It has been two decades since Shades Apart released new music if I am not mistaken. The New Jersey power trio is releasing their new record with HellMinded Records. The new one contains 10 songs. The music of Shades Apart was really boring to me back in the nineties when I was a ferocious hardcore kid, knowing only speed, gang back vocals, nyhc and nothing more with those old school Fat and Epitaph bands too being part of my listening and growing up. I remember my friend Igor borrowed me a tape where one Shades Apart album was on one side and I think Nofx on the other side. I dismissed SA after two songs being too indie, too boring for me at that time. Now, as I listen the new album, all those punkrock melodic songs, being almost 43 years old now, I realize how wrong was I and how great this band is. This album fits me like chocolate pudding, meaning great. The songs have just the right balance between upbeat more rock and punk songs like Thread for example, but I love kinda more emotional songs like Only Light or Teach Me How To Live. The musicianship is superb, having everything from pop punk sensibility to more harsh approach with nice vocals, great backing vocal lines and I just love this album, if I must name one favorite song it would be 95, I can totally relate to the song and lyrics hehe, Super album and welcome back!
Handjar are from Saint Petersburg, Russia. There are 5 songs on this release, recorded live in Svora Space. This is a short one. 5 songs each in about minute time, delivering hellburst of raw hardcore punk, yet with some melody underneath it all, delivering crushing apocalyptic d beat with some almost grindy stuff here and there. The lyrics are in Russian language, so I don`t really understand them, but Instinkt is my favorite among these five songs, being somehow the most energetic and epic. This is a good one. It is on Bandcamp, it is for pay as much you want, so go get it and support the scene.
Japanese Northern19 are back with a new release. I must admit that with the exception of Hi Standard, which I used to listen intensely back in the nineties, I don`t know almost anything about Japanese skatepunk scene. This release contains 4 songs of sweet mixture between skatepunk and pop punk, done in a ultramelodic way with some fast parts thrown in like that almost grind drumming part of Drain and nice typical skatepunk song Yes. This is nice punkrock done with heart and soul and I really loved listening to these four songs. Acoustic beginning of Letter leads the listener into mid tempo epic song like reminding me a lot of Useless ID, in fact the whole record reminds me a lot of Yotam Ben Horin and his boys, which is great, because the music is awesome. Nothing But My Heart is for me the favorite on this release. Good one from far East!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 