World's Appreciated Kitsch

2012-01-28T13:22:00.002+02:00

Bad Movies // 10 To Go.

Salonica punk rock vs ska / punk from Larissa.

AN Club / Εξάρχεια.

Tonight.

Doors open at 21.30.

Όλοι εκεί.

2012-01-20T16:46:00.003+02:00

I Want You Dead

ΑΩ 7"

7inch.gr | World's Appreciated Kitsch

In my humble opinion, this is probably the best record (coming straight from the extreme music's local underground scene) that was released in 2011.

I know that you know that World's Appreciated Kitsch is involved in this and that some (or even many) of you will claim that I'm writing this in order to promote ΑΩ and sell more records; but stick this to your fucking heads... I don't give a shit because half of you reading this blog do not even deserve to listen to this masterpiece.

You cannot understand its maturity unveiling via its simplicity. Elitism? Yes.

This is some serious negative shit exposed and filtered through dark hardcore music.

If you are a fan of Integrity, Ringworm or Rise & Fall, go listen to these bands. They rule.

I Want You Dead do not want you to be a fan of anything.

Give your self a chance and open your minds and your hearts for once. Stray from the typical 'hardcore' stuff that you are downloading from the net. Stop worshipping your fake punk rock messiahs. Cease bowing down to the authorities imposed on you.

Stand in the storm, kill all the lights, come burn the sky.

ΑΩ is served in a gatefold cover, including a card and lyrics printed on rice paper, plus a download code, plus colored vinyl. It's limited to 500 copies and you will be able to get it from various spots all over the globe before the world ends.

This is already CVLT.

www.iwantyoudead.bandcamp.com

www.7inch.gr

www.wakhc.blogspot.com

2012-01-12T00:53:00.003+02:00

Rivals!

Make your own path CD

Brain Ache Records

Rivals! was a hardcore band based in Athens / Greece.

They started out in 2008 feat. the 4/5 former members of xFor No Reasonx and, as far as I know, they called it quits this summer, since some of their members have formed a new power violence / fast hardcore band.

Their first full length album was released some months ago by the UK label Brain Ache Records (also home for bands like Nine Eleven, Beartrap and more).

I am lucky enough to own the limited edition of this CD incl. different artwork and screen-printed digipack.

The regular version is still available through WAK distro, as well.

So, let's get this straight.

Rivals! are playing old school hardcore with a modern touch.

If you are a fan of the straight edge revival and / or if you are interested in bands like Champion, Bane and Verse, you'll definitely dig 'Make Your Own Path'. Sing - alongs, passionate vocals, tight rhythm section, melodic guitars; I guess you already know the deal.

Lyricwise, they focus on sociopolitical issues; while they don't forget to represent the straight edge / vegetarian / hardcore ideals.

The production is awesome and this fact helps a lot the band members to unfold their talent and deliver their compositions to the audience.

All in all this is a very good local hardcore album that can easily compete with releases of the European hardcore scene.

Get your copy immediately.

'Crisis in economy, crisis in existence, crisis in you, crisis in me. Political systems submerge and emerge. People fall and rise. Friends come and go. This system cannot be improved, it must be overthrown. We have to crash it otherwise it will collapse upon us. There is no road for that; the road is made by walking. Our road is the one that we make all together. Our road is solidarity among us. Our road is the way we choose to live our lives. Music can't change the world but it changes people. And people can change the world. Just by making their own path.

www.reverbnation.com/rivalshxcband

www.facebook.com/brainacherecords

2012-01-07T16:26:00.003+02:00

.Day 12/13/14.

.06thJanuary 2012.

23.00

We are on board sailing back to Greece.

The ship was delayed for about 4 hours because the weather is heavily windy.

We have a trip of about 14-20 hours (I am going to Igoumenitsa while IWYD will reach Patras) to cope with.

So, the tour is over and we are overwhelmed by a bittersweet feeling.

We had a great time and we will really miss the life on the road.

During the last 2 days we had no internet connection, so starting from the Zurich show we'll write down as many details concerning what happened as we can remember…

We arrived in Zurich after an 8hour trip from Chemnitz.

Marco had set a last minute show for us; consequently we drove straight to Autonomer Beauty Salon, a new squat located almost in the centre of Zurich.

As you already know, Zurich is the European mecca of capitalism, featuring huge multinational companies and stores, plus high rates of wealth among its citizens. Taking care of a squat in such a city is not the easiest thing to do, but the 30 squats that exist in Zurich prove the opposite.

So, IWYD played a very decent show in the big venue that Autonomer Beauty Salon offered.

After a bunch of drinks and a lot of discussions between us and the local guys / girls, we drove to another squat were Marco and his girlfriend reside. The name of the squat was Binz and it consisted of a huge building that provided a place to stay for 40-50 people.

2 of us slept there while the other 3 took the decision to sleep in the van because we strongly believed that this was not a nice place for us to spend the night in… Trying to find a hostel cheaper than 50 euros per person at 4 o' clock in the morning in Zurich seemed like an utopia, so our van was the only option.

As you can imagine that night was totally bad for us, since it was raining, it was fucking cold and we had to fit 3 people in a 6-seat van… That night was the worst of the tour and affected for a couple of hours our mood during the next morning.

Nevertheless, we started the trip to Firenze on Thursday around noon.

We passed the borders, having to cope with a heavy snowfall and a traffic jam due to it.

Luckily, after Milano the weather was good and we managed to arrive in Firenze around 21.00.

There we met the Straight Opposition guys that drove from Pescara from the show, Undisputed Attitude from Vicenza, plus the local crew.

The show took place in a 12-year old squat located in Prato area, called C.S.A. Next Emerson.

A local band played first and Undisputed Attitude were next. I really liked their modern hardcore fueled with lots of energy and passion.

The squat was packed with more than 150-200 people attending the show.

IWYD hit the stage afterwards. Their show was really good and they had a pretty cool feedback from the Italian punks.

I watched 1-2 songs of Straight Opposition (actually it was the 8th time I'm seeing these guys live) and 3 of us left in order to find a hotel to spend the night since we were extremely tired to sleep either in the squat or the van. After trying for almost an hour without a single result, we returned to the squat. The last band, Disease, were finishing their set, so after a while we packed the van with our equipment, left 2 IWYD members in the squat and we drove to the Firenze center on our mission for a hotel / hostel.

Eventually we found one at 3.30 in the morning, took a shower and slept nicely for the next 5 hours.

We woke up early on Friday morning, picked up the others from the squat and started the trip to Ancona.

And here we are, in the ship, trying to kill the countless hours.

Just lost 10 euros in 10 sec in the roulette, I guess I have to stop.

Tomorrow, IWYD are playing in Prokat 35 in their hometown (Patras), while I have a 12hr trip to Larissa, where I have a show with my band (My Turn).

5000km / 10 countries.

11 shows / 1 cancelled.

Countless burgers.

The tour is over, but the memories remain.

Get prepared for a tour zine / memorabilia to be released before the end of the world.

-a. & iwyd-

2012-01-04T02:06:00.002+02:00

.Day 11.

.04thJanuary 2012.

01.07

After visiting Kreuzberg once again and eating proper food this time (no burgers today) we said goodbye to Stefi (she is in the train right now on a 12hr trip back to Wien) and left Berlin.

The trip to Chemnitz was short, so we arrived around 20.00.

Nadelle was waiting for us in Subway To Peter; we had a short soundcheck and then a delicious meal including crispy mushroom-balls, french fries and salad.

The show started around 23.00 and IWYD played an OK / cool set in front of a decent audience of 40-50 people.

Nothing special to write down today.

We are now in the club and in a while we'll visit the band room to get a sleep.

The weather is very windy and cold, so a walk downtown is not an option.

Btw, we just got a last minute show in Zurich thanks to our friend Marko.

IWYD will play in Autonomer Beauty Salon tomorrow night.

The drive to Zurich is long; something like 9-10hrs including a stop at the borders since Switzerland is not in the European Union.

We'd like to thank Ste from Kalashnikof that he helped us find a place to sleep in Villa Vegan in Milano.

That seemed to be our only option for tomorrow night till Marko gave me a call a couple of minutes ago.

So, that's all for now.

Enjoy the photos below and sleep tight.

-a. & iwyd-

2012-01-04T01:37:00.007+02:00

.ΑΩ

photo session 2.

1. Collapse_Subway To Peter / Chemnitz

2. Black sailing_Subway To Peter / Chemnitz

3. Plates waiting to be filled

4. Koma F / Berlin

5. Koma F / Berlin

6. 22 Jahre Koepi Squat

7. Love punk. Hate punks

8. ...

9. Gorilla Biscuits graffiti / Coretex Records

10-12. Schokoladen Squat / Berlin

13. Schokoladen's band room

14. Windwheels on the road

15. Praha / new year's eve

16. We are anonymous / Abex hostel_Prague

17. EKH Squat's band room / Wien

18. Yummy record store / Wien

19. Always question authority

20. Shit art

all photos by a.

2012-01-03T14:22:00.008+02:00

.Day 10.

.03rdJanuary 2012.

13.30

Yesterday's show was the best one of the whole IWYD tour till now.
Koma F was packed with almost 100 people, IWYD ripped it and we had tons of fun & mosh.
Krystal Meth,a local band feat. Gichti from Koma F on the vocals, played first delivering fast 80s hardcore / punk, not unlike Black Flag.
We definitely live for this kind of shows.
Nevermind the mud in the ground and never fucking mind humidity overwhelming the air.
That's punk and we are happy to be among this.

But, the Koma F show was just the best way to end a super awesome day.
We left Schokoladen at around noon and went downtown for punk shopping.
Punk shopping means vinyls!
Visiting the Bis Auf's Messer record store helped us a lot to spend all the money we hadn't spend in the whole tour. Buying records is something like a ceremony, so we got trapped in Bis Auf's Messer's web for more than an hour.
Coretex Records was next. We spent the rest of our money there, as you can imagine.
So, it was time to get something eat and we decided to visit the Yo Yo vegan fast food restaurant.
After a half a dozen of burger menus and the usual argument whether veg(etari)anism is a political choice and / or good for our mother Earth, we went back to Schokoladen.
Andy was kind enough to let us sleep in the squat for an extra night and, as you know, accommodation is vital for a touring band.
We entered Kopi squat at 20.30 and the rest is history.

Today we have a kinda short trip to Chemnitz.
Chemnitz is a city with a 250,000 population, located somewhere in middle-east Germany.
It's like 3hrs or so, I think.
The show is taking place in a small club called Subway To Peter.
We'll update this blog again tonight after the show.
Get prepared for tons of photos.

-a. & iwyd-
.we are decay.

2012-01-02T13:56:00.002+02:00

.Day 9.

.02ndJanuary 2012.

13.05

After spending new year's eve in Prague's streets, we started the trip to Berlin early in the morning on the first day of the year.
The trip was not long enough; it took us almost 4hrs to arrive in Berlin's center and then we headed to Schokoladen, a nice squat / venue located in Mitte district.
Andy, the local promoter was waiting for us, we unloaded the van, had a short soundcheck, ate pizza and started the show around 19.00.
The guys actually played a 45' min. show including songs of their LP, their new 7" and covers by Integrity and Terror.
Since it was a matinee, the concert had to end around 20.00, and so it did.
There was a karaoke party afterwards, and we decided to head for a walk downtown.
We visited Kreuzberg, ate burgers, did some night sightseeing and then we were off to Warschauer strasse, where we found a cosy bar (called Soylent if I'm right) to spend a couple of hours.
On our way back to Schokoladen we got completely lost, the U & S were not working, so some of us took a taxi and some others changed a couple of buses in order to reach our home for that night at around 4 o' clock in the morning.

We just woke up and we are ready to visit some nice spots in Berlin.
Tonight's show is around 22.00 at Koma F / Koepi 137 squat, so we have enough spare time to hang around.

Yo,

-a. & iwyd-

2011-12-31T21:24:00.002+02:00

.Days 7/8.

.31st December 2011.

20.38

So, here we are, in a cheap hostel somewhere in Prague / Czech Republic almost 3 hours before we say goodbye 2011 and the last year of the world's existence will rise.

Actually, on our way to Berlin and after countless attempts to find a friend's place or a cheap hostel to stay there, we decided to try our luck in Prague. And we were kinda lucky to find a 6-people dorm for 100 bucks in new year's eve.

Rewind: Our trip to Wien was short.

We arrived downtown at around 15.00 and headed straight forward to Yummy record store.

We bought some fanzines and left some records / books.

Formosa was next; a nice vegetarian restaurant.

And then Cafe Ciro for coffee / tea and discussion.

We entered EKH at almost 20.00.

EKH is a 21 year old squat, located in Wien's worker's district.

It's a definitely crust(y) squat, kinda like Villa Amalias in Athens or Koepi 137 in Berlin.

The show started a couple of hours later and Broomriders played first, delivering a 45' set of post - rock, psychedelic rock / ambient music.

IWYD played one of their longest sets ever. Their show was decent even though the sound on stage was not good.

At the time IWYD were playing I got a text by Stefi telling me that she was about to join us for the next 3-days.

Stoked!

Well, after the show ended we spend an hour or so in the squat's bar drinking beers and club mate, and then we went to get some sleep.

We woke up in the morning, had some vegan breakfast, met again with Stefi and started our trip to Berlin.

As I have already mentioned, we decided to spend the night in Prague instead of Berlin.

And here we are now, getting ready to hit the streets and the bars of Prague.

Happy new year to every single one of you.

Take good care of each other.

Luv,

-a. & iwyd-

2011-12-30T02:29:00.005+02:00

.Days 5/6.

.30th December 2011.

01.30

No update yesterday because we didn't have a decent internet connection...

So, on Wednesday (28.12) we left Rebuild HC HQ around noon, headed to the venue, packed all our equipment in the van and started our long trip to Zagreb_Croatia.

We passed the borders around 16.00, after an almost half an hour search of our van by a 2.10m tall / 150kg weight border policeman. He was obviously searching for drugs, but as you know we are good guys and we never carry such bad things...!

The weather was extremely foggy so we had to slow down a bit; consequently we arrived in AKC Medika at around 19.30.

There we met Jere, Ariana and some other guys that was helping us with the show.

We had dinner and then we went to set up the back line.

The guys co-operated with a local football team (NK Zagreb) antifa supporters club in order to avoid having 2 shows in the same place. So, you can imagine that by the time we arrived there were already tons of punks & skins drinking and messing around outside the venue.

I have to mention that AKC Medika is a huge youth center (with both a legal & illegal part) consisting of a variety of autonomous spaces, from venues to cultural cafeterias.

The show started around 21.30. 3 oi! / street punk bands played before iWYD.

The most well known one seemed to be Oi! Front, a skinhead band covering songs by The Oppressed and more.

To be honest, that wasn't the friendliest environment for an IWYD show.

Nevertheless, the guys played awesome and tried to capture the attention of the crust / hardcore people that attended the show.

One more band played afterwards and we loaded the van with our stuff and drove to Ariana's place, where we ate & had a good sleep.

We woke up kinda late the next day, so we didn't have the chance to do some sightseeing...

We started the trip around 15.00 and we had to do a first stop at the Croatian / Slovenian borders.

That stop was definitely unpleasant... The policemen insisted that we had to follow them in their office.

Then they asked us a lot of times if we had drugs... and in case we had any, we should tell them before they started body-searching us and we could go, or else we would end up in jail... We told them that we didn't carry any.

I was the first (and luckily the only one) to get searched. A policeman told me to follow him in a room, where the only things I could see was a toilet and a table... I put off my shoes, my jacket and my hoodie... He kept asking me who's smoking marijuana... I kept telling him that no one is into this stuff... Then he found some antifascist stickers inside my wallet. He went crazy for a moment and then started asking who gave me these etc.

He kept a sticker and started yelling along with his colleagues...

After a while, he let us go...

As you can figure out, I got terrified for a moment or so...

Nevermind...

We continued the trip and arrived at Wiener Neustadt, a small city near Wien, at around 19.30.

Stefi was waiting for us at her house.

She is kind enough to host us, even though I asked her to do so only 2 days ago...

We went downtown to get some food and then we visited a local bar full of teenagers listening to metal core and shouting to each other... We played some table soccer and flipper, had some drinks and returned home.

Tomorrow we have a short trip to Wien... It's about 50km or so.

The show will take place in EKH squat. IWYD are playing along Broomriders.

Greetings to everyone.

All the best,

-a. & iwyd-

1. War Collapse_Croatia

2. Vegan food_AKC Medika

3. We are everywhere 2

4. AKC Medika cultural space

5-9. IWYD_AKC Medika / Zagreb

10. Christmas spirit_Wiener Neustadt

11. Η φάση

2011-12-28T03:39:00.011+02:00

.ΑΩ

photos.

1. 'There's No Santa' matinee_Skopje

2. Vasko & Tina's kitschen

3. Novi Sad walls downtown

4. Rebuild Hardcore Collective HQ

5. Bojan's cat

6.We are everywhere

7. GNWP

8-12. IYWD_CK13 / Novi Sad

all photos by a.

2011-12-28T03:03:00.008+02:00

.Day 4.

.28th December 2011.

02.05

Tonight's show was great.

CK:13 is an awesome youth centre dealing with concerts, art & the anti-authoritarian movement.

We went there around 19.00, after spending a few hours in the Rebuild Hardcore Collective's office.

We also had lunch at Bojan's house; he prepared goulash (a local meal) for us.

So, we parked the car near CK:13 and we unloaded the van.

Backline; check. Merchandise / distro; check.

The show started at 21.30. Vault Of Pain played first, delivering beatdown hardcore; definitely not my cup of tea, but they seem dedicated and that's cool.

IWYD were next. This was absolutely the best show of their tour till now.

Tight & heavy metallic hardcore at its best, you know the deal.

Bao Vau hit the stage afterwards. I just learned that they are active for a decade or so.

They play rap core; not my style again.

Losin' It cancelled their appearance since they had some technical problems or something...

All in all, it was a very nice show with more than 100 people attending it.

I have to mention that there were a lot of girls among the audience and almost all of them were beautiful (σεξισμός φάση).

Seriously, it's very vital for a hardcore / punk scene to have both men & womyn equally participating in it.

So, come on girls, take some action!

The show ended around midnight.

We are now in the Rebuild Hardcore Collective's office discussing about dadaism & Steve Jobs.

Tomorrow we have a 4-5 hr long trip to Zagreb.

There's a show in AKC Medika squat feat. many local bands varying from oi! to metal.

I Want You Dead are in the bill, as well.

We are lucky enough to have a special poster only for IWYD, thanks to Jere (of the band Dispro) that is taking care of our show.

We'll keep you updated.

Peace,

-a. & iwyd-

2011-12-27T13:29:00.005+02:00

.Day 4.

.27th December 2011.

12.30

We just woke up at the Rebuild Hardcore Collective HQ.

Sleeping bags save lives.

Getting ready for a walk downtown.

Novi Sad is a very beautiful city.

We have to be at the club around 18.00, so we have enough time to hang around.

Van essentials till now: Dimitris Dimitrakas, Ringworm, Duke Ellington, Agalloch, Coleman Hawkins, Desiderii Marginis, Social Distortion.

2011-12-27T04:22:00.004+02:00

.Day 3.

.27th December 2011.

03.55

When we started the trip from Skopje to Sofia this morning, we couldn't have imagined what would follow...

We reached the MK / BG borders 2 hours later and at first they simply did not let us in because as they claimed we

didn't have the original license for the van. We gently tried to convince the border police that we are just a touring band

that has to play in Sofia in a couple of hrs, but we didn't succeed.

A bunch of more tries and countless phone calls (to the company we rented the van from and to the greek embassy) we were stuck in the middle of nowhere trying to figure out what the fuck we could do.

The first thing we did is something that we hardly do. We cancelled our appearance in the Sofia Xmas fest.

We felt terribly sorry about this but we couldn't act in a different way.

It seemed that we were in a very bad situation; there were some rumors that we were about to face a huge problem even if we tried to drive to Serbia or even get back to Greece. The whole tour was on a high risk.

It actually occurred our minds to return to Greece and cancel it...

So, the van company owner insisted that we had to wait for a day in order to send a new van from Thessaloniki in the GR / MK borders. That means that we had to cancel the Novi Sad show, as well, and then travel all the way to Zagreb passing 2 borders and dealing with corrupted border policemen.

2 of us did one last attempt to pass the MK / BG borders without the van in order to ask the BG border police whether they would let us in or not, but the MK border police went really angry and acted definitely hostile towards us.

I must admit that we were in a very unpleasant situation with constant fear of what will happen next...

Nevertheless, we decided to risk some more and reach the MK / RS borders.

After a while we made it to Serbia (a bottle of whiskey was the tax we paid by the way...) and we started the long trip to Novi Sad totally relieved.

Our enemy at that time was the weather. We had to be very careful because we were traveling inside a huge foggy cloud.

We arrived in Novi Sad around 1 o' clock, after 14hrs being on the road...

We met Bojan (the local promoter) downtown. He was kind enough to host us for one more night.

We went downtown to make some exchange and get some food.

Bojan & I got followed by 6 nazis after we bought our food. Fortunately nothing happened.

We learned that there's a nazi party tomorrow, 300m away from the place that our show is going to take place...

I don't think that we'll have any problem, though.

We are now having some rest at the Rebuild Hardcore Collective Headquarters; a office / bar that Bojan and a lot of other guys playing in bands, photographers, artists, activists just launched. It's one of the best hardcore / punk places I've been.

I wish we had such a thing in Greece...

That's all I guess.

We had a very hard day. We need some sleep.

Take care.

-a. & iwyd-

2011-12-26T11:52:00.004+02:00

.Day 2.

.26th December 2011.

11.25

Yesterday's show was really cool.

We started the trip from Volos at around 9 o' clock in the morning and we reached the borders 3 hrs later.

To be honest, I was expecting to face huge problems there (because we didn't have ata-karnet document; a paper that all the touring bands are supposed to have) but after a short conversation with the border police we enter Macedonia.

2 more hrs of driving and we were in Skopje center.

Vasko (Bernay's Propaganda, XAXAXA, ex-FPO) picked us up and we went to the venue, a small yet nice club called La Kana, located in the old city of Skopje. His girlfriend Tina (vocalist of Bernay's Propaganda) brought some super delicious veg(etari)an food for us. Damn, we ate everything in 5 min, hehe!

It was really awesome to meet Vasko & Tina again. They treated us so nice; best hospitality ever.

Some old friends from Skopje, Goran (Obsolete Human label) and Ivan (Fuck Yoga Records), were there, as well, along with Jano (BP, XAXAXA, FPO drummer) and Marko (Boiling Point label) from Kumanovo.

So, we entered La Kana around 15.00 and the 1st band (out of 9) was already playing.

2 more bands played (that I didn't watch) and then Shock Troopers, a great local d-beat band with a massive sound.

IWYD were next; I enjoyed their show very much. 30 minutes of intense hardcore.

Ivan told me that some parts of their music remind him of Celtic Frost and he's definitely right.

Some more bands played next, representing a variety of styles; from surf rock 'n' roll to 90s grunge and electronica.

The fest (called 'There's no Santa') ended around 20.00, since it was a matinee.

We packed the van and drove to Goran's place.

Tina & Vasko came after a while and we started a big conversation discussing almost everything; from the DIY punk scene to the German anti-Deutsche movement and from the 'quarrel' between Greece & Macedonia to the different aspects of Balkan history. Vasko is one of the best spokesperson I've ever met. Period.

So, we went to sleep around 23.00 and we woke up at 9. The last time I slept at 23.00 was 15 years ago, but, damn, we needed that 10hr sleep!

We are in Tina & Vasko's place right now, eating breakfast and discussing a variety of things, once again.

We have to start the trip for Bulgaria in a while. It's 4-5hr long.

All the best

-a. & iwyd-

2011-12-25T03:52:00.005+02:00

.Day 1.

.25th December 2011.

03.56

The Volos show was definitely rad.

I met with IWYD around 21.00, the time they arrived from Patras.

We set up everything and the show started after a couple of hours.

Take The Chance played first; awesome new hardcore band with a lot of potential, can't wait to watch them live again. They covered Have Heart & No Turning Back, as well.

IWYD played next. 35 minutes of dark hardcore.

The new songs are awesome.

I always enjoy watching these dudes performing their set.

Faithreat kinda headlined the show; local thrash core at its best (incl. Nailbomb & ST covers).

Not their best show, I have to admit.

So, we packed everything in the huge van.

IWYD went to sleep in some friends of theirs.

I joined my buddies and went for a drink.

I dunno if it was the right decision since I have to wake up in 4 hrs.

But spending time with your loved ones is always unbeatable.

Tomorrow we have a 6hr trip to Skopje.

Gnite.

-a.-

2011-12-16T00:40:00.005+02:00

World's Appreciated Kitsch calendar 2012.

Feat. photos taken during live shows all over Europe.

Despite Everything, Boredom, No Turning Back, Bernay's Propaganda, Vodka Juniors, Kids Running Back, Sandcreek Massacre, Bandage, Eternal Hated, Endstand, I Want You Dead, Unveil.

Photos shot in various places all over Greece, Sofia, Helsinki, Recklinghausen, Berlin and Prague.

Ltd to 125 copies.

Each copy costs 5 euros and a large amount of the proceedings will be donated to the struggle of the political prisoners in Greece.

Get your copy now.

2011-12-05T22:42:00.004+02:00

'Ζήσαμε πάντα αλλού και ερχόμαστε μονάχα όταν κάποιος μας αγαπήσει.

Και όταν δεν πεθαίνει ο ένας για τον άλλο είμαστε ήδη νεκροί.'

Τάσος Λειβαδίτης.

Remember, remember the 6th of December.

2011-12-04T20:44:00.005+02:00

Conspiracy Of Denial

demo CDR

self-released

It's been months since I got this fucking awesome demo but I was lazy enough to review it...

Better late than never, once again, I guess...

First of all, I consider some of the members of Conspiracy Of Denial as friends of mine, and besides that my band has shared the stage with them a couple of times, and I strongly believe that they are one of the most sincere DIY bands nowadays... So, I am definitely into them no matter the style they play or their technical skills and other bullshit. Hardcore / punk is too many more things than just music and you all know this or else this blog is not for you.

So, Conspiracy Of Denial are based in Athens, Greece and include ex-members of bands like Injekting Chaos and Katiusha. In their first demo they deliver 3 songs of neo-crust, being influenced by bands like Tragedy & From Ashes Rise. Also, there are some parts of post - hardcore in their music that remind me of Fall Of Efrafa and Ekkaia.

You get the deal... Melodic yet huge riffs, tight rhythm section, melancholic atmosphere and screaming vocals (by a girl this time, fuck the male oriented hardcore scene...).

2 of the songs are sung in english, while the 2nd song of the demo features greek lyrics. This song is undoubtedly my favorite one and one of my favorite songs for 2011.

Conspiracy Of Denial are very active in the local scene nowadays and as far as I know they are preparing a 7", while playing shows all over Greece.

Get this demo wherever your find it.

No myspace, no facebook, no social media for Conspiracy Of Denial, sorry.

2011-11-23T12:52:00.004+02:00

One of the greatest european punk rock bands visit Greece for 2 incredible shows.

Antillectual is a melodic political punk band from The Netherlands, delivering passionate live shows and inspiring records that moved a lot of people around the globe.

They are coming in Greece on 17th & 18th December 2011.

antillectual.com

17th December - Positively Positive Hardcore Fest #5 | AN Club, Athens

Antillectual will share the stage with Italy's best melodic hardcore band called Whales' Island.

17th December is the release date of Whales' Island new 7" (Chronicles Of Pretenders), that World's Appreciated Kitsch is bringing to you along with No Reason Records, It's Raining Cats and Indelirium Records.

Local bands My Turn, Another One Falls & Eternal Hated will accompany them.

18th December - Punk / Hardcore Sunday | Warehouse, Volos

The second show will take place in mid - Greece, Volos.

Wish Upon A Star from Athens, along with locals Eternal Hated & Dreams Fall, will be their guests.

2011-11-22T11:54:00.002+02:00

22.11_11.54

Yesterday's show was a blast...

EH ripped everything apart.

A big thanks to the bands that played & the people that came.

So, the tour is over...

I drove the band to the bus station in order to get buses to different destinations.

I am at work, bored to death.

Come & say hi tonight at Ginkgo Biloba, I'm DJing.

Hugs.

2011-11-21T14:37:00.003+02:00

21.11_14.37

Tonight is the last show of the EH tour.

It takes place in Mo Better_downtown Athens and the entrance is free.

Eternal Hated are gonna share the stage with 2 great Athenian bands, Wish Upon A Star & Prozak Party.

There's an after show party, as well. Ino Mei & me will be on the decks.

Be there or be square.

2011-11-21T00:12:00.002+02:00

21.11_00.44

We arrived in Athens 2 hours ago.

Took a shower and now watching a crappy political program on the TV, trying not to throw up.

So, let's get back to what happened yesterday...

We decided to pay those fucking 210 euros and get that fucking green card in order not to cancel the show in Kumanovo.

Letting down the promoter and the people waiting for that show is totally not ok for both World's Appreciated Kitsch & Eternal Hated.

But... a new adventure was there for us... The border policemen insisted that in spite of having that new card we still missed a document concerning our back line... Totally pissed off and ready to get into a fight, we decided to stay calm. Luckily, we only gave the bastards 3 t-shirts and 5 CDs. No comments.

The road to Kumanovo was fucked up, but punk rock music helped us make it safe there.

When we arrived in the city, we met with Marko (Boiling Point; the local promoter) and John & Anna (a.k.a. Catch The Soap couple). John was touring the Balkans as a one man project band, called Ghone. He played first for almost 20 minutes, delivering great ambient / drone / noise, using a synthesizer, drumsticks and a guitar! A local band called Glasnom were next. They played a pretty ok mix of hip hop / hardcore, not unlike old school Biohazard and Rage Against The Machine. We provoked a cool moshpit, as well!

Eternal Hated got on stage (actually there was not any stage at all) at 23.30. They played a very decent show including all the songs of their new record. Watching these guys playing is always cool, so I definitely enjoyed their appearance.

For the record, the show took place in a youth centre in the heart of Kumanovo.

After the show, we packed the van and headed to Marko's house along with John & Anna.

We got some nice food on our way there, paying less than 3 euros for 8-9 croissants / pies etc.

Marko offered to us a frozen basement to sleep inside... We managed to fit all the guys into a small room and tried to get some sleep since we had to wake up at 8 o'clock in the morning...

Just so you know, we don't blame Marko at all.

A house is always a better place to sleep instead of the van.

The guy did his best, but it seems that Kumanovo and hardcore shows are 2 definitely separate things.

We wish him a better luck in Skopje, where he is gonna be involved in booking shows from now on.

As you can figure out, our whole experience in Kumanovo was not so good...

Nevermind...

We crossed the borders very easily this time and we drove straight to Volos.

We arrived in Volos at around 15.30, unloaded the back line to John's club (Warehouse) and split in order to have some lunch with our parents. John didn't come with us since he had some urgent things to take care of.

After half an hour me & the band met again and started our trip to Athens.

Arrived just in time to return the van... Thanos, Nick & me took a taxi to a nearby metro station, where Billy picked us up and drove us to Glyfada in order to get my car... Then we went back to pick up the rest of the guys, fully loaded my car and headed to my house downtown.

More than tired we are sitting in the sofas and we just decided to turn off TV and watch NOFX's Backstage Passport instead.

We kiss you goodnight.

- a. & eh -

2011-11-19T19:02:00.003+02:00

19.11_19.10

Stuck in the BG / MK borders.

The customs do not let us in because we don't have the original green card as they claim.

We got in touch with the greek company that we rented the van from and they assure us that everything's fine..

I accidentally found a free wifi and we are now in touch with the greek embassy in Skopje.

We are trying our best.

We can't believe that we have to cancel the show while being just 70km from Kumanovo...

2011-11-19T09:49:00.002+02:00

19.11_09.49

Woke up and had some breakfast that Nedelina and Danail brought to us.

We have to leave the room asap and load our stuff in the van.

Afterwards, we are going for a walk downtown since we decided to start the trip to Kumanovo in a couple of hours.

Cheers.

2011-11-19T00:56:00.005+02:00

19.11_01.30

The trip this morning was endless.

We left Brasov at 08.45 and arrived in Plovdiv' s centre at 19.00.

Less than 500 km in more than 10 hours.

The road that led to Plovdiv was completely fucked up...

We crossed a big mountain, slaloming for almost 3 hours.

We had some near death experiences while John was driving, but no worries, we survived.

We also got a fine for overpassing the speed limit. 130 lei - 35 euros and 3 points in my driving license. Not bad at all.

Nevelina and Danail picked us up from the city's centre and we headed to Puzzle Club.

They brought us some vegan food that we definitely enjoyed.

The show started and finished quite early.

Mental Destruction, a metal band in the vein of Iced Earth & Nevermore, played first and From The Distance, beatdown hardcore imitating Stick To Your Guns, were next.

Eternal Hated delivered a nice show despite the technical difficulties.

Playing in front of 15 people and giving everything you have is what I consider hardcore.

And Eternal Hated are undoubtedly hardcore, no matter the music genre they are playing.

Let's get this straight... I know a lot of snobby bands that would start moaning and getting pissed off because of the poor attendance.

I know some other ones that have cancelled their shows because of this...

But Eternal Hated did their best to play a decent show. Obviously it wasn't my favorite one, but it was rad for sure.

So, we are in a hostel room right now getting ready to sleep.

Tomorrow we have to wake up at 9 in order to leave the room.

The trip to Kumanovo is just 5 hours long, so we don't have to hurry up. A short walk to the centre would be ace; we'll see.

Thanks a lot to Nevelina & Danail for being such great hosts.

We kiss you goodnight.

a. & eh.

Van essentials: bad trip, la dispute, salonica city punk rock, nofx, i want you dead, bulgarian radio stations, milka chocolates, apple juices, endless jokes.

2011-11-18T01:59:00.008+02:00

18.11_02.38

The show tonight was definitely awesome.

It was the best Eternal Hated show I've ever seen. I follow these guys since their inception, so you can figure out how many shows of them I've seen...

The atmosphere was crazy and the feedback was really huge. Stage-dives & mosh took place during their entire set by the 60-70 dedicated gals & guys that showed up tonight.

There are no words to describe this...

Rewind:

We had an awesome soy meat with potatoes meal at Andrian's house and we hang out there with Julia and some friendly guys (sorry I cannot remember the names...) for a while.

We went to the club, which was located less than 100m away from the house, at around 19.00. Unloaded the van, set up the merch / distro table, did soundcheck... you know the deal.

After a while, my friend Alec came from Cluj - Napoca (they had a long 6-hour trip by train), along with Stuck In A Rut and some friends of theirs. I was stoked to meet Alec and the rest of the crew again. Hardcore is more than just music as they (we) say and moments like this; when you reunite with friends living thousands of kilometers away from you, are precious. It's worth the countless hours of travelling, never mind the tiredness and the hundreds of bucks you may lose...

The show started at around 20.45 and The Dignity Complex played first; metal core in the vein of Parkway Drive and the likes. Absolutely not my cup of tea. I Stare Into The Forest were next; a very cool local band playing modern metallic hardcore. Still not my cup of tea, but I can easily listen to their - amazingly packaged - record. Stuck In A Rut hit the stage after a mini break. I know Stuck In A Rut since a couple of years and it was great to watch Vlad & Mishu ripping it on stage. For those that don't know the band, SIR is a fast hardcore / punk trio (no bassist included) who is going wild during their live shows. If you are into power violence or old school noisy hardcore, check them out.

I've already written about EH's show. No more comments.

The highlight was John (kinda pissed) singing 'I Follow You' (that mainstream song) with almost all the audience singing along...!

Good times for sure.

The show ended early and by midnight we were already outside the venue, loading the van and saluting everyone.

We went to a fast food restaurant afterwards with Andrea (a member of I Stare Into The Forest); we had some ok food and tons of fun.

Fast forward:

I'm now laying on a bed in Bogdan's (I Stare Into The Forest's guitarist) attic, while every one is sleeping and John is snorting hard.

Tomorrow we have a long long trip (9 hours or so), so we have to wake up at 7.30. That means in less than 5 hours....

I'm kinda tired (even though John took the drive duties again this morning) but I feel blessed for having the privilege to be on tour while the majority of my friends in Greece are unemployed or work shitty jobs for a living.

I'm also blessed that hardcore / punk brought me 1300 km away from home tonight, in a basement show with 60-70 people sharing the same passion & ideals as me. After all, home is where your friends are.

I'm reading the news in indymedia and I just learned that a protester of this evening's demo was seriously injured and has to get a surgery urgently... Damn. I wish him well. Police brutality will never end as long as any kind of authority exists.

Sorry for getting personal / emotional, but reading news like this undoubtedly makes me upset...

Goodnight and take good care of each other.

Van essentials: catharsis, panx romana, bad movies, xasma, terror, my turn, no turning back, iced coffee, elizabeth bathory stories, spray paint the walls book.

2011-11-17T16:50:00.014+02:00

17.11_17.22

We arrived in Brasov a couple of hours ago.

The trip was short, around 200km, but we drove for around 3 hours, because the road was a bit harsh.

We had to cross a huge mountain with a foggy atmosphere; the view was awesome, though!

The weather here is very cold, a couple of degrees below zero, but it's sunny, so no worries at all.

Iulia picked us up in front of the venue and after parking the van in a safe spot, we headed to the city centre.

Brasov is one of the most beautiful cities we have ever been.

Great architecture, medieval type buildings and a huge city sign in the vein of Hollywood..

Brasov is kinda a snowboard / ski resort with a lot of tourists around.

Iulia was kind enough to be our tourist guide.

Even if she called me a hipster and just demystified the Dracula myth... we wanna thank her for the great hospitality!

We are now having a coffee at a warm place downtown, waiting for Andrian (the show promoter) and the Cluj Napoca guys to arrive.

Then we will go to the venue (Ground Zero) for the usual van unloading and soundcheck.

The show starts at 21.00.Here are some photos from Thanos' iPhone.

Stay gold.

2011-11-17T11:49:00.003+02:00

17.11_11.51

Woke up.

It's freezing outside.

We are about to start the trip to Brasov.

Anchors up!

2011-11-17T02:47:00.005+02:00

17.11_03.24

Crashing on an almost proper bed after having a hot shower is maybe one of the best moments while on tour.

The show tonight was awesome, even though not a lot of people attended it; but, believe me, those who did so (around 50) were dedicated and die-hard scenesters.

Underworld club is one of the best underground venues we have ever visited, located in the city centre of Bucharest and consisting of a nice bar on the ground floor, the venue in the basement, and a hostel (!) upstairs.

Andra took care of everything; cooked some great veg(etari)an food for us, held the door duties and made sure that everything was alright. We wanna thank her and send greetings to her boyfriend, Paul, who actually booked the show.

So, the gig started at around 22.00 and Breathelast, a local band, went on stage. The guys delivered a bunch of well-structured and catchy metallic hardcore songs, strongly influenced by modern hardcore, while adding a lot of post-hardcore stitches. Nothing to do with generic metal/fashioncore. You should check them out.

Eternal Hated headlined the show. Last time I saw those guys playing live was during their mini German / Swiss tour back in early April 2011, so I got pretty excited and positively surprised to attend a completely fresh and mature show by them.

Seriously, these guys kick ass. I dare to say that they are probably among the top-5 of greek all styles hardcore bands nowadays... They performed a whole new set featuring the 7 songs that are included in their new opus called '26.48 minutes of life'. Forget their metalcore past... If you are into screamo, metallic hardcore and / or post-hardcore, you are into Eternal Hated, too. Word.

The show ended pretty early (since only 2 bands played) around 23.30. We loaded the van and went for a walk downtown despite the cold. As I wrote before, Bucharest is a very nice city with a lot of historical buildings, clean and big pavements and no cops roaming around, hehe! Thanos almost fell in love with some girls...

Back to the venue, we found the bar open, so we entered it in order to have a drink.

The table soccer was waiting for us... Almost everyone in the room defeated me & John... even Thanos & Nikos, damn!

Revenge?!

Tomorrow we have a show in (majestic, as Stelios assure us) Brasov, a small city located in north Romania.

The gps indicates that the drive is around 3 hours, so we don't have to hurry up, I guess...

Alec and other friends from Cluj - Napoca will travel for more than 6 hours to attend the show.

Can't wait to meet them again. 3 cool bands, Stuck In A Rut, I Stare Into The Forest and The Dignity Complex, are gonna share the stage with Eternal Hated. We are getting prepared for a hell of a show...

Now I have to get some sleep. We set the alarm at 10.

'Night.

-world's appreciated kitsch & eternal hated-

P.S. 38 years ago people overthrew junta (the military led dictatorship) in Greece. 38 years later and junta is still here, dressed in capitalistic democracy's clothing. If it's not direct, democracy is nothing. Wake up & reclaim life.

2011-11-16T17:02:00.011+02:00

16.11_17.07

We just arrived in Bucharest, parked the van near the venue and went for a walk in the city centre.

We are in a cosy cafeteria now drinking coffees & hot chocolate. Wifi available, awesome.

The trip was cool, John handled all the driving and the rest spent our time having fun & moaning.

We got checked by the cops twice but no problem occurred since 'we are a touring band that is gonna play in Bucharest'.

Romania's countryside is obviously poor but Bucharest is a very nice city!

We are pretty happy to be here and have a show tonight.

Andra, the girl that is taking care of the show, is gonna meet us in an hour, bringing vegan food for us.

Soundcheck is next and doors open at 21.00.

If you are around Bucharest, come & join us!

Van essentials: gps (definitely), niki's directions, vegan edge hip hop, lagwagon, nofx, defeater, aussie beatdown, rovignette,vegan burgers, cappuccino, spray paint the walls book.

2011-11-16T00:29:00.011+02:00

16.11_00.56

We arrived in Sofia an hour ago...

Crashing now in Niki's house in the city suburbs.
The drive was way too long... Almost 12 hours.
I got the van at 11 this morning and went straight ahead to Volos.
After saying hi to my parents and having an urgent lunch, I picked up Eternal Hated and John.
We fully loaded the van and started the trip.
A part of the road on our way to Thessaloniki is under construction so we had to go through a 2-hour interchange...
Crossed the borders at 20.30 and arrived in Sofia 3 hours later.
Tomorrow we have to wake up at 8.
The trip to Bucharest is 6 hours long.
Eternal Hated's first show of the mini Balkan tour is taking place at the local Underworld Club.

Everyone is safe & sound.

Pretty tired, though.
We are listening to some cool post-hardcore (Northless), ready to sleep.

Van essentials: vegan edge hip hop, greek punk rock, fall of efrafa, aussitot mort, eternal hated, home made sandwiches, gps fixed by thanos, vignette.

2011-11-15T03:31:00.004+02:00

'Trying to reach the unknown.

The morning sun will burn our eyes.

We are constantly changing, but the spirit remains inside.'

The tour starts on Tuesday morning.

More than 3000km have to be covered in 6 days.

Stay tuned for updates & other cheesy talk.

-world's appreciated kitsch-

2011-11-13T03:02:00.004+02:00

No Way Out

Dead ends CD

Pee

First of all, I have to admit that No Way Out is one of the most common band names out there... There was (is?) a greek punk rock band with the same name, there was a heavy hardcore band in Sofia and I think there's one more European band entitled No Way Out, just to name a few.

Nevertheless, No Way Out come from Melbourne, Australia, and 'Dead ends' is their new (2nd) full length album that was just released by the well-known label Pee Records. Every time I get an envelope from Pete / Pee, I know that there's quality stuff inside. So, even though, I'm not a big fan of the music style that No Way Out play, I can assure you that they are a great band.

Having shared the stage with the likes of 50 Lions, Carpathian, The Warriors and The Red Shore and playing countless of local shows since their formation 5 years ago, No Way Out have managed to create a unique sound and strong fan base in Australia.

Drawing influences by bands like Bury Your Dead, Day Of Contempt and Misery Signals, the Aussies deliver solid and well - played moshy metallic hardcore with a dark yet melancholic atmosphere floating in the air.

To be honest, the first time I listened to 'Dead ends', I got a bit bored since the songs last a bit long, but the 2nd time was way better and the 3rd time was awesome.

This record needs your 100% attention. If you are into modern heavy / brutal hardcore, give this a try!

When will we light the match? What flag will be burning next?

Who will be singing when the son turns on his head?

What can we expect from dead ends?

www.facebook.com/nowayoutmelbourne

www.peerecords.com

2011-11-09T21:20:00.003+02:00

Night Birds

The other side of darkness CD / LP

Grave Mistake

'The curtain rises on a vast primitive wasteland, not unlike certain parts of New Jersey' - Woody Allen

This is one of the best records I've listened this autumn. Dare I say it's the best?!

Night Birds definitely compose the best soundtrack for a 20-minute b-movie horror film...

Based in New Jersey and Brooklyn / NY, Night Birds have already released 4 records (a demo and 3 7"s). 'The other side of darkness' is their first full length album featuring 13 songs (11 new + 2 from their demo re-recorded) of fresh and uptight old school US hardcore / punk with a strong surf sound.

Imagine early Dead Kennedys members teaming up with the guys of (early, once again) Adolescents and rehearsing in Zero Boys' tiny practice room, while Angry Samoans and Agent Orange are crowd-surfing.

Night Birds have managed to create a 'monster' of awesome surf punk / hardcore, bringing back the 80s Californian hardcore spirit.

Twisted but catchy guitars, melodic yet pissed off vocals, surf drumming and rock 'n' roll fun floating in the air.

Want more?

One thing's for sure... 'The other side of darkness' is a must play at my DJ sets from now on.

Grab the record now. Taken By Surprise Records did a european release.

I sadly missed the Night Birds Sept. / Oct. european tour. Damn.

'If you are not already hip to these guys, where the fuck have you been?' - Maximum Rock 'N' Roll

www.facebook.com/nightbirds

www.gravemistakerecords.com

2011-11-07T17:30:00.005+02:00

http://www.last.fm/event/3104524+Don%27t+Believe+The+Hype+party.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=297619280263027

2011-11-03T01:30:00.004+02:00

Downfall Of Gaia / In The Hearts Of The Emperors

split 12"

Alerta Antifascista | Moment Of Collapse | Shove

The earth and its world is collapsing and no one is watching.

This split 12" is one of the best - selling records distributed by World's Appreciated Kitsch the last months.

The 6 copies I got from the kind people running Moment Of Collapse were sold out in a week or so.

Moreover, this record is probably among the greatest and most - interesting albums I've listened to in 2011.

Downfall Of Gaia from Germany team up with Sweden's In The Hearts Of The Emperors, and with the collaboration of 3 hard-working DIY European labels, they deliver this epical record.

The Downfall Of Gaia side features 2 songs (lasting around 23 minutes) of heavy & doomy yet atmospheric crust / post-hardcore that fans of Fall Of Efrafa, Ekkaia and Morne will worship. DOG have already released a full length called 'Epos', so they continue walking on the path that they have already paved; music to listen to in the dark with candles burning...

On the other side, In The Hearts Of The Emperors, are even more heavy, unveiling 3 songs / 20 minutes of post-hardcore / crust / black metal, while being influenced by bands like Amen Ra and Ictus, and movements like the Zeitgeist.

The split 12" comes in 180g heavyweight vinyl and a gatefold cover, including a poster.

Get in touch with the labels to get your copy.

The earth and its world is collapsing and no one is watching.

www.myspace.com/downfallofgaia

www.myspace.com/heartsofemperors

www.no-pasaran.org

www.momentofcollapse.com

manpia@tin.it

2011-11-02T19:44:00.009+02:00

Blank Veins

s/t 7"

UNC

Early August 2011...

I buy this piece of wax from Mountza Store (www.mountza.blogspot.com) along with some Maximum Rock 'N' Roll magazines...

At first, to be honest, I didn't have no idea what exactly this band was into. I had heard that they were playing something like garage rock with a noisy approach and that was all...

Fast forward 3 months...

This evening I decided to play this record and find out what it's all about...

First of all, the 7" is limited to just 177 hand-numbered copies and I have the copy no.8.

Moreover, the whole artwork is extraordinarily minimal; Blank Veins in white color on a black background; the titles of the songs plus the day of their recording and UNC-1, 2011 (I guess this is some kind of a label they just used to release this 7") in black color on a white background. Nothing more, nothing less.

So, let's get to the point...

'First and final wash' and 'Bloody thumb' are 2 songs that will make your ears bleed.

This is a wall of noise that will conquer your head during the time you are listening to Blank Veins.

Obviously I'm not an expert in this kind of music, but I'd definitely claim that this band deliver noisy rock at its best.

There are some garage and post-punk stitches, as well.

Flipper and Sonic Youth may be among their influences, but I dunno...

Btw, did I mention that they are from Greece (and specifically Thessaloniki, if I'm right...)?

The record was recorded in one take on 19th May 2010, and it was released one year later.

If you are into all this shit that you read above, go get this 7" either from Blank Veins themselves or Panos / Mountza.

Play it loud.

www.blankveins.blogspot.com

2011-11-01T21:01:00.003+02:00

Spider Crew

'Still crazy but not insane' CD

WTF Records

It's been ages since I last reviewed a NYHC related album... It's obviously not my cup of tea nowadays, even though I still enjoy listening to the classics and giving a chance to newbies playing from the heart and abstaining from the macho / a-political attitude that is usually a vital part of this specific scene...

Well, Tim / What The Fuck Records (based in Netherlands; also home for Still Screaming, Human Demise and Bulldog Courage, among others) sent me the new Spider Crew CD a couple of weeks ago.

To be honest, I thought that the band had called it quits, but the reality belied me.

For those who are unaware with the band, Spider Crew is a 6-piece hardcore band hailing from Austria's capital, Vienna, and they feature current or ex-members of Only Attitude Count and Bust The Chain, while their 2 vocalists come from New York city. They were formed in 1999 and they have a bunch of releases since then, in labels like I Scream Records and Swellcreek / Superhero Records.

'Still crazy but not insane' is their new record, after a long period of silence, and it was released in late September 2011, including 12 songs in the classic Spider Crew hardcore style. That means a mix of NYHC with a strong oi! / street punk flavor. Bands like Agnostic Front, Blood For Blood, Wisdom In Chains, Discipline and even Cock Sparrer are definitely among their influences. In my humble opinion, their style is very similar to Only Attitude Counts' one; both representing the Vienna Hardcore Style.

The lyrics cover classic NY topics like the hardcore movement / scene, beating up your enemies, blue blood warriors, against authority and even prison bound. I consider their lyrics kinda macho, so I am definitely not into some of them. I am not a hippie, but this violent thing some NYHC bands demonstrate has nothing to do with the hardcore I have in my mind and try to sustain. Don't get me wrong, I know that there are a lot of bands out there using macho lyricism and I can accept that some of them live what they say and probably Spider Crew do so, but in the current political / social climate I'd prefer the anger to be exposed in the real enemy which is the system and its components.

'Nough with preaching, I guess.

Check out the Spider Crew's new record if you are into NYHC. After all, NYHC is not only Madball and Agnostic Front...

www.myspace.com/spidercrew

www.wtfrecords.eu

2011-10-31T01:38:00.003+02:00

Eternal Hated

'26:48 minutes of life' CD

World's Appreciated Kitsch | True To The Game

This is Eternal Hated's brand new record.

Sorry but I cannot be objective in this review since all the guys playing in the band are friends of mine (especially their bassist, also singing for Take The Chance, is a close friend) and besides that I strongly believe that Eternal Hated is one of the best yet underestimated Greek hardcore / metal bands (no matter my music taste).

Actually this is the CDr edition that the guys printed for their mini Turkish tour a couple of weeks ago. The regular print will be available in vinyl format by the end of the year.

So, as the title says, here we have 26:48 minutes (7 songs) of incredible fresh metal / post-hardcore / screamo music. Eternal Hated deliver their most mature material since their birth back in 2007. I was even surprised by the change of their style (they used to play metal core) and by the open-mindedness that those guys have in their very early 20s.

All the compositions are intelligent and I dare to say mentally bright yet chaotic (sic).

The guys have the skills to create epic opuses like 'Boem' or 'Exception Consequence', being influenced by bands like Converge, Coalesce and Orchid, while taking sips from the modern screamo scene and bands like Ampere, Comadre and even Touche Amore.

I've no more words to add... This record has to get the hype it deserves.

Get your copy now and join Eternal Hated's shows.

We head together on a mini Balkan tour in a couple of weeks...

www.myspace.com/eternalhated

www.wakhc.blogspot.com

2011-10-28T04:18:00.004+03:00

Positive Energy Over Berlin.

Check here for updates: www.myturnhc.blogspot.com

2011-10-25T01:55:00.007+03:00

Seila Chiara 7"

Communication Is Not Words | Moment Of Collapse

This is our bated breath, this is our heart's content.

This is ours, this is ours.

This is our pointless chair, this is our endless hours.

This is ours, this is ours.

Seila Chiara is a quintet based in Lyon, France. And this is their debut vinyl record (following a split CD with Orfevre and their first full length CD), that was released some months ago by the great labels Communication Is Not Words and Moment Of Collapse Records, and I'm proud to carry in our distro.

Seila Chiara play post-rock with a lot of european (especially french / italian) emo influences with a touch of post-punk.

If you are into bands like Daitro, La Dispute, Saetia and Raein or even At The Drive In, I'm sure you'll love them.

I'm listening to a lot of emo / screamo nowadays and I curse myself for not showing enough attention (or may I call it respect?) to this genre the previous years.

I definitely think that Seila Chiara is one of the best post rock / emo bands coming from mainland Europe nowadays. They have just released a new CD (that will also be available in 10" format anytime soon) called 'Rive' on Tokyo Jupiter Records, too; check it out.

Seila Chiara's music is fresh and cleansing, in a scene fueled with empathy / apathy and egoism...

The record is limited to 275 white colored vinyls and you can get your copy by our distro.

www.seilachiara.com

www.comisnotwords.com

www.momentofcollapse.com

2011-10-24T01:38:00.007+03:00

This week we party hard.

Click on the posters to enlarge and get details.

2011-10-18T18:49:00.001+03:00

To us the streets belong.

2011-10-12T21:48:00.004+03:00

Alpinist - Lichtlaerm 12"

Phobiact | Vendetta

I remember a couple of years ago (2 or 3, dunno...) when I got the first release of Munster's (Germany) Alpinist for my distro... It was a split 12" with Finisterre. After carrying it in my box / mail-order for a couple of months, no one bought a single copy and I was forced to trade the records with some other releases of a foreign distro / label.

Some months after this incident, Alpinist played a summer fest in central Greece. A few people got nuts, while the majority preferred to listen to their safe punk tunes and spend their money on alcohol.

Nowadays, Alpinist got the hype in the local underground scene. Every single crust kid seem to like them. Even if he / she doesn't like them, they have to, because they got the hype. You know the deal.

To state my humble opinion, Alpinist is one of the best and fresh European crust bands that I've listened to since ages.

And they definitely deserve that kind of hype...

I got the 2nd press (limited to 500 copies) of their 2nd full length album by Last Scream distro a couple of weeks ago, and even though I was listening to this record on my iPod for months, listening to the original vinyl made more sense to me and kept me focused to their furious melodies and urgent music.

Lichtlaerm is a german word combining the words light and noise, and so does the record itself, bringing into light

32:59 minutes of noisy / apocalyptic yet atmospheric crust hardcore.

Alpinist is a fucking GREAT band and you should spend 32:59 minutes of your life in order to listen to that record.

If you don't do so, the shame is on you.

The record comes with a nice insert and a poster.

None who have always been free can understand the terrible fascinating power of the hope of freedom to those who are not free. - Pearl S. Buck

Info:

www.myspace.com/alpinistsucks

www.vendettarecords.de

www.phobiactrecords.de

2011-10-12T21:20:00.008+03:00

Arse Moreira / Resurrectionists 6"

Moment Of Collapse | React With Protest

Never feel my words running and reflected in the back

you will never understand life inside life

you will hurt from an eternal slug of whiskey

night girls will whisper your name.

Distant echoes of pain so you'll wish my breath to return to your scars.

You ain't got no love to give!

This is chaotic, technical and dark screamo / hardcore / grind at its best.

This 6" is the soundtrack of apocalypse.

Screamo / emoviolence band Arse Moreira from Mexico (sad that it called quits some months ago) team up with Germany's best grinding fast powerviolence / screamo hardcore band called Resurrectionists, bringing CHAOS.

Get this before it's too late.

Moment Of Collapse and React With Protest are one of the best labels based in Europe nowadays. Period.

Info:

www.myspace.com/arsemoreira

www.myspace.com/resurrectionists666

www.momentofcollapse.com

www.reactwithprotest.org

2011-10-07T19:16:00.006+03:00

Truth Inside 7"

Ugly & Proud Records

I was waiting a lot for this piece of wax... Niki / Ugly & Proud Records, one of the nicest and most active persons in the Bulgarian hardcore scene was talking to me about this release since we met in Sofia during the I Want You Dead winter tour, back in January 2011.

So, here I am, 9 months later, in front of the turntable, listening to Truth Inside while typing these bunch of words in my PC!

To start with, Truth Inside come from Panama city, Florida, and they are a pretty young band claiming the straight edge, a positive outlook and respect to the others.

Take a look at the cover art and you can easily figure out what style of music they are playing...

Straightforward hardcore / punk it is. Bands like Floorpunch, In My Eyes, Gorilla Biscuits and The First Step are big influences for Truth Inside, since they manage to mix both late 80s / early 90s straight hardcore and new millennium's straight edge revival.

Their lyrics deal with issues like 'keeping it alive', the straight edge and positive messages. You know the deal!

The 7" comes in splatter color 45rpm vinyl feat. black & white covers including lyrics.

I really dig this record, do the same and pick your copy from your local hardcore dealer.

Truth Inside are on a weekend Florida tour along with another great band called Losin' It while you are reading this review!

Info:

www.facebook.com/truthinside

www.myspace.com/uglyandproudrecords

2011-09-17T16:32:00.007+03:00

Patriarchal Death Machine

Yes! MCD

Pee Records

The first thing I noticed when I got this CD for review was the cover and the whole artwork feat. photos from riots that took place in Athens the previous years. Molotov cocktails, stones, anarchist 'outfit', cops etc., you definitely know the deal...

So, I was more than curious to find out what these guys are into both music and lyric wise. After a quick look at the press release and the CD insert I figured out that PDM include a member with Greek origin and that's definitely the answer why the layout was based upon the Greek riots...

Patriarchal Death Machine come from Adelaide, Australia, and they were formed back in 2004.

'Yes!' is their 2nd release, a 7-song EP following their debut album 'Familiarity breeds contempt' (2006).

Those 7 songs are a mixture of 80s old school hardcore / punk (may I call it NYHC?) with a strong touch of modern technical hardcore... I dunno how to describe this because is 100% unique... I think that if you put in the mixer Dead Kennedys along with Million of Dead Cops, Sick Of It All and Propagandhi, you'll get PDM... I know that this sounds weird, but I've no better description, sorry!

PDM's lyrics deal with social and political issues, including anti-imperialism / anti-state, anarchism, anti-alcohol consumption and anti-gambling topics. The insert features explanations for each songs and I can assure you that PDM are political enough in the hardcore / punk scene of 2011, which is sadly more non-political than ever...

To be honest, PDM's music is not my cup of tea. I can easily listen to this EP for a bunch of times, though.

Go and check them out, they undoubtedly have something to say!

myspace.com/patriarchaldeathmachine
peerecords.com

2011-09-16T15:09:00.006+03:00

The stagnation of the blog continues...

Too busy these times to find some spare minutes to write a kinky review.

The pile of records on my desk is growing huge, though.

So, World's Appreciated Kitsch is busier than ever.

4 records are coming sooner than soon.

Πανικός 12", Eternal Hated CD, Attrito 10" and Whale's Island 7" will be released before the end of the world, that it's gonna take place in less than 3 months due to the pros.

We recently released a personal publication (call it a book) called Think.

More info here: thinkisforthinkers.tumblr.com

Search and find this precious item and grab it while it's hot.

Some shows are announced as well...

First of all, we have the 2-days DIY hardcore / punk festival that is taking place in Volos (check the poster below) on 30th September and 1st October 2011, organized by Riot Squat (World's Appreciated Kitsch is something like a part of Riot Squat since months...).

Then on 21st October the Athens Hardcore Matinee is taking place at AN Club, Athens feat. My Turn, Against All Odds, Censored Sound and Lunatix in a hell of a hardcore / punk show for only 6 bucks.

Another show confirmed is Dead To Me (Fat Wreck, USA) on 19th February 2012. Really proud of this.

Concerning the Positively Positive Hardcore Fest I doubt if will take place this year... We'll see.

Moreover, WAK is taking care of My Turn's mini Berlin tour on 28th & 29th October.

1st show is taking place in Scharni 38, while the 2nd one will be held in Koma F (Koepi Squat).

Psyched.

Eternal Hated's mini tour is taking place from 16th to 20th November. Romania, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Greece are on the schedule. 5 shows in 5 days. More info soon. The guys recorded 7 songs that will force you lose your mind... A release is scheduled for later this year.

That's all I guess.

We'll get back with reviews sooner or later.

See ya every Tuesday at Ginkgo Biloba.

Support the scene and take care of each other.

Luv,

WAK.

2011-09-06T16:11:00.000+03:00

Ginkgo Biloba opening party on Wednesday 7th September 2011.

Feat. DJ set by World's Appreciated Kitsch.

Be there or be square.

2011-09-04T19:34:00.005+03:00

It's been ages since I last updated this blog.

To be more concise it's been a whole month.

Don't worry; World's Appreciated Kitsch is still alive.

My PC crashed, but here I am trying to configure and set up a new device.

Moreover, both World's Appreciated Kitsch & My Turn had a busy summer, so that's another reason why this blog remained stagnant.

So, expect some cool updates from now on.

Read 'Think. the publication' and attend this show.

2011-08-03T21:14:00.004+03:00

Nothing

Double dose of negativity LP

Refuse Records

To start with... This is one of the best hardcore albums I've heard in 2011... Period.
Nothing is a brand new band from Berlin, even though its members are well experienced musicians (sic) and active individuals in the European hardcore / punk scene.
Jobst used to play for Highscore, Monster and Peace Of Mind, Matthias was in Durango 95 and Highscore, Matze was in Costa's Cake House and Monster, Mark in Bombenalarm and Nails, and Ronny in Situations... Pretty interesting / competitive CV, don't you think so?!
So, Double dose of negativity includes 8 songs (25min.) of no fills - no frills hardcore / punk music.
Think of a crossover between 80s NYHC, a bit of Japanese hardcore and some rock 'n' roll parts, including influences from all the former bands of the members. Sharp guitars, catchy riffs, angry vocals...
The production is awesome. Neither overproduced nor rough. It fits the best Nothing's sound.
Lyricwise, Nothing are pessimistic enough both for society and the hardcore scene. They are pissed off with Berlin, as well. The title of the record unveils everything after all...
'Is it just me - me growing old? Or have things really gone dull? I might get harder - harder to impress, but this hardcore is a mess'...
I dunno, sometimes I feel the same. Sometimes I look at the bright side of life / hardcore scene.
Nevertheless, Nothing's debut album is a must have for every hardcore kid that believes that hardcore is more than silly beatdowns, tough guy attitude and backstabbing.
The rest can get the fuck out of here.

P.S. The record is available in tape format, as well. Visit the Static Shock online store to get a copy. If anyone wants a copy of the vinyl, WAK distro carries a bunch.

nothingsalright.blogspot.com
refuserecords.prv.pl

2011-07-30T22:53:00.006+03:00

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

2011-07-29T00:46:00.013+03:00

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

2011-07-26T14:30:00.006+03:00

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

2011-07-26T13:56:00.006+03:00

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

2011-07-24T14:51:00.007+03:00

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

2011-07-14T19:42:00.007+03:00

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.

2011-07-12T12:58:00.004+03:00

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

2011-07-06T16:59:00.004+03:00

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

2011-07-03T21:26:00.006+03:00

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.

August 13th | Kasmir Club, Ikaria

www.myspace.com/vodkajuniors

2011-06-27T18:53:00.005+03:00

Born To Hate

Romper la baraja CD

Cruzade Records | Fragment Music

I'm really happy when womyn are involved in the hardcore scene. It's vital to have more and more womyn participating in the movement in order to throw away its masculine, macho, sexist character that is more than annoying every now & then.

Well, Born To Hate is an all-female hardcore band from Barcelona, Spain, and Romber la baraja ('Break the deck') is their 2nd record, following their MCD that was released 3 years ago.
The record includes 10 songs of furious and heavy hardcore music in the vein of Madball, Death Threat, Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags. You know the deal, NYHC with a lot of breakdowns, aggressive vocals, chorus parts and crushing riffs.
Born To Hate's lyrics are all in spanish (although there are english translations inside the booklet) and cover social / political and personal issues, including patriarchism, relationships, police brutality (their song ACAB is dedicated to the greek riots) and unemployment. I really dig the lyrics because Born To Hate seem to have a really strong attitude and do not circulate around the tough guy infiltrated topics that the majority of the NYHC (and the NYHC influenced) scene does.
The production is good, tight enough to unfold Born To Hate's anger, frustration and will to fight.
Concerning the cover and the whole artwork, I think that they could go something better, though...

www.myspace.com/borntohatehc
www.cruzaderecords.com
www.fragmentrecords.com

2011-06-23T11:57:00.004+03:00

Anchor

Recovery CD

Pee Records

This heart still beats. Unbroken. Unchained.
This heart still beats. Right here. Undetained.

I've been waiting for this impatiently.
Anchor is one of my fav current hardcore bands and I strongly believe that they are one of the most-hardworking and sincere acts that the hardcore / punk scene has to offer.
Hailing from Sweden, they feature members that have done time in bands like Dead Vows, Smackdown, Damage Control, Balance and Set My Path, and they have put out half a dozen of records, including a full length, EPs, split 7"s and a discography CD; all released by various labels from all over the world. Moreover, with an average of almost 100 shows per year, you can definitely consider them as a touring machine...
So, 'Recovery' includes 11 songs of 90s hardcore, a style that Anchor undoubtedly know how to represent. Their music is intense and hard yet emotional. I'd like to add that the new record is more emotional than their previous releases and a bit more 'easy listening' (as 'easy listening' as 90s metallic hardcore can be, hehe!).
'Recovery' includes songs that will stick in your mind and make you grab the mic and sing-along like there's no tomorrow; for example 'Testament' is an awesome, catchy song, while 'No Love', feat. Sean Murphy from Verse, stands the fuck out. 'Hemingway' includes guest vocals by John Hurtig, the singer of Balance, a great Swedish straight edge hardcore band.
Anchor's lyrics are straight to the point, covering social and political issues, with a strong vegan / straight edge attitude. After all, Anchor is an outspoken, political vegan / straight edge band, not fearing to unfold their anarchistic perspectives.
To sum it up, if you are a 'fan' (but what does a fan mean? wrong word...) of Trial, Verse or Have Heart, you should get this record, plus all the Anchor discography.
I've tried a lot of times in the past to bring them over here, in this fucked up place, but it's a pity that I never succeeded. It's a shame that I've never watched them live, as well.
I promise to make amends...
'Recovery' was released in CD format by Pee Records in Australia, Vegan Records in South America and Let It Burn Records in Europe, while the vinyl edition is out by Refuse Records. This review is based on the Australian edition, which is a digipack with a great artwork including quality photos, lyrics etc. The cover breathes fresh air, too...!
I'm also waiting for a bunch of gatefold LPs (incl. 12-pages booklet), so if you need one, hit WAK up.

This heart still beats. To the fullest. Untamed.
This heart still beats. Unrestrained.

www.myspace.com/xanchorx
www.peerecords.com

2011-06-21T20:17:00.005+03:00

Nowhere fanzine #1

self-released

You tell me that I make no difference.
At least I'm fucking trying.
What the fuck have you done?
Minor Threat

So, yeap, it's true. My good friend Lydia has just released the 1st issue of her awesome zine called Nowhere (or Now here). I'm really psyched since we are been talking about this for more than a year. Moreover, I feel a bit a part of this zine since I lived a part of the production of it, plus I have a column, some reviews and some more thoughts inside...
Lydia is a great writer and it's a pity that I didn't ask her to contribute in Keep It Real zine before; the shame on me... I really like the whole atmosphere of the fanzine, the cut & paste layout, the handmade writings and everything. In the era of adobe, it's really vital to have a fanzine reminding you of the good ol' days. It's more personal, more nostalgic, more something, I dunno...
Well, Nowhere #1 includes 92 A5 pages of music & art. You can find everything from poems and columns to illustrations and drawings, and from band interviews to dozens of record reviews. Just for the record, the bands that are interviewed here are My Turn and Blacklisted from Greece, and Bernay's Propaganda from Macedonia.
This is definitely a punk rock zine that all the local scenesters and zine lovers should get.
This scene needs fanzines, so you better start yourself one, too.

www.nemesisknox.com

2011-06-21T19:32:00.004+03:00

Kalazaar / (A) - Truth

split 7"

Scullcrasher | Noise Attack | Eat Shit Buy Die | We Don't Fight It | Alcoholic Desaster

This is a DIY split 7" featuring Kalazaar from Athens and (A)-Truth from New York.
My friend Bak (owner of Scullcrasher distro and also involved in Athens Anarchopunk collective) gave me some copies of this release to carry in my distro plus one to review in this blog.
The record has been co-produced by 4 g labels and a dutch one, and it comes in a nice packaging including an awesome cover, as you can check out above.
A-Side features 3 songs by Kalazaar, an anarcho-punk band that started out 5 years ago and since then they have played a bunch of shows in squats all over Greece. Their style is raw punk in the vein of Chaos UK, Disorder, Kaaos, Adiexodo and the likes. 2 of their songs are in english, while there's one in greek language, as well. Their lyrics (sung by both male & female vocalists) are strongly political, representing their hate for the state and the urgency of revolt.
On the other side, we have (A)-Truth, a band based in Brooklyn, NY, formed in late 2007 with the purpose to provoke and agitate people in order to achieve a social and political change (as they claim in their biography). They offer 2 songs (one in spanish, feat. female vocals) that brings in mind Dirt and Conflict.
As you can figure out, this is a tight anarcho-punk release, and even though this style is not exactly my cup of tea, I really enjoyed listening to both bands. Get this split by the bands or the labels involved or even order a copy from our distro.

The record is dedicated in the memory of Alexandros Grigoropoulos, a young boy that was shot dead by the greek police on 6th December 2008. That murder led to a huge revolt that took place all over the country... Never forget, never forgive.

www.kalazaar.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/theatruth
http://alcoholicdesaster.espiv.net
www.myspace.com/pavlosgrind
http://scullcrasherdis.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/eatshitbuydiedistrolabel
trade_is_more_human@yahoo.gr

2011-06-14T21:11:00.005+03:00

CBK

Pre-show party στο Ginkgo Biloba | Τετάρτη 15/6, στις 22.00. - cancelled.
Συναυλία στο AN Club | Πέμπτη 16/6, στις 21.00, μαζί με Τοξικά Απόβλητα και My Turn.

2011-06-06T21:01:00.004+03:00

Blacklisted

demo CD

self-released

To be honest, it's been a while since I listened to a really good local DIY punk rock band.
When I first watched Blacklisted live, I didn't know that my ol' friend and ex-bandmate (for 3 rehearsals, ha!) V. was playing bass for them, so I was really happy to meet her again and figure out that her new band was very very good! Besides that, they weren't play kaca-punk as I guessed. Btw, nothing wrong with kaca-punk, it gets me bored sometimes, that's all.
So... First of all, Blacklisted have nothing to do with the well-known American hardcore band that I can assume that 90% of the readers of this blog already know and 50% of them worship.
The locals Blacklisted consist of active individuals in the underground / DIY greek punk rock scene and ex-members of bands like The Parkinsons, Valpourgia Nixta, Arxi Tou Telous, Ixoripansi etc. They play awesome melodic punk rock with a lot of ska parts (they use a trombone) and some 80s punk influences.
They sing in both english and greek language. The songs with the greek lyrics remind me of The Parkinsons, maybe Orexi Gia Tipota and I dare to write...Trypes! Their song 'Antexeis' is simply awesome, I quoted some of the lyrics below. If I had to choose though, I'd prefer the songs with the english lyrics, they strongly remind me of Wasted!
The production is great, and considering the fact that this is just a demo, it's superb.
I really dig the artwork & the drawings, too. Moreover, the demo comes packaged in black or red cloth, simply DIY.
All in all, I can definitely say that finally here's a really good DIY local punk rock band / release.
Get the demo wherever you find it; there's not a price, you can donate whatever you want.
You can download it from their website, as well.

αντέχεις να κοιτάζεις εμένα στα μάτια, βρες την αλήθεια που κρύβω εκεί έχω δυο μάτια βαμμένα με αίμα, μαύρη αντανάκλαση της πονεμένης γης σφίγγω τα δόντια, κοιτάζω στο χάος, διέξοδο ψάχνω απ'τη δική μου πληγή σφίγγω τα δόντια, κοιτάζω πιο κάτω, το βλέμμα παγώνει σαν πέφτει η βροχή

www.blacklistedpunk.org

2011-05-27T13:03:00.004+03:00

Keep It Real can be found in the most weird places.
The most weird places still keep it real.
Shot by Lydia inside a local squat's bathroom.

2011-05-26T12:07:00.004+03:00

Censored Sound

Shadows CD

self-released

This is finally the new Censored Sound CD, their 5th release since their inception back in the autumn of 2001. Damn, it's been 10 years since the band was formed, and almost 8 since I firstly met the CS guys. Time flies so fast...
'Shadows' is actually their 2nd full length album and, to be honest, I was very curious to listen to how their sound have evolved since their EP 'Feel the pressure'', that was released in 2007. I had the privilige to listen to some of the songs (rough mix) while I was in Jack's (Despite Everything; responsible for the recordings of the vocals & drums of this record) studio a couple of months ago and I was very surprised to find out that the band has changed a bit their style.
Not too much, though, don't worry! They are still focused on the old school hardcore / youth crew sound, dedicated to the American scene of the late 80s / early 90s. They have simply added in their music a strong flavor of modern hardcore, plus some more crusty / punk parts, which I find really interesting and I think that they suit them a lot.
The record includes 15 songs, almost all of them being fast, even though there are a couple of songs that last over 3 minutes. I can definitely claim that my favs are Far Sky Line, Two Months (dedicated to a little kid that recently came in this fucked up world), I Can't Wait and Defrosted.
'Bad luck' features guest vocals by Jack / Despite Everything, while Orestis Vodka Juniors and Germanos XLOS / Vodka Juniors sing in 'A Sinking Ship'.
The lyrics are awesome; both personal and social-political. I definitely dig them and I'm very happy that one more local hardcore / punk band goes political concerning the lyrics...
The production is cool, but I prefer it a bit clearer; the guitar sound is a bit buzzy.
What I do not like a lot is the artwork... I dunno, I just don't like it and I wanna be honest about it, hehe.
All in all, a very nice record that you SHOULD support. The local scene needs releases like 'Shadows'.

www.myspace.com/censoredsound

2011-05-19T01:29:00.011+03:00

Touche Amore

Parting the sea between brightness and me CD / LP

Deathwish Inc.

if actions speak louder than words, i'm the most deafening noise you've heard
i'll be that ringing in your ears that will stick around for years

LA's Touche Amore is one of the most sincere & hardworking hardcore / punk bands nowadays.
With over 300 shows in 3 years, an amazing debut full length (...To the beat of a dead horse) and 2 split 7"s with Make Do And Mend and La Dispute, they have managed to create a dedicated fanbase all over the world and kinda earn a contract with Deathwish Inc.
Their second full length will be released on 7th June, but we have the privilige to review it 2 weeks before, thanks to the Deathwish team that offered this to us.
First of all, I have to write that the album is a bit more straightforward than their previous releases. That's not bad at all, though. The passion, the desperation and the tension are still present here, giving a unique approach in Touche Amore's music.
I dunno if this is called screamo, post-hardcore, emocore or whatever... I can definitely say that this is fucking hardcore / punk played from the heart and fueled with strong emotions.
Touche Amore influences from the 80s DC scene and bands like Rites Of Spring or Embrace, but they have also added a modern touch in their songs, and this aspect makes them different from the majority of the hardcore clones (or maybe clowns) nowadays...
What I like the most is the self liberating feeling that is distinct during their songs, with emotions exposed and frustration unleashed. They really talk to me.
Moreover, the songs last between 1,5 and 2 minutes, so that's a pro as well, since I'm getting bored with long lasting records nowadays...
I dare to say that 'Parting the sea between brightness and me' is one of the best records for the first half of 2011... Get this now.

www.toucheamore.com
www.deathwishinc.com

2011-05-15T23:03:00.005+03:00

Dala Sun

Sala dun CD

self-released

It's been more than a month since we last updated this blog with a new review... The shame on us, but we were fucking busy with way too many other projects, ya know.
So, many of you probably know that stoner / doom rock is definitely not my cup of tea, but I chose to review Dala Sun's new CD because I'm really into the D.I.Y. ethics of the band and in addition to this, I can undoubtedly say that these kids are dedicated to their style, and that's the most important aspect to me. I dunno how cliche it sounds, but they are fucking true!
Dala Sun (it means something like very sunny weather) is a quartet from Patras city (south Greece) and this is their first effort, released a couple of months ago in CD format featuring awesome artwork. It's impossible not to mention the art part of this release since it's reallyyy crucial! Take a look yourself and let me know.
'Sala dun' includes 8 songs of stoner music with a lot of grunge and doom rock influences.
They add some rock 'n' roll riffs every now & then.
Fans of this kind of music will surely dig this. Even I enjoyed it a lot!
Dala Sun is a DIY band and as they state in their website, they love to play 'in humid roachy basements, or with listeners in autonomous places and squats.'

P.S. You can download their CD from their myspace site. I would recommend you to buy it instead, it'll cost you less than a beer in your favorite bar.

www.myspace.com/dalasun

2011-05-06T14:54:00.006+03:00

Athens goes punk rock.

Every Tuesday:
Ginkgo Biloba - Σόλωνος 136
DJ set by World's Appreciated Kitsch

Every Thursday:
Roi Mat - Σολωμού 15-17
DJ set by LinaMeiWolf & guests

2011-05-01T23:52:00.009+03:00

Other:
Katarameno Syndromo | Athens, GR

You can also read it in pdf format here:
http://issuu.com/keepitreal/docs/kir_x

We always seek for distributors.
Get in touch and we'll work a deal out.

2011-04-19T19:25:00.019+03:00

Volos_back on the map

home sweet home reunion
WAK και φίλοι φάση

23.04 - Αναστάσιμο Hardcore / Punk Γλέντι | Irish Heart Pub, κατά τις 00.30.

26.04 - Punk / Hardcore Χοροεσπερίδα με τους Unfun (Canada), Despite Everything και Eternal Hated | Warehouse Art Collective, στις 21.00.29.04 - DIY Hardcore / Punk Live με τους Boredom (Austria), My Turn και I Want You Dead, | Riot Squat (Κατάληψη Ματσάγγου), γύρω στις 21.30.

05.05 - Post / Doom / Etc. Συναυλία με τους Universe 217, Brotherhood Of Sleep και The Shoutabouts | Warehouse Art Collective, στις 21.00.

07.05 - Live Αλληλεγγύης και Οικονομικής Ενίσχυσης Αγωνιζόμενων Κρατουμένων με τους Straight Opposition (Italy), My Distance (Italy), Censored Sound, Inhuman Poison, Convicted και Faithreat | Αρχιτεκτονική (Πεδίον του Άρεως), στις 20.00.

17.05 - DIY Hardcore / Punk Live με τους Lost Boys (France), From A Yesterday's Tragedy, Dreams Fall, The Straypack | Riot Squat (Κατάληψη Ματσάγγου), γύρω στις 21.00.
11.06 - Συναυλία με τους Bad Movies από Θεσσαλονίκη και τους Acid Baby Jesus από Αθήνα | Warehouse Art Collective, 21.00.

Έρχονται και άλλα.

Θα ξανακάνουμε το πανκ απειλή.

2011-04-13T18:07:00.013+03:00

Eternal Hated

1.Klasse Lounge_Recklinghausen (DE)

1st April 2011

I won't regret this, you take your smile away. All I want, left and gone.
I'm falling down trying to find what you really are.
You never wanted what I am, I won't believe
I fall in your lies, I fall in your angel eyes.
This world of you kilss me, what I've done, forsake me.
You let me die all alone, what I've done to save my self.
I fall in your lies, I fall in your angel eyes.
Eternal Hated - 'Dressed To Kill', from the 'Secrets' album.

Pics by a.
Taken with a cheap Lomo fisheye compact camera.
No editing at all.
If I can do it, you can do it as well.

2011-04-11T21:25:00.003+03:00

Unbreakable

Peace of mind 7''

Ugly & Proud Records

Unbreakable was a band from 2005 to 2010.
They were formed by ex- Silence Before Storm, Break And Enter and Last Straw members, and they were active in the Belgian scene through all these years. Ugly & Proud Records just after their demise, released the band's 2nd 7", called Peace of Mind, limited to 200 copies.
The 7" includes 8 songs (intro & interlude included) of modern yet old school straight edge hardcore. They draw influences from Youth Of Today, Uniform Choice and Insted, but their approach is totally new and up to date. Everything you need is here: fast parts, sing-along parts, 2 step parts, what else?!
I also enjoy the lyrics a lot, they are personal but with a social approach... You hardly read lyrics like tortured while awaiting their execution, what have they done to deserve this fate? blood on your hands, death on your plate, when will you realize your steak had a face? in today's hardcore releases.
Moreover, I like the artwork and the black / white photo that is featured in the cover, depicting good times and fun during a hardcore show...
Nice release, you should check it out. There's a bunch of copies laying in our distro box.

www.myspace.com/xunbreakablehcx
www.myspace.com/uglyandproudrecords

2011-04-04T19:36:00.002+03:00

Monday afternoon, 4th April

So, the mini tour is finally over.
After a fucking long and exhausting trip we returned to reality.
We wanna thank every single one for the great hospitality, and of course all the bands that Eternal Hated shared the stage with. Last but not least, we need to send our gratitude to all the individuals that attended the shows and we had a talk or just shook our hands with them.
Love,
EH / WAK, spring 2011

'So take me and bring me down
Another moment I fall in to the ground
The loneliness consume myself
Reality fades the way I felt'
Eternal Hated - 'Treachery eyes'

2011-04-04T00:25:00.005+03:00

Sunday midnight, 3rd to 4th April

After a short walk in Bad Ragaz downtown, we started the trip to Germany.
I have to tell you that Bad Ragaz is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. Seriously.
The view and the landscape are awesome, and so is the architecture of the city.
As I already wrote down in a previous update, Bad Ragaz is located among the Alps, so some houses were situated literally under the mountains..:! There you could see lakes, huge parks, golf courts, monuments... We even saw a mini chess court in front of a house! Of course, there were a lot of super rich cars in the roads... You can assume that almost only rich people live or travel there; everything was expensive as hell, while the city was clean and sterilized.
Moreover, the weather was very very hot, that some of us could not resist to take off their t-shirts.
So, the trip to Herten was long and boring. 7 hours on the fucking road. Pff. Nothing special happened; this time we listened a bit to Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, among the other beatdown crap (sorry, I am mean, I know...), and we had fun teasing each other.
We arrived in Herten and Gerrit`s house at 21.30, had some pizza and took a shower. Apparently, it was the first shower I took in 4 days; so you cannot imagine how relieved I feel right now, haha.
It's almost 00.30 and we have to wake up in 2,5 hours... Jan (Strength`s bassist) is gonna pick us up and drive us to Dusseldorf`s airport: Our flight is at 6.30 in the fucking morning and then we have to change plane in Amsterdam, after waiting there for 4 hours... We are supposed to land in Athens at 16.10. So here we have a 13-hour long trip ahead us. We will survive, I guess.
Kussen,
EH / WAK

Here you get another one bonus pic.

2011-04-03T13:31:00.003+03:00

Sunday noon, 3rd April

We just woke up and it`s 12.30.

We had a cool breakfast with croissants, bread and peanut-butter!

I guess we have to hit the road in half an hour.

It`s a long trip, around 7 hours...

Then we will get some rest in Gerrit`s house and we have to be in Dusseldorf`s airport at 4.30 in the morning.

A 12-hour trip, incl. flights and waiting in airports, is waiting for us...

We`ll keep you updated and post something new when we get back in Herten.

Cheers.

2011-04-03T03:50:00.008+03:00

(almost) Sunday, 3rd April

So, after leaving Ntinos (I forgot to tell you that we met a friend of us who studies in Koln and we spent the whole day together) in the train station, we started the trip to Switzerland.

I searched everywhere to buy a film for my photo-camera but it did not work out, so no photos from the Bad Ragaz show... Shit the landscape is awesome...

The trip to Bad Ragaz was 7-hour long, fueled with sun, beatdown music, reading books and sleeping. We arrived in this small city (5000 population), located among the mountains, after passing the Austrian and Swiss borders, at around 20.00. The locals were waiting for us and we had a very cool dinner consisting of Chinese food, a cake and brownies.

Afterwards, we went straight ahead to the venue. Actually the venue was the rehearsal room of the local band called Looks Like Yoda. I dare to say it`s one of the best D.I.Y. venues I have ever been to.

The show started at around 21.30 and a lot of kids (especially young ones) have already gathered; I think that almost 100 kids attended the show. First band was Looks Like Yoda (they took their name from a Parkway Drive song), a cool modern hardcore style band that played for half an hour. Eternal Hated were next, playing a decent show. The sound was awesome, so the band managed to unfold its talent (sic). The local kids liked them a lot, as well. Another local band called Fist Of Fate played after Eternal Hated. Even though beatdown hardcore is not my cup of tea, I have to admit that these guys were very tight and good. They covered Breaking The Law by Judas Priest and Loikaemie`s Goodnight White Pride, as well. Strength headlined the show and they played much better than their hometown show, or maybe the sound was better, or even maybe I was in the right mood to listen to them, hehe!

There was a party after the show and after a while everyone was drunk...

After leaving our marks on the venue`s walls, that means Eternal Hated and WAK tags, plus antifascist symbols and stupid greek words, we said goodnight to everyone and left for the house that we are now having some rest. To be honest, only 3 of us are ready to sleep since the other 2 are still in the venue (one of them flirting with a girl, while the other one is waiting for the guy that is flirting with the girl, ha!).

It`s 4.15 in the morning and I am abusing our host`s mac, but I guess it`s time to sleep...

We are crashing in a floor, literally, but we are so tired that it seems like a water-bed.

Goodnight

P.S.1 How annoying are the people attending hardcore shows that cannot understand where`s the boiling point when fun becomes something else than fun, at least?!

P.S.2 Today I feel like the odd guy, the one that neither play any instrument or sing. Everyone is asking if I am the photographer or the cameraman. 2 guys told me that I am like Bloodhound Gang`s bassist, and I do not have a fucking idea how this fucking guy looks like...

you are gonna miss me when I am gone

2011-04-02T12:08:00.002+03:00

Saturday morning, 2nd April
We woke up at 10 and had breakfast in the garden.
The weather is nice and hot today, we even sun-tanned (!) a bit.
It´s 11.30 and I think we are late.
We are starting the trip to Switzerland, hurray!

2011-04-02T04:16:00.003+03:00

(almost) Saturday, 2nd April

We arrived at the club around 5, unloaded the van, set up the backline, did a short soundcheck and went to eat salty bread & salad baquettes, drink rock star energy drinks with coke and vanilla coke.
I was happy to meet my old buddy Harris (former member of In Full Strength - interviewed in Keep It Real #8, and now playing guitar for Go For It).
Moreover, it seemed kinda difficult to meet Rodrigo / Atlas Losing Grip in the afternoon, so we arranged to meet after the shows.
The show started a quarter to 9. First were How To Start, old school hc with some modern hc influences. They covered Common Enemy`s One Up. The best German band in the bill today, in my humble opinion. The Hope Of A Blind Man were next; think something like metallic hardcore in the vein of Walls Of Jericho, with a girl growling nicely!
Eternal Hated took the stage around 22.30 and they played a cool yet short set (I really love it when bands play short but tight sets!), consisting of 4 old songs and 3 new ones. They had some problems with the sound in the first couple of songs, but then everything went really great and they managed to unleash their energy, accompanied by stage-dives and fun.
Strength played afterwards; I watched half of their set (that means around 25 minutes) and then went outside to rest in the sofa. Did I tell you that my back is hurting me very much? Getting fucking old...
Yeap, to be honest Strength´s music is not my cup of tea; beatdown hardcore it´s called. They played cool, though. Last were Stay Strong, we had fun but musicwise nothing special, beatdown hardcore once again.

So, after having a falafel and loading the van, we arrived at home around 3 o'clock...It's almost 4 now and we have to wake up at 9 in order to get ready for our long trip to Switzerland. Eternal Hated are playing with Strength and 2 Swiss bands in Bad Ragaz, a city located very very close to the Alps! Our German friends told us that the landscape is amazing, so we can't wait for the roadtrip. To be honest, I'd prefer to sleep some more hours and have a show somewhere nearer, hahaha! Getting old, I told ya!

'Night, night!
A. & Eternal Hated

P.S.1 I fucking hate violent dancing... Moreover, how pathetic are those gym guys that attend hardcore shows just to prove their masculinity??? The hardcore scene has nothing to do with non-tolerant attitude and behavior. Educate yourselves.
P.S.2 Can someone please tell me why all the cute girls are chained to ugly and fucked up boys?!

2011-04-01T15:39:00.006+03:00

Friday, 1st April

First of all, let's have an awesome April!
Dude/tte last night we visited one of the most cult / weird metal pubs ever. Ha! The pub is located in Recklinghausen's downtown and its name is something like Mysteria, brrr!
We crashed at bed inside our sleeping bags just around midnight and we woke up just after noon; 12 hours of sleeping, awesome!
We had awesome breakfast and coffee, and we are now (or maybe, to be honest, the rest of the guys are doin' so since I'm updating this blog) loading the van with Strength's backline. The show tonight will start around 8, so as always we have to be there 3-4 hours before; that means anytime soon, hehe!The lineup consists of local legends Strength (all school hc), The Hope Of A Blind Man (female fronted local modern hardcore), Stay Strong (new school hc from Kassel; the hometown of Ryker's and Brightside, hell yeah), plus a new local old school style band called How To Start.
Here's the poster...The show is gonna take place in the basement of a nice club called 1.Klasse Lounge.
Tonight our friends from Atlas Losing Grip from Sweden are playin' in Recklinghausen, as well. It'd be awesome to meet Rodrigo, Stephan and the rest of the guys somewhere in town, can't wait!

Btw, I'm reading this awesome fanzine from Holland, called Jagged Visions. Check out its website to find out what's about; jaggedvisionszine.wordpress.com, Willem, the editor, is kind enough to write a short review about Keep It Real and post a video of Antidrasi, as well!

Last but not least, the weather is cloudy and cold.
We are all fine and we salute you.

Bonus picture from last night's orgy feat. xNikosx: