Back Garden Light were already featured on the pages of this zine, but this time, they released their new full length album. Hailing from Bordeaux and being formed in 2014 these guys manage to mix melodic punk, pop punk and metalcore in their music and they do it fantastic. This record contains 13 songs. What can we find here? Well, let us start with melodies. For all of us fans and us who love and grew up on melodic side of things, this one is a keeper. Epic melodies, both in guitar work and vocals which are harsh when needed and also emotional and melodic at the same time in song parts that make your skin crawl with goosebumps and make you wish for more. I am usually not an avid fan of metalcore, I am more on hardcore punk and skatepunk side of things, but this one is a keeper sounding energetic and modern at the same time, yet retaining that old school pop punk feeling. The lyrics are personal, but I can totally relate to them in many songs. My personal favorites are: The Right Side, On My Own and Live And Learn. Great record!
Scott Sellers is one of the most prolific musicians in punk rock scene right now, delivering new music very often and it is fascinating how he manages to make every of his releases sound awesome. This time there are five songs on this e.p. What to expect here? If you didn´t hear Scott´s music yet, it is melodic skate punk with many influences from those nice epic old school melodic punk records that I grew up on in the nineties when I was a teenage kid. The melodic guitar work is nice, enough technical to appeal to kids who love their skate punk more technical and prog, yet remaining with both feet in the old school considering the songwriting. Vocals are superb, backing vocal harmonies too. Songs are mainly fast, yet there is one slower called From the Wild which is one of my favorites on this record having soo sweet melody and chorus. Back to Reality is also one of my favorites, being so uplifting and having lyrics I can really relate to in my personal life. So, if you are a fan of Scott´s work, you will love this one, if you wasn´t before, you will be now.
Orange County´s melodic hardcore heroes Stick To Your Guns had many plans for 2020 but for reasons known to everybody those plans went bust. But, the guys didn´t despair, but delivered new seven inch e.p. containing four songs. This time, the band presents to the people on their more gentle acoustic side, three of the songs being acoustic renditions of STYG songs, fourth one being a cover of A-HA´s classic Take On Me. What to say? The songs done in such acoustic way sound more dark and have that sad and melancholic vibe which make you realize again and again why you love hardcore so much, music which can give you all the emotions you can relate to. Amber sounds awesome in this arrangement and is one of my personal favorites on this record besides fantastic version of classic pop song. Nobody and Forgiveness Of Self sound so sad and yet so hopeful at the same time, especially Nobody with great backing vocal harmonies and the whole song just made goosebumps crawling on my skin. This is a great seven inch, go get it, listen and see the other side of this fantastic band.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 