Saturday, March 24, 2012

New reviews up

The review post is still the most read but it's about time to give you the chance to read our opinion on some new stuff which was still getting dust on our desks. Here you go PAYBACK, CRITICAL POINT, XCURRAHEEX. Have fun...


PAYBACK Usque Ad Finem (CD) 

Despite being out of hand for bigger hardcore bands touring Europe, Roma has always boasted a lively hardcore punk scene that it's really a big influence on foreigners perception of what today made in Italy HC is made of.


One of the older bands on the Aeterna City scene is PAYBACK who have been around since 2001.
More then 10 years now, tons of gigs in Italy and outside our borders (many of these as opening act for the biggest name around -Agnostic Front, Madball, CroMags, Terror, The Business, Integrity, Ignite, Anti-Nowhere-League, Hoods, Toxpack, Anticops, Skarhead, Walls Of Jericho, Raw Power to name but a few) five full-lengths (including this one).
The five-piece (fronted by two vocalist) signed with Indelirium records and has not out this new effort which follows up to 2008 “Bring It Back” and is titled “Usque Ad Finem” (latin phrase for till the end).
12 tracks of pure NYC style hardcore that clearly takes its clues from the likes of Agnostic Front, Cro-Mags, Sick Of It All, Madball, Warzone (and the list could go on and on...) matched with a harsh street-punk-oi attitude. Heavy, smashing, metallic, fast and shouted up in your face with a bunch of sing a longs that will get your pumping your fists, pointing your fingers and scream your lungs out with the band.
26 minutes, there's not a weak moment or any filler whatosever.
“Die Hard” sees the guest appearance on vocals of Mr.Vinnie Stigma.
My favs here: “Support Your Local Record Shop” fast and furious almost grind and dedicated, I suppose, to Hellnation store (something like Core-Tex in Kreuzberg Berlin), the political-social conscious “Italian Style” and the thrashy, brutal and with a Stigma's style short sharp lead “Sick And Tired”.
These Romans kick ass and if you're into the bands mentioned above you cannot miss this solid record. Got it?




CRITICAL POINT Trial & Error (7” vinyl) 



Out of Portugal very lively straightedge youth crew scene CRITICAL POINT formed in 2009 and in the same year they released a 4 tracks demo. The quartet features ex-members of Portugal's well known bands like Pointing Fingers, Time X, New Winds and Broken Distance. 

TRIAL & ERROR, their first 7”, packs 6 tracks of angry, fast old-school hardcore that reminds a lot the likes of NYC legends Judge (the opening could be out off “Bringin' It Down”) but here everything sounds truly Critical Point. They wear their hearts on their sleeve delivering some positive messages and in “Make Or Break” a clear statement that for them the straight-edge is not just a passing phase or fashion. I know bands like this can always be perceived as preachy but that's what they feel and think so respect it or just keep away. 
The songs are generally short blasts clocking in around the minute and a half each. Fast, no frills and definitely capable of getting any crowds go ape. And I have to say Trial & Error matches my tastes more than xCurraheex record I've also reviewed today. 
Check this out.




XCURRAHEEX Back On Track (7” vinyl) 


“BACK ON TRACK” what a best fitting title these folks could find? No, mind, it's not about originality -how many bands used a title like this??? I'm sure you know few yourself- but it definitely does a good work both as a statement mission and to describe the end of a bad period the band went through since their former guitar player left the crew. You can read it all on the liner notes inside this 7” EP. But let me say that's really a story you'd never hear of related to the hardcore punk community. Anyway... 

Okay, now let's get back on track and start with the review of the fifth effort from this Manchester based sXe four-piece. 

5 tracks of straight-edge hardcore much in the vein of Ten Yard Fight, Reaching Forward, Floor Punch to name a few almost everybody knows. 
“Insight” the opening track on side A gives everything you would expect from a band playing this genre. It builds up with it's heavy floor-tom drumming to let, a few bars later, enter the guitar at full speed and vocals from Smit lead the troupe. 
Lyrically they deliver positive thoughts about what they believe hardcore should be all about “scene, unity, brotherhood, standing up for what you believe in”. 
They do their job very well and definitely need your full support either you are sXe or a hardcore fan. Go to their bandcamp page to check it out and buy it at shows or xcommitmentx records. The record comes in transparent green wax. 
Bottom-line, this record is dated 2011 so meanwhile the guys recorded some new tracks for a 3 ways split featuring also Thruth Inside and Unforce.


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