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AFFRONT "people who live in glass houses" Cd (Phyte)
Well, I find american bands in general to be really tasteless, flat. AFFRONT play average and typical melodic posi-core along the lines of DAG NASTY, with boring personal lyrics that don't really have any meaning (apart maybe for the singer, and I'm not even sure). What else can I say. This album is ok, it's just… ok. http://www.phyte.com/ (Y.B.)

THE MAD TRASHERS + BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN + SHORCUT + HIPPIES OF TODAY + RAMBO, Rennes, 26/02/03, Mjc de Villejean (show review)
This was the first "big" concert we organized and there had never been any "fast-core" shows in Rennes before so we were worried no one would come. To our great surprise, 150 people turned up. The atmosphere was friendly and there were lots of distros. THE MAD TRASHERS are a local grindcore band, they started in the late 80's, split up, and got back together a couple years ago. They did a great show. No metal, no thrashcore, just good ol' grind. BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN took ages to install their equipement which drived me mad as the show had to be over at 12:30. They did an ok set. Tight mix of emocore and metal. To my surprise, the audience loved our local old school band SHORTCUT, although they had probably seen them a thousand times before. But I enjoyed them as well. HIPPIES OF TODAY nailed everyone to the wall (as usual) with their awesome thrashcore/grindcore sound. I don't like their studio recordings much, but you really gotta see them live. Everyone was disappointed they couldn't play longer, but it was time for RAMBO. Haaa RAMBO, their first album is so fucking perfect, of course we had to be disappointed. This was their last show after two months of touring throughout Europe. They were very tired, their bass player had dislocated his knee, they didn't talk to anyone (or not much)… I guess they had excuses. Musically, they played decent, messy & fast punk. Their incredible mosh-parts were played much too fast. Well. They were just that: good. But everyone expected them to be awesome. (Y.B.)

FxPxOx (Forever Positively Obsessed) demo
This new band from Macedonia sure rages. Fast old school SxE bordering on thrashcore, you know, UP FRONT, TURNING POINT, VITAMIN X, that kind of stuff. The lyrics are pretty good and it is refreshing to see a band sing songs against religion, when you know they come from a country torn by religious wars. That's for the good points. But the demo was recorded in their rehearsal room and the sound is average. And it only lasts something like 10 minutes ! But I'm looking forward to hearing better recordings from them ! xfpox@freemail.com.mk (Y.B.)

AEROPAJITAS "95 00" Cd (Cochebomba rekordz)
Imagine that classic spanish punk-rock sound (W.C. records & co) mixed with the CLASH. For some reason this band makes me think of the CLASH. Maybe it's the left wing graphics, or the varied and tight punk-rock. The production is good, the (spanish) lyrics deal with social struggles. Oh yeah, they're from Peru. cochebomba@msn.com (Y.B.)

CZOLGOSZ "liberation" Cd (Rodent popsicle)
Weird band name, and straight to the point anarchist cover. CZOLGOSZ bring to mind AUS ROTTEN, RESIST or CRUCIFIX, mixed with something more melodic like early LOOKOUT rds' bands. They're definitely not as good as any of the forementioned entities, but this first (?) Cd is not bad at all. Good production and political lyrics. www.rodentpopsicle.com (Y.B.)

REFUSE #54 catalogue
Still alive after all the problems he had last year, and still supporting the international + polish Hc scenes, Robert is back with a new catalogue full of Hc Cds, Lps, tapes and zines. At DIY prices of course. Damn , all is written in polish, but the descriptions are easy to understand. http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl/ (Y.B.)

CROMWELL O. (demo Cd-R)
New band featuring ex-members of ANOMIE and AN ATTA, and the reason why I am spotting this is that CROMWELL O. are a continuation of those bands : screamo-hardcore, fast emo along the lines of ANOMIE, FINGERPRINT, PEUT ETRE mixed with modern influences (everything from CONGRESS to CONVERGE to HIS HERO IS GONE). The musicianship is really good and the songs are quite technical and varied. I really still can't stand those screaming/ whining vocals, but the fast drum-beat keeps me interested. The lyrics are often written in a poetical way and deal with political topics. They'll go far. http://www.cromwello.info/ (Y.B.)

KEROSENE #0 fanzine/magazine
Ben putain, présentation super classieuse, et sur papier recyclé s'il vous plait. En plus, le magazine est gratuit, mais c'est pas trop étonnant vu le nombre de pubs qu'on trouve à l'intérieur. KEROSENE ressemble pas mal à d'autres gros "zines" comme ROCK SOUND ou WORST, avec un contenu ciblé (ici, c'est plutôt la pop-noisy, l'emo-noisy, le Hc-noisy qui prédominent) tout en restant ouverts d'esprit (du rock au thrashcore pour les chroniques), un pied dans l'underground, un autre dans la cour des grands. Franchement c'est pas mal, même si les groupes interviewés ne sont pas ma tasse de thé, et d'ailleurs les interviews sont inintéressantes au possible ("alors, satisfaits de votre album ?" "et vous jouez sur quelle marque d'amplis" ?). Rock'n'roll.
kerosenefanzine@wanadoo.fr (Y.B.)

GREEN BERET cd (Emergence)
This is crazy grindcore along the lines of LOCUST, MASSICK, G-ANX or MELT BANANA, with lots of samples and a synthesizer. The sound quality is good, the lyrics are silly and deal with massmurders and serial killers (or something like that). A bit too crazy for me. While this is not bad, I think it is quite annoying to see people jump on a trend everytime a new one pops in in the scene. HIS HERO IS GONE started playing heavy crustcore and then all around the world tons of bands went for the same sound. LOCUST start playing goofy-grind and now all the bands want to copy them. vincemergence@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

HEAVEN SHALL BURN "whatever it may take" Cd (Liberation/ Lifeforce)
Geez, this is one of the most metal album I've ever heard. It has absolutely nothing to do with hardcore, and you may wonder why it's reviewed here, but hey we review everything we receive so… :) Besides, I love metal music, it's just that most of the time the lyrics are really dumb and the music's played by jocks. HEAVEN SHALL BURN are ultra powerful, play it loud and you'll feel surrounded by a wall of guitars. And contrary to many metal bands, the lyrics are really quite good. There's even a POINT OF NO RETURN cover ! http://www.xliberationx.com/ (Y.B.)

NO REFLEXION LEFT + ANTIBODY + DOGGYSTYLE Rennes, Mondo bizarro, 07/02/03 (show review)
Damn, quite a small turn up, but the bands were quite unknown and the styles pretty different. 50 people. But the show was great ! NO REFLEXION LEFT are a new band from Paris all up for the "625 thrashcore" sound and attitude. They're young, they rage, they don't know how to play and they don't care ! Lots of fun. I didn't think people would enjoy ANTIBODY but this band raged as well. They play tight energetic punk-Hc with strong female vocals, I think they surprised everyone. DOGGYSTYLE are a metal/NyHc band from Caen, not really my cup of tea but I was quite impressed nonetheless as they played really tight. (Y.B.)

POINT BREAK "class struggle" Cd-R
I got this as a Cd-R without a lyric sheet. I think it's only a demo and never got pressed as a real Cd, which is sad because the quality is top-notch. Excellent production, good musicianship and great music. POINT BREAK play tight melodic positive Hardcore along the lines of ETERNA INOCENCIA, THIS SIDE UP, SLAP OF REALITY, maybe even SHELTER ? Either ways I love it, and the lyrics seem to be very political. I hope we'll hear more from this band ! bepper@tiscalinet.it (Y.B.)

ÖPSTAND discography-Cd (Bad Card)
I've never been a big ÖPSTAND fan. I never liked the production of their recordings, and I can't say their music made a big impact on me. I'm not saying they were a bad band, far from it, and I can see why so many people loved them : they were one of the only french bands to ever play intense thrashcore/ grindcore. And the political lyrics were very good; direct and to the point, the way it shoud be. This has their split ep's with SEEIN' RED, SPAZZ (wow !), compilation tracks, cover songs…. Distributed by: stonehenge@libertysurf.fr (Y.B.)

COCHE BOMBA "5 years of trash guerilla" Cd (Bad card)
One of the best French bands that ever existed. Their earlier works are particularly excellent, combining raging, fast and varied thrashcore with awesome cynical, goofy & political lyrics ! What else can I say ? If you like fast-hardcore with punk roots, get this discography now. tupipotes@free.fr (Y.B.)

PREJUDICE "waiting for the end" Cd (Tobacco shit)
Well this is a good album for all you crustcore fans out there. I like it even more as they have a good Hardcore beat, and some songs in french too, for a change. The production is good and the lyrics are rather interesting, dealing with tobacco, cars, massconsumption... Don't forget to also check their tracks on the "Montreal crust-fucks" compilation. gorehug@yahoo.ca (Y.B.)

ACTION DIRECTE "la nouvelle conspiration" Cd (DIY)
This is their first full-length after a split Ep with YA BASTA (ska, see review below). ACTION DIRECTE are an Oï band from Paris, France. Musically they remind me a lot of French Oï/punk-rock bands from the mid-eighties (Chaos productions rds, RAS, KIDNAP, etc), and they're not bad at all. The lyrics deal with social struggles. It's not the best record I have heard in my life, but it makes for a pleasant listen. actiondirecte@caramail.com (Y.B.)

SHARON STONED "make an effort" Cd-R (Youth crime)
Funny band name. SHARON STONED has members of other Malaysian bands like SECOND COMBAT, and they play thrashy Hardcore, 625 rds' style. It was recorded live in the studio so the sound is good without being very powerful. Lyrics range from serious to goofy, there are two covers (MINOR THREAT and NEGATIVE APPROACH - yawn) and the cover is a JUDGE+ GOVERNMENT ISSUE parody. Not too bad for a first demo. youthxxxcrew@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

SECOND COMBAT "one more fight" Cd-R (Sober)
This new malaysian band already appeared on a couple compilations. This homemade Cd-ep comes with a profesionally printed cover. SECOND COMBAT play uptempo old school SxE Hc, some songs are super fast while others are more melodic (there's even an IGNITE cover). The lyrics are a bit cheesy at times, I would like it better it if they sung in malaysian ! The sound quality is not the best but it is raw and fits well to the music. Keep an eye out for this band. secondcombat@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

HIGH POWERED #5 fanzine (in french)
Ok, petit zine/ newsletter gratos trouvé au hasard d'une table de presse… Un bon édito a propos du métal, des news des labels, quelques chroniques, leur catalogue de distro, et deux petites interview (P38 et VALUE DRIVEN). New York Hardcore a fond. Ca manque un peu de profondeur (cf interviews) mais bon c'est quand meme gratos ! High powered, 39 route de Limoges, 87700 Aixe sur Vienne, France. (Y.B.)

COALITION Cd (Shing)
Well, I already reviewed their split mini cd and said it was good. This is the same: old school polish Hardcore with a posi-edge and a couple modern Hc influences here and there (on the vocals in particular). It really makes for a pleasant listen, it's just sad they didn't translate the lyrics into english ! http://www.shingrecords.com/ (Y.B.)

BUTTER BEANS demo Cd-R
Here again for a first demo this is damn good, the sound quality is good and the music is really tight. BUTTER BEANS are a melodic Hc/ska-core band from the west of France. I would say they sound like many bands in the style (BODA, Epitaph rds' stuff, etc) but the horns and nice female vocals are definitely a plus. http://www.butterbeans.fr.st/ (Y.B.)

QUE VIVE LE ROCK LIBRE ! feuille d'info Janvier 2003
16 p. A5 et gratos ! Décidément ça me plait les newsletters. Surtout quand les rédacteurs, comme ici, connaissent leur sujet à donf. Au fil des années j'ai un peu perdu contact avec la scène punk-rock/ alternative et je ne pensais pas qu'elle était encore aussi vigoureuse. J'ai compté 42 chroniques de disques + les zines + les infos et quelques articles, dont un sur l'intervention musclée des forces de l'ordre à un festival l'été dernier. Les chroniques sont pointues et bien écrites. Du bon boulot. La chronique d'un disque d'Acrude records n'était peut-être pas nécessaire… grandz@libertysurf.fr (Y.B.)

ENDTSAND/ KAFKA split Cd (Fuxony)
Haaa ENDSTAND. Back in the days, they used to play good old school Hc with socio-political lyrics. And two years ago when I saw them live at the Vort'n'vis, I was like "what the hell is this ? !". They had gone rock'n'roll. Not just musically, but also the way they looked: greased hair, black shirts... Oh my. What's up with scandinavian folks these days ? Emo kids, SxE'rs, skinheads, punks; they all fall for the same trend. This said, ENDSTAND play really tight rock'n'roll and they're not bad at all. KAFKA haven't changed. They're from Italy and still play new school hardcore with screamt wocals. The songs are really varied but always powerful, I have always enjoyed them a lot. http://www.kafka.it/ (Y.B.)

ANTIBODY "progrès ?" Cd (Canard)
ANTIBODY are a new french band (from Bréssuire) and they play quite powerful punk-Hardcore with (mostly) female vocals. The lyrics deal with modern society's social and environmental problems. ANITBODY still lack a little bit of originality musically and lyrically, but for a first album, this comes as a nice surprise. http://www.canardmusique.org/ (Y.B.)

CORE Y GANG + AMIANTE, Rennes, L'Ekluserie, 28/01/03 (show review)
40-50 people turned up, which was ok because the room where the shows take place in this squat is small. CORE Y GANG really surprised me. Last time I saw them they sounded like a bunch of young kids TRYING to play celtic punk like MELMOR. They're much more tight these days, probably more Hardcore too, and they do sound excatly like MELMOR ! I love their brand of aggressive punk with traditional breton violins, I thought they were awesome ! AMIANTE is a band from Lille made up of old scenesters who play noisy-emo-Hc. A bit like JOHN HOLMES (Uk), later BLACK FLAG or FUGAZI (their more energetic songs). They were good but I don't like "noisy" music (Sub pop, emo, etc). Ok show. (Y.B.)

THE GENERATORZ "straight outta sin city" Cd (Sick & Twisted)
Quebec Oï with male and female vocals. Musically they're pretty good, but not too original. When the female vocalist sings, they sound a lot like NAKED AGGRESSION and that's cool ! When the male vocalist sings, they sound like a lesser good BRUISERS. The lyrics are not too bad, its good to see an Oï band who's proud of their lifestyle but also aware of the world around them and the social problems inherent in the system. Complaining about working in a factory is not much use if you don't even try to improve your life and can't realize you're being fucked over by the men on top. http://membres.lycos.fr/thegeneratorz/ (Y.B.)

AGATHOCLES/ RAVAGE/ COMRADES split Cd (Mince core act)
This is the split AGATHOCLES/ COMRADES Ep re-released in Malaysia as a Cd with bonus tracks by a Malaysian grindcore band called RAVAGE. I have always respected AGATHOCLES very much, they've been around for ages, still the same, still DIY, still political. Musically, I've never enjoyed them much. RAVAGE tracks suffer from a bad sound quality, other than that the songs are ok. COMRADES are my favourite, their production is top-notch, the songs are good and the lyrics are awesome and very critical towards certain aspects of the scene. This Cd is a benefit for "food not bombs" Malaysia. (Address ? Try and ask this guy, or me to get a copy:) brokenvision@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

SECOND VISION #4 fanzine (in polish)
Just in today, this cool polish zine with a SxE bent. Interviews with ALIENACJA, VITAMIN X, H-407, scene reports (France & Russia), show reports and columns about nazis, US politics and more. I wish I could read it ! stredgar@poczta.onet.pl (Y.B.)

JELLYBELLY "waiting for the last…" cassette
Another pro-quality cassette from Malaysia, but here again, the sound quality is only average. I think it was recorded live in a studio. JELLY BELLY play lo-fi pop-punk in the GREEN DAY or Mr T EXPERIENCE vein, but the raw sound suits them better. Their lyrics are more on the silly "la-la" side of things, but there is a cool DIY message written on the cover. http://jellybelly.hypermart.net/ (Y.B.)

INNERFALL "remain the same" cassette
With such a professional-looking packaging, it's too bad they didn't invest more into studio time, because the sound quality is only average. It's all the more sad as the song-writing is pretty good, I like the music, and the lyrics are rather political which is rare for a malaysian band. Oh yeah, maybe I should have started by stating that INNER FALL are a malaysian new school Hc band (Hc + metal + emo), they sound a bit like UNBROKEN at times. I hope we'll hear more. Porchell_99@yahoo.com (Y.B.)

PUNK IS LIKE A BOX OF CANDY fanzine
Siue, from canada, has written several original fanzines in the past, about underground cinema, punks with diseases, vegan recipies, etc. Everytime I receive one of them through the mail, my first thought is "what the hell is this shit?", and when I finnish reading it it always turns to "geez, that was cool" !! In this pocket size zine, Siue tells about the story of her life, how she got into punk, her joys and desillusions. Its really heartfelt and sincere, a nice personal zine. "I'm still fucking straight-edge. Sometimes I don't know why I bother taking that label when it stands for shit now, but I guess I want to reclaim it. I guess that's why I still consider myself punk - if it really is a crummy subculture I'm not going to let it go down without a fight. I know what these things mean to me and a good number of people out there". bk913@ncf.ca (Y.B.)

STRACONY "uwazajcie, bomby wisza.." Cd (Tribal war/ Malarie)
I got their first demo which I liked very much. This is a truly great album for anyone into Crass records-type anarchopunk. In an age when all bands try to play as fast as possible, STRACONY sound quite refreshing ! They play melodic, catchy and original punk-rock with dual vocals. There's even a trumpet on some songs. To my surprise, the lyrics are not cliché at all, in fact they're really intelligent and ironical in a DEAD KENNEDYS way. Great stuff, try it! subvertuk@aol.com (Y.B.)

DRIE LAGEN "substancia positiva" demo
New fast-core band from the south of France. Curiously enough, their (hateful political) lyrics are all in spanish. The sound quality is decent, the layout is cool, and the music is ok, although not extremely tight. They remind me a bit of COCHE BOMBA. Cyril Prieto, 6 rue Espagne, 32000 Auch, France. (Y.B.)

LES PARTISANS "sono mondiale" Cd (Dialektik)
This is their last album before they split up. LES PARTISANS was an interesting french left-wing punk-rock band, in the tradition of 80's bands like NUCLEAR DEVICE, BRIGADES, REDSKINS and CAMERA SILENS. This album really sounds like a cross between CAMERA SILENS and NUCLEAR DEVICE, they use the same imagery (spanish/ south american cutlture), and play the same music ; rockin' punk-rock/ Oï/ ska with leftist internationalist lyrics. On the whole it's pretty good, except they really sound like a lesser good CAMERA SILENS, and I think the vocalist was not that good (it doesn't matter to me whether punk-rockers are good musicians or not, but when they go for dance music or pop music, then they gotta know how to play or sing). Romuald.pole@wanadoo.fr (Y.B.)

E-150 "discography" cd (Don't belong)
I've never been a big E-150 fan and I never really understood why everyone was crazy about them. They're ok, but they're such a blatant LOS CRUDOS rip-off that I always preferred to listen to the original. This Cd is a cool compilation of all their early Eps + bonus tracks. The packaging is great. Decent fast Spanish Hardcore. laidea@sindios.net (Y.B.)

GOREHOG/ VENEREAL DISEASE split cd (Tobacco shit)
2 death/grind/gore bands from Canada (I guess ?) and Spain. This kind of stuff is funny when you buy a tape, but I wouldn't go as far as buying or producing a Cd of it ! There are more important and better bands in the world ! (as far as I am concerned). I was quite surprised to see Tobacco shit rds put this out, but crusties often end up listening to death and grind metal, the music styles are so similar. Oh well. If it's your style, get it. Musically both bands are ok although they didn't really move me. GOREHOG have hateful but quite good lyrics… for a "gore" band. Address ? (Y.B.)

APRIL "prolog" mCd (Pasazer)
Wow. I wouldn't take the risk to put out a mini Cd as digipack, it's nice, but it must cost so much ! The cover doesn't look very "hardcore", but it's nice as well. And the music, man, it's awesome ! APRIL is a side-project started by members of ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW, and honestly, I don't understand why they started another band because they sound exactly like Z.R. ! Tight, heartfelt, catchy melodic Hc/ post-Hc. I would say APRIL sound a bit more like SPLIT LIP/ SAMIAM/ SHELTER, they have more that melodic Hc sound, while ZLODZIEJE ROWEROW sound more post-Hc like VERBAL ASSAULT. This is great and I am sad no translation was provided for the lyrics ! pasazer@mtnet.com.pl (Y.B.)

FORCA MACABRA "nos tumulos abertos" Cd (Agipunk)
I have never been a huge fan of this band, although I always thought they were ok. This 72 minute long Cd has their first 12" as well as three early demos on it ! I still don't like the 12" much, but the demos are great ! Raging Finnish dis-core sung in portuguese, and the raw sound of the demos suits that style of music really well. agipunk@libero.it (Y.B.)

STREET TRASH INFOS #2 feuille d'info
Un peu court ce numéro. On s'endort sur ses lauriers ? 1 feuille A4 recto-verso avec quelques annonces concert, une grosse pub, quelques sorties de disques et 6 chroniques. Peut mieux faire. :) pachoca@free.fr (Y.B.)

BBS PARANOICOS "the history of…" (Paranoia)
How come this Chilean band had been around for such a long time before I finally got to hear them ? This Cd is only a best-off compilation with 4 tracks from 4 of their albums. Their earlier stuff is absolutely awesome. They remind me of BAD RELIGION ("suffer"/ "no control" era) with lyrics in Spanish. I love them ! I was just a bit disappointed to notice their latest works are more melodic, less punk. All good things come to an end, I guess. http://www.bbsparanoicos.com/ (Y.B.)

OPUS DEAD "perros de presa" Cd (La idea)
Their first cd was ok, but terribly thrash metal oriented. There has always been a strong tradition of political thrash-metal/ crossover bands in Spain (SPEERETH, BEER MOSH, etc). This new album sounds much more Hardcore. I guess the kids would call that power-violence. I like it quite a bit. It reminds me of old Spanish Hardcore (SUBTERRANEAN KIDS, GRB, ANTIDOGMATIKS…) mixed with some thrash metal and modern day fastcore stuff. I think they sound a lot like GRB actually. Good stuff. opusdead@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

SUMMER LEAGUE "winners don't know what they are losing" Mcd (Small town guy)
When I first saw the cd, I thought "oh no, another youth crew band with no personality", but I was wrong ! This is a really good debut (-?). The production is good, the music is tight, melodic, varied, almost technical italian positive hardcore (SxE ?). They still lack that little spark that will make them stand out, but their songs are already really catchy. And the lyrics are good too ! They deal with a wide range of social issues. http://www.xforthekidsx.com/ (Y.B.)

IN THE SHIT + CRAFT + FIVE FINGERS IN YOUR FACE, Rennes, 12/01/03, @ Mondo bizarro (show review)
FFIYF played one of their first shows. There are things I like about this band, and things that annoy me : basically, they play NyHc with a slight metal sound, tough guy vocals, mosh parts and faster parts. At times they almost remind me of SHEER TERROR. The cool thing is they play their Hc quite slow, which makes them sound like a sludge band (GRIEF, etc). Bad points : the lyrics in French and the metal influences sometimes make them sound like a Nu-metal band (LOFOFORA, etc). And they lack charisma. But I'm sure they'll find their own personality. CRAFT have been around for quite some time, but it was the first time I got to see them. I was a bit disappointed. They play that punk-metal hybrid and reminded me of MISERY or SLAYER (but recorded during their first show in their parent's garage then). A friend told me they also sound a lot like SEPULTURA's punkest songs. Ok stuff. I like IN THE SHIT, they're a Uk punk band that plays '82 punk (like all the punk & disorderly bands) with a modern and more powerful sound. Too bad only 60/70 people turned up (ok, it was a sunday, but punk is everyday, not just on saturdays right ? :) ) (Y.B.)

PLEDGE ALLIANCE " Trümmer einer zerborstenen Welt" Cd (Erdkampf)
Musically and lyrically, this German band is influenced by CATHARSIS. As much as CATHARSIS are a Hc band with metal influences, I would say that PLEDGE ALLIANCE are a metal band with hc influences. See the difference ? Chaotic and powerful modern metal, not really my style but a decent Cd overall. The lyrics come out as intellectual and boring as they try to copycat Brian/ CATHARSIS' awesome ones. However, the Cd comes with a cool text in the Crimethinc tradition : "what is this world all about ? What if we don't start to fight against all these miseries and atrocities ? Where should it end ? What if the people who recognize all these dead structures don't start to fight ? Who else ? If you assume that there is no hope, you guarantee that there will be no hope. If you assume that there is an instinct for freedom, there are opportunities to change things, there's a chance you may contribute to making a better world". Ga_pa@gmx.at (Y.B.)

TO SPLIT OR NOT TO SPLIT (VIRTUAL/ NBP/ BASED ON A LIE) Cd (Tpzshit)
3 emo-hardcore bands. Here again, no emo-pop shit but what people call "screamo" these days. Good music and unbearable screaming/ moaning vocals. I don't know. How could anyone bear someone who's crying all the time ? It only makes me what to slap them in the face ! "Wake up !" "Do something instead of crying like a 10 year old kid !". Its all the more sad as I really enjoy the music. BASED ON A LIE (Spain) and NBP (Holland) fit well together. It's sad that the NBP tracks aren't unreleased but taken from their two mini Cds. VIRTUAL are a bit different, more varied and more metal oriented. All three bands write lyrics that don't make any sense. Anyone from George Bush to Kropotkin could relate to them. ketchoop@teleline.es (Y.B.)

AGHAST "polaroid" mCd (Wee Wee)
Tight, well produced melodic emo. But AGHAST aren't emo in the shitty and fashionable emo-pop/indie pop sense, instead they play nice emo-Hardcore like early 80's Ebullition bands. As usual I don't like the screaming vocals, but if you're a fan of that music style, make sure to check them out. The lyrics are introspective and deal with social issues. davids@weewee.scs-internet.fr (Y.B.)

RADIO BIKINI "bloedpoep" Cd-R (demo)
This new dutch band plays fast Hc-punk bordering on crustcore. I like it although they have probably not found their own personality yet. The sound is pretty good, the artwork is cool, and the lyrics are intelligent (well 2/3 of them are, the rest are more gore-oriented). For a first demo, this is nice. Radio_bikini@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

SECOND AGE "the tides have turned" Cd (Refuse)
Haaaa… Straight edge the way it should always have been. Angry, anthemic, catchy, intelligent. SECOND AGE are yet another 2456th generation YOUTH OF TODAY, GORILLA BISCUITS, BOLD clones. But the production is so good, their music is so tight and sounds so sincere that it still makes for a pleasant listen. Above all, their lyrics are awesome and tackle social issues from a personal point of view : question tradition, fashion, education, refuse social standards, meat eating,… No slogans, no circle A's, just angry kids that don't fit in this backward society. Check it out ! http://www.refuserecords.prv.pl/ (Y.B.)

AUS ROTTEN "not one single fucking hit" Cd (Tribal war)
I had almost never heard this band before, although they put out a lot of records. This is their 1994-1996 discography (1 Lp, a couple ep's, compilation tracks + live tracks & covers as bonus). AUS ROTTEN used to play a bit basic, to-the-point, anthemic punk with radical political lyrics. I've heard comparisons with CONFLICT, but according to me they are less good, slower and less varied. The Lp tracks are particularly good, but I also heard their 1998 album which I didn't like much. Although I respect their commitment and strong political stance, I'm not too fond of their manichean view on life ; governments & multinationals exploit the earth, poor workers and little children, but hey what (who) are governments and multinationals made of ? And who puts them on their pedestals ? Me and you… subvertuk@aol.com (Y.B.)

ZALGARRIANA "segundo asalto" Cd (W.C.)
I don't like it when bands don't include lyric sheets, and even more when it is Oï bands. Since they are on W.C. records and cover OPPRESSED and NABAT songs, I believe these guys aren't too conservative, right ? Musically, they play slightly basic, well produced Oï that is thankfully quite uptempo. This would have made for a good demo, but makes for an Ok album instead. www.wcdiscos.com (Y.B.)

AENIMA + AGHAST + TEKKEN, Rennes, 28/12/02, "Mondo bizarro" (show review)
I was expecting 20 people at that show, so I was surprised by the decent turn up. AENIMA, from Nancy (France), play "modern Hc". I would describe them as rockin' emo-metal. Germany meets Sweden. Sounds a bit trendy, eh ? AGHAST sound the same as on their split mCd with TEKKEN ; melodic emocore, but not emo-pop, more emo in the traditional vein. I like them, now if only they could get rid of those unbearable screaming vocals. TEKKEN play silly grind. That kind of music is really ok, but gets boring after a few songs. This time around they sounded better than usual and played a lot of very goofy cover songs. They were quite funny. Good show to close up 2002. (Y.B.)

TRIBUTE TO RATTUS Cd (Fight rds)
Tributes often suck because the cover songs that are supposed to pay homage to famous bands often turn out to be really bad compared to the original, classic songs. This Cd came as a nice surprise, as none of the songs on it are bad. Although I still prefer the originals, it made for an ok listen. Bands featured are ACAO DIRETA, ATTENTAT SONORE, WARCOLLAPSE, TOTUUS, CONTRASTO and a whole bunch of punk / crusty bands from around the world. Tomi.minetti@kolumbus.fi (Y.B.)

BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN mCd "it shouts and sings…" (Overcome)
Nice band name. BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN features ex-members of DEVICE and STUFF LIKE THAT. I would describe their music as rockin' emo-metal. While this is not the kind of music I'd listen to all day long, the song structures are very varied and they have their moments. The lyrics deal with social issue - Crimethinc way. Not bad…. www.Overcomerecords.com (Y.B.)

COALITION vs ZYCIE JAK SEN split mCd (X-treme)
COALITION are pretty good. They're a new polish old school band with modern Hc influences. Z.J.S. play a bit basic straight forward old school Hc. They remind me of SHORTCUT (local band), but they need to practise a bit more. It is sad none of the bands included a lyric sheet, only a photo of themselves and an email address. x_treme@wp.pl (Y.B.)

NON SKID "cels kuru ejam" mCd (kablio muzika)
NON SKID was one of the first Latvian Hc bands, they have recently changed their name to HOPE DIES LAST. Keep it in mind because I'm sure you'll hear a lot about them. Ok, first, this NON SKID miniCd was recorded in the same studio, and was released by the same label that put out the CITA ATTIEKSME Cd. And guess what, they sound the same ! NON SKID play Hardcore with a punk-rock edge. The lyrics deal with social and personal issues. I'm looking forward to hearing new HOPE DIES LAST recordings. http://www.hdlhc.yo.lv (Y.B.)

MALESTAR "contre los enemigos de la infancia" Cd (W.C.)
There are Cd's that you have to listen to one hundred times to figure out whether you like them or not. MALESTAR is one of those bands. Some of their songs are a bit basic, while others are really catchy. On some songs they use a saxophone, and then they remind me of an old french band called PSYCHOSQUAT. Overall it is a good Cd, but I'm sure they could do even better than that. The lyrics seem to be of a social nature, but they aren't translated. http://www.nav.to/wcrecords (Y.B.)

SEE YOU IN HELL (demo) cassette
This demo was recorded in 2000 but they are still around because they're touring France soon. Fast and technical grindcore from Czech, good sound quality, excellent musicians, and the lyrics seem to be of a political nature to top it all. Let's see. They remind me a bit of NJETTROCK, a Dutch grind/crust band no one knows about, so it doesn't help much. They also remind me of an eastern black metal band I heard on the radio once. But that doesn't help either. Since they're from Czech (and touring with them soon) I'd say they sound a bit like GRIDE. Or maybe AVULSION, who play technical grind too. Either ways if you like extreme music, check it out. orba@seznam.cz (Y.B.)

DEATH BEFORE DISCO/ SEVERANCE Cd (Genet)
DEATH BEFORE DISCO play so-called modern Hc ; chaotic, noisy, emo, metal. I wasn't impressed. SEVERANCE come closer to my own tastes with their brand of melodic emo-Hc. At times they reminded me of FUEL (and that's a compliment). Introspective lyrics for both bands. http://www.pyrrhus.be (Y.B.)

R.I.P. "no te muevas + zona especial norte" Cd (Discos suicidas)
Another classic reissued. There's two vinyls on this cool Cd, the booklet is a bit small but at least there's a lyric sheet to sing along to. :) R.I.P. sung most of their songs in spanish, but a couple of them were in Basque. Those tracks were recorded in 1987, its good 80's punk-rock, not my favourite band of the time, but still very decent and much better than many bands coming out today. hilargi@teleline.es (Y.B.)

THE ENDROGAOS "nuestra paciencia tiene un limite" Cd (W.C. rds)
Nice punk/ punk-rock on W.C. records. Pretty bad artwork, good sound, political lyrics. I enjoyed this one. www.nav.to/wcrecords (Y.B.)

CRICKBAT/ HANDPLANT split mCd (In my heart)
Man, two of the best new spanish Hc bands on one Cd ! CRICKBAT rule ! They remind me a lot of IGNITE. Fast melodic positive Hc with melodious vocals. Tight music, great production. It's sad they only have one song in spanish. I was disappointed by HANDPLANT, who put out a great demo last year. Their sound is more diverse, it ranges from emo to grind core, with an emphasis on fast Hardcore. It's ok, but still lacks something. inmyheartempire@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

DRUNK FOOLS Vs TRUE TILL DEATH compilation Cd (Läjä)
Those damn brazilians, only them could come up with such a comp ! To be more precise, this is a "four way split" between two SxE bands and two more crusty bands. I SHOT CYRUS stand above, featuring members of awesome bands like SELF CONVICTION, POINT OF NO RETURN or NEWSPEAK. They are incredible ! It is probably the fastest Hc band I have ever heard, kinda reminiscent of HELLNATION's "war on emo". I love them, but I feel pity for the musicians, this is so extreme !! MERDA and JAZZUS, the two "crusty" outfits, both play chaotic crust/thrash/Hc/punk. It's pretty good, but a bit too chaotic for me. I don't really know what EVIL IDOLS do on this comp. I guess they're all Straight, but the music they play is plain Rock'n'roll (with a modern sound). They should move to Sweden !! They're good at what they're playing, but it's not for me. www.laja.cjb.net (Y.B.)

RESIST TO EXIST #1 feuille d'infos
Ben, j'aime bien les feuilles d'infos, c'est gratos et y'a plein… d'infos. Musique pour celle-ci (ska-punk-Hc) avec des rubriques disques, distros, zines, concerts. Dommage que ce soit un peu centré sur les gros labels, qui n'ont justement pas forcément besoin de ce genre de supports pour faire leur promo. greg@subsociety.org (Y.B.)

JOHOR HARDCORE COMPILATION Cd (Broken noise)
First, the layout is really wonderful. This malaysian comp introduces 7 crustcore/grind/metal bands from their area. The sound quality is very decent and the bands are all ok, although none of them made a huge impact on me. This is like all comps should be. If you want to learn about the malaysian extreme underground scene, don't hesitate to contact : brokenvision@hotmail.com (Y.B.)

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