Angel Du$t- A.D. LP review

Angel Du$t- A.D. LP review

I tried liking pop punk once- the Descendents’ ‘Milo Goes To College’ is an awesome record.  Some of their later material isn’t bad.  Hell, even some of the best punk music has its roots in catchy bubblegum pop, some of these songs are even love songs.  The potential does exist for catchy punk/hardcore music that isn’t necessarily rough-and-tough all the time (though that is the best kind).  This record, and this band, is not that.  The singer’s voice is vexing- it’s melodic, sure, but it sounds strained, unnatural, forced, like something that doesn’t fit.  The music is far from catchy or enchanting- think Cro-Mags’ ‘Revenge’ B-sides or the Buzzcocks on a fucking shitty and awful day where they play their instruments too hard and too fast just so that they can get the set over with and leave.  Even if this music is innovative and unique, it is truly god-awful.  Buy this for someone that you’re fake friends with as a gift so they know how you really feel about them, that you paid good money and wasted valuable time in order to subject them to this swill.  That would be one cold dish of revenge.

-Gary Abusey

Come Out Fighting- Fair Use CD review

Come Out Fighting- Fair Use CD review

A mix of melodic hardcore and almost-naïve youth crew revival a la Gorilla Biscuits, Mindset, Varsity, and a slight tinge of Punkcore-era street punk.  Largely well-produced, it’s very clean-sounding, professional, but has a lot of oomph to the music, mostly in the guitars and vocals, including the gang vocals.  The lyrics, too, have the feel that 90s bands had- slightly political, unapologetically adolescent, mostly mid-tempo or traditional punk rock speed, and the occasional stop for spoken-word pieces from the singer (sort of), one of which stops to talk about, of all things, fucking soccer, or as they prefer to term it, “European football”.  I have a mild appreciation for sports, but that’s one I will happily take a pass on.  Beyond that annoyance, this is alright, like if NYHC was better-produced, leaned to the left politically speaking, and had some melody and more breakdowns.  Would probably have been better served on a 7” with fewer songs, but given that it’s not, it’s worth maybe a listen or two.

-Aunty Social

Game Ender- Meddling With the Course of the World EP review

Game Ender- Meddling With the Course of the World EP review

This sounds like a melodic hardcore band with a sort of skramz-y hardcore singer- very raspy and introverted, guitar driven sound, a punk-influenced drum beat, and a bass layered in to the guitar sound.  This is definitely an odd combination for a hardcore band, but it’s not without its value- this takes more influence from the likes of Trial, Bane, and other introspective 90s hardcore that emphasizes more melody than rhythmic thumping of traditional hardcore bands.  Very political, or at least with an importance placed on the lyrics that is often unimportant with other bands.  Mix the likes of these bands with ones like Shai Hulud and you’ve got an idea of what Game Ender sounds like.  I didn’t dig it too much, but I’m also not the target audience for this sort of style- my music is full of hate and negativity, this band full of kindness and positivity.  A simple difference that often goes unresolved for a positive connection.  Oh well.

-Aunty Social