Tag Archives: street core

(review) REACH A.D. – Oath Of Defiance

Slovenian hardcore heavyweights Reach A.D. are in no way strangers to this zine. They were formerly known as Reach and they delivered couple of fine hardcore releases and energetic gigs, especially here hailing from Pomurje region of Slovenia. Well, after couple of line-up changes they decided that a new era is upon us and changed name to Reach A.D. and continued soldiering on with this new e.p. This one features four songs and music of Reach A.D. leans more into metallic side of hardcore at the same time never forgetting their streetcore roots. If I must compare it to some bands, it would be Earth Crisis nineties era and also all those Belgian H8000 nineties hardcore bands. That means aggressive but not necessary fast songs, angry vocals, great gang backing vocals, guitar work which is awesome and nicely done lyrics about fighting your inner demons, hypocrisy in the scene, quasi toughness and fakes, ignorance and hatred and all other merry themes. I personally think that this e.p. is by far the best release Reach has ever done and if this is a indicator how new era of this band will sound like, I am damn looking forward to it!

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(review) Toxic Youth – Back To You-Th (WTFRecords & Distro)

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Toxic Youth from Milano, Italy have been around since 1990 and after a pause they deliver their new album, returning with might together with WTFRecords & Distro. This label always amazes me how they hit me right between the eyes with their awesome releases delivering punches of Euro hardcore masterpieces to us, old and new kids.

This time, Toxic Youth hits us with 12 songs of perfect hardcore, having some NYHC influenced guitar work and moshing parts, almost metalized and sounding what we called new school in the mid nineties, like Milano Rendez Vous, very heavy song, but they also firmly hold more roots in street punk and hardcore, reminding me a bit of Croatian legends Deafness By Noise. There are lots of gang singing backing vocals, fist pumping in the air old school hardcore fast drumming no holds barred hardcore punk parts, evolving into moshing slower and groove song structures, making songs energetic and powerful. The vocals are angry, hardcore shouting, yet enough melodic to understand what is being sung about. My favorites on this record are Walkin´ Free, The Beast, Do It Again.

Check out this fine record and support your hardcore scene and the cause worldwide!