Canadian punkrockers Curbside are back with their new opus, first one after long 13 years. If you thought that band got mellow or soft in those years you are so wrong. This is a masterpiece in fast melodic hardcore punk coupled with 90s influenced skatepunk and emotions pouring all over. There are 14 songs on this record and they all rock! We are talking about fast drumming, great guitar work and riffs that deliver superb melodies. Vocals are very important in this kind of music, I can asure you that singing parts are awesome, when you add to it fantastic backing vocal harmonies you get something close to perfect. If I must mention some of my favorites on this record, they change all the time, but here are three of them: The Devil Wears Vans, Handshakes,Missed Takes and A Lifetime To Outgrow, but as I said, my favorites change all the time. I must also add a great cover of SNFU’s hit Painful Reminder done in fast version and being a perfect blend of fast and slower parts. Lyrics on this record are somehow personal but I can relate to them and that is very important to me while listening to the music. So, this is one of the best melodic hardcore punk records this year. 10/10
Walt Hamburger is in no way stranger to the pages of this webzine. This new record contains first new music since 2019. And also, this time it is a full band record, not him solo on acoustic guitar. Walt gathered a formidable group of musicians with him, namely Neil Hennessy (Lawrence Arms), Asher Simon (Joey Cape’s Bad Loud), Mikey Erg (Ergs, Unlovables), & Jon Snodgrass (Drag the River, Scorpios). This new opus contains 8 songs of heartfelt emotional punkrock, a mix of melodic punkrock and pop punk. Lyrics are such beauty on this record, being almost poetry. Songs are mixture of more straightforward pure punkrock songs, and also atmospheric almost pure acoustic songs like for example one of my favorites being Do Crimes. Walt has such beautiful voice and I dare say he is one of the top singers in the melodic punkrock scene nowadays. Other songs which I must name as my favorites on this record are Insolence and Stay. Listening to this record kinda wakes within me melancholy and sadness, but also glimpses of hope ahead of me. Awesome record indeed, maybe a bit short but sweet! 9/10
Darko from UK are back with their conceptual ride in new effort called Canvas. These guys have always been purveyors of fresh melodic hardcore combined with skatepunk and melodic punk influences but with all ferocity and groove of harsh riffs topped with superb harmonies and great vocal lines. New one is like that, seven songs of high energy bomb. Album starts with post punk calmness in Grey Havens but continues with bomb after bomb. There is also a combination of harsh growls and screaming vocals in Hectic which adds to variety of material on this album. My personal favorites are more melodic driven hardcore punk songs like finisher AUX III and Dared To Dream but I must also refer to title track which is one of the standouts on this album. I haven’t seen these guys play live for some time now, but I am sure that the new material from this record fits perfectly to the energy that this band always delivers from stage. Great album for lovers of more technical side of melodic skatepunk and hardcore. 9/10
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 