One thing must be true, Paul McKenzie never quits and continues his celtic punk legends The Real McKenzies with so many line-up changes, sudden and less sudden and here is the new album out with Fat Wreck Chords. I must admit that I have never been a great fan of celtic punk and all that folk punk influenced music but I must also admit that this band is funny as hell to see live and raise some hell and drink something to their songs and music. This time, they bring 12 songs that continue in the vein of their previous couple of albums, meaning melodic punk with celtic punk, topped with recognizable Paul’ s voice and some really nice harmonies in choruses and backing vocals, some really great songs and some boring and not really good songs. The ones that I found great are My Heart’s in the Highlands, The Green Hills of Tyrol and Swansea Town with guest performance by Brenna Reid. Nothing special but okay in all.
When I listened to the singles that announced this album, I sensed that it could be something great. I was wrong, it is fantastic! Santa Cruz, California’s legendary skate punks released their fourth full length album and it contains 13 songs of which one is an instrumental intro and I just can’t decide which one is better. This is a lesson in melodic hardcore punk. Fast and simple, with superb vocal and backing vocal harmonies, great emotional lyrics and songs you wished you have written them yourself. Some guitar parts sound almost like they are tuned to Swedish Gothenburg death metal style, yes I am weird but I heard that, most in an instrumental called Putrefaction of Trust. There are also some more gentle atmospheric parts like awesome Judgment Day, one of my personal favorites. Although it is hard to say which ones, I will say that Violent Faith, The Sacrifice and Ghost are my favorites. This is one of the top five melodic punk releases this year.
Melodic pop punks from Ravenna, Italy, namely Sunset Radio are in no way strangers to the pages of this zine. This is their brand new album and kind of end of an era due to line-up change and new singer stepping in the scene. This one contains 9 songs, which vary from more gentle pop oriented Italian language Domenica, across more Ghosts Cigarettes anthem of melodic punk rock which I listened couple of times in a row. Gold and Diamonds is more modern pop punk song yet Sunset Radio also hold one leg firmly in nineties melodic punk style, so they give a smart mixture of old and newer school of melodic punk. Singer reminds me at times of Millencolin’s singer. One of my personal favorites on this one is It Again, up tempo punk rock song with nothing new or special, just heartfelt melody and lyrics. One other song I must mention is Melody, being just the way I wanted if I were to write it hehe. Also, Pride and Old Days are the ones you should lean your ears to. Great album by this Italian pop punks.
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