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 :)

My Defense - "Delorean" EP Review (2012, Major Threat/WAKRecords)

My Defense is a Koln (Germany) based, melodic hardcore band in the vein of Good Riddance and other good stuff. This band is also kind of special in our homeland Greece, since the singer is a Greek dude living in Germany. I recently got their new CD handed to me via World's Appreciated Kitsch records, who co-released this record. So let's review it and see what's up!

Back in the early 2000s, My Defense seemed to be totally on their way to become a household name in the entire Euro hardcore punk scene. We're talking about awesome independent releases, featuring ex-members of notable hardcore bands, and shows with the biggest worldwide hardcore bands that toured through Koln. However, I hadn't heard so much about them over the last years, and it's definitely good to see them back on the map and still going for it. Or maybe I just had my attention somewhere else and didn't know the progress of this band...

This EP contains 8 songs lasting a brief 12 minutes. What we get  during those 12 mins is some fast, raging but also melodic hardcore that borders with punk rock. Like I mentioned earlier, Good Riddance is a solid influence, together with that whole late 90s fast melody-core sound. These guys know for sure how to write a catchy song, and also to layer their music with lots of melodic hardcore guitars and nice background gang vocals. I could to with a bit of a dirtier production for this style, and I would also prefer if the lyrics - for consistency reasons - were in one language (instead of three!).

So to sum things up, Delorean is a powerful hardcore punk record by a band with a strong background. I just think the only thing missing is a higher level of consitency and a more solid sense of identity. I am sure that this will come with their next release as these guys have both the collective experience and musical skill.

Positively Positive Hardcore Punk Fest #5

Positively Positive is a hardcore fest that has been taking place in the city of Athens every December  for a good 5 years now. It has become a staple part of the Greek hc/punk scene, with the kids eagerly waiting to kickstart the holidays with this pre-Xmas hardcore show. Furthermore, the organizers make sure to bring some of the hottest DIY acts of the day, and make our time spent in An Club's basement worth the ride.

This year, the promoter decided to push the fest towards a more melodic hc/ punk rock direction, with a couple of awesome European bands and a few good local acts. Make sure to check it out!

For more info, check http://wakhc.blogspot.com

HIGH HOPES - New EP and Euro Tour

HIGH HOPES is an awesome Swedish melodic hardcore/punk rock band in the vein of Have Heart and Champion. They play neo-youth crew hardcore, which owes as much to the straight edge hardcore scene as it does to Dag Nasty and other melodic bands that ALL hardcore kids love. They are named after a Gorilla Biscuits song, so you know where these guys stand!

This is summer 2011 and there is no better time to get into some crucial Swedish hardcore that ain't Dbeat. So get into it like NOW, and visit the band's pages to leave an encouraging comment for their summer European tour! European Youth Crew Hardcore Rules!

Another Old School Pic: Strung Out, Rocking Out

Looking back at more than half my life, I realize how I grew up looking at hardcore and punk bands' photos. No matter what people say about punk being only about the music and the message, I know that aesthetics is also another important aspect of it. In the same way other kids grew up admiring athletes or models, the people I always looked up to were the musicians from my favorite bands. And it has always been great to see how the people whose music I loved so much looked pretty much just like me. It made me feel inspired, like I could be doing the same thing one day.

I just love it when a moment in punk is captured in a pic, and I will never stop checking out this awesome form of, well... art. I guess this simple Strung Out snap says it all, really. It's all about fun, friendship and wigging out!

REMISSION - Winds of Promise EP Review

There are times that every music critic has to pause and listen harder to what they have in front of them. No matter how much music you have heard, there are always records that will make it hard for you to explain the feelings you get when you listen to them. In most cases, these records are... very good. And in those said rare cases, the best way to review them is to take the simple route and and just say a few honest things about them.

Winds of Promise by Remission is such a record. It is an exceptional, against the grain hardcore EP made by a Chilean band, which traveled the world and reached TYS in Greece by way of US label React! Records.

The first thing I thought of when I played this record was that it had an early/mid 90s vibe, and especially from the period when hardcore was drifting from the youth crew and old school hc standards, and was experimenting with different, more progressive sounds (bands like early Shelter, Mouthpiece etc). And even though Remission or even myself were not around in the hardcore scene in the early/mid 90s, we surely love that period and have a special place in our hearts for it. In fact, I can just listen to this music and let myself travel in times when hardcore was more sincere, more emotional and more thought-provoking. In times when the word 'integrity' actually had a meaning.

This 3-song EP cannot be classified musically, because all three songs are different. I don't know how, but these kids manage to combine a lot of different musical styles and still pull it off with the consistency level. I guess everything is possible when you know what you're doing. There are nice melodic (yet powerful) vocals which balance between hardcore and rock. There is a strong, groovy rhythm section with a nice, thick bass sound delivering some crucial licks inbetween the notes. The guitars are melodic and not fully distorted (I'd say a 7/10 on the distortion scale!) and create room for some extra special melodic hc guitar noodling!

This is just what I needed to hear this summer. Because not every night is a partymosh night, I want to have an album like this in my record collection for when I want to think, do some soul searching  and throw an Xd fist in to the night sky!

http://remissionhc.bandcamp.com/album/winds-of-promise

www.itstimetoreact.com

p.s. Look for Remission's new split EP with Police & Thieves!

A Loss For Words & ...Mainstream (?) Status

In a way, I've always liked the punk bands who make it and gain recognition. Even though people always talk crap about the bands who get popular, they seem to overlook the fact that these bands have worked really hard for what they now have. They forget that in this life (and surely not in the music world), nothing's free.

Think about it. What is it you'd like to do most in your life? Well, the kids in these bands want to be out there and play music, so why should we be against them for that? A happy life means being successful at what you love doing. There is nothing wrong with it and I don't think there is anyone who would say 'no' to success if it came their way.

I wrote the above having A Loss For Words in mind in particular. Now they must be a band everyone knows in the pop punk/ melodic hc scene. These guys have worked so hard as a band (and still do) to be where they are. A lot of people don't know that they released 4,000 cds of their The Kids Can't Lose album on their own because they couldn't get signed, or that they shot a video (which now has some 147,00 hits on youtube) with their own money. Respect to the hard working bands out there!

Such Gold Such Gold Such Gold Such Gold

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!

Where Emo Meets Straight Edge: Davey Havok (AFI)

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!

The Movielife - This Time Next Year Re-release

BACK in the early 00s/late 90s, there was a golden era when the term 'emo-core' was understood as a new style of hardcore that was a bit more melodic and well... emotional, but it was definately still HARDCORE, or at least punk. The genre had nothing to do with what emo came to be through the years (whiney kids focused mostly on style, playing modern corporate rock music).

Which brings us to the Movielife and the re-release of their now classic 2nd album "This Time Next Year" by Mightier Than The Sword Records. Originally released in 2000 by Revelation Records, "This Time Next Year" had dropped on the hardcore scene like a bomb, bringing melody and freshness in a scene that was oversaturated with the mostly chugga chugga metal mentality of 90s hardcore.

Some 11 years later, the album still sounds fresh and I am very glad to see it circulating back in the scene which needs positive, melodic bands like the Movielife. Their short career in hardcore surely left its mark on the kids and now it is time to re-live their history all over again!

Some extra info for you all: the re-issue is limited to 562 copies of 180 gram vinyl, so all you collectors can go crazy as of now. The Movielife have reunited for some 2011 shows while you can check out the Mightier Than The Sword webstore here: http://store.mtsrecords.com/products/7850.

TRUTH OF MY YOUTH *Interview*

A while ago we did a review for Maine's awesome pop punk/hardcore band Truth of My Youth. Just really amazing modern sounds in the vein of Title Fight, Daggermouth, Wonder Years etc. After getting in touch with these guys we decided to do an interview and have a quick chat about this new band, their influences and their plans for the future. Look out for these guys... their could be your next favorite band!

TYS: So... Why "Truth Of My Youth"? Are you big New Found Glory fans? Tell us some things about how the band got together, how long you've been around etc.

PAT: We all love New Found Glory, They're Probably the biggest influence on us. We had trouble with our name and one of us looked on the back of the Catalyst record and loved the name. We have only been together since last september when my old band broke up and Sam and Ian's band had stopped playing. We have have had a couple line up changes since then. The line up now is me on vocals, Sam and Connor on Guitar, Ian on bass and Alex on Drums.

TYS: What are your main influences? It is interesting to hear about it, cause you already have a very personal sound on your 1st EP. If you had to strip things down, would you say you are a punk rock or a hardcore band?

SAM: Truth takes influences from a lot of places, there's a lot of pop punk in there but we all also took a lot from punk and hardcore bands. I'd say our main our main influences are bands like New Found Glory, Blink-182, Boxcar Racer, Lifetime and the Descendents. We all also love Title Fight. If it came down to the two I'd probably like to think we were a punk band.

TYS: Since you say Blink is a big influence, are you more into the early comedy stuff or the later "serious" side of the band?

IAN: Blink is Blink, everything from the early stuff to the last self titled album. Its all gold.

TYS: Can you tell us some things about TOMY's lyrics? Could you pick your favorite lyric from the whole EP and explain it to us plz?

PAT: Most of all the TOMY lyrics have a common theme of looking back on the mistakes you have done or gone through and wish how you chould change them or done things different. My favorite line is a tie between "For now my chin is up and I'm never losing hope" and "I hope my friends don't go through what i do, I hope they don't live like i do". One song is about how I dated thsi girl and she lead me on and it really took me a long time to get over it and i finally fell over it. Another is seeing my bestfriend going through financial problems, I have seen some as well but it killed me to see him go through it.

TYS: What are your aspirations in this band and as musicians? Do you wish to do it full time at some point, or are you the kind of people who see it as a hobby in order to keep it pure?

CONNOR: I think I would say our aspirations as a band comes from our love of pop punk and hardcore and our want to make some of our own. As for full time or part time I think we are all taking it as it comes to us and giving the time we need to to be successful. Our music will always be pure because it will be what we think is quality pop punk and that's what matters to us

TYS: What's living in Maine, Portland like? Is there a nice scene there? Are there things to do for punkrock and HC kids? What is good about Maine that the world should know of?

IAN: Living in Maine is all in all a good time.The cold winters get pretty old, but its really not a big deal. As far as stuff to do for kids like us there are some pretty fun shows set up around the area. Skateboarding is always happening as well. One thing about maine is that its the place where the Pop-Punk is happening.

TYS: What are some other things you love and some things you hate about Maine other than music?

PAT: I don"t really know if i hate much about maine but the cold does annoying at times but theirs always something to do year round. Sledding in the winter, hiking in the spring and fall and soo many water holes in the summer. I love living in Maine.

TYS: Would you say there is a lack of bands who play passionately and sincerely (like you) these days? If yes, why? How do you see the future of HC/punk? Do you think you'll still be into it when you're 30?

SAM: Not at all, I feel like that's what the genre is all about. I think that punk and hardcore will always be around, it'll go through changes but i think theres enough people who care about it enough to keep it going for a long time. And i sure hope so, i hope we all are but i don't really look that far ahead.

TYS: OK so now, you'll give the 1st thoughts that come to mind in relation to the following:

Heavy Metal: Slayer 666

Lifetime (the band): A band that everyone should love

Skateboarding: One of the most fun things you could do in your life 

Husker Du: Green Day did a killer cover 

Graffiti: 90s skateboard videos

Straight Edge: Pat

Blink 182: The best band I have ever and possibly will ever hear. The roots of our tree 

Favorite 80s hc/punk band: The Descendents

Favorite junk food: Pizza if that counts? Or gummy bears!

Best punk guitarist: Tim Armstrong/Frank Navetta

Horror films: Dead Alive,Leprechaun In The Hood,

Ramones vs. Sex Pistols: Ramones

Minor Threat vs. Black Flag: Fuckin Black Flag

Black Sabbath vs. Iron Maiden: Sabbath is heavy as balls but Maiden has zombies.... Gotta tie them

TYS: Do you ever drive outside Maine for gigs (or is Maine as big as Europe or something)?

SAM: Nah, so far only shows in state, were hoping to start playing out of state more as soon as we can.

TYS: In closing, plz describe TOMY with just 3 words to someone who's never heard of you before and eyes your CD at a show. Add anything else you want about the band, give your shout outs etc. Thank you very much!

CONNOR: Were a band that is all about having a good time playing the music we love for people who wanna listen. We have roots in different genres which can be appealing to many parties.

We'd like to give a shout out to our boys in Steiner Street, Backround, Let It Go, Broadside, and many others!

As for the three words, "Maine pop punk"

Check out:
http://truthofmyyouth.bandcamp.com
facebook.com/tomypoppunk

NERVOUS BREAKDOWN - New Single

Wow! I am always happy when I receive something from Indonesian punks Nervous Breakdown, cause they always keep it fresh and I really don't know what to expect other than it will be good. These fellas have a great musical background to choose from and they find it easy to surprise the unexpecting listener. Every EP and release is different, but at least it is good and it maintains the character of loose, raw punk. For some of the band's previous releases reviewed on TYS, check here.

This time Nervous Breakdown are celebrating 5 years of existence, so they chose to give us a single track of warm-hearted, tuneful, alternative pop punk. "This Band Could Be Your Life" is just a happy song which will make you think of summer even on your worst, most cloudy day. And this is something essential in a scene that is filled with negativity and hate. Every now and then it's nice to loosen up and chill and listen to something like this. The production sound is perfect and the whole outcome just overflows with the cool and mellow vibe that Indonesian culture has. Awesome, dude! This song just takes you to another world, time, whatever.

I am just waiting the next move from Nervous Breakdown. I am really curious to see what that will be.

Truth Of My Youth - 'Farside EP' Review

Today we are happy to present and review Farside by Truth Of My Youth, an exceptional new band with a very refreshing and crucial 'core to deliver in today's scene. The band has formed its own brand of melodic hardcore/pop punk which is so tuneful and inspiring that it truly stands out from the millions of poppy hardcore/easy-core fad bands out there. They have a sense of urgency in their sound that really makes you wanna go out and live life like it's your last day. Let's go!

TOMY is from Maine/US, and this is their 1st EP. They play 6 songs of upbeat hardcore with melancholic pop punk sensibilities in the vein of Lifetime, Dag Nasty, Good Riddance and - of course - early New Found Glory (the band's name is also a NFG album title). You won't find any songs with metalcore beatdowns here; just real punk rock music played fast and with a 'heart on the sleeve' hardcore-spirited approach. The production sound is also kind of different, as it is a bit rougher and not so polished compared to most of the stuff that's generally on display in the music world today.

I don't know so much about this band. But if I was at the party and this played, I would surely go and ask what it is. Listening to TOMY creates a strange blend of feelings... like hope with nostalgia and restlessness all mixed together. This band should really be big in a couple of years. They've got what it takes. If you're up for some real modern punk music, go and check 'em out! You can listen to the whole Farside EP at bandcamp: http://truthofmyyouth.bandcamp.com/

ADTR - 'What Separates Me From You' Review (Victory Records)

A Day To Remember must have been feeling the pressure in following up 2009's hugely successful Homesic. We've seen how many bands strive to match that one good album which made the difference. Ususally, it doesn't happen. Especially when those bands stick to the same formula and try to create that same album, but bigger and better. And the deal with the new ADTR album What Separates Me From You is kind of exactly that. They've done great, but maybe not as good.

In this new album, ADTR take their already established 'pop punk meets metalcore' formula and run with it. All the elements are here: the real catchy hooks, that huge production sound (provided by Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory, who also did the last album). They've got the phat guitars, the metal-to-pop vocal variety and the state of the art beatdown precision. The only thing is that, even though this album is catchy as hell and fun to listen to, it doesn't grow in your head as much as their previous stuff. But who am I to say? What Separates... has sold 130,000 copies in less than 5 months since its release.

ADTR: ready to be the real deal

To my ears, it also sounds like Tom Denney's (ex-guitarist and HC loco icon) departure can be felt. The dude obviously has great musicianship and even though guitar duo Neil Westfall and Kevin Skaff can pull it off, it seems like maybe Denney made the difference. The bigger - and only - difference is that the overall outcome is a bit more whiney and drawn to the pop-metal side, as opposed to the punk rock feel ADTR had kept up to their last record.

All in all, What Separates... is not a bad album by any means. It is a very entertaining and easy to listen to album; and it will surely keep good company to those kids feeling lost and hazy, while they spend their time trying to figure their lives out. Oh, and check the new video out, practically everyone's in it!

GOOD 2 GO - self titled EP

If you haven't noticed already, Russia is lately expanding into a huge mecca of hardcore music and values. I don't how this change is coming about so fast, but be sure that Russian kids are putting their country on the international map of hardcore! I know for a fact that our zine here gets most of its hits from Russia, second only to US and Canada! This exceptional, huge country which stands out in so many other aspects, will now also stand out in hardcore! Straight Edge kids already know that xFlawless Victoryx is one of the best current sXe bands with their own sound, but my favorites are Good 2 Go, this awesome energetic hardcore band that I am listening to on full volume when I want to get naturally high!

Seryoga Posi is the name the dude who got in touch and send me this demo, which the band circulates for free through their myspace. He and his friends play a form of heavy but also positive hardcore, like a combination of Madball with Good Clean Fun. Awesome! Their sound is raw, with a very good production with a phat guitar sound and many cool, small solos in the background. They sing in Russian which sounds very good and they have many breakdowns and tempo exchanges to keep things interesting. 

As this is pretty fat sounding and raw like we said (music to lift weights with one hand and eat [vegan] burgers with the other), it takes a few listens to get used to it as well as the unknown language. But then you can appreciate this groovy, full of attitude hardcore band which gets more well known with every day that passes.

INSIDE ME / Внутри Меня

lyrics

There's something inside me

That keeps getting deeper every year

This is the engine in my chest

That pulls me forward

This is a string in my soul

It can never be broken

This is a fire in my eyes

That makes them shine

My way might be not easy

But I should walk it through

I can see you beside me

And we go the same way

But even if once I take alook around

And see nobody

I won't stop and turn back.

For Good 2 Go's complete, profound lyrics, go here!
Seryoga's (Cut The Strings Distro) myspace here.

We're back!, Newzzz & Four Year Strong video

Hey so we're back after our short holiday break, and we are just absolutely pumped with hardcore as usual! There is a lot of good stuff going on and I can't wait for it to happen! I hope that after this summer, it will be the most intense hardcore autumn & winter we've ever seen and I've ever participated in here in Greece.

We got the Unrestrained show towards the end of August which should be a total blast and we'll obviously do a proper review on that, as the time approaches. Also, I have found myself playing again with a new band, which I couldn't be more happy about. This, along with the new TYS issue (still not ready, what the fuck!?) and the possibility of handling press for some pretty ass-kicking bands out there, is just about enough to keep our asses busy hardcore-wise here at TYS--for now, that is.

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So what better way to start this mid-summer relaunch into hardcore action than with a great video filled with positive & energetic melodic hardcore music!? If Four Year Strong are a bit too light for your hardcore standards, well what the heck. They have really amazed me with their Gorilla Biscuits meets New Found Glory approach, which I find super-addictive and just perfect for my summer soundtrack. Plus they got some awesome lyrics to match their soundz! This is also a pretty well-shot and very funny video (excellent acting by the band members), so enjoy it if you haven't seen it already!