Unaltered Perspective #2
New music from Spaced, Dry Socket, SICK DESTROYER, Bib and more.
New Releases
Spaced - Landslide (single)
First single off “This Is All We Ever Get” the sophomore LP from Spaced out on Revelation Records March 22nd. This Buffalo band gives me Midwest vibes. I know there are not as many regional sounds in this day and age but I know that Prevention and Spaced toured together recently and I cant help but feel that Spaced is using some of that style—maybe not pulling from Prevention specifically but other bands with that sound—and using this for this new song. This may be a production thing I am hearing that they share with the Midwest but either way I am from Central Illinois so you know I am into it. This song is the hardcore formula done so well. Slow fast part and then faster and then a chant chorus sing along. Then the second verse does not repeat which is always an positive. Then after second chorus they hit you with the Caveman beat and a slow sing along part at the end. I was not super familiar with this band and now I can’t wait for the LP.
ROSKOPP//SICK DESTROYER- Split (7 inch)
This split is available to purchase from Calvos 73 Records. It is also available on Mediocre Minds Records.
This is the last release by Denver based grind outfit ROSKOPP. Which is unfortunate because I have never heard them before and I really enjoyed this split material. This is heavy grindcore with occasionally parts where they go slower and heavier on the riffs. The second track on their side of the 7 inch entitled “Swamp of Bile” is the stand out song for this side. It starts with a heavy mosh intro for a few seconds and then blasts your face off for the rest of the song. Fucking Brutal.
SICK DESTROYER is another band I have never heard of from Žďár Nad Sázavou, Czechia. I really enjoy both of these bands but this side is my preferred style. The songs are insane just brutal attack some songs that are just short blasts but they also do a lot of D-Beat drum parts and the riffs on this are so sick. Men of Mayhem is the track I want to touch on for this side. After the sample there is a blast right away of brutal intensity. Then halfway through the song they come in with like a hardcore style bounce part. I want more grindcore that sounds like this please. I will be diving into this bands back catalog in the near future for sure. I really liked what I heard on this release.
Enemic Interior - Enemic Interior III (7 inch)
Barcelona based punk band Enemic Interior give us their newest EP. This is my first punk review and it is not because I dislike the genre. Bands just are usually not as good when it comes down to straight punk songs or albums. I try and find new punk and usually it sucks. This band and album is one that does get through to me though. This has that old school punk feel that is so refreshing to hear a modern band do well. The “whoa” back ups over some melodic but still punk vocals is just so sick and that is all over this record. This makes you want to slam. Not even mosh just slam and have fun. It has so much energy you can’t help but move around to it. If you like 80’s punk I think this will make sense to you. I also think if you like any of the recent bands from the French Oi scene then you can find something to like here as well. This band is not necessarily Oi, but the more punk parts of those French songs sound similar to what Enemic Interior has to offer here. The Lead at the beginning of “Màgia De Sang” is awesome. Totally gets me moving and is so catchy in the way that well done punk songs are. This is going to be on repeat for me for a while.
Bib - BIBLICAL(EP)
I have heard of and listened to Bib before. I have heard them referred to as one of the best bands doing their style. This style sometimes referred to as “mysterious guy hardcore”. This is the type of hardcore you would hear on Youth Attack Records or something. Usually a echo on the vocals and very rough production. I never connected with their previous material as much and now I think maybe my ears were off when I heard it the first time. Because this EP rules so the old stuff I’m sure is also great. Anyways in regards to this EP they are defiantly going for something here. This is so different from any other band that sounds like them. The production is so much cleaner and easier to hear and the echo is less painful to me. I usually hate the echo effect but I do not mind it here. The differences go beyond just production though. They have a song on this EP “Bitter Mind” that has a woman coming in with a high pitched clean and nice sounding vocal melody over top of the fuzzed out guitars. Another thing about this record that proves that it is good for it’s style is that I usually don’t care for songs that are a majority mid tempo. This whole EP is mostly mid tempo with a few 2 step parts but the fast hardcore punk beats are very limited. However this EP still rules. The vocals have so much intensity and the guitars and drums work off each other so well to keep this slower punk hardcore style interesting throughout the whole EP. You can get this 7 inch from Quality Control Records. Also this band is from Omaha, Nebraska. What the fuck. Hardcore is everywhere.
The Hostile Ones - Hostile Noise(EP)
The Hostile Ones is newer band out of Helsinki, Finland playing Hardcore Oi! This is a self released EP that I think is digital only. This is such a good EP. They kick in with a soccer themed song. I grew up playing and loving soccer so that is dope and I love how the song kicks in after the opening sample. Then straight out of that song into a unity song. You can never have enough unity songs. Then the song “The Cost” to close it. This songs lyrics are so good it is basically an antipolice but also a stabbed in the back style song. But that really does not do it is justice on how good this really is. Just go listen to it down below or click here to read the lyrics.
Dry Socket - Sorry For Your Loss(LP)
Dry Socket is a hardcore punk band from Portland, Oregon. This LP came out on To Live A Lie Records and Blind Rage Records. This is like one of my favorite types of hardcore. They are so insane on this recording and just blazing fast and just tight enough for the transitions to sound good throughout the songs but also it is loose enough that it does not loose the raw intensity. They have a lot of parts on this recording that remind me of other Pacific Northwest bands like Punitive Damage. The lyrics on this LP are very good as well. The song “Flock” is a good example of this. Check out the lyrics here. This song is so awesome musically too. I love the fast part to start it off. Then 30 seconds in you get a build up into a mosh part with these insane vocals over the top of the whole thing just pummeling you as if it never slowed down one bit. This LP is killer go check it.
Violin - Violin(7 inch)
New 7 inch out on Iron Lung Records from this UK band. This thing rips and is so catchy. If you listen to these songs and then put them on again later its like you know all the parts they are going to launch into. Vocals are not easy to catch every word right away, but what hardcore band is that way? Violin use the music as well as the vocal tones to hook you instead of specific lyrics. I just know every part as it is coming up from only a few listens. Straight up ear worm material. These songs are seeming like maybe they are going for and early 80’s hardcore sound but it is a little better produced. Mostly fast with chorus parts that repeat one word like on “Subservient” when the chorus is just that word repeated 3 times. This is the type of music that got me into hardcore to begin with. I love this style glad that Violin is doing it justice on this record.
Crawl Space - My God… What’ve I Done(LP)
This Seattle band fucking rules. Brutal roots hardcore. Came out on Iron Lung Records. The production is dirty enough that it sounds like a Youth Attack Records style band. But the songs are more formulated into a coherent song with cool gang vocal parts and youth crew tom parts on some songs. This could be YOT Can’t Close My Eyes area with some aspects taken from Negative FX and with that modern Youth Attack sounding production. This LP is so insane and frantic and the artwork for the cover is so cool. It fits the feeling of the music so well. “My Walls” is probably my favorite track on the LP or at least it is an early stand out. It has a slower side to side stomp mosh at the beginning. Then blazing fast part. Then a youth crew tom part with a gang vocals. The Illest shit ever. This is the formula for great hardcore. Every song on this LP is so good. They knocked it out the park on this one.
News
Sinister Feeling, a Powerviolence band out of Baltimore, is putting out a LP on Delayed Gratification Records. The demo and promo this band has out currently is very good and I am hoping for this to be the same.
Snuffed has a new single “Vicarious Embarrassment” for upcoming EP on Another City Records. This single rules defiantly go check it and order this. The EP is out Febuary 9th and is up for pre-order now.
Local Shows
Flyers from some upcoming shows in the Central Illinois Area.
Blind eye
Stuff that came out in recent years that I missed and want to give some shine to.
False - THE KIDS STILL HAVE NOTHING TO SAY (LP)
2023 LP from the band False from Hauts-de-France, France on Bones Brigade Records. This fucking rocks. So raging fast and groovy at the same time it is like they took Infest and mixed it with Terror or something this is so fucking sick. I seriously musically think these songs are perfect hardcore style. Relentlessly fast but you can still understand it and back up vocals throughout and 2 step parts in the perfect spots. I love fast brutal music and I also love when a hardcore band realizes that the fast parts are needed and the part that makes me love this music to begin with. When they can cut up the fast parts with some sick groove it just make all parts and the song as a whole just so perfect. The song “Fast” kind of sounds like a Wisdom in Chains song. About halfway through the song they have a youth crew tom part that so you know I will be getting down to that. Then 2 step parts for sing along section and a fast part to close it out. What more could you want.
Looking back
First listen to material that was before my time in hardcore.
Mainstrike - Times Still here(ep)
Last year sometime I heard the Mainstrike LP and I thought it was sick. I think I got caught up in new releases and failed to search for any other releases they have. No more. I went to the local record store recently and grabbed the 7 inch box and started flipping through and about 15 records in I found what I was going to buy that day. I love when you can just walk in the store with no plans of what you are looking for and just sift through and come across a banger. It is even cooler if you have never heard it, as I have never heard this 7 inch, and you can buy it and test it when you get home to see what it is like for the first time on your own record player. Not on YouTube or something. It just is much more authentic feeling and a big score for me. I love this 7 inch. I love youth crew and if you do to then you will like this. There is no way you can like youth crew and not like what is going on here on this release. The song “On My Side” is a sick stab in the back theme song. “Cant Bring Me Down” is the stand out song though for me. It is such a fast rager for the first half and then a big gang vocal “you lose” then fast again but not as long as the last time. They trick you into thinking the song will have another verse the same length but then they bust into a breakdown sing along part. Such a sick song. Unfortunately the 7 inch I bought cuts off the last verse of “Skin Deep Love” and almost half of the song “Faith”. I have had this happen before on closing tracks and it sucks but I checked the songs in full on YouTube and they rip just like the rest of the record. This band is from The Netherlands. I don’t know much about Europe hardcore but I have noticed that a lot of the youth crew style bands from Europe are usually on this label Crucial Response Records if you know more about this or have other bands from this label or from Europe that I might enjoy feel free to let me know and maybe they will be on a future edition.
Underground Music is the greatest thing ever.
Listen to Blind Eye.
More reviews and new sections of the future zine editions will be coming soon. I want to improve this zine as I go so if you have tips or anything get in the comments. You can also message me directly at my email in the about tab. If you enjoy this zine tell a friend. Keep it real and I’ll catch you next edition.