I mean, really... Can these guys get any more perfect? Such Gold seem to be spearheading the whole melodic hardcore / pop punk movement that is getting increasingly popular by the day. Stabbings, festival cancellations, member replacements or whatever else cannot stop this band from getting their awesome music out there and getting their well deserved respect in today's punk. Can you hear the power and desperation in these fast, melancholic punk tunes?This is melodic NY hardcore / pop punk at its very BEST!
LAST NIGHT I was watching a bunch of AFI videos, and was reminded what a unique combination of straightforward punk ethos and emo aesthetics their charismatic - yet weird looking - frontman, Davey Havok is.
Undoubtedly, Davey has done lots for the hardcore punk scene through AFI's 3 first albums which were instrumental in forging that more melodic US hardcore sound (in a scene that was definitely more metal oriented). Moreover, they have contributed to and have influenced the whole skatepunk and popunk genres with their classic The Art of Drowning album (2000). Changing their musical direction and becoming more easy listening through the years is not such a huge surprise; after all, lots of bands do it as they grow up and mature musically. It is logical to want to evolve and attract bigger success through your music.
What is actually interesting to observe is that even though Davey and AFI have transformed into a fully fledged, corporate-value rock band, they have maintained their hardcore punk mentality and values since their inception in 1991. Davey himself has stuck with straight edge and veganism since the early days, and is not afraid to talk against drug abuse and meat eating with every chance he gets.
Moreoever, Davey Havok has also largely influenced the modern punk scene in another way: he has carried the flag for the horror punk style that the Misfits created in the 80s (he even had an offer to become their singer in 2000). We could really say that with his ongoing output throughout the years, Davey has become the ambassador of horror punk and has really helped this genre develop further.
One could ask whether Davey uses punk to stay cool and get the punk kids on AFI's side, or if he actually uses his long lasting punk values to influence and corrode the shit-filled mainstream music industry. We think that the case is actually the latter, while I don't think Davey even cares as he keeps making awesome music spreading punk, horror, straight edge, romanticism, and moshing alike to the world.
Last but not least, if you just watch the following video, you'll get a picture of where exactly Davey & AFI stand: the perfect amalgam of hardcore, pop and goth!
OK! So we had quite a bit of punk rock, pop punk, whatever the last few days; now it's time to get real and tune in to some crazy-ass, perfectly exectuted downtuned deathcore. Or actually it should be death CORE cause TAS are one of the few deathcore bands who actually draw from hardcore as an influence. There are not many bands who can do this style better than The Acacia Strain. This video has made the rounds quite a bit but it is pretty funny and it is full of mosh so there you have it (let alone these guys are pretty much unknown here in Greece - no shit!). And if this is too metal for you, go find Cockpunch 'Attack' (awesome straight edge hardcore with TAS members). Enjoy you fuckers!
All-time favorite Canadian hockey player Scott Niedermayer and a young Russ Rankin of Good Riddance (Russ is a well-known hockey enthusiast). Who said punk rock and sports don't mix, again?
What a nice surprise it is when one of your favorite bands drop their new album out of the blue, without you having heard anything about it! It's like seeing a good old friend on the street--always nice, always got lots of things to say.
And for me Unwritten Law is such a band when it comes to clean cut punk rock. Scott Russo must be one of the best singers in punk right now (or hell, in all of punk's history), while UL always had great musicians adding their own extra elements, and not just "playing their instruments" as part of another punk rock band. Pat Kim; definitely an exceptional bassist. And on this album, Dylan Howard is doing a really great job on the drums.
So what is Swan all about and what should we expect from this old school yet always fresh punk rock outfit? Well, to be honest, some more of the all around goodness they've showed in the past: mainstream flirting, catchy punk rock (just like it used to be!), with lots of melancholic overtones and excellent musicianship. The lyrics are - like always with Unwritten Law - quite sad and grey, but show the strength of a person who goes all out and makes moves, a person who takes risks in life and is not afraid to lose.
Swan has its mainstream moments for sure, but it really is punk rock. Mainstream music lacks bands like Unwritten Law right now. I don't know if Swan means that this will be their swan song, their last album, but I surely hope that it's not. It's been six years since UL offered us anything and we'd hate to see them go now. Thanfully they're on 2011's Warped Tour so let's hope they're here to stay.
Hell yes! Time for punk rock and summer's always on the way!
