Grand Collapse are by far one of the most interesting bands to come out of the UK hardcore scene nowadays. This is their third album and it will melt your face off. These guys play a mixture of old school UK school of hardcore with Ripcord coming to mind delivering thrash hardcore punk attacks with blistering all out war speed and anger, but also besides speed and d beat there are raw guitars, angry screaming vocals and gang backing sing along parts with some street core and moshing parts brought into the song structures for good measure. Lyrics are political and personal, dealing with clergy, animal rights, police state and similar merry themes that are actual today in our world. This is the kind of bands that are so relevant in the scene today, because punk hardcore became somehow safe and not a threat anymore and not a scream of anger and rebellion, but only party. Fortunately for us, bands like Grand Collapse are still carrying the torch.
Misgivings are in no way strangers to the pages of this zine, I reviewed their debut record couple of years ago. Now it is time for their sophomore release with Lockjaw Records. Misgivings are celebrating their tenth birthday and what better way to celebrate it than with releasing new album and also documentary about studio time, featuring interviews with the band. This new one contains ten songs and I can safely say that band evolved further in songwriting making this one even stronger than debut album. What do we get here? Melodic, heartfelt and emotional punk rock with superb vocal melodies, guitar work, backing vocal harmonies and smart and beautiful lyrics which address mental health, endurance in today´s world, dependency and similar topics that I as a listener can totally relate to. My personal favorites on this record are Loyal Souls, Sober Forever and Token Gesture, but you must find yours. I love how this record plays with listener´s emotions, bringing joy and melancholy at the same time. Great second effort.
Old Forest are hailing from UK and have been formed in 1998 and this is their new sixth full length opus and it will be out with help of Death To Music Productions. There are eight songs on this one. Music of Old Forest plays is black metal but so much more. In its basis it is no holds barred black metal but has so much melody and atmosphere, only reminding me why I love this music genre so much. Expressing feelings and emotions, battling inner demons and aggression has always been vibe of black metal music. There are also pagan and folk black metal influences in the songwriting of Old Forest. Tyrant Spell begins with atmospheric buildup only to become folk black metal anthem combining superb clean singing and black metal screams with melodic guitar melancholy, mid tempo and doomy passages. The Anvils is nineties old school black metal song reminding me of old Emperor a lot, being complex yet catchy with that haunting guitar melody through the song. Despair Is My Name slows things down again to beautiful mid tempo soundscape backed with nice keyboard work to accompany guitars and vocals screamed and transforming easily to clean and back again. Red Sky In Mourning serves as a kind of intermezzo between two black metal storms. My Haunting Vision is one of my personal favorites, dream like song catching the vibe of nightmare and unease with doom parts, epic melody and clean singing. Solitude Apocalypse is for me the best song on this opus, listen and see if you agree. Shadows Immemorial and A Bitter End finish this album which is for sure one of the best black metal releases this year until now.
KRAYKULLA-WEBZINE 