Tag: Reviews
9
Lack is easily one of the more interesting indie rock acts out there right now. Going from clarity to clarity, I thought that "Be there pulse" (2005) was an excellent display of Fugazi-sounding hard-hitting rock, they now release a breathtaking album of furious and melodic punk-/indie rock. In fact, the Danes have found what I've been looking for in their previous albums; a delicate mix of hardcore and hooks. Not many bands accomplish that, At the Drive-In, Refused, Drive Like Jehu and Shellac did it, and here are the Danish heirs. Clocking in under an exemplary 30 minutes "Saturate every atom" offer its listeners a concise journey where Denmark's asylum policy, male domination, among others are matters of discussion and as an old hardcore dude, my eyes are filled with tears. It's been a long time since something this compassionate sounded this good. Produced by Per Cnöeldh (Menfolk), mixed by Lack in true DIY-style and mastered by none other than Bob Weston from Shellac, the simple, yet powerful sound gives the band justice. And speaking of justice, nothing would be more unfair if this doesn't lead to further recognition. It is that good. Try it, you'll like it!
- Jonas Appelqvist
Dusted reviews The Raveonettes latest record "Lust lust lust": https://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4107
DigitalMetal recommends Dismember's new self-titled album, calling it a return to form: https://www.eclipsemagazine.ws/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1275
8
I finally did my Kent homework last year, meaning I dug out all the old records and listened to them all over again - everything to be fully prepeared when "Tillbaka till samtiden" hit the shelves. With the album being somewhat of a dissapointment, however just a minor one, and with the prevoius experiences (all bad) I've had with Kent live, I had no real expectations when I arrived at Skövde Hockey Arena just in time to catch opening act Familjen (nope, not the right place for Jonas T. Karlsson and his buddy for the night, Andreas Tilliander). Kent playing in a Hockey Arena, taste that one. All signs pointed towards the same thing - this was going to be a horrifying night to remember. And oh how I was right! On everything except for the horrifying part. Tonight Jocke Berg and co. totally blows my mind, Hockey Arena or no Hockey Arena. I've never witnessed the band so intense and concentrated - it's just brilliant! All the hit songs are included, both old ones and new ones, even though one might argue that just about all Kent songs are hit songs, and the visual part of the show is breathtaking. The pick of the night must be the upbeat disco version of "Dom andra", with the extended version of "Mannen i den Vita Hatten (16 år senare)" coming in close behind. This was truly a pleasant surprise.
- Christian Stenbacke
7
I've got a soft spot for the type of pop punk that Punched Out (from northern Sweden) play. It sounds a bit like The Queers with some Social Distortion riffs thrown in for good measure, along with catchy choruses and predominately silly lyrics about being a loser. It's not very original at all, but executed well. The lyrics are perhaps Punched Out's weakness; I don't think there's a single sentence on the entire EP that I haven't heard in a song previously, but even though it sometimes verges on being just a bit too cheesy, it works okay most of the time. I'd definitely go to one of their shows and buy any forthcoming albums from Punched Out. One to watch for all you old school pop-punk fans out there!
- Simon Tagestam
Dusted reviews Swedish hard-rockers Graveyard: https://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4102
7
The Bombhappies may strike you as quite a surprising band to emerge from the Swedish music scene. Why, do you wonder? It's because they owe a rather large debt to R.E.M. as well as the early 90s US college rock scene. Sonically speaking, they are very raw/live sounding and said textures are, for the most part, carried throughout the album. It's a sound that is most successful on tracks such as "And at the bed bell inn I told you", "Nothing at all", "Madness" and "Brief delight". However, the true gem of the album is "When I'm asleep", with it's über-catchy chorus, lyrical romantic pondering and quick but potent guitar solo. Overall "Ok ok ok ok ok ok ok" is a good album and, while it may lack a bit in original ideas, the bands execution surely makes up for it.
- Matt Giordano
6
Fun, big-beat pop/techno that won't change your life, but will at least put a smile on your face. As is typical for the genre, "In gumbo" doesn't work so well as an album as much as it is a decent collection of standalone tracks, lead single "Back & spine" being among the best. On that one Bjørke takes an approximation of the "Airworf" TV show theme in conjunction with lame electric guitar stabs and somehow makes it work. Illogical and unexpected, but true. Elsewhere, he struggles a bit harder to hold my attention, but even at his cheesiest (and oh my god, does it get cheesy), he never totally provokes my derision. That is, assuming I don't think too hard about it. So, while "In gumbo" has never been in danger of entering my regular rotation, I can definitely see myself dropping a track into a mix from time to time. That's enough to earn a reserved recommendation.
- Avi Roig
7
Being labeled as noiserock can be a bit misleading for these guys, as I've found them, after a few selective listens and seeing this show, as being more a prog-rock band in structure and sound. This is not a bad thing at all, it just can lead to a bit of confusion. As for the show, the band put forth a metric ton of energy, beating the audience relentless and loud for around fifty or so minutes. Playing tracks from last year's "Cry-baby", the band's performance resembled a punked-up version of Adom or Queens of the Stone Age. After my ears stopped ringing, it was obvious that these three Norsemen put on a good show. Keep tabs on them the next time they come to your town.
- Matt Giordano
7
Two steps forward, one step back? Fans of the elegant dronepop majesty of "Fall, fall falling" will see this CDR release as a disappointing regression, but those of us who are familiar and appreciative of earlier Dead Letters works will not be daunted. Consisting of three dark and dingy long-form pieces for a grand total of forty-nine minutes, "A line: align" is in fact a throwback to Thomas Ekelund's roots and it is not without its rewards as there are definitely moments of great beauty rising from within the filth. Opener "At Keiller's Park (Summer 2006)" is the weakest of the bunch in that takes far too long to get going, often abandoning themes just as soon as they begin to take hold. Patience is eventually rewarded, though not nearly as well as I'd like. The other two however, fare much better in comparison by adhering to a far more concise narrative arc, not to mention a vastly increased level of volume. As much as I appreciate the subtle crackle of processed field recordings, it's the dull, aching throb of pure noise that affects me most, both mentally and physically. When a melody emerges from the squall and I can feel it tingling all the way down to my toes, that's magic. Ultimately, "A line: align" doesn't compete with any of the "proper" Dead Letters full-lengths, but I don't think it intends to. As a way station to whatever comes next, it'll do just fine.
- Avi Roig
4
This is moody rock from Norway with a strong resemblance to The Auteurs, which makes perfect sense considering that much of this material was similarly recorded during that band's heyday in the late 90s. "Watching from a distance" collects Lonely Crowd's three early EPs and seamlessly tacks on two new tracks to pave the way for the band's re-emergence. As such, the sound is a tad dated, though not enough to stir up discontent. Nostalgia is a bitch. But really, why bother? Even at their best, Lonely Crowd are also-rans, not a lost gem. Vocalist Stig Jakobsen has a decent melodic and understated delivery, but he has neither the deadpan menace nor the charisma of Autuers mainman Luke Haines. Lonely Crowd simply pales in comparison. Yes, there are a few worthwhile tracks to be found here, but the new material is not amongst them and that does not bode well. Perhaps the promised forthcoming album will make me eat my words, but I'm not optimistic.
- Avi Roig
6
What we've got here is a 7-track demo of Swedish hardcore punk in the vein of DS-13 which means breakneck speeds, shouted vocals and songs that rarely extend beyond the 1:30 mark. It also means that the guitar tone is a bit cleaner than you might normally expect, though of course that is relative for the genre. Being that it is a demo, the sound and the performance is not totally on-point, but it's good enough to give a clear idea of what they're after. As for the songs, there's enough little quirks and changes to keep things interesting, though they start to lose me a bit with the extended breaks that tend towards crusty dissonance. It's not that they're incompatible with the no-slow/all-go hardcore style that makes up the bulk of the material, they're just not as well-integrated as they could be. Anyhow, minor quibbles aside, I enjoyed this.
- Avi Roig
Lack
Kent
Punched Out
The Bombhappies
Kasper Bjørke
Ungdomskulen
Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words
Lonely Crowd
Systematisk Terror