California punk veterans Strung Out released their new e.p. on Fat Wreck Chords and it is a bit different than the material that we are used to listen by these legends. I listened and reviewed this one for my webzine.
The record contains eight songs, meaning six new songs and two, how should I put it remakes. Why is this record different than the previous releases by this legends? Because this record is a collection of acoustic songs. I don´t think that this is a bad thing, quite the contrary, with this release we are able to hear all the musician skills of Strung Out, the band who influenced so many with their unique blend of technical skatepunk and metal riffs. The songs on this record are in a darker mood, at least I felt like that when I listened. For me somehow the best songs on this record are “Town of Corazon” with a chorus that stayed in my head for days after listening and “Presidio”. I loved how Jason Cruz´s voice sounds better and better with the years. This is different but very fine record.
This is a debut e.p. by AFEWYEARSLATER the band which comes from Budapest, Hungary. And it is an awesome release for a debut.
This record contains 5 songs of melodic hardcore punk with a lot of skatepunk thrown in, done and played and sung with heart, soul and balls. The lyrics are in English language and more personal themed as I read them while listening to the record. The songs are short and in your face and the whole vibe of the e.p. just threw me nostalgically back to the 90-ies and all of the melodic punk bands that I listened to back then. This is a decent melodic punk release and I just can´t wait for the full length once these guys record it! Top songs: “Face it”, “Wanderlust”
7,5/10
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I waited for a long time to watch this documentary since it came out, but I finally did it and I was not disappointed.
Fat Wreck Chords is one of my all time favourite, if not the favourite record label in the world. Founded in 1991.by Nofx bassist/singer Fat Mike and his now ex wife Erin, this label continues to be an epitome what melodic punk hardcore is all about. The movie describes the begginings with early bands signed, like Lagwagon, No Use For A Name, Propagandhi, Strung Out…and continues until these days with third or fourth generation of Fat bands like The Bombpops, Bad Cop/Bad Cop for example. Through the stories narrated by the band members, Fat Mike, Erin we now know how the Fat sound started to become reality. I loved the Tony Sly part and the interesting part about Propagandhi pissing off Fat Mike when they targeted him in their lyrics because of the disappointment with Fat Mike´s involvement in Punkvoters.com, I won´t say movement, rather initiative when they tried to vote the lesser of two evils to become the next U.S.president. But, what is most important throughout all these 25 years of Fat, the music continues its legacy and every year new and new legions of punk kids discover the beauty of punk scene through Fat Wreck Chords bands that were there and that they are here now. I also owe a great much of my punk upbringings to Fat Mike and Erin and their vision and I will be forever greatfull to them for discovering through their label some of the bands and records that became my all time favourites. Get and watch this one!
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 