Category Archives: Reviews

movie, Reviews, Various

(movie) The Sound Of Scars – Powerful Life Of Agony documentary!

Leave a comment

I love Life Of Agony since I first heard their debut album River Runs Red back in 1994 or 1995 when my friend made me a tape from a cd he bought after we watched their video for Through And Through on Headbangers Ball and being young hardcore and metal kids who adored New York Hardcore we loved it immediately. I totally relate to that album to this day, being an ode to fighting depression and losing that fight making your run to freedom through suicide when all hope is lost. Then came Ugly which was superb sophomore album and Soul Searching Sun. Life Of Agony was always to me like a kind of mix between NYHC and more doomy melodic Type O Negative sound with singer Keith Caputo(now Mina Caputo) having charisma and that distinct voice like no other singer in the genre has.

Keith left the band and they got that dude from Ugly Kid Joe as singer and it was a disaster, at least in my eyes. But, they got back together and released more superb albums to this day, being stronger and more confident than ever. Now, LOA documented all those years of blood, tears and heartbreak, but also hope in this excellent movie that I enjoyed so much. The movie centers on friendship and brotherhood of three main men, singer Mina Caputo, guitarist and Mina´s cousin Joey Z, also Alan Robert bassist. Movie goes about how they started the band and when they were kids, all the broken home hardships, violence, drug abuse and growing up in Brooklyn, NY. Band was formed, through years of success and hope, downfall, depression, suicidal thoughts, Keith becoming Mina and breaking free of his inner demons, death, love and regret. At times, some parts of the movie made my heart broken, tears wet, some made me smile and having hope and being inspired. Besides LOA members, drummer Veronica Bellino who fits perfectly to the band although younger than Mina, Joey and Alan is featured in the movie, like some contemporaries and friends too, for example Billy Graziadei(Billybio, Biohazard, Powerflo), Doyle(Misfits, Doyle) and other people from the scene. This is inspiring movie and I recommend it to all fans and those who are not but will maybe become.

10/10

Reviews, Various

(review) Fair Do´s – 1000 Miles

Leave a comment

Fair Do´s are melodic hardcore band from UK. I first saw this band deliver in 2019, Ljubljana, Slovenia, when they played with Lagwagon and Satanic Surfers. I immediately fell in love with their set because they play a mixture of melodic hardcore, metallic influenced technical melodic skate punk and more modern sounding hardcore with dual melodic and screaming vocals. This new opus contains five songs of energetic, fast hardcore with angry and emotional melodic parts, equally creating atmosphere of fight and melancholy at the same time. Perfect example how diverse and great sounding this band is when you listen to the song Love & Light which is my personal favorite on this record. Also, more straightforward technical skate punk stuff like Casket is for sure to bring your inner melodic punk to extasy hehe. This e.p. is so great that it takes you to another listening dimension while listening without leaving your dwelling place. I would love to witness these guys and their mighty set performed live any time soon.

Reviews, Various

(review) Inciter – Against The Grain

Leave a comment

Time for another band from my home country scene, Croatia. Hailing from capitol, Zagreb, Inciter have been in the scene for more than twenty years now. This is their fifth full length opus and it contains 8 songs. When listening to Inciter, one can not escape comparisons to early Metallica glory days, when legends wrote albums to which I grew up to. Inciter plays a mixture of early, energetic eighties thrash metal, like it was played in Bay Area, but also add melody through NWOBHM influences with melodic solos, some anthemic guitar riffs and hooks, but also adding speed and energy of early hardcore punk influences here and there, thus creating one very excellent listening. Vocals also remind a lot of James Hetfield, not to copy the legend, but the color of voice and way of pronouncing words are similar with Metallica too. But, there are also some modern thrash and street wise influences in guitar grooves in couple of songs, thus remaining in this century with a respectful nod towards old masters. My personal favorites are Against The Grain, Better Off Dead, Dreamcatcher although it is an instrumental song, Until We Meet Again. This is a great album, go listen and support your local scene.

8,5/10