LYPURÁ - 'á' review

LYPURÁ - 'á' review

These guys from Germany play new-school screamo that fluctuates between blistering blast beats with noisy, textured chord-work, and clean, bright picked sections. There's a similar contrast in vocals too, often favouring multiple layers of screaming, but they're actually surprisingly good clean singers too; they can harmonise really well, sometimes reminding me of a less wild version of HUMAN HANDS or even THURSDAY, but also surprising me in the first track by having an almost indie-sounding chorus. A couple of tracks in the middle break up the tone a little, with 'A Lost Harmony' bringing in some different influences, sounding more like the post-rock of TALONS, but with some deeper, almost doomy vocals, and 'Growing' adds a slower, delay-driven guitar sound, with a gang-vocal dominated ending. These are then followed by an instrumental post-rock-style track, before breaking back into the emo / screamo sound we're used to hearing from them. So yeah, pretty varied stuff; if you already listen to a lot of European screamo, you'll recognise the kind of sound this has, but expect more clean brightness than cathartic aggression. As well as the bands already mentioned, if you like stuff like TITLE FIGHT and I guess stuff like LOMA PRIETA then this might do it for you.

https://lypura.bandcamp.com/

xox

FURY - 'Paramount' review

FURY - 'Paramount' review

Every now and again, a hardcore band comes along that just does it right (I'm thinking HAVE HEART, EXPIRE, xREPENTANCEx, etc.) and FURY are one of those bands. They basically sound like all of the best 90s REVELATION RECORDS hardcore bands smushed together; fast, heavy and angry both musically and vocally, think YOUTH OF TODAY and GORILLA BISCUITS but with a really solid, up-to-date production. 'Death Yellows Life and Reason' pretty much sounds like a perfect mix of BOLD and BATTERY. Yup, it's that good. Lyrics are more personal than political as far as I can tell, and expect lots of break-neck drumming, palm-muting, and solid riffs, while 'In Extremis' brings a slight change of pace, working with heavy repetition. I recommend checking out 'Damage is Done' or 'The Fury' for something to go on, but if you like the aforementioned bands, you'll love every second of this. I also have to give them extra credit for listing SHAKESPEARE and VONNEGUT in the lyrics credits. Awesome.

https://furyhc.bandcamp.com/

xox

AFI - 'The Blood Album' review

AFI - 'The Blood Album' review

So, me and Nat are both long-term AFI fans, so I always feel the need to at least have a good listen to anything they put out. They've divided a lot of people since probably around 'Sing the Sorrow', when they started to drop the speed and aggression in favour of drama and theatrics, and they've continued to develop the latter for the past few albums since. Personally, I like that AFI change and grow with each album; their respective members are too creative to be the kind of band that churns out the same sounding stuff every couple of years, and I have a lot of respect for them for perpetually evolving over twenty years of being a band (my favourite albums are still 'The Art of Drowning', 'The All Hallows' EP, and 'Sing the Sorrow' though). So, this album sounds mostly like 'Crash Love'; it's not as dark, electronic, or mechanical sounding as their last effort 'Burials', but still retains that almost pop-rock sound that they tend to favour now. Don't expect much speed, but you'll find plenty of variety in dynamics; 'White Offerings' is the most aggressive of the bunch (and vaguely reminds me of 'The Leaving Song Part 2'), there are some upbeat catchy numbers like 'Hidden Knives', as well as some slower, moodier tunes like 'She Speaks the Language'. 'Pink Eyes' is a banger as well. Davey Havok is still a great vocalist; his balance of singing and shouting (of which the pitch of the former and harshness of the latter have both softened into a narrower but pleasant medium) definitely suits the scope of sounds on here, and Jade's general creative-wizardry is as wide and impressive as ever. Not sure if I imagined it, but I thought I heard lyrics touching on religion and gender-identity too, so that's cool. I think everyone misses old AFI, but if your music taste extends beyond punk and hardcore, and you're willing to give it a chance, there's plenty to enjoy on here.

https://www.facebook.com/afireinside

xox

'The Shortest Distance: A South Florida Compilation' - Fiddler Records - 1998

'The Shortest Distance: A South Florida Compilation' - Fiddler Records - 1998

So here's a long story. In the early 00s, VICTORY RECORDS released a DVD called 'Release: A Punk / Hardcore Documentary', featuring interviews with lots of bands (including SICK OF IT ALL, FACE TO FACE, YUPPICIDE, IGNITE, WESTON, EARTH CRISIS, AGENT ORANGE, etc.) talking about punk scenes at that time. As well as being a generally cool little documentary, two things really stood out for me: the song over the end credits (which, after some research I discovered was the phenomenal 'Picks' by a band called QUIT), and an interview with a seventeen year old called Amy who briefly chronicled putting on a release show for the first 7-inch that she was releasing on her label.

For years after watching the doc., I listened to QUIT online, and 'Picks' has since become an all time favourite tune (I won't gush too much here, but just hearing the opening chords makes my eyes water), but it wasn't until last year that I decided to see if anything more came of Amy. A couple of Google searches later and I discovered that her label, FIDDLER RECORDS had gone on to put out tonnes of amazing stuff, and were pretty much the catalyst for the success of bands like NEW FOUND GLORY and THE BLED. She'd also recently written a novel called 'A Million Miles' about a girl who was running her own label and going on tour with a band who's record she was putting out.

Inevitably I got in touch with Amy pretty sharpish and ordered not only a compilation that she'd put out in the late 90s that exclusively featured 'Picks' by QUIT, but also her novel and a tee (and a very small hoody). Given that I'd pretty much ordered the comp for one song, I was curious but wouldn't mind if the rest of the tracks didn't hit me quite as much. Boy, was I in for a shock; it very quickly became a favourite compilation (and I've listened to a lot of comps). Just like 'Picks', every track on it pretty much gels perfectly with my music taste; fast, super melodic skatepunk / melodic punk-rock that has that pure energy and rawness that you just don't get with FAT WRECK and EPITAPH bands. There are early tunes from NEW FOUND GLORY, CHRIS CARRABBA (of DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL) and his early band VACANT ANDYS (who were the band on Amy's first 7-inch), some more perfect melodic punk tunes from MILKSHED, DAN'S ARMY, PIVOT, ANCHORMAN, GOING NOWHERE, and ONE + ONE (love that guys vocals), the odd harder tune from bands like LAST MINUTE, and even some ska from POOPY PANTS and KING 7 AND THE SOULSONICS.

I've only listed about half of the bands here, but if you're into real skatepunk, every second of this will be perfect for you; I couldn't recommend it enough. I think the artwork is done by that guy who did loads of stuff for HOT WATER MUSIC too. Sometimes it's hard to get into new stuff as you get older, but this comp from 1998 blew me away in 2016. You can grab it from FIDDLER RECORDS or listen to the whole thing on Youtube. I can also highly recommend Amy's novel 'A Million Miles'.

Amy, you are awesome.

https://www.facebook.com/FiddlerRecords/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NDbb-KnFA8 - QUIT - 'Picks'

xox

'Hang In There: A DIY Covers Compilation' review

'Hang In There: A DIY Covers Compilation' review

"This is a compilation that was put together by FOR THE SAKE OF TAPES to raise money for the mental health charity 'Mind', and it's easily one of the best ideas for a comp I've ever seen; all of your fave DIY / lo-fi punk bands doing covers of pop tunes from the 80s to present day. As soon as the comp started with TWO WHITE CRANES' acoustic take on BLINK 182's 'Adam's Song', followed by a great version of CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS' 'Tilted' by SUGGESTED FRIENDS, and WOLF GIRL doing a dreamy cover of 'I'm Not Okay' by MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, I knew this was going to be a comp that I'd love. There are twenty-three tracks of similar brilliance here, with covers of HOLE, LE TIGRE, and BIKINI KILL by LITTLE FISTS, TOUGH TITS, and DREAM NAILS respectively, as well as pop bangers from KATY PERRY, SEAL, and THE BANGLES by FAGGOT, EMMA KUPA & ANKLES McGHEE and FIGHTMILK. The whole comp is bloody brilliant from start to finish to be honest, but my faves are CAT APOSTROPHE doing ROBYN's 'Dancing On My Own' (it probably helps that I love ROBYN, but this cover is darn good), JESUS AND HIS JUDGEMENTAL FATHER's cover of SHANIA TWAIN'S 'That Don't Impress Me Much', DANIEL VERSUS THE WORLD's absolutely stunning version of ERASURE's 'A Little Respect' (I literally couldn't believe how good this was), and THE POTENTIALS' cover of CHER's 'Believe', pretty much because they put some of that auto-tuning from the original on the vocals in the bridge / chorus and it made me cry with laughter. So yeah, an awesome comp for a great cause that you should check out now if not sooner."

https://forthesakeoftapes.bandcamp.com/album/hang-in-there-a-diy-covers-compilation

xox

SOUTH GHOST - 'Absorb'

SOUTH GHOST - 'Absorb'

So yeah, Lee's doing another band; this one's called South Ghost and they've just uploaded their first tune to Youtube; it's got lo-fi neon woodsy synth-pop vibes, so if that sounds like your thing, feel free to give it a bash!

xox

TROPHY EYES - 'Chemical Miracle' review

TROPHY EYES - 'Chemical Miracle' review

So these fellas from Australia play that big pop-punk crossed with new post-hardcore type thing, a bit like like BASEMENT and TURNOVER but a fair bit heavier (it might sound silly, but in places it even reminds me of SOILWORK's catchier stuff), and it's actually damn good; the contrast of styles is perfectly balanced, so we get some nice heavier tones and sections ('Rain on Me' is pretty blistering in places), but the anthemic choruses are also here in full force and had me from the first or second listen ('Nosebleed' and 'Breathe You In' especially), and the tracks 'Chemical' and 'Miracle' (see what they did there?) work as shorter, almost interlude type tracks, the latter of which is really touching. The last track is also an absolute beaut; I couldn't get the line 'I've got friends, but they don't love me like I love them' out of my head for a long time after hearing it. The lyrics to this album are quality throughout actually; really touching and quite harrowing in places. Favourite tracks for me are 'Home Is' and 'Suicide Pact' which are both incredible and probably a good representation of what you'll find on the rest of the album. Loved this far more than I thought I would, and can't help but highly recommend it.

https://trophyeyes.bandcamp.com/album/chemical-miracle

xox

AUSTEROS - 'I've Got This' review

AUSTEROS - 'I've Got This' review

Don't you just love that feeling when a part of a song just indescribably 'clicks' with you and gives you goosebumps? Well, the chorus to 'Dead Cells', the second track of this new EP by AUSTEROS, gave me exactly that feeling. If I were cool I'd probably say it gives me life, but I'll just say I had to replay it very quickly after first hearing it. This three-piece now located in Bristol play indie-punk in a relatively clean fashion with great, bright guitar melodies and catchy choruses with really cool vocal harmonies, all wrapped up in short, energetic pop punk tunes. I couldn't help but notice how much the vocalist sounds like Billie-Joe in old GREEN DAY, and actually musically it isn't far off (think everything before and including 'Warning'); chuck in some of THE ERGS, maybe MODERN BASEBALL if that's your thing, and NEIL YOUNG and you won't be far off I reckon. Best thing you could do would be to check this out for yourself though; every track is really strong, including a lovely, touching acoustic one half way through. Great stuff, and it also has awesome artwork!

https://www.facebook.com/austerosband/

https://austeros.bandcamp.com/

xox

TANCRED – 'Out of the Garden' review

TANCRED – 'Out of the Garden' review

Crikey, how 90s is this?! For those that don't know, TANCRED is the side / solo project of Jess Abbott who played in the indie-pop band NOW NOW; I really loved her self-titled album, which was all at once dark, cynical, catchy, and funny, and though this is still characteristically TANCRED in some of those respects, it feels like much of the dark tone and atmosphere has been eschewed in favour of all out 90s fuzzy grunge rock, with more drive than reservation. The songs are still considerately structured with some uniquely odd lyrics, and Jess' vocal tone and melodies are as creative as ever, fluctuating between soft drones and surprising highs. A pretty cool album; just expect more fuzzy riffs than the dark and subtle emotion of her previous stuff. Check out the song 'Pens' (which even has a bit of a surf-rock vibe), and 'Swimming'.

https://tancred.bandcamp.com/music

xox

WHATEVERS – 'Totally Buggin'' cassette review

WHATEVERS – 'Totally Buggin'' cassette review

Well, at seven tracks in probably as many minutes, this is one of the shortest tapes I own, but that doesn't make it any less great. WHATEVERS are a female two-piece (drums and guitars with dual vocals) who play very lo-fi pop-punk with funny lyrics and vocal melodies. It's pretty darn catchy with a bit of a 90s vibe, and you definitely won't forget songs like 'I Hope Not Sporadically', 'I Do Not Wear Polyester Hair' and 'Cher and Dionne' any time soon (those song-titles alone should give you a pretty good indication as to the tone of this stuff). A really fun little listen with cool artwork that also comes on a pink shell cassette; ace!

https://whateversss.bandcamp.com/releases

xox

NACHTHEXEN self-titled 7" review

NACHTHEXEN self-titled 7" review

NACHTHEXEN are bloody amazing. Their first release, a cassette called 'The Other' was one of my favourite releases of recent years, and this new EP is no less brilliant. Four tracks of angry, energetic, synth-fuelled punk-rock from four women from Sheffield, with some tight drum and bass work, and keyboard sounds that still remind me of old horror movie scores. Despite there being a kind of dark, gothy vibe to this, there are a lot of moments on it that will make you laugh, as well as loads of gang shouts, and some ace lyrics about anxiety, intoxicated males and the spaces they claim, diet culture, and there's also a re-recording of their classic 'Cheer Up Luv'. Definitely worth checking if you fancy some shouty-synthy-gothy punk-rock with politically strong lyrics. It also has cool artwork and comes on lovely piss-yellow wax. Ace!

*They also have a track on our latest comp cassette*

https://nachthexenpunx.bandcamp.com/album/nachthexen-7

https://www.facebook.com/nachthexenband/

xox

NASDAQ / MOTHERTRUCKER split 12” (DAQTRUCK) review

NASDAQ / MOTHERTRUCKER split 12” (DAQTRUCK) review

Well how's this for a monumental line-up for a split record? Manchester-based NASDAQ's EP 'AGM / Fourth Quarter Slump' blew me (and pretty much anyone else that listened to it) away when it got released a few years back, and Stourbridge-based MOTHERTRUCKER have been consistently putting out colossal stuff for as long as I can remember. So NASDAQ only have one track on here but it's about fifteen minutes worth of instrumental magic that drifts in and out of huge riffs, sweeping highs, technical funky beats, and ambient interludes. They're very very good at building momentum, playing a similar rhythm for a good few minutes at a time, but working in subtle intricacies on each instrument, giving you plenty of time to get into the groove of each section before it falls away into new territory. Nestled in amongst the longer parts of this tune, there's an absolutely killer riff at about 8:50 in, which is made all the more special for its short length, and is worth replaying the whole song back for. I'm always amazed at the dynamism and contrast in highs and lows that they manage to create with just one guitar. Awesome stuff. MOTHERTRUCKER are another great band for dynamics, but focussing a little more on the heavier side of things, with the kind of cathartic riffs that only a band that has been going for over ten years can forge. Both of their songs on this half of the split are dark, sludgey, post-metal affairs, that contrast the heavy textures of metallic riffing with delayed, stoner leads, which break into atmospheric, spacey interludes, before caving back into some more monumental riffs and sweeping melodies; a contrast that's emphasised by some careful and effective song structuring, and some really killer drumming that's all at once solid and pounding, and tight and technical. An atmospheric yet crushing listen. Definitely a split to pick up for fans of amazing prog / stoner / post-metal heaviness.

This split is coming out next year I believe, so the best way to keep up to date with its release would be to follow the guys on the ol' Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/Mothertrucker-58539296248/

https://www.facebook.com/NASDAQ-THE-FTSE-100-372464866776/

xox

THE HUNX self-titled CD review

THE HUNX self-titled CD review

So I know Jay from THE HUNX because he used to put on ace gigs of skatepunk bands in Birmingham when he was at Uni down here (I discovered some great bands through shows he put on); it therefore makes sense that he would play in an ace skatepunk band himself, and here they are. THE HUNX have that sound that reminds me of stuff that used to come out on HOUSEHOLD NAME RECORDS like HOSTAGE LIFE, crossed with anything that comes out on FAT WRECK CHORDS, and UK skate punk bands like NO CONTEST and fellow Scousers DOWN AND OUTS. It's pretty much all played in double time so it has a load of energy, some wicked guitar work, ace sing-a-longs and choruses (as well as some funny bits of spoken word), and lyrics that range from the humorous 'Pizza Song', to the more politically driven 'House of Frauds'. If you're after fast, melodic skatepunk done right, you can't go wrong with this cracking five track EP, and Mark Bell illustrated the cover so it looks as ace as it sounds.

https://www.facebook.com/thehunx/

https://thehunxpunkrock.bandcamp.com/album/the-hunx

xox

THE POTENTIALS – 'We Are the Potentials' CD review

THE POTENTIALS – 'We Are the Potentials' CD review

THE POTENTIALS are class; they play 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' themed fuzzy pop-punk (yes, seriously) that's lo-fi, catchy, and full of energy, with some really funny lyrics and absolutely loads of three-part vocal harmonies. That's actually one of the best things about this EP; pretty much constant vocals of mostly singing but with a bit of shouting too. Lyrically and musically, it predictably (being themed on a show of that era) has a pretty 90s vibe, but generally reminds me of bands like FABULOUS DISASTER. My two fave tunes on here are the irresistibly catchy opener 'The Potentials Theme', which is a perfect introduction to the band (and I believe has a video now), and 'Hail Moloch' which is probs one of the most memorable and fun tunes on here, but this is an entirely enjoyable listen, whether you're into Buffy or not. It has awesome artwork by Jack Fallows too!

https://www.facebook.com/buffcore/

https://thepotentialsuk.bandcamp.com/

xox

ANDREW CREAM – 'Self Portrait' review

ANDREW CREAM – 'Self Portrait' review

I'd never heard of ANDREW CREAM before this, but his stuff is really pretty wonderful; kind of full band acoustic / folky pop-punk stuff that's really bright and energetic with really catchy vocal melodies and choruses. I had to check that this wasn't the vocalist from the amazing ABOVE THEM because his tone of voice is quite similar, and actually I guess it's not too far off musically either (apart from the acoustic-ness of course), which is never a bad thing. There are some really posi lyrics on here too about finding yourself, becoming who you want to be, and other lovely bits of personal politics, which makes it a really fun and uplifting listen. I've had this on in the car quite frequently for a while now, but I could pretty much listen to it at any time, whether I felt up or down, and that's a pretty rare thing. So yeah, really glad I got asked to review this, and you should totally check it out if you need a lift, or you just like some folky pop-punk!

https://www.facebook.com/andrewcreammusic/

xox

TEGAN AND SARA – 'Love You To Death' review

TEGAN AND SARA – 'Love You To Death' review

Who doesn't love TEGAN AND SARA? They continually change and develop their sound, and consistently write incredible music regardless of what genre their music might fall under. This new album bears more similarity to their last album 'Heartthrob' than anything before that, swapping dark, subtle melodies and emotion of albums like 'The Con' for massive, bright pop songs, and as much as I miss the sound of said album, I really can't complain because this is brilliant. The choruses to some of these songs are so catchy it's just ridiculous; 'Faint of Heart', 'Dying to Know', and 'Stop Desire' will stick to you very quickly, and when they do slow the pace and pull back for the ballad '100x' (one of my faves for sure) it's just beautiful, and shows off their perpetual capacity for writing sensitive, touching songs. I can't really work out what's so great about the sound they have now; it's almost like it combines the best of 80s, 90s, and contemporary pop with their own, irresistible, distinct writing style, but whatever it is, it's phenomenal. If you liked 'Heartthrob', this maybe doesn't quite reach the heights of that masterpiece, but it comes very bloody close, so you should love it. If you don't really know TEGAN AND SARA I urge you to check them out ASAP, especially their newer stuff if you dig stuff like ROBYN, FOXES, and METRIC, but also check out albums like 'The Con' for something darker. Another stunning piece of work.

https://www.facebook.com/TeganandSara/

xox

DOE – 'Some Things Last Longer Than You' review

DOE – 'Some Things Last Longer Than You' review

Before I saw them at Deadpunk in Bristol earlier this year, I liked DOE. After I saw them at Deadpunk in Bristol earlier this year, I Loved DOE. And not just because they did a truly spectacular cover of THE SPICE GIRLS' '2 Become 1' (although that definitely helped). They're a three-piece from London (dual guitar, no bass) who play really awesome garage pop-punk, with ace male-female dual vocal harmonising, plenty of angst, some chuckle-inducing lyrics, and some bloody huge choruses. There are also some great riffs on here ('Respite' has a notably good 'un), and there's a pretty strong 90s vibe coming through (think SONIC YOUTH, THE PIXIES and THE BREEDERS, and also the way TANCRED's stuff has been going lately). There are some great tunes on side A like the opener 'No. 1' and I like 'Monopoly', but I absolutely love side B, which is full of bangers: 'Anywhere' has the energy and intensity of CAVES, 'Last Ditch' gives us one of their most memorable choruses, 'Before Her' is magic from start to finish (those vocal harmonies in the chorus, oh my days!), and the intensity of 'Corin' is fantastic, reminding me of THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS' harder stuff: Nicola's shouting in it gives me goosebumps. A really incredible album by one of the best British bands around at the moment; pick it up now!

https://www.facebook.com/hellowearedoe/

http://www.doetheband.co.uk/

xox

SIA - 'This Is Acting' review

SIA - 'This Is Acting' review

SIA is awesome. Like I said when I reviewed her last album '1000 Forms of Fear', she's one of the few writers / artists whose stuff appears in charts that I will actually listen to albums of. If you can get past the acrobatic-ness of her voice and the RIHANNA-esque vocal stylings (she writes for her and pretty much created that style for her), then you'll find her stuff has leanings to ROBYN, THE KNIFE and TEGAN AND SARA, which ain't a bad thing at all in my ears. Amongst these twelve tracks, we have the piano-driven ballads like 'One Million Bullets'; full on dance tunes like 'Sweet Design' and the awesome, addictively genius 'Move Your Body; purely perfect pop songs rendered in her unique style like 'House on Fire' and the awesome power number 'Unstoppable'; and of course the huge belter, in this album's case 'Alive', which features one of the biggest and most euphoric choruses I've ever heard (at least equalling that of 'Chandelier') and of which her vocal take during the musically minimal bridge is just astounding. SIA's songs have an awesome, unique sense of melody and thought-provoking lyrics that will lift, crush, comfort, puzzle, encourage, and blow you away, all in the space of a few tracks, and this album is a perfect example of that. Check out the unbelievable 'Alive' (goosebumps at the ready), the irresistible 'Move Your Body', and I especially love the haunting and beautiful 'Broken Glass', which features not only one, but two upward key changes in the final chorus (now she's just showing off). Consistently brilliant throughout, consider this if you like pop with depth. Awesome.

https://www.facebook.com/SiaMusic/

xox

MILLENCOLIN - 'True Brew' review

MILLENCOLIN - 'True Brew' review

So yeah, MILLENCOLIN are another of my fave 'growing-up' bands that have come back with another album recently, and those that, like myself, have missed the sound of their stellar, earlier, faster efforts, will be pleased to know that this is great stuff, and a welcome return to form. There's a perpetual urgency and energy throughout 'True Brew's 13 songs (that come in at just under 35 mins) of melodic punk / skate-punk that's been largely missing since the masterpiece that was 'Pennybridge Pioneers', and it consequently sounds surprisingly fresh, as though they've dug up a fresh dose of passion: something that is always impressive for a band on their eighth full length (ninth including 'The Melancholy Collection'), having been going for 24 years now with the same lineup. It's another lyrically interesting one too, touching on racism, relationship dynamics, and discovering what's important in life, and is vocally brilliant in both tone and melody, with some of the best verses and choruses that I've heard from Nikola for a while. I think most impressive for me on here is the consistency; albums like 'Machine 15' and 'Kingwood' had their moments, but were a little hit or miss, whereas this is fantastic from start to finish, from the super-catchy 'Chameleon' and 'Bring Me Home', through angrier tunes like 'Sense and Sensibility', and to vulnerable and emotion-driven songs like 'Wall of Doubt' and the brilliant 'Something I Would Die For'. Super pleased with these guys for this release that bears the maturity of later albums and injects the fun, energy, and passion of 'Life on a Plate', 'For Monkeys' and 'Pennybridge...'; and for those that that means nothing to, get this if you're into FACE TO FACE, NO FUN AT ALL, SATANIC SURFERS, or THE OFFSPRING.

https://www.facebook.com/Millencolin/

xox

FACE TO FACE - 'Protection' review

FACE TO FACE - 'Protection' review

When I got into melodic punk-rock as a teen, FACE TO FACE were one of the first bands that I properly got into, and, despite not loving stuff since the album 'How to Ruin Everything', they've remained one of my favourites. Subsequent to that album, they've released one that I didn't like at all, one that was a little better, and have arrived at this, which, thankfully, is probably the best thing they've done in about ten / fifteen years. For those that aren't familiar with FACE TO FACE, they play melodic punk rock that sits well alongside bands like BAD RELIGION, DESCENDENTS, and THE OFFSPRING's faster stuff, but still has it's own sound, especially in Trever's distinct vocal delivery and arrangements. If ever there was an album to show how crucial Scott is to this band too, then this is it; his basslines on here are absolutely sublime (and are given a lot of moments to shine in the more guitar-bare sections), and Danny's drumming is on point too, especially when they play at speed (they have this particular, awesome speed that they only use once or twice per album, and on here it's on 'I Won't Say I'm Sorry'). As usual, lyrically this is more personal than political, and there are some pretty memorable choruses on here. Even if this isn't quite what they used to be capable of, there are some good songs on here, stylistically falling somewhere between the classics of their self-titled album and 'Reactionary', and their album prior to this, 'Three Chords and a Half Truth', and it's definitely worth checking out if you like that 90s melodic punk sound. A decent effort; I'd recommend the songs 'Double Crossed', 'Say What You Want', and 'Fourteen Fifty-Nine' for something a bit different, but I'd also like to stress how great their previous albums 'Don't Turn Away', their self-titled one, 'Ignorance is Bliss' and 'Reactionary' are, so they're worth checking out too.

https://www.facebook.com/facetoface/

xox