Bankrupt from Hungary are in no way strangers to the pages of this webzine and this is their brand new record, sixth full length record in band’s 25 years of being in the scene. There are eight songs on this beauty and Bankrupt continues to wage war with the corrupt and illiberal political system in their home country Hungary. This means lyrics are pretty political but written in smart way and although being direct you can also read between the lines and interpret the lyrics your way. Many of that which Bankrupt sings about can be said about home country Croatia too, so I can totally relate to the songs and lyrics. Music of Bankrupt is melodic punk/skate punk but the one leaning more in the nineties old school melodic punk rock but having also some surf, reggae and post punk influences in their song structures. I personally think that this album is one of their best, if not their best work yet. I just can’t decide my personal favorites from this one, but that would be ‘Viktorland’, ‘Hungarian Satan’ and ‘Illiberal Holiday’. The one song I must also mention is ‘The Plane To Toronto’ because I know how much it means to the band. Vocals are nice, not shouted but sung and backing vocals harmonies and guitar melody lines are soo sweet that some of the songs just make your heart melt. Great album from our neighbors.
Skate-Punk legends Pulley have release a well received new album called ‘The Golden Life’ on SBÄM Records in 2022. After releasing videos for their singles ‘Lonely’ and ‘Golden Life’, Pulley now come along with a banger music video for the album opener, ‘Repeat Offender’.
A video that not only shows the band performing in front of a trailer that reminds us a lot of the cover artwork of ‘The Golden Life’ – it also transports the story the song tells us about constantly antagonizing.
Time for a band from the East to grace the pages of this webzine, namely Lirivial from Belarus. I am usually not an avid fan of instrumental records, but this one is actually good listening choice. There are 13 instrumental songs on this record and this one is not boring to listen to. If I must compare it to something it would be fast melodic hardcore punk with some classical , yes you read it right, musical influences. There are also keyboard, some post punk, folk and electronica influences in couple of the songs. All that makes this album fresh and interesting listening stuff. I must admit that on this album vocals are not missing in the big picture at all. On most of the songs guitar’s melodic lines take role of leading vocals so guitar speaks to us in its voice in a way, like in great songs called ‘Dollar And Tequila’, also ‘Live To The Textbook’ and ‘Soldier And Bridge’ you should check out and find your favorites. I can also hear some heavy metal influences, power and melodic metal, but the music is still simple and great punk rock, rich in sound and songwriting. I don’t really know, but I think this is a one man entity/project as I can find on the Internet. This album flows by you making you somehow feel good, although main theme of the album is somehow melancholic and atmospheric, kinda almost sad, but adding enough hope to keep the flame burning. Good one if you are looking for something different.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 