DOSE LETALE/ ATOMIC TANGO split Cd-r (Self released) This is a totally decent split demo by two new punk bands from Saint-Etienne, France. DOSE LETALE have a punk sound, with a little emo-crust influence thrown in. The sound quality is a tiny bit muffled but they’re pretty good, with dual vocals and political lyrics. I hope they won’t get overcome but that emo-crust thing, though. ATOMIC TANGO, featuring ex-members of C.T.B., also play punk, with a little less guitars and a more punk-rock sound. I think I like them a bit more. They also write political lyrics, some of which I found to be interesting ("female voice", "dusk of the living dead", "my country",…). Two bands to watch out for. atomicxtango@gmail.com (Y.B.)

UNDER THE BLACK SAILS Cd-r (Self released) American melodic hardcore that sounds quite a lot like early NO USE FOR A NAME or early PROPAGANDHI. LAG WAGON, PENNYWISE or NO FX also come to mind. It’s pretty good, although not too original, and I can’t tell you much more because the Cd-r neither came with a lyric sheet nor a booklet. All I can say is these 6 tracks are gonna be released as an Ep soon. http://www.myspace.com/blacksails (Y.B.)

NOMATRIX "Ep" mCd (Dead lamb) This new record is the same as before, maybe a bit slower and more melodic ; it’s still a mix of that classic Uk punk sound with melodic hardcore stuff. There’s some good riffs, but it still lacks something to stand out from the crowd. The lyrics are really good and attack uniformity and group mentality. Keep an eye out for this band. http://www.deadlambrecords.com (Y.B.)

THE POISON IVVY "out for a kill" Cd (Crazy love) Holy shit ! I reviewed this band’s first record in my old zine, almost 15 years ago !! I had no idea they were still around. Whatever music style they may be playing now, people who’ve been into music for a such a long time obviously know how to play their instruments, therefore the music cannot be totally boring. And it actually is pretty good punk’n’roll, with punk-rock, surf, maybe even Oï influences. I wouldn’t listen to that kind of stuff all day long, but if I had to pick a couple punk’n’roll records to go live on an island, this would probably be one of them. Hey, how about a lyric sheet next time ? http://www.poisonivvy.com (Y.B.)

TIT PATROL "shut up juice" mCd (Madison underground) American uptempo pop-punk, along the lines of THE RAMONES and THE QUEERS. They also sound a lot like many of those early LOOKOUT rds bands. The songs are short, which is cool, and overall the music’s pretty good. I just have no idea what the lyrics are about. Girls it seems ? http://www.madisonundergroundpress.com (Y.B.)

THE HEADIES "it’s a superman’s world" mCd (Madison underground) It seems MADISON UNDERGROUND is specializing in pop-punk bands, cos this is another American band that sounds like they could be on LOOKOUT, HONEST DON’S, etc. The sound quality is good, they cover THE RAMONES and ANGRY SAMOANS… but where’s the lyric sheet ?? http://www.madisonundergroundpress.com (Y.B.)

MAKING SENSE Cd-r (Kawaii) This is their 2003 demo, rereased by a French label with 4 bonus tracks. This is great old school SxE Hardcore that sounds a lot like BOLD. They’re from Japan, and as often with Japanese bands, the lyrics don’t make any sense, although they’re trying hard to copy American classics and reproduce all the clichés that go along with the genre. The music’s nice, though. http://www.kawaiirecords.com (Y.B.)

MANSIC "the loving father" Cd-r (Infected) This is an official Cd-R with a colour cover, compiling songs from various records the band put out. MANSIC hail from Sweden and play fairly original punk-rock with a violin. I like it alright. They’re now called HATE IS JUST A FEELING, and still play the same style. http://www.myspace.com/infectedreco... (Y.B.)

MADAME GERMEN "discografia" Cd (Exabrupto) It seems the emo-crust fashion is fading away, which is not a bad thing. I never liked MADAME GERMEN, who were just 68456th generation TRAGEDY, HIS HERO IS GONE, REMAINS OF THE DAY. Did I mention EKKAIA too ? http://www.exabruptodistro.com (Y.B.)

J TAFT & THE NEW FAILED SEEKERS "viagra falls" Cd-r (Self released) This american rock/folk band plays really varied songs. The first ones aren’t bad, and remind me of later FALSE PROPHETS at times. The last ones are less folk influenced, and have a more classic rock sound ; I like them less. No lyric sheet included so I have no idea what they’re about. http://www.myspace.com/jtafthab (Y.B.)

DESTROY EVERYTHING "Freedom of speech means talk is cheap" Cd (Tent city) With a name like this, and judging by those spikey haircuts, I was expecting some thrashy crust/grind or some anthemic street-punk. So I was really surprised to hear their quite melodic sound ! DESTROY EVERYTHING have a fairly typical US punk-Hardcore sound, taking influences from melodic Hc and punk-rock. They’ve been around since the early 90’s, and sound a bit like MAD PARADE, TOXIC REASONS, DIVIDE & CONQUER, DOA, with a little THE CLASH, RANCID or DEAD KENNEDYS thrown in. They write intelligent lyrics, too. http://www.destroyeverything.com (Y.B.)

PUNK EURE #3 newsletter (in French) Pas dégueu. Juste des chroniques et des news sur le punk français et international. L’auteur n’a pas peur de donner son opinion. punkeure@orange.fr (Y.B.)

KAAOS/ KUOLLEET KUKAT split Cd (Propaganda) This label only re-releases good old Finnish bands, but these Cds pretty much suck ! Ok, the music is great, but there’s no lyric sheet, no photos, no booklet, no band information ; only shitty copies of the record covers. What a fucking waste ! These bands should have been released by GTA or any other "professional" label ! http://www.propagandarec.com (Y.B.)

LEAD 2 NITRATE "pity is not enough" cassette (Sangsara rds) A couple of these tracks also appear on the "blasts from the far east" Cd. Man, these guys listened to too much FINGERPRINT, UNDONE, ANOMIE or ENVY. Actually, ENVY themselves had listened to too much FINGERPRINT. The music is excellent Hardcore/ punk with great melodic lines, and then come the vocals… Oh damn, what a waste. Screaming whiny vocals all the way. Fans of the genre will sure appreciate. Sangsara_recs@yahoo.com (Y.B.)

BEYOND PINK "Jedan dva, jebla te ja" Lp (Emancypunx) Swedish Hardcore-punk with an old style Hc feel (CIRCLE JERKS, MINOR THREAT, STALAG 13, though not as good as any of these three !). As with most female-Hc bands, the music is fairly basic, but thankfully they don’t play any of that noisy/ KILL ROCK STARS/ DISCHORD shit. I like it alright. The Lp comes with a cute little booklet and the lyrics are great. This is a good album, that would have been better if it had been released as a demo. They should also have kicked out the singer who screams. The other one’s much better. www.emancypunx.com (Y.B.)

NYCTHEZINE fanzine #5 (in French) Déjà le numéro 5, avec une face "normale", et une face "hors-série spécial école". C’est plutôt bien foutu, avec des interviews de punks qui bossent dans le milieu scolaire, entrecoupées de textes de groupes contre ou sur l’école. Les interviews sont longues et détaillées, avec PLUS RIEN, SATYAGRAHA et de longues chroniques de livres. Côté "normal", y’a un max de chroniques de disques punk, de fanzines, un historique du groupe polonais DEZERTER, une interview d’une asso de concert et quelques colonnes. jehaislespam@orange.fr (Y.B.)

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD : THE MISFITS 10" (In my heart) 12 Spanish bands covering THE MISFITS. First, this is beautiful record ; I love the 10" format, and the yellow transparent vinyl is superb. But I was not downstruck by the music ; none of the bands are bad, but none of them manage to top the original songs (as awlays with tribute albums !). The punk’n’roll bands don’t move me much, and some of the Hardcore bands are good, like NECESIDAD DE LUCHAR and SPANDAU BULLET. http://www.myspace.com/inmyheartempire (Y.B.)

PUNX ARCHIVES #1 fanzine (in French) Marrant. Un zine qui compile une petite dizaine d’interviews du groupe punk-rock KOCHISE, réalisées dans divers zines entre 1989 et 1993. Réservé aux fans du groupe, forcément, quoique les autres peuvent s’y plonger par nostalgie, ou pour découvrir la scène française d’il y a 15 ans. jehaislespam@orange.fr (Y.B.)

SIN FRONTERAS NI BANDERAS newsletter (in French) C’est pas compliqué ; 4 pages A4 bourrées de chroniques de disques hardcore, punk, old school… Beaucoup de demos, ce qui permet de découvrir plein de groupes internationaux. Sans doute gratuit contre un timbre ? www.kawaiirecords.com (Y.B.)

ZEBARGES "too big for love" Cd (Self released) Man, I can’t believe they managed to release three Cd’s. Not even demo Cd-rs, right ? These guys are loonies straight out of the asylum. What is this ? Metal ? Punk ? Lo-fi grindcore ? Or a mix of the three ? Probably. It’s just one singer (with gruff vocals) and one bass player + a drum machine, playing experimental punk/metal with very silly lyrics (about sex, alcohol, hating people). Try and imagine early NO MEANS NO mixed with GG ALLIN and ACDC ? That’s a bit too much for me. aczebarges.dk@caramail.com (Y.B.)

SCHTÖGGMINATOR Cd (Luftwaffel) Wow, this one is hard to classify. They’re from Norway, and I would say they’re a Punk’n’roll band, but with strong punk-hardcore roots, as well as metal, not to say industrial-metal riffs. Did I mention the gruff vocals ? Hmmm, the overall result is powerful, but a bit weird. At times they remind me of later POISON IDEA, MOTORHEAD, SEPULTURA, you know, that kind of hybrid stuff. The lyrics deal with personal issues. http://www.luftwaffel.com (Y.B.)

QUE VIVE LE ROCK LIBRE #31 newsletter (in French) Par papier ou en version Pdf, toujours des tonnes d’infos sur le punk-rock Français voire international. Et quand je dis des tonnes, c’est des tonnes ! traumasocial@yahoo.fr (Y.B.)

REBELION DISSIDENTE/ MESRINE split mCd (Latincore) One band from Ecuador, and one from Quebec, both playing powerful grindcore with crust overtones, and an average sound quality. The layout pretty much sucks, too. Fans of raw & extreme music will like this for sure. I did, but more work should have gone in this Cd. http://www.latincorerecords.com (Y.B.)

SEE YOU IN HELL "report from this hell... capitalism" Cd-R (UHP) Cd-r release compiling the band’s recordings from 2002 to 2004. Not as powerful as their new album Utok, and not as crust/grind as their first demo, but still good uptempo Czech punk-hardcore. Includes a cover-song of the almighty KRITICKA SITUACE ! As often with Cd-rs, my player could not read all of the songs, nonetheless my computer did, so… http://www.uhpdistro.tk (Y.B.)

DIRTY SOUTH REVOLUTIONARIES "queen city underground" Cd (Tent city) The first time I heard them, I thought they sucked, mostly because of the effects on the vocals, but after a couple listens this album has grown on me and now I like it quite a bit ! This American band has an original sound and lots of hate and negativity to share : they have good punk-hardcore roots, but also metal riffs, heavy breakdowns, and two singers who sound like they were going to record for a black metal band but entered the wrong studio. The mosh parts remind me of EARTH CRISIS, 25 TA LIFE or CULTURE, but the faster parts, which make up for most of the songs, bring to mind bands like TRAGEDY, POISON IDEA, SPAZM 151, CATHARSIS, or even MORNING AGAIN. http://www.justrockpr.com/dsr (Y.B.)

ESSENZIA DE LAPO Cd-R A friend of mine just recorded me a couple tracks by this new Spanish band. Too bad there was no lyric sheet/artwork included, ’cos this is good shit ! They’re a punk-rock band singing in Spanish, with great female vocals, and a synthesizer. The synthesizer gives them a really original touch, which brings to mind old punk or neo-punk bands from the mid-80’s. I hope they won’t mellow out and get more poppy, but if they stay as it is, they’re an excellent band. powergenjose@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

THE FILTHY 42’s "positively south Jersey" Cd (Boot to head) Positively south Jersey ; how come Americans are so obsessed with where they’re from ? This is well played commercial sounding rock/punk-rock. Imagine melodic punk-rock like THE BUZZCOCKS, SOCIAL DISTORTION and GREEN DAY mixed with good garage stuff like PSYCHOTIC YOUTH or THE SAINTS, and some commercial shit like OASIS or REM thrown in. Get the picture ? With a tiny bit less guitars, they could be in the charts. 16 tracks and almost an hour worth of music ! http://www.boottohead.com (Y.B.)

NEVER KNOW #0 fanzine (in French) Nouveau zine dans le paysage français, dans un registre punk engagé. On trouve pas mal de colonnes d’opinions et de coups-de-gueule, pas mal de chroniques, et des interview de LA FRACTION (groupe), de DARBOUKA (label "exotique"), du COLLECTIF MARY READ (rap), et d’un tatoueur parisien. L’éditeur n’a pas peur de dire ce qu’il pense, ce qui est évidemment positif, même si certains jugements sont parfois un peu manichéens. En tout cas l’enthousiasme est bien là. bubbledog@no-log.org (Y.B.)

SEE YOU IN HELL "Utok" Cd (Insane society) Ouch ! Everytime I put this Cd in my player, I get a serious butt-kick. For some reason, I was expecting some devastating crustcore a la GRIDE or LIES AND DISTRUST, so I was very surprised to "only" hear punk-hardcore when I first listened to this beautifully designed digipack. But what punk-hardcore ! This is awesome, super tight, fast and powerful in an early ACAO DIRETA, early ECONOCHRIST, early 1125, SO MUCH HATE or POISON IDEA way. The record’s a bit short, but they included several great videos as bonus, some of them showing that these guys even have a sense of humour ! One of the best Cd’s I’ve heard in a while. Try it ! http://www.insanesociety.net/phobia (Y.B.)

DYNAMITE 8 "the medicine" Cd (Self released) Shit, this is awesome. These guys sounds so much like THE GITS, maybe even too much ! ;) This is great punk-rock with a rock’n’roll feel, awesome female vocals, and a good production. I’m not familiar with those bands, but they probably also sound like TILT and FABULOUS DISASTER. It’s just too bad they did not include a lyric sheet, does this imply they suck ? ;) Brilliant Cd anyway. http://www.myspace.com/dynamite8 (Y.B.)

PUNK’EURE #2 newsletter (in French) Juste deux pages de chroniques et d’infos sur le punk international. Les chroniques me semblent plus longues qu’avant, mais restent encore pas assez fouillées à mon goût. Dispo en papier contre un timbre, ou gratuit par internet chez : punkeure@orange.fr (Y.B.)

STRUGGLE "one settler, one bullet" Cd (Ebullition) When their Ep came out, everyone was in awe before STRUGGLE, but I’ve never liked them. Hardcore was great in the late 80’s/early 90’s, with bands like BORN AGAINST, ECONOCHRIST, DOWNCAST, MOSS ICON, RORSCHACH,…, but then, a couple bands started to play more offbeat stuff, and have these weird vocals, and emo was born, and hardcore died. STRUGGLE, according to me, were the first emo band ever, soon followed by ICONOCLAST and a whole bunch of clones. The music was great, strong hardcore with a nice rhythm beat, but those vocals ! Oh damn, they were so horrible they spoiled everything. The lyrics were pretty bad too. Very naïve and cliché. It shocked me back then even though I was young and green and obviously quite naïve myself. Well, I was glad to listen to this band again 15 years later, but my mind hasn’t changed a bit : the vocals still suck, and the band leaves me with bad memories. Blah. http://www.ebullition.com (Y.B.)

BETERCORE "youthcrust disco" Cd (Refuse) Cool Dutch fast-core. Really cool, with great intelligent lyrics. Fast, tight and to-the-point. It’s sad they were such a blatant CHARLES BRONSON rip-off ! There’s 29 tracks on this Cd, plus two good video shows. http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl (Y.B.)

CHAMPION "promises kept" Cassette (Refuse) Shit. If someone had told me "CHAIN OF STRENGTH are back and this is their 2006 recordings", I would have believed them. How can anyone on earth be so deprived of a personality on their own ?! The music is good, uptempo old school SxE Hc, but I’d rather buy the CHAIN OF STRENGTH discography on REVELATION rds ! http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl (Y.B.)

LIFE EXTINCTION "lo unico seguro en la vida es la muerte" Cd (Exabrupto) Hehe, totally unoriginal emo-crust from Mexico. 3748th generation REMAINS OF THE DAY clones jumping on the bandwagon. So you think I’ll say it’s crap ? It’s not !! Hahaha. First, they’re from Mexico and sing in Spanish, which gives them a couple bonus points. Second, the music rages. It’s totally great, fast Hardcore-crust, similar to ANOMIE or ASPHIXIA. Of course, I find the vocals to be ridiculous ; they spoil everything. But if you can get past them, don’t miss this band, it’s a great Cd with negative lyrics dealing with the end of the world. http://www.geocities.com/exabruptodistro (Y.B.)

LUMPEN "in ogni caso nessun rimorso" Cd (Mad butcher) Great powerful Oï backed up by strong melodic lines, reminiscent of BRIGADA FLORES MAGON, CAMERA SILENS, BRIXTON CATS. The lyrics are pretty good and written in Italian, which gives the band a very special flavour, which will appeal to fans of LOS FASTIDIOS or DEROZER. http://www.madbutcher.de (Y.B.)

C.S.T. "move up my self" Cd-R (Chaos class) All I can say is the demo by this Korean band was released in 2004. Unfortunately, there’s no lyric sheet, no band info, no contact address included ! :( It’s all the more sad as it’s pretty good stuff ! I can’t tell you if they’re an old school Hc band or a punk band ; they’re half way between the two, kinda like MINOR THREAT, or TEEN IDOLS, or YOUTH BRIGADE, you see ? Searching on the web, I did find a Myspace page for the band and label : http://www.myspace.com/chaosclass (Y.B.)

DEROZER "mondo perfetto" Cd (Mad butcher) These guys have already put out a whole bunch of Cd’s. It’s Italian Punk-rock/Oï with a traditional melodic Italian punk-hardcore sound. Really close to later LOS FASTIDIOS, or BAD RELIGION at times. It’s good stuff, but lacks a little something to make it memorable. http://www.madbutcher.de (Y.B.)

720° "la esencia no se pierde" Cd-r I got this a while back, but took some time to listen to it because I moved 3 times in 3 years. I was in touch with the band when they started, about 10 years ago. They were ok. Not too original, but totally decent NyHc from Argentina. They did a split with REDENCION 9-11 from Chile. But this Cd ! Man, it’s one of the best I’ve heard in months. They still play New York Hardcore, but real NyHc, not the metal shit that passed as NyHc after 1995. This is totally brilliant. Powerful, well produced, moshy, danceable. They actually add a lot of punk-Hardcore influences to their sound. They don’t really remind me of any band in particular, or maybe all the (excellent) early Buenos Aires Hardcore bands from 1990-1995. http://www.myspace.com/720hardcore (Y.B.)

PUNK’EURE #1 newsletter (en français) La newsletter des gens de PUNKAHONTAS est toujours bien foutue, mais je continue à trouver les chroniques beaucoup trop courtes. Un peu plus de profondeur aiderait à se faire une meilleure idée des disques décrits. De plus, quelques interviews, ou des dessins, des photos, etc, ajouteraient un peu d’originalité au tout. Dispo en papier ou par mail : punkeure@orange.fr (Y.B.)

OIDOS SORDOS "2003" Cd (Oidos sordos) Yes, another Cd that came out a few years ago, but I’m reviewing it nonetheless just to drop some names. You know how much I love Spanish hardcore. Even bad bands there are good compared to our French standards. It’s incredible. There’s about 20 bands on this Cd, and not one bad track, although I had only heard of two of these bands. Music styles range from energetic ’77 punk to fast punk-hardcore : MAIROLLOSNOUTA, KLOAKAO, GORITAS, CEMENTERIO SHOW, KINKY CALINKY, NO FRILLS, TUPPERGUARROS, etc. http://www.oidos-sordos.com (Y.B.)

THE 4 SIVITS/ THE TANGLED LINES split mCd (Marker) THE TANGLED LINES aren’t very original, but they do their thing really well and deliver 6 tracks of fast, well produced, and raging old school hardcore with female vocals. They’re pretty good ! I believe this was their first recording, I’m looking forward to listening to the next ones. THE 4 SIVITS are a bit slower unfortunately, but ok as well, with more Oï thrown in. They remind me quite a lot of NEGATIVE APPROACH. Nice but short split Cd. http://www.thetangledlines.de (Y.B.)

DECLINO "1982-85 : come una promessa" Cd (SOA) More and more reissues. DECLINO were a quite influencial, maybe underrated, Italian early hardcore band. They shared a split tape with NEGAZIONE, and sound a tiny bit like them, or CRASH BOX, or RAW POWER, or IMPACT. I like them ok, unfortunately they never recorded many songs ; there’s only 17 here and only a few are really excellent. Okay stuff. How about a lyric translation next time ? http://www.soarecords.it (Y.B.)

LAMBINATION #2 compilation Cd (Dead lamb) 21 international punk bands on an irish label. Many are from great Britain as you can imagine. What is a bit sad is I found the first and the last tracks to be fairly boring (or let’s say : average), while the middle ones were truly great. Which leaves you with a bad impression although it’s a decent sampler. Personal favourites were CALIFORNIA REDEMPTION, SEMMI KOMOLY, 2nd CLASS CITIZENS, NOMATRIX, KAMIKAZE SPERM and HATE IS JUST A FEELING. http://www.deadlambrecords.com (Y.B.)

LET’S GROW "neverending story" Cd-r (Ha-ko) This ain’t no shitty home burnt Cd-r, right ? This a nice demo with a full professionally printed cover, and a professionally burnt Cd-r as well. As if this wasn’t enough, the sound quality is good, the lyrics are interesting, (especially the long explanations that come with the songs) and the music is pretty cool too ; fast, old school/ thrashcore from Serbia. Nice stuff. Their album just came out and I’ll review it soon. http://www.hakobastards.com (Y.B.)

MONONOKE #4/ KEPALA ESKORBUTA #2 fanzine (in French) Un bon gros zine bien épais, très varié, très international(iste), et qui dégage une motivation pas croyable ! On dirait des gamins de 15 ans qui découvrent le punk, pourtant c’est des vieux routards du hardcore qui devraient être blasés et aigris. Une présentation sobre mais propre pour les deux, une police de caractère zinesque (arial 3, non ? – je deviens trop vieux pour lire les zines), et en vrac des interviews de distros (SOLIDARIDAD du Pérou), de labels (FIGHT FOR YOUR MIND de France), de fanzines (MANIACS, films gore), d’orgas de concerts (EBRUITEZ), de groupes (ULTIMATUM (Colombie), LOS TUBERCULOSES (Bolivie), TOTAL BANXAT (Indonésie)), des scene report de l’autre côté de la terre, des chroniques à gogo (trop ?), et même un résumé plutôt bien foutu de la géopolitique au proche-orient. Pour ceux qui comme moi se lassent de la scène, c’est un bon remontant, et qui ne doit pas coûter bien cher, alors pourquoi s’en priver ? dc.fury@wanadoo.fr (Y.B.)

DESARME "es tu error" mCd (Solidaridad) I was not even aware I had already reviewed one of their records (and said it was great). This one is good too, but I won’t rave about it. Musically, these Peruvian guys play fast punk-hardcore, taking influences from crust and old school, maybe even thrash metal too ( ?). It’s good stuff, but there’s a couple long songs or "experimental" riffs that aren’t excellent, and the lyrics are a bit short. Not bad. www.desarmehc.com (Y.B.)

HOLD TRUE "invincible" mCd (Die hard) They had warned their new songs were more melodic. Their first mini Cd was totally brilliant, and this one is less powerful, less "to the point". They still play fast hardcore, thankfully, but I miss the the urgency of the first one. It’s a good record for all old school Hc fans, and the lyrics are interesting. http://www.holdxtrue.hardcore.hu (Y.B.)

SPINA NEL FIANCO "sulla cattiva strada" Cd (Area pirata) Decent Italian band, half-way between Oï, punk-rock and Hardcore. Sounds a bit like ENDSTAND, SICK OF IT ALL, and some other Oï-core bands. Pretty good socially aware lyrics. http://www.areapirata.com (Y.B.)

COLLIGERE Cd (Vida simples) This came out several years ago, for some reason it took me ages to review it. But it’s a really good release, so I’m posting a review nonetheless. This is a great Brazilian emotional old school Hardcore band, that sounds (or sounded) quite a lot like OUTSPOKEN (with manic drumming as well). The production is great, the melodies stick to your head, everything about this band sounds sincere and heartfelt. I used the term "emotional hardcore" on purpose, it’s not "emo", right ? And the packaging is great as well. http://www.colligere.org (Y.B.)

YACOPSAE "fastcoregraphy" Cd (Solidaridad) Wow, I saw them live and they were good, but I had never paid attention to their studio material. They kick ass ! They remind me so much of HELLNATION, with a more "power violence" approach. They play super fast Hardcore, faster than you can imagine, but without the metal touch or growling vocals that often go along with the genre. Excellent stuff, 85 tracks, which are a bit hard to take in a row. solidaridad_distro@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

CLUSTER BOMB UNIT "stumpf ist trumpf" mCd (Cactus) Ok, on this new mini-Cd, you get a couple songs recorded in 2006, as well as a demo that was recorded in 2001 by a side-project featuring Kelly from RESIST. And then, you get a bunch of classic punk songs covered by both bands. I wasn’t too fond of early CLUSTER BOMB UNIT, but these tracks are really great. The angry female vocals are a plus, and make them sound like HEALTH HAZARD, DETESTATION, or RESIST. The production is poor, but suits this type of music really well. http://cactusdistro.cjb.net (Y.B.)

EXIT CONDITION "1988-1994" Cd (Boss tuneage) Holy shit, this is great ! I had almost never heard that old Uk band before, and I’m glad I now own this Cd. Just the kind of music I like ; powerful punk-Hardcore, but with enough melodies to keep the songs memorable. There’s 23 tracks, most of which are from the late 80’s, back when they were particularly good. The later songs are more poppy, but still pleasant to listen to. Great underrated band. www.bosstuneage.com (Y.B.)

OPUS DEAD "control" Cd (Opus Dead) First full length. Their early material was good, but I was always "annoyed" by the fact their music was neither metal nor thrashcore but a mix of the two. This is the same, but I like it more, because the production is better, and their musical abilities have probably improved too. Very decent stuff, with good lyrics (I was expecting them to be more sloganistic). www.geocities.com/opus_dead (Y.B.)

SADO NATION "future past, present, tense" (GTA) Damn, one more band I had never heard before, although they kicked ass ! This Cd compiles their first Ep, two first albums, as well a couple live songs and songs recorded in 2000. Their early stuff, especially their first Ep & album, are totally awesome. This is great punk similar to the AVENGERS. I love this sound. The booklet is cool but it’s sad not all lyrics were printed. :( http://www.myspace.com/grandtheftau... (Y.B.)

PUNK’EURE #0 newsletter (en français) Nouvelle newsletter faite par les gens derrière le label PUNKAHONTAS. Sympa et gratuit, comme toujours avec les newsletter, mais les chroniques sont trop courtes ! Sinon y’a aussi des news de groupes/labels/zines punks, mais pas forcément que de l’Eure, comme le titre pourrait laisser le penser. Dispo en papier ou par mail : punkeure@orange.fr

ANTIREGIMEN "anos del kaos" Cd (Reek of putrefaction) Two demos on one Cd. Early Basque punk band, which first demo actually got recorded by Fermin from KORTATU ! Unfortunately they weren’t nearly as good as KORTATU. They did write a couple excellent songs, but also some more average ones. The second demo is really good. It’s a decent Cd and an ok document, but the production was not powerful enough to fully enjoy those songs. http://www.reekofputrefaction.galeon.com (Y.B.)

AVIS BENEFIT COMPILATION Cd-r (Ni aktivu) This animal rights benefit comp first came out as a tape, and is now available again on Cd-r. Besides the fact that it is a benefit comp, it is also a pretty good record : there’s about 15 bands on it playing really powerful crust/Hc/grind. Almost all of them are good, not to say really good, except for the ones with screaming (emo) vocals (but thankfully their music is powerful as well). 4 euros ppd (France) from : ni-aktivu@riseup.net (Y.B.)

LE DIY OU LA MORT 2xCd compilation (APF) Woah, this one is impressive ; it is a history of the French anarchopunk movement from 1984 to present : it’s a double Cd comp° featuring 40 bands that comes with a huge printed fanzine and a poster !! It made me all nostalgic to listen to those bands as I grew up listening to them in the 80’s ! It’s a great document, but a couple things about it annoyed me : first and foremost, several of the bands on it are awesome, but the songs that were chosen are average, because it’s live or demo recordings. Also, to me "anarchopunk" means CRASS, CONFLICT, FLUX, but here, it is French political punk ; most of these bands play basic punk-rock with a drum machine, closer to BERURIER NOIR or LUDWIG VON 88 than to ANTHRAX or ICONS OF FILTH . Last, although a lot fo work went into the booklet, I was sad to notice there’s not enough information concerning some of the bands (only a discography for instance, where a complete biography + discography + photos + lyrics would have been better). http://apfdiy.free.fr (Y.B.)

CHAOZE ONE "koppstoff" mCd (Twisted chords) This came out on a punk label, but it’s 100% pure rap. I like that kind of music when it is raw and hardcore, unfortunately the music here is quite melodic. Either ways, it’s always cool to see a rap "band" with strong political lyrics, in a style where conservative minds rule. http://www.twisted-chords.de (Y.B.)

CALIFORNIA REDEMPTION "do not resuscitate" Ep (Dead lamb) Damn, this is one neat slab of clear-red plastic. I love that kind of melodic yet powerful old school Hardcore. They remind me a lot of bands like (early) NO USE FOR A NAME, GOOD RIDDANCE, (early) PROPAGANDHI, REDEMPTION 87, etc. It’s a beautiful Ep, which would have been perfect if it had come with a lyric sheet and info about the band. They seem to write socially aware lyrics but… http://www.myspace.com/deadlambrecords (Y.B.)

LIBYAN HIT SQUAD "death metal in Jerusalem" Ep (Bony orbit) Their previous promo-Cd was pretty good, and this Ep sounds the same ; this American band plays punk-hardcore with a real old style sound, as well as some rock/garagey influences. This style of music is really coming back in fashion these days. Think early DEAD KENNEDYS, THE FREEZE, MISFITS, BLACK FLAG, and lots of ’77 punk. With personal lyrics. http://myspace.com/thelibyanhitsquad (Y.B.)

YEARS OF DECAY Lp (Subversive ways) New band from Rennes, Brittany, featuring ex-members of ASIDE, SHORTCUT, BARON NOIR, some german punk girl screaming, and a couple more anarcho-activists. For a first album, this is definitely a good surprise ; the production is neat and so is the artwork. I could have done without all those crusty clichés (lots of dark imagery and skulls), but it’s well done stuff for sure and fans of the genre (TRAGEDY, REMAINS OF THE DAY, VICTIMS) will go crazy over this. They could use more variety in their dis-beat, and write longer lyrics. He, it’s that DISCHARGE syndroma again. http://yearsofdecay.free.fr (Y.B.)

YAGE "anders laben ?" Cd (Ebullition) Saw them live a couple times, and thought they were ok. I’m not familiar with their records, but I believe this one was a bit ore melodic than the others. Still, they fit well on EBULLITION records. For fans of AMANDA WOODWARD, STILL LIFE, ICONOCLAST, AGHAST, etc. http://www.ebullition.com (Y.B.)

YAPHET KOTTO "we bury our dead alive" Cd (Ebullition) Third album. California melancholic emo-Hc that fits perfectly well on EBULLITION records. AMANDA WOODWARD, STILL LIFE, ICONOCLAST or AGHAST come to mind. Definitely not my style, but well done. http://www.ebullition.com (Y.B.)

PILOOPHAZ "nature morte" Cd (Maloka) I was not won over by his previous releases, but this one ain’t bad. This is really "professional" sounding rap, played by someone coming from the punk scene. Half of these songs are truly awesome, while others are only "ok". The lyrics are good (but it’s sad they aren’t printed in the "booklet" (there’s no booklet actually, which is even more sad)), and the music is quite dark. Depressive rap then ? Give it a try. http://www.myspace.com/skyzominus (Y.B.)

LUCRATE MILK 3xCd (Folklore de la zone mondiale) Holy shit, this is how all discographies should be : triple Cd & digipack !! 1st Cd is a complete discography of the band : one Lp, two Ep’s + live stuff. 2nd Cd is current French bands playing covers of LUCRATE MILK ! And the last one is chock full of original video clips, live stuff, as well as current artists paying tribute to LUCRATE MILK’s songs. Onto the band now : where these guys really punk ? Or just a bunch of artists ? I don’t know. They played really crazy, experimental, goofy "punk-rock" with strong CRASS influences, a female vocalist and a saxophone. I can’t say I liked them. Too weirdo and too arty for me, although a couple songs or ideas weren’t bad. http://www.fzm.fr (Y.B.)

LOST BOYS "fuck you" Cassette Damn, not only does this new French band sound "old school", but they also released a real demo-cassette ! No one does that in France anymore. :) I’ve just seen BUSH live, and they make me think of them ; old style Hardcore, but really old style, just when punks were starting to play faster. Late 70’s, early 80’s stuff ; think CIRLE JERKS, TEEN IDOLS, some early Los Angeles bands. They do a JFA cover, and write fairly negative lyrics about life in general. Not bad at all. luchdx@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

HIGH ROAD TO OBSCURITY, vol 1 Cd compilation (GTA) This came out some time ago, but I’m reviewing it nonetheless because I think it’s an interesting record. This is a compilation featuring 41 international (mainly American), totally obscure bands. One song each, so they won’t fall into oblivion. Most of the songs are really good. Some of them, especially in the end of the Cd, are only average because the sound quality ain’t so good, but overall, this is a great comp. Most tracks were recorded by the end of the 70’s/early 80’s, so they’re neither really punk, nor totally hardcore either, if you see what I mean. http://www.myspace.com/grandtheftau... (Y.B.)

BROKEN BONES "time for anger, not justice" Cd (Dr Strange) After releasing tons of melodic Hc in the 90’s, it seems DOCTOR STRANGE is specializing in old bands getting back together. They sure put out decent stuff, but there’s one thing I don’t like about all these bands ; they don’t have no anger, no urgency anymore. They’re definitely good musicians, find killer riffs and write ok lyrics, but overall the music’s pretty dull. Big productions sure don’t help. They might appeal to metal fans, but definitely not to me. This new BROKEN BONES album is decent, they sound quite a bit like they used to in their heyday, their metal-punk hybrid also reminded me of GBH, DISCHARGE, OI POLLOI or even THE EXPLOITED. www.drstrange.com (Y.B.)

BRIGITTE BOP "highway to punk " Cd (General strike) Their previous album was impressive, but they did even better with this new one !! Picture this : this is their fourth album, it’s a double Cd/digipack that comes with a booklet/poster. It’s chock full of stuff : 14 new tracks + one full Dvd (90 minutes of live recordings, reports, infos, interviews with the band). This is how all records should be ! As for the music, it’s still the same ; BRIGITTE BOP plays typical French punk-rock (LES SHERIFF, LES RATS, THE RAMONES, THE CLASH…), with quite ironical lyrics. http://www.brigittebop.propagande.org ](Y.B.)

MAINSTRIKE "commitment" Cd (Crucial response) Yummy, at long last, a Cd reissue of MAINSTRIKE’s first Ep. This is one of the best records I have ever heard in my life !! And also one of the best bands I’ve ever seen live (at the Vortn’n’vis, Belgium). Their first album was so slow and disappointing compared to the Ep that I lost interest in them, but the other tracks on this Cd are good too ! (although slower, they’re taken from their last Ep I believe, and maybe their demo as well ??). Awesome raging music and good lyrics. Buy this piece of European Hc history. http://www.crucialresponse.com (Y.B.)

VASELINE CHILDREN demo Cd-r (Burn their trends) Wow, all the best Hardcore bands I’ve heard lately came from Eastern Europe. VASELINE CHILDREN hail from Croatia, home of the almighty RAZLOG ZA. They play fast old school hardcore bordering on thrashcore, and remind me of FPO, MUTINY, LET’S GROW and others. They write great lyrics criticizing consumerism in the Hc scene, and society in general. http://www.hakobastards.com (Y.B.)

LUNASUIT "summer season" Cd (Boss tuneage) Their first Cd was good, I believe this one is better. Comparisons with SOFA HEAD are inevitable ; they play the same brand of melodic Hardcore with melodious female vocals, they’re not as good as SOFA HEAD, but there’s definitely some great tracks on this one. Hey, where’s the lyric sheet ?? http://www.bosstuneage.com (Y.B.)

SCHOLASTIC DETH "final examiner" Cd (625) I don’t listen to a lot of American bands, and had never heard any of those songs before ! I thought SCHOLASTIC DETH was just a side project, four kids jumping on the thrashcore bandwagon to make a lot fo cash. ;) It actually is really good ! The music rips, there’s a lot of tracks on this Cd (3 Ep’s + lotsa comp tracks), one big booklet, and pretty intelligent lyrics dealing with the Hc scene, skateboarding, politics, and books. Not bad at all. http://www.625thrash.com (Y.B.)

NEW WINDS "a spirit filled revolution" Cd (Refuse) Why do bands always split up when they’re at their best ? I enjoyed early NEW WINDS material, but never liked the vocals much, and the IGNITE rip-off was far too blatant. On this Cd, they sound more IGNITEsque than ever, but they’re almost better than the original !! This is incredible. The music is awesome. And that Cd, oh man, I had never seen that before : it’s a full-colour digipack that comes with a book !! Yes, a book ! The lyrics are very political, and tackle a lot of issues. They’re sometimes a bit naïve or manichean, and I never really understood all that spiritual stuff, but this definitely was an interesting band. http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl (Y.B.)

THE SONS OF SATURN "you’ll never want to do anything else ever again" Cd (Old skool kids) French noisy and heavy emo. Intense stuff with very slow, heavy, atmospheric, but also faster and more chaotic parts. Good production, nice digipack. Not my stuff, but will appeal to fans of NEUROSIS, ISIS, ENVY, CONVERGE and many more. http://www.oskrecords.com (Y.B.)

COHESION "lovely hate" mCd (Engineer) One of the best bands on ENGINEER. Italian modern old school hardcore with a big production and powerful vocals, quite similar in style to INSIDE OUT, STRETCH ARMSTRONG, KAFKA, COMEBACK KID, etc. I found the lyrics to be fairly boring, but who cares about lyrics anymore ? The music’s good anyway. http://www.engineerrecords.com (Y.B.)

BELCEBU - LAS TRIPAS DEL DIABLO Cd compilation (Reek of putrefaction) This is the soundtrack to a Spanish movie about some guy becoming a rockstar, or something like that. There’s about 10 bands playing different styles of music (mostly punk’n’roll, but also gore-grind, punk-rock, etc), and there are also a couple bonus videos, which my computer couldn’t read, haha. This ain’t too bad, but the only track I really enjoyed was the cover of "Barbie girl" by MARS MOLES. http://www.reekofputrefaction.galeon.com (Y.B.)

DEFIANCE, OHIO Cd (Self released) Original acoustic melodic Hardcore/punk-rock from the USA, like if CRIMPSHRINE, AGAINST ME, CONTRA or KRUPTED PEASANT FARMERZ had played unplugged. A couple songs are okay, but it gets a bit boring in the end. The layout is cool and so are the band’s intentions. Emo/intellectual/hippie lyrics that aren’t too bad either. Very DIY. http://defianceohio.terrorware.com (Y.B.)

AGATHOCLES/ VENEREAL DISEASE "split" mCd (Cooperacion) This is a split Ep that came out a few years ago, re-released on Cd with a bonus track. AGATHOCLES’ tracks are recorded live and are truly great ! Classic Belgian mid-tempo grind. VENEREAL DISEASE are a Basque gore-grind band, with silly (but sometimes funny) lyrics. They play decent grind with effects on the vocals that are sometimes a bit annoying. Nice stuff. basquegrind@mixmail.com (Y.B.)

BUSH + KEN PARK + INYS, Le percy (France), 01/09/2007, @ salle des fêtes (show review) I was so happy to see some of my best friends again, after all these years ! I didn’t get to see much of INYS, because I was talking to people outside, but they sounded ok : noisy metallic hardcore from France. I had heard a lot of good things about KEN PARK (from France, too), and I was eager to see a French old school Hc band (there’s so few of them around). Well, I was disappointed. Oh, they’re good, especially live, and seem to write good lyrics, but I was expecting stuff a la MINOR THREAT or NEGATIVE APPROACH (whom they cover) and their music is pretty slow ! Mid tempo old school Hc. As for BUSH, damn, this band features ex-members of awesome bands like NEWSPEAK, POINT OF NO RETURN, NO VIOLENCE, etc, but they don’t sound like any of these ! They play really old style Hardcore, you know, just when punk was starting to go faster : THE SAINTS, BLACK FLAG, CIRCLE JERKS, or fast garage bands like NEW BOMB TURKS come to mind. (Y.B.)

ICTUS/ THIS THING CALLED DYING split Cd (Dias de juventud) I’m so sick of all these trends… I thought punk-rock was about having a critical mind and being different. It seems like every crust band in the world now plays TRAGEDY/ HIS HERO IS GONE influenced stuff. "Chickenshit conformist like your parents" !! Ok, this said, if I had to pick just one record in this sea of emo-crust releases, it would be this one ! This rips from start to finnish ! The production is awesome, there’s this wall of guitars, and it’s not too overproduced either. ICTUS are a bit more varied than THIS THING CALLED DYING, who play faster, with a more aggressive sound ; I like TTCD better, but both bands make for a pleasant listen. http://www.diasdejuventud.net (Y.B.)

SHACKLED DOWN "the crew" Cd (Self made god) Uninspired hardcore. 4 polish kids trying to cash in ( ?) on the thrashcore trend. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, AGNOSTIC FRONT and RAMBO style fastcore with mosh parts and chanted choruses. Boring lyrics about unity, the scene and backstabbers. The music is good, and I love the drumming, but these guys need to rehearse more and find their own path in life. http://www.selfmadegod.com (Y.B.)

ROUSE "discography" Cd (Rumble) Essential stuff from Spain… again. Has anyone ever heard a bad Spanish band (at least before 2000 and the emo + metal trends) ? ROUSE was the three ex-HHH members playing melodic stuff. Emo-rock ? Indie pop ? Nah, fast thrashy melodic hardcore of course !! Like a cross between HHH and 7 SECONDS. Or like if you played a BAD RELIGION 33rmp Lp on 78rmp. 44 killer tracks, with quite intellectual lyrics. They would have reached perfection if they had sung in Spanish. Buy this ! http://rumbleonline.com (Y.B.)

THE WANTED "la force et la rage" Cd (Mass prod) I saw these guys live two years ago and was totally blown away. I was eagerly waiting for this Cd to come out, and it does not disappoint. They come from the deep-end of Brittany. Their band-name is average, the artwork ain’t too good, but the music rages ! They play tight, aggressive and super fast punk-Hardcore, reminiscent of early Italian or Japanese bands, or stuff like BLIGHTED AREA/ RAWNESS, RAW POWER, BGK, MDC, INFEZIONE, SUBTERRANEAN KIDS, etc. I could have done without the screaming vocals, but they aren’t unbearable either. http://www.massprod.com (Y.B.)

XPOZEZ "back on the streets" Cd (GTA) Funny thing is, I had just started listening to/reading the INSTIGATORS Cd on BLACKFISH rds when this got in ! XPOZEZ were pre-INSTIGATORS, well, at least they shared the same vocalist. In a way, XPOZEZ sound a bit like early INSTIGATORS, but they were much more punk-rock oriented, less Hardcore/melodic Hardcore. They sound like many English bands from 1977-1982. Some songs are truly good, while others are only Ok. Nice stuff, with good lyrics. http://www.myspace.com/grandtheftau... (Y.B.)

JIHEART mCd (Refuse) Interesting stuff from Belarus. Female fronted Hardcore band writing socially aware lyrics, and playing quite original hardcore : the rhythms are rather mid-tempo, the vocals are quite melodious, but they have this wall of guitars behind them, that reminds me a bit of LES THUGS, or early EARTH CRISIS for instance. Really intense stuff. The booklet includes two texts about the Hardcore scene and political situation in Belarus. http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl (Y.B.)

LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER "buscando una repuesta" Cd (Living dead society) Cool thing is they sing in Spanish, and play a reggae song in the end. :) …but I’m disappointed. Their previous split Cd with KONTRATAQUE was totally awesome, and this one sounds pale in comparison. They play way more typical thrashcore/grind/crust, and sound like CATHETER quite a bit. The production, according to me, is a bit too big for that kind of music, and the Cd is only 16 minute long ! Not bad, just not as good as before. http://www.livingdeadsociety.com (Y.B.)

ABORTION "Gonna be worse" Cd (Obscene) Their first Cd was good, in an AGATHOCLES/ ASSÜCK way, but this one sounds much more metal. There’s more death influences, and more covers of boring metal bands like MINISTRY or LAWNMOWER DETH. This said, fans of the genre should enjoy it. They’re from Czech, and the lyrics are good. www.obscene.cz (Y.B.)

KLOAKAO "cuzao de galinha" Cd (Potencial hardcore) This came out a couple years ago, but I wanted to post a review anyway because I love it. I have a couple of their previous records, which are pretty good, but this one is really great ! The production is perfect, and they play tight and powerful melodic Hc. I would compare them to early BAD RELIGION, "suffer" or "against the grain" era, or even stuff like ZINC, later PROPAGANDHI, PENNYWISE, BURNING HEADS, etc. Or imagine if LA POLLA RECORDS had played Hardcore instead of punk. And they sing in Spanish, which is cool too. I was totally surprised to see their lyrics are excellent, and politically aware. Most melodic bands sing about futile stuff, not this time ! http://www.nodo50.org/potencialhc (Y.B.)

HIT ME BACK "life" Cd (Refuse) This seems to be the new Hardcore sensation, but I’m not impressed. American fast-Hardcore reminiscent of RAMBO’s first album, half-way between thrashcore and old school Hc. Personal, but not dumb, lyrics. Decent stuff, but nothing groundbreaking here. Send me some south American Hc instead ! www.refuserecords.prv.pl (Y.B.)

THE FREEZE "freak show/ crawling blind" Cd (Dr strange) Wow, this is excellent. DR STRANGE had already put out a fantastic Cd featuring their two first Lps, and I believe these are the two next ones they put out. By then, THE FREEZE had gone more melodic, but without sounding boring at all. Long before EPITAPH and FAT WRECK got millionaires. Of course, these tracks aren’t as good as the first ones they recorded, but I like them a lot. It’s too bad no lyric sheet was included, but there’s a band bio instead, and it was funny to hear about how they got ripped off by LOST’N’FOUND and stuff. http://www.drstrange.com (Y.B.)

DEZES "des charges publiques" Cd (Dzp) I had never heard of this new band from Rennes, France, but they already put out this very professional looking & sounding album. They play pretty good "fusion-punk", along the lines of early TAGADA JONES, KARGOLS, GUERILLA,… They would fit really well on a big label from the same town, ENRAGES PROD. Nice lyrics, too. http://www.dezes.fr (Y.B.)

CYNIC 19/ THE ACT WE ACT/ AT LEAST I SPEAK split Cd (Cactus) Geeez, 3 Asian bands playing crazy Hardcore here. 10 tracks in 14 minutes ! This is really wild stuff, with rock’n’roll, emo and modern Hc roots. They sound like many hardcore bands these days : they have that punk’n’roll sound (JERRY ROLL ROCKHEADS, ELEKTROCUTION, TOKYO SEX DESTRUCTION, etc etc) mixed with powerful emo stuff (SWING KIDS, JR EWING, ORCHID, etc etc). In the end, they remind me of the MINUTEMEN, YOUTH ENRAGE, or bands on OLD SKOOL KIDS records (from Russia) : WHEN MY AUTHORITIES FALL, DEVIL SHOOTS DEVIL, etc. Yes, they’re hard to classify. http://www.cactusdistro.cjb.net (Y.B.)

SEDITION #6 fanzine (in French) Wow, le moins qu’on puisse dire, c’est que c’est super classieux ; 58 pages, imprimé, bien présenté, et gratuit ! Niveau contenu il y a des tonnes de chroniques (limite trop), quelques pubs, des interviews (HELLBATS, WITCH HUNT, GRAVES AT SEA, PREJUDICE…), un long tour report de AMANDA WOODWARD aux Usa, et un dossier sur le végétarisme avec des interviews de 4 assos qui défendent les droits des animaux. Il y a donc de quoi lire et c’est assez éclectique. Ce qui fait l’unité ici c’est le "gros son", peu importe le style, NyHc, emo, noisy, crust et bien sûr métal, tout y passe tant que les musiciens ont de gros amplis et assurent niveau technique. Dispo contre 2 euros port compris : seditionzine@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

THREATS "twelve punk moves " Cd (Dr Strange) I’m never too fond of these old bands getting back together after 20 years or so… The THREATS are ok. You can always expect decent stuff on Dr STRANGE RECORDS anyway. They play tight punk with ’77 and melodic Hc influences. Kinda like what they used to play in the early ’80’s, with a bigger production and better musicianship. http://www.drstrange.com (Y.B.)

COCKROACH "take four" Cd (Kaz) I believe this was their first effort ? It was recorded in 2004. This is a good new Dutch fast-hardcore band, with thrashy parts and some slower, Hc-punk ones. It’s ok stuff, especially for a first album, but the production is quite poor and spoils our pleasure. Their next records are probably much better. The lyrics are smart though. http://www.dp-or-not-dp.nl (Y.B.)

HERESY "face up to it !" Cd (Boss tuneage) Contrary to some of my friends, I’ve never been a huge HERESY fan ; too much thrash, not enough melodies. But I do like the band, a true hardcore band like most bands in the 80’s, when hardcore would not be heard on MTV and bands would have a lot to say. And also long, long before everyone started to play "fastcore" or "power violence" ; at a time when there were only a couple of those bands per country. Awesome digipack. http://www.bosstuneage.com (Y.B.)

INSTIGATORS "dine upon the dead" Cd (Blackfish) Yummy, two old english punk-Hc classics reissued onto one disc, with a huge booklet. Lots of early 80’s Uk-Hc info here. The two albums provided here are the ones they recorded right after THE INSTIGATORS lost their first singer, and when Andy (from X-POZEZ) joined in ; it’s not their best songs, most of them actually got re-recorded later on and included on their other albums, but there’s still excellent songs here, and it’s definitely a nice document. www.blackfishrecords.com (Y.B.)

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