This book is in fact a fine collection of eighties photos of more and less known hardcore punk bands in action, capturing all the intensity and energy that only hardcore punk show can provide. All of the fantastic photos are done by great Anne Ullrich and foreword and comments to the bands are done by Lee Hollis known as a singer for legendary hardcore punk band Spermbirds. I enjoyed seeing those photos, but I also enjoyed reading Lee’s comments because they are sometimes so full of black humor and sarcasm, sometimes you can see in him that little hardcore kid with shining eyes that we all still are. Great monography, great book and I really enjoy to have it in my collection. Hardcore lives!
Minus Youth are hailing from Stuttgart, Germany and this is their new e.p. This one contains four songs of metallic hardcore, not unlike All Out War, Earth Crisis, but with some street punk roots touches like Madball. I really enjoyed this one so much. Lately, I really enjoy these newer releases of hardcore scene and bands coming out, so many and I am glad after being thirty years in the scene that this is still thriving and pumping scene alive and well and will never die. Music of Minus Youth is aggressive, up tempo and also thrash metal influenced in guitar parts but still hardcore to the bone. My personal favorite on this little e.p. is Sun, title song containing breaks and speed, just what any great hardcore anthem should have. Vocals are harsh, backing gang vocals too, but in all there are no death metal singing masked in hardcore, this is a great hardcore shouter on mic here. Also, song I must highlight is Tens to Thirties. Great e.p. and great hardcore band.
Sarneghera? are another band coming from mighty Italian underground scene. This is their new e.p. containing 4 songs. The music of this band is hard to describe. It is basically hardcore in its roots, but it also has many prog elements carefully mixed with melody and post core here and there, with also some metal/crossover outbreaks as a surprise. The lyrics are interesting and original because they are a mix of English, Italian, Spanish, French, Latin and ancient Greek and reborn in a new language called Smoothiesh. There are some fast hardcore punk parts quickly evolving into cold melody of space and than back again into anger and despair. Vocals are at times screaming angry, but most of the times they are sung melodic, but not in a snotty annoying way, but good. This is maybe a bit pretencious, but great and original hardcore opus.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 