Alright, I know I am a little late with a 2008 Re-cap, as we are already WELL into 2009. But, by keeping with the spirit of my last Blog post on my hard-core punk rock project "U.K.L", I thought it might be kinda cool to further expose some of you to some good hard-core music by rating (not ranting), in my personal opinion, what I thought were the Top 5 hard-core albums of 2008.
*(It needs to be said that hard-core is NOT the only type of music I listen to or enjoy. I have been exposed to all kinds of music, and involved within it deeply since I was a very young boy. Also, Combat Guitars makes guitars for all walks of players and musicians- from Jazz to Rock, Blues, etc etc.)*
Usually, I do like to stick with the number 10, however for this one I will keep it as a Top 5. For simplicity's sake, and for the fact that the time put into a Top 10 might make my boss think I have a little too much spare time!
To keep it biased, I have automatically disqualified any album that I may have had any part in creating or appearing on. I have also automatically disqualified any band that might use Combat Guitars.
Try not to take it too seriously, ok folks.
I, by no means, declare myself an authority in music reviewing nor am I a recognized critic in this area by any stretch. I am just doing this because I thought it would be kinda fun. Remember? FUN? (The OTHER "F-Word") And hey, it may even turn some of you on to music you might not have had the chance to know or hear about!
So here we go!
Top 5 Hard-Core Albums Of 2008
*Number 05
WolfBrigade - "Comalive"
-Deranged Records
Even if I have never heard of a band before, when I see the "Deranged" logo on a record, I can usually trust that it's all the info I need to be sure that I won't be disappointed. I am already a huge fan of Wolfbrigade. I am also a huge fan of most D-Beat. "Comalive" is a little bit more versatile than the standard D-Beat formula, and it reminds me a lot of the Crust infused punk chargings of American outfit "World Burns To Death", making this my favorite Wolfbrigade effort to date. I heard a lot of good D-Beat in 2008, but with the growth that Wolfbrigade displays on "Comalive", it gets them on this list. However, the number 5 slot is allotted solely due to the recording production. The rhythm guitar kind of overpowers everything else on the record a little bit. The lead and melody guitar sections, the vocals, and the drums are barely audible over that rhythm guitar strumming, while the bass is practically non-existent. I really think this album could have sounded so much better, because it REALLY IS an album of finely written D-beat.
Don't send the wolfpack to my door Brigade-dudes! I love you guys!
But the production on "Comalive" is not what we should know to expect from you.
Still, AWESOME record. Strong, quality song-writing, and misanthropic lyrics similar to fellow
D-Beating Swedes, "Disfear".
*Number 04
Extreme Noise Terror - "The Law Of Retaliation"
-Deep Six Records
Though I wanted to keep the list diverse, I had to put another D-Beat influenced record on the list. The new ENT record, "The Law of Retaliation", could not be left out! This one is blistering grind-core at it's finest. England's ENT sort of wandered off my radar for a few years and though I have always, and still do, enjoy their earlier recordings, it had been a while since I took any notice of what they were doing. They came way out of left field with this new album and it knocked the wind out of me. Back with the original twin vocals, and a resurgence of their glory day, "The Law Of Retaliation" is as refreshing as it is brutal. This is definitely how ENT should be represented.
If you have never heard of a band before, it is almost always best to start at the beginning- but this record sticks so close to their roots, and it sounds so gosh-darn amazing, that a newcomer to ENT could start right here. This is a crossover album of grinding hard-core punk that even Napalm Death would give a nod of approval to.
*Number 03
Ceremony - "Still Nothing Moves You"
-Bridge Nine Records
I normally do not listen to any of the "tough-guy hardcore" or straight-edge stuff that "Bridge Nine" tends to put out, so I consider the label lucky to have landed a band to break up the monotony in their roster, especially a band like California's CEREMONY. My first listen of Ceremony was the 2006 full length release "Violence Violence", which I acquired from a young guy I met at the airport in Tokyo. I have been following the band's steps ever since. "Still Nothing Moves You" picks up right where "Violence Violence" left off. Post-punk Indie on crystal-meth, hard-core in the old-school sense. I love that California sound. It seems that the mark "Black Flag" has left, not just in music, but in the very area where they dwelled so many years ago has branded an irremovable influence on that entire scene forever. The songs on "SNMY" are a bit more thought out than their previous stuff, and a bit lengthier. But keep in mind, this still means everything is still pretty much around the 1 minute mark. Ceremony are keeping the true, original spirit of old-school American hard-core alive- and this new release is a testament to the damn good job they are doing at it.
*Number 02
Fucked Up - "The Chemistry Of Common Life"
-Matador Records
If you took the guys from Boston's "Negative Approach", added a female bass player to their ranks, blasted them 20 odd years into the future and landed them in the streets of Toronto- they would reform and call themselves "Fucked Up". Everything this band does impresses me in volumes. "The Chemistry Of Common Life" is a tad more experimental than their previous efforts of straight-forward old-school hardcore. But their progression and growth as recording artists does not take much away from the same intensity and purity felt on everything this band stamps their name on. The experimental and instrumental pieces of "TCOCL" occur a tad more frequently and at longer lengths than their previous stuff, which might disturb the flow of the album when listening to it as a whole, but the true magic of this band has always been the ability to capture their live performance into their recordings.
Another beautifully written and executed performance from Fucked Up.
*Number 01
Victims - "Killer"
-DeathWish Records
The title says it all! KILLER! This is fast, raucous, biting, hard-core punk rock as it should be! "Killer" is by far the Victims most impressive release to date. Victims touch on a lot of various influences on this release, ranging from their trademark, almost metal edge, to crust, and straight-out punk rock. It's a tad on the short side, but that just gives me incentive to hit "repeat", as this album has been on rotation around my ears for a while now and still has not lost it's flavor. Great anthemic choruses and breakdowns, and well produced vocals with an almost "Sick Of It All" approach. This one was a pretty easy choice for the Number 1 spot here, as it truly is THAT friggin' good.
-----*-----
Hey, that WAS kinda fun! Maybe next time I attempt to do something like this I will review some cool things in Japan for you guys out there. Maybe the Top 5 Sushi Shops in Tokyo, or the Top 5 Train Stations to avoid at all costs.. or maybe the Top 5 ways to make your boss think you are actually working on something constructive.
hmmm.....
Hopefully soon I will have collected enough customer feedback/ reviews, etc, so I can post some stuff like, the Top 5 Combat Custom Guitars of 2009, as chosen BY YOU! (Or something like that)
Anyway, that was enough sporadic mess for now.
Next time, I will get back to posting some more cool Combat stuff! A lot is in the works! Got a few cool video projects coming up, some new sweet looking custom guitars, and a few artist Signature models to show off!
So keep checking back!
See ya back here soon!
- Combat Colin.
No comments:
Post a Comment