Tag Archives: Santa Cruz

Reviews, Various

(review) DARK RIDE – Dark Ride e.p.

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We recently talked to Emilio Menze about his new project and the called Dark Ride in an interview.

Finally, the new debut e.p. is out now. Dark Ride is a spawn of Emilio Menze, who is known in the scene for his work in Stellar Corpses, Mister Monster, Plan 9. Emilio did vocals, guitars and bass for the recording and couple of friends helped with the rest. This record contains five songs with the opener Mistress Blade being kind of intro with ominous keyboard melody being wicked and reminding me of the opening sequences of some eighties horror movie. The music is not too fast, but it is very melodic horrorpunk with kinda melancholic atmosphere, like a vampire raised from the grave to create music about horror, death, love and darkness. Heresy is a song with some metallic influences in the guitar work and superb catchy chorus and Emilio´s voice is one of the best there is right now in the scene. My personal favorites are the last three songs, first being Infernally Yours which I played over and over again. Anti-Hero is a song for which there is a fantastic video by Adam Judd and this song is my absolute hit on the playlist since it came out. I listen to it at least once a day but rather three times. This song is perfect example how modern horrorpunk should sound, lyrically and musically. There is a nice electronic background prior to the last part of the song which fits perfectly into the song structure and chorus made for singing along. My Best Friend´s Exorcism is the last song on this record and I am awed by it. It has so pumping bass line almost reminding me of some oi punk song, but it is technical with impeccable guitar work and super backing vocals and I would really love to see this whole material played live somewhere. This is one of the best horrorpunk releases this year.

https://darkride.bandcamp.com/album/dark-ride

Reviews, Various

(review) GOOD RIDDANCE-Thoughts And Prayers(Fat Wreck Chords)

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The new full length studio album by Good Riddance is out with Fat Wreck Chords and I listened to the record and reviewed if for our zine.

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After returning from eight year hiatus with Peace In Our Time in 2015., this new record is ninth studio full length for the band. When the first note plays and the drums start to thunder what immediately comes to mind, meaning ear is another fine job with the sound done by legendary Bill Stevenson. Every record he does sound better and more better, I don´t know how he manages to do it, but the sound is crystal clear, yet it doesn´t lose any of the ferocity of hardcore punk.

What I also love about the new record is the continuation of melody in the song structures, it seems to me like the band decided to go into more melodic hardcore waters while writing songs and it nostalgically brings me back to the legendary first three albums being a milestone in my growing up in the scene. But, don´t be afraid, there are still hardcore short rapid fire outbursts on the new record like fantastic Rapture. The title of the album is significant, because of the political situation in their country, and also the world, this band has a lot to say in their songs. The musicianship is tighter than ever, Russ Rankin delivers fantastic vocal performance and lyrics both in fast anthemic songs like one of my favorites being No King But Caesar which I listened for at least five times in a row, also slower songs like Wish You Well. It is hard to highlight songs from this record, because all of the songs are just fantastic and make you wanna listen to the album again and again. The whole material delivers an aural impact on the listener and maybe some would say this band repeats itself on the albums, but that is just not true. This is a tour de force in melodic hardcore with a strong political stance done by one of the best bands in the genre. Surely the favorite for melodic hardcore punk record of the year 2019.

10/10

Reviews, Various

(record review)3upFront-Puppets & Psychiatrists(317Records)

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I listened and reviewed the new 3upFront record for our zine. These guys have been around playing since 1998.

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Couple of years later, hehe here is the new full length record. Hailing from Santa Cruz, California, these guys are playing melodic skatepunk and this 19 songs are not unlike Good Riddance, especially in one of my favorite songs on this record, This Time, song with great drive and nice melodic anthemic chorus, vocals also remind me of Russ Rankin in this song. Besides punk there are reggae influences in That Song, but I don˙t know, this song and half of other songs on this record did not work well with my ear. I love straightforward punk songs like Fantasia or Whoa Bundy, as you can see there is a lot of humour and auto irony in the lyrics to the songs, many varied parts in the music that show these guys definitely can play, but in my opinion something is just missing in this record to be great one. 7/10

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/3upFrontmusic/

Bandcamp: https://3upfront.bandcamp.com/album/puppets-psychiatrists