20121128


OVERPAIN
'Underrated - Overhated' CD
not released yet

Overpain is a hardcore band from Thessaloniki and they exist since 2007, being dedicated representatives of the Salonica Hardcore Crew, along with Senseless.
I got in touch with the band for the first time back in early 2008, when they played along with Italy's Straight Opposition in Street Attack Squat, in a show co-organized by World's Appreciated Kitsch.
I have always watched them live a couple of more times the next year,  in Larissa & Thessaloniki (with To Kill & The Break and Settle The Score, respectively, If I remember correct).
3,5 years later here I am, standing almost in front of the stage while Overpain are 'opening' for Madball in Athens... To my best impression, the band has improved a lot and they have become very mature, delivering strong doses of heavy beat down hardcore in the faces of a bunch of hardcore kids.
Their first full length album is ready but not released yet since the band is searching for a label.
They just sent me the stuff in order to review it for this blog and I wanna thank them for this.
Underrated - Overhated includes 11 songs + an intro of intense heavy hardcore with a lot of beat downs, sing-alongs, mosh and mid tempo parts, plus some faster moments. What I like the most is that Overpain are very dedicated in what they are doing, st(r)aying away from the fake wannabe beatdown 'bad' motherfuckers that are floating around in our precious hardcore scene, pretending to be thugs and outcasts.
Overpain's beatdown hardcore style has its roots in the punk / hardcore scene and this is obvious, in my humble opinion. It's like Knuckledust; brutal hardcore but still grounded in its roots, if you can get the comparison. Or even the latest stuff of Final Prayer.
Lyric wise, they keep it simple; back stabbing, preserving their crew & hardcore, staying true and the likes, you know the deal.
The record feat. guest vocals by a handful of well known bands' singers including the ones of The Last Charge from Hungary, War Hound, No Zodiac, Life Sentence and Hammerfist from USA, Bitter Taste Of Life from Sweden and our local ones Senseless and Censored Sound. 
The artwork is very nice and I definitely dig the amazing cover with a drawing of a hardcore show taking place in front of Thessaloniki's greatest monument, the White Tower.
Stay tuned; this will get a proper release anytime soon.

www.facebook.com/overpainhxc