Beyond The Lamplight is a project by lead singers of Larry and His Flask, Ian Cook and Andrew Carew and this album contains eleven songs. I can easily say that this is one of the best feel good records that came out this year, both lyrically and musically, Beyond The Lamplight’s music borders somewhere between melodic punk and folk punk reminding me a lot of Frank Turner, who is a guest performer contributing vocals on ‘ Shelter’. I am usually not so much an avid fan of such punk rock, because I don’t like much folk punk, but this one is a keeper. Perfect combination of guitar, bass, drums and vocals together with banjo, trombone and keys, acoustic guitar and multiple nice melodic vocal harmonies give fast, up tempo and uplifting songs. Lyrics are story for themselves. Smartly written, they give hope, they help you battle your inner and outer shortcomings, imagined and real and make you soar above, if not for the rest of the day, make it just for the duration of this album and it is already much. Songs like ‘Beyond the Lamplight’, above mentioned ‘Shelter’, ‘Leave It To Us’ or the title song are sure to bring smile of joy on your face and remind you why you love punk and hardcore so much and how much it means and has to say with each passing day. Great record!
I must admit that I have never listened to Poison Ruïn until this new record that is out with Relapse. These guys are hailing from Philadelphia and this release contains eleven songs. Music on this record can be described as punk rock, I mean really raw punk with rudimentary melodies in the song structures, distorted raw guitars, shouted vocals but also melody here and there. I can also hear some unique dungeon synth influences in this one, along with medieval influences, especially in lyrical approach. This is punk with fantasy lyrics, but fantasy lyrics which can be transcribed to today’s modern hardships and modern slavery of men. Songs have dungeon synth intros and almost post punk darkened feel in them, making this record really apocalyptic and fun to listen to. By depicting themes in songs like ‘Tome of Illusion’, ‘Torture Chamber’, or ‘Bastards Dance’ this one offers music and lyrics where boundaries of reality and fantasy interplay into one whole, sometimes being hard do divide one from another. This is not your happy merry go round record for listening on a sunny hot day to bring back smile on your face. No, quite the contrary, there is kind of rebellious but also hopeless vibe to the music and lyrics of Poison Ruïn, making this band quite unique and very special punk band that will appeal to battle hardened gutter punks, but also to more fantasy oriented people. So, open your mind and go listen to this one, because it is different, raw, melodic and epic sounding at the same time.
Downstater are hailing from Quebec City, Canada and this is their debut full length that came out with People of Punk Rock Records. This one contains ten songs. What do we get here? We get dose of melodic punk/skate punk with nineties influences, like it was played back in the days reminding me of all those bands that I grew up with. This album is emotional, dramatic, intense and melancholic, but also grandiose in richness of melody, backing vocal harmonies and superb songwriting. From the excellent opener ‘Thanks For Nothing’ which grinds everything in its path with contagious melody and superb chorus, this record is a rollercoaster of emotion, goosebumps and above all great excellent punk rock like we are used to from bands in Canadian scene. Musicianship is tight and if I must compare this band to some other bands it would be a mixture of No Use For A Name and Strung Out, being technical yet in your face punk rock at the same time, even with I dare say pop punk sensibility. Vocals are not too mellow or snotty at all, they are strong but fit in like butter on fine bread. It is very hard for me to choose favorites between these ten songs, because they are all excellent, but I will try. They are: ‘Call Me When You’re Dead’, ‘Let You Down’ and ‘Cruelest Defeats’ along with above mentioned song. I love this band and album!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 