2014 End Of The Year List

While in the last two years I've skipped this tradition, this time I feel in the "write top tens" mood, so here's my 2014 end of the year list. I still need to get physical copies of a few of these records, so get in touch if you can help (expecially with the Oily Boys ep). Casual order of course but Tercer Mundo lp & Oily Boys are definitely my favourite releases of 2014. I'm very surprised that there's no japanese bands in this list (if we exclude Forward split). I might have lost interest in the nipponic current scene but I haven't heard that much good stuff from there this year. Have I missed something? 2014 has been an amazing year expecially for finally being able to score some rare stuff that was on my wantlist for way too long. Hope this trend will continue next year!

7"s

-Forward/Teargas split

-Violent Reaction "dead end"

-Arms Race "gotta get out"

-Urbanoia "psykisk terror"

-Una Bestia Incontrolable "nou mòn"

-Oily Boys "majesty"

-Vermaio & Spasma eps

LPs

-Tercer Mundo "ser nosotros mismos"

-Inmates "s/t"

-Wetbrain "s/t"

-Gutter Gods "innersense"

-Internal Rot "mental hygene"

-Antimob "s/t"

Represses/discographies

-Blasfemia "guerra total" lp

-Terveet Kadet "s/t" lp

-The Fix "vengeance/ jan's room" 2x7"

-Anti Cimex lps

-Cider "out to get me" 7"

-Nerorgasmo  "s/t" 7"

Scores:

-Nightmare "give notice to nightmare" lp

-Infest "slave" lp

-Elbow Deep/ Three Found Dead split lp

-Fatal Rage "s/t" lp

-Bastardos Sin Nombre "guerra bacteriologica" 7"

-Restos De Tragedia both 7"s

ATOXXXICO flyers

Here's a bunch of cool original Atoxxxico flyers scans that I got from a very kind japanese collector (thanx Jum!)

Psykisk Terror

A few months ago I've mentioned here the great norwegian band Urbanoia. Well, their second ep "Psykisk Terror" has been finally released circa a month ago, courtesy of a cooperation between the swedish label D-Takt & Rapunk and the american Solar Funeral Records. While aesthetically this release is extremely similar to their previous effort, when it comes to the music these young & pissed off norwegians show a more USHC approach to their songwriting this time, yet maintaining a connection with their regional roots (thanx Odin they still sing in their native language!). The final result sounds like the mongoloid child that would born from a nasty intercourse between Poison Idea (Pick Your King era) & Svart Framtid. And it's for sure one of the best ep released this year. Too bad it's again a very short release that ends too early...next time I want more songs! 

Dead Friends

What went wrong in Portland, Oregon? I mean, before being crusties' paradise, it used to unleash some of the fiercest USHC bands back in 80s'. Of course I'm pretty confident that you're all familiar with Poison Idea. But there were also Final Warning & Portland's most hated band, Lockjaw. The last one self-released two awesome eps between 1982-83 that contained a good dose of perfectly executed yet sometimes sloppy thrash/hc/punk. Unfortunately with a provocative attitude & songs titled "she's a slut", "Go Back" and my favourite "No Ⓐ", they didn't make many friends. I guess that dumb punks were not ready back then (and still aren't) to being provoked themselves. So of course everyone ended up hating them. I've indeed heard stories of a couple of stores that destroyed all their copies of Lockjaw's records they had in stock!

Straight forward to 30 years later and Lockjaw has reached a cult status, even if haters are still hating, and the originals, printed in mere quantities, have of course become expansive collectors items. In the repressing frenzy we've been all witnessing in these last 10+ years, it took a spanish label, Antitodo Records, to have the guts to reprint Lockjaw second effort, "dead friends" 7". A perfect reproduction of the original. 300 on clear, 200 on grey wax. Since there are around also test presses for their debut ep "shock value", I'm quite confident that it won't take that much until even the repress of their debut will see the light.

SAIRAAT MIELET interview 2003

Interesting chat with Sairaat Mielet, a criminally underrated sxe band from finland that was around during late '80s/early '90s. Taken from Short, Fast & Loud #10, summer '03.

Basta!

Earlier in october I got a mail from Fred, a guy from Brazil who asked me if he could send me a couple of releases from his band Nao Conformismo. Since I liked what I've heard on their bandcamp, I said yes of course. Almost two months later (not sure if I have to blame for such a long delivery time poste italiane, brazilian post or the scary combination of both!) a big parcel from brazil finally showed up. It contained two copies each of their 2012 "basta" lp and "autoflagelo da humanidade" 7" from this year. Both self-released on their own laber Atitude Consciente Records. First thing I've noticed, like all the other brazilian records I own, they do smell funny. Not sayin' they stink. But brazilian records always have their own peculiar & intense scent. And it's not just a matter of smell, Nao Conformismo also sound as brazilian as feijoada and saudade. A combination of solid & heavy production, midpaced hardcore songs with a metallic sound, political lirycs and gruff vocals that cannot not bring to mind their legendary country mates Ratos De Porao or Colera. All well executed and pretty solid if you want my two cents. Too bad the computerized graphics of both their records are quite horrible. I can see a lot of people skipping it since, honestly, they look like bad modern nu-metal bands cover. And that's a shame since this band deserves attention.

Since Nao Conformismo were kind enough to send me two copies each of their records, the first person who ask for them will get my extra copies for free (as long as they will cover the shipping costs).Just drop me a line or leave a comment if you're interested.

Tales of a pretentious asshole#005

Let's keep it colombian with one of the main political raw & noisy hardcore band from Medellin, the legendary Restos De Tragedia. These guys got together in late 80s' from the ashes of local classic metal acts such as Parabellum, Maleficio, Blasfemia and Masacre. When indeed Parabellum and Blasfemia disbanded, Ramon Restrepo (vocals in Blasfemia & Parabellum) and Cesar Quiceno (bass and vocals in Maleficio) joined forces to create RDT with Agustin Moscoso (vocals) and Elkin Cossio (drums). The band lasted from '87 to '92, releasing a demo and two full eps. While colombian records usually pop up for sale once in a while, for some unknown reason both the RDT eps are pretty elusive and damn rare in these days. So when I found a guy selling both, I knew that I couldn't miss them. Sent a fair offer, et voilà, now both these fuckers are finally mine! 

"Ser Y No Ser" 7" is their self-released debut ep from 1989 and their best release in my opinion. Incredible raw & dirty sound that goes along perfectly with the catchiest songs the band ever wrote. Along with Imagen, Herpes, Dexkoncierto and Ataque De Sonido, RDT are part of the noisiest and rawest band from the medellin scene and probably the best band doing it (well, it's a tie with Imagen). And this ep captures them in their finest moment. Also the cover artwork is pretty good. For sure a solid debut.

Fast forward to 1992, the year when they also disbanded, and we got their second full ep: "Medellin presenta: a Restos De Tragedia". Again self-released by the band with nine tracks on it, this is pretty much the same band of their debut ep. Well, except for a rougher & more confused sound that make them loose a bit of their energy. Also the front artwork is quite ugly (but back cover looks very good). That being said, I'm just being anal. It's still solid, raw as fuck proto-noisecore from south america. The way I love it. Definitely worth your time if you're not already familiar with them.

Annoying collector details: inside cover of my copy looks like a printing error: there's only 1/4 of what should be printed on it. Am I the not so lucky owner of what looks like an unwanted variant or do all copies look like this?

Around 2008 the band reformed. Not only they do play gigs, but they re-recorded most of their material and released it on a cd and a split ep with Coche Bomba. A couple of years ago FOAD released a full discography lp. Here's the complete RDT discography I've tried to put together:

-demo tape (self released, 1987)

-"ser y no ser" 7" (self released, 1989)

-VA "la ciudad podrida vol. I" lp (1990, three tracks)

-"medellin presenta: a restos de tragedia" 7" (self released, 1992)

-"malos tiempos buenas ideas" cd (Calderon Prod, 2008)
-split 7" w/Coche Bomba (Noseke Rec, 2012)

-"radikal evolution" discography lp (F.O.A.D., 2012) 

Sociedad Violenta on MRR plus Medellin ads

Here's some kind of bio written directly by the guys from Medellin's very first punk/hc band Sociedad Violenta that appeared on an old MRR from 1989.

Here's also a couple of Medellin related ads from early 90s' MRRs.

SECRET SEVEN interview 2005

Nice fastcore outta Singapore. Taken from PM#4 from 2005. Interview conducted with Idi Amin (vox) on Oct. ’05.

Perro: I don’t think you are very well known here so could you introduce your band to our readers?

Idi Amin: Hi Raffa and all readers of  Perro Maldito. We're SECRET 7 from Singapore. I'm Idi, one of the vocalists of the band, and I will answer the questions. SECRET 7 have been around for about 4 years and we've gone through line-up changes but as it stands at this moment, it's me, Jali, Shahran on bass, Ato on vocals and Fairus on guitars.We've had several releases which comprises of our demo which was re-released by KIDS FOR LIFE RECS, our debut 7" on 625 FASTCORE and with this line-up, we did a split 7" with the great JAHILIA on THRASH STEADY SYNDICATE(our own label), a split 7" with the awesome FPO on MOO COW RECS and finally our first full length titled "TAKE IT BACK" on THRASH STEADY SYNDICATE.

Perro: What’s the message hidden in the seventh secret? And in the previous six? Seriously, what’s the meaning of your band name?

Idi Amin: We have hidden a secret message on the seventh track of every release. All you have to do is to play them backwards! Now... Before you do anything, I'M JUST JOKING!!!! There is no special meaning when we first pick the name for the band. We got the name for our first show and we got it off the title of a childrens' story book written by ENID BLYTON revolving around a group of 7 kids' adventure on solving mysteries. Our band, is also going through an adventure- a musical adventure. But why "SECRET 7" when there is just 5 of us? The truth is that we were a 7-men unit but as i've said earlier about line-up changes, we're left with 5. However, as time passes, i realised that SECRET 7 is not just the 5 of us rocking on the stage but it's theres 2 other guys that made SECRET 7 whole. They're none other than Rahmat and Normann of THRASH STEADY SYNDICATE who have been behind us all the way. As we rock the stage, these 2 are always behind the scene, manning the distro table, taking photos and countless other things. Together we're SECRET 7.

Perro: To me you sound like a weird mix of Life’s Halt, Fuck on the Beach and Razors Edge. How would you describe your music to the uninitiated?

Idi Amin: We absolutely love those bands but to be described like that is way out of our league! I'll put it simply as fast hardcore but there's many people who have tagged us with several descriptions which is flattering like youthcrew thrash, thrashing fastcore, fast thrashing youthcrew and so on. Its just fast hardcore but it may be differentiated by the fact that all 5 of us have different musical influences like Jali enjoys the Japanese thrash bands, Ato loves the '88 SE HC stuff, Fairus is crazy for STRIFE, Shahran digs the Malay Rock bands and i love rock music and also the youth crew bands. The different influences shows in our music but no matter what it is, we'll stay to keeping our music SHORT, FAST and LOUD!!

Perro: You just released a full length titled “take it back”. Are you happy with the way it comes? I’ve notice some development in the sound and in the songwriting. How would you compare it with your previous releases?

Idi Amin: TAKE IT BACK is certainly our best offering yet and i must say that we have put our most heartfelt effort on the record (by "WE", i mean the band as well as the label). We spent almost 30 hours recording, til ato's voice got hoarse and everyone was pretty much tired but we are very satisfied with the end result. Personally, this release is special in the sense that everyone's voice got heard on this record cos everyone gave his contribute in the song writing and the lyrics. We also have to thank the INDONESIAN KIDS who supported us during our PRE-RELEASE of the record tour which led to the idea of the video. The response is overwhelming and as we speak, we only have less than a hundred of the cds left. Most of the reviews that we got have been very encouraging and we assure u guys that for the next few releases, we will put our undying effort and make each of them better than the last one.

Perro: It’s going to be printed onto vinyl by TVG Records from Germany. How did you get in touch with them?

Idi Amin: Jali got to know TVG when the label released his band, EDORA's split Lp with KENT BROCKMAN. Since then, they've been in contact. TVG will release the George Harrison/Secret 7 split Lp but somehow  we have problems, so looks like this project will be cancel on our side.

Perro: You have two songs, “salutation” and “basicore”, about Minor Threat and their influence is pretty evident. You are such a fans that you don’t even want to deconsacrate one of their songs by covering it. But if you would cover one of M.T.’s tune, which one will you choose? Which one is your fave M.T. song?

Idi Amin: I'll coax the guys to do a freaking awesome medley starting with "betray", followed by a blistering version of "seeing red" and we'll end it with a fun and moshy version of "sometimes good guys don't wear white"!!!! MY personal favourite is "out of step".

Perro: Totally agree with the lyrics of “Nippon e ai wo komete”. But have you ever visited japan to see their awesome bands on stage? Ever toured over there?

Idi Amin: Only Jali have been to THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN with his then band DEMISOR. But hearing stories from bands who've been there and watching bands from there, like VIVISICK,
UNHOLY GRAVE and FUCK ON THE BEACH who played freaking awesome shows here, we
definitely must take a trip there and experience the scene ourselves.

Perro: All your lyrics have a very positive feeling on them. Could we consider Secret Seven a posicore band?

Idi Amin: Everyone needs a drive to carry on slogging in this dog eat dog world and for me to be able to do that, i cannot afford to be negative and pessimistic about the future cos we know that the future is unknown and surprises pop out like a jack in the box. One way to do it is to take everything coming your way as a challenge. About the band being posi, yeah...another tag to add to our long band description!

Perro: Being a guy that usually spit a lot, I’d like to know more details about the song titled “my spit”…

Idi Amin: I wrote my spit after watching a show on the discovery channel about how body fluids can help heal poisons and stuff. It backdates to ancient times. Its funny how spit is considered dirty and worse still, spitting in SINGAPORE will get your ass slapped with afine! To me, spitting is natural and i'm convinced that spitting is a natural reaction for some people when they get angry. So in the song, i'm unravelling my distaste for some issue and that i'll spit on them to show my retaliation.

Perro: Recently I’ve noticed that tons of great thrashcore bands are arriving from SE Asia: Domestik Doktrin, Last Warning, Edora, Secret Seven and tons more. Are you trying to steal to japan the flag of the kings of fastcore? Any other bands worth to keep an eye on?

Idi Amin: Stealing the flag would be tough but we'll give them a tough battle! ha ha..

Perro: Your local scene seems to be heavily influenced by the 625 thrashcore sound and there’s even a SE Asia comp. 7” coming out soon…

Idi Amin: Yeah... 625 have been a great help with the spreading of our music from our shores to the west.

Perro: I read somewhere Singapore is a very small, overcrowded and over polluted state. How’s life there in general?

Idi Amin: I think, life is the same everywhere- uncertain. In this country, life is fast paced and some days, you'll be left far behind. Meritocracy is just a word, the same goes with free speech. Paper qualification is the new religion. To sum it up, Life is definitely hard.

Perro: Going back to the past, when the first punk/ hardcore wave happened in SE Asia? Could you name us some seminal local bands?

Idi Amin: I guess i'm too young to know the right answer to that question. But for me, i'd like to see where punk will get me in the future unlike those who kept glorifying their punk past that got them nowhere.
From our scene, i would recommend UNDERATTACK. They play fast, thrashy old school and they
never fail to get me going. Another one would be YOGJAKARTA, whose live sets have been a blast since their change in line up. The fact is that their new vocals is one that speaks his mind and he is comfortable with his sexuality and he cross dresses, which stirred a few sparks in the scene but to me, that is what the scene needs, a wake up call! Being punk is to challenge mindsets.

Perro: Some years ago there has been a polemic when a US band that toured SE Asia polemized about girls with chador at hardcore gigs over there. What’s your opinion about such a controversial issue?

Idi Amin: To me there’s no issue cos that’s our eastern culture where people are tied close to their religion and i'm used to seeing it. I would love to hear an outsider from about their opinions cos i believed it would be a culture shock for them compared to us.

Perro: Plans for the future? Releases, tours etc….

Idi Amin: Right now, we're starting to get back to our feet after a rest of a few months since Fairus got married. We're preparing for a show opening for VITAMIN X when they come over for their asian tour in November. We're also writing new materials.

Perro: Thanks a lot for your time. Feel free to conclude in the way you prefer!!

Idi Amin: Thanxx RAFFA for this interview /space in your zine and i hope that you readers enjoy reading this. PEACE! Write us for communication!!

Crustdust

The number of new releases that I usually buy decreases dramatically every year. I find it hard to keep up with the outrageous number of records that came out these days and a very few of them grab my attention. That being said, being a sucker when it comes to clevo hc, the news of a new full length by Inmates on Painkiller Records definitely had my attention. It took forever to came out and my expectations were pretty high, even if their last ep wasn't that great after all. Well, after a few spins I can affirm that, after a 20 years long career, Inmates are still at their peak. It doesn't matter that their last album came out 12 years, this gets back exactly where "assholes unanimous" left: Lipcream/Systematic Death influences filtered via the unique hardcore that has been slowly but constantly coming outta Cleveland since the early 90s'. All drenched by some of the smartest, funniest & most provocative lyrics ever written. The intro of "crustdust" itself makes this record worth owning. There's also a The Guns cover to make this even more interesting. I'd love to get the orange wax but, you know, overseas shipping is something crazy these days. If you're disappointed by this record, it's safe to say that you did everything wrong in your life.

Slave

The first time I've ever heard the word "powerviolence" was back in 1996. The first issue of my very first zine just came out. Giulio the Bastard was one of those extremely rare honest people that, instead of just being another ass kisser, wrote me in depth & constructive critics about what I did wrong. One that I clearly remember was about the review of the Brutal Truth/Spazz split ep where I tagged Spazz as a boring crust/grind band. He schooled me on a sub-genre that I hadn't heard 'till that day, powerviolence. Lesson learnt, I started doing my homework. Thru tape trading I slowly started to learn about powerviolence and felt in love with it. Over the years I managed to get all the powerviolence classics except for one that kept eluding me. An OG Off The Disk press of Infest debut lp "slave". I've almost scored one circa 10 years ago from a local guy that suddenly changed his mind last minute. In the meantime, prices kept getting crazier every year and these became even more rare. That recent bootleg was very tempting but thanx god I kept waiting until I'll found the real deal.

Last month I sold a bunch of stuff on discogs for some good money. While looking on a way to spend them, I've stumbled upon this. It was listed for a very good price. I was tempted also by a copy of Kuro's "who the helpless" 8" but I went for this since it has been on my wantlist forever. There are quite a few variations of it. This is second press on blue wax, limited to 450 copies. Cover shows some aging but it's still in excellent conditions. While I think the front artwork is too cheesy, I do love the "the kids will have their say" rip off back cover. Nothing more to be said since we're talking about one of those few classics that everyone, from sXe boyscouts to crusty cunts dressed only of patches, seems to agree about it's importance and greatness.

Jeesus Perkele

Svart Records delivers again with a long due reissue of another uberclassic finnish hardcore record: Terveet Kädet "s/t" lp. Originally issued by Propaganda Records back in 1983, this is probably the only record from the early days of the "empty hands" that hasn't got the reissue treatment yet. Of course they did again an excellent job. A perfect reproduction of the original that also comes with a fat booklet with tons of articles (and this time a few of them are in english, too) and pics. I'm a firm believer that this band reached its peak with the "Ääretön Joulu" ep. This lp indeed lacks the same pierced vocals and guitars of the aforementioned ep. That being said, this is still a very solid release that should be owned by anyone who claim to be a finnish hardcore worshipper. And considering the crazy prices the original press reaches in these days, I'm glad that Svart allowed us to own it on vinyl. 

For an extra buck I got the limited coloured edition. They called this colour grey but to me it looks bloody brown. Ain't it? Not sure why people don't call things with their proper name. Am I the only one sick of gold vinyls that actually look orange?

VIOLENT MINDS interview 2007

Here's an excellent interview with one of the best USHC band from the previous decade. Taken from Dumb Hardcore#1 from 2007 if I remember correctly. It contains probably the best tour story ever printed in a hardcore fanzine.

RIP Mark Harvey

Just heard today that Mark Harvey, bassist of my favourite grind band ever Warsore, passed away on tuesday. I've been a fan since I got their demo back in '96 from Giulio The Bastard old distro. I've always been such a fan that I've interviewed him in both my old zines. The last one, from 2003, it's up here. Warsore was the very first band that started my still-going-on interest for australian hardcore. I've exchanged a few mails with Mark over the years and we ended up doing some record trades (I still have the Die Kruzen "s/t" lp that I got from him for my copy of Massacre "from beyond"). He was a record collector too and introduced me to tons of awesome aussie stuff. I've tried to meet him when I was in Melbourne in '06 but unfortunately he replied when I wasn't anymore in town. A truly grind legend. Rest in peace, mate.

20/09 update: went thru a box of old letters and I've found a couple I got from Mark. Here's the one about the aforementioned trade plus a Warsore flyer that was still inside another letter:

I Kill Junkies

Recently, after an 8 years long hunt, I've been finally able to cross off from my want list a record that, outside of australia, nobody seems to care about. I'm talking about the legendary Three Found Dead/ Elbow Deep split lp. Released in only 200 copies on vinyl by Youth Enrage Records, a label run by one of the 3FD guy, it was one of those uber rare records that kept eluding me for years. I wasn't even able to find it on mp3s until I've asked help to an aussie mate. When I was just resigned that I'll never own a copy of it (it wasn't even on discogs until a few months ago), I've finally found a copy for a very good price. Unfortunately there are a few skips on E.D. side but I'm quite sure they'll get fixed once I find a bloody place with one of those machine to clean vinyls. Well, at least I've been able to get a partial refund so I've ended up paying next to nothing for it.

While this record came out in 2000, it still has a strong 90s' vibe. Tons of funny samples, fat pants, wrestling & skateboard references and a lot of songs on both sides. 3FD from sydney has a strong 80s' USHC sound filtered via 90s' way of playing it. They didn't hide it at all since there are four(!) covers of US bands on their side! They kinda remind me what Jerry's Kids or Gang Green would have been if they were from downunder. Great un-PC lyrics that are always a winning point in my book, expecially from an era when it was totally uncool being cynic & sarcastic. If I'm not wrong, members went playing in other excellent bands such as Masstrauma and Deathcage. The sample at the end of their side it's probably the funniest one I've ever heard. Their side is simply perfect. If they were from the US, people would still rave about'em. On the other side we got a side project that involved Arms Reach members minus the girls. Heavy downtuned powerviolence with some metal influences. Not too different from their main band, except that ED were way less serious. Solid effort, too.

Not only this rules musically, but a lot of effort has been put also on the packaging. Gatefold cover, 3 inserts (I got also the promotional flyers) and glow-in-the-dark vinyl. The liner notes from the label's head honcho reminded me that this split lp came from an era where hardcore records were less manufactured than today and a DIY record was something more than another mere product of the hardcore industry.

Lo Stato Ha Bisogno Di Te? Bene, Fottilo.

Some records never get the repress treatment. Other get repressed way too frequently. This time, while FOAD has reissued EU's Arse discography on lp just a couple of months ago, Black Water has also repressed both their eps almost at the same time. Since I do not like discography lps and I already own a copy of the split with Impact (unfortunately just the 2007 repress), of course I've opted for a copy of "lo stato ha bisogno di te? bene, fottilo" ep (which translates to "does the state need you?, well, fuck it". The guy on the cover is indeed tearing off from the wall a military poster for the national conscription). A perfect reproduction of the original. To my knowledge, no stupid limited coloured vinyls or useless cover variations. That's the proper way to do it.

Udine's finest 1982 debut ep is unanimously considered the first ever d-beat record that came outta italy. The Discharge and UK influence are indeed pretty obvious, both musically and lyrically. I must admit that I've always had mixed feelings about this ep. Sometimes I love it, other I cannot stand it at all. While the songwriting is pretty solid, the sound is too poor and singer's high-pitched screams are quite annoying. For sure a good debut release but there's way better italian stuff from that era. Just compare it with their split w/Impact that came out a year later. There's no game, man. That's the record where they nailed it perfectly. It's definitely superior under every point of view. That stuff is perfect. That being said, "lshbdt?b,f" is a record worth owning and I'm glad to finally have a copy without having to shell out 100 eurobucks for it. On the other side, if you want to get rid of your OG copy of the split, get in touch.

Noise In Your Head

Archaic debut ep "noise in your head", courtesy of LVEUM, is a new project that involves a guitarist from Berlin (Marco, ex LADM, La Piovra, Smart Cops & many others), a singer from Barcelona (Guille, ex Invasion/ Destino Final) & a drummer from Venice (Mattia, ex La Piovra). I met Marco a couple of times more than 10 years ago (nice guy) and since then I've always kept an eye on his various projects. Archaic is my favourite since the long gone L'Amico Di Martucci days. But don't expect something similar. These three tunes are way more experimental. LVEUM described it as a mix between Fogna & Destino Final (d'uh). Archaic indeed remind a more industrial version of Fogna with reverbed vocals. Guille creepy lyrics fit perfectly with the music, making it sounds even more gloomy if this is possible. One of the most interesting & original record I've got in a long time. Got the limited orange (this is orange, I don't know why people keep calling this colour "gold") version that looks awesome with the minimalistic black cover/insert. Hope this project will turn into something more serious and to see more stuff coming out under the Archaic monicker.

RABIA interview 1994

Going thru my zine collection to find something for this month, I've found an interview with the mighty Rabia. Obscure japanese noisecore mainly influenced by the rawest south american hardcore bands. Featuring members of C.F.D.L., they released only "por que?" demo and "pecado contra natura" 7" on Overthrow that I still need badly. Taken from MRR#134 (all japan issue).

Svart Sement

Norway might be mainly known for being the home of black metal of course, but it also has a nice hardcore scene. For sure it has never been as prolific as its scandinavian counterparts, but there's no doubt that, back in the early 80s', a handful of excellent bands released some quality stuff, mainly under the legendary X-Port Plater label. In more recent years there has been a couple of awesome norwegian bands (Insurance Risk & Shipwrecked), but these were more boston hardcore oriented. No one has been able to reproduce the typical (or should I say trve??) norwegian hardcore sound in the right way (even if some tried). Until Urbanoia released their "svart sement" ep last year. Pressed in a mere quantity of 200 copies by the band itself, these four tracks keep the Svart Framtid legacy alive and bloody healthy. Seriously, if someone told me this was a lost recording session of the aforementioned band, I would have blindly believed it. Aesthetically also the cover seems to be a tribute to the Betong Hysteria ep with that font and the spherical picture. A great debut ep for sure that is also a well done homage to the traditional norwegian sound but it's solid enough to stand on it own. A new ep is impending and should be out pretty soon on D-Takt in europe and Solar Funeral in the states.

Dead End

I might not sound popular, but I'm not a huge fan of all the new english bands that are hyped everywhere right now. Quite sure that when the hype will disappear, most of them will quickly fall into oblivion. Except for Violent Reaction. The band that started this scene is without any doubt the best of the bunch. And their last ep "dead end", released in the UK by Quality Control and in the US by Painkiller, just confirms it. Their most solid output for sure, boston hardcore perfectly melted with the best english street punk. These six tunes are bloody good & memorable and you'll find yourself singing along them after the first listening. Add a huge guitar sound and a great production and you got an instant winner. sXe hardcore back to its roots and far way from the boyscout attitude of most of these bands. I feel a bit weird for liking a band that just signed to Revelation, a label that represents everything I dislike in hardcore, but I guess there's always a first time. And honestly, this sounds closer to Negative Approach or SSD than YOT or Bold.

I got the european press that has a different artwork than the american press. The sleeve is formed by 5 panels that, when opened, surprise! It forms a huge X. As cheesy and boring the whole Xs thing is, I must admit that this looks pretty damn good. Overall, a very nice package for one of the most solid ep released this year.

Ser Nosotros Mismos

One of the most anticipated (well, at least to me!) release planned for the year of the lord 2014 has been the Tercer Mundo "ser nosotros mismos" 12", again courtesy of Cintas Pepe Discos outta Mexico. I've already praised this label and band in one of my previous post about TM's debut ep of a couple of years ago. I know it's hard to believe but "ser nosotros mismos" is even exceeding the ep's greatness. This time TM has indeed a better production that makes them sound catchier but at the same time it maintains their classic brutal and raw sound. Dan/SPHC has nailed it perfectly so I'm gonna keep it short and just quote him: "Their 2012 first EP was championed and heralded around the world as a modern classic by those in-the-know, as one of the most seminal and powerful hardcore records of the current times. Expectations must be high for their 2014 first LP.....and expectations are met. A rough and raw sound that manages to stay powerful and listenable, a rough and raw performance that manages to stay tight and fluid, and most importantly, fucking powerful and memorable songs that are dynamic, tense, and brutal all at once. A flawless, perfected hardcore record in a world full of half-hearted efforts".

As with all the Cintas Pepe releases, a lot of effort has been put also on the graphics. Indeed this is not only a solid release, but it also looks pretty damn good! It comes in a beautiful hand screened cover & insert with lyrics and infos in spanish and english. The labels look great too, love the stabbed mexico sketch on side B. For sure a solid contender for the best lp that came out this year.

BESTHOVEN interview 2006

Classic brazilian d-beat band. Interview taken from Agitate 'zine #8 from 2007.

Give Notice of Nightmare

Been waiting for a couple of parcels to show up but they're taking their time. So I guess it's time to post something about one of the main score of the year that I did few months ago. When it comes to japanese hardcore, it seems that a lot of people are obsessed with ADK or Dogma Records. Solid labels of course, but when I think to the label that defines japanese classic hardcore sound, I only have one name in my mind: the legendary Selfish Records. This label has released over the years so many classics by even more classic bands such as Death Side, Gauze, Outo, Systematic Death, Lip Cream and many others. Not to mention all their classic compilation lps. Such a great label! Over the years I've been able to accumulate a decent part of their catalogue. Of course it's still a long way until I'll complete it, but overall I've managed to get all my main wants. Except for a couple of titles: Deathside "bet on possibility" lp & Nightmare "give notice to nightmare" lp. These have eluded me for a lot of time but a couple of months ago I've been finally able to secure a copy of the last one. Now please sell me your copy of "bet on the possibility"!!

Along with Gauze & Warhead, Nightmare is one of the few classic japanese bands that never broke up and it's still going strong after all these years. But when it comes to their records, 1990's "give notice to nightmare" lp is their highlight moment. Perfect sound, incredible songwriting. I can't find anything to complain about 'coz there's nothing wrong here. Classic metallic japanese hardcore/punk in one of its finest moments. Ok, perhaps the pixelated picture they chose as cover could have been something better (been finally able to understand what it is only when I got this copy in my hands!) but this is an undisputed classic so I'll just forgive them for not using something as cool as they did for their "s/t" ep of a couple of years before.

The copy I got is in immaculate conditions. Seriously, it looks like it came out from the pressing plant yesterday. Got it from a notorious european collector that was unloading a huge part of his collection. Sent him an offer I thought was fair, et voilà: I've finally been able to cancel it from my wantlist.

Cadenas

Another medellin record deleted from my want list: Fertil Miseria second ep titled "cadenas" (chains), self-released by the band back in 1994. What we got here is another lethal dose of medellin HC not too different from bands like IxRxAx or Rasix. So do not expect ultra-raw and noisy stuff like their more extreme countrymates Imagen or Restos De Tragedia. This is pure political hardcore (no metal or grind influences) with the typical south american sound. Not sure if this band is the natural evolution of Crimen Impune (a band that appeared only on the "la ciudad podrida" compilation lp), but it features Vicky, the same female singer. Actually, 3/4 of Fertil Miseria members were gals, which is quite unusual for that era. The only male member used to play guitar also on HP.HC, so you know this band rules. Comes with the typical poly sleeve, insert and one of the cheesiest artwork ever. Luckily back cover looks way better. After a 10 years hiatus, the band has been active again since 2005 and played shows even in europe.

Caught In A Vortex

I've already told you recently that I'm a reborn death metal fanatic. This time I'll talk about an unfuckwithable classic: the Abhorrence "s/t" 7", released back in 1990 by cult label Seraphic Decay. I wish I could say I was into this guys since my metal days in early/mid 90s'. But that would only be a lie. The only finnish "obscure" death metal bands I was familiar with back in that period were Demigod and Convulse. And that's a shame since 16 years old me would have been immediately obsessed by this band. Along with the Demigod demo, this is some of the most putrid death metal ever recorded. In the old school way of course. No boring slam bullshit or useless overproduction. Just pure and dirty old school death metal, played in the european way (which is, in my opinion, better than the american one!).

There are quite a few variant of this record: I'm pretty sure my copy is 2nd press but I've never heard of marbled blue wax. But the best thing is that it comes with a huge seraphic decay ad flyer. Do all copies come with it or I've just been lucky?

HEADLESS HORSEMEN interview 2003

 Long story short: saw these guys opening for RAMBO in a putrid squat in swiss. Not too impressed by their records but live they ruled. Interview conducted with singer Chris around march '03, originally featured in Perro Maldito#2.

Perro: Let me start asking you something about your name. Why did you choose it? I mean, it’s not the tipical HC name…
Chris: That's one of the reasons we were into calling the band this. It's not that much of a typical cliched HC name and shys away from any preconceptions people might have about the band. A friend suggested it and we thought it was kinda funny so it stuck.
 

Perro: Your gig in Lausanne has been one of the most energic I’ve ever seen. Are all aussie bands so crazy on stage?
Chris: Like everywhere else, there are some bands that have energy and others that don't. We just really enjoy playing, and being energetic is the only way we know how. I mean we play in a hardcore punk band so raw energy,confrontation and adrenolin is a major part of the live aspect.
 

Perro: Generally talking, how’s gone your recent tour here in europe? Any funny/ scary stories? We want dectails!!
Chris: The tour was amazing!! There are too many people to thank who made the whole experience such a great one. I'm so glad we made it over because we might not ever get another chance! There are many stories here are a few: Driving between Erfurt and Nurenburg in Germany getting pulled over by the cops and having our bags searched, they were hassling me because I had herbal tea and they thought it was drugs! In paris we played a live radio show and I jumped and smacked myself in the face and chipped three of my teeth! In brussels having a food pasta fight mid-set while we were playing!The night before in Paris the show got shut down by 40 cops! Our friend getting mugged of his passport and wallet in Barcelona!

Perro: Have you noticed some differences between the organization of the aussie and the european scenes? Is the euro scene so well organized as I always hear from foreign people?
Chris: Yes I will say that the touring network in Europe is amazingly organised, much more so than Australia. Even though Austrlia is a massive country geographically there are only 4 or 5 major cities that have active punk scenes. So Europe is on a much larger scale. We also don't have the awesome squats in Australia that you have in Europe so most shows are either in pubs or youth centres with squats being a rare exception. People in Europe are so accomodating and generous. Getting fed before a show is almost unheard of in Australia where as it was considered normal in most European cities we visited, we were all so amazed and greatful of the European hospitality!!

Perro: Your music has a strong 80s’ HC feeling, which is something very popular these days. How do you releate H.H. with the recent “80s’ thrashcore reinassance”? I think you could be easily included on it…
Chris: Yeah I guess we could be placed with that tag. I believe that the 'thrashcore' trend is already on the way out, and something new will replace it. In Australia 80's style hardcore isn't really that popular. Alot of bands are doing the emo/screamo or corporate mosh metal thing. I've always been into fast, no frills hardcore punk.

Perro: You just released a cd that is a sort of discography with all the material you have recorded since now. I’ve noticed a different vocals approach between the two different recording sessions featured. Did you change singer or he just changed vocals style? If this second option is the correct one, why?
Chris: A few people have thought we had to different singers. But for the record I sang on both sessions. Earlier on were fast hardcore punk but with a slightly more power violence feel, my vocals were more high pitched screaming. In the more recent recording Damien (guitar) and dave (bass)
wanted to take the band in a different direction, that being more 'old school' 80's style with a slight rock'n'roll touch , they wanted yelled vocals (rather than screamed)and more melody so I tried to comply with their request. I actually recorded the vocals twice for the newer sessions and we all agreed that the newer style suited the music better.

Perro: Who the hell is the guy on the cd cover? I mean, it reminds me the macho-cowboy version of that asshole called Brad Pitt in the movie “Thelma & Louise”. Why have you used this pic as a cover?
Chris: Hahaha....We have had a lot of comments about the cover! Basically we wanted to have a bit of a homo-erotic theme to the CD because we thought it portrayed our band quite well! Rock and roll is oozeing with sexual energy and much of that energy can be interpreted as homoeroticism! You have to admit he does look quite delicious!

Perro: How would you describe H.H. with only 5 words?
Chris: Fast fun, not too serious

Perro: Into Downsided’zine #6 there’s a good article about aussie HC style, described as hellish as the land itself. Do you agree with that? Does it really exist something that can be called in this way? How would you describe aussie HC style?
Chris: I would love to read the article in that zine it sounds very interesting! Personally I don't believe this actual Australian hardcore style exists. I just hope that most bands from Australia don't get too caught up in trying to emulate US hardcore bands because that can get very boring fast! I do think that what's good about Austrlain bands is that they can't be pigeon holed that easily because they take influence from many style of hardcore punk.

Perro: Since aussie scene is not very well-known here, are there any bands worth to check out you’d like to suggest us?
Chris: We have had some classic bands in the past. Bands like Arms Reach, Fallout, Price of Silence, MYC ruled during the 1990's. Probably the most crucial ever hardcore band in Australia was Arms Reach. They were around from 1997-2000. They were like Australia's version of Infest a totally amazing band with spot-on politics in my opinion. In more recent times the premier DIY Australian hardcore bands are Far Left Limit, Deadstare, Bjelke-Petersen Youth, Conation, Pure Evil Trio, Stockholm Syndrome and more. People from overseas should definately check out these bands.

Perro: Now let’s go a bit in depth about that strange place you live in, Australia. It seems to be one of the wildest place to live in. Am I right?
Chris: It's funny because people have all these ideas that Australia is this brutal, crazy land where people go around wrestling crocodiles and ride kangaroos and shit. That might happed more in the outback but the majority of the population in large cities like in Europe. I guess shows like Mad Max and the Crocodile Hunter haven't done much to change people's stereotypes. We definatley are quite isolated from the rest of the world. But I do enjoy living here.

Perro: An aussie guy who lived in europe for a couple of years told me he was very irritated by the fact that there’s no space without people here. Do you agree? What differences have you noticed?
Chris: Australia is quite sparcely populated compared to the rest of the world. We have a population of under 20 million in a country larger than the UK and most of western Europe added together! I never had a problem with that in my travels. But maybe it would be diffent if I walked around Tokyo, Mexico City or Bombay! The tube/underground train in London was a pretty intense and crazy crowded place!!

Perro: Australia is also well known for having a big quantity/ quality of particular animals. Even if the man is definitely the most dangerous one, are you more scared by the big ones or by small and venomous insects or snakes? I’m asking that ‘coz my biggest fear is to be eaten by one of those enormous sharks you have downunder…
Chris: When I was about 10 I was at the beach and everyone was order to get out of the water because there was a huge shark lurking around, that was kind of a freakout! My main fear is spiders, I definately have Arachnophobia. Snakes don't bother me at all.

Perro: Ok, now let me ask you something more serious now. We are going to have an article about the stolen generation into this issue. How’s the actual situation of the aborigens?
Chris: Our Prime Minister John Howard(fascist motherfucker!)still stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the pain and suffering caused by the affects of the stolen generation. This was used as a form of cultural genocide! Sadly the indigenous people of Australia are still on a whole treated as 2nd class citizens. They are marginalised to the outskirts of white society with many living in almost 3rd world poverty conditions. Thus causing high suicide rates, lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality rates and a much higher rate of blacks incarcerated than the rest of the population. When I think about these things I feel ashamed to be white.

Perro: While there are a lot of people into the so called “scene” who think the technology is evil I do think it’s useful and that it’s the way governments/ multinationals use it that could be defined “evil”. What do you think about that?
Chris: I hate the way technology constantly needs to update itself thus ensuring that the lastest model of whatever machine becomes obsolete every six months, Just so mankind can be that little bit lazier and the machine can work for us that little bit faster. Also the way that governments/ corporations use technology to monitor the general public and have access to their personal details and information is very evil. On the other hand I wouldn't be talking to you now so quickly and efficiently if it wasn't for technology. There needs to be a healthy balance.

Perro: Well, it’s time to conclude. Tell us about your project for the future and conclude as you like.
Chris: I'm not really sure about the future of Headless Horsemen right now. I think we are gonna take some time off for a little while. We just had a new seven inch come out on gash records if you are interested. Thanks for the interview Raffa, it was rad fun!! Thanks again to everyone who helped out with the tour, you know who you all are. We love you all!!
Ciao!