Tag Archives: melodic punk

Reviews, Various

(record review)SHIFT-D-“This Message Will Self-Destruct(Thousand Islands Records)

Leave a comment

Gotta love Canadian punkrock scene. So many awesome bands, so many awesome labels, and of course awesome people who make the scene possible there! Shift-D from Ontario were formed in the mid nineties but went on hiatus until 2013.when they reformed again. This is their new record out now on Thousand Islands Records and I listened to it and reviewed it for this webzine!

This Message Will Self-Destruct - Cover

The record contains intro plus seven songs of melodic hardcore punk. This band is very technical and knows how to handle their instruments but still they left that punkrock somehow careless and free vibe in their songs  and I love that vibe on the record. After the intro the opener “Recovery” makes you recover from the bad day and you listen to that fast and melodic punkrock song and forget about all the shitty problems. “Reasons” is a mid tempo melodic punkrock song with a lot of emotion behind it and it is one of my favorites on this record. “Crowns and Anchors” is another heartfelt song with a memorable and catchy main guitar melody  and I don´t know why that melody somehow reminded me of a mixture of country song and Hawaii hehe. The vocals on the record are awesome, neither snotty nor too melodic, just right, and the backing vocal harmonies are killer, too! “Straight to Hell” is a fast, more aggressive and technical punk song with political lyrics told in personal way, as far as I understood it. “Sorry” is a punkrock song that made me somehow sad because of the lyrics and the vibe. “Vicious Memory” is another song that had a strong impact on me, being intense melodic anthem. The closing “One Man Show” surprised me with reggae beat and I loved how the overall vibe of this record is kinda sad and made me somehow nostalgic and sad, but also full of hope. Awesome record!

8/10

Links:

Follow SHIFT-D on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shift.D96/

Follow Thousand Islands Records on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thousandislandsrecords/

Get the album on Bandcamp: https://thousandislandsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/this-message-will-self-destruct

 

Reviews, Various

(record review)ELWAY-“For the sake of the bit”(Red Scare Industries)

Leave a comment

Elway is an American punkrock band from Colorado. “For the sake of the bit” is their latest album and I listened to it and reviewed it for this webzine.

cover

As the readers of this webzine are already aware I love and always appreciate the emotion and melody behind punkrock music and Elway provides all of that with this album. The album contains 8 melodic punkrock songs, this is not fast hardcore stuff, this is more of a Nothington/Menzingers stuff meaning melodic punk with personal lyrics and emotional choruses made for singing along. Personally, the best songs for me on the album are “Hold on”, “Selfish masochistic psychic trauma” and “Paper guitars”. This is an excellent album for listening to chill out but also to throw out of your system something that hurts you and doesn´t leave you be. So, I am recommending you, if you love punkrock done in melodic but at the same time personal way, get this one.

8,5/10

Follow Elway on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElwayTheBand/

Bandcamp: https://elwaytheband.bandcamp.com/album/for-the-sake-of-the-bit

 

 

Reviews, Various

(record review)RUNDOWN KREEPS-“Illside Village”(FirstOff Records)

Leave a comment

FirstOff Records is a relatively young label, but they keep releasing awesome albums by fantastic bands! This one is one of such records. Rundown Kreeps just released their new album and I listened to it and reviewed it for this webzine.

RundownKreeps

Rundown Kreeps are a three piece ska melodic punkrock band from California, Los Angeles area. They were formed in 2009. playing the fine mix of melody, ska dancing rythms and punkrock with heart, soul and balls. This album contains 12 songs and I am now listening to it for the fifth time and am amazed by the energy, feel good anthemic choruses and sing along parts. The vocals, as you readers know are very important to me in such music and this band delivers excellent vocals and backing vocal harmonies. I loved the doo wop influenced ska song “Not a Clue” with a great speedy part at the end of the song, making it one of my personal favorites on this record. The lyrics are personal but with a good dose of irony and humour and I always love when the emotion is incorporated into punkrock songs. The other personal favorites on this record are “Worst Day Since Yesterday” and “Pulling Pins”, but all of the songs are just excellent. This is one of the best punkrock bands that came out this year!

9,5/10

Links:

Follow Rundown Kreeps on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rundownkreepsLA/

Get the album on Bandcamp: https://firstoffrecords.bandcamp.com/album/illside-village

Follow FirstOff Records on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firstoffrecords