(review) Strike Anywhere-Nightmares of the West(Pure Noise Records)

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Strike Anywhere are back with their new e.p., the first new release in more than a decade. Virginia punks from Richmond deliver what we need in these times of racism, segregation, murder, hatred, corruption and apathy. They deliver energetic, melodic and angry hardcore with melody and emotion, so hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

There are six new songs plus one cover of Blocko on this record and the only thing I really wish is that the record was longer and that the guys deliver full album. I never saw these guys play live, I was going to this Summer at Punk Rock Holiday, but that epidemic shit stole our festivals for this year, so hopefully next year I will correct that mistake.

Considering the songs on this record, somehow the most anthemic and the ones that worked best for me are Documentary, fast song, also Dress The Wounds, but THE best song for me, that I listened all over again and again is The Bells, just perfect song for singing along and waving your fist in the air, I hope the guys will include it in their setlist on tour next year. That doesn´t mean that other songs are less good, those are just my personal favorites. Welcome back, Strike Anywhere, what a comeback!

10/10

 

(review) Cat In the Box-Moonpark

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Well, we continue with nice melodic/pop punk on this day. Cat In the Box are coming from Novodvinsk, Russia and are playing just that.

This is their new release, that came out a little under one month ago. There are intro plus six songs on this fine record and the music is haha space pop punk as the band says on their Bandcamp page. The music reminds a lot of early Blink 182 and similar bands and the lyrics are about love, skating, riding bike, Tom Delonge hahaha, also there is one really nice acoustic song called New Feelings to which I can really relate to lately. The title song is also one of the highlights and best songs on this record, besides Me And You. I really like this one.

https://catintheboxofficial.bandcamp.com/album/moonpark

(review) Second Arrows-Second Arrows(Hellminded Records)

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Second Arrows could be called kind of super group. They are featuring current members of Deadguy and former members of Every Time I Die among others. But this band in no way lives on old glory of other musical projects. No, on the contrary. This new record they are releasing with Hellminded Records is one of the heaviest and noisiest releases of 2020.

What we get here are eight songs of noisy hardcore, with one leg being in hardcore punk roots of the members, the other leg sinking into sludgecore and noise. The vocals are shouted, screamed, also at times with some electronic effect and whisperes, depends on the mood of the song. The guitar riffs are apocalyptic, almost like announcing the end of the world and no hope, the whole vibe of the record is dirty, gritty, raw with some occasional hidden melody underneath it all. I love it, one of my favorite songs is Our Grendel and also Jitters, kinda highlights of the album for me, but the whole record is one constant brutal energy and swampy, muddy atmospheric hardcore noise. Great!

https://www.hellmindedrecords.com/