!upstarter Punk Reviews

(c) 2009 Pee Records
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Up until recently, and by that I mean when this disc hit my door, I hadn’t ever heard of Strenght Approach. This is, of course, too bad for me. It is also too bad for fans (who also haven’t heard them) of anthemic hardcore punk in the vein of H2O and Sick Of It All (albeit more of the former than the later) Despite my shallow knowledge pool of all things international hardcore, Italy’s own Strength Approach has a new disc out on Pee Records. (at least for Aussie distribution) “All The Plans We Made Are Going To Fail” packs 15 original musical numbers, 1 obnoxious noise track and 2 covers (Black Flag and the aforementioned Sick Of It All) 18 tracks in just under 35 minutes. I like the sound of that. By that I mean that I like the sound of this disk. Now that I’m thinking about it, the vox remind my ever-so-slightly of John Connely of Nuclear Assault. You? … Here’s the important bits though: Good disk, action packed. There is some interesting guitar work and the music is tight and a piece of listening advice, this disc sounds good loud. Tell your neighbors that I said it was ok to crank the stereo.

-Jerry Actually

(c) 2009 I Scream Records
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A. There isn’t enough good Hardcore anymore. B. East Coast Hardcore is the straight up goods. C. Skarhead freakin’ kills it. Skarhead returns with Drugs, Music & Sex, out now on I Sream Records. What’s in it for you? 13 tracks of crushing Hardcore and some insight on the well founded urban confluence of Hardcore Punk and Hardcore Rap. Perhaps I should explain that. In most situations you get Hardcore bands bridging the genre from Hardcore to Rap by being more “rap-like”. In the case of Skarhead the idea happens in reverse. Traditional hip-hop/rap devices (like scratching) are transmuted into hardcore. The effect works. Genre comparisons aside, Drugs, Music & Sex is a pretty damn decent disc. 13 tracks that shred your guts out, vocals that sound like Overkill on track 4, “Bomb the System”, a whole mess of tracks that are acronyms for titles and a shit ton of self-aggrandizing name drops. Like I mentioned before, it works.

–Jerry Actually

Skarhead’s brand new album “Drugs, Music & Sex” hits US stores on November 17th!

Skarhead was founded in 1995 by Lord Ezec and the EP “Drugs, Money, Sex” was released that same year. Their follow up album, “Kings At Crime” took the worldwide hardcore scene by storm in 1999 and instantaneously became one of the all time classic hardcore records. Today 10 years after the release of “Kings At Crime” Lord Ezec, a street fighting legend from Queens and leader in the hardcore community, is back as frontman of the world’s most infamous hardcore bands!

“Drugs, Music & Sex” is already a classic and Ezec has managed to record another timeless album for those who love a good blend of street brutality and the most ignorant hardcore party anthems a band can create. A record with yet another impressive and distinct list of collaborations featuring some of hardcore’s greatest from the now and legends from the past such as Freddy Cricien, CIV, Eddie Leeway, Jamey Jasta and Armand from Sick Of It All, to name only a few. Thirteen brand new tracks that will shake the fundaments of the hardcore, metal and punk scene!!!

(c) 2009 Pee Records
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So I’m listening to “This is Real” from the Brisbane, Australia band Provoke and something occurs to me. Is globalization affecting music? I think that it is. This is some serious East Coast Hardcore. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing by any means, but I find it intriguing that so many miles and so much water can separate scenes only to have music that sounds like it came from the same mean streets that brought Agnostic Front or Sick of it All or Slapshot. Maybe, instead, it is something more universal. Maybe the bullshit blue collar upbringing, the angst filled days and hope-crushing nights affect us all in a similar manner? What if this is the natural expunging of a pain that we all feel? Before I go off on a crazy sociological tangent, I’ll try to rein it back in a bit. Provoke is a four piece (currently) band from Queensland Australia and have been bringing the heavy noise since 2005. “This is Real” gives up 10 tracks, nine of which clock in well under my three minute cutoff. The final track is obviously a ballad at 4:03 and based on that I won’t even discuss it ‘round these parts. As a final note, it is refreshing to hear some honest-to-goodness hardcore that doesn’t sound like you’ve heard all their shit before. Yes it rings true to what you’re looking for, but as far as this Yank’s ears go this is some sweet new angst. Go get this. If you need some help finding it, shoot me an email and I’ll see if I can’t help you get a copy for yourself.

–Jerry Actually

(c) 2008 I Scream Records
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Here’s another victim of my office clutter and the third in the hardcore bracket. La Vieja Guardia (The Old Guard) is a five track EP of Miami hardcore en Espanol from a band of the same name. From this small sampling, La Vieja Guardia is an able hardcore band with quite the pedigree. Produced by Randy Bradbury of Pennywise and featuring former members of bands such as Guajiro, Ignite, Slapshot and The Vandals, La Vieja Guardia represents a new emergence of the Miami hardcore scene and sound. I look forward to rocking more of this in the future. Good stuff. Get it!

–Jerry Actually

(c) 2008 I Scream Records
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Here’s another one from the office floor. This is the re-issue of the 1998 Earth Crisis “classic” Breed the Killers. The original 12 tracks are remastered and 2 bonus live tracks, including the previously unreleased “Standing Corpses”. Did ya like this back in ‘98? If you did, then I’ll bet you’ll like it now. If you haven’t heard it, but you’re way into aggro concern-o-core then this is the shit. It roils with vitriolic anger about stuff. Get it. Crank it. Show your concern.

–Jerry Actually

(c) 2009 Trustkill Records
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So ya think hardcore can’t come from the left coast? Well you’re wrong. L.A. Based Terror flippin’ rips it up old school. Forever Crossing The Line (5 Years In The Making) comes correct in all ways. Driving rhythms, pounding drums, crushing guitar, vox with just enough menace but not too much growl. You get 17 tracks, some live, of what is ostensibly East Coast Hardcore albeit from the West Coast. Just because you have palm trees and white sand beaches doesn’t mean you ever get to see ‘em. Any way, I know that this review is hella late and Terror even has a new one out (The Damned The Shamed). I was cleaning my office and found it at the bottom of the stack. I feel that this disc is worthy of attention for its true to form hardcore.

–Jerry Actually

(c) 2008 Excuse The Blood
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Excuse The Blood is a Bay area 3-piece outfit with a pretty eclectic mix of sounds. Without trying to pigeon hole them, they sound like a mix of Slapshot-esque hardcore and a reggae/ska/punk blend ala Op Ivy or perhaps Rudiments. Despite the obvious influence the music feels fresh. The tempo keeps a good pace through the five tracks. That the disc is only a demo perhaps is the biggest shortcoming. Since I don’t have more of a sampling I’m going with a 3/5 instead of possibly higher. I’d like to hear more from Excuse The Blood. Until such time that a new release comes out, you can check the band out at their website www.excusetheblood.com

–Jerry Actually

(c) 2008 I Scream Records
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The Welch Boys had a new album a few months ago. I’m just now getting around to reviewing it. I’m sure glad I don’t have somebody breathing down make neck about deadlines. Drinkin’ Angry is 18 tracks of blue collar anthems and street punk grit. Like their Boston brothers the Dropkick Murphys, The Welch Boys bring it to ya wit the credible sounds of hard livin’ and songs that are about real life and a whole lot about drinkin’. Raw rockin’ punk with a sing-a-long quality that is hard to resist.

–Jerry Actually

We are very excited to announce the signing of Skarhead for the release of their long awaited new record “Drugs, Music and Sex”.

Skarhead was founded in 1995 by Lord Ezec and released the EP “Drugs, Money, Sex” that same year.
In 1999 their follow up album, “Kings At Crime” took the worldwide hardcore scene by storm and instantaneously became one of the all time classic hardcore records.

Today 10 years after the release of “Kings At Crime” Lord Ezec is back as frontman of the worlds most infamous hardcore bands.
“Drugs, Music and Sex” is recorded and mixed by Dean Baltulonis (Sick Of It All, Madball, Agnostic Front) and produced by Lord Ezec. The album features guest appearances by some of hardcore’s greatest such as Freddy Cricien, CIV, Jorge Rosado, Jamey Jasta, Armand & Craig from Sick Of It All, Vinnie Stigma and more.

The album is currently being mixed and set for release late Summer 2009. (more…)