Portland, Oregon`s Northlander released a new record with Facedown Recordsand it is a real treat having it to listen and review it for our zine. This record contains 14 songs of atmospheric hardcore mixed with post punk and even noise post metal elements in some song parts. The music is melodic, yet enough aggressive to be hardcore and enough emotional to be post punk spacy emo music. The vocals vary from screamed parts to cleanly sung melodic lines and fit perfectly to the music. There are no fillers or boring parts on this record whatsoever. The music is heavy yet melodic, dreamy yet nightmarish and catchy but also complicated, hard to explain. One of the better records that I have listened to for last couple of months.
As Autumn slowly dies, closes and makes way for winter, Zegema Beach Recordsdoes their best to provide their best releases of the year so far. One of such is the record by Italian band called STORM{O}
This record contains 12 songs of classic chaotic school of Italian hardcore mixed with screamo, mathcore and synth here and there to add to the vibe and heaviness of the record. The lyrics are in Italian. The drums are merciless, the bass is trembling like machine gun and at first it all sounds very confusing. Afterwards, you realize that there is order and perfect timing in all that chaos and the things begin to sit in their place. This album is a perfect soundtrack for tortured soul and blackened heart. The faster more straightforward hardcore punk songs are mixed with almost blastbeats but there is subtle melody beneath blastbeats like in fantastic Tempi Morti. This is another superb album from the rich Italian underground scene.
Wish Upon A Star are punkrock band from Athens, Greece. This is their new record. There are six songs on this little record, enough to make you want more. Punk is a music of rebellion and Greece has survived a lot in the last couple of years to make your blood boil with anger, so Wish Upon A Star play a combination of melodic, yet angry punk. Bow To None is a hymn of never surrendering the fight, despite how the odds are heavy sometimes. Intruders is a fast hardcore punk song and one of my favorites on this record, really fantastic riff melody and angry yet melodic dual vocal lines are superb. The title song somehow reminded me of Ignite, newer albums, not vocally, but musically somehow, maybe it is only me. This song has beautiful chorus and backing vocal harmonies, also one of my favorites on the record. Voices is a bit nervous, almost noise sounding song, a bit different from the rest of the material, maybe a bit more raw and with primal rock and roll energy. Head On A Platter is a punk bomb of a song with so nice main melody line and harmonies that made my skin crawl with goosebumps. Wasteland finishes off the record with style. I really can`t wait for the full length album!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 