Code Orange from Pittsburgh are back with their new, fourth full length album. Originally hardcore punk band, over the years they retained their hardcore roots and basics, complementing them with the modern groove metalcore, electronics, sludge elements making interesting song structures and arrangements sounding aggressive and progressive at the same time. The new batch of songs offer everything, from faster straightforward hardcore punk, to slower sludgy rolling thunder and atmospheric keyboard and sample backed parts. The vocals are strong, from typical hardcore/metalcore shouting, to clean singing, evil menacing whispering to spoken parts. I am usually not an avid fan of modern hardcore, but I sometimes like some bands who are not afraid to venture into deep waters of extreme music and take the best from all planets and incorporate it into one amalgamation which works out perfectly. This record is one of those records.
Recommended songs: Who I Am, The Easy Way, Last Ones Left.
Anti-Flag are back with new batch of politically charged anthems fighting with everyone and everything again in their lyrics. I saw them play live and I can safely say these guys deliver one of the most energetic, most intense cathartic live shows I have ever seen on a punk gig. But, somehow through all these last years their albums started to sound all the same to me, too similar, good package, but only one or two really outstanding songs, the rest being average rehash of their earlier hits. These new songs are continuation of where the band went with last couple of records, melodic sing along songs with dual vocals, courtesy of Justin and Chris, raging against injustice and political oppression, racism and all the themes that are unfortunately so actual today. But, there is that feeling again in me, that the album is great, superb punkrock, but doesn`t stay in mind for too long. This is great punkrock, but apart from songs like title track, Christian Nationalist or Unbreakable, there is nothing else to remember this record by. That doesn` t mean that it is bad, quite the contrary, Anti-Flag delivered again a great record in their ongoing fight.
Scared Shitless are horrorpunk band from Pittsburgh and I listened and reviewed their new record for our zine.
I must admit that I have never heard of this band with cool name prior to this record but I am now glad I did. This record contains five songs of metalic horrorpunk with riffs not unlike the newer phase of Misfits. But, not to say that this is one of them ´Fits clones, quite the contrary this band is original, melodic, great sounding and fresh like the stench of the few days dead cadaver. The songs like Picnic At The Gallows, Fallout Girl and Borden House are sure to become instant classics. The vocals are melodic yet rough sounding and have edge, almost partly growled in the middle of the title track and fit perfectly to the interesting song structures. Musicianship is tight, songs are fun, so there is the new band for your ears pleasure. Go grab this one, you won´t be sorry, the new wave of horrorpunk is so fresh and interesting!
8/10
https://scaredshitless.bandcamp.com/album/a-night-to-dismember
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