R.E.M. – Accelerate

Just when I was ready to completely give up on R.E.M. after they kept releasing one mediocre album after the other, the news came that Michael Stipe finally came out of the closet and admitted he was gay (gasp!). It apparently also meant he found his balls back along with the rest of the band and wrote a great batch of new songs.

It’s not that they’re doing anything new (thank god for that) but it’s more of a return to their roots. Peter Buck lets his guitar waver throughout all 11 songs and they race through them in just 35 minutes. That doesn’t leave much time for filler or crap so they cut that all out and win me back with every single song on here. You all should know “Supernatural Superserious” by now but cuts like “Living Well Is The Best Revenge” or the punky “Horse To Water” are equally impressive. “Houston” would’ve fitted in perfectly on “Automatic For The People”. And “Until The Day Is Done” wouldn’t have looked out of place on “Document”.

It’s good to see these guys back into form because for a while it looked like R.E.M. wasn’t just asleep… these guys had gone in a coma instead. “Accelerate” however shows that R.E.M. still has what made them so great back when they started in the 80ies and I couldn’t be happier!
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.warnerbrosrecords.com
http://www.remhq.com

Year Long Disaster interview

Every once in a while, a band will slip almost unnoticed onto the radar before making a mark on the musical landscape. I think that is something that could happen with Year Long Disaster, a pretty new band that likes to rock the fuck out. Its members however have been around for quite some time already in other outfits and know what they’re doing. Check out this short emailer we did with with bassist Richie Mullins.

PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Richie: Richie Mullins – Urban legend

PRT: For people who haven’t heard you before, if Year Long Disaster was the lovechild of two other bands, which bands would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Richie: Soungarden and Rose Tattoo in a back alley standing quickie.

PRT: Drug use is something mentioned a couple of times in the bio sheet and I felt it also suggested that you guys got clean because of the band and the music you were making. Is that what happened?
Richie: We got clean so we would not die. Music is a great reason for living.

PRT: Something I was wondering about, how did being clean change being in the band with one another and writing songs?
Richie: It helps immensely to be awake while practicing, to not be heinously violent with each other after drinking too much whiskey, to not be pawning your guitar to smoke crack. It really goes without saying everything comes much easier when you are in a state of mind where you can actually concentrate on what is truly relevant and important to your life.

PRT: And how do you handle being on tour as a former drug addict? Because I can imagine there’s a lot of temptations out there.
Richie: Sure, as a former addict you think and often dream of getting high again. The key for me is to remind myself exactly how bad the actual consequences of those actions were. There is a definite element of negative re-enforcement that after time just turns into an almost automatic aversion of that element of the scene. Its fun at times to watch people do stupid shit while wasted just to go, “Wow, I used to be that asshole.”

PRT: One of you is the son of Dave Davies from The Kinks while your drummer used to play in Third Eye Blind and your bassist used to play in Karma To Burn. I guess it’s easier for a label to create some more publicity if a band has that kind of a background story but at the same time people will come in with certain expectations. But does that work for or against you?
Richie: It works in the sense that old fans of those individual groups often check us out. It works against us because people have expectations for us to be re-incarnations of those groups.

PRT: Ever feel like bursting out a Year Long Disaster version of a Kinks song onstage?
Richie: No. No we do not.

PRT: You decided to go with Volcom. Was it because it’s an indie label with likeminded bands (Valient Thorr, ASG) or did they just throw a shitload of free clothes at you?
Richie: Valient Thorr was a big reason, the free clothes were sweet as well.

PRT: What’s up next for Year Long Disaster? Any plans to come to Belgium anytime soon?
Richie: Touring the UK with Velvet Revolver. Then Europe with Turbonegro then Europe and the uk on our own. We will be playing Leuven April 13th

PRT: In “High Fidelity” the guys that work in a record store are constantly making these top 5 lists of songs for specific occasions. If you would have to make such a list, which occasion would it be for and which songs would make your top 5?
Richie: Top 5 songs to hum while tightening your sphincter to skewer the results of a polygraph test:
5. Helter Skelter - the Beatles
4. Problem Child - ACDC
3. The Bomber - Motorhead
2. D’yer Mak’er - Zeppelin
1. All Is Love - Bjork

PRT: Any last words for our readers?
Richie: Don’t tighten your sphincter, just tell the truth.

Antillectual – Testimony

Antillectual did a pretty good job on “Testimony”. They like their punkrock the way Dag Nasty, Strike Anywhere and Rise Against play it and shit, I don’t really have any problems with that at all. I say punkrock but there’s both rock and hardcore parts to discover just the same. And they make it work throughout most of the songs. So musically this one definitely gets a thumb up.

But then come the lyrics… it’s kinda okay to force your lyrics to fit into songs even though they don’t seem to be written for them and hey, it’s cool if you have a message you want to spread. Actually I’m all for it otherwise I would listen to pop music. But I never liked it when bands print their lyrics in the booklet and then post this explanation next to it. Let your fans figure out out what the song means for themselves, don’t spell it out! There’s one song here called “I Hate Myself When I Shave Myself” which is probably the most retarded song title of the year. But then you read the disclaimer next to it and you find out it’s actually not a song about shaving at all! Gosh! It’s about how we do all these things to fit in, including shaving even though we don’t like it! What a great metaphor! Such vivid imagery!

Anyway, the music here is more than okay but they need a lot more work more on the lyrical department!
Score: 6.5 out of 10
http://www.theshieldhardcore.com
http://www.myspace.com/antillectual

Endzweck – The Grapes Of Wrath

Despite the German band name, Endzweck is a Japanese hardcore outfit that has been cranking out releases since the start of the new millennium. “The Grapes Of Wrath” was released in Japan in 2006 but it has taken up til now to get a proper European release date thanks to I For Us Records. They’re already working on a new album which should see the light of day pretty soon.

So what does Endzweck sound like? It says in the bio-sheet that they sound kinda like Shai Hulud and that’s pretty much the best comparison I can come up with as well. All of the songs are fast-paced and the guitars sound pretty melodic yet the whole thing still sounds pretty damn aggressive. The singer has a high-pitched yelp and I can’t tell whether he’s singing in Japanese or English but it sounds cool nonetheless. Throw in a couple of samples as well and you’re looking at a solid release for the Belgian I For Us Records.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.iforusrecords.be
http://www.endzweck.rg

Killerpilze – Mit Pauken Und Raketen

Just when you thought we were safe and that we’d seen the last of them leave our country back in 1944, in come Killerpilze. With big drums and rockets no less! We already had Tokio Hotel before that but Killerpilze is way more listenable than that girly Sideshow Bob wannabe.

Killerpilze is basically Germany’s answer to Sum 41 and Blink 182. These dudes (aged 14 to 17) play catchy poppunk with a little Lostprophets (the chorus in “Der Moment”) here and a ska tune or two there (“Für Mich Geschaffen”). It’s absolutely nothing you haven’t heard before - unless you count singing in German as something entirely new - but I have to say they do a decent enough job.
Score : 6.5 out of 10
http://www.universalmusic.be
http://www.killerpilze.de

Panic At The Disco – Pretty Odd

What?!? No more exclamation mark in the band name?!? One can only wonder how many guys of the marketing department over at Decaydance/Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic they had milling over that one. Another option was scratching the entire band name and keeping only the !. In the end it was decided this would cause too much confusion with the already existing !!!. And even though the ridiculous exclamation mark will be severely missed, we can all keep on breathing because the rest of the band’s ridiculousness remains intact on the band’s follow-up to their breakthrough album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out”.

This time they do shy away from their cabaretesque emopoppunk and end up sounding more grown up. Probably hoping this will appeal to older kids so they can finally invite someone backstage after the show without ending up facing the same charges as R. Kelly. To achieve this they tried to make “Pretty Odd” their very own “Sgt. Pepper” and while they do manage to write a couple of good songs with great melodies, one could easily wonder why we would listen to these boys’ interpretations when we can listen to the original. And to make matters even worse Panic At The Disco slide back to the sound that made 14-year-old emo girls experience their first orgasm towards the end of the album.
Score: 5 out of 10
http://www.decaydance.com
http://www.panicatthedisco.com

Tegan And Sara – The Con

Tegan & Sara have already made some waves back home in Canada and in the States thanks to Neil Young (who signed them to his own label), The White Stripes (who covered one of their songs) and oh, their own songs. But it has taken them five albums to finally claim the spotlights in Europe. The single “Back In Your Head” has been all over the radio lately and listening to “The Con” I see no reason why these twin sisters shouldn’t score a couple more hits with their very own brand of pop music.

Now, you may wonder why a male chauvinist pig like me might like these girls. Very simple… lesbians are hot! And they’re even hotter when they write excellent fucked up indie pop songs like “Relief Next To Me” or “Are You Ten Years Ago”. “Back In Your Head” and “Hop A Plane” may sound poppy and upbeat, the better part of the songs on “The Con” show a darker, rawer side of these girls and I’m loving it along with the great vocal harmonies and a wonderful sense of melody.

If you still think fondly of the days when acts like Belly or Elastica were doing their thing, then here’s your new fix!
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.sirerecords.com
http://www.teganandsara.com

Billy Bragg – Mr Love & Justice

While “New England” still continues to warm that special place inside of me every single time I hear it, Billy Bragg has continued to release beautiful and angry yet somewhat inconsistent albums. He has slowed down somewhat because we have had to wait six years for the follow-up to “England, Half English”. But it needs to be said that “Mr Love & Justice” has been well worth the wait.

If you needed any further confirmation that Bragg is an excellent songwriter and that his regular backup band The Blokes is made up fantastic musicians, just check out this album. Robert Wyatt sings along on opener “I Keep Faith” and makes it an even more memorable song. Even more memorable are the Arab-spiced “O Freedom” and the gospel-enhanced “Sing Their Souls Back Home”.

The last two songs (“The Johnny Carcinogenic Show” and “Farm Boy”) kinda stand out because they aren’t up to par with the rest of the album but all in all, “Mr Love & Justice” is a perfect example of how a punk can age gracefully.
Score: 8.5 out of 10

http://www.cookingvinyl.com

New Found Glory – From The Screen To Your Stereo part II

Following up 2000’s “From The Screen To Your Stereo”, New Found Glory is back with another batch of covers of move themes. This time it’s a full-length rather than an EP and the fans got to vote on which songs should appear on the album but other than that things have stayed the same… you take a song that’s become known through a movie and give it the New Found Glory poppunk treatment.

With a little help from the band’s friends (Dashboard Confessional, Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday to name a few), these guys churn out versions of songs from a plethora of movies. From “Walk The Line” over “Amélie” to “Donnie Darko” and “Pretty Woman”… it’s all here. And while not all of the songs are great (why cover Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” and not change a thing?), it’s a fun album by a fun band for their undoubtedly fun fans.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.drivethrurecords.com
http://www.newfoundglory.com

The Morning Light – The Sounds Of Love EP

Featuring former members of Transition, The Morning Light first saw the light of day (haha) less than a year ago and they have since secured themselves a deal with Fearless, played nearly 150 shows in 2007 and have now dropped this 6-song EP.

Their tunes sure sound like the sounds of love but I’m thinking more of puppy love rather than of a strong and sturdy relationship. It’s sugary and cheesy poppunk with a piano that makes you think of Jack’s Mannequin, mellow parts that’ll vaguely bring Death Cab to mind and the kind of singalong parts Dashboard Confessional got known for.

I’m sure admitting to liking this will cost me a lot of scene points but every now and then it’s fun to hear some extremely melodic and sappy songs like “You’re Not Mine” or the acoustic “The Sounds” rather than ruthlessly getting slapped around by the latest metalcore act.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.fearlessrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/themorninglight

Our Last Night – The Ghosts Among Us

Gee, what to think of Our Last Night? These guys released an enjoyable debut album with “The Ghosts Among Us”. And if you haven’t listened to any music in the past five years you might even call it fresh. But the truth of the matter is there are hundreds of bands out there like Our Last Night. Bands who all sound an awful lot like they simply lifted some Underoath riffs from their albums and coupled them to Saosin’s choruses. And I don’t mean it sounds like they were influenced by these acts… no, it sounds like an exact copy.

So I don’t know what to think of these guys. If you’re a big fan of the sound, I guess you won’t mind. And there’s no denying these guys are technically skilled. But all technical prowess aside, I’d like to see at least a little bit of imagination, originality and ultimately a face of your own. And I’m not finding any of that on “The Ghosts Among Us”.
Score: 6 out of 10
http://www.epitaph.com
http://www.myspace.com/ourlastnight

Jucifer – L’autrichienne

Jucifer’s new album starts off normal enough with a 90s alternative rock song a la Sonic Youth and G. Amber Valentine’s vocals resembling Tanya Donnelly’s in the chorus. She then dives headfirst into the thrashy “Thermidor” where she sounds more like Linda Blair in “The Exorcist”… the part where her head is turning around with vomit spewing from her mouth.

It pretty much maps out the rest of the album which sounds like PJ Harvey fucking The Melvins with a strapon. You’ll find yourself listening to pure noise one second and to luscious vocals mixed in with mellow guitars the next… sometimes even within the same song.

“L’autrichienne” is definitely not for everybody but if you think metallic and shoegazing are two words that belong together, then “L’autrichienne” is the album you want to pick up.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.relapse.com

Muse – Haarp CD/DVD

A band that is as bombastic as Muse has to have an equally bombastic intro. And so “Haarp”, the band’s first live album, starts off with “Dance Of The Knights” by Sergei Profokiev before launching headfirst into “Knights Of Cydonia”.

After that the tracklisting reads like a greatest hits with songs like “Supermassive Black Hole”, “Butterflies & Hurricanes” and “New Born” with the crowd singing along on every song. On the DVD you get the same songs but with a couple of extra songs and all this is presented in great audio and video quality.

I’m not that big on live albums but as far as they go, this one’s pretty good and a treat for every self-respecting Muse fan out there!
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.warnermusic.com

V/A – Juno OST

Just like the movie, this soundtrack is smart, funny, innocent and endearing. That’s in no small part thanks to The Moldy Peaches’ Kimya Dawson who contributes a handful of tracks. Her songs are extremely lo-fi and while they may even seem child-like, her lyrics are as witty as they are stream of consciousness… Gotta love that! More Dawson can be found at the end of the album with “Anyone Else But You”… first in the original version by The Moldy Peaches, and then again in the version as it was sung in the movie by Michael Cera and Ellen Page.

In between you’ll find other cuts from indie favorites such as Belle & Sebastian, Cat Power and Sonic Youth alongside older work from The Kinks, Buddy Holly and Mott The Hoople (“All The Young Dudes”… It’s been ages since I heard that song!).

So something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue… not sure what the blue part would be but a lot of the songs deal with love and relationships so I guess it works.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.rhino.com

Light Pupil Dilate interview

Light Pupil Dilate is one of the best new metal bands that I’ve heard in quite some time and they blew me away with their second full-length “Snake Wine”. Just like Mastodon, they call Atlanta, Georgia home and just like Mastodon I think these guys can become pretty big.

PRT: What would you prefer to be doing right now instead of answering these questions?
Eric: Not a damn thing. How about sippin’ on some syrup somewhere in Costa Rica.

PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Eric: I am Eric Searle the guitarist/vocalist for Light Pupil Dilate. I’ve got multiple reproductive systems that I refer to as my Penii. I enjoy mild weather and strong breezes. I like kissing and snuggling in front of a warm fire, then scrumping like mad.

PRT: Who else is in the band, which Schwarzenegger movie would you compare them to and why?
Eric: Michael Green is our drummer. I guess I’d compare him to the terminator because he is a machine behind the kit. He is more “good” terminator than “bad” terminator. He likes pets and people from the future. Mike Chvasta is the bassist/vocalist. I’d compare him to eraser. He’s always trying to erase my sound with his bass volume. Plus he has a lot of really shitty one-liners, just like Schwarzenegger in Eraser.

PRT: Can you give me a quick history of the band written in less than one minute?
Eric: I started the band with Chvasta in ’99. We jammed with at least 17 drummers but nothing ever came of it. We found Mike Green in 2001. That’s when we became who we are today. We started playing shows somewhere in early 2002. Our first show was at the Eyedrum gallery in Atlanta. We were real good back then.

PRT: In the bio sheet it says you took influences from pretty much every band that ever existed but for the people who haven’t heard you yet? If Light Pupil Dilate was the lovechild of two other bands, which bands would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Eric: The two bands in love and fucking would be Shiner and Deadguy. This is how it went down: Deadguy was deeply penetrating Shiner in a mean reverse cowgirl. When Deadguy had to cum, some of the semen leaked into Shiner before Deadguy could pull out and squirt it all over Shiner’s face. Shiner kept the baby and Deadguy skipped town. We are bastards.

PRT: And on your Myspace you listed? Jud jud, dud judda jud jud. grrrrrr, jud neener, jud jud neener, grrrrrrrrrrrr, ahhhh, jud jud neener, jud jud neener?. I can follow that completely except for the neener sound? What’s that one?
Eric: Neener is the brainchild of Chvasta. It’s that squealing, high pitch, false harmonic/bend thing you always hear in metalcore stuff. Jud Jud neneer Jud Jud neneer. You got it?

PRT: A name that pops up regularly when reading about you, is Mastodon. Other than being from the same town, do you feel comfortable being lumped in with them? And do you think that comparison is working for or against you?
Eric: I’m okay with it. We expected to get some comparisons to them. We aren’t that similar though. At least I don’t think so. It’s a fair comparison that’s not hurting us in anyway that I can tell.

PRT: On your site I read that you were in something of a bidding war with labels. It looked like it was between Lifeforce and Ferret. Obviously Lifeforce won? Why did you decide to go with them and how’s that been working out for you so far?
Eric: The “bidding war” part was kind of a joke. It wasn’t really a war. We had some communication with ferret, but LifeForce was a lot more interested. We weren’t going to sit on the record any longer so when Lifeforce offered us the deal, we jumped on it. Lifeforce has been really good with promotions and getting our record in stores. I mean, without lifeforce I would not be talking to you right now. They have helped us reach a bigger audience and that’s been very nice.

PRT: “Snake Wine” is your second album. Now, I know why I love that album but tell me, why should I pick up your debut?
Eric: If you need more LPD in your life then pick it up. The first record, Cascades, is a very different record compared to snake wine. We were just coming up with our sound at the time. I still love it though. It’s a spiralling out of control mess of songs, but it rocks.

PRT: What’s the future looking like for Light Pupil Dilate? Any plans to come to Europe?
Eric: We’re trying to tour the States this spring and summer. After that I’m not sure. We have a small tour set up for May. Unfortunately my sister is getting married right in the middle of it, so we are going to jump ship a little earlier than we had hoped. Europe would be so amazingly awesome. Mike Green has been to France a few times, but Chvasta and I have never been. I think we’ll get over there in a year maybe.

PRT: What’s your position on the Realdoll versus the classic inflatable doll thing?
Eric: Haha. Good question. I think the realdoll is a little creepier. It’s like having sex with a dead person. The classic inflatable is more like a masturbation tool. Plus the realdoll is way too expensive. I’d rather fuck an Asian massage parlour prostitute for a hundred bucks than spend $10,000 on a life-like dead person. At least with a prostitute you don’t have to clean her up. I’m not into the doll thing, but I can’t knock what I haven’t tried either. Maybe there is a realdoll rental service. I’ll have to check.

PRT: Any last words for our readers?
Eric: Kumquat. Thank you!

Favez @ Sojo - March 20th 2008

One of my favorite bands is playing in Belgium on Thursday... be there or be square!

Automatic 7 interview

Finally! Seven years ago when I started this site, one of the first releases I received from Vagrant was a sampler that had two amazing songs on it from a band called Automatic 7. Unfortunately they had broken up and I was unable to do an interview with them. Fast forward to now where Automatic 7 is back with a great new album called “At Funeral Speed” (out on Mental Records) and where I finally get to do an interview with vocalist Johnny!

PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Johnny: Johnny H. I sing for Automatic 7.

PRT: What have you guys been up to for the past 7 years and what made you decide to give it another go?
Johnny: We all sort of disappeared in late 2000 after “Beggar’s Life” and I can’t really recall much about the following two years but in 2003 I ran into Ray and Nic and we started working towards making record without a label. We were really loose about it and were just taking our time. We actually wrote a record, played a few local shows, made some demos and then decided to start over again. We just wanted to get it right and did not have any cares about a time line or record companies or producers or anything. So, that ate up a few years. My friend John Foote called me up one day wanted some tracks for a comp that his new label (Mental Records) was putting together and the next thing I knew we were talking about a full length. They just basically said “Send it over when it’s done” and that was what we did.

PRT: Does it feel like picking up where you left off or is it more like starting over again?
Johnny: Both. Automatic 7 always seems to be starting over so it’s like picking up where we left off….starting over…..right where we left off.

PRT: For people who haven’t heard Automatic 7 yet… if the band was the lovechild of two other bands, which acts would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Johnny: Jawbreaker and Social D and I think Jawbreaker would have Social D’s ankles pinned behind their ears while Face To Face is whacking off in the corner.

PRT: The new album is called “At Funeral Speed” and it once again sounds amazing, honest and sincere. So congratulations with that! Did you write the songs over the past seven years or were they all writen recently?
Johnny: Thanks. It’s a lot easier to get that honesty on tape when there are no producers and label people breathing down your neck.Fall In Line and The Better Part Of Me were from the 2003 sessions, Greasy (Revisited) was written in 1997 and came out on a Vagrant comp around that time but that version was a bit weak. We always loved to play that song live so we felt the need to it back to life. All of the other tracks were pretty much written at crunch time. Some of the tracks we literally had only played 10 times before we recorded them. Those are always my favourite tracks.

PRT: What’s up with the title? When I hear the words funeral and speed, I think of something slow and cerebral… neither of which are characteristics that can be attributed to Automatic 7.
Johnny: Who you callin’ un-cerebral suka?? There are a few reasons we chose that title. First, we felt it characterized the huge time gaps between albums and just the general pace at which our band seems to get things done. If you lived through Automatic 7 you would simply feel the weight of that title……in a very non-cerebral way, in fact. Second, it is lifted from an obscure Clash song on Combat Rock called Atom Tan and we wanted to pay our respects to Joe in a subtle/obvious way. “The pink hearse is leaving at funeral speed. Driving your heart
away with the flowers” We miss you, Joe.

PRT: Your new album is out on the relatively unknown Mental Records. How did you end up with them and how’s that working out for you?
Johnny: They are great. John Foote has been a friend of mine for 15 years.

PRT: Was it a conscious choice for you to stay away from the more well-known labels after the problems you had in the past with A&M?
Johnny: Yes, most record labels suck and totally fuck up the music but I don’t think we really thought about it in those terms. We just wanted to make a great record and rather than make a few demos and try to “shop” them around, we just decided to make the whole record. The more we did it on our own the more fun we realized we were having. The funny part is that the Mental Records deal just sort of happened in the process. I guess there is a lesson in there somewhere.

PRT: Your last album was released on Vagrant and in the liner notes of “At Funeral Speed” you say sorry to Vagrant… That kinda makes me wonder what you’ve got to be sorry about? Any sordid stories to be dug up there?
Johnny: Jesus, you actually did your homework and read the goddamn liner notes. I am sure that those guys could probably remember some nasty details but I will just say that we were just young and dumb and punk. The worst and most common combo. Without much detail I do remember threats of a switch blade stabbing from someone somewhere sometime. J Stupid.

PRT: The single of the album is your version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City” and while admittedly it sounds great, aren’t you afraid of the Alien Ant Farm syndrom where a band becomes best know for a cover?
Johnny: It might be nice to be known for something don’t you think? Maybe we should have gone with the stabbing thing??

PRT: So what’s up next for you guys? Lots of touring? Any plans to come to Europe?
Johnny: Based on our past I am guessing a nice 5 to 7 year hiatus!! No Euro tour on this record…..sorry

PRT: Any last words for our readers?

Johnny: Never pet a dog that’s on fire.

Check out the band's latest video for the song "All The Happiness You Can Buy"!

Burning Skies – Greed.Filth.Abuse.Corruption

The UK’s Burning Skies didn’t really impress me with their last album but for “Greed.Filth.Abuse.Corruption” these Bristol boys entered the Rape Of Harmonies Studios, took that name literally and never looked back. Their new album is a blistering mix of all things extreme. Whether it’s death metal, grindcore, modern US metal or black metal, they’ve got it all going on somewhere on the album. Think of Misery Index messing around with some old Carcass songs and you’re pretty much listening to “Greed. Filth. Abuse. Corruption”. Not exactly my cup of tea but there is simply no denying the sheer brutality that these guys skillfully sling at you for 28 minutes.
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.lifeforcerecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/burningskies

Chris Walla – Field Manual

While most side-projects serve as a tool for an artist to show another side of himself, Chris Walla seems to be perfectly happy with what he’s doing in his other band. And so his first real solo album “Field Manual” doesn’t sound all that different from what he does in Death Cab For Cutie.

Yes, some of the lyrics on here are politically charged which isn’t something Ben Gibbard is known for. But musically, all of the songs on here could’ve fitted perfectly on any Death Cab album. I’m sure fans won’t mind (I know I don’t) but I doubt he’ll gain any new fans. As for me, I like all of the songs on “Field Manual” but at the same time I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to hear another side of Chris Walla. But hey, this one will tie me over just fine until the new Death Cab album comes out in May.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.barsuk.com
http://www.myspace.com/chriswalla

Supersuckers – Live At Helldorado DVD

The self-proclaimed Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in the World has a live DVD out.Weird that it took them this long seeing as they aren’t exactly shy when it comes to releasing live albums. Let’s see, we already had “Live At The Magic Bag”, “Live At The Tractor Farm” and “Must’ve Been Live” among others and now there’s “Live At Helldorado”, recorded at the Helldorado club in Vitoria, Spain.

There’s no less than 23 songs on here of some of the best country-influenced badass rock n roll to enjoy with crystal clear sound and video quality. I’ve never seen these guys live before but right now it’s like they are playing in my living room and I’m liking it. A lot. The extras really weren’t necessary for me but hey, you get a couple more live songs recorded in Serbia and a band discography.

Make sure to check out some of the other live DVDs Munster Records has released from the likes of The Black Lips, The Drones and The Nomads among others.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.munster-records.com
http://www.supersuckers.com

Years From Now – We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat

If the name of your album is a quote from “Jaws”, if you use a sample from “Anchorman” in one of your songs, if you have a song called “Hey McFly” and if you cover Youth Of Today and Descendents, you’ve already got my sympathy right from the get go.

While nineteen songs might seem a little much for one full-length, you should know this isn’t so much a regular full-length but more of a discography of the band up to this point including the “So Much Promise” 7-inch, an old demo, eight new songs and the abovementioned covers.

Years From Now is a Florida-based outfit and when they aren’t picking oranges or helping senior citizens cross the street, they like to play positive melodic hardcore in the same vein as Gorilla Biscuits or CIV. And it needs to be said, they do a great job on “We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat”. So if you like to listen to “Start Today” while completing your morning calisthenics routine, why not pop in a little Years From Now instead every now and again?
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.getouttatownrecords.com

V/A – State Of The Scene

Get Outta Town is a relatively new label from Florida that has already released some kickass albums by The Steal and Endgame among others. They also dropped this comp with a pretty self-explanatory title. Or to put it in label owner Charles’ own words: “So often, hardcore kids look to the past and reminisce about the ‘good old days’. I think that a lot of times this makes us miss the bands that are out there today touring, putting out their own records and pushing the scene to expand”.

What you get are 36 songs from bands all over the world (from South Africa to Italy and from South Korea to Australia). Some of them are signed to labels, others aren’t. And while you may have heard of some of them (The First Step, Ambitions, Bullet Treatment, Slumlords), this will be your first encounter with a lot of other bands.

You probably won’t like all of the songs on here but it’s a great way to find some new acts that’ll do the trick for you just fine. As for me, I’d love to hear more from Just Say Go!, Van Damage and a couple more acts. But you get the point, this is one of the best hardcore comps I’ve heard in a long time and it can be yours for just 4 bucks... it’s a no-brainer!
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.getouttatownrecords.com

Knuckledust interview

Knuckledust has been a name you hear popping up a lot in the past ten years. They’re probably one of the hardest working hardcore bands in the UK and have recently unleashed a new hardhitting album upon the masses called “Promises Comfort Fools”. Time to check in with vocalist Pierre for an update!

PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Pierre: My real name is Pierre but most call me Pelbu. I was born in London to 2 Peruvian immigrants who raised me to fight for my familia. Tried to keep active since 1996 by founding the bands Knuckledust, Beat Down Fury, Maldito and more recently Bun Dem Out as well as being part of the Rucktion Records familia.

PRT: Who else is in the band, which London monument/hangout spot would you compare them to and why?
Pierre: Well the band would comprise of Big Ben ( Wema. That’s what all the girls call him and it aint cos he tall), Upton Park home to West Ham United( Definatly Ray). Last would have to be a filthy dirty squat which after many years had a modern face lift oi oi its gotta be Nic!!!!

PRT: You have been around for ten years now and are still going strong with the original line-up. What’s your secret?
Pierre: A quest for Guinness sponsorship! I wont let them quit till I get Guinness delivered to my door step daily! The KD boys are good people and don’t be fooled, we fight and argue like every other family. We’ve accepted who each of us are and from the experiences we’ve shared we definatly learned to accept each others positives and negatives in a solid way.

PRT: After having roamed around Europe for so long, are you setting your sights on the US as well?
Pierre: I will go anywhere there is someone willing to listen to our style of poor peoples music.
Flights out of UK are quite expensive so we are kind of limited to where we can reach plus the exchange rate really doesn’t help us out either. Thanks to Theo GSR we are managing to rinse Europe a lot more and I guess If people want hear it bad enough then may workout but I feel its early days yet.

PRT: Do you think hardcore bands come with an expiration date? And what would be the reason for you to ever throw in the towel?
Pierre: I always believed the rules to hardcore was that there is no rules! But still there are some bands who really need to expire for true. Being in a band is only a part of the equation for me as the idea to start the band was to support London’s HC scene and as we already prove there’s more to do than just bands to keep the part of the scene we love alive. This is our way of life now after 11 years growing up with the scene here and throwing in the towel is not an option for frontline LBU mans.

PRT: If Knuckledust was the lovechild of two bands, which bands would’ve had sex and which position were you conceived in?
Pierre: Wow that would be one hell of a violent orgy. I would say Blood4Blood, Bounty Killer and The Business in a menage a trois don’t ask me who had the bay cos I don’t get stabbed over it hahahaha!

PRT: Your new album is called “Promises Comfort Fools”. Have you ever been comforted by a promise other than the one saying this interview was going to be entertaining?
Pierre: Of course I have, in love and in life but with each time I got stronger and wiser.
But Im older now and don’t really get excited by much, but some youth I come across really have trouble seeing whats right in front of them after the promise of something flashy.
The amount of promises Ive heard from just being in band is quite amazing if I stop to think and a lot of young bands get caught up in dreams then chewed up and spat out.
Kd got that tuff skin that cant be chewed through, probably taste like guinea pig to.

PRT: I saw that the album comes with a DVD. What can people expect from that one?
Pierre: The DVD is mainly the whole Belgium Ieper Fest all filmed real nice like, see 4 mans on stage doing their thing black up and nuf white kids bussing themselves ups, yea my mum liked it. There is also some so called bonus footage of us acting fool in studio during the Promises …. Recordings and an intro to the history of KD. A little experiment for GSR which I’m sure you’ll enjoy but really its all bout the riddims and flows!!!

PRT: In the bio sheet you’re being referred to as ugly and obnoxious. Is that something you were going for or does someone over at GSR doesn’t like you guys that much?
Pierre: I think maybe most of Euro HXC think were ugly and obnoxious just because we’re a multicultural band mixing cultures they don’t get much exposure to because I notice many Euro kids telling me some very strange things about what they think we are about.

PRT: You’ve started your own label as well. Was there a need for a London-based hardcore label?
Pierre: YES! There was labels at the time who really helped boost our style bands when they first came out but alongside that we always were strongly into the DIY ethic of Hardcore back then. Now in 2007 weve proved that we can help bands to help themselves if they have the dedication and family spirit we promote. The majority of the Rucktion heads are involved in bands we put out and truly the bands and label have helped each other to grow very strong over the years. We have a lot of work yet to do with Rucktion but no other can touch us for UK realness.

PRT: In the movie High Fidelity the guys that work in the record store constantly make these top 5 lists of songs for any occasion. If you were to make such a list, which occasion would it be for and which songs would make your top 5?
Pierre: 1.Mavado – Badman place ………Rucktion nights at The 12 Bar Club every month. (Good Guinness there).
2.Tego Calderon – Otro botella………. North London all year round LBU BBQ’s!!!!! Bless up LBU Jerk chicken chef Buju AntonBDO & Pisco sour & Guinness strrrrr8!
3.Business – Guinness boys………. Day in day out ME WANT IT! Luckily I have my own personal G.Nice!
4. Stout - Gods of war………… Watching the football in our local. Guinness is good tho!
5.Ninebar – Forest fires…………..Morning, noon and night billing ‘em up bun’in them down this is the style of London town.

PRT: Any last words for our readers?
Pierre: I wont hate you if you download the cd…………JUST GET IT! Soldados ready!

At The Close Of Every Day – Troostprijs

At The Close Of Every Day has a way with presenting their album. Whether it’s a book with the CD taped in it or a puzzle accompanying the album, the least you can say is that this Dutch outfit makes their releases stand out.

And that’s no different with their new album, “Troostprijs”. The first 1000 copies of the album come in a beautiful handmade packaging that’s too difficult to explain here. So just make sure you’re one of the first to pick up the album! Their first since 2005’s “De Geluiden Van Weleer”. Sure, there was the remix album “Leaves You Puzzled” last year but that wasn’t any good if you ask me. And even though the title “Troostprijs” might led you to believe otherwise, it’s not the prize they hand out to losers and the songs are not in Dutch. What a mindfuck huh?

Musically ATCOED is just as whimsical... it’s extremely mellow music but at the same time there is this strange tension coming off of the lyrics that courses through all of the songs. The band’s songs may sound stripped down like on their last album but then in comes a horn section like we got to know on “The Silja Symphony” or the warm sounds of a marching band which is something new for Minco Eggersman and co.

I honestly can’t think of a single other band out there that sounds anything like At The Close Of Every Day but I can tell you that with “Troostprijs” these Dutchies have released yet another beautiful, heartwarming album that will light up even the coldest and darkest day.
Score: 9 out of 10
http://www.volkoren.com
www.atthecloseofeveryday.com

Black Francis – Svn Fngrs EP

In the last couple of years Blackie released a laundry list worth of releases which weren’t all that consistent. But the least you can say about the guy is that he knows how to keep busy. Allow me to introduce the latest piece of evidence. Cooking Vinyl asked the former Pixies frontman to record a B-side for a single and barely a week later Frank Black returns with a 7-song EP.

It starts off with the quirky and semi-annoying “The Seus” which sounds like Black’s take on hip hop music before heading for Pixies territory with “Garbage Heap” and “I Sent Away”. And then there’s closer “When They Come To Murder Me” which is pure Americana, another diamond in the rough.

The coolest thing about this EP is that it’s short. It sounds like the band was having a lot of fun in the studio messing around with another one of Frank’s ideas, running with it for a while then dismissing it and moving on to the next song with a completely different vibe. And it’s that ramshackle collection of ideas along with the sparse production that make this such a fun release! Oh, and according to the man himself it’s about a lot of nasty sex. And songs about nasty sex are never a bad thing!
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.cookingvinyl.com
http://www.blackfrancis.net

American Speedway – Ship Of Fools

What do you get when you put a bunch of friends from Philadelphia together whose only dream consists of drinking and rocking the fuck out? American Speedway obviously! While “Ship Of Fools” might not be the most original album you’ll hear this year, it will kick your ass from start to finish. It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s gritty and it’s amazingly catchy. Think Supersuckers, Zeke, Riverboat Gamblers or MC5 with a vocalist who somehow has to be related to Bon Scott.

These guys aren’t out to change the world. They just want to have a good time playing the music they love to hear. And it shows on “Ship Of Fools” even though live is where these guys truly shine. American Speedway is the kind of band you’ll see pounding away shots at the bar until it’s their time to go on. They then will plug in and bring the rock before heading back to the bar. And if they get thirsty during the set, they can always let their guitarist deliver another cool solo or let the audience do the singing when it’s time to churn out another chorus that’s excellent singalong material.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.prophasemusic.com
http://www.americanspeedwayrocks.com

In Defence – Don’t Know How To Breakdance

Christ, by the time I had scratched my balls once I was already halfway through the album! These guys go through the thirteen songs on “Don’t Know How To Breakdance” like they’ve got somewhere else to be in ten minutes and don’t plan on being late.

After a couple of 7” and splits, In Defence has now dropped their first full-length and if you like thrashy hardcore with NYHC a la Warzone mixed in, then these guys are like a wet dream. Now I don’t often say that when it involves guys but for In Defence I’ll make an exception because they have sarcastic lyrics, kickass songs like “Boombox Crew” and “No War But Star Wars” and managed to get me moshing in my living room.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.getouttatownrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/indefence

Endgame – Distracted EP

Never heard of these guys before but Endgame made quite the good impression on me with the 5-song EP “Distracted”. If you are into the whole New Jersey hardcore sound – and come on, who isn’t? – then you seriously need to check this release out. It’ll make you think of later Turning Point, early Crime In Stereo and the entire career of Lifetime. You have to admit, there are worse bands to be compared to! Honest, heartfelt melodic hardcore is still my favorite kind of hardcore and Endgame does it as good as some of the best acts in the genre.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
http://www.getouttatownrecords.com
http://www.endgamemusic.net

Hermano interview

Here's an email interview Christophe did with Dandy Brown from Hermano. Great band, great new album... what else can I say? Even if you didn't like their first albums, you should definitely check out their latest effort. It's called "... Into The Exam Room" and besides being their most versatile album to date, it rocks from start to finish... what could you possibly have against that?

PRT: Who are you and what would you like to tell our readers about yourself?
Dandy: I'm Dandy Brown, bass player for Hermano. I'm 5' 9' (translate to meters if you wish), 160 pounds. I'm a father of three daughters, husband to a beautiful wife, a literature teacher at a local high school, a member of no clubs, and a native Ohioan. I'm 41 years old. My favorite meal would have to be a Richard's steak sandwich from Richard's pizzeria in Hamilton, Ohio. I smoke, drink Jim Beam when I drink, and play a '68 Jazz Bass. I'm left handed. I could write a few hundred pages of this shit, but I think that will do for now.

PRT: What was your last meal up until now, and was it any good?
Dandy: I had a cheeseburger at a local restaurant in Yucca Valley about five hours ago. It sucked.

PRT: What would you rather be doing instead of answering these silly questions?
Dandy: Today is my wedding anniversary. Analisa is inside right now putting our 7 month old, Kentucky, to bed. Hopefully, the baby will fall asleep soon. It is my wedding anniversary for Christ's sake.

PRT: Hermano started out as some kind of side project for various members. When did you guys decide to make it a priority?
Dandy; Actually, we are just now, after ten years, thinking about making a few more shows possible over the next year. This summer is going to be the most active era for Hermano since the inception. In the past, our lives were different, and through both positive and negative episodes in all of our lives we have evolved as people. Circumstances change, and I think that's true for everyone.

PRT: You recently released your third album, 'Into The Exam Room'. It seems a lot more diverse than the previous efforts. A conscious move? Or mere coincidence?
Dandy: Again, I think everyone evolves, and that I think is true for taking that evolution and applying it to our music. I don't think it is a conscious thing, but I also know that we set out to do the new album wanting to not get too far away from the same experimental emotion that has been there since 'Only a Suggestion.' Honestly, I don't think '. . . into the Exam Room' is that far away from the first album.

PRT: How does 'Into the Exam Room' compare to both previous albums?
Dandy: The first one was a whim, the second one was an experiment, and '. . . into the Exam Room' is the fruition.

PRT: And how does it compare to Justin Timberlake's 'FutureLove/SexSounds'?
Dandy: Timberlake likes to prance around with some ok pop music. Hermano rocks.

PRT: You're still being categorized under Stoner Rock. Does that label bother you?

Dandy: No.

PRT: Also, because of John Garcia's presence in the band, references to Kyuss are quite common. Is it hard to remain somewhat overshadowed by the legendary band? And do you hope that the references will someday stop?
Dandy: Like it or not, Hermano and Kyuss will forever be intertwined, just like all of the other Kyuss off-shoots over the years. The comparison and mention of Kyuss will always be there because they were an amazing band. I feel honored to have that connection. Beyond that, though, both are heavy blues bands that have similar roots, and that's about as far as the comparison should go. There is no doubt that Hermano and Kyuss move in different directions and create diverse atmospheres.

PRT: A Wikipedia-page about Hermano states that you guys are more popular in Europe than you are in the States. Is this true? If so, how come? Do you have any plans to change this?
Dandy: The fact of the matter is, we haven't spent that much time focusing on the States. Whenever we have had time to get out and do a tour, Europe has always been more romantic than doing a tour at home. I've been across the United States probably 20 times in my life. There are still quite a few places in Europe I haven't seen yet.

PRT: What's so interesting about an Exam Room that you want to draw your audience into it?
Dandy: I don't think we need to draw anyone into it. We're all there already.

PRT: If Hermano would ever be convicted of a crime, which one would you (hypothetically, of course) have committed?
Dandy: Attempted robbery at a convenient store . . . trying to steal coffee, cigarettes, and energy drinks.

PRT: The band has been around for almost ten years now. What were the biggest highlights so far?
Dandy: Every single show. That's no joke.

PRT: And what would you still like to achieve with Hermano? Any big plans, hopes, dreams or ideals?
Dandy: I would like to be able to fulfill that dream of capturing music, and sharing musical moments with as many people as I can. Of course, that's been my goal from the minute I put my hands on my first instrument.

PRT: The writing process hasn't always been very easy for the band, with some members living spread out across the country. What are your favorite writing conditions?
Dandy: Writing music for Hermano has never been difficult at all. The hardest part has always been finding time to piece together an album. As for songs, though, that's the easy part. Give any of us a couple of hours and some tin cans, and I'm sure we'll have a few songs ready.

PRT: What would be your top 5 songs for spending a snowy day in Eastern Europe, where everybody speaks weird languages and cooks funny smelling meals?
Dandy: I don't know where you're eating, but 90% of the meals I have ever had in Europe have been delicious. In regard to spending the day with a mix, though, drop all of the Sade releases into the player and press 'shuffle.' That will be my first five.

PRT: Your favourite record of the year 2007?
Dandy: El Guapo Stuntteam's Accusation Blues.

PRT: If there would ever be a movie about Hermano, what would it be like, what would be the main plot and who would play you?
Dandy: Only Depp could play me. No one else could sink to the introverted debauchery that would be needed for the role! Honestly, though, I'm not sure if anyone would want to see the movie. They could easily look at their own lives and see mine. I'm pretty normal . . . I think.

PRT: And what would the rating be? X, R, or PG13?
Dandy: If it is an honest movie, I think it would have to be rated R. I think everyone's story at least deserves that rating.

Deep Blues Festival @ Lake Elmo, MN

With a total of 45 performers and a film festival it looks like the 2nd Annual Deep Blues Festival should be worth a visit. So make sure to check it out if you're free on July 18-20 and can make it over to Washington County Fairgrounds at Lake Elm, MN.

I don't know every single band/artist on the bill but if you've got Th'Legenday Shack Shakers, Left Lane Cruiser, T-Model Ford and the Black Diamond Heavies, it can't be bad at all!

Tickets are on sale now at www.deepbluesfestival.com and that also happens to be the place you'll want to check out along with http://www.myspace.com/deepbluesfestival for more information!

V/A – Take Action! Vol. 7 CD/DVD

God, the greedy bastards from good causes never seem to have enough money! And so SubCity once again releases a chapter in the Take Action! comp series after already having raised over a million bucks. This time the name of the charity that will receive a portion of the proceeds is called Do Something, which allows young people to personally help change the world.

Helping out by contributing a song and/or a music video are among others Every Time I Die, Silverstein, Motion City Soundtrack, Every Avenue, Plain White T’s, Aiden, Thrice and The Red Chord. It’s a shame that none of the songs on here are previously unreleased. Then again, seeing as this comp is sold for barely 7$, asking for unreleased tracks would make us a bunch of greedy bastards as well now wouldn’t it?
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.subcity.net

The Presidents Of The United States Of America – These Are The Good Times People

The Americans are getting ready to elect themselves a new president this year. What better time for the Presidents of the United States of America to release a new album? It’s called “These Are The Good Times People” and they’ve got my vote!

These guys have been a great source of feelgood songs ever since they dropped singles like “Lump” and “Peaches” in the nineties. And that’s no different on their new album. “These Are The Good Times People” opens with first single “Mixed Up SOB”, keeps up the melodic upbeatness through “Ladybug” and the witty “Bad Times”, makes fun of French girls in the appropriately titled “French Girl” and goes out with a shitload more addictive sunsoaked poprock songs. Now if only I could make the sun shine, I’d be all set for the day!
Score: 8 out of 10
http://www.cookingvinyl.com
http://www.presidentsrock.com

All Idols Fall – Standing On The Brink EP

I worked for most of the summer. But I got to spend some time at home, went to a couple of festivals and hung out with my friends. That’s basically it and since then nothing much has changed. Not so for All Idols Fall… they got together last summer, signed with Deck Cheese, recorded an EP and toured all over the UK opening for A Wilhelm Scream and are about to do same for Anti-Flag. Not a bad way to spend your first six months as a band!

These guys like their hardcore punk fast and melodic with the occasional catchy chorus… just like A Wilhelm Scream or Rise Against. The result is a more than decent EP that makes me look forward to more!
Score: 7 out of 10
http://www.deckcheese.com
http://www.myspace.com/allidolsfall

The Agony Scene interview

The Agony Scene recently released a mighty fine album called "Get Damned". I don't think my upstairs neighbour would think likewise but who cares. She wouldn't know good music if it kicked her in the ass anyway. Read on to see what vocalist Mike has to say. He seemed to be doing the interview on autopilot but that's okay. So did I haha!

PRT: What were you doing the ten minutes prior to answering these questions?

Mike: answering other questions. i have about three more of these after this one.

PRT: Who are you and what is the most agonizing scene you’ve ever found yourself in?

Mike: im mike i sing. probably watching my wife give birth to both our kids, she was probbibly in a much more agonized state than i was tho.

PRT: Who else is in the band and why should/shouldn’t they be damned?

Mike: chris plays guitar and brian playes guitar. rye plays bass and ryan drums. were all going to hell. its just a matter of when.

PRT: Can you give us a quick history of the band written in less than one minute?

Mike: formed in 02, signed in 03, put out a record, toured, broke up, reformed, put out a record toured, took a break, put out a record and toured, that brings us up to date.

PRT: When I was in Texas last summer I heard a lot of jokes about Okies genre "Did you hear that they have raised the minimum drinking age in Oklahoma to 32? It seems they want to keep alcohol out of the high schools!". And I’m guessing you have the same jokes about Texans as well. Any idea where that "animosity" comes from?

Mike: i wasnt raised here so i dont know. i think they are both pretty depressing places to live and dont think either one has the upper hand really. texas has austin tho, and thats way cooler than anything in OK.

PRT: "Get Damned" is already your third album and it’s definitely your most accomplished album to date with the perfect balance between melody and brutality. Do you feel you’ve come into your own with this album as well?

Mike: i think were always a work in progress. this is just where were at now. who knows what the future will bring. i dont know if this is really the definativeagony scene record. but who knows it might be the last.

PRT: The band has been shook up considerably since the release of your last album with members switching instruments and a new drummer. Did things fall into place right from the start with the altered line-up?

Mike: honestly yes. we have people come and go all the time. i mean the guy who recorded drums on 'get damned' was fired after he finished tracking his stuff. we seem to get by with our revolving door of new peole coming and going. as long as me and chris are there were fine.

PRT: You went from Solid State to Roadrunner to Century Media. What’s with all the switching around?

Mike: well we weren't a christian band and then we broke up so we got dropped form solid state. then we didnt sell enough records and we were/are fat so we got dropped from roadrunner. and CM is happy with sloppy thirds. works out well for us.

PRT: Now that your Solid State period is already a couple of years behind you, do you still get a lot of questions along the lines of ‘are you or aren’t you a christian band’?

Mike: not so much anymore. i think we've made it very clear to anyone who pays enough attention that we are not. there's still some who think otherwise so let me set the record straight. nope...

PRT: I saw that you’re coming to Europe with Himsa… what should people over here expect when they’re coming to an Agony Scene show?

Mike: we're gonna be sweaty and drunk and get really worn out near the end of our set. we're good live but it takes alot out of you to perform trying to recover form jetlag.

PRT: Any last words for our readers?

Mike: nope.

Haunted Life – The Declaration

Haunted Life is a fun, positive and sincere band out of Chicago who have released a pretty good album with “The Declaration”. On it they race through the entire tracklisting in just under 20 minutes playing hardcore punk that is not too different from what other Chicago greats such as Break The Silence or older Rise Against excel at. Basically the kind of band you’d half expect Dan Precision to play in. While they do not quite yet reach those bands’ level yet, with songs like “Walking Dead” or “The ‘N’ Word” these guys should have no problem getting any party started!
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.getouttatownrecords.com
http://www.hauntedlife.com

Fidget – Ashes & Dust

Germany’s Fidget have already been around for a couple of years but only recently got signed to Redfield Records. “Ashes & Dust” is the first result of that collaboration and like our good friend Borat would say before he goes about his business locking up gay people… is nice!

These four guys and one very cute girl play alternative rock that’s both catchy and very melodic. Sure, there’s a ton of other bands out there doing the same thing but with the dual vocal attack of Darline and Tom, Fidget scores extra points on songs like “Take Or Leave” and “Choke On The Promise”. If you’re a fan of acts such as Helicopter Helicopter, Elastica or an upbeat-er version of Belly, you should definitely give Fidget a listen.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
http://www.redfield-records.de
http://www.fidget.de