Ska punk rock pioneers The Mighty Mighty Bosstones are back with new album with Hellcat Records. There are 15 songs on this album, ska punk rock anthems first class for all of you out there thirsty for melody, energy and something to dance and rejoice to. There are couple of similarities to popular The Interrupters, but let´s have in mind that these veterans were influence for many younger bands and their vision of punk rock with brass instruments and piano backed in some songs, also with such great harmonies and backing vocals was making fans happy for decades. My personal favorites on this record are Lonely Boy, Bruised and What It Takes. Of course, special mention must be said about The Final Parade with all those fantastic guests performing, you will have to discover yourselves which one. Great album.
Finnish legends Amorphis released their new double live album with Nuclear Blast. For reasons known to us all there was no gigs and festivals in last 18 months so this live album besides giving great music serves as a reminder how it was to go to gigs and have fun listening to bands you love. This double album offers songs from all parts of Amorphis´ back catalogue which spans for more than thirty years now, much respect and hats off to the band for being that long in the scene giving us great albums. My personal favorites Against Widows, Into Hiding, Silver Bride and of course Black Winter Day are all here besides many newer songs. Do not get me wrong I am not one of those people that only like Amorphis early releases when they played more melodic death metal and incorporating less folk influence into their songs, but I like all of the band´s albums no matter. This is a great live album. Can´t wait for the new music!
Manchester’s melodic hardcore masters Fair Do’s return with a heavy new single. Casket is the first taste of their matured, heavier sound, which incorporates more jagged elements of metal into their signature technical style. This is their first release since the success of their debut album Leopards, landed via Lockjaw Records in 2018. Casket tackles the theme of late-stage capitalism, decrying that the things we love are covered in blood. In the words of bass player and lyricist, Josh Sumner, “We all want that lovely car or that new phone, but as we consume more and want more, death and the destruction of our civilisation approaches. Our casket moves closer to us.” The band have always been heavily politically influenced; they were described in the past as ‘a latter-day Propagandhi with a Manchester accent’. Casket is the band’s attempt to explain how the advancement of technology is marred by death – for example, the cobalt and other precious metals used in modern phones are often mined by children in poor welfare conditions. While companies try to sell us a slice of the executive lifestyle, Casket is a reflection on the ultimate downfall of humanity that consumerism could bring. Since the success of Leopards in 2018, Fair Do’s played a packed-out headline tour in Japan, supported the likes of Lagwagon and Cigar, played on the biggest stage at Manchester Punk Festival, and made jaunts to Germany, Italy and Slovenia. The COVID-19 pandemic stalled their live plans for 2020, but the break from touring has granted more practice and writing time – vocalist Danny Cummings has gained a new, catchier strain to his vocal, and he and lead guitarist Dave Speechley have added even more technical chops to their six-string skills. The band’s new music reflects the frustration and hopelessness of the working-class left wing in the past five years, existing in the time of Boris Johnson, Brexit and COVID-19. Fair Do’s have been writing and recording in isolation, during the bleak winter lockdowns, creating an improved, heavier, tighter sound out of a disquieting experience.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 