2 Great Releases from Moonlee Recs!

OK so today we're back with some quality punk rock to review. We don't review much melodic punk here any more, but in this case we couldn't do otherwise cause Miran from Moonlee Records sent us two records that t o t a l l y deserve your attention. Read below and find out why this is some of the best European punk rock happening right now!

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First up we got Debeli Precjednik (Fat Prezident), a band name which I'll never be able to pronounce. Nevertheless, this Croatian band is a force to be reckoned with in the eastern European punk rock scene, since they play some of the catchiest California-type melodycore that you'll get to hear. They've been going since 1994 and this is their 4th release. So in a way we're dealing with legends here.

Believe me when I say, this band has nothing less compared to the best melodic hardcore/punk rock in any scene, I mean musically this is up there with your Rise Against, your Satanic Surfers and your No Use For A Name. I could draw a bigger comparison especially with NUFAN, since Debeli Precjednik too has that overly emotional but also powerful approach to their songwriting.

These are songs that you're really gonna want to fuck shit up to, to skate to, to fall in love to... you get the deal, they are catchy as hell and they have a nice and pleasant, totally feelgood vibe. Just nice and tight punk rock hits with a crystal-clear production to back them up. I know that many hardcore kids out there get pissed off with this type of American Pie punk, but not me, since I grew up with shit like this (along with hardcore) -- back in the day it was OK to like both. But what am I talking about, kids these days like hipster black metal and Title Fight at the same time, so I guess it is worse now.

Summing up: this is a very good record of upbeat, super-melodic hardcore that goes down very smoothly. After song 8 I kind of get the feeling that this isn't an album that will change my life, but it's still good and something I could easily play again and again. Perhaps when the weather is better!

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OK - XAXAXA must come from another planet or something; I mean on paper they are from Skopje, Macedonia, but how else can I explain this band's unbelievable talent in delivering punk music that shoots straight to the heart? This is really what these kids have achieved with their awesome Husker Du meets Leatherface brand of alternative punk. Chaotic yet melodic, their songs are wrapped with the sort of melancholic nostalgia and dry wit that can infiltrate your mind, and give you room to think and daydream.

Yes, punk was invented in order to be like this, life-affirming, revolutionary and self-explanatory through its uniqueness. XAXAXA must have really thought about music and punk rock, because they've done something that very few bands do nowadays: that's playing straight from the heart and inventing their own identity musically. Because yes, we can draw comparisons with the big names mentioned above (as well as a few others, i.e. Hard Ons perhaps, Dag Nasty, Hot Water Music), but this band has life of its own and plays a very unique style that doesn't imitate and can't be imitated. So yeah, don't go thinking that this is your everyday hipster wannabe mid tempo punk!

The production is simple and not too polished, that's totally OK cause XAXAXA bring the potent melodies one after the other, leaving you no room for criticism, only appraise. Quality songwriting with perfect verses, and choruses that are catchy without sounding cheesy or anything of the sort. The guitars are always distorted but not extremely heavy, and there is a minimal use of female vocals, a horn or a keyboard here and there, just enough to give the whole outcome an extra boost of melody and extra terrestrial coolness. The best thing about this record altogether is that its tunes have a sort of spontaneity that creeps in and grows on you--the stuff that makes all good records worthwhile.

I now feel bummed that I didn't go to see this band play when they played Athens a while ago. But at the same time I am glad I finally got turned on to them, and for this I gotta thank Miran. Music is my entire life, and these guys make me remember why :)

Brutality Will Prevail - "The Path" (video)

No fancy introductions to make here... just check this awesome, traditional-style hardcore video from moshing heavy-hitters Brutality Will Prevail. They have a new album on Purgatory Records, which is UK's (or perhaps Europe's) premier straight edge hardcore label right now. Check that new BWP shit out or you'll be missing on some real heavy riffs and true hardcore attitude!

purgatory-records.tumblr.com 

Losin' It - "Danger Zone" EP Review

Losin' It is a youth crew hardcore band from Florida, and let me tell you these guys have more youthful energy than you probably expect. They have a new, debut full-length out now on Life to Live Records (check out relevant post from few weeks back), but on this post I would like to present the 7" that Losin' It has put out on the same label back in March 2012. It is a release you wouldn't want to miss if you're into action-packed hardcore. So let's go!

The 1st side of the 7" kicks off with a classic (for youth crew style, that is) intro that prepares you for what's about to come. Mid tempo and definitely groovy, it kicks off with a guitar squeal that puts Zakk Wylde to shame! Now we're talking. After this super-groovy one minute mosh, it is time for the core to take over; Losin' It start churning out one good hardcore tune after the other, with ferocity and commitment to the sounds we all love. This is super-tight youth crew, but with a bit of a more punky and (may I say) reckless approach!

What we get is a mix of tempos, from mid-tempo jungle mosh, to fast youth crew all-go no-slow. The riffs are all good and energy-packed, while the drums and the bass follow solidly along. Song titles like "Fuck Off" and "Check Your Head" don't leave much room for guessing on what the lyrics are about. These guys will tell you what they don't approve of without thinking twice. In fact, they'll tell it straight to your face with these pissed off hardcore songs!

The good thing about Losin' It is that the are obviously totally about the core, but you can also tell they are chill dudes who are having a lot of fun. Just a look at the back of the cover, and you can tell that this is just a bunch of friends doing what they love, doing their part to "make this shit work". The whole artwork and layout also help in eminding us that hardcore is about venting and having a good time, not taking things way too seriously and adopting a negative stance.

All in all, Losin' It have stomped their way in the hardcore scene in a very promising way. Every note these guys hit is bustling with energy and sincerity and that is exactly what I am asking for from a youth crew hardcore band. If you like speed, anger and a ton of positivity coated with the intensity of youthful anger, then this is for you!

BLACK KNIVES - "The Rise" EP Review (Uselss Pride Distribution)

I'll be totally honest with you; judging by the packaging of this release, I was expecting something a little more polished, along the lines of melodic metalcore or so... but NO! Black Knives play brutal hardcore the old school way, and that means with killer metallic riffs, fucking mean breakdowns and lots of gang vocals.

These French guys know for sure how to cause some heavy damage. The 4 songs of this CD are nothing but a heavy dose of in-your-face brutal hardcore. Sure, the metal elements are many: not only in the Slayeric/French beatdown elements that are always present, but also in some Obituary-style grooves and even some pseudo-black metal in some parts. However, this band knows how to mix all the elements well and create a solid outcome that can only  be labeled as... h a r d c o r e  b r u t a l i t y.

What I liked a lot about this ep (apart from the Slayeric beatdown parts, of course!) is the clever use of vocals all around. There is a good mix of various vocal styles, but mind you NO clean vocals. There are many spoken/rapped parts  along the heavy breakdowns in classic heavy hardcore style (think Kickback!), and the super huge gang vocals give the whole record an extra boost of strength. And that's surely an extra point for Black Knives, because I just hate it when bands get lazy in the studio and don't lay down those mean backing vox!!!

All in all, this is an awesome release by a band that deserves to get recognized in the hardcore scene. They give off lots of brutality, mosh and hateful urban attitude, so what more could I ask from a heavy hardcore band? Check these French guys out NOW!

www.facebook.com/blackknivesofficial

Also check the video for one of the songs from The Rise, entitled "A Big Part".

DEPENDENCY - "Love Not Wasted" Album Preview

Good news for hardcore kids! Dependency (one of today's biggest new hopes for hardcore) has a new album filled with chaotic yet melodic, discordant yet catchy 'core!

Dependency is one of the torchbearers for one of my favorite US hardcore labels, Blood & Ink Records. In case you don't know, B & I specializes in progressive but at the same time traditional, spirit-filled hardcore. Check out their stuff and check out the new Dependency album! The band's new work is miles ahead from their 2010 EP on the label, Convicted. And this is something to say in a scene where most bands kind of lose momentum after the first good demo/ep.

Make sure you also stream the song "Everything I Once Knew" from the album Love Not Wasted below, and get in tune with some quality 2012 hardcore.