Dutch Nuggets are coming from Montreal, Canada and this is their long awaited second album. What do we get here? Well, we get 12 songs of excellent melodic hardcore punk. The music is cleverly written, enough technical to appease fans of more technical side of skatepunk, but also retaining that old school nineties vibe and atmosphere in the song structures. We have been waiting for over a decade for this one and it was worth it. Songs are fast and driving, vocals are excellent also backing vocal harmonies deliver mighty combination, which is very important in this kind of music. The whole album reminds me a lot of Croatian band called Kriva Istina. Lyrics are personal, yet engaged politically, but I think everyone can relate to somehow. It is hard to highlight some songs as favorites, but to me they are Ignorance Is Bliss, Catharsis and Dead-Tired. Great album and great band, I totally recommend this one!
Bridge The Gap are coming from Utah, USA, and this is their new record.
This one is their second full length opus and it contains 14 songs of nice melodic punk with skate punk and hardcore elements. I love that their songwriting is closer to old school nineties melodic punk, than this newer school of skatepunk/melodic punk. The music is fast and catchy punk rock with anthemic guitar riffs and hooks with some tempo changes and beautiful vocals and backing vocal harmonies which are of very great importance in this kind of melodic punk. If I must compare it to some bands it would be a mixture of Pennywise and No Use For A Name, at least that’s how I heard it. Lyrics are personal and deal with fatherhood, dealing with your inner demons, heartbreak, loss, but also there is hope between the lines and better future and tomorrow for the listener to immerse in. My personal favorites are Brothers, Broken Language, No Profit In Peace and Walking Wounded. This is melodic hardcore/skatepunkrock par excellence so check this one out!
Melonball are melodic hardcore punk band from Germany and this is their debut full length album. This album contains ten songs of excellent energetic melodic punk with some fast hardcore punk influences. Songs are full of great main melodies, anthemic sing along choruses and they remind me in some ways of Not On Tour especially faster songs like ‘Sinking’, main singer has a great voice, similar to Sima Brami of above mentioned band. Backing vocal harmonies are great too, just so sweet and Melonball makes you pump your fist in the air with energy, but also besides hardcore energy feeling sweetness and joy because of listening to such great band and glad you found another jewel of the underground. Almost all of the songs on this record are fast, some having more mid tempo punk rock vibe here and there, but returning to fast skate punk after some time. Lyrics are personal but you can also find criticism of modern society and trying to survive this fast and furious modern world, friendship, love, coping with rage among main lyrical themes of this album. My personal favorites are ‘Rage’, ‘We All Go Down’, ‘Lost’ and ‘Your Love’, damn that’s nearly half of this superb album. If you like fast melodic punk hardcore check out Melonball.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 