Short Fuse from Rome, Italy are in no way strangers to the pages of this zine, because I reviewed their last release, also featured their single when they signed with New Age Records.
Well, here is the new album. What do we have here? 7 songs of harsh and metallic influenced hardcore, but with also street punk influences and melodies in the guitar work, so it all sounds brutal and at the same time energetic and epic. This is what we called in the nineties new school hardcore haha with all those metallic moshing parts and harsh screaming vocals which fit perfectly to the songs. Lyrics are personal but somehow while I listened to the music and followed the lyrics I find them uplifting and inspirational to continue fighting with all my guns blazing, so to say. My personal favorites on this one are In Me, Still Counting, I’m Coming Back. Good one if you love your hardcore done this way.
When I listened to the singles that announced this album, I sensed that it could be something great. I was wrong, it is fantastic! Santa Cruz, California’s legendary skate punks released their fourth full length album and it contains 13 songs of which one is an instrumental intro and I just can’t decide which one is better. This is a lesson in melodic hardcore punk. Fast and simple, with superb vocal and backing vocal harmonies, great emotional lyrics and songs you wished you have written them yourself. Some guitar parts sound almost like they are tuned to Swedish Gothenburg death metal style, yes I am weird but I heard that, most in an instrumental called Putrefaction of Trust. There are also some more gentle atmospheric parts like awesome Judgment Day, one of my personal favorites. Although it is hard to say which ones, I will say that Violent Faith, The Sacrifice and Ghost are my favorites. This is one of the top five melodic punk releases this year.
Edward in Venice are from Pesaro, Italy and this is their fifth album with a brand new line-up. This one offers ten songs. I remember seeing these guys play Punk Rock Holiday, I think it was back in 2016. The music on this album can be described as a mixture of melodic hardcore and post punk, especially in some guitar work, especially in song called Silver Drops. The lyrics are great, emotional and personal, yet something that you can relate to a lot. Vocals are not mellow, they are rough where needs to be rough yet at the same time retaining what it needs in melody. The continuing line that goes like silver line through this album is melancholy and kind of sadness, yet also hope and lust for making yourself better and pick yourself up when you are down. Other personal favorites that I must mention are Melancholy, Three Years and Gold Skin.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 