Tag Archives: skatepunk

(record review)OFF THE MARK-“Aging Disgracefully”(No Affiliation Records)

August 4, 2018 vladkraykulla Leave a comment

Off The Mark released their first album after the five years hiatus on mighty No Affiliation Records, so I was happy to listen to and review the record for this webzine.

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This band comes from Arizona and plays the kind of melodic punkrock with pop punk and skatepunk influences like it was played in the 90-ies when I was a kid. The album contains 10 songs of emotional, sometime humorous and autoironic but most of all awesome punkrock with heart and soul. When the first song “The Answer” started, I was instantly struck with the great vocals and melodies. I just couldn`t help myself and I know that it is not similar, not one bit but some songs like for example “When You Say” reminded me of later era Blitzkid vocally and in the song structure. I repeat, this is only my opinion and the music that Off The Mark plays has absolutely thematically no relation to Blitzkid. Most of the songs on this record are more pop punk oriented and mid tempo punkrock rythm graces most of the song structures. There are a lot of emotions behind the lyrics and somehow this record goes fine with me. When I was younger I just couldn˙t swallow such bands, but now, as I am older but certainly not wiser, somehow I evolved the taste for these type of punkrock bands. Good album! Top songs: “On My Own” and “Permanent Vacation”.

7/10

Links

Follow the band on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/offthemarkaz/

Follow the label on Fb: https://www.facebook.com/noaffiliationrecords/

Bandcamp: https://noaffiliationrecords.bandcamp.com/album/aging-disgracefully

Reviews, Various

(record review)TAIWAN BALEK-“Waiting For Growing Up”

July 31, 2018 vladkraykulla Leave a comment

France gave many excellent bands and records in the history of its scene, this band is one who will yet make history. Taiwan Balek are melodic hardcore punk band from Toulon, France and I listened and reviewed their new record for this webzine.

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The record contains 6 songs of melodic and highly energetic hardcore punk. “No Arms, No Candles” is a fast 90-ies reminding song, with great harmonic melodies. “At Morning” and “Daisy” offer excellent mix of faster melodic parts mixed with atmospheric emotional parts in between. For me, the best song on this record is No Use For A Name sounding “Digital Soul”, punkrock song that had a strong impact on me as a listener being an anthem that I wished I wrote. “Minx” and “Big Box” continue in the song structure as the first third of the record and finish it leaving you wanting for more. That means, good record! Not something new, not something unheard of, but hey, it´s melodic punk and it˙s good, so get it and give it a chance or two!

7,5/10

Follow the band on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taiwanbalek

Bandcamp: https://taiwanbalek.bandcamp.com/album/waiting-for-growing-up

Reviews, Various

(record review)THESE FAST TIMES-“On the other side of fear”(Thousand Islands Records)

July 23, 2018 vladkraykulla Leave a comment

Formed in 2015.from the ashes of some bands that the members had before, These Fast Times from Montreal, Canada hit me in my chin with their new record scheduled to come out in cooperation with Thousand Islands Records. I am very happy because I listened and reviewed this new record for this webzine.

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The album contains 12 songs of melodic punk. After a kind of intro “Falling in love”, the fast paced “It`s not just me” hits the listener with simple, but effective song structure, chorus that you can hum to and a little snotty vocals but fortunately pleasent to the ear. There are also some pop punk and emo influences like for instance in “Ashley Madison”. These Fast Times own more to bands like Nothington or The Menzingers in their song structures than to Nofx or No Use For A Name. On the whole, this album wakes some kind of sadness in me, makes me melancholic and regretting some things I have done in my life, but the music and lyrics are also uplifting and full of hope for the future, like “The grind” or “That was easy”. This music is perfect for a Saturday sunny daydreaming and thinking about the future and the past and the things we reflect upon this world as human beings. Above all, this is great melodic punk with heart, soul, balls and emotions.

8,5/10