Home Conflict are back with their new, second album. This punk rock trio is hailing from Zagreb, Croatian and have been around in the scene for more than five years now. This new effort contains 10 songs. It is always hard to create new music and successor to great album, like it was the case with their debut album. But, fortunately for us, guys did it again and made an awesome album and for sure one of the best if not the best punk rock release in Croatian scene in 2021. Home Conflict play straightforward melodic punk, leaning more into nineties Croatian melodic punk style than hardcore. I don t know why, but music of Home Conflict reminds a lot of No Comment, Croatian band from Split in the nineties and also Overflow. Lyrics are in English and dual vocals of guitarist Marin and bassist Tihomir interplay nicely with more aggressive song parts but also calmer, more emotional parts. Lyrics are personal, but I think that most of us can relate to them. My personal favorites are the title song, Above The Fire and Buried Dreams. May you have many more untold stories to play for us boys!
Do you remember No Quarter from Australia? I reviewed their record couple of years back. This time, the guys released a three song e.p. and I have the honor to listen and review this one for my zine. The title song is acoustic and it is a heartfelt ode to loss, heartbreak, losing a family member and coping with grief. I experienced that too much in my life already. I love the song. My President is a re-recording of an old song, being classic skatepunk fast melodic anthem with superb harmonies, guitar work and vocals. What most surprised me is a Metallica cover Damage Inc and No Quarter practically blew me away with their merciless cover of this thrash metal classic. Nice little e.p. Check out other releases by this great Australian band.
Meadows are hailing from USA and this is their new record with Facedown Records who continue to give to the scene amazing releases. This record contains 13 songs divided in three parts telling story of love, betrayal, anguish, hope and sorrow among others. The music of Meadows can be described as what we called in the nineties new school hardcore with melodic hardcore punk influences. Although there are couple of excursions into faster hardcore punk approach, the songs are slower in general, with stop and go parts, lost of atmospheric almost post hardcore guitar riffs and vocals that are superb and fit perfectly to the vibe of the songs, being shouted, screamed and at times sung clean. My personal favorites are The Flood, The Dove, The Embrace, those three. But, I recommend you to listen to the album as a whole and only then you will get the real picture of the magnitude of this opus.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 