Mittwoch, 29. Februar 2012

Watch out!

(deutsche Version unten)

The times are definitely gone when Hardcore still sounded like a herd of madcap gorillas treating their guitars and drums with cudgels. To a growing degree bands are incorporating gentle and sensitive parts into their music. Some call this Post-Core, others term it Emotional Hardcore. However. - At any rate this results in some sort of music that fuses the fury of New School Hardcore with the beauty and tragedy of human life. During the past months Blood and Ink Records have released several records of bands that bustle at this boundary line between inspection and bluster. With the EP „Signs of the Time“ by the band With Increase they have lately put out an oeuvre that carries the development to its peak. Because on „Signs of the Time“ the contemplative parts even outweigh the explosive ones.

Freitag, 3. Februar 2012

On the Nature of Faith

(deutsche Version unten)

Which is the most important virtue in Punk Rock? Loudness? - That one is important for sure. Provocation? - Not to be scoffed at, too. The courage to express one's own opinion? Definitely, that is also very essential. But what about simplicity? Simplicity must be listed at this place on all accounts. Because Punk and musical virtuosity do not go together very well. Otherwise, what you get is New School Hardcore. Simplicity is not a bad thing. Far from it! What Punk Rock needs is this certain ounce of ingeniousness to play music which is simple and intoxicating at the very same moment. This sort of an ingenious ounce can be found in the music of the Kings Kids sure enough. They play Street Punk without frills that often sounds like Rancid and sometimes a bit like the Misfits. By abstaining from complicated solos and tricky rhythms the Kings Kids have created the album „Set Sail and Seek“ which is full of earworms who get stuck in your auditory canal until you bait them out again by offering them an extra large pizza. That is what I call successful songwriting. Punk Rock that is fun precisely because it is not overcharged.