Robyn Writes

Refused – HMV Forum London, 12/8/12

In 1998, Refused announced that they were over. Quits. Never to reform again and that was that. Several side projects later and here they are, back together again. When I first heard about the reunion, I was vaguely sceptical, despite being completely ecstatic. Why now? I soon realised that there was no other time but now.

The Forum was completely packed. The room was buzzing, and Pettybone (4/5), an all-grrl hardcore punk outfit burst onto the stage wearing “Free Pussy Riot” shirts. Half of them have balaclavas, in deference to their imprisoned comrades. Their particular brand of hardcore is visceral and captivating. There’s a lot of melodic parts, ridiculously dance-your-ass-off parts, but there’s also aggression, anger and a lot of passion. Pettybone are an inspiration to watch. They say that punk rock is about not giving a damn and doing what you want, but Pettybone clearly care a hell of a lot and that’s what makes them incredible. Forget Jessie J parading around in next to nothing at the closing ceremony – Pettybone are what the girls of today need to see. It’s such a shame that they’re breaking up.

And then there was a ridiculous amount of pre-show before Refused (5/5) hit the stage. I was bouncing up and down in exasperation, while Kitteh tried to placate me with the “who would you put in the First Impact ark” game. This is Refused. This is the other other band that convinced me to put my faith in music. I was tense. Then, after the longest wait in the history of ever, the curtain falls, the lights come on and the band explode into Worms Of The Senses. The crowd goes wild. Some of the biggest moshpits I’ve seen in a long time break out. There’s a lightshow to rival Nine Inch Nails. I stand there with my mouth wide open because Refused aren’t fucking dead any more, they’re alive and right in front of me.

Of course, they break into all the “classics”. Refused have nothing but. Refused Party Program, Liberation Frequency, Summerholidays vs Punkroutine all feature, and some of the earlier material like Coup D’Etat, Hook Line And Sinker and Rather Be Dead come to the forefront. I have never seen a band so perfectly in sync while retaining such rawness. This was a night for the whole band, but Dennis Lyxzen steals the show completely. He writhes across the stage as he screams, perfectly in time with the light show. He dives off of anything he can, wriggling his hips as he goes. He is impossible to ignore and when he gives a brief speech about how music and lyrics can change things, can shake governments, then I can’t help but believe him. But of course, none of that would matter if the music couldn’t back it up and the rest of the band perform with such style and it’s really breathtaking. Hardcore doesn’t just need to be shitty shows in tiny basements, it can be big, brash and bold and that’s what Refused are and always have been – ahead of the curve. There’s no new material but there doesn’t need to be – The Shape Of Punk To Come was their magnum opus, but it’s more than relevant today.

Every moment seems like it can’t be topped by the last, but the band go off, the lights go down and they come back and the opening riff of New Noise tears through the venue and that is it. Dennis bounds onto the stage. One… Two… “CAN I SCREAM?!” and the room goes wild. Followed up by Tannhauser and a hell of a lot of dry ice, we walk out inspired, overwhelmed and ready for anything. I have seen a lot of shows. I have seen a lot of bands. Hand on heart without further ado, I can honestly say that was the best show I have ever seen in my life. Mediocre pop-punk bands, say goodbye, because Refused just set the bar atmospherically high.

DARKO – From Trust To Conformity [EP]


DARKO are yet more proof that the scene is alive and well in the UK. The Guildford lads have put out a blinder of an EP that you’d be an absolute fool to miss out on. From the taunting screams of the fifteen-second intro to the abrupt and brutal close of title track From Trust To Conformity, this is a fifteen minute thrill ride like no other.

Opening track AWOL is fast and furious and instantly displays what’s really special about this EP. DARKO are not your typical hardcore band. Sure, everything’s played twice the speed of a normal song, there’s some brilliant growls and screams from Dan Smith but there’s also some ridiculous riffs. Chris Brown and Rob Piper’s guitars are completely and utterly relentless. AWOL itself sounds like somebody’s kidnapped Avenged Sevenfold and Fight Paris and forced them to work together until they create the perfect track. It dispenses with the typical breakdown, instead including a truly inspired instrumental part, where everything rings out clear.

DARKO are a band of many tastes though, and while they obviously have a very unique style that comes through in all their tracks, each track has a totally different feel to it. Neo Was An Amateur is fairly skate-punk in places, but with a hearty infusion of woah’s and pinch harmonics. The Smarter I Think I Am, The Dumber I Actually Am is reminiscent of No Trigger in its frenetic pace and posicore lyrics. It’s a total crowd pleaser in so many ways, with perfect singalong moments and a banging chorus, but it truly comes into its own in the solo, which is one of the coolest, most ass-kicking dual lead solos I’ve heard in a long time. Mindblowing. That’s not to say that the rest of the band isn’t as solid though – in Chewbacca Defence, Andy Borg’s drumming is so precise and so punctuating, giving the track an edge sharper than a samurai’s katana and Karl Sursham’s bass is just fantastic. Closing track From Trust To Conformity is simply a masterclass in how to end an EP. Melodic, aggressive and desperate, it drives the EP home, combining everything that was perfect about the release and ending with a chilling, droning closedown.

A very exciting addition to the UK hardcore scene, From Trust To Conformity is not to be missed. Blast it everywhere you can because these guys deserve to be huge.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!

Tempest Live – Rosie Malones Cellar, Coventry, 2/8/12

Tempest Live is a new hardcore/metal night in Coventry, aimed at bringing the best in the area’s scene together for your pleasure. The opening show, at the Cellar in Rosie Malones Irish Bar, had a decent turn out, even if the main bar itself was getting all the attention for its Thursday night karaoke specials. But if we put karaoke and terrible Foo Fighters renditions sailing down from the main bar aside, Tempest’s first outing was a success.

Opening the night were Centauri (3.5/5), a reasonably recently formed post-hardcore group. The riffs might have had a Glassjaw tinge to them, but the singer didn’t necessarily have that Daryl Palumbo tone in the clean vocals, instead affecting an almost classic rock feel. That isn’t exactly a bad thing – it gives Centauri an edge and a swagger that they’d otherwise be lacking. There were some seriously commanding parts to their set – the second song in particular was truly indicative of what Centauri can achieve – but at times, they couldn’t decide what genre they were striving for most. However, once they experiment some more and work out a more coherent structure, Centauri should have the potential to seriously impress.

Dropping back from the headline spot to accommodate their guitarist’s rough schedule, it’s easy to see why most of the crowd left following a truly magnificent set from Even Flowers Kill (4.5/5). The intensity that their experimental post-hardcore features on record is perfectly replicated live and even in a tiny basement, with the sound desk sat on the bar, EFK sounded phenomenal. Despite a few complaints from themselves about a lack of practice, they sounded completely tight, and for a band with such complex rhythms and difficult sequences, that’s not exactly easy. The biggest highlight of the set was Song For Brad Svoboda, a song that after an incredible buildup, hits you like a freight train on record and it was no different in the Cellar that night. Despite such an intense performance, the band still managed to have a lot of fun, as was evident from some brilliant banter and some ridiculously lively Refused-style jazz sections. If this was EFK on a bad day, then I simply can’t wait to catch them at their best.

It’s a shame that Hurtseason (3/5) just couldn’t keep up with the incredible performance that they had to follow. Sounding a bit like early Trivium but with less twiddly bits, they played a solid set but with hardly any innovation and by the end, it was getting difficult to distinguish between songs. They played new single Black Waste which was suitably brutal, yet lacking in the intensity and showmanship that had preceded them. Nevertheless, they had some die hard supporters there with them, were well practised at what they do and that was more than enough to end a night of great music in Coventry.

Review roundup – 1/8/2012

A couple of short reviews from George and Ripper.

Only Fumes And Corpses – Selfish Act I (4/5 from George)

Hailing from Ireland’s arid west coast and in their seventh year of existence, Only Fumes And Corpses have remained under the radar – perhaps due to their reluctance to be part of trends or play by the rules. Their latest release is a pulverising breakneck punk affair. This truly is a case of ‘blink and you’ll miss it,’ with thirteen songs barely clawing past the eleven minute mark. Despite the shortness of the album the band manages to touch on a vast number of genres and influences whilst retaining a no-nonsense, aggressive punk approach. Maintaining punk traditions in the form of socially aware lyrics, the album also sees flashes of blastbeats, D-beat and Trash Talk-esque hardcore fury served up with some pretty impressive musicianship. From The Start even carries a blistering ‘metal’ influenced guitar solo complete with sweep picking. Tempos change in an instant- sometimes altering several times within a song, which is commendable considering the longest song on the album is a whopping one minute and thirty-two seconds. The closing one-two of The Lush I & II begins with snail-paced sludgy guitars which, a minute latter, have transformed into off-beat ska-style staccatos. This is an enraged, vital little record that will be sure to have people reaching for the repeat button as soon as the record has past them in a snotty punk blur.

Ducking Punches – I Am Arturo Bandini [EP] (4.5/5 from Ripper)
The latest release from Peterborough folk-punk quartet Ducking Punches, I Am Arturo Bandini is a very short, very sweet EP. Full of melody, optimism and some good old fashioned punk rock spirit, it’s the perfect way to perk yourself up in fifteen minutes.

Starting track, Burnt Matches, is a wonderful love story. Immediately, you’re struck by the fullness of the EP – this isn’t just some lone troubadour with an acoustic guitar, but a full folk-punk band, complete with drums, bass and violin. Lead singer Dan Allen has a fantastic tone to his voice; completely clean, but with just the right amount of Englishness. He’s joined by violinist Josie Clouting in the background, whose beautiful strings float gently through the entire release and whose vocals lend a decent contrast to Allen’s. The verses wind their way to a rousing instrumental section at the end and it sounds magnificent. Worm In The Apple takes a slightly different direction. There’s still some incredible violin, but the rest of the track is much simpler. This allows the politically charged lyrics to take the foreground. A fairly simple message of solidarity, Worm In The Apple speaks out to us all, and the choir of voices towards the end is unforgettable.

Side B presents us with Wrecking Ball, a very Frank Turner-like ballad of the self. While the lyrics may not be as clever as Frank’s often are, they’re just as touching and honest. The final track, Marching Amongst Giants, is the most stirring of all. Simply wonderful, it takes all the best elements of the release so far, shoves in some soaring electric guitar and mixes them all together for a storming tale about love, adversity and family.

I Am Arturo Bandini is simply sensational. With folk-punk rising in popularity, it’s great to see talented bands like Ducking Punches riding the wave and coming up with gold.

Anti-Vigilante – Tempest

Skacore is an acquired taste and admittedly one that I have yet to be fully convinced by, perhaps due to snobbery on my own part. Tempest, Anti-Vigilante’s latest blast of skacore is the best bet to reaffirm the sub-genre’s lack of exposure outside of its own circle. Emerging from Milton Keynes, the same town that spawned UK skacore legends Capdown, Anti-Vigilante are fast approaching ten years as a band. Despite supporting big names in punk, hardcore and ska, the four-piece has remained somewhat under the radar. After suffering a tragic loss of drummer Oli Smith, an event that would have got the best of a lesser band, the MK boys have regrouped and are back with a fiercer, harder hitting sound, and seem intent on taking skacore to new levels. Opening song Go Outside And Play sets the precedent for most of what is to follow; mosh-worthy hardcore inspired riffs juxtaposed with the skank-friendly staccato bounce of the ska moments, which make up the majority of the verses. The customary brass sections are used to brilliant effect and not just to provide some melodic backing. Saxophones scream and shriek, at times to haunting effect, adding new textures to the band’s sound.

Whereas in their debut LP, Secure Beneath The Watchful Eyes, their crossover attack could sound slightly disjointed, the ska and hardcore parts meld seamlessly into well thought out songs that never overstay their welcome. This in part is down to heightened production that gives tracks the punch they need, especially in the heavier moments where the brass is thrown to one side in favour of a good ol’ crushing breakdown such as in Count Your Blessings.

What with it being skacore and all, the lyrics are predictably politicized but are delivered in a particularly scathing manner. The subject matter of the songs such as Remember Jean Charles de Menzes – about the shooting of a young unarmed Brazilian man by police, along with anti-capitalist sentiments and sceptical social commentary are intelligent and thoughtful.

A Song For A Friend sees the band at their most stripped back both musically and emotionally as they reflect upon the untimely death of their previous drummer Oli Smith. The juxtaposition between this short, sweet acoustic and cello driven song with the aggression of the rest of the album adds a whole new element to the bands otherwise direct and aggressive sound.

This is a rare record, one that is as equally poignant and intelligent as it is good old slab of mosh inciting fun. If you think ska and its affiliated sub genres are ‘lame’ and ‘uncool’ then give this record a listen. Hopefully it will change your perceptions of skacore for the better. If not, then there is no hope for you.

4.5 out of 5 high fives!