Russian trash metal band Pokerface was founded in Moscow in 2013.and as I understand this is their third album. Who would have thought that such excellent band hides behind such name? If someone asked me about it only mentioning the name I would have never guessed that it is such an excellent band. This album contains 10 songs, each and every one with lyrics in English language. As I have read, it is a loosely concept album because all the songs are somehow linked with luck, problems loosing luck, dark side of the human psyche and similar themes. The two opening songs “The Bone Reaper” and “The Fatal Scythe” are lessons in dark, energetic and brutal trash metal. The vocalist Lady Owl has an excellent brutal voice which would put to shame many of her male counterparts in the scene. What I love about this album that it has so much brutal energy and wild metal vibe. The amount of that energy my ears didnt hear in the last couple of months hehe. “Play or Die” and “Blackjack” have a great vocal male/female interplay like two demons arguing over who will get more metal. For me the absolute highlight of the album is “Straight Flush” but all ten songs are equally great, so check this one out if you are fan of trash metal in the vein of Kreator, Sodom, Slayer, Destruction and such bands. For me it is sure one of the best albums I have heard this month.

9/10

https://www.facebook.com/pfacegroup

Bandcamp: https://pokerfacerus.bandcamp.com/alb…

iTunes : https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gam…

Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/album/6teVDk…

Deezer : http://www.deezer.com/album/15523370

Label : M & O Music – http://www.m-o-music.com

Promotion by M & O Office – http://www.m-o-office.com

As I said before, I really love to discover new bands on the mighty Italian underground scene. This time I listened to the new ep by Slenders, melodic punk rock band. The ep contains 6 songs with five lyrics in English and one in Italian language. The opener “Happy Sadness” is a great  melodic punk listening for sunny day to make your day even better, I especially loved the fast paced drumming ending to the song. “Absence” passed by me without leaving mark, it was too balladic for me. I guess it should be like that because “Nu Born”, the title song is the best song on the record, strong, energetic, but also having enough melody to be awesome. “Pen Pal” was okay and “Sodera” too. The ep closes with “The End-Line”, song that is acoustic, but I loved the vibe and atmosphere listening to it. In all, it is nothing new and nothing special, but it is a good ep nonetheless.

7/10

https://slenders.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/slenders.official/?fref=ts

I first heard this band when I was a kid in the 90-ies. A couple of my friends were running hardcore distribution here in my hometown and they were also doing an excellent fanzine called Lifeline. One of Miozan records, I think it was “Nothing Remains” was on that distro and we were listening to it a couple of times and thought, boy, this one is good. The years passed by and 20 years later here is the new record by these German hardcore veterans. It is the sixth full length album and the first released since 2000. After some lineup changes through the years the band sounds mightier than ever and believe you me, this one is a keeper! The album contains 12 hardcore anthems just the way I love it. They play hardcore with street attitude and streetpunk/oi influences the way it was played on the Eurocore scene in the 90-ies. When I am down, but never out, I listen to this record and it is one of those albums that bring you back your strength. You feel that force, that hardcore energy that is all around you and you just keep on fighting and never let the bastards grind you down. It is hard to pick some album highlights because all of the songs are excellent, but some of my so called favourites are “Dare To Dream”, “Surrender Denied”, “Straight From the Heart”….Listen to this record over and over again and be one with the force of hardcore energy.

9,5/10

http://www.miozanhardcore.com

http://www.facebook.com/miozanhc

http://www.demonsrunamok.de