All posts by vladkraykulla

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

(record review) Malvina-Hybrid War

We already featured awesome Brasilian progressive hardcore punk band Malvina on the pages of this zine, when we reviewed their e.p. Now, the guys released their new full length album and I listened and reviewed it for our zine.

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The album contains 10 songs of technical, progressive hardcore with old school skatepunk influences. I am always amazed by South American bands how they somehow mix their anger, anguish, depression with sadness and melancholy. This is how the music of Malvina sounds to me. The title song is fast, aggressive yet melancholic melody somehow drags itself throughout the whole song. XIII is one of my personal favorites with great melody and superb song structure, I can only imagine how this one sounds powerful live. The lyrics of the band are pretty political and deal with the theme of life in Brasil and political coupe there and poverty and life in general, but I think many of us can relate to the lyrics of Malvina. Scenario is a bit longer song, sounding a bit nervous to me, noisy, then transforming into pure old school punk song which makes you pump your fist in the air. Herakleion only reminds and amazes me how technical and complex the music of this band can be. The vocals are very important to me in such bands and the singer here sounds harsh yet still enough melodic and it is weird, but true, the guy somehow reminded me of harsher version of Jim from Pennywise. The album does not get boring because there are no fillers with complex longer songs interplaying with hardcore punk angry miniatures like The Anomie. Not to discover all of it, you will have to get and listen to this record yourself. If you like your hardcore a bit original, a bit angry, yet melodic and bringing to you a breeze of South America, you will not be disappointed. Amazing band!

9/10

 

 

(new video-melodic punk) All Better release new single & video

We’re pleased to bring you the second single and video from Brighton dirty melodic punk trio, All Better.

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“Weird” is out now and is taken from their upcoming second EP “How It All Worked Out”, which will be released through Real Ghost Records on 14th June 2019. Check out the video here and you can stream the single Spotify, iTunes, Bandcamp etc..

Pre-order the EP on digital and CD formats via the Real Ghost Records store.

(record review) Downway-Last Chance For More Regrets(Thousand Islands Records)

Downway released their new record, first album in 15 years with Thousand Islands Records. I listened and reviewed it for our zine.

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This band is from Calgary, Alberta and they were formed in 1994. After five releases, four music videos, they disbanded in 2003. They were reformed for new victories in 2017. and this is the first new music album in 15 years.

The album contains intro plus eleven songs of pure 90-ies melodic punk hardcore which somehow became rare in these modern times, when everyone is playing this more modern technical metalic skatepunk. Well, time stopped and brought us back in the past for this jewel of an album with no holds barred, pure hearted melodic punk hardcore with a lot of awesome melodies, great personal lyrics that everyone can relate to, and above all, superb songwriting. I was totally surprised how excellent this album is, I expected something good, but not this good. If you are a fan of fast, at times mid tempo melodic punk, with nice vocals that express a lot of emotion to the lyrics they sing about, choruses you´ll sing along to, this album is the right one for you. My favorite songs: Black Taxes, Same Sky, Saying Your Name, Punk OG.

9,5/10