Impressions XXXV

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CHAIN CULT - Shallow Grave 2019

The next banger comes from Athens, and their 2018 demo already completely blew me away and made a huge impact with that. Melodic Post-Punk in a rich sound quality and beautifully desperate and hopeful lyrics. Chain Cult were founded in 2017 and involved in the local DIY scene for many years and that's where the three of them met and formed the band. The demo received a lot of praise and was sent to many labels, and La Vida Es Un Mus, an English label from London, responded, and that's how their collaboration began. To date, three 7Inches and two albums have been released there. Chain Cult celebrate loud and powerful vibes and I'll quote a short review for you: "Athens’ Chain Cult wastes no time, opening the first track with a catchy chorus-laden guitar riff that would sound just as much at home on a NewWave record as on a dark melodic Punk record. The raspy vocals sound a little like the singer from Oxymoron, which is refreshingly different. Anthemic songwriting and adventurous drumming tie the sound together. Definitely something to check out for fans of Scandinavian melodic Punk & melodic dark Punk." (Heather Blotto, MRR #441 • February 2020) All I can say is, if you don't know them, you should definitely start listening now. Perfect music for grey, gloomy days!

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MESSER - Im Schwindel 2012

Yay, the comeback of the year... I'm cured!!! - Just kidding, but I feel fantastic! And in keeping with this feeling now to a record that I really appreciate: Ladies & Gentlemen, let's come to a German band whose first two albums immediately impressed me, and the Baby is called Messer; formed sometime 2012 in Münster and on their powerful, atmospheric and feverish debut they consisted of Hendrik (vocals), Pascal (guitars), Pogo (bass), Philipp (drums). Let me start with the remarkable cover of this album. It depicts a sad person, marked by life, and was drawn by Hendrik and the unsettling complexity of the ten songs hardly leaves any time to catch your breath. Suitable for any listener who possesses a certain degree of empathy and is capable of developing feelings, even for other people, and who has had their own personal experiences and isn't like a dull couch potato who finds joy with its 1000 fucking TV channels and waits for so-called PayPal "friends". Whichever lines you choose, Messer's songs breathe despair, disillusionment, contempt, loneliness, anger, restlessness, hope and rebellion. A meal that's not easy to digest, but incredibly authentic. Released via This Charming Man Records, this captivating beauty relentlessly pushes forward, leaving no room for sleep. A Must Listen!

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SEGURIDAD SOCÍAL - ¡¡Konsspiracion!! [Tape] 1982

Today a nice cassette by Seguridad Socíal which were founded 1982 in Valencia by José (vocals), Santi (guitar), José (bass), Rafa (drums) and this is the first demo tape which came via La Norma and throughout their career, Seguridad Socíal has evolved from the skatalytic Punk of their early days to Latin and Mediterranean rhythms, establishing themselves as a prominent figure in the Spanish music scene. Led by José, one of the most established artists in Spanish music, the band is one of the most established artists in the world. A number of albums have been released (the last 2017), and the eight songs on this tape are catchy, just as I've come to expect from the Iberian Peninsula. I can't say much about their later albums, as I don't own any, but this pearl of music is passionate and captivating. Also happily invited to countless Compilations. Do yourself a favor and give the four your ears!

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A USEFUL PIG - Native Planes 1983

The Wanted List has one less search, requested by an attentive user and sent by such. I haven't heard a single tone from them myself, and first I want to mention the originell band name: A Useful Pig. A farm animal or a stupid two-legged creature with no life of its own and only doing what others tell it to do. I'm leaning toward the latter because I recently had experience with such a useless person. Well, a few pieces of information I could find: A Useful Pig were a short-lived four piece from Delft and consisted of Arie (vocals/guitars), Nico (guitars), Ina (bass), Rob (drums) and this fucker is their only one and features thirteen interesting nuggets that sound very minimalist yet have astonishing depth. At first, I found them a bit boring, but after listening to them several times, they came across like a full glass of Äppler, refreshing and hearty. And very diverse and no monotonous. It certainly takes some getting used to and isn't to everyone's taste, but the album is definitely worth a listen, and meaningless sounds different. Sounds interesting? - Grab it!

- Great Thx to trgec -

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NOISE ANNOYS - First Step 1990

Here I am again, and the last few days have been stressful and extremely miserable. But I'm not closing the theater, but if the muse doesn't want to, I'm screwed. Some things just take time, you know what I mean.... Today a short to the north and we meet Noise Annoys, formed 1988 (named after a song by the Buzzcocks) from the ashes of Torpedo Moskau and consisted of Witte & Lars (guitars), Arne (vocals), Sven (bass) and Dudi (drums). One year later, their first single “My Mummy” followed, as well as the recording of their first album, which was then released on vinyl in 1990, also on KO-Records. Listen to eleven fresh and powerful songs that are about love, rebellion and the everyday confrontations that we are exposed to in life. Musically excellently implemented take the five the fight against the smartphone generation unfazed. And this post is dedicated to Witte, who, as I read, died unexpectedly at the beginning of October, making him one of the most important Punk guitarists from the Hanseatic city and the scene at all, and member of numerous bands that you can search for. A scond and final album was then released via Virgin but that was a flop and two years later they finally disbanded. Enjoy!

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VAGRANTS - Gone EP 1990

Now a band I really enjoy listening to, whose lyrics probably wrote in the subway or alone at home in complete solitude or alone on a bench or wherever. Self-critical, a bit desperate, extreme sensitive and anyone who finds words like that is either heartbreak disappointments, hopeless or simply self-critical or vexed; honest emotions, my friends, and when you combine all that with the right sound, you've created a small, unforgettable masterpiece that absolutely deserves to be heard. We're talking about the Vagrants from California and they masterfully manage the balance between harshness and emotion. They released three tapes and this little nugget on Lookout Records and a short info from of the label I would like to quote here: "The Vagrants bring a feel of mystery and brooding to their brand of Punk. Their “Gone” EP packs plenty of layered Rock on top of Punk sensibilities to create a satisfying slice of moody underground rock from 1990 with a slow heavy, (pre-) emo sound that reveals more upon repeated listens. Three tracks designed for an introspective afternoon." It's no secret that they later changed their name to Pot Valiant, finding more peaceful sounds for more profound words. Well, an amazingly cool record that you should have, I'm going out now and walking into the night.

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BLUT+EISEN - Schrei Doch! 1984

"We, that is, from the beginning to the end, have always been and exclusively us: Krösus, Slinki, Karl & Capri. We've been around since around May 1982, and we make music because only one of us has abitur..." This is Blut+Eisen calling from Hanover and the four are one of my favorite German Punk bands. In their active lifespan they made two 7Inches and two albums, and this is a legacy that others can only dream of and belong in every fucking record collection - I love their angry, catchy, energetic and dynamic songs combined with cynical, caustic and straight in the face lyrics that haven't lost any of their relevance. Schrei Doch! was released via Weird System and is the debut and catch you from the first note. They even caught the attention overseas, as the following review shows: "This powerful album features an energetic, thrashy sound aided by killer production and some truly inventive compositions. Songs like “Lange Gesichter” and the superbly arranged “Dein Leben” add variety to a solid collection of tracks that contain some excellent guitar work. A consistent, strongly recommended record." (Steve Spinali, MRR #14 • June 1984) You see, the only thing tastier are my meatballs, which deserve to be mentioned in the same breath (has anyone ever made them?) Fuck It! Fire free for Blut+Eisen with their sixteen superb PunkrockSmashers (find the second album in this madhouse as well)... and remember, screaming helps!!! 🎸🍺

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PANIKRAUM - Demo 2016

Bands from Mönchengladbach are always worth listening to, and since I only know a few of them and they're all great, I can say that. Panikraum is one of them, a four piece formed around mid-2015 and featuring members of die Strafe and EA80. It's an interesting collaboration, and if you like both, you can't help listen. Five songs between heaven and hell, energetically driving, but with a large portion of despair, themes such as lost love, disappointment, struggle and always getting up and carry on, no matter how shitty the situation is and how emotional the rollercoaster ride is, are in the foreground and hit you right in the core (and of course in your fucking heart, provided you have one). A good eight years ago, they were guests at the Waggon in Offenbach (listen), and it was a magical evening, as always at this location. It's about time I went there again. And now full attention for Panikraum!

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SAMIAM - Underground 12'' 1990

Hello, I'm back and it's continuing brilliantly with one of my favorite bands from sunny California and I'm bringing you healthy vibes from Samiam, who re-recorded five songs from their 1989 demo on this cute little mini 12Inch, which didn't make it on the debut album. The band was formed 1988 with most of the combos founding members rising from the ashes of other Berkeley-area Punk bands and their first couple of albums being released on indie label New Red Archives. They say they're the inventors of EmoPunk, but I think that's nonsense. The lyrics are very personal, the music snotty and cheeky, and is that the reason for it? I don't like this kind of stereotyping, but people seem to need it when they're stuck for ideas. Anyway, I like the way they play together, and the guys were an impressive live experience too... It was a long time ago, and the T-Shirt I bought is already full of holes and worn out. Comes with new scans and a new bitrate, and the book of words closes with it. You can read for yourself how popular Samiam are and I recommend to buy their records, at least the early stuff is essential.

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