That Riot Agents live for the energy of punk rock and the speed of thrash metal could be no more apparent than with their latest album Who Cares!. The album features nine tracks of gruff melodic speed drawing upon everything from The Ramones, Iron Maiden and The Misfits, to Judas Priest, Kiss, Ozzy, and The Adicts. Plenty of loud times to be had. They’re quite opinionated and extreme, so don’t say I didn’t warn you! Oh, and their first effort, Too Hard To Fall, ain’t too shabby either.
Dead United is one of those underground European horror gems that if it wasn’t for music discovery tools like Jamendo, you could go your whole life without ever crossing paths. Thankfully their two masterfully melodic horror punk offerings, Chainsaw Chronicles and 3D Audio Horror can now haunt you regardless of your final resting place. As a rather vocal fan of the horror genres I can say with confidence that anyone with a love for quirky melodic punk should embrace this spook-tacular ghoul fest and succumb to the ensuing fever. For fans of Blood Sucking Zombies From Outer Space, The Other, and Nim Vind.
As a big Walking Dead fan, I endorse the name Zombie Fight as a band name. Zombie Dead plays a classic NYC hardcore punk sound heavy on aggression, relentless drumming, featuring a few melodic guitar bridges that help modernize the effort. Check out their debut EP Broke For Tomorrow for a better idea.
Here’s an indie band out of Columbia, SC who have self released a pretty darn solid piece of indie. 25 is an easy listen made so by Rejectioneers’ knack for great melodies and strong collective personality. Strong lead vocals and a lush soundscape suggest that the next album is destined to be picked up for an official label release. Get this one while it’s free!
The boys in Budapest’s Bankrupt have been doing the whole pop-punk thing for quite a while, so it should comes as somewhat of a surprise to learn that they’ve toned down the Ramones influences in favour of a relaxing retro feel (think guitars with reverberating distortion). It’s tough to describe the new sound since it’s so radically different, but I will say it’s refreshingly mature for the band without sacrificing their long running group chemistry.
Here’s an incredibly solid little six song split by two bands I doubt you’ve heard much from but need to know about. The Skye We Scrape’s three contributions feature a focused mix of gruff punk and solo heavy guitar with a hooky sense for melody and technical know how (think Small Brown Bike), with Hawkbit coming across a little looser, with songs that should find an audience with fans of Chris Wollard and the Ship Thieves. Certainly worth your ear.
Just look at that balding head! I think it’s the first one to take the stage as an album cover in quite a while. I have no idea why it’s there, but it certainly jumps out. Lack of hair aside though, Eat This McKinley is has made ten songs of craggy pop punk done right. I wouldn’t be surprised if these guys end up on No Idea Records or Recess Records down the line with an album this strong.
Here’s a tough as nails dose of Philly hardcore with the well suited name Sheer Contempt. Plenty of belted vocals and vicious drumming. Fans of 80′s hardcore will lap this stuff up. Downloadable in Mp3 or AIF.
Well, it’s not one of the most originally titled pieces of work, Don’t Give A Fuck‘s free five song EP is certainly as hard edged as its cold hearted title would imply. For an EP titled A Girl Burning And Dying, it’s actually pretty emotionally intense.
Ever feel like you’re literally on fire? Igniting in flames to become a smoldering pillar of ash? Well, if not, it’s something I imagine Massachusetts hardcore act Plagues knows a little something about. These guys sound like they’re completely engulfed in some sort of blazing inferno, frantically playing their instruments and screaming out hastily in hopes that some passing soul may hear their cries. There’s a good reason for the buzz around this malevolent hardcore quintet, so check them out with their aptly titled Plagues EP 2011.
Download The Album From Jamendo
Download The Album From Jamendo
