n'massively violent, aggressive, ultra-heavy, fast and harsh raging and sawing, no prisoners taking, all out brawling, bonecracking and facesmashing, über-intense, devastating, full force, full throttle, and highest energy Hardcore with here and there some (very) few nasty and loud'n'proud roaring Oi! marks in it all. Rousing, grapping, exciting, and massively overwhelming and conquering from the go to the stop and without any holes, blank spaces, or any crappy-trendy-bullshitty 'dingle-dangle' stuff, nothing but the absolutely real deal and the totally complete package. Choke's fantastic and highly pissed off very unique vokillz slap and spit and whip and kick and beat the songs without any mercy or regrets straight onwards into the harshest battles, where the harsh sawing and sharp cutting bonedry and every resistance absolutely demolishing guitars rage in the centre of the warzone with the sheer devastating heavy and über-hard smashing bass tanking-up the support, and the crushing and thundering drums fire heavy artillery-bombardements without stop into it all without caring for any losses, absolutely no prisoners are/were taken, nothing but scorched earth is left behind when SLAPSHOT rise up high'n'mighty at the end on a skyhigh pile of smashed corpses in total triumphant. Hardcore. Boston Hardcore. The real deal. Great, pissed off, and very vocal lyrics, a fantastic artwork, and a fiery and crushing production sound then round it all perfectly up. On SLAPSHOT's "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" you find only killers, no fillers, eleven times only purest platinum. In short: One of the very best albums of, in, and for 2018 and definitely my personal Hardcore album of/for this very year of 2018, hell yeahr, so go get it. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!

(10 of 10 points)

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

SLAPSHOT - "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN" (2018, "MAKE AMERICA HATE AGAIN")

CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2018: AGNOSTIC FRONT - "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART"

CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER 2018:

AGNOSTIC FRONT - "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" (1999)
(Running time: 28:59 minutes; 17 songs)
("Epitaph Records"; CD):

Tracklist:
(01.) "POLICE STATE"
(02.) "I HAD ENOUGH"
(03.) "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART"
(04.) "SIT AND WATCH"
(05.) "BLOOD, DEATH AND TAXES"
(06.) "FRUSTRATION"
(07.) "SICKNESS"
(08.) "SHADOWS"
(09.) "NOWHERE TO GO"
(10.) "TRUST"
(11.) "MY LIFE"
(12.) "IT'S TIME"
(13.) "ROCK STAR"
(14.) "NOTHING'S FREE"
(15.) "PRICE YOU PAY"
(16.) "JAILBREAK"
(17.) "BULLET ON MOTT STREET"

Good morning folks… or so... finally again much earlier than the last time you here and now already get the next dose and this here and now means the newest "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" article and of course we're here and now talking about the "SEPTEMBER 2018" edition of it. Yes, this time I haven't forgot (or nearly forgot) about it, no, no, no, and so here and now you get this very one much earlier than its direct precursor one, hm, and I hope that already one of the next posts up here coming up the next days or so will then already be the succesor one to this very one here. And now, I think so, enough of the smalltaking and introducing rambling(s) and now direct and straight into the action: This time we will take a trip 'down' to the Big Apple with visiting the cold, hard concrete of New York City where we will today meet one of the if not maybe even surely the biggest legend(s) ever to arise from the NYC and it's all about no one one else and especially no one less than the absolutely almighty and larger than life AGNOSTIC FRONT and today here'n'now we will have a more precise look on their album that definitely sort of always was and I am pretty sure always will be my total favorite album of/by them and their most important one to/for me and this is their in 1999 released absolute masterpiece "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" released back then via "EPITAPH RECORDS" on CD (and please don't ask me if there had also been a LP version of it back then, today there is).

In 1999 I knew AGNOSTIC FRONT already for quite a while especially due to their infamous classick "CAUSE FOR ALARM" and their heavy slasher "ONE VOICE" both from way back in the days, yes, and then they 'went away' and my teenager-self only knew them 'so far' just as a legendary but 'gone' band that I always massively cheered up to. And then 1998 came across and suddenly AGNOSTIC FRONT were truly and really back and their 1998 comeback-album "SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE" with the lifechanging "GOTTA GO" on it erupted like an A-Bomb and... to put it short, yes, I was totally conquered by it and this hasn't changed up to the present day. (So maybe better not be too surprised when you see it someday up here as a part of this series, too.) This strong opening to Oi! and Streetpunk that had happened and that AGNOSTIC FRONT suddenly showcased was exactly what I was up to and for what I was looking for back then (and, to be honest, this hasn't changed in good parts that much today), it was sort of the 'together-melting' of my two most favoured styles which means Oi! and Hardcore and, like already said, it fired up my heart and soul and it was exactly what I was looking for; and even still today it is in the largest parts exactly this what still fuels my fire the very most. But as damn great, brilliant, fantastic, and massively conquering already "SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE" from 1998 was and definitely still is, oh yes, but in 1999 it even got a good bit better with "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART". My first contact with non-mainstream-musick was very eraly in elementary school with Metal and like anyone who knows me and/or also reads this very blog here (especially those who stick around here now for already quite a while) know I am still in love with Metal in its various forms and even especially sort of from 2000 to 2010 or 2011 I was pretty much 'out of it' my personaly classicks always fueled my fire massively and today Metal is very prominent in my stereo again. But... hm, I lost myself a bit, sorry... okay, from latest 1994 on when I was 13 years young first Hardcore and Punkrock and then Oi! (and Streetpunk, but back then this 'seperating-terms' and how or like we use them that often especially today I simply didn't knew) became more and more important and influential to/for me and especially Oi! and Hardcore should become more and more 'my everlasting most important thing' and when then AGNOSTIC FRONT unleashed their "SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE" in 1998 and especially "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" in 1999 that was exactly what I wanted, needed back then (and what I still cheer up to massively today). Not that this hadn't been done by others also before 1998/1999, hell no, others did it as well and they did it very often also damn fantastic, yes, but AGNOSTIC FRONT simply did it to/for me in a very special and damn unique and characteristic as well as charismatic way and they absoultely conquered me and so especially those albums of their comeback era hold a very special place in my heart and this also counts for their by far too often dramatically underrated "DEAD YUPPIES" slasher from 2001, the third and final one of their comeback era and so also don't be surprised when it one day will also be part of this article series up here, yes, before AGNOSTIC FRONT should turn with their mighty "ANOTHER VPOICE" from and in 2004 to the through'n'through 'pure steel' New York Hardcore slashers and giants as we know them today. And so now after all my by/of personal events and situations permeated blathering let us have a closer look on the almighty "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART", hell yeahr, the absoulte groundbreaking masterpiece and classick that AGNOSTIC FRONT released nearly twenty years ago in 1999 via "EPITAPH RECORDS", yes, so let's roll.

AGNOSTIC FRONT's "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" features 17 songs in about 29 minutes and this was and still is one hell of an intense ride from "POLICE STATE" to "BULLET ON MOTT STREET" and it was and is just again and again overwhelming and incredible how much energy and rousing dynamics AGNOSTIC FRONT put into this shortly or roughly half of a hour. Very intense and dense, full throttle and no holds barred and also no prisoners taking songwriting that creates skyscratching high amounts of intensity and highly energetic tension that just wants to erupt massively and 'overwhelmingly' and makes you instantly start a mosh pit right in front of your stereo in your living room and, and that's maybe most important and most impressive, its still as fresh and as strong and as conquering and also as relevant as it was now nearly twenty years ago way back in 1999, yes, and that's definitely and truly statement of one of a kind and definitely of its very own and should already tell you all what you need or have to know about how damn larger than life and fantastic AGNOSTIC FRONT's "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" was and still is and definitely forever will be, point and fact. A raging and sawing guitar work, that delivers stomping rhythms that are varying nicely between fast speed Hardcore facebreakers and more in an elated Oi!/Streetpunk mid pace held or delivered tunes, 'shines' in a dirty and nasty 'streetraised' heavyness without any metallic flirtings and delivers also great hymnal Oi!/Streetpunk leads and melody lines and with doing so enriches and cultivates the songs heavily and massively. A rampaging and nicely present bass work and bonecracking and 'weasel-nimbly' drumming back it all perfectly up. Roger Miret's highly charismatic and unique lead vocals then really give the songs their bright shining crown and massive and highly hymnal massive gang back ups enrich it all only even more. The songs display/showcase anyhow from start to finish a larger than life (still incredible) very fresh hymnal and anthemic character and identity and this all even more due to the fact that the verses are as impressive and overwhelming and hymnal arranged as the majestic refrains. From song one to the final one we get here only purest platinum and this is by all means to/for me nothing else and especially nothing less than a truly and definitely perfect album and with that said I think I've said all what there was to say so far, I hope so, and I simply can't pay enough tribute to AGNOSTIC FRONT in general and especially their "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" groundbreaker in particular and to anyone who maybe really shouldn't know this total supreme masterpiece I can only highly recommend to desperately finally get their hands on a copy of it. First class, nicely diverse and very outspoken and socially and politically aware lyrics, a truly great old schoolish artwork, and a dirty and rough production sound round(ed) it all perfectly up (also even still today). And I really hope that we will see next year a very nice 20th anniversary edition of AGNOSTIC FRONT's "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" is being (re)released. To close this article now let me state that I simply love AGNOSTIC FRONT and especially first-and-foremost "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" and so simply just thanks for all, AGNOSTIC FRONT. HARDCORE!!! FIST!!! Oi! Oi! Oi!

(***Check their facebook site out: https://de-de.facebook.com/agnosticfront***)

AGNOSTIC FRONT - "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART" (1999, "RIOT, RIOT UPSTART")

AGGRESSIVE - "STICK TOGETHER" (2018)

AGGRESSIVE - "STICK TOGETHER"
(Running time: 43:44 minutes; 13 songs)
("Contra Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey my dear readers, yes, I'm once again back again and this time it will be another early morning post and this one more time again simply due to the fact that I don't know how much time I will maybe be able to spend on doing some stuff up here later this day and after over the last week this always failed I decided to bring this very one here up just right now this early morning. So, here we have the new AGGRESSIVE slasher "STICK TOGETHER" released (if I am now not completly wrong) this very summer of 2018 via the fantastic "CONTRA RECORDS" label on CD and on LP and for all what I know it's now the second full length album of/by this (very) strong going band from Germany. This is first class top notch roughnecked and battle-scarred Oi! with a huge amount of Old School (and especially on NYHC raised) Hardcore marks in it and roaring full throttle and full force ahead with plenty of Hardcore Punk impressions in it, too. Somewhere between DISCIPLINE, WARZONE, THE 4 SKINS, and some THE CASUALTIES you will find AGGRESSIVE and this on a fresh and strong pretty own independent(ly) position with a strong own character that shines especially through in the pretty unique warm and ingratiating yet harsh sawing and dustdry bonecracking shredding guitar tone and the sharp cutting and nasty roaring heavy shouted lead vokillz with that nicely done own form of accentuated delivery. And beside the above mentioned bands respectively fans of them I think that also everyone who back then cheered up to the mighty DOWN THE DRAIN and/or loved the unforgotten and almighty WARFARE 223/WARFARE will definitely also love AGGRESSIVE and their "STICK TOGETHER" slasher, yes, even especially WARFARE 223/WARFARE still rise above but not that this would matter that much at the end of tha day. Expect no holds barred and no prisoners taking high energetic and full throttle songwriting with still a plenty of strong and fresh twists'n'turns all along the road that excites and graps and massively rouses you and all is filled with harsh and sharp roaring guitars that deliver beside some fantastic rhythm work also absolutely singing and shining leads and melody lines, very charismatic and angry and nasty forceful shouted lead vokillz, loud gang shouts, a bunch of cool guest singers, a heavy pounding and loud'n'proud bass, and heavy hitting and hard smashing thundering drumming, yes, and all is done very dynamic, too. Fantastic lyrics, diverse and often socially aware and outspoken, a drop dead gorgeous artwork, and pure power production-sound then round it all finally up. I think I have enough said, because if I now would ramble on I would more or less only repeat myself in one way or another and so I will now close this review with stating that "DEEP INSIDE", "STICK TOGETHER", "BLACK, RED, GOLD", "DEINE LIEBE", "FOR THE WILD ONES", "PARASITE", and "HIPSTER" are my absolute favorites on this one and so maybe check this ones out first, and, yes, a damn fantastic and really impressive and so in this way at least by/of me pretty unexpected top notch album that you simply need to have, period. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.contra-net.com/de/aggressive-stick-together-12-lp-lim-212-blk-pre-order.html (- best get it right here)

AGGRESSIVE - "DEEP INSIDE" (2018, "STICK TOGETHER")

CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - MAY 2018: RIGHT DIRECTION - "BURY THE HATCHET"

CLASSICK OF THE MONTH - MAY 2018:

RIGHT DIRECTION - "BURY THE HATCHET" (2000)
(Running time: 31:47 minutes; 11 songs)
("I Scream Records"; CD):

Tracklist:
(01.) "SONG OF FRUSTRATION"
(02.) "STEP BACK"
(03.) "HE'S MY FRIEND"
(04.) "A PLACE LIKE THIS"
(05.) "TWIST MY WORDS AROUND"
(06.) "FIGHT VIOLENCE WITH VIOLENCE"
(07.) "OUT IN THE FIELDS" (GARY MOORE - cover)
(08.) "ELECTRIC GUN"
(09.) "THE BAR THAT ONCE WAS MINE"
(10.) "HEROES NEVER DIE"
(11.) "EYE IN THE SKY"

(Note: The first paragraph of this article gives you just some 'general informations' on/about what's currently going on in my real life and why it was for nearly one-and-a-half-month so damn 'silent' up here and also tries to give you a little outlook into the near future up here, so, yes, if you're not interested in it, no problem, just skip it and scroll down to the second paragraph of this very article.)

Hey guys, yes, trust your eyes, I'm still alive, still not dead yet. But... oh damn it, real life currently eats my time away - and this sort of in a 'drastic way'. If you should know me personally or if you are a reader right from the start of this little blog back then in 2010 (damn it, really eight years already… I grow old, goddamn it) then you maybe know (or probably should know) that in real life I make my living being a teacher and despise all the bullshit-clichées this is anyhow a pretty time consuming job but that's not that what I mean right now, nah, I'm working towards becoming a principal one day (and hopefully and if it all now works out the right way better sooner than later) and this all takes quite a bit of time and effort that needs to be invested (like you may can imagine) and so this all combined with the  fact that it wasn't that easy for me to keep up my normal and real social life over the last weeks due to my 'working-towards-becoming-a-principal-one-soon-day' plan it gets maybe clearer why I and with me also this very blog here was sort of like in stand-by modus since the beginning of last month. I don't know if already this month this 'mess up here' will get better again but at least I hope to bring up a handful of posts still this month. A lot is overdue (to be honest already again by far too much is now already by far to long, long overdue), this starts with record-reviews on current (and also past) records as well as this "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" post in its "MAY 2018" edition (that you now obviously get first) and ending by the two now already since a few months announced bigger posts up here and so on and so on. For this month I aim at bringing, like already mentioned shortly before/above, at least still sort of a handful of posts up here and beside this very one right now right here this means at least still the two bigger posts and at least two new record-reviews on current albums as well. But, yes, please keep in mind that this all up here is absoluetly nothing else and nothing more than  simply a through-and-through hobby, a passionate one, for sure, but still just a hobby; and so at the end of the day the priorities should be clear to anyone who's older than three times six and calls a real life his/her own. Anyhow: From the end of June 2018 and especially July 2018 on then I have summer vacation(s) for six weeks and even I will hopefully be up and away a lot and also be pretty active in this time (if all goes good and stays fine…) I still have to do a lot for my Job but I'm pretty sure that finally then again more new stuff will come up here, also more frequently and then hopefully again on a more regular basis. Just let us wait and see. But just that you know about what's-up currently in camp MANSLAUGHTER. And now, yes, finally (by far) enough of the introducing smalltalk filled with 'general informations' to the max and so now finally into the action and why you probably came here in the first place; and if you've made it so far through my egotrippin' rambling you're a champ and so now finally all breaks off and here we go…!!!

Originally this was meant to be and still is the newest (even it's already very long overdue now) "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" post in its very own "MAY 2018" edition and this time it will be and is all about the almighty RIGHT DIRECTION and their masterpiece "BURY THE HATCHET" released via the legendary "I SCREAM RECORDS" label back then eighteen years ago in 2000 and this to for all what I know so far only on CD. And all of you who are also now already a bit longer around now maybe can draw (already) some lines between the two last "CLASSICK OF THE MONTH" posts that payed tribute to HARD RESISTANCE (and their "ENGINE OF HATE" masterpiece) and DEVIATE (and their "STATE OF GRACE" gift of the gods) because (at least to me and damn sure not only for me) this bands are linked (closely) together, yes, all of them being at the frontlines of what was back then one day labeled Euro Core. Hard and heavy and crushing and yet still sort of catchy Hardcore raised on a heavy New York Hardcore diet enriched with far more flavoures of Metallic Hardcore, Metal, Holy Terror Hardcore, Hardcore Punk, Punkrock, Streetpunk, Oi!, and more, yes, and all delivered by fantastic acts like the already mentioned HARD RESISTANCE and DEVIATE as well as (early) DISCIPLINE, BACKFIRE!, BRIGHTSIDE, RYKER'S, ONLY ATTITUDE COUNTS, the almighty SPIDER CREW, and BUST THE CHAIN, to name just a few, and all this bands added their own identity to it all and this with their very special own flavour. What has this all now to do with RIGHT DIRECTION? They were one of the greatest back then and their fourth full-length-album "BURY THE HATCHET" from 2000 was and still is and for sure will always remain to be nothing but a total masterpiece, hell yeahr, and they also added their very own flavour to it all and this was especially on "BURY THE HATCHET" a strong and very hymnal/anthemic and catchy, melodic Streetpunk/Oi! taste of highest quality and 'deliciousness' while remaining a heavy hitting Hardcore band all the time. Here and there also still some few metallic influences are to be noticed, hm, maybe mostly in the guitar department.

RIGHT DIRECTION started already back then in 1989 (yes, nearly already thirty years ago now) and they hailed out of the the city of Maastricht also known as M-Town in the Netherlands like also, just as a side-fact, the almighty Oi! Silverbacks of CLOSE COMBAT but that's sort of a different story (you know, different band, different story) and they called it a day ten years ago in 2008. For all what I know they are back today (also with four original members) but have so far no plans of releasing any new material. Their first album "HOW MANY MORE LIES" they've released in 1993, followed by "ALL OF A SUDDEN" in 1995. Both albums I didn't know back then and changed this then over the following years after I finally got to know RIGHT DIRECTION. My first contact with RIGHT DIRECTION was in 1998 when I was 17 years young with their phenomenal thrid full-length-album "TO RIGHT THE WRONG" and they took me by storm - just to overwhelm me even more only two years later in 2000 with their larger-than-life masterpiece "BURY THE HATCHET". In 2002 then they released their killer album "BEYOND THE BEYONDS" and this was and is so far their final output to this date. A bunch of vinyl sngles ("THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES"/1991, "NO REASON TO LAUGH"/1991, BEOWÜLF & RIGHT DIRECTION split/1994, WARZONE & RIGHT DIRECTION live split/1995, and "ALL THESE YEARS"/1996) and also the retrospection-compilation "ECHOES FROM THE PAST" (1996) they've released also over the 1990's. And then after six years of no new album since 2002 in 2008 they called it finally a day. And right now, right here we're here, yes, paying tribute to them, RIGHT DIRECTION, and their fantastic "BURY THE HATCHET" longplayer.

RIGHT DIRECTION toured over their existence with several great ones like WARZONE, MADBALL, SICK OF IT ALL, and SLAPSHOT as well as BEOWÜLF, YUPPICIDE, EXCEL, and BITTER. They also appealed to the Metal crowd like tours with for example GOREFEST showcase(d) to the world. Their original Drummer Richard Bruinen seperated ways with them in 1992 to join BACKFIRE! in the following years. (BACKFIRE!, also one of the greatest, hell yeahr, and they will be featured up here as well for sure some day in the future.) And you can be sure that bands like WARZONE and SICK OF IT ALL as well MADBALL and SLAPSHOT had their influence on RIGHT DIRECTION as well as AGNOSTIC FRONT and for sure definitely AWKWARD THOUGHT in heavy doses, too. But they, and of course I mean RIGHT DIRECTION, owned their very own spirit and also their very special flavour and on "BURY THE HATCHET" this culminated in heavy and fresh Streetpunk/Oi! vibes that also fantastic bands like the great TECH 9 or even the immortal and larger-than-life DISCIPLINE didn't do any better back then. A special guitar tone, highly charismatic lead vocals, huge dynamics, strong emotions, and also a very own melodic/melody work really added massive amounts of a unique identity and character to it all, yes, and this for all the right reasons.

With or to this band, RIGHT DIRECTION, and especially this particular album, "BURY THE HATCHET", I have very special and just great memories very closely linked. Great times, great friends, great concerts, great parties, yes, all this and even far, far more. RIGHT DIRECTION's "BURY THE HATCHET" for damn sure is another album that holds and owns a very special place in my heart. I mean, of course it is exactly this, yes, because otherwise it would not appear here and now despise the anyhow over-all premium quality of it all. But also beside this, hell yeahr, it absolutely and totally shines with outstanding and overwhelming quality and this still today after or with now being already 18 years old. Highly charismatic lead vocals, sing-a-long chants, smashing and incredible forceful yet damn melodic guitars, thunderous drumming, and a crispy bass work made'n'make the musick and formidable and still damn fresh and very varied and intense songwriting, tons of energy and dynamics, and all never shyed away from big and honest heartfelt emotions wrapped in tight atmosphere cultivated'n'cultivates it all, with a very unique character gave'n'gives it all finally the bright shining crown. One hell of a legendary and larger than life masterpiece of an album that anyone who really should not know it so far really needs to call his/her own and so I can't praise it anyhow anyway enough.

My personal favorites here on RIGHT DIRECTION's "BURY THE HATCHET"? God-damn it, that's a hard one. Yes... a really hard one. And I mean a really, really hard one. You really ask why? Okay... simply because every damn song is purest platinum up here on this most precious gem. But, hm, okay, let's go, yes, I'm trying my best to give you or better pick for you my personal favorites… Sort of my absolute faavorites up here. I massively love the damn catchy and Streetpunk fueled "ELECTRIC GUN", the highly atmospheric and intense "HEROES NEVER DIE", the Saxophone fueled fantastic anthem "HE'S MY FRIEND" (sounds more and better like DOG EAT DOG than all what they've done after or since "PLAY GAMES" and it offers strong SKA vibes, too), the harsh hitting anti-racist tune "STEP BACK", the in all honesty damn great GARY MOORE cover "OUT IN THE FIELDS", the by crushing Oi! influenced angry Hardcore slasher "THE BAR THAT ONCE WAS MINE", the every resistance slaying harsh Hardcore wrecking ball "SONG OF FRUSTRATION", the Hardcore-ish raging Dutch Oi! beast "TWIST MY WORDS AROUND", and the purest platinum Streetpunk/Oi! monster "FIGHT VIOLENCE WITH VIOLENCE". Yes, nothing but the best of the best - back then and still today and probably this will never change. And don't make the mistake to think that the (anyhow only very, very few) not mentioned songs would be weak or what the hell else ever because hell no, they are also nothing but purest gold. So, yes, that's it, I think I've said so far all what I had to say right now and right here and I will now close this tribute post with saying clearly that I can only recommend RIGHT DIRECTION's "BURY THE HATCHET" to you and you should definitely know (and have) it to close a big portion of blank space in your Hardcore history and collection and it's damn good that RIGHT DIRECTION are back even if they 'only' play live. I love this stuff!!! Welcome back, guys. HEROES NEVER DIE!!!

HARDCORE!!! FIST!!!

RIGHT DIRECTION - "BURY THE HATCHET" (2000) ///the complete album\\\

HARTE WORTE - "SO WIE IHR UNS KENNT" (2018)

HARTE WORTE - "SO WIE IHR UNS KENNT"
(Record Review: 44:55 minutes; 13 songs)
("Sunny Bastards"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, next 'working session' up here and here and now (and, if you want to say it so, one more time again) this means that the next record-review is coming right now right here for you and this time it's all about the 2018 full-length-album of/by HARTE WORTE (en)titled "SO WIE IHR UNS KENNT" released (if I am now not completly on the wrong tracks) at the 19. January of 2018  via the (al)mighty "SUNNY BASTARDS" label, yes, and after I am trying to 'shorten' my record-reviews a bit so right here and right now direct 'into the action': This is now already the 4th full-length-album in ten years of existence of/by HARTE WORTE from the german city of Essen and it is for what reason(s) ever the first record of them that I know (and own) and so don't expect here and now any comparisions with/to their former records from/by me. What we get here and now from HARTE WORTE in 2018? Hm, I don't really know what's the story behind their "Pott Core" slogan, because I mean it's pretty clear that they come from Essen in the german region named the "Ruhrpott" and so the "Pott" in "Pott Core" is obvious and clear but the "Core" should better lead you in no wrong direction because after all and at the end of day all the Hardcore notes and marks in here are only very rudimentary and at its core HARTE WORTE's "SO WIE IHR UNS KENNT" is a very strong 'rockish' and only very slightly 'hardcoreish' German Oi!/Streetpunk album with a pretty sympathic and strongly outspoken anti-fascist alignment pushed forward by heavy hitting and sharp cutting guitars, noisy 'rowdyish' and nasty lead vocals, loud and full back up chants, a bone cracking bass, and heavy smacking drumming, the songwriting is all the time through'n'through very straight ahead but it still manages to cover quite a bit of different moods and emotions and thanks or due to the all the time pretty high and rousing energy it kicks ass pretty much all the time without turning sort of stale at the end. Mostly good and also pretty diverse lyrics, a pretty cool artwork, and a 'shooting' production-sound then round it all up. This is now so far a very short record-review and even quite a bit 'shorter' like I am aiming at with future record-reviews but this is due to the fact that all is good and fine with me and that I don't have that much anyhow anyway to say anymore to/about it and this is also due to my pretty much one and only problem with HARTE WORTE's "SO WIE IHR UNS KENNT", yes, and to say it short: Everything that HARTE WORTE do up here on "SO WIE IHR UNS KENNT" you've heard sort of a thousand times before (and often even a bit to a bigger bit better) at least if you're older than 18 and if you're into this whole Oi! and Punk 'thing' from Germany for longer than ten years or so. To me it's somehow sort of a 'kids record', even this may now sounds hard (but it isn't meant hard)... but at least they do what they do really good and so I will now close this record-review with saying that you can at least calmly risk one or two ears, and do yourself the favor and give it a good and fair try. Cheers & Oi!

(7,5 of 10 points)

https://de-de.facebook.com/HarteWorte2015/ (-the link to the facebook site of the band)

HARTE WORTE - "GELIEBT, GEHASST" (2018, "SO WIE IHR UNS KENNT")

SPIDER CREW - "SOUNDS OF HATRED" (2017)

SPIDER CREW - "SOUNDS OF HATRED"
(Running time: 31:37 minutes; 12 songs)
("WTF Records"; 2017; CD):

And already back @ work up here again, my dear readers, I just came back home again from some nice early evening activities with some colleagues and before I leave my apartment and my town again to own the night with some friends at this saturday one more time again I thought why not try to give the finishing touches to this post and bring it finally up as a late night post right now, right here - and this is a perfect match after the record (of course this is a record review post) that I am now about to review up here for you is currently constantly on heavy rotation (since a few months now already) here in my realm and is also currently running its rounds while I give this post the finishing touches and while I'm prepping up for tonight, yes, so you see, definitely, sort of the right moment to come up with it finally right now and right here. The whole talking was and is about the (brand)new SPIDER CREW full length album "SOUNDS OF HATRED", hell yeahr, and I can't believe that it is now also already again 15 or 16 years that I moshed'n'slammed the first time in front of stage to the SPIDER CREW, damn it, I grow old... more and more, and from day to day... damn it... fuck it, who cares, yes, at least not me, myself, and I, yes, and so after some too many fuckin' years of silence and no new SPIDER CREW (full length) release we have now 2017 and now in 2017 this finally changed and the grandmasters of Vienna Style Hardcore are finally back, bloody damn fuck yeah', the almighty SPIDER CREW with their newest masterpiece titled "SOUNDS OF HATRED" released via (the so far to me unknown) "WTF RECORDS" at the 15th of September of 2017 (and also it's out as a vinyl edition, too). SPIDER CREW, raised out of/from the ashes when ONLY ATTITUDE COUNTS called it a day back then at the end of the 1990's respectively the beginnings of the 2000's, always stood for the best of Vienna Style Hardcore in particular and Euro Core in general and with albums like for example and first and foremost their absolutely masterpiece "A MENACE TO SOCIETY" they showed their sort of 'big heroes' from the big apple how the damn bloody hell New York Hardcore was, still is, and always will be meant to be played and they enriched and cultivated their on New York Hardcore and Euro Core raised Vienna Style Hardcore with a huge and massive dose of Oi! and Streetpunk and they kept it all incredible fresh, grapping arranged and exciting composed over all the years, yes, and exactly so they do still today and this even with more 'musicianship-skills' then before 15 years or so ago. This is massive and strong, heavy and dynamic, highly energetic and eruptive, rousing and battle-scarred Hardcore that stands on a pretty characteristic 'stand-alone-position' somewhere between ONLY ATTITUDE COUNTS, BACKFIRE!, HARD RESISTANCE, and RIGHT DIRECTION on the one side and AGNOSTIC FRONT, MADBALL, WARZONE, and SICK OF IT ALL on the other side with big and heavy doses of Oi! and Streetpunk from english legends like COCK SPARRER, dutch godfathers like DISCIPLINE, and some American Oi! like maybe the legendary and larger than life almighty STORMWATCH in it all, yes, and all done in all positive senses independently and also very, very strong and skilled and truly 'excitingly' fresh and grapping and this over all the time, melting this all self-contained into their very own Vienna Style Hardcore breed. And they turned it all also today one more time again into a totally up-to-date Album - great job. A very forceful and dynamic songwriting that offers nicely diverse variations from harsh stompers, slashing blast speed beasts, anthemic sing a long hymns in mid to up pace, to powerful 'moshy' Hardcore 'groovers', yes, here we find and get it all, yes, all we want and need. And that this guys know how to play their instruments I only state here for the record, yes, should be clear anyhow. All is filled with fast and sharp and yet crushing and dustdry guitars, two very strong lead shouters each with his own 'identity-of-voice', loud and proud gang vocals to back it all up as well as very well-chosen guest singers, a militant rumbling bass, and harsh and 'stunningly' forward stomping drums, yes, and all is done massively tight and to the point. My personal favorites are "ENEMY WITHIN", "YOU AIN'T LIVED IT", "THIN ICE", "SIX FEET DEEP", "ALL IN ME", "LA FAMILIA", "WON'T BREAK FREE", and "NEVER FADE AWAY", yes, absolute anthems and pure platinum, period. But anyhow also the other not mentioned songs are first class pure gold stuff and so you might could also check them out as well and it would make no (big) difference anyway after all at the end of the day. Strong street-raised outspoken lyrics, a very cool artwork, and a heavy and yet still nicely dirty production sound then round it all finally up, yes, and this also in a damn great way. Enough words are spoken, yes, get this formidable album if you are into Hardcore and also Oi!/Streetpunk as well, definitely, because you will love SPIDER CREW's "SOUNDS OF HATRED", hell yeahr, it is one hell of a great album that is highliest recommended by me to you. Hardcore!!! Fist!!!

(9 of 10 points)

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

SPIDER CREW - "YOU AIN'T LIVED IT" (2017, "SOUNDS OF HATRED")