Category Archives: Reviews

(review) Turnstile – GLOW ON

Being old school grumpy hardcore asshole that I am, I ignored Turnstile until now, although I saw praises for their music all over the globe in most known and total underground fanzines and websites, my friends are also crazy for their music, so I decided to check out this album to see what was the hype for.

God damn it, I am glad that I did check this one out. This is their latest album and opening riffs and rolling drums of Mystery reminded me a bit of Life Of Agony but then turned into something completely different. Turnstile play hardcore, but the beauty of this band is that they are so unpredictable and all the beauty lies totally in that fact. Some of the songs start as straightforward melodic hardcore punk, then turned into some smartly used electronic backed Refused-kinda songs then turning into calmer more atmospheric parts, spacy and dreamy only to return to hardcore sheer aggression and madness again. This is one of the most original hardcore bands I have listened to ever. These guys bring refreshment and new winds to the scene, although I love old school the most, this one is fun, energizing and refreshing listen. Check this one out.

(review) The Whiskey Bats – The Whiskey Bats

Halloween is almost upon us and what better way to wait for it than with new The Whiskey Bats release. A while ago I did a review for their split record and here is the new one. What do we get here on this new opus? Well, we get five songs of wild and untamed energetic punk rock with a touch of horror punk thrown here and there for good measure. NC-17 is a great song with wicked guitar melody, almost evil hehe, great sing along part and being fast punk anthem in itself. Moonlight Girl is a bit different, having almost nervous guitar sound, being a bit more garage punk influenced, at least I heard it like that. Vocals are so great, screamed and shouted but fitting perfectly to wicked vibe of the record as a whole. Gallows and Vanta Black are for me the best songs on this record, but Missing Midian completes the release in rock n roll mayhem way with horror vibe all over. Great one by great band.

(review) Cradle Of Filth – Existence Is Futile

I have been Cradle Of Filth fan since Dusk And Her Embrace came out over 25 years ago and have been following Dani Filth and the gang through all great excellent albums and less great albums and this one is a treat. This new opus returns band to more known old school COF paths with faster more aggressive sound bordering somewhere between thrash and heavy metal and gothic black metal. Yet, the band retained all those sorrowful and grandiose melodies that made me love their music in the first place and Dani sounds better than ever, live and in the studio. New keyboard and orchestral/backing vocals player brought new and fresh blood to the song structures somehow returning the blood and iron times of this glorious Suffolk based band. Songs like Necromantic Fantasies, Black Smoke Curling from the Lips of War or How Many Tears to Nurture a Rose are my personal favorites, you will have to discover yours. Check this great album out!