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")

GERBENOK - "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE" & "A TRIBUTE TO PROBERAUM DEMO / LIVE IN ZEITZ" (2018)

GERBENOK - "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE" & "A TRIBUTE TO PROBERAUM DEMO / LIVE IN ZEITZ" (2CD)
(Running time - CD 1: 34:41 minutes; 10 songs /// Running time - CD 2: 71:31 minutes; 18 songs)
("K.B. Records"; 2018; 2CD):

Hey guys, yes, finally back again after christmas and first and foremost I hope you all had some fantastic christmas days and now without any further ramblings let's go for the next round up here and so here and now you get my review on the new and (so it seems) final album "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE" of and by the infamous German Oi! roughnecks of GERBENOK released at the 30th of November of 2018 via the mighty "K.B. RECORDS" as a drop dead gorgeous digipacked 2CD (and I think also on vinyl) with the "A TRIBUTE TO PROBERAUM DEMO / LIVE IN ZEITZ" disc as a bonus. I wasn't aware of that GERBENOK are still around today and what shall I say, yes, this is a very pleasant surprise and if this will be their final album, if I understand the linernotes and some of the lyrics correct, then they are one more time going out in style and they are definitely leaving with a bang. Back then I wasn't sort of the biggest fan of GERBENOK also simply because I am normally in general not that much sort of the biggest fan of German Oi! in general and maybe that's why I lost them a bit out of sight, hm, but anyhow anyway and especially after this all sort of changed quite a bit in 2018, to say it that way to keep it short, it's all not that important after all and so here we are and GERBENOK deliver us their "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE" album consisting out of four brandnew tracks, three new recorded classicks, and three so far unreleased Bootboy smashers and what we get here is bonecracking heavy and facesmashing hard stomping and cracking German Oi! that's driven forward by mercylessly pushing heavy stomping rhythm arrangements that shine in a pretty fresh light and showcase a nicely strong and in parts Chiswick inspired British mark that I wasn't aware of before in the sound'n'style of GERBENOK and that's so a very nice surprise for/to me. Also is the pace work very nicely flowing and GERBENOK manage to shake things very nicely up and keeping it so all fresh and exciting and as a fact I can't remember that the songwriting of/by GERBENOK was that strong and fresh back then. This is harsh and hard hitting and sharp aimed'n'cutting German Oi! of the gruff and grim kind that will please fans of the (older/earlier) KRAWALLBRÜDER, the DURSTIGE NACHBARN, old TOXPACK, SCHARMÜTZEL, and also some RAW INSTINKT and this for sure for all the right reasons. What really sets GERBENOK sort of apart is the fact that they really deliver great melody lines and showcase a strong focus on great melodic leads that really mark the songs massively and this also and again for all the right reasons. So expect songs that are delivered via hard'n'smart fresh and exciting songwriting with a very special and 'uniquely' own tone done and carried out by nicely skilled musicians and that are marked by highly charismatic very hard vokillz, sawing and crushing guitars, stomping drumming, and a loud'n'proud around strutting bass, enriched by massive backings and a huge hymnal sing-a-long potential. Add to this outspoken lyrics, a drop dead gorgeous artwork, sympathic linernotes, and a heavy cracking production sound and you have GERBENOK's "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE", a damn strong album that I can only calmly and highly recommend to anyone into (German) Oi!, yes, and of course also add to this the second disc "A TRIBUTE TO PROBERAUM DEMO / LIVE IN ZEITZ" that features GERBENOK's old demo recordings as well as a pretty cool live recording of them from back in the days. "A TRIBUTE TO PROBERAUM DEMO / LIVE IN ZEITZ" is (at least so in my book) definitely not on par with "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE" with getting very roughly 8 out of 10 points from me and "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE" earning strong 9 out of 10 points so in my book but that makes all in all still definitely the complete package and the real deal with 8,5 out of 10 points in sum and, again, I can only calmly and highly recommend this package to you outta there and this even when back in the days GERBENOK weren't that much up high on your personal favorite list, like in my own case too, because they really developed massively since for example "WER ZULETZT LACHT" and so better make sure to check them out these days. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(8,5 of 10 points)

https://www.musik-sammler.de/artist/gerbenok/ (-link to a discgraphy page of/for the band)

GERBENOK - "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE" (2018, "WIE TOLLWÜTIGE HUNDE" & "A TRIBUTE TO PROBERAUM DEMO / LIVE IN ZEITZ")

VARIOUS ARTISTS - "A TRIBUTE TO OXYMORON: FUCK THE TRIBUTES, HERE'S OUR NOIZE..." (2018)

VARIOUS ARTISTS - "A TRIBUTE TO OXYMORON: FUCK THE TRIBUTES, HERE'S OUR NOIZE..."
(Running time: 52:41 minutes; 17 songs)
("Contra Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, finally the next one up here and this time it will be all about my review on one damn great piece of Punkrock/Streetpunk/Oi! Punk musick with a 'paying tribute to' focus and to be more precise here and now you get my record-review on the for all what I know pretty recently via "CONTRA RECORDS" released tribute compilation "A TRIBUTE TO OXYMORON: FUCK THE TRIBUTES, HERE'S OUR NOIZE..." paying tribute and giving praise and honour to one of the very greatest and very best bands ever to walk our barren earth, exactly, no one else and especially no one less than the absolutely almighty and immortal OXYMORON. Hell Yeahr!!! 17 bands from the U.S.A., the U.K., and Germany, from the likes of DDC, ARCH RIVALS, LIONS LAW, SNIPER 66, OUT OF ORDER, HARD EVIDENCE, BONECRUSHER, HARDKNOCKS, LEGION 76, BAD CO. PROJECT, DIE TRYING, THUNDER AND GLORY, WOLF BITES BOY and even more deliver their all the time and in all cases damn smart and nicely characteristic done tribute paying versions of immortal OXYMORON hymns like "BORED AND VIOLENT", "DEAD END GENERATION", "BEWARE POISONOUS!", "CRISIS IDENTITY", "SELFRULE", "ANTI", "CRAZY WORLD", "ON THE OUTSIDE", "WESTWORLD", and many more and they do it all with their very own twist and tone to it while still honouring the originals enthusiastically and that here all is about hard knocking, sharp cutting, highly melodic, ctachy and hymnal, and just damn exciting and rousing Streetpunk of and on the highest grade of quality and skill(s) I only mention because of reasons of completness because I think that this should be clear anyhow. A fantastic artwork, top notch linernotes of/by Sucker (OXYMORON and BAD CO. PROJECT) himself, and a thru'n'thru first class production sound round it all perfectly up. So, yes, this is a very short review and especially for/by my standards but I think all what needed to be said I did say and so enough of the talking and you best just get this amazing piece of Streetpunk musick and this best instantly. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(9 of 10 points)

https://www.contra-net.com/ (-the link to the homepage of the label)

DDC - "BORED AND VIOLENT" (2018, "A TRIBUTE TO OXYMORON: FUCK THE TRIBUTES, HERE'S OUR NOIZE...")

DURSTIGE NACHBARN - "FICKT EUCH!" (2018)

DURSTIGE NACHBARN - "FICKT EUCH!"
(Running time: 38:22 minutes; 11 songs)
("K.B. Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, hope you have a nice sunday evening and I'm back at work up here, at least a little bit, with serving you my record-review on the new DURSTIGE NACHBARN longplayer "FICKT EUCH!" released pretty recently via the mighty "K.B. RECORDS". This september I finally did my review on the direct precursor album of/by the DURSTIGE NACHBARN titled "ICH ODER DU" dating already back from 2014 and in this very review I've already mentioned that the DURSTIGE NACHBARN very soon will drop their new one and here it finally is: "FICKT EUCH!" If you've read my review on "ICH ODER DU" you know that this album was a great one and that I had high expectations concerning the successor one, "FICKT EUCH!", and if you haven't read the mentioned review then by now you know it anyway anyhow; so, yes, live the DURSTIGE NACHBARN up to this high expectations with "FICKT EUCH!" or do they fail them? To put it short: They definitely live up to them and they even excel the great precursor one a bit and they, which means the DURSTIGE NACHBARN, deliver to us with "FICKT EUCH!" one of the very, very strongest and very, very best German Oi! albums and/or Oi! albums from Germany of/for 2018 and also one of the most outspoken, most nasty, and most angry ones, yes, and this for all the right reasons, point and fact. Hard as nails rough and tough, grim and gruff Oi! with good healthy doses of roaring Punkrock notes in it as well as also some fresh SKA and SKA Punk marks and all nicely free of/from every Metal, Rock, and/or German Rock stuff, yes, and also serving some nice little funny easter eggs hidden here and there. The DURSTIGE NACHBARN play it all very self-contained and nicely independently but to/for anyone who sort of needs some bandnames as references then let it be told that fans of earlier/older KRAWALLBRÜDER, old TROOPERS, GERBENOK, and MARTENS ARMY will definitely cheer up to the DURSTIGE NACHBARN. Even I would say that the DURSTIGE NACHBARN especially today do it not only their very own way but also all very fresh and they surprise with a lot of twists and turns and they simply do it all damn fucking great and deliver some great songwriting with nice unexpected variations of rhythm and pace, and all is delivered via two angry and the songs very strong shaping lead singers, heavy smashing guitar work, a roaring bass, and bonecracking drumming. Diverse and very strong and also very often damn outspoken and angry-political lyrics, a first-class artwork, and a top-notch production sound then round it all finally and especially perfectly up. I will make it short this time because all what needed to be said is said, yes, and so: Just go out and get it!!! Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(9,5 of 10 points)

http://durstige-nachbarn.de/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

DURSTIGE NACHBARN - "WENN WIR KÖNNTEN WIE WIR WOLLTEN" (2018, "FICKT EUCH!")

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")

HAYMAKER - "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY" (2018)

HAYMAKER - "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY"
(Running time: 31:02 minutes; 10 songs)
("K.B. Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, finally back again, once again and after November 2018 was very silent up here I think it's really about time to change this up here again and to start off December 2018 right here and right now in a proper way and this proper way of doing so will be my record-review on the first full length longplayer of the almighty HAYMAKER titled "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY" released (far) earlier this very year of 2018 and to be more precise someday back then this March of 2018 via the infamous and legendary "K.B. RECORDS" and... one more time again up here… please just don't ask me why it took me so long to finally do my review on it especially since I have it had pre-ordered and so it's part of my collection since the very day it was released… shame on me, again another time. HAYMAKER managed last year of/in 2017 with their last years' debut EP "WE ARE HAYMAKER" to deliver my absolute favourite personal album of the year and so you can imagine how curious I was when finally their longrunning debut "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY" saw the light of the day far earlier this year and so now at the very end of 2018 we are finally here with my by far too long overdue record-review on it... yes, finally… and so, oh hell yeah', let's roll: HAYMAKER are back and they deliver totally on point and this in every way'n'manner and so "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY" is amazingly strong done and delivered Oi! and Skinhead Rock & Roll with a truly hard, heavy, and strong rocking and sharp rolling-cutting edge to it and with an incredible high amount of dynamics and energy in it all that shakes your bones and make your boots go stomping imediatley right from the get-go. Think about a dirty and harsh onwards slashing and stomping and yet all the time damn melodic and highly anthemic/hymnal mixture out of PERKELE, early DISCHARGER, a bit of BADLANDS, and some THE BUSINESS with good healthy doses of Chiswick/(very) early SKREWDRIVER influences in it and add some mercylessly forward smashing MOTÖRHEAD-like hard and heavy Rock & Roll marks to it and all delivered as well as especially also cultivated with a very strong, huge, and unique character and identity and you  should definitely have a pretty good impression of HAYMAKER and their very special own Skinhead Rock & Roll to start with. All is made ready via a phenomenal strong and damn outstanding and very nicely diverse and also nicely multi-facetted songwriting that shines with a huge dose of fresh ideas like for example the fantastic THE BLUES BROTHERS reminiscence kick-off of the album with the opening-riff of the killer tune and also opener of the album "UNDERDOGS" or the RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE like sounding opening riff of "HANG UP YOUR BOOTS" that shifts smoothly and swiftly over to a great by for example THE WHO inspired rhythm structure of the song and that's repeated further on even more intense and the whole album also offers in general and far more nice damn great twists'n'turns all along the ride that is "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY" and that really brightly shines with a so damn fantastic work in the department of riffs and rhythm architecture(s) that are from start to finish nothing but fantastic and really some of the very most fiery and rousing, highly energetic, strongly dynamic and above all and in all ways and meanings amazingly rousing and uplifting ones like you won't experience it in that way and of that highest quality that often anywhere anyhow anyway else and this also won't chnage that soon anyhow, point and fact. And also it's all incredible effective and damn intense and it all is cultivated by an inspirated as well as inspirational compositorial approach and by an overwhelming great melodic work that shines through in the general arrangements of the songs and excels within and throughout the leads and solos of the guitars as well as the vocal lines, yes, and all is also damn fucking hymnal'n'anthemic to the max. Oh boy, this is from start to finish one hell of a grapping, rousing, intense, and exciting ride with all thrills and not a single fill, hell yeahr, and all is done and delivered by very skilled strong musicians going focussed to work. A fantastic guitar playing with a very own characteristic tone to it, a proud and loud strutting bass, furious thundering drumming, loud'n'proud crew back-ups, and above all that shine fantastic and highest charismatic lead vocals, yes, nothing but overwhelming, this are the tools with and by which this absolutely amazing and definitely larger than life album that HAYMAKER's "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY" without any discussion is came and by listening to it everytime again comes to be. Fantastic, diverse, aware, outspoken, and sharp aimed and even sharper cutting Skinhead and Oi! lyrics, a great Old School artwork, and a dirty and yet damn heavy and somehow still pretty clear first class production sound finally turn this into the probably most complete package also again in and of this very year of 2018 and this for all the right and most justified reasons, period. My personal favorites? Ha, after the whole album is nothing but and nothing less than the purest platinum you can pick any song you want, definitely, but "UNDERDOGS", "NO SOCIAL LIFE", "ONLY A SINNER BECOMES A WINNER", "SKINHEAD ROCK & ROLL", "TOO DRUNK TO FIGHT", and "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY" probably are the songs most listened to by me over all the time now so maybe you want to start with one of them, yes, with one of this groundbreaking and larger than life hymns. Hell yeahr, signs are set that then for now two years in a row HAYMAKER had also in this very year of 2018 delivered my personal album of the year, yes, just to point that out a bit while we're still here all together. Okay, I think for now I've said so far all what I had to say right now and right here or so to/about HAYMAKER's "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY" and anyone that's only slightly into Oi! and Skinhead Rock & Roll should definitely get this very one here as soon as possible just in case he or she really still doesn't own or even know it, hm, and let me say it this way, yes, if there's only one album of and then also in 2018 you can pick up this very year or (after 2018 is already running out again too damn soon) could have picked up this very year it should be respectively should have been this very one here, period. Get it!!! Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(10 of 10 points)

https://haymakeroi.bandcamp.com/ (-the link to the bandcamp site of the band)

HAYMAKER - "SKINHEAD ROCK & ROLL" (2018, "WE APOLOGIZE TO NOBODY")

HAYMAKER - "ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD" (2018, NEIL YOUNG - cover; so far a non album track)

BÖHSE ONKELZ - "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN (30 JAHRE NEUAUFNAHME)" (2018)

BÖHSE ONKELZ - "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN (30 JAHRE NEUAUFNAHME)"
(Running time: 47:58 minutes; 12 songs)
("Matapaloz"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, it's been a while since the last post came up here, yehp, I know but anyhow and anyway because tonight November 2018 will start up here and I will do this with a review of me, myself, and I on one of the probably hughest classicks in the history of hard'n'heavy musick from Germany or better on the brandnew very recently released current rerecording of it and I'm talking about the very recently released completly 'freshly' done rerecording of the album "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN" of/by no one else than the BÖHSE ONKELZ and this very one here is the 30th anniversary rerecording of it, yeahr, and so here we go finally again: I won't go into all the 'historical ramblings' about the BÖHSE ONKELZ in general and/or their "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN" in particular because this would simply go beyond the scope and so here'n'now I will only concentrate and look on the album itself and this in its current 'rerecorded 30 years anniversary edition' that is now the topic up here. "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN" was back then the so to say second album when and with that they moved from the early german Oi! Punk of their debut full length "DER NETTE MANN" and the Oi!/Punk/Rock bastard of their "BÖHSE MENSCHEN, BÖHSE LIEDER" second full length to their dirty and heavy hitting highly energetic and hymnal Metal of their (in my book) by far greatest time represented by their immortal masterpieces "ONKELZ WIE WIR", "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN", "ES IST SOWEIT", "WIR HAM NOCH LANGE NICHT GENUG", and "HEILIGE LIEDER", yes, and "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN", their fourth full length in general and the second one of their above mentioned era, is one of my absolute favorites of/by the BÖHSE ONEKLZ: Hard hitting, slashing, nasty, rowdyish, ever brawling and rumbling Hooligan Metal filled by dirty Punk and clearly raised on hymnal Oi! and fueled by high octane and on the cold concrete born and bred Hardrock and all garnished with a strong and unique and also a damn great very own identity and a nice through'n'through authentic and sympathic attitude as well as a very grubby and nicely twisted atmosphere and all was and still is incredible highly intense and harsh and heavy stunning, yes, and this all still today and perhaps even more in this updated rerecorded version. Smashing and damn tight and forceful, very grapping, exciting, and rousing songwriting that shows no holes or blank spaces and that especially leaves no questions open and takes no prisoners and this still today in 2018 and that's massively pushed forward by mercyless pushing and punching guitars that deliver crushing riffs and singing leads and solos 'like nothing', marked by loud and street-raised dirty vokillkz, and all beefed up massively by a strong going and proud strutting bass playing and devastating thunderous drumming and all these ingredients still shine today and this still very bright, yes, making the BÖHSE ONKELZ' "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN" still to nothing but and nothing less than pure gold. On the rerecorded version this all changed not a single bit, hell no, in contrast it all shows today with far more cultivated guitar parts like for example slide guitar styled leads and also with more melodic and more versatile lead vokillz and even more hymnal backings maybe even only more potential. And this also counts for the as a bonus on here featured and also rerecorded back-then-exclusive-songs of the incredible fantastic "LÜGENMARSCH" EP. In short: Here we have a fucking strong album that today with being 30 years old is as strong, as relevant, and as important as back then 30 years ago and that for all the right and justified reasons got cultivated and enriched massively with ist rerecorded 30 years anniversary edition this very year of 2018. Strong and nicely diverse lyrics, a pretty discreet and yet very original and also convincingly done artwork, and a clear and heavy smashing production sound round it all in a perfect way up. BÖHSE ONKELZ' "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN" is nothing but a damn fucking larger than life classick and this fantastic '30 years anniversary rerecording' is the finishing glory of it and if for nothing else but only for this re-done masterpiece alone we can only cherish their reunion and comeback, yes, and I can only and nothing but highly, highly recommend it to anyone of you outta there, period.
(9 of 10 points)
http://www.onkelz.de/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

BÖHSE ONKELZ - "SO SIND WIR" ///live @ the "MATAPALOZ" festival 2018\\\ (2018, "KNEIPENTERRORISTEN")

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")

STOMPER 98 - "ALTHERGEBRACHT" (2018)

STOMPER 98 - "ALTHERGEBRACHT"
(Running time: 43:12 minutes; 13 songs)
("Contra Records"; 2018; CD):

Hey guys, yes, finally the next post up here is right now and right here incoming just for you and this time it is on the new STOMPER 98 full-length-album "ALTHERGEBRACHT" released at the 30th of March of 2018 via the mighty "CONTRA RECORDS" label, and yes, the almighty STOMPER 98 finally really returned this very year with "ALTHERGEBRACHT" with a proper brandnew full-length-album after six by far too long years of being absent. And, shall I tell you something, it's good that they are finally back, very good, really very, very good. I listen to this very band, STOMPER 98, now since their "STOMPING HARMONISTS" days sort of two decades ago and every time a new one of/by them is finally unleashed again it's always like the return of a beloved old friend returning to the front or from the front, like you may like to see it, it feels good and familiar but also all the time fresh thanks to new stories and new impressions he has to tell and to give, yes, and so it's also this time again in 2018. What I mean with this is simply that they definitely have their very own unique tone, their very own characteristic sound'n'style and their very own unique character and that this they do show us rightfully so all the time respectively every time but they always manage to keep it fresh and exciting and massively rousing and grapping and so also one more time again right here and right now in 2018 with "ALTHERGEBRACHT". The absolutely alive/lively songwriting is full of incredible rousing fresh ideas and great surprises as well as some very cool and nice little notes/eastereggs (like for example the a little tribute to the almighty SKOIDATS and their larger than life anthem "LAST NIGHT" paying opening riff of the über-song "DIESE NACHT") and delivers massive amounts of dynamic energy that go hand-in-hand with a great work in the departments of the rhythmic arrangements of the songs as well as the pace work of, yes, the songs and also is the compositorial approach in general nothing but fantastic and exciting and grapping, yes, and this all the time on the highest octane levels and this definitely all the damn time and it graps you, it overwhelms you, it conquers you massively and this nearly from start to finish and all definitely showcases nearly perfectly the concise and unique handwriting of STOMPER 98, yes, one of the very best Oi! bands past, present, and (hopefully) future and this in the case of German Oi! and Oi! from Germany as well as Oi! in general, 'internationally', yes, definitely. All is driven forward and, yes, all is all the time further onwards pushed by sharp cutting guitars that deliver a fiery rhythm'n'riff-work without end and that also shine and excel with a brilliant and strong rockin' and rollin' note and approach to it all and that above all are really standing out with massively engrossing melody lines, leads, and solos. The loud'n'proud through the songs strutting rowdy bass and the fantastic highly 'beat-filled' drumming are backing it all nearly-to-clearly perfectly up. Loud fist-in-the-air and sing-a-long-to crew chantings add highest amounts of anthemic character and hymnal potential to it all and the fantastic naughty'n'nasty melodic and yet very hard and cutting sung highly charismatic lead vocals and the fantastic saxophone lines then finally cultivate it all and giving it all the highly deserved and justified crown. Also, something that I always massively like and that you may already anyhow know and that also counts or is to say here is the fact that the verses are as strong 'prepared' or maybe better done'n'delivered as the refrains. And all is delivered by high-skilled and well-versed musicians. Some of the guys with that I talked about STOMPER 98's "ALTHERGEBRACHT" over the last past months have questioned the authenticity of STOMPER 98 in general today and of "ALTHERGEBRACHT" in particular with STOMPER 98 being today in their perspective more of a part-time-project with a sort of everchanging all-star-roster of members and with some of their most prominent members being today far more active in bands somewhere between Rock, Metal, and Hardcore that have sort of nothing to do with Oi! and Skinhead and as far as that may hold some portions of truth, but just maybe, but for all what I can say is that to me this all still feels like a real band and this all still feels heartfelt and passionate and more I can't and won't judge, not at least because who am I, and this also... yeah', let me say it this way: To me the quality of an output counts far, far more than any and/or every conjecturing perception (and that are all also maybe not that important after all, at least if you ask me) and the quality here on and with STOMPER 98's "ALTHERGEBRACHT" is nothing but and nothing less than massive, period. Only the somehow sort of a bit 'too-wanted' and a little bit sort of artifical and placed 'acting' opener "SKINHEAD" is sadly a huge'n'strong down turner, and truly a really massive one, but after this we get twelve incredible strong heavy hitters that massively overwhelm and convince and conquer with "KEINE HELDEN", "GESETZ DER STRAßE", "NICHTS IST FÜR IMMER", "FÜR DEN AUGENBLICK", "DIESE NACHT", "ALTHERGEBRACHT", "WIR STEHEN HIER", and "ALTER FREUND" being my personal favorites. Good and strong and also nicely socially aware and outspoken lyrics, a drop-dead-gorgeous artwork, and a top notch production sound then finally round it all up. A fantastic album that I can only highly and massively recommend to any fan of Oi! and this is definitely one of the strongest albums being released this very year and this in Oi! in particular and music-wise in general, too… I just hope that it won't take another six years before/until STOMPER 98 drop the successor of/to "ALTHERGEBRACHT". But so long, yes, just get this majestic one here. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!
(9 of 10 points)
http://stomper98.de/ (-the link to the homepage of the band)

STOMPER 98 - "FÜR DEN AUGENBLICK" (2018, "ALTHERGEBRACHT")

HAMMER AND THE NAILS - "HAMMER AND THE NAILS" (2014)

HAMMER AND THE NAILS - "HAMMER AND THE NAILS"
(Running time: 37:34 minutes; 13 songs)
("Rebellion Records"; 2014; CD):

Hey my dear readers, yes, again too many days past by without seeing a new post/article up here, yeah' I know, but that's life and so now finally straight again into the action and here we go: Tonight it will be all about an already a bit older record but that I just picked up at the end of this June of 2018 @ the fantastic "THIS IS SKA 2018" festival... and this was definitely by far long, long overdue, definitely, and I am talking about the self-titled HAMMER AND THE NAILS album that was released four years ago back in 2014 via the almighty "REBELLION RECORDS" and if I know made my homework sort of correct than this is sort of a compilation album of all their demo and singles material from 2009 and 2010 with some live bonus stuff added to it as well. And sort of since 2009 I know HAMMER AND THE NAILS now already, from back then when MySpace still was a thing, yes, and I hailed and cheered up to them massively right from my frist listen to them but then over the last now already really nine yeas I totally lost them out of sight… shame on me, shame on me, and not just a bit. And when I then saw "HAMMER AND THE NAILS" @ the "CONTRA RECORDS" merch-desks @ the above already mentioned "THIS IS SKA 2018" the memory was right'n'promptly back and I instantly took it finally with me. And then it was also already instantly and promptly clear to me that I definitely will do a review on it up here, really sort of finally do a review on it up here, despise that it is now already four years old and also despise that the songs featured on this very one here are now already in parts really nearly ten years old, yes, but who cares, surely not me, myself, and I, and so, again, now here we go… finally: HAMMER AND THE NAILS play dustdry and bonecrackin'n'headsmashin' heavy American Oi! the Brickwall Style that's driven forward by harsh sawing and forceful onwards marching and mercylessly pushing bonedry and as heavy hitting as a well aimed crowbar swing pure power guitars that deliver an overwhelming amount of heavily and massively crushing as well as really incredible rousing and exciting, really grapping and surprising fresh riffs and rhythms as well as great and formidable accentuated and really loud singing leads and solos and that above all truly brightly shine with a strong own and very unique tone. Harsh delivered and throaty and hard but still all the time really sung and not shouted lead vocals with a nice and pretty impressive way of a unique accentuated delivery with a special vibe to it all. A firy and harsh attacking bass with massive anmounts of full force power backs it all very beefy and bulky up and then the war-drums like thundering drum work finally crushes every and any resistance completly down into the ground and this without any mercy at all. All is done and delivered highly skilled and very, very fresh and totally alive/lively and this is beside the high skills of this fine Boston Gentlemen in the biggest parts thanks and due to the phenomenal songwriting and some very fresh and unsual and so pretty surprising rhythm arrangements and some in general very unsual and exciting compositorial work that often blends sort of Vintage Hard Rock spirited and nicely 'tricky' rhythms, grooves, and a very grapping pace work and a huge multi-layered and multi-facetted diverse approach to it all in general into their Brickwall styled through and through neckbreaking and facecrushing American Oi! and this makes it all even and only more great(er) and exciting and rousing and grapping. And it makes it all to something pretty to very special that in this way you haven't heard so far before or from another than HAMMER AND THE NAILS. And of course they also deliver huge fist in the air and sing a long to refrains that are really larger than life material, yes, but this also is to say about and/or counts exactly the same way for the brilliant arranged verses and this all adds a huge and also very cliché-free anthemic and hymnal character to the whole songs. A fantastic artwork, very strong and outspoken nicely diverse and also very thoughtful as well as thoughtprovoking lyrics, and a raw and dirty and yet still very heavy and powerful crushing production sound round it all finally and very perfectly up and after truly all songs are purest platinum I will now spare me any words about any favorite songs because, like already said, all songs are the purest platinum. To anyone who like me so far completly for what reasons ever missed out on HAMMER AND THE NAILS should definitely and desperately finally change this as soon as possible and why not with this perfect gem even it is now already four years old with dating back from 2014... and I really will 'make up my mind' on new and/or other stuff of/by HAMMER AND THE NAILS, yeah', finally and definitely. Cheers & Oi! Oi! Oi!

(10 of 10 points)

https://hammerandthenails.bandcamp.com/releases (-check out the Bandcamp site of the band)

HAMMER AND THE NAILS - "SLEEPING GIANT" (2014, "HAMMER AND THE NAILS")

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")