Category Archives: Reviews

(review) DARK RIDE – Dark Ride e.p.

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We recently talked to Emilio Menze about his new project and the called Dark Ride in an interview.

Finally, the new debut e.p. is out now. Dark Ride is a spawn of Emilio Menze, who is known in the scene for his work in Stellar Corpses, Mister Monster, Plan 9. Emilio did vocals, guitars and bass for the recording and couple of friends helped with the rest. This record contains five songs with the opener Mistress Blade being kind of intro with ominous keyboard melody being wicked and reminding me of the opening sequences of some eighties horror movie. The music is not too fast, but it is very melodic horrorpunk with kinda melancholic atmosphere, like a vampire raised from the grave to create music about horror, death, love and darkness. Heresy is a song with some metallic influences in the guitar work and superb catchy chorus and Emilio´s voice is one of the best there is right now in the scene. My personal favorites are the last three songs, first being Infernally Yours which I played over and over again. Anti-Hero is a song for which there is a fantastic video by Adam Judd and this song is my absolute hit on the playlist since it came out. I listen to it at least once a day but rather three times. This song is perfect example how modern horrorpunk should sound, lyrically and musically. There is a nice electronic background prior to the last part of the song which fits perfectly into the song structure and chorus made for singing along. My Best Friend´s Exorcism is the last song on this record and I am awed by it. It has so pumping bass line almost reminding me of some oi punk song, but it is technical with impeccable guitar work and super backing vocals and I would really love to see this whole material played live somewhere. This is one of the best horrorpunk releases this year.

https://darkride.bandcamp.com/album/dark-ride

(review) The Speakeasy-Tales From The Moonshiner Part Two:Requiem(Thousand Islands Records)

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The Speakeasy are from Montreal, Canada and this is their brand new e.p. out with Thousand Islands Records.

These five songs are in fact a sequel, follow up to the part 1 that was self released in 2018. The music of The Speakeasy is something to be reckoned with. I love the no bullshit, no holds barred old school mixture of nineties melodic hardcore punk/skatepunk with some pop punk influences thrown in the song structures. From the two fast more straightforward skatepunk songs Whisky Tigers and Sunday Blues with nice catchy hooks, melodic verses and harmonies on choruses just made to sing along with, to my favorite song on the record being Down In History, with such beautiful lyrics about loss and coping with it and carrying on when you can´t no more, topped with drama and melody, this song was on repeat for like ten times. Lord Knows is a bit different song from other material, being more rock song with metal influenced guitar riffs reminding me of Volbeat in a weird way. Requiem is another personal favorite of mine, I know, I know, I am depressed sad little fucker, but I love rough yet melodic vocals this band has, speed, melody and such fantastic lyrics this song has. This is an awesome record, I can´t wait for the full length and to see these guys once live playing on stage once this covid shit ends.

10/10

https://thousandislandsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tales-from-the-moonshiner-part-two-requiem

(review) Ten Foot Pole-Simmer Down (People Of Punk Rock)

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Gotta hand it hats off to Dennis Jagard for keeping the flame of Ten Foot Pole alive. I remember the nineties and all those Epitaph cds coming to our hometown. Of course we already knew some bands, but some were totally unknown to us, but hey, we thought, if the record came out on Epitaph it must be good and it must be the kind of music we listen to, since all those great bands came out on that label that we grew up with.

Back then, one of the best fanzines here in Croatia was Ponos provincije (rough English translation would be The Province Pride), and in one of the numbers came out the interview with Ten Foot Pole and I learned more about the band, then listened to the first two records and I immediately loved it. That love didn´t stop until today, through all the turmoils and hardships. Now, TFP released an acoustic album with 14 renditions of their old and new songs and I am usually not an avid fan of acoustic punk albums, but this one is a keeper. The whole album has such melancholic and sad atmosphere that I totally related to that, closed my eyes and listened to it in evening darkness from the start to an end. Songs  like My Addiction, Scars, Broken Like Me, Rather Not Be Done are sure to win you over and make even hardest heart of steel bleed.

https://peopleofpunkrock.bandcamp.com/album/simmer-down