I Want You Dead - Demo review

So the last post for this month will be a review on I Want You Dead's demo. These guys have hit hard the Greek hardcore scene, and in my opinion they've got a sound that can go beyond the boundaries and reach the international HC stage. They've got a strong, bleak sound that is NOT metal, but somehow sounds even heavier than most metal/HC out these days. 

This demo CD features 2 tracks. The opener Mora is a fast in your face tune that kickstarts things off like a tornado with a HC beat and the singer screaming "fuck shit uuuuuuuuup" in an almost death metal growl! It then plunges into a minute and a half of pounding, blasting and aggressive as fuck HC with huge backing vocals. If you want any comparisons, sounds to me like a cross between Slapshot and Integrity. Fuck yes. It is heavy, it is fast, and it's got a ton of attitude.

The second song, I Am Decay is where things slow down. It is a very happy song, with lyrics like "I hope you bastard die in vain again and again". This is a good thing by the way: I can make out most of the lyrics with no lyric sheet-it's a very clear pronunciation for someone who sings like a mad dog right out of hell. This scorcher lasts a bit longer (a bit more than 3 min) and goes mid-tempo all the way until the rewarding last d-beat break just before the end of the CD. The ever-changing riffs throughout the song are punishing and relentless like black metal meets hardcore with an extra groove on the side. 

The CD is packaged in a neat, fold-out, see-through paper that forms a huge inverted cross when you open it.  The only information is the band's name, the song titles and the band's website. Low-key and mean as hell. It all makes up for a very imposing release, and to think that it's only a demo!

Hit those guys up at http://www.myspace.com/iwantyoudead

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email TYS: takexyourxshot at yahoo.com

DESPITE EVERYTHING live @ Katarameno Syndromo 27/4/2010!

Yes yes yes! It's time for a REAL punk show! 

Being a bit of a hardcore close-minded fool, I don't really and absolutely know how describe the sound of Greece's Despite Everything, apart from the fact that they play anthemic punk rock with a ruff edge. They're pretty melodic but at the same time they shout like madmen, so these guys rock pretty hard. Maybe like, um... Leatherface? Anyways, Despite Everything have been on the road for a whole month touring Eastern Europe. That's not bad at all for a Greek band!!! And tonight, they're coming back to their (and ours) hometown of Athens to play the last show of the tour. It's more like a big party as they're celebrating their double release, as well as the close of the tour. The supporting acts are Italy's melodic teenage punk rockers Spankies, and local young but mighty post-hardcore kids Ruined Families.

P.S. 30/3/20010: Apologies to Mike from KS, the live wasn't free as I thought (nor is any other live there) AND Katarameno Syndromo IS NOT a squat. Sorry Mike!

N.Y.H.C. old school documentary!!!

The Internet can be an amazing thing. I found this old documentary, simply entitled 'N.Y.H.C.'. I just can't believe that all this time I wasn't aware that this thing existed out there! It has interviews with EVERYONE from the mid-90s NY hardcore scene (it was made in 1996) and I gotta say that I found it extremely interesting (why else would I post it here?)! You get to watch interviews with a 19-year-old Freddy Madball, Lord Ezec from when he was playing in Crown of Thornz (!), Jimmy G of Murphys Law, a really young Rick Ta Life and even a Krishnacore related bit with 108. We posted the official trailer of this old school documentary, but I strongly suggest you hit youtube and watch the entire thing. NYHC rules!

email Take Your Shot at takexyourxshot at yahoo.com

Shai Hulud cancellation - Local show instead for 8 euros only!

This is kind of urgent as we just got the news from WAK, the organizers: unfortunately Shai Hulud cancelled tonight's show. We don't know the reasons yet, but there will be a local show instead, with Tardive Dyskinesia, Eternal Hated and Disco Queen. I know Tardive are an awesome band and I checked the rest of the bands on the bill - trust me, they're all good! The price is only 8 euros (instead of 20 as it was with Shai Hulud).  

Here are some pics and the websites from the bands who are playing tonight:

Tardive Dyskinesia

www.myspace.com/tardivedyskinesia

Eternal Hated

www.myspace.com/eternalhated

Disco Queen

www.myspace.com/discoqueenband

Shai Hulud after-show party (Mon 22 March 2010)

I just learned that there will be an after-show party after the Shai Hulud show tomorrow. It has an amazing poster so I thought I'd post it here and let you guys know. It's right next door from the show, at the Roi Mat club and the DJs will be playing punk, hardcore and metal (what else!?). Enjoy!

Shai HULUD live show-Monday 22 March 2010

Yes! If I want to listen to some progressive hardcore with a strong christian/straight edge philosophy, then Shai Hulud is the band. To begin with, I totally dig the name. And they've been around for like 100 years and they've been evolving ever since. This is the intelligent side of hardcore, and don't say there isn't one. As much as we like to mosh and stage dive, we like to think and expand our musical horizons. So yeah... this Monday, let's all go watch the pioneers of progressive metalcore, Shai Hulud: a different hardcore show, outside the mosh and modern post-core standards!

The organizers of the show are once again World's Appreciated Kitsch. These guys are putting on one good show after the other. In addition, some exceptional Greek bands are supporting Shai Hulud. Tardive Dyskinesia will make our ears bleed again with their mathcore/technical death metal-core meets sludge, while Eternal Hated will make a live showcase of their new record (which I can't wait to buy and listen to). The show will open around 21.00 with Disco Queen, a new band in the chaotic metalcore department, with the coolest band name around. See y'all there!

World's Appreciated Kistch contact details:

mail: hxf_prodaxionz@yahoo.com 

blog: www.wakhc.blogspot.com 

myspace: www.myspace.com/keepitrealhc 

last fm: www.lastfm.com/user/wak2010 

twitter: www.twitter.com/wak2010 

John Joseph NYC Urban Cro-Mag Training

Do you guys care to watch your health? Well, I know for sure that John Joseph of the Cro-Mags does! In the featured video, the person whose very name and life is the embodiment of hardcore, tells it like it is. John Joseph has always been ahead of things, and this time around he's teaching you how to be a cro-mag, the healthy way! The video is entertaining and informative, but most of all fun. Enjoy!

John Joseph is soon to release his second book, "Meat is for Pussies". It's a follow-up to his autobiography, "Evolution of a Cro-Magnon", in which you get the picture that he's anything but a pussy. "Meat is for Pussies" will be released through Punkhouse. 

The Oppressed live - Saurday 13th March 2010

A bit outside usual TYS standards, I found this flyer while getting tickets for the Madball show today and I thought I'd post it here:  

The Oppressed is not your typical streetpunk/Oi! band and it's an honor to list this show here. They've got a long and consistent history behind them, combined with a strong stand against racism and BS politics! This has earned them a dedicated Greek audience which will pack venues every time they play in this country. The show organiser is SUC, a Greek label that promotes all good things punk, ska and Oi! since 2003. So here they are, ladies and gentlemen, from Whales, the legendary Oppressed! With them, well-known streetpunk band Bootstroke, and Jungle fever. 

www.theoppressed.co.uk

www.myspace.com/oitheoppressed

www.myspace.com/sucathens

www.myspace.com/bootstroke

www.myspace.com/junglefeverpath

Madball & Terror live show - 14 March 2010

Well, if there are hardcore shows that don't need an introduction, I guess this should be it:

Hell yeah! When I was growing up and got into hardcore, Madball was the biggest and coolest band around. 'Kings of New York' and stuff. I remember buying Demonstrating My Style and then sitting with a friend on a sidewalk,  checking the photos and being kind of shocked at the DMS tattoo on Hoya's lips! I also remember when they played Athens for the first time (I can't remember the year, possibly 2000 or 2001), there were people who had traveled all the way from Bulgaria to see them as it was their last show before their break up!!! Not much has changed about their approach since then (musically or stylistically). I know they have been getting some type of shit for being 'tough guy' or 'thug' and whatever, but that's just because the scene has become so PC these days. I honestly think that Madball is a band that's full of energy,  keeping it real for some 20 years now without becoming 'mature'. NYHC!

A classic Madball pic - East Coast

As for Terror, they must be the best possible combination, I mean what a warm-up! And it's not even going to be a warm up, I think if anything they will leave people drained. Energetic hateful hardcore from some guys who know what they're doing.  OK I'll stop here cause I feel like an idiot saying things you already know! Just be there and have fun (and save some money during the week so you can buy merch)! Rules are rules and fools are fools, I never cared for none of those

A not so classic Terror pic - West Coast

I just want to give a big props to Hard Times for organizing this show, because around here we rarely get to see 2 big hardcore bands on one show for the price of 1!  I've said it before and I'll say it again: Hardcore in Greece is better now than it ever was. Keep supporting!

Things to do to brighten up a rainy Sunday!

Yup, so the weather is like baaad here in Athens today, but we're not going to let that bother us. With all the good things coming up on the music side, there is just no time to sit and lament, just to discover cool music. We got the Madball and Terror show next week, which should absolutely rule (we'll upload a listing with info on that tomorrow or something), and right after that  we got Shai Hulud and Vitamin X down the line. Like we said before, this is possibly the most busy spring time ever in Greece in relation to hardcore! 

OK, so here are some things I'd like to suggest to check out from the random web-surfing I did today. 

Radio

First of all, I definitely recommend to check out last week's Maximum Rock N Roll's radio show here: MRR Radio #1181 • 2/27/10, it's a pretty good selection of songs with the usual international punk and garagey stuff, some street/Oi and some fast as fuck bands in the mix. Most of all I liked Rotten Ron's    "Hardcore Tattooed on Your Knuckles" session. The thing is that different people are playing the stuff they like and they change every 5 songs or so, therefore it can't get boring. And after all, it's always a must to check back with the classic punk institution that MRR is, and learn what's going on in the HC punk world, see what you missed and even remember some cool bands that you kind of forgot in the midst of all this information overload. So while you're at it, bookmark these guys and check their show every week.

Books

Microcosm Publishing is one of my favorite labels in the punk world. They started out as a zine distribution label, but now they've evolved into a fully functioning publishing house and distributor of all things good and punk (books, zines, stickers, patches, audio books, shirts, videos and other stuff). They even got a proper store in their hometown of Bloomington, IN. Microcosm is all about DIY, self empowerment,  bikes and green stuff. These guys and girls are doing their thing in a more indie than indie way. Their site is a resource that can keep you busy for hours, too. Hafta check 'em out!

Bands

Since today we kinda moved a little from our usual downright hardcore stuff to a little more punk territory, I guessed the band I'll talk about should be in accordance with the above stuff. Therefore, as today I was wandering what the band Latterman is doing and if they're still making records, I'll write about them. If you don't know them, Latterman was (they did break up) a melodic punk band with shouted vocals and positive lyrics, that for some reason I think goes down good with most hardcore fans. They really did it simple and clever, and they conveyed a real 'from the heart' message, and that's why people loved them so much. We're talking about some dedicated fans here! For me, Latterman will be remembered for their cool album covers and funny album titles like None of These Songs Are About Girls (2000), Turn Up the Punk, We'll Be Singing (2002) and No Matter Where We Go...! (2006). Reunion!?

Hardcore Classic: "Victim In Pain" Re-release (Bridge 9 Records)

Agnostic Front's 1984 first full-length album Victim in Pain is considered to be one of the most (if not the most) influential hardcore records ever. It's been characterized as the encyclopedia of NYHC. What's weird is that despite all the talk about this album, it seems to have been kind of forgotten in today's hardcore scene. I truly wonder how many hardcore fans out of ten have this album in their record collections. Good news is that Bridge 9 just did a re-issue of Victim in Pain, and now people can discover this hardcore classic all over again, and with a better sound too as it's been remastered to fit modern standards.

Agnostic Front's Victim in Pain original artwork

That's the starting thing about listening to Victim in Pain; it sounds way more raw and punky than hardcore as people know it these days. Instead of focusing on the heaviness of the sound, AF paved their own style based on speed, with their trademark 1 minute hardcore blasts with mid-tempo breaks (i.e. the self-titled song and Blind Justice). I guess this is the whole structure behind Victim in Pain's simple genius: the exchange between fast/break, start/stop, which obviously creates a hostile effect and grabs the listener's attention. Isn't that what hardcore is about?

On the lyrical department, AF on this album were more politically oriented, mainly focusing on the problems of society's marginalized people and the fascist attitudes they received (and still do). But even at this early stage, it's easy to notice the lyrical standpoint that set hardcore apart from punk's nihilism. That would be no other than the Unity message in songs like United & Strong and Remind Them. Hardcore at that point introduced a new idea in the music world: people who listened to this music would be united and live their lives together and strong AGAINST mainstream society and not just as individual outcasts with no goals. Right here, in Victim in Pain, are the seeds that hardcore used as a template for its philosophy in the next 25 years to come.

Victim in Pain re-issue on Bridge 9 Records

Okay, so now a few things about the re-issue. Victim in Pain is released on CD, vinyl and color vinyl. The CD version also has AF's first EP, United Blood which is also a 'must have'. Collaborating with Agnostic Front for their 25th anniversary, Bridge 9 has also released a bunch of cool merchandise to go with it, like posters, flags, patches, stickers and whatnot. All in all, it's a good chance for younger people to check this classic and catch up on some serious Hardcore History.

www.agnosticfront.com
www.myspaqce.com/agnosticfront
www.bridge9.com