Ach, Hungary. Lovely land and our neighbors not even thirty kilometers from my hometown is Croatian-Hungarian border. BlackWeald is a dark ambient/drone project from that land, with a touch of dungeon synth and epic melodies here and there in 14 songs that are featured on this new opus. What I love about this one is that it does not get boring or repetitive for one second. The slow gradation of eerie horror atmosphere creeps in with length and solitude of this music. This one is an atmosphere of careless Summer hot corn and wheat fields of Hungary turning into something sinister, death itself, but us being to closeminded and stupid to see it and acknowledge it. This reminds me why I love horror and why I love music like this one. The usage of old samples in Hungarian only adds to the overall creepiness and feeling of loneliness, dread, suicide, depression and anguish. This is not for everyone, but selected few will appreciate this one. I know I do.
The Interrupters are back with their new full length album, number four in their career which became rather quickly stellar and shiny thanks to Tim Armstrong of Rancid, who kind of took this band under his wind and produced the records, wrote songs and provided guest appearances on their albums. I must admit that I am a fan of this band, their first two albums are legendary, also last one had some really good gems on it, but was not great like the first two. The Interrupters play a mixture of ska and punk rock with lots of melody, even being pop band disguised in punk rock wrapping as far as I am concerned. These new fourteen songs provide similar formula, melodies, great harmonies and memorable choruses, like for example excellent first single In The Mirror which is my personal favorite on this record. There are some excursions into pure reggae waters like with Kiss The Ground. Lyrics are personal and I think this album is somehow more serious lyrics wise, dealing with personal battles, rising from defeat, inspiration, lust for life and positivity. Amee Interrupter is a superb vocalist and her voice is for sure one of the best I have ever listened in punk rock scene. There are couple of melancholic moments on this one kinda making me sad, but in all this album is what you would expect from this band. Other songs that I must mention are excellent upbeat Jailbird, also Let ´Em Go and Love Never Dies. Good album number four.
Southern California punks Unwritten Law are back with their new full length, first original material in over a decade. I always liked this band and how they mixed pop punk sensibility with punk rock riffs and great lyrics topped with awesome vocals and melodies. This album is no different. These songs are not so fast and maybe not your skate punk mayhem, but this is pop punk par excellence for 21st century. If I must compare this album to some bands it would be a mixture of Billy Talent and AFI with some darker atmosphere in some songs. Vocals are still fantastic, melodies too and many choruses leave you humming along and singing along to all woooas and oooohs, also bringing smile to your face after a long day. Besides pop punk and punk rock riffs, guitars on some occasion delve into post punk riffs like in parts of Magnetic. My personal favorite is Ghosted, having such fine chorus that I listened over and over again. The album is divided into four chapters like being a concept album with Luna intermezzos. Two of the songs I must also mention are LIghthead and Murder Days, probably the most punk rock songs straightforward and up tempo with kind of darker atmosphere. In all, great comeback, good album.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 