Darko from UK are back with their conceptual ride in new effort called Canvas. These guys have always been purveyors of fresh melodic hardcore combined with skatepunk and melodic punk influences but with all ferocity and groove of harsh riffs topped with superb harmonies and great vocal lines. New one is like that, seven songs of high energy bomb. Album starts with post punk calmness in Grey Havens but continues with bomb after bomb. There is also a combination of harsh growls and screaming vocals in Hectic which adds to variety of material on this album. My personal favorites are more melodic driven hardcore punk songs like finisher AUX III and Dared To Dream but I must also refer to title track which is one of the standouts on this album. I haven’t seen these guys play live for some time now, but I am sure that the new material from this record fits perfectly to the energy that this band always delivers from stage. Great album for lovers of more technical side of melodic skatepunk and hardcore. 9/10
Colorsfade from Canada are no strangers to the pages of this webzine, because we reviewed their previous record here, also featured their videos and singles prior to this new album out with People of Punk Rock Records. This new one contains ten songs of beautiful and fast melodic hardcore punk, skate punk, leaning more on modern side of this genre, with lots of technically well executed song parts, changes in tempo but, basically, yes, it is that old school nineties melodic punk hidden here in between and warms your heart. Music is fast and reminds me with all this speed of Spanish Adrenalized or UK’s The Human Project in some songs. Although Colorsfade have less metallic influences than mentioned band. Vocals are great, not whiny or snotty, just right with all harmonies and sometimes screamed backing vocals like in awesome ‘Roll Of The Dice’ and having listened to that great melancholic guitar solo melody of ‘Your Remedy’ almost brought tears of joy to my eyes and warmed up my old punk heart. Lyrics are personal, but also relate to state of the world and political situation this planet is right now like in ‘Rise To The Challenge’, another favorite of mine, so that is another plus. This is great fast punk rock and I recommend this one.
Having grown up in the nineties, I never dug this newer technical skate punk and melodic hardcore with so many metallic influences, progressive and technical song parts, but UK veterans DARKO were one of the first bands that made me listen to more of the genre and started to love it. Well, this one has been out for couple of months but, no matter UK melodic technical hardcore veterans deliver four songs on this one. What to say? I have a feeling, after this record finished, like I listened to one epic song and by that I don’t mean it like it is a bad thing. From long epic The Ladder, to gentle atmospheric opening of Quite this is a lesson in technical, fast yet mathematically tightly played hardcore punk. New vocalist only added more energy to the band and brought fresh force to this well oiled machine. I recommend you to go check out one of the Darko’s shows if you are near, they will melt your face off with well played epic melodic hardcore/technical skate punk.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 