Face to Face - Protection (2016, Fat Wreck Chords)

So, last night I was informed by the great guys in Fat Wreck that I could lay my (digital) hands on the new Face to Face album called Protection. 
Face to Face apart from being the Cali punk veterans they are, in my eyes, they are one of the very honest bands out there. OK maybe they never were the top name when it came to Cali punk but they have clearly offered the scene a lot throughout the years.
Straight to the album then.

First thing you easily notice is the realy clean cut production. This album was recorded at the infamous Blasting Room in Colorado and of course taken care by Bill Stevenson (Black Flag, Descendents etc.) and Jason Livermore who apparently was the one that made the drums sound so good.
As for the tracks, the album contains 11 songs of easy-going, midtempo, highly melodic punk rock music. The songs sound more.."punk" if I may say so than the previous album (Three chords and a half truth) which wasn't my favorite to be honest. Of course, the emotional element is pretty apparent in Protection as well (i.e. I won't say) and if you are expecting the skate punk rock sound of Don't turn away, then this album is definitely not for you. To me, this is the band asking for a second chance for their more melodic style and I can give them that, no matter how much I prefer the old sound.

All in all the album is a pretty smooth and easy listen. If you like melodic punk rock this is an album you'd maybe dig. Make sure you give it a try.

Tracklist:

1. Bent But Not Broken
2. I Won’t Say I’m Sorry
3. Double Crossed
4. See If I Care
5. Say What You Want
6. Protection
7. Fourteen Fifty-Nine
8. It Almost All Went Wrong
9. Keep Your Chin Up
10. Middling Around
11. And So It Goes

Violent Reaction - Marching On

OK this is not new. It was in March, but I finally found time to write a piece about this. So here goes..
BLOODY HELL! This is definitely one of the best hardcore albums of 2015.
For those who don't know, VR is a hardcore band from Leeds, UK and they sound as old school as it gets.
"Marching on" is balanced between slow/midtempo Oi! parts as well as fast ones by some of my favorite hardcore bands such as Poison Idea, Outcold and the likes. This is Negative Approach meets Last Rights with a more decent sound production-wise. Yes, it's as good as it sounds. I don't think there is any reason getting into the songs one by one because the album is so fast and "easy" to listen, that you really have no time for this.
We need more like this!

Bandcamp: https://violentreaction.bandcamp.com/album/marching-on-lp-2015

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Violent-Reaction/177017079042937?fref=ts

Blogspot: http://www.violentreaction.blogspot.com.es/

One Last Round - s/t (Lone Wolf Productions)

It’s been a while hasn’t it? There is rarely a better chance to restart a blog than when a Greek band playing out-of-Boston hardcore releases its debut album. So I grabbed the chance and here I am back from the dead. But let’s get to work.

Here is “One Last Round” coming from Greece (Athens and Pireaus to be more specific), featuring members of Soberphobia, Ten Beers After and Smoking Barrels, local heroes of their appropriate scenes. Having the shittiest of days, I must admit I didn’t quite think reviewing this album (or whichever album for what it’s worth) would be a good idea. But I did it anyway.

So their album baring the same title as their own name, released by the Czech Lone Wolf Productions, starts with “Wannabe” a pretty straightforward lyric-wise track. What impresses is the way this song resembles Slapshot. Both the tempo (not too fast-not slow) and the guitars but especially the way the vocalist spits the lyrics reminds me of the good old times of the great Boston band.  Oh the lyrics… Nothing new here. But the first-person talking about personal choices and mistakes, pride and pain never gets boring anyway.  The whole album goes on the same way. You have your Madball super groovy parts as in “More than this”, and your Agnostic Front mid-tempo, gang vocals included in “No For An Answer”. 

It’s a pity this album is short, but it’s a great debut, a well recorded demo with what seems to be a great artwork, but I will hopefully get back to this when I get my hands on a copy. One Last Round is as old school as it gets. This sort of hardcore, is rarely played nowadays but always greatly appreciated by those who know the roots let alone when played in this in-your-face way.  So if you like the aforementioned bands you’ll definitely find moments of your earlier years in this album.

You can listen to the whole album here. Enjoy responsibly.

Till next time… 

TYS!

Check this awesome hardcore / metalcore zine!
I'm really happy to be a new, humble contributor there :)

See ya soon!

Lately...

On - Generations (Seattle youth crew hardcore at it's finest!)



Dead to me - Undertow (From the new DTM album called Moscow Penny Ante)



Mayflower - I never (From the album Second Best Sunsets)



April - Kill Depression (Awsome polish hardcore band)



H2O - I wanna live (Ramones cover from their Don't Forget Your Roots album)

Mid-week enthusiasm!

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