Nordend are from German hardcore scene and this is their new e.p. containing five songs. I love this one. It is a perfect mixture of modern melodic hardcore with some metal and street punk influences, yet retaining one leg firmly into old school hardcore influences. If I must compare them to some band, they reminded me in some parts of Comeback Kid. Lyrics are in German language with vocals which vary from shouted, angry screaming, spoken word and melodic singing, all that meaning singer is fantastic. Energy Nordend delivers is also totally touchable, you can sense it and almost touch it in the air floating around you and in you. Songs are mainly your fast hardcore punk with some excursions into moshing and metalized parts here and there. As I understand and speak German, lyrics deal with personal demons, survival, coping and finding strength to go on and battle depression, everyday and look deep into yourself and transform all hardcore energy and heart into something worth living and positive. My personal favorites are A-Okay and also Selbstportrait. Great record.
HolyName were already featured on the pages of this zine, as they released singles that were prior to the release of this full length opus with Facedown Records. This one features twelve songs. Music of HolyName is not Krishna hardcore as their name would suggest(anybody remembers the same titles 108’s album?), but it is also devotional in lyrics, this time a love letter to their beliefs and their souls and what the guys in the band carry within themselves. Music of HolyName is interesting mixture of gentle melodies with post hardcore guitar vibes and atmosphere, like in Meet Me Somewhere. But, there are also harsher and strong metalized hardcore elements where brutal vocals mix perfectly with almost ethereal clean main vocals on choruses. The perfect example for that is one of my personal favorites Creed. There are also some almost blast beat drums in Sect, another personal favorite of mine. I don’t know why exactly but in vibe these guys remind me a bit of hardcore version of Polish band Batushka. Incredible how this band shifts with ease from doom metal influences to blasts of hardcore energy to ethereal melodies and this album shows really varied and strong songwriting. Great one.
New opus by Heilung is here. Heilung is international band project with members from Denmark, Germany, Norway…and they are something special and different from other similar acts. For starters, Heilung means healing and their music is just that. They heal with their mixture of darkened shamanic Nordic folk, Carpathian ethno music, world darkened folk music, warrior shamanic ritualistic chanting topped with Maria Franz’s almost ethereal beautiful voice. Also, their songs are in ancient languages and the instruments they play on, besides some electronics are done by themselves from bones, wood and all their atmosphere and melodies take you as a listener to some other world. Their opuses are getting better and more powerful as time passes. If you did not go, I strongly recommend their live rituals, because only if you open your mind and get into it, like phenomenal Lifa ritual which you can see on Youtube in full, will bring relief, tears, anger, warrior pride, and above all connection with spiritual in yourself. My personal favorites on this opus are: Tenet, Keltentrauer and Marduk. Excellent.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 