German hardcore legends Ryker´s are back with new full length. Kassel crew has been a part or soundtrack of my life and hardcore upbringing since mid nineties when I was still a kid. After last stint of the band devoid of original singer Kid D, with Dennis replacing the singer decently, the original singer Kid D is back, so are these ten songs. When the album starts, I can safely say, this is one of the top three band´s releases with old school Euro hardcore style in your face. Fast hardcore anthems When The Dam Has Broken and Bread And Circuses take me back to Brother Against Brother and Ground Zero era, those two being my favorite albums of this band. Kid D sounds fantastic with his trademark deep voice and sharp riffs, fast drums and blistering guitar street wise riffs make me wave my fist in the air in the name of hardcore. As always, there is one cover song, this time it is Riot by UK Subs, excellent old school punk anthem done in a hardcore way. Don´t Bother Me and Mentally Unlocked are more metallic heavy hitters, up tempo with street punk roots that these guys never lost all these decades. The title song belongs to more slower Ryker´s opus, I like it but I am an old school sucker who loves his hardcore more fast than heavy slowed down songs hehe. But it is a cool one, do not get me wrong. Blast From The Past is lyrically for me totally best song on this record, speaking of the past present and future, all in one. But, THE BEST song for me is Death Divides Death Unites, classic streetcore anthem in the vein of old goldies like Cold Lost Sick or Gone For Good. This song I listened for couple of times in a row for sure. This is a superb album. Hardcore lives!
Florida Men are relatively new band to the scene but its members have more than thirty years combined in the playing gigs with their bands. This trio of Dutch punk veterans is featured here with their debut full length and this baby offers 12 songs of so called Ramonescore, meaning melodic punk rock with short but sweet energetic songs, uplifting melodies, fine vocal lines and harmonies and lyrics about going out, friendship, some humor, relationships and similar themes garnered here and there with some pop punk influences thrown in for good measure. Songs like Threw It All Away, Don´t Wanna Go, or Greatest Of All Time, being my personal favorites, but you will have to find yours if you like this style of punk rock, melodic, great and making you smile after a long day at work. Great debut. Although there is nothing new or special about this band, I love such music and would love to hear these guys play live soon.
I already wrote about Claudio Simonetti, composer of many horror soundtracks and keyboard player of legendary Italian band Goblin. Simonetti worked with many horror legends like Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Ruggero Deodato, Umberto Lenzi and Claudio´s main band Goblin has many current incarnations so this one made a compilation of greatest horror soundtrack themes and songs that made our black hearts weep tears of bloody joy while listening. This one is not long, it has nine songs and I just can not decide which one works better for me here.
For sure, Suspiria, Zombi, Tenebre, Profondo Rosso are top, but my personal favorite is Phenomena, this is top of all my favorite Italian horror soundtracks, being such contagious and song that has it all, great guitar work, epic main body of melody and just takes you to some other place and time just somehow feeling the darkness and feeling the almost unpenetrable horror and creepyiness through almost joyful melodies that Claudio´s music provides in many themes. I also am in awe how this music borders somewhere between epic joy and darkness mixing those two into one superb song structure thus creating a whirlwind of emotion and able to make goosebumps on your skin.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 