BONA FIDE BLOG

I never read the information that is included with the records I recieve, which sometimes leads to surprises. From GSR I usually expect toughguy hardcore but when I popped this record in my CD-player it turned out sounding completely different from what I had expected. MAKE IT COUNT remind me of fellow germans BLACK FRIDAY '29, deeply rooted in NYHC, sometimes fast and aggressive, sometimes slower mosh parts, but at all times hard. There's a few melodic guitars which they manage to incoorporate in a good way. They cover BATTERY, nowhere near as good as the DC legends but it's cool that they acknowledge a great band that seems to be forgotten by many.

I'm not really into the lyrics which seems to deal with the hardcore scene a lot. I wouldn't say that I disagree with them but they don't excite me either.

Balance

S/t (CD-r)

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This demo has been out for a long time but I haven't gotten around to review it until now. They have created quite a stirr with these five songs and they have together with ANGERS CURSE and LIONS DEN been named the future of swedish hardcore. I'll admitt that this demo is good, but it's not spectacular. They sort of do the same thing as INTERNAL AFFAIRS, short, fast songs with a lot of mosh as well, but not with the edge and full out attack that IA does. Johan has a really hard voice but it sounds like a controlled anger, i'd like to hear him furious, as if he was out of his mind and just about to rip someones head off. I remember thinking the same thing when he sang for CASTAWAY. Live they have everything that I wish they would have on record as well which makes me think that there is a lot of potential.

Anyway, the songs are good and from what I hear the 7' that they have recently recorded will be even better. If that is true it will be one of the records to look forward to during the second half of 2008, and pehaps then they will be the future of swedish hardcore.

BALANCE at MySpace

CRIME IN STEREO

Crime in stereo is dead (CD)

Bridge 9

I have never been a fan of CRIME IN STEREO, to be honest I have never even given them a fair chance. With the new full length sent to me by nice people a Bridge 9 I am finally able to form an opinion based on actually sitting down and listening to a full record. The up tempo songs on Crime in stereo is dead are not bad at all, and with the pop catchyness combined with hardcorepunk they create something that I'm sure will strike a chord with a lot of young kids in the scene. Moodfull songs for sure, I especially like the song "Small skeletal" which is rocking and packed with emotion. Give this record a few listens before you pss your judgement, it grows and is at it's best when everything else is put on hold and you take the time to sit down with the lyrics in your hands. I am now, after listening to this record in the process of becomming a fan of CRIME IN STEREO.

LIONS DEN is a part of the new wave of swedish hardcore that has started to make an imprint in the past few months. It's been a long time since so many bands emerged and actually delivered quality demo recordings. LIONS DEN is good at what they do, plying hardcore in the vain of NO WARNING and GUNS UP! but could certainly do with better vocals. It's not that the vocals are bad it's just that they don't fit the music. If the vocals sounded more like old NYHC bands I would probably be sold, now I just feel that it's a shame.

I got this demo for free at a show in Örebro in January. It's such a good thing to do, make cheap demos and hand them out for free so that people will be able to listen to the music. I compliment them for such an awesome initiative and recommend other bands to take notes.

KNUCKLEDUST
Promises Comfort Fools
GSR (CD)

I have never been a huge fan of the bands on the GSR roster. Occasionally they have released records that have appealed to me but for the most part I have been fairly uninterested. KNUCKLEDUST have been at it for a while now and I have to admit they are good at what they do, sounding like they’re just emerged from the mean streets of London on to the stage. There is definetly charm in their music and even though I have yet to see them on stage I can imagine that it’s a rather entertaining experience. Compared to earlier stuff there is still a strong NYHC influence but (think MADBALL) but they have developed a sound of their own, with songs that will appeal to both hardcore kids and metal heads.

This is my favourite release of the batch that GSR sent me a while ago, even though I have problems getting into the lyrics. A record not for the weak.

PAINT IT BLACK

New Lexicon (LP)

Rivalry / Reflections

This is such a good record, by far the best one by this Philadelphia band. In the past their records have sounded pretty much the same from start to finish, New Lexicon on the other hand is way more intresting, there are more melodic parts and nice changes in tempo with songs that are raging fast and a few slower ones, all done in an aggressive way with an edge that brings BLACK FALG to mind.

Self reflecting lyrics that are very well written are always cool. As a person who's first language isn't english I actually had to look up a few of words in this booklet. Anyway it's really great to see the large number of different references in the lyrics and it's obvious that a lot of thought has gone in to them. Pick this up and don't miss these guys when they tour. I haven't seen them yet, but hopefully this coming fall.

Down And Outs

Friday nights - monday mornings (CD)

Dead And Gone

I don't know if there is such a thing as a typical Dead And Gone band considering that their roster consists of BLACK FRIDAY '29, DEAH IS NOT GLAMOROUS, DIRTY MONEY, DEAL WITH IT and that they in the past have released record by CHAMPION and DAMAGE CONTROL. However, with that in mind I still wouldn't expect them to sign a band like DOWN AND OUTS, but why not? I still like this band, melodic punk with great sing alongs is always welcomed. They mke me think of the swedish band BOMBSHELL ROCKS and their later stuff. This record will probably appeal to a lot of people, but perhaps not to the most fundamentalist hardcore kids. I do urge everyone to gick the record a try, just listen to "Pocket money punks" and if you're not convinced by that song you're a lost cause.

Hunderds of bands have done this prior to DOWN AND OUTS, if they manage to step it up and become one of the celebrated of the genre remains to be seen, Friday nights - monday mornings is nevertheless a solid record.

DEAD REPRISE

Day of defiance (CD)

GSR

Örebro is probably the city I like the least in Sweden, it's boring and their fotball team is horrible. On the other hand they have one of the most active hardcore scenes in the country with DEAD REPRISE as it favourite sons (even though they're not from there originally). Since their previous record they have stepped up a notch and are now signed with GSR, one of the leading labels in Europe. The band has from the start been faithful to it's misson of playing hardcore with the emphasis on hard and to create dance floor mayham. Live they're often a treat, but listning to them on record doesn't match that experience, it's to much of the same thing over and over with vocals that that pretty much sound the exact same way throughout the whole record. There are definitely a few good fast parts, breakdowns and sing alongs which makes this record one that is about, or just above, average.

The layout looks good and the lyrics are well written with a few cool metaphores which I always appreciate.

September 3rd 1999 i travelled to Örebro to see Dropkick Murphy's, Bombshell Rocks, 59 Times The Pain and Voice Of A Generation. The show was great and I felt excited to se so many young kids at the show. I haven't seen DM since then even though the have played in Sweden a number of times so I was looking forward to seing them in Gothenburg this past sunday, even if I'm not a huge fan of their last four records. They played at the venue Trädgårn which had been sold out for some time and it was a good and friendly atmosphere. However, as a fan of their older stuff and not as much of their newer material I didn't get my moneys worth, but I didn't expect that either. Highlights of the evening was "Finnegans wake", "Boys on the docks", "John Law", "Skinhead", "Barroom hero" and "Curse of a fallen soul".

It's evident that DM no longer is band for just punks but for all sorts of people but I think that they in process have lost many of their older fans. The skins were nowhere to be found, the "hardcore youths" must have stayed at home and while there were a few punks at the show there weren't as many as I had expected.