[engl]  NEWS BASKET SHOP LOG IN FORMAT Choose an option HOME FRONT - GAMES OF POWER QUANTITY 1 BUY HOME FRONT Games Of Power 03 MARCH 2023 MUS263 HOME FRONT – Games Of Power LP “Enormous full length debut from Home Front who have managed to fix truth to the beautiful and borderline mythical threadneedle moment in which punk, new wave, pop, indie and rock and roll all descend upon a single source. We may have only dreamed that Tears for Fears might have been going to see GBH at the weekend or that Annie Lennox spent her evening sewing Crass patches to her Wrangler Blue Bell jacket, but Home Front have rang the dinner triangle for us all to feast. High moments of perfectly patinated synth brilliance, tender new wave considerations, punk anthems that could fill the biggest stadium, and fiery hooks that could warm the coldest cynic. The Champagne, the gluebag, the boots, and the eyeliner, GAMES OF POWER clutches to it all. GAMES OF POWER lives inside a crystal clear recording by long time friend and Edmonton wizard Nik Kozub, bringing Home Front’s follow up to “Think of The Lie” to euphoric heights and gritty lows. Produced again by Jonah Falco remotely and between sub zero 10 kilometer runs in Edmonton in late February with co-production by Nik Kozub, Home Front have put their best mirror shined boot forward.” (Jonah Falco)

[engl] Field Day / ex-Dag Nasty band, continue to push their message of melodic hardcore and punk rock with a new collection, "ACQUISITION." During the past three years we were treated to the news that two of the core members of Dag Nasty were not just playing together again as Field Day, but were also writing new songs. They first released the "2.0" 7" then "Opposite Land" EP followed up with a third 7" "WHY?" at a breakneck pace. Each release sold out very quickly and remained in the charts of German distributors Core Tex for over 10 weeks or more. The strength of each release reignited a spark that captured the spirit of the original Dag Nasty sound. The initial calling card fulfilled its promise – and the line-up consisted of Peter Cortner on vocals, Doug Carrion on bass, Shay Mehrdad on guitars and Kevin Avery on drums to continue to deliver the goods. Now comes “ACQUISITION.” A 13-song collection of previously released material plus 2 brand new unreleased tracks on one 12" vinyl record. Within seconds of the needle hitting the groove, any doubts or fears are laid to rest. You have all the hallmarks of the sounds these guys pioneered, done with a vibrancy that is relevant today. Galloping drums and a driving bassline provide the backdrop to layered guitars that offer melody and texture. Then you have Peter Cortner’s vocals, both the filling that holds it together, and the icing on the cake that really finishes it off. There are and have been a million and one bands playing the melodic hardcore sound, but when it comes to the roots, you have to look back to names such as Dag Nasty, 7 Seconds or Bad Religion. Well, these guys were actually there, and so their influences couldn’t possibly be more genuine. In line-ups of the older generation, musicians were hopping from one band to another, and so influences came together and helped define those trailblazing sounds. The closing track on here, “Tell Me Now”, features a tribute to old peers 7 Seconds with the woah-oh intro and uplifting guitar melodies.

[engl] By 2016 a teenage Drew Owen had put himself on everyone's radar releasing a whopping 19 records (and that was just under the Sick Thought moniker) on pretty much every punk label that mattered over a span of three years. At the time I thought of him as a teenage novelty, an endearing sometimes pesky younger punk sibling who I kept telling "NO YOU PUT OUT WAY TOO MUCH STUFF." However in 2016 Drew sent me what became the "18 & Free" single and had me eating my words, eagerly releasing a single for the kid I kept telling never. Now its 2022 and SICK THOUGHTS are back on TOTAL PUNK with a brand new LP. Drew has proven himself far more than a novelty and here I am eagerly footing the bill again. The shitty attitude is still intact and the songs are still about breaking stuff but the ramshackle production and rough edged tunes of early Sick Thoughts are gone. 13 scorching riff heavy tracks that run the gambit from Stiv fueled Power Pop to ‘Cherie Love Affair’ style Sleaze Rock all masterfully recorded by Drew and Michael Hohan with Drew playing all the instruments. Great music for licking knives or lighting your wallet on fire. Nasty, catchy as fuck, and 100% TOTAL PUNK!!!

[engl] In the ripping hardcore scene that has recently cropped up in Pittsburgh surrounding bands like Living World, White Stains and Necro Heads comes Speed Plans; a writhing, drug fueled, violence machine of manic hardcore in the vein of Repos or Ripcord. When we were first contacting Speed Plans on account of their absolutely raging cassette output, they mentioned wanting to do an LP that was "15 fast ones and 1 slow one." We were sold right then and there. If mean, fast, low-fi and low brow is what you're after then look no further, you've arrived.

[engl] As a massive early Killed By Death style punk fanatic, constantly in pursuit of the ever elusive records and one-off-obscuro sound, I frequently turn up my nose at modern bands playing the style. You can't just crap out a poorly recorded generic riff punk track, slap a "KBD" label on it and expect me to fall for the ruse. I mean bands have done that and had varying degrees of wool pull - see The Uncalled 4's "Grind Her Up" 7" for the best success of this - but it doesn't usually work out. What I particularly enjoy about Rotary Club is that they rework the lyrics into all things landline telephone while heavily referencing the riffage from the genre's top tier tunes, twisting them just enough to make them their own. A refreshing and well executed take to say the least.

[engl] Can I kick it? Yeah, sure, why not? Rippling through the murk of late 2022 to provide an unlikely source of light, Cardiff’s supremely noisy quintet Can Kicker are here with a last-minute shout for album of the year. If you like your hardcore to flex some serious muscle (well… riff-wise) while skirting around the edges of goth and post-punk, with the needle in the red all the while, their self-titled debut just could be the record for you. Like a breeze block to the back of your skull, this is guaranteed to make everything feel frayed and fuzzy at the edges, delivering a knockout punch that’ll leave you reeling. But you know, in that good way. Luke Penny’s voice is often lost in the maelstrom of pulverising power chords, but he’s no grunting hardcore knucklehead. His delivery is an impassioned yelp that’s dripping with anger and a matter-of-fact sneer that instantly sells his conviction, while the band conjure echoes of Die Kreuzen’s’ Century File’ one minute, Blitz’s ‘New Age’ the next. At full pelt, they sound like Protomartyr and Discharge fighting over whose turn it is to slash the cops’ tyres; the rest of the time (say, the scintillating headfuck of creepy-crawling classic ‘Waking Dream’), they’re busy making the holiest of rackets on what’s arguably the best UK punk record since Denim & Leather’s might ‘Sacred Autism’. By the time the scorched-earth anti-psych of closer ‘Stupid Game Part II’ rolls around, you’ll be aware that you’ve been taken on a journey and you’ll want to relive the whole thing as soon as possible. But take a minute to feel grateful that Drunken Sailor are putting this one out into the world, and just in time for us to call it a Christmas gift as well. This album will melt your synapses so you’ve no idea what your brain’s trying to tell you, beyond the certainty that Can Kicker are the ones for you. Records this deliciously brutal yet immediately habit-forming don’t come along often enough - this might be the last chance for a slamdance in 2022, so give your ears a tinnitus-inducing treat.

[engl] After releasing a demo back in 2020 and then heading into hibernation for a few years, only to pop their head out briefly for the occasional show, Perth’s Gaffer drop their debut LP. And it doesn’t disappoint! They’ve churned out twelve tracks of hard-edged punk, post-punk harking back to the scenes of the UK (the mother-land) in the 80s. Bricks, mortar, boots, rain, factory lines, and the pub. However, not a whole lot has changed and so the content of this record is also remarkably modern. It addresses the current crushing stagnation surrounding life, work, and wages today. It’s undeniable: life is tough. We’re all tired, and we’re unsure of the future. But at least we can put back a few drinks and chuck on a record like this. It’s hard to keep up in the modern world, but you get through by the skin of your teeth. “Piles of ear popping punk rock from inside a locked vault where former members of DiE and Cold Meat have been stewing in their own juices and listening to nothing but The Zeros, Blitz, and Chron Gen. This musical escape is a pummelling bop, dragging all and any good graces through a glorious puddle of fuzz, grit, saturation, and agitation. Of all the possible musical notes you can choose on a song, you’re not gonna wanna miss THESE three chords.”

[engl] You can file this one in your mental record bin next to VOM, the Angry Samoans, the Reatards, the Chats (their singer makes an appearance here.), and the Gizmos (my 70s teen band). Y’know, punk-rock with garage guffaws wrapped up in the mix real good. You will find neither grim hardcore nor retro fashion show here. The title track “Good Boy, Bad Boy” reminds me of the Panics, the Bloomington, Indiana punk band after the Gizmos in the early 80s.It’s the aggressive nasal sneer that’s been a mainstay of punktitude since at least Question Mark and Sky Saxon circa 1966. But it’s the opening track “I Wanna Be You” that sounds like the single to me—snarling power-poppy punk with an inverted ironic warning against envy. “Nature Man” is another winner. Is it a modern answer song to the Eden Ahbez/Nat King Cole standard “Nature Boy”? To me, it is! Is there a big Spanish-speaking community in Sudbury? Coz there’s also a song called “Destruye Todo” that takes a mere 24 seconds to “destroy everything.” “Don’t Waste My Time” sounds like a good follow-up to should-be-a-hit-single “I Wanna Be You,” another catchy punker that could be an anthem if anybody was singing along. How about you? Maybe this one? The Chats singer shows up on “Warm Piss.” Yep, you can hear his beer-sodden Oz vocal trading barbs with Jeff’s nasal whine. And there’s more! 18 tracks total! Yay! I got very burned out on punk and garage rockisms in the late 80s. Jazz, noise, and improv turned me on. Hip hop became rock. But my post-2014 Gizmos comeback years perfectly dovetailed with a new generation of punkers who somehow don’t sound tired or full of crap. Who woulda thunk it could NOT suck in this third stupid decade of the 21st Century? Cheers!

[engl] Way out there. From up in the attic, in the village of Cincinnati - the third album from the Drin has arrived to commence 2023. Cold rhythms reverberate through the layers of tape spliced together by Dylan McCartney and his impressive cadre of musical companions. The Drin spawned from a debut cassette edition of 50 on the Future Shock label, since teaming up with both Drunken Sailor and Mangel to issue two LPs. Their loose, careening live unit features members of Corker, Crime of Passing, the Serfs and Fruit LoOops. 'Today My Friend You Drunk the Venom' is the Drin's finest hour as a creative entity. McCartney's incredible command of rhythm lies at the forefront of the mix, complimented by a group that is able to seamlessly transport between post-punk, acid guitar jangle, and krautish experimentalism. There's even a stellar dub track on here. As much as contemporary artists tend to flaunt their affinity for the past - it's entirely worthless to apply such trappings to the Drin. Their genre-expansive abilities and deep knack for rhythm and layering are something entirely new and futuristic. Ohio has never sounded so close to outer space.

[engl] Kalle Hygien's new LP for 2023 continnues on from 2022's "Songs About Chuck" with eight new songs and guests like CP Westman and Mascara Snakes.

[engl] Gluer's been around for a couple of years now, started during the pandemic and taking punkrock to new glorious heights as the pandemic started winding down. Here's finally their fifteen song debut! RIYL: Black Flag, Vidro, Hank Wood & the Hammerheads, Dead Kennedys

[engl] Kalle Hygien featuring the Dog Pound! The Dog Pound consists of Benke from Viagra Boys, Andy from Victims and A//Void and Martin from Ras and Assid. Four songs of obnoxious punkrock! 300 copies on black vinyl

[engl] new album! Mega Cooler Indiepunk from Japan.

[engl] Cold Oi in the tradition of bands like Blitz, Camera Silens or Syndrome 81, a hard mix of street punk and post-punk from the early 80s. Rancœur come from Nancy, have members of Streets of Rage and Lorelei on board and are clearly anti-fascist.

[engl] This duo from Metz explores a french coldwave/post-punk sound , with desolate lyrics. A perfect balance between nostalgia and anger. Tip!

[engl] Johnny Notebook is back. In tow the 28th Century Mates. Having emerged from the remnants of the bands Dean Dirg, Toyotas, Metric Eyes and Tetallica, the synth-punk duo Johnny Notebook, rooted in Düsseldorf, Wuppertal and Madrid, releases all their pent-up energy onto society after almost three years. The result is the energetic, driving sound of the new long player Johnny Notebook and the 28th Century Mates. It is played with the proven mixture of the danceable beats of the Roland TR505 drum composer, the catchy cadences of the PolyKorg800 synthesizer, recurring hooklines and a ruthlessly nasal, but no less melodious voice. Influences from genre gods like Devo, Screamers and Aviador Dro are still the unmistakable foundation of Johnny Notebook. 28th Century Mates is also enriched by repeated Italo-Disco elements, for example in the form of overlaying synthesizer melodies through to shorter keyboard solos, which makes the sound a bit more positive and light-lived than on previous Johnny Notebook releases. Lyrically, many of the songs address the sometimes absurd interactions between digital and analog reality and oscillate between nostalgia, sarcasm and fatalism, without sounding even remotely melancholy

[engl] Funny to think there was a time not so long ago when Stiff Richards was a name that required explanation - but not to you, of course, o punk connoisseur. This is your territory, after all. Music is your oxygen and the sound of the underground is your clarion call. You can explain the distinction between ‘Know Your Product’ and ‘No, You’re Product’. Hey, you’re probably pretty good-looking too. You know your shit, either way. So no wonder you’re drawn to this relative holy grail of modern garage rock - the 2017 self-titled debut album by the aforementioned Stiff Richards. Originally released on their own Stiff Records (and again by Legless in 2020), it lays down all the elements that made last year’s mighty ‘State of Mind’ LP such an instant classic. OK, we’ve established you know the drill, but let’s recap: scintillating Aus-punk that recalls the heroic high-speed riffs of their countrymen The Saints and Radio Birdman. It sounds like Royal Headache covering Motörhead, or maybe the other way around. It’s a full-on riot in 30 minutes - the rawest of rock’n’roll bleeding into the grimiest of power chords with hooks for days. You already know you’re gonna love it. Whether going full-throttle and aiming straight for the nerve receptors that get your head a-nodding and your toes a-tapping - like on sub-three-minute highlight ‘Strung Out’ - or sludgin’ their way through groovier cuts like ‘Bustin’ Out’, they’re never less than a treat that’s guaranteed to get your serotonin flowing and your speakers up to 11 (or beyond). As a certain similarly-named record label once said, if it ain’t Stiff, it ain’t worth a fuck. Frightfully rude, but that’s rock music for you, I suppose. Get it in your ears.

[engl] "The new and already 5th album has been made with even more care and effort. For five months the band and a team consisting of Alexandr Vatagin (Engineer for Kronos Quartett, Pauls Jets, Dives, Electric Indigo), Gerhard Potuznik (GD Luxxe, Mäuse, co-owner of label Angelika Köhlermann, producer of Chicks On Speed), Alexander Lausch (Engineer for Die Buben Im Pelz, Paul Plut, Mynth, The New Mourning) and Tobias Wöhrer (Leyya) was involved in producing, consulting, recording, mixing and mastering. Remixes were made by Industrial/Dark Ambient icons Brian Williams aka LUSTMORD (Current 93, Nurse With Wound, SPK, Graeme Revell, Terror Against Terror, First Reformed) and JARBOE (The Swans), two musicians who have had a fundamental impact on the band’s work."

[engl] Rutto (T.H.E. Rutto) was a pioneering Finnish hardcore band that existed from 1981 to 1984 and released two highly sought-after 7"s EPs released by Ikbal Records in 1983 and 1984 respectively. One of the few Finnish hardcore bands to have a female singer, Rutto managed to record only 11 songs in their brief existence. Final Doomsday records are extremely proud to present official reissues of both Rutto 7"s complete with rare compilation only tracks, unreleased photos, Finnish zine interviews from the early 80s, and for the first time ever, printed labels. The records have been made in close cooperation with the band as well as Finnish punk and hardcore veterans Vote Vasko and Läjä Äijälä.

[engl] Rutto (T.H.E. Rutto) was a pioneering Finnish hardcore band that existed from 1981 to 1984 and released two highly sought-after 7"s EPs released by Ikbal Records in 1983 and 1984 respectively. One of the few Finnish hardcore bands to have a female singer, Rutto managed to record only 11 songs in their brief existence. Final Doomsday records are extremely proud to present official reissues of both Rutto 7"s complete with rare compilation only tracks, unreleased photos, Finnish zine interviews from the early 80s, and for the first time ever, printed labels. The records have been made in close cooperation with the band as well as Finnish punk and hardcore veterans Vote Vasko and Läjä Äijälä. Each 7" is limited to 500 copies worldwide and comes in a tri-fold sleeve with the original record artwork and unreleased photos.

[engl] Destroy Future Less System 7” EP is back in print on its original format for the first time since its original release in 2014 by Konton Crasher. A violent metal-punk storm with cascading sheets of noise punctuated by thunderclaps of d-beat and quick lightning strikes of lead guitar.