REVIEWS #2

[ Click on record covers to buy! ]

ANGER – DESTINATED [Sliptrick Records]
www.myspace.com/anger
www.sliptrickrecords.com

The first time I heard of Anger was last year when their drummer Senna filled in on drums for some shows with The Difference. He was playing in this melodic hardcore band from Vicenza and they had just started recording their new record, which had to be released on San Francisco, CA’s Sliptrick Records. Last time I met Senna he was kind enough to give me a copy of “Destinated”, their brand new record. I already knew he was an amazing drummer and a nerd about high quality music, but I honestly didn’t expect this record to be so well played and produced. Why? Cause the band has been able to release such a great product by recording it all by themselves at the Anger Room, their own rehearsal place, mixing it later on at Hate Studios. Well, what you get on “Destinated” are 12 songs of pure melodic hardcore the way bands used to do in Cali back in the 90’s. If you’re into bands such as Satanic Surfers, Lagwagon et similia, you’ll love Anger!

COLOSS – SONGS OF HATE AND EMOTION [MVHC/Hellnation]
www.myspace.com/colosshc
www.hellnation.it

After being on hiatus for a couple of years, Rome’s Coloss are back with a brand new record, proudly self-produced by the band and distributed by the almighty Hellnation Recordstore. This new effort pretty much picks up where the band left when they stopped in late 2005. Well, “Songs of Hate And Emotion” is an explosive work featuring 14 songs in less than 13 minutes of fast and powerful, thrashy and ironic punk hardcore reminiscent of Born Against and 80’s hardcore in general. I must admit that although I’ve never been a huge fan of this kind of fast hardcore, Coloss is one of those bands that I make an exception for, and the more rockish influences on this new record make it even better! Stop sitting around at home and get this right now!

CURTAIN – ALBATROSS: DEMO MMVIII
www.myspace.com/curtainhardcore

It’s been ages since there’s been a good hardcore band coming out from Rome, so I can’t explain how excited I am about these guys. I still hate myself for missing their first show! Featuring past and current members of To Kill, The Difference, Final Words and Drawing A Life, these guys bring a breath of fresh air in a stagnant and boring hardcore scene which is the one we have in Rome right now. When I heard that these guys were doing a band I just couldn’t wait to hear some material recorded, for I knew exactly what to expect, and I obviously I wasn’t let down when this Demo was made available. The four songs featured on “Albatross” show strong influences by bands such as Verse, American Nightmare, Unbroken and Go It Alone, but the guys still manage to add their own original touch, like they did with all their previous bands, managing to make it sound both hard and melodic, backed by some really good lyrics. The demo is available for download on their MySpace, so check it out and always keep an eye on them!

IRON AGE – THE WAY IS NARROW [Dead & Gone Records]
www.myspace.com/ironagetexas
www.deadandgonerecords.com

Iron Age. Where can I start with this band? Well, there’s no doubt that if they formed in NY in the mid 80’s these guys would have been on the Profile Records roster side by side with bands such as Leeway and the Cro-Mags, probably touring with Corrosion of Conformity or Obituary… things went differently, these guys formed in Texas and are undoubtly one of the heaviest bands around right now. Their first Demo displayed their potential, their “Constant Struggle” LP confirmed with. Now, after the “Burden of Empire” 7″, the texan riff-machine is back with another 7″ while they’re working on their 2nd LP, “The Way Is Narrow”. Two songs on this piece of wax: on the A Side we can find the new song which gives the title to this record, a mastodontic 5 minutes song of pure heaviness and metallic influences; B Side features the cover song “Satori Pt.1″, originally by Japan’s Flower Travellin’ Band, a must hear. Can’t wait for the new LP…

NO TURNING BACK – STRONGER [Reflections Records]
www.myspace.com/noturningbackhardcore
www.reflectionsrecords.com

I think we all agree on the fact that, when it comes down to hardcore, if you combine passion, dedication and a lot of hard work, in the end you always get good results. Well, No Turning Back is the living proof for this statement. Going strong for the last 10 or more years, the kings of Brabant are back with a brand new full-length after two years spent around the globe to promote their “Holding On” record. Their new record “Stronger” is just another proof that these guys are here to stay, always going stronger and unwilling to give up. As strange as this may sound, with the 14 songs that make this record, also featuring guest vocals by Down To Nothing, Cold World and Enemy Ground, they managed to raise the level of brutality in their music making “Stronger” one of the hardest record released in Europe in a good time. The formula is still the same, harsh NYHC-influenced hardcore that won’t make you stand still in a pit. Watch me rise as you fall!

PAYBACK – BRING IT BACK [Countdown Records]
www.myspace.com/paybackhc
www.countdownrecords.com

The kings of Roman hardcore are back! After releasing their third record “Kings of Nothing” last year, the guys got in touch with Countdown Records to release this new effort “Bring It Back”. Well, this actually isn’t a new record, as it only features 4 new songs, but along with these 4 tunes you’ll get the re-mastered version of their two previous records, “Keep Your Friends Close” and “Don’t Break The Bloodpact”, which have been out of print for the last two years or more. Since day one, these guys have dedicated their heart and soul to bringing back old school hardcore in Rome the way bands like Warzone, Cro-Mags and early Agnostic Front did in New York back in the days. The whole thing is backed by a strong street-core attitude, which makes them really interesting, plus once you these guys rocking a stage believe me you’ll be impressed! One of the new songs also features Mr. Roger Miret on vocals, so you know what to expect…

TRAPPED UNDER ICE – STAY COLD [Reaper Records]
www.myspace.com/underdaice
www.reaperhardcore.com

Nowadays it doesn’t take too much for a band to be described as “hard”: just throw a mosh part here and there, go to the gym, listen to Alpha Omega 24/7, wear an OG Cro-Mags shirt on stage and create your hype. Anyway, there’s a huge difference between this and being really hard. Well, not a lot of bands around these days deserve this description, but Trapped Under Ice are undoubtly one of them! I must admit it did take me some time to get into this band, but once you realize what this band is all about you’ll just love them. This Baltimore band gained a lot of popularity during the last months, and that’s what they deserve, for the amazing blend of NYHC that falls somewhere between Breakdown and Crown of Thornz is just brutality at its best. The 6 songs featured on “Stay Cold”, topped with one of the best artwork seen to date, will be the soundtrack to some pretty bad violnece at their live shows. Once again Kitzel’s Reaper Records comes out with an amazing release!

VARIOUS ARTISTS – A CLAUDIO [Claudio Con Noi Records]
www.hellnation.it

All cops are bastards, no doubts about this… well, in this case we can shout it loud and clear! In November 2007, an SS Lazio supporter was shot dead by a cop on the highway while he was travelling to a football match: in this occasion there was no division between AS Roma and SS Lazio supporters, both ran into the streets fighting against police oppression and injustices. During the riots, Claudio was arrested and is now awaiting trial. To support Claudio through these hard times, four bands from Rome joined forces and released a benefit 7″ with one song for each band. On Side A, Pinta Facile stands out for the Oi! side of this record while Payback keeps the standards high for roman hardcore; on Side B we find Grand Theft Age’s harsh streetpunk and The Fourth Sin’s abrasive and violent thrashing hardcore, something between the Cro-Mags and Slayer. Buy this release if you want to help out a guy just like you and me, who still believes that A.C.A.B. is an important statement!

Now playing:

• Think I Care – World Asylum
• Integrity – Humanity Is The Devil
• Editors – An End Has A Start

~ by dreamcrusher on June 18, 2008.