All posts by vladkraykulla

Active member of alternative underground scene and culture since early 1990-ies. Underground is a way of life!

(review) Cigar – The Visitor (Fat Wreck Chords)

Cigar are back with their first release for Fat Wreck Chords and it is a blast. I must admit that I didn´t know about this band until PRH 19 when I was surprised and blasted by their music. For those who don´t know, Cigar are a trio and play ultrafast and energetic melodic hardcore punk, with lots of technicality but enough to keep it simple and sounds like a natural progression of nineties skate punk hardcore to new millennia. These ten songs offer a perfect storm, like listening to Reign In Blood, every song counts and every second rules. There are metal influences like in excellent Legacy of the 7 Plies, for which an awesome video was made. Rami´s vocals are superb, dramatic and shouted at moments yet keeping melody in line with otherworldly guitar work, fantastic bass lines, so prog and technical but also making it sound so easy, and believe me it´s not. Drummer is a beast with all rhythm changes, fast charges, even grooves in some parts. We Used To is another song that was chosen for a single and video, it is a nice ode to the past and future with such sweet lyrics and melody. Absolutely a highlight. One of the songs I should also mention is In Armor, battle anthem about not giving in no matter how hard it is, song that I listened to over and over again. Classic You(first single) and Move On are killers too. Damn, that is already more than half of the album. So, into blistering fast melodic hardcore punk? Go get this one. And go see this band live. It is an experience you will not forget.

(movie) The Fear Footage(2018) is an anthology found footage horror!

Director/writer Ricky Umberger managed to create a superb movie with little budget but great story. This is an anthology horror done in found footage style, not unlike some of the V/H/S sequels. Story goes around deputy Leo Cole who vanished without trace while investigating a house that was demolished but reappeared. The footage is from his body cam. While investigating the house Leo watched couple of segments of this anthology movie. In almost every anthology horror, there is one or couple of fillers, but not in this one. All of the segments are interesting, gory, from creepy clown story, across cultists to abandoned demonic church in the woods, all of them just rule. The overall wrapping up of the main story is also done great and left me wanting for more. This proves how little money you need if you have a great story and know your horror. Hats off!

Young LA thrashers SEIZURE release a new video!

When searching for fantasy themed metal, Los Angeles may be the last place one might look. However, formed in 2017 by lead guitarist / vocalist Joey Love, Seizure developed an ever-evolving sound that fused the raw thrash metal style of the Los Angeles underground metal scene, with influences from some of Europe’s most melodic metal bands. Fast and heavy riffs, melodic solos, and lyrics filled with strange tales of wizards, ghosts, and dragons are an abundant part of the Seizure sound and aesthetic.

Seizure has worked with many musicians including Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren and ex-Heathen guitarist Ira Black. Along with this, the band has played all over California. Venues like the Whisky A Go Go, the Viper Room, and the Rainbow Bar and Grill have welcomed Seizure with open arms and the underground shows frequently demand Seizure’s return. On top of all this, the support for Seizure from the fans (who they call “Wizards”) has been so overwhelming. The Wizards span not just California, but also the entire United States, and parts of Europe and South America

Since releasing the Grandmaster Wizard EP (2018) and Born in the Dark (2021), Seizure has been hard at work bringing the public their wicked dose of Fantasy Thrash Metal.

https://www.facebook.com/seizureofficial/

https://www.instagram.com/seizure.band_official/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEAWG0oLt0JabIqC1cUYztQ