(review) Just Look Around – Freedom Remains e.p. (Modern Illusion Records)

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The good people of Modern Illusion Records have another great release and this time it is Just Look Around from Germany and their e.p.

This young label continues to amaze with hitting straight in the eye with awesome hardcore releases and this one is no exception. There are seven songs on this e.p. and the music of Just Look Around can be described as heavy hardcore, harsh and fast, ferocious and moshing with many clever uses of samples between the songs, which I love and support always. If I must compare it to some bands I must say they remind me a lot of Earth Crisis in many songs, especially awesome Disruption, yet also of Madball in some faster song parts. Lyrics are good mixture of personal and political, featuring anti fascism, survival in this modern world, friendship and freedom. My personal favorites on this one are: Disruption, The good, the bad and the ugly, Freedom remains.

https://modernillusionrecords.portfoliobox.net/

(review) Toxic Youth – Back To You-Th (WTFRecords & Distro)

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Toxic Youth from Milano, Italy have been around since 1990 and after a pause they deliver their new album, returning with might together with WTFRecords & Distro. This label always amazes me how they hit me right between the eyes with their awesome releases delivering punches of Euro hardcore masterpieces to us, old and new kids.

This time, Toxic Youth hits us with 12 songs of perfect hardcore, having some NYHC influenced guitar work and moshing parts, almost metalized and sounding what we called new school in the mid nineties, like Milano Rendez Vous, very heavy song, but they also firmly hold more roots in street punk and hardcore, reminding me a bit of Croatian legends Deafness By Noise. There are lots of gang singing backing vocals, fist pumping in the air old school hardcore fast drumming no holds barred hardcore punk parts, evolving into moshing slower and groove song structures, making songs energetic and powerful. The vocals are angry, hardcore shouting, yet enough melodic to understand what is being sung about. My favorites on this record are Walkin´ Free, The Beast, Do It Again.

Check out this fine record and support your hardcore scene and the cause worldwide!