REVIEW: Bezette Stad – s/t

Bezette Stad – s/t
Cassette/digital 2020 Lost Youth Records

‘Bezette stad’ is a new Belgium D-beat hardcore punk band inspired by bands as Disfear, Tragedy, … and composed of (ex-)members of Reproach, Sunpower, Forge, Rich Widows, The Struggle, Dead End Sin, Outline, Star Visitors, …

With ferocious red eyes, their blood boiling in their veins and possessed by the spirit of Priester Daens and Paul van Ostaijen, ‘Bezette Stad’ skipped the anger management workshop to furiously spit their bile on capitalism. Do I see some right tears fall already?

Their socialist activism got taped on a limited run of 29 hand stamped and hand numbered red/yellow cassettes but is also available as a pay-what-you-want download at https://bezettestad.bandcamp.com/.

Tracklist:

1. Mutual Aid
2. Aux Urnes etc.
3. Greed

INFO: https://bezettestad.bandcamp.com/ / www.instagram.com/bezettestad/ / www.facebook.com/LostYouthRecords

REVIEW: F.O.D. – Sleepville

F.O.D. – Sleepville
CD/LP 2020 Bearded Punk Records / Wiretap Records (US) / Thousand Islands Records (CAN)

Melodic Punkrockers F.O.D. have just released a new album called ‘Sleepville’ and it has become a concept/storytelling album that tells the story of an elderly woman called Annie who, together with Harrison, reflects on the past and tries to put the pieces of the puzzle that is her life back together. Concept/storytelling albums are most often associated with progrock and the 70s but other genres and artist used it too think Green Day’s American Idiot and Zen Arcade by Hüsker Dü.

Underneath the classic F.O.D. punk rock layer there is an interesting progressive rock layer with non-typical F.O.D elements like harmonic Queen alike tunes, folk passages, bluegrass techniques and additional instruments lifting F.O.D.’s traditional punk rock to a higher level. The album also reflects on the different aspects in life, the good and the bad: life, love, regret, tradition and expectations, the human rat race, solitude, me-time, conservative views, keeping up appearances, nationalism, … making it divers and coherent at the same time.

With Sleepville F.O.D. has released a groundbreaking album, something we haven’t seen before in Belgium (underground) (punk) rock music.

Sleepville is released on Bearded Punk Records (EU), Wiretap Records (US) and Thousand Islands Records (CAN). All labels and the band have their own limited vinyl colour. The vinyl comes with an illustrated lino etched book, telling the story behind the album.

Tracklist:

1. Sleepville guaranteed
2. Days Of Future Passed
3. Fall In Line
4. Riverview
5. Feeling Gay
6. Wrong
7. Food For Thought
8. On An Island
9. Annie
10. Stranger In Town
11. Changes Rise
12. Thirtysomething And Counting
13. Coda
14. Main Street

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/fodbook/

REVIEW: Concrete Elite – Absolute Guard

Concrete Elite – Absolute Guard
LP Rebellion Records / Oi! The Boat Records

Only a year after their ‘The Survival’ 12” Texan heavyweights Concrete Elite are back with a new 12” vinyl at 45RPM. It is a joint release between Rebellion Records (Europe) and Oi! The Boat Records (USA). These five new Concrete Elite tunes are for the fans of the Brickwall sound: heavy, brutal and barbaric tunes that leave you bruised and broken and kick you in the guts with maximum force. It comes with a silk screened B-side.

Tracklist:
1. Maximum Force
2. Outsiders
3. Death Comes Knocking
4. Knife Edge
5. 2000 tons

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CONCRETENATION/

REVIEW: Generation 84 – Leap

Generation 84 – Leap
10”/CD EP 2020 Lost Culture Records

So far 2020 is a productive year for Belgium underground music. Not only has the more mainstream band ‘Fleddy Melculy’ released their third full length, also heavy combo ‘Rotzak’ released their debut full length. Punkrockers ‘Second Opinion’ and ‘F.O.D’ have a new album out and their is also a new band in town called ‘Bezette Stad’ with members of Sunpower, Reproach, Rich Widows, … They released an EP on Lost Youth Records. Last but not least Belgium finest keepers of the Punk ‘Generation 84’ is going to release a new EP on ‘Lost Culture Records’. If COVID-19 does not interfere too much the new EP will be out in april.

With ‘Leap’ G84 prove that they are still head of the game when it comes to boundering crossing punkrock. If blending 90s socio-political punk rock (with topics about ‘mortality’, ‘the rat race’, ‘change’, …) with heavy tunes while flirting with melodic hardcore was an olimpic discipline, generation won gold. It is always hard to write an objective Generation 84 review ’cause I’m a fan of their sound and everything they release and that’s no different with ‘Leap’. While I dig every song on this album, I have a few favourite moments on this EP. First is the intro of opener ‘Unwavering Metronome’. Those first 30 seconds just nail it. Next, the outro of ‘Office Innocence’, just love that fade out. Third is the tittle song ‘Leap’, it has a ‘Boy Sets Fire – After The Euogy’ vibe and that’s a winner.

‘Leap’ is a must have for every punk rock and heavy tunes fan. I certainly see a 10 inch EP with my name on and you? C’mon let Generation 84 take our money.

tracklist:
1. Unwavering Metronome
2. Office Innocence
3. Two Kids With Scars PT 1
4. Two Kids With Scars PT 2
5. End This Now
6. Leap

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Generation84/

REVIEW: Second Opinion – Another Day

Second Opinion – Another Day
CD 2020 Cyrabn Records

Once … a long time ago … the hardcore and punkrock scene in Tienen and surroundings was mainly dominated by bands as The Scarrots, Oversized, Circle, … with gigs in JH De Kloemp, JH De Bleek, JH De Bunker, JH Paenhuys, … and festivals as Strandfuif, Kloemprock, … Those days are mainly over and it is time for the new breed of punk rock to take over. That new breed carries the name ‘Second Opinion’. Finally there is a young, promising punkrock/poppunk band from Tienen worth mentioning again. ‘Second Opinion’ have been around since 2014 and now they present the successor of their 2016 ‘Fat Fish’ EP ‘Another Day’ to the world.

With the quality up-tempo punkrock songs they write and even with the more intimate poppy ones, the great melodies they produce, the nice vocal harmonies and the catchy singalongs Rigo (singer/guitarist), Jano (drummer), Lucas (guitarist) and Daan (singer/bassist) will convince any nonbeliever of their musical abilities to create more then decent pop and punkrock tunes. They certainly have been listening to their punk rock predecessors and their musical heroes carefully and created an album that can stand his ground between the Sum-41’s and the Blink 182’s of this world. There are no real fillers on this album but songs that count, one by one. A nice extra: on ‘So Far Away’ they are backed by Hanne from ‘For I Am’ and ‘Hermione’ (think Harry Potter, …) has at the beginning a big Blink 182 vibe.

Honestly I’m quite enthusiastic about this album and band. Hopefully I convinced you to check it out, pick it up and give them some support. You won’t regret it. 9/10

​The ‘Another Day’ release show is sheduled for Saturday 29/02/2020 at CC De Kruisboog in Tienen. Support acts are You Nervous? & The All-Star Weddingband (afterparty), Doors open at 19h30.

Tracklist:

1. Another Day
2. Generation Why
3. Lost In Society
4. Ignored
5. Five days
6. Goodbye
7. One More Month
8. Alone
9. So Far Away
10. Counterfeit
11. Hermione

FACEBOOK: https://en-gb.facebook.com/pg/SecondOpinionBand

REVIEW: Breaking Tag – s/t

Breaking Tag – s/t
EP 2019 DIY

It is always cool to get to know new bands within the alternative genre: hardcore, punkrock, metal, … bands that operate under or just above the surface waiting to breakout, being picked-up by the masses or just getting some (extra) attention or the opportunity to just play out more. Breaking Tag is one of those bands that reached out to me to get some coverage.

Breaking Tag are an indie rock / punk rock trio from Argentat, France who last year (2019) released their five-song debut EP and a promising EP it is. It is full of powerful and catchy tunes that resembles punk rock bands from the mid and late 2000s, bands as Iron Chic, The Menzingers, … combined with some Polar Bear Club alike post hardcore and a dash of Left Alone streetpunk. The vocals are not too polished and a little bit hoarse. There is a lot of diversity in the five songs but they all offer nice melodies, good vocal harmonies, sing-along and whoohoo’s.

If you like Iron Chic and Co, give the band a few minutes of your time, you might like it.

Track list:

1. Not Forgetting You
2. Jacking Off To Fame
3. Her story
4. Remain Proud
5. Take Me Home

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/breakingtagband/

REVIEW: Inner Turmoil – Trapped At Birth

Inner Turmoil – Trapped At Birth
EP 2019

“Life hits, swing back, push through, all the adversity. I found, my place, among, my hardcore family” Well that’s what Inner Turmoil is all about. It might sound cliché but ain’t life?

Inner Turmoil from Harrisburg, Central Pennsylvania is plain and simple a Hardcore band. A band marked by the downsides of life: growing up with mental, physical, and sexual abuse, depression, suicide, hopelessness, addictions, … well topics that leave a knot in your stomach.

Inner Turmoil has too many demons to struggle, too many inner turmoil to deal with and that’s reflected in their music resulting in brutal hardcore build on a old school New York Hardcore foundation with elements of beatdown hardcore, metalcore and mathcore. It is hard, harsh, energetic, violent, angry and in your face, kind off the result when you put Madball, Blood For Blood, Integrity, Strife, Converge in a blender. Good stuff and decent hardcore.

Tracklist:

1. Worn Thin
2. Inside Job
3. Submerged
4. Moral Neglect
5. Grave Mistakes
6. Hollow Savior

INSTAGHRAM: https://www.instagram.com/innerturmoilhc/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/InnerturmoilHC/