MY DEFENSE

'No place like home' LP

Horror Business Records | Raincheck Records

'Hardcore, how much I love your energy.

Sing alongs! Don't even need to know the words!

Hardcore, how much I love your energy.

A gorgeous subculture. Damn, I love it!'

It's been a year since I wrote a review in my beloved blog, damn. I dunno why but on one point I thought that I should 'kill' this precious way of spreading out cool yet underground hardcore news and record reviews. But this can't happen... 8,5 years after the 1st post and the blog is still alive, so let's revive the whole thing with a review of an amazing record by an amazing band consisting of amazing guys...!

MY DEFENSE are based in Cologne, Germany and exist since 2005. This is their 6th release (demo & EPs included) and actually the 3rd full length of the band that performs a great mixture of old school hardcore and punk rock, fueled with melodies and positive energy.

If you want me to draw comparisons, I'd state that MY DEFENSE are definitely inspired - in one way or another - by bands like Gorilla Biscuits, Shelter, Strike Anywhere, 7 Seconds, Sick Of It All, Good Clean Fun and Raised Fist. Powerful & catchy tunes, sing-alongs, come on, you know the deal!

The band also features a friend of mine, a greek guy called Peri, who resides in Germany since the early 00s. That's why there are 2 songs with greek lyrics in 'em. You should really listen to them!

'No place like home' was co-released by Horror Business Records and Raincheck Records and it's available in green color vinyl. People from Greece can get the record via our own Uprising Hardcore Distro. 

www.mydefense.bandcamp.com

www.facebook.com/mydefense

www.myturnhardcore.bigcartel.com

FVCK SVMMER FEST

25.06.2014 | AN CLUB

ATHENS [GR]

Αλεξανδρούπολη welcomes March.

Ska / R'N'R / Punk Rock party --> 5.3

The Wanderers live --> 8.3

Both at Art Gallery.

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This week.

11/2 Good Times party at Zero

13/2 A Punk / Hardcore night at Lucky13six

14/2 Soundkrash release show at Zero

15/2 Backfire! at 7 Sins

B'URST! 

The Iron Squad Stomp demo

Thinking Straight Records

NO MERCY SUCKAS!

Fuck, fuck, fuck! This is so harsh yet so fucking wonderful!

IN YOUR FACE hardcore from Sao Paolo, Brazil.

4 songs / 7 minutes of hardcore insanity for fans of bands of early NYHC, like Breakdown, Madball, Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front.
But B'URST! don't follow any patterns, they just manage to put hard back in hardcore.
I don't have any other details for the members of the bands, when they started or anything. I just found this demo in a blog and I couldn't resist to review it.
If you are not persuaded yet, check out the cover, there's not any better cover that can reflect a HARDCORE band's music.

Don't miss 'em for nothing.

We're all tired of your phony ass shit

Should had followed first advice, now it's strike three

For all this fucking rumor spreading you did

Talk smack, get hit

burstclan.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/burstclan14

thinkingxstraight.com

MIND X CONTROL

demo 2013

Purgatory Records

Mind X Control is a new band from South Wales, UK, featuring the ex-vocalist of Brutality Will Prevail, Ajay, and 2 members of Forsaken. 

Their first demo was released some months ago via the already hyped Cardiff based label Purgatory Records and includes 5 songs of 90s youth crew / old school hardcore, reminiscent of bands like Turning Point, Insted, Side By Side and Uniform Choice.

There's also a more 00s approach in some of the songs, reminding me of bands like Mental and Outburst. 

To put it simple, this demo is the epitome of modern youth crew / straight edge hardcore and I'm more than glad that bands like Mind X Control still exist. 

By the way, it seems that the United Kingdom is the new haven of everything related to quality hardcore nowadays .
Too many good bands, labels & tons of shows and festivals; what else do you want?!

Check out Mind X Control and get their demo whenever and if you find it.

Oi!

mindxcontrol.bandcamp.com

mindxcontrol.tumblr.com

MINDLESS VIOLENCE

3a6oT Ha BpeMeTo

Napravi Zaedno / Gorilla 92

Mindless Violence is a hardcore / punk / thrash band from Skopje and this is their newest EP.

Marko (their vocalist) has been asking me to review this since late November, so eventually I found some spare time (even at 3.30 in the morning) to review this MCD. Sorry for the delay, but this blog acts like a snail, you know...

I had the opportunity to share the stage with Mindless Violence 3 weeks ago, while in Skopje with my band (My Turn), and I was definitely impressed by the band's (or better Marko's) energetic performance. 

Even though, their music style is not exactly my cup of tea, and besides that all lyrics are in their native language so I can't understand a fucking thing, I really dig Mindless Violence. They seem too dedicated in what their doing. And what they are doing is delivering fast hardcore / punk straight from the heart and for the kids.

The 5 songs of this EP are, quoting the band's own words, 'too punk for the hardcore kids, too hardcore for the punk kids, too mainstream for the thrash kids, too thrash for the mainstream kids'. And that's good for sure.

Do yourself a favor and pay some attention to a hardcore band that is definitely not your favorite overhyped US band or the current trend of Europe's hardcore scene. But they are true to themselves & follow the hardcore ethics. And that's the most important thing for me. Playing hardcore in such a poor country with a no scene at all, is more difficult that even we, the greek hardcore kids, can imagine. 

Cheers for this Mindless Violence.

P.S. Check also their split 7" with the great Swedish band Damage.  

mindlessviolence.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/mindless.violence.skopje

https://www.facebook.com/PositivelyPositiveHardcoreFest

https://www.facebook.com/events/389623154503338/

http://positivelypositivehardcorefest.tumblr.com/

My Turn new 7" available on 23.12.2013

Release show_AN Club.

RAW JUSTICE

We don't need your friends 7"

Straight & Alert | Ugly & Proud | Life To Live

'I don't need you friends, I better stay alone

I don't want your booze, I don't want your line, keep your shit away from me

You think I'm a loser? Well, let's see who will win

Your company is no use, so get lost you fucking clown'

The times are hard and crucial. 'Sick society sickens me' (quoting a My Turn lyric). 

I guess it's about time to get back to some more drastic actions and fuck the endless theoretical rhetorics.

Raw Justice are militant and if militancy is the only way to overcome all this shit surrounding us, then I am going for it...

So, this is a young band coming from Nantes, western France, consisting of ex and current members of bands like No Solution, Black Page and Regarde Les Hommes Tomber. 

Their first 7" was released sometime before summer and includes 6 songs (that's around 7 minutes) of pissed off, no frills hardcore fucking music. If you are into the current trend of fast yet angry, tough yet heavy, American hardcore and bands like The Rival Mob, Noose, Boston Strangler and the likes, then this shit is for you motherfucker. Forget the limited edition, sold out via pre-orders records that the top notch snobbish hardcore bands release and watch out for these French weirdos.

If you like Floorpunch, this is for you, as well.

Songs about the stupid use of booze and pills, the work / unemployment ethics, the internet prophets and the raw justice that we are, while you are just a pathetic victim that we'll smash you down in the ground the next time you talk shit about us.

Fuck off and listen to this 7".

rawjustice.bandcamp.com

straightandalert.com

uglyandproudrecords.blogspot.com

lifetoliverecords.com

FAITHREAT

s/t

Screaming Victims

Faithreat are back with a bang!

4 years after their first full length and 1,5 years after the release of their great 7" entitled 'Thrashing with the stars', it was about time for new material from the band that redefined the crossover / thrash genre in Greece.  

The new, self-titled, album includes 9 songs & an intro of thrashier than ever heavy music. The hardcore / punk aspect has been put aside and this time Faithreat delve deeper into the Bay Area sound of the 80s being influenced by bands like Exodus & Death Angel. There's a strong touch of Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, D.R.I. and the thrash period of Agnostic Front, as well, since the band never forget their punk roots.

The artwork of the record is fucking amazing and the vinyl is 180gr heavy, playing in 45RPM. 

All in all, it's a great record that every thrash / crossover fan should get.

To be honest, I'd prefer it if there was a bigger dose of hardcore / punk in it and the vocals weren't that clean, but this is just my personal opinion and doesn't mean at all that Faithreat's full length isn't one of the best records that got released in Greece the last year or so.

Get it now!

faithreat.bandcamp.com

faithreat.blogspot.com

LIFEWRECK

Demo '13

self-released

Lifewreck is a rare type of poison produced in the most well hidden basements of the underground community in Athens. It is widely used by the elite of the scene (fuck hardcore, fuck punk; the scene is the scene) and sometimes can be lethal. Lifewreck can wreck your life in 12 minutes and this is more than just an achievement because it took me more than 30 years to wreck mine. I should have met these people much earlier I guess. You can imagine how I feel now.

Lifewreck claim to be 100% antifascist, hardcore & powerviolence but, to be honest, I don't care for any of the aforementioned labels. I don't care about any labels at all. This is passionate and comes straight from the heart, I can assure you about this. And this is what matters the most for me.
And last but not least...

The Lifewreck members are some of my best friends and if you ever dare to even touch them, I will cut your throat and bury you dead six feet under the underground. Period.

www.lifewreck.bandcamp.com

7.11.2013 | Hardcore / Punk Party @ Μπάτε Σκύλοι, Σαλόνικα
--

8.11.2013 | My Turn, In Betrayed Silence, Groteska, The Coreys, Zero Tolerance @ TEI, Σέρρες
--

9.11.2013 | My Turn, Zero Tolerance, Big Bad Wolves @ Αμφιθέατρο Παλιάς Νομικής, Κομοτηνή

DESPITE EVERYTHING

'The Dawn Chorus' LP

self-released

'We are sailing under black flags

With a thousand of regrets'

Despite Everything is definitely the most hard-working and undoubtedly one of the best punk rock bands in the greek scene, since their inception in 2009. 

They have toured Europe countless times and they have even made it to The States twice. Moreover, their back catalogue includes 2 great 7"s, a 10" split with In-Sane from Slovenia and a 7" split with Unfun from Canada. To sum it up, Despite Everything is THE BAND you all should check out if you are interested in today's worldwide punk rock / melodic hardcore scene.

So, 'The Dawn Chorus' was just released and it's free for everyone to listen and download (donations are more than welcome, though) via the band's website. 

The record includes 13 songs (you have already -probably- listened to some of them during DE's live shows) of full of passion and emotions modern melodic punk / hardcore, in the vein of bands like The Flatliners, Astpai, Dead To Me and the likes. There's also a Propagandhi influence, in my opinion, and this can't be wrong because as far as I know Despite Everything are huge fans of the aforementioned band.

All in all, this record is so fucking fresh and alive that gave the kiss of life to this dying blog. If this is not enough for you, I don't care. It's definitely more than enough for me.

'I dreamt I was a house of fire

But I woke up in the back of the van

Each mile takes me away from home

Each gallon burns faster than a wildfire'

www.thedawnchorus.net

www.facebook.com/despiteeverythingmusic

Α night full of punk rock, hardcore,
oi!, ska, r'n'r and psychobilly tunes.
Τετάρτη 11 Σεπτεμβρίου 2013, στις 23.00.
Redrum Bar | Βάρναλη 2-4, Χαλάνδρι
--------------------------------------------
DJ set by Άρης Ομίχλη / The Vagabonds 77
& Αποστόλης My Turn / World's Appreciated Kitsch.

New reviews coming anytime soon.

It's fucking time to turn this blog active again...

NO THANKS

demo '13

self-released

'Nothing to prove, no reason to hide
The numbers never mattered, 'cause it's what's inside'

It's been a while since we last updated this blog with a review and that's a shame, I know, but time is limited nowadays and besides that FB is absorbing every inch of creativity. 

Thanks to my good friend Ilias that gave me the boost last night, here we are again with a new review, presenting the first demo of No Thanks, a great straight edge hardcore band from Oklahoma city.

To be honest, it's been months since I last got stoked with a new youth crew band but No Thanks' demo was a surprise for me! 5 songs + an intro of amazing old school late 80s / mid 90s youth crew in the vein of Youth Of Today, Chain Of Strength and Ten Yard Fight, plus lyrics that keep the straight edge flame alive.
2-step parts, fast breaks and sing alongs; you know the deal and you definitely don't need more!

The demo is available through the band's band camp and you can all download and listen to it for free. Have in mind that the band was formed just a couple of months ago and they haven't played any shows yet, so you better hype them now that it's early!

noxthanks.bandcamp.com

facebook.com/noxthanks