Part Time Killer

People.Religion.Death CD

Pee Records

Part Time Killer is a band based in Lahti, Finland and consists of 3/4 members of the punk rock band Flippin' Beans (active from 1996-2007, with releases out by Fullhouse Records).
People.religion.death is their first full length, following their 'Fuck the world' 7" and the 3way split with Jet Market and Burning Fiction, and it was released by the Australian label, Pee Records.
The album includes 12 songs of melodic 90s skate punk rock in the vein of Pennywise, Satanic Surfers, H2O, Lagwagon and Millencolin.
Fans of the Fat Wreck / early Epitaph sound know the deal.
Part Time Killer deliver positive vibes via their uplifting, ultra melodic punk rock tunes, fueled with loads of energy and passion. The guitar riffs and the vocal structure are sooo catchy that will definitely make you bang your head and sing-along, no matter if you listen to their record alone in your room a Saturday night or in the metro while heading to work early in Monday morning!
Part Time Killer know how to write punk rock songs that sound fresh and unique, songs that will change your mood and fill your mind with positive thinking.
This is punk rock 2011.
Listen to Part Time Killer.

P.S. I couldn't find better lyrics to describe my feelings while I'm on a show / tour, than the following by Part Time Killer...

'Another night and I'm sleeping on the floor, it's cold and there's no door, 1000 miles from home, feeling so tired after the show. I would like to sleep but we have to go. 1000 miles away from home, 'cause it's time for another amazing town, another amazing crowd, another amazing song but no one sings along and it's breaking my heart. This is heartbreaking music. I live for the music, I breathe for the music, this is my life till the day I'll die. I'm 1000 miles away from home, I'll give you my heart, I'll give you my soul, every single night on this tour...'

www.parttimekiller.com
www.peerecords.com

Leave It To Me / Nas Tuas Mans

split 7"

Punk Machine | Uri Geller | Cruzade

I'm not sure if I've reviewed Leave It To Me's first 7" (that was released last year or so) or not, but I definitely carry some copies of it in my distro. I absolutely dig Leave It To Me's sound. It's really sad that they broke up just ...yesterday. I found out about this 5' before I started writing this review, fuck... One more band I'm reviewing after their demise.
Nevertheless, Joan from Barcelona (owner of Cruzade Records) sent me Leave It To Me's split 7" with Nas Tuas Mans. A nicely packaged (12 pages booklet with lyrics & photos included) piece of wax feat. 6 old school hardcore anthems by 2 great Spanish bands.
Leave It To Me from Valencia own side A. Their songs remind me of the 97 straight edge / youth crew revival. Bands like Ten Yard Fight, In My Eyes and Floorpunch come in my mind. You know the deal; ultra melodic & catchy guitar riffs, tight rhythm section, angry yet passionate vocals and sing-alongs. I'm into their stuff and, as I mentioned above, it's soooo bad that they called it quits after 5 years of existence.
Side B. features Nas Tuas Mans. To be honest, I dunno what their name stands for. My spanish are way too poor and besides that it seems that this is not spanish, but maybe portuguese or another dialect. So, Nas Tuas Mans come from Galicia (northwest Spain, I think that their hometown is Vigo) and they play since 2008 or 2009. They have released a demo in 2009, for sure... Their style is old school, fast hardcore, influenced by the straight edge scene of the late 80s and bands like Chain Of Strength, Bold, Uniform Choice and maybe SSD. Straight to your face punk / hardcore music with lyrics in their native language.
All in all, this split is the definite choice for anyone that wanna listen to some old school, straight edge related, hardcore music coming from Spain.
Don't drink cokes for a couple of days and you'll save the money to get it...!

www.myspace.com/leaveittome2006
www.myspace.com/nastuasmans
www.myspace.com/punkmachinerecords
www.myspace.com/urigellerrecords
www.cruzaderecords.com

The Raindogs!

Unleash the six LP / CD

The Lab Records

The Raindogs! is a band based in Athens, Greece and this is their first full length, released in both vinyl and CD formats.
Kostas, who take cares of the trombone in The Raindogs!, was kind enough to give me a copy of the vinyl edition in order to review it in this blog.
First of all, I must say that the artwork of the album is awesome. The LP (black / orange split) comes in a gatefold case, featuring great drawings. It really grabbed my attention.
Musicwise, The Raindogs! deliver 10 songs of modern ska / reggae music, with a lot of funk / rock and some dub elements. It's not easy to make comparisons but I guess that a band like The Slackers is definitely one of their fav and a huge influence for them!
The recordings of the record were done the analog way, while Jim Spliff (The Last Drive) and Panos M. (The Earthbound) took care of the production. The mastering was done in London, UK.
'Unleash the six' was released by the local label The Lab Records (founded by Deus Ex Machina and The Earthbound members). Stavros (Deus Ex Machina) offers guest vocals in the song 'Fight and Get', as well.
I'm really into The Raindogs!. I dare to say that their new record is the soundtrack of the broiling August that is coming our way faster than fast...!
Give it a try and support your local scene!

www.myspace.com/raindogsathens
www.myspace.com/thelabrecordsathens

Μουνί γεμάτο αγκάθχια

fanzine

self - released

Well, I cannot be objective in this review, since K., who is responsible for this zine, is a new friend of mine...

Μουνί γεμάτο αγκάθχια (a cunt full of thorns) is a cut & paste perzine* including 16 A5, black & white, pages full of collages, poems and writings.
Its content encompasses the editor's personal thoughts and feelings upon every day life's subjects, with love and relationships being the hot topics.
Althought it is a zine that you can read in almost 15 minutes, it's definitely not the most easy-reading publication for your summer... The writings featured here are thought-provoking, filtered by a desperate and melancholic vibe, striving to fight depression. And they manage to do so!
I'm really happy when more and more people involved in the scene release fanzines like this one. After all, it's not just about music, it's so much more.
Reach K. at shotbythesystem(at)hotmail(dot)com and visit her music blog as well at: screaming-reality.tumblr.com

εγώ γεννήθηκα για να είμαι ερωτευμένη κι ίσωσ να είμαι η μόνη, ίσωσ κι όχι.
το είδα στα πάρτυ, το είδα στα μπαρ. όλοι ψάχνουν να κρύψουν την μοναξγια τουσ
σε εφήμερα κορμιά.

*perzines are a genre of zines; the 'per' meaning 'personal'. This term describes zines that are written about one's own personal experiences, opinions and observations.

www.mouni-gemato-agkathxia.tumblr.com

The World / Inferno Friendship Society

The anarchy and the ecstasy CD / LP

Chunksaah Records

Summertime and we are stuck in the city... What better to do than listen to some cool music and update our precious blog?!

Chunksaah Records (also home for Bouncing Souls, Adrenalin O.D., Avail's Tim Barry and the likes) released the 13th record of The World / Inferno Friendship Society; an orchestra featuring the best anarchist trobadours in the world.
Talia sent me this masterpiece months ago, but I was either busy or lazy to review it. Better late than never, as they say...
To be honest, I've never listened to a whole The World / Inferno Friendship Society record in the past; I knew almost nothing about the band except of some compilation songs and spare tracks I have in my MP3 library (sic).
This band is way too different from the typical hardcore / punk band you read about in this blog. On the contrary, TWIFS don't play punk rock at all.
They mix danceable styles like salsa, shoegaze and soul with a lot of folk rock and some ska elements, creating a unique blender of quality music for all you open-minded hardcore / punk kids to listen to while resting from a 4hr session including 90s vegan straight edge metallic hardcore or a 10 records / 10 beers mashup of street punk.
The punk aspect is always present, though... TWIFS may not play punk rock but they are punk rockers!
I can undoubtedly claim that fans of bands like Social Distortion, Flogging Molly and - of course- The Pogues will love them.
They are on a European tour till 20th August, so you might catch them live somewhere during your vacation trip...

All borders are porous to cats.

www.worldinferno.com
www.chunksaah.com

I wish I could go...
Instead I'll hold strongly to the memories,
take a deep breath and continue working.
Hardcore is more than just music.

No Turning Back

Take Control LP / CD

Reflections

Cant't deny I'm growing older, everyday I'm getting colder, only one release from me, on my stage for all to see. To the ones that are still besides me, there for me and always will be, looking forward, nothing new, no hesitation, I'll do what I gotta do. Always will be.

Let's start with a statement... No Turning Back is the best european hardcore band these times & days... Hard-working, dedicated, always on the road, down to earth and with an attitude, No Turning Back are going strong since 1997. They have played literally everywhere all over the world, from Europe and The States to China, Israel, Costa-Rica, New Zealand and South Africa, demonstrating their beliefs and exposing their anger.

Take Control is their new full length album, following the path that No Turning Back have paved years and years ago. When your turntable meets a No Turning Back record, you know what to expect... Passionate heavy hardcore influenced by the New York hardcore scene (excluding the tough guy bullshit) and Europe's legendary bands like Backfire. Besides that, No Turning Back have their own unique sound that sets them apart from the herd and the clones / clowns that rule / ruin the hardcore scene nowadays.
Songs like Strife, Justice, Not Anymore and Take The World will make you trash everything around you, while Bleed For Me, Always Will Be and Never Let Go will leave a bittersweet taste in your mouth and mind.
No Turning Back returned with a new opus, a record that will stay in the European hardcore history's pantheon for years... This is true (it may sounds lame, but it's true) hardcore at all costs.
Take control, take a stand, take the world in your hand.

www.noturningback.nl
www.reflectionsrecords.com

Oathbreaker

Maelstrom LP / CD

Deathwish Inc.

I remember the first time I listened to Oathbreaker's debut 7" two years ago... It shook & twisted all my body. What a blast... The record was released by the British label Thirty Days Of Night, and... I immediately sent a message to Oathbreaker inviting them to play in Greece (in the Positively Positive Hardcore Fest #2 if I remember correctly...). That never happened, though... Airtickets are fucking expensive and besides that the people in this goddamn country that have ever heard of Oathbreaker can be counted on the fingers of one hand...
Nevermind... Here we are in mid 2011 and I'm listening to Maelstrom (a title that To Kill used for their EP, as well), that was just released by Deathwish Inc.
Oathbreaker managed to sign to the most hyped hardcore label nowadays with just one EP and almost 3 years of existence... On the other hand, they have played countless shows all over Europe, sharing the stage with bands like Blacklisted, Entombed, Trap Them, Rise & Fall and more... It seems that hard-working touring bands always get what they deserve in the end...
So, back to Maelstrom...
I have to mention that Oathbreaker share a member with Amen Ra, and moreover the screams that are haunting you during the record come from a female.
I know that this is a bit of a sexist comment to differentiate the genders of the band members, and also it's fucking pathetic to write down every now & then that this or that band has a female singer or bassist or whatever, like it's something totally weird or totally alienated with the hardcore / punk scene... Fuck...
Enough with the antisexist preaching...
Well, Maelstrom is a fucking masterpiece, a helluva of a perfect debut album of dark metallic hardcore, in the vein of Cursed, From Ashes Rise, Rise & Fall and Integrity (of course). Oathbreaker are also influenced by Entombed and -I dare to say- Celtic Frost...
The whole atmosphere that the record unfolds and unleashes will drown us in a chaotic planet far away from the misery reality we have to cope with every single day.
The self-titled song is an acoustic opus / elegy, like the calm after the storm...

Honestly, if you are into dark metallic / apocalyptic hardcore, get this masterpiece.

www.myspace.com/theoathbreakerreigns
www.deathwishinc.com

Vodka Juniors

Pirate tour 2011

If I could take back the time, I'd take the things I left behind, for I'm aching and I'm tired. And if I ever had a choice, I'd change it all to hear your voice, for I'm aching and I'm tired. Away, living in denial. This road I walk is never straight, it's filled with happiness and pain, just like summer rain. I'm getting old, I'm getting tired and I'm never going home, I'd rather walk away. Just like summer rain.

July 9th | Kolimbithra Beach Party, Tinos Surf Lessons
July 23rd | Keros Surf Club Beach Party, Limnos
July 30th | Thalassea Sports Beach Party, Naxos
August 1st | Disco the Que, Amorgos (Aigiali)
August 2nd | Mousiki Avli, Amorgos (Katapola)
August 4th | Camping, Antiparos
August 5th | Agali Beach Bar, Paros
August 7th | Koloumbo Beach Party, Santorini
August 8th | Pegasus Rock Bar, Ios
August 9th | Palmira Beach Bar, Sifnos
August 11th | t.b.a., Syros

August 13th | Kasmir Club, Ikaria

www.myspace.com/vodkajuniors