Reviews | January 2008

THE OUT_CIRCUIT
"Pierce the Empire With A Sound"
CD | Lujo Records
Reviewed: January 22nd, 2008

The Out_Circuit is a new band to me and so is the genre in which the band belongs. I find it really hard to describe this band but I'll give it a try. The sound is extremely atmospheric and moody with some beautiful vocals (both male and female) and all of a sudden it breaks out into chaos with haunting distorted screams, but, still very atmospheric. I haven't really heard anything like it before. I get a slight feeling of post-hardcore in some of the songs which I like a lot. Well, other than that I'm not really sure what to say. This album is very different and perhaps that's what you're looking for. It will probably take some time and a few extra listenings to enjoy The Out_Circuit fully but I'm gonna give it a try. Different, but kinda cool.
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

New album is encrypted with every video the band has made to date! (excluding "Seeking"...was made after the release). Playable on your computer.

Mark Unseen lends his vocals to this album with the track, "This World Is Dead" (also started up a new band with the rabble called, Own Worst Fear – www.myspace.com/ownworstfear)

Rupe Rabble (the drummer) also does a lot of the vocals and has an amazing punk rock voice. Not to mention can write some damn good lyrics!

Chazz Rabble (Rupe's brother) has pipes equally as good and knows what he’s doing when it comes to “good music”. Also, his solo work is gold! (www.myspace.com/chazzrabblesolo)

Jamie Rabble is a very welcome addition to the band and really tears it up on the bass. He also can sing...check out the track, "Start Again"!

Every Rabble song isn’t a 2 ½ minute punk song...they also incorporate some country, some melody and some head-bobbers into the mix.

(2) words...Carry On. (from their debut release, “No Clue...No Future)

I have been lucky enough to work with (design-wise)...interview and keep in contact with these guys and they truly are great guys!

When’s the last time you heard a punk band from New Zealand? First time for me.

Bagpipes are incorporated into a few tracks. (most notably the title track from the new album, "The Battle")

THE DETECTORS
"No Freedom, No Liberty"
7" | True Rebel Records
Reviewed: January 21st, 2008

Here's the first official release from The Detectors! Being friends with the band I guess I might be a bit partial but I'll review it anyway. The band put two songs from their upcoming album on this 7" which is cool. Both songs are great, especially "Jimmy", and should give you a hint of what's coming. But it wasn't the album-songs that made me the most excited about this 7". The new tune "No Freedom, No Liberty" is probably the best song The Detectors have ever written. I really like it when the band plays a little bit faster like they do on this one. I also like the screamier touch to Saschas vocals. Sounds like the band is getting more and more stable and comfortable with playing together and I like it! Look it up!
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

ONE WIN CHOICE
"Never Suspend Disbelief"
CD | Jump Start Records
Reviewed: January 21st, 2008

Think of Kid Dynamite, Paint It Black or a rougher Strike Anywhere and you'll have a pretty good idea of what One Win Choice is about. Fast, furious and really uplifting. The band's debut album holds 12 anthems of punky hardcore that are likely to knock you off your feet. I love this type of hardcore that focuses more on the message than the toughness and I'm happy every time I come across good bands like this. The record is even and most songs are really great. The only thing I can complain about is that the sound of the bass-drum is a bit annoying. Other than that I got only nice things to say. One Win Choice might not be as good as the leading acts of the genre but they're definitely a band to keep an eye on. This could turn out awesome.
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

SLINGSHOT DAKOTA
"...the Golden Ghost"
CD | Self Released
Reviewed: January 21st, 2008

Slingshot Dakota from Long Island, NY consists of only two people, a drumkit and a keyboard. That might not sound all that exciting but the truth is that Slingshot Dakota sounds great. To sum it up this is mellow, indie-poppy, somewhat folkish music and it's really good. I'm always glad when I can find a pop band that I like 'cause here in Sweden all indie-pop bands suck, yes - All of them.
"... The Golden Ghost" is packed with heartfelt melodies and is most likely to get you in a good mood. At times I get that same feeling I get when I listen to The New Dress. This record has got that same cool vibe about it. I think this is the band's first album but I'm not really sure. Anyway, it's a good one!
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

THE LOVED ONES
"Build & Burn"
CD/LP | Fat Wreck Chords
Reviewed: January 21st, 2008

It's only January but I'm pretty certain that I'm holding one of the best records of 2008 in my hand already. I've been into this band since the start and "Build & Burn" is an awesome follow-up to the band's amazing debut "Keep Your Heart" (2006). I had heard some rumors about how this new record was going to be really different from their first so I was a bit nervous when I played it the first time. But I assure you, if you liked their first you'll love this one. The truth is that it isn't all that different, it's just basically The Loved Ones at their very best. Sure, this time around the band has done some experimenting with their song-writing but it's all without damaging their good old sound, the new vibes just takes the band to another level.
So, what's new? Well, except for two new members (Dave & Christopher from The Explosion) joining the band there are some Americana influences on the new album and a few more down-tempo songs ("The Bridge"). Personally I think it feels like a natural change and I'm glad they didn't write another "Keep Your Heart". Don't get me wrong, at least five of the songs ("Pretty Good Year", "The Inquirer" etc.) could easily have been on the first album so old fans of the band won't be disappointed. However I'm sure "Build & Burn" will turn a wider audience onto The Loved Ones. Bottom line is that this is an amazing album and you need to get it!
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

PROTAGONIST
"Reasoning With Time"
7"/CDEP | Stake Out Records
Reviewed: January 21st, 2008

On this record Protagonist from Florida deliver fast positive punk/hardcore and they do it damn well! I got this record today and I must have played it like 20 times already. I really dig this one a lot. The tunes are exceptional and "We" and "Snakes & Thieves" makes me wonder why I haven't heard of this group before. These guys definitely deserve some attention. The CD version of the ep includes two covers; "Split Apart" by 30 Seconds Over Tokyo and "Everyday Is Like Sunday" by Morrissey. The first one is played pretty cool but I'm not all that excited about the Morrissey song. Anyway, I like this EP and I suggest you pick it up. For fans of Good Riddance, No Trigger or the above mentioned bands.
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

THE WARBLINKERS
"Band of Bothers"
Demo 2008 | Self Released
Reviewed: January 18th, 2008

I reviewed the Warblinkers first demo about a year ago and I said I saw some potential in the band so I was hoping this new stuff would be better. Unfortunately I was wrong. These new songs from the finnish quartet are really awful and the it feels like the band is holding back the energy I heard on the last demo. Both the lead vocals and the back-up's sound bad and the production is pretty much shit. The last song "Running Out of Time" could be an ok song but the vocals fucks it all up. Too bad...
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

FAREWELL
"Isn't This Supposed To be Fun?"
CD | Epitaph Records
Reviewed: January 18th, 2008

Farewell, the latest signing by Epitaph, is yet another band that will fit in nicely on the next One Tree Hill soundtrack. Personally I think Epitaph has been going downhill for the last couple of years signing all kinds of crap. Farewell might not be total crap but they're not far from it. I'm so fed up with this kind of music by now. I'm not gonna lie, I actually like the opening track "Start It Up" but the rest of the album is just plain boring. It's way to well-combed and over produced to grab a hold of me. This music feels dead. I'm sure this is a bunch of great dudes but I'm fed up with this crappy teen-movie-music...
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

LEMURIA
"The First Collection"
CD/LP | YoYo Records
Reviewed: January 18th 2008

Lemuria have been together for a little more than 3 years and this is a collection of all the stuff they've released so far. The four-piece from Buffalo, NY sure know what they're doing and even though this kind of indie-rock might not be my favorite style of music I like Lemuria. The production is really good and has a clean sound which suits the band just fine. The band is tight as hell and has a really great singer in Sheena Ozzella. My favorite song on the record is "In A World of Ghosts" which stands out as the "punkiest" song and is a bit faster than the rest. Overall "The First Collection" is a very even record. If this band would write a few more faster I would be totally into this 'cause songs like "In A World of Ghosts" or the chorus of "It's Not A Lie, It's A Secret" is great stuff.
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

SAKES ALIVE!!
"Presents"
Demo CD | Self Released
Reviewed: January 16th, 2008

I stumbled upon this band on MySpace about a week ago and I was instantly blown away by their songs. I sent them a message and they sent me a CD right away - good guys! Sakes Alive!! from Rochester, NY is a relatively new band and it's hard to believe that this demo is their first recording ever. It really sounds like these guys have been playing together for ages. It's kind of hard to put a label on Sakes Alive!! but I think they've gotten some influences from the No Idea bands. "Presents" has got that sincere feeling about it that I associate with stuff from No Idea Records. This is stripped-down-no-bullshit-music.
Basically, SA!! is a rock'n'roll band with tons of cool punk rock and hardcore hooks. I love the harsh screaming vocals, the structure of the songs and the lyrics. There's only two things about this recording that I don't like.
Number 1: This should have been a 7" not a demo... Record labels - do your damn jobs!
Number 2: There's only three songs... I want more!

Guess what? You can download this demo absolutely free in our downloads-section. Go on! I swear you wont be disappointed. Best demo I've heard!
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

A.N.S/ SEASICK
"Billy In A Bearsuit"
Split 7" | Brain Drain Records/ Headcount Records
Reviewed: January 14th, 2008

I was stoked when I finally got a new record with Seasick on it. I loved their 10" which came out last year and I've been waiting for some new stuff. I find the band a bit more straight on this album. The guitar-melodies have taken a step back on this recording only to leave more room for more furious hardcore. Seasick rocks as usual. Each band has three songs on this split and the finest moment on Seasick's side is "Setting the Straw Man Ablaze".
The other side of this 7-inch has got a band named A.N.S. on it. These guys are new to me, they're from Texas and I think they're quite good, actually they rule! Not as much hardcore as Seasick though. I'd label this outfit as a thrash/ punk band. I think the vocals are mixed a bit low at times. Otherwise I dig their side a lot. Check it out kids!
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

HORRORPOPS
"Kiss, Kiss, Kill, Kill"
CD | Hellcat Records
Reviewed: January 14th, 2008

People who read my reviews should know by now that I'm not all that keen on this psycho stuff... Horrorpops are one of those bands that I've never ever liked and probably never will. To me this is more or less meaningless music and I'm so tired of all the stand-up basses in "punk" music I can't even tell you...
Sure, the Horrorpops can play their kind of music very well, but when your image becomes more important than how you sound, which is pretty much the sum of this whole genre, it's just silly. This is the band's third album and it got 12 new songs on it. Most of them are bad. I guess you should get this if you're into psychobilly, otherwise don't bother. The only cool thing about Horrorpops is that they're from Denmark.
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

STEVE EARLE
"Washington Square Serenade"
CD/ LP | New West Records
Reviewed: January 10th, 2008

Since the release of "Jerusalem" (2002), Steve Earle is probably the one artist I've been listening the most to. If you ask me Earle is definitely one of the best artist in the world. "Jerusalem" really got me hooked and I instantly went out and got his complete back-catalogue. I love most of it, especially the stuff he's done after 1995 after he recovered from years of heavy drug-use and whatnot. There's something about a Steve Earle song that gets you hooked right away. It might be the brilliant lyrics, his wide range of musical influences, the sound of his guitar or just the amazing songwriting. Every song stands for itself.
On "Washington Square Serenade" there's a bunch of songs in which Earle pays tribute to his new hometown, New York, that sounds really hopeful and Steve seems happier than ever. I really like these songs, especially "Tennessee Blues" and "City of Immigrants". But, there are also some classic "love"-songs on the album as well as songs about drug-use, as usual... ("Oxycontin Blues").
For this recording Earle teamed up with producer John King who's been working with artists such as the Beastie Boys in the past. Having him as the producer has brought Steve's sound to another level. Just have a listen to his cover of Tom Waits' "Way Down In the Hole" and you'll know what I'm talking about. Really fucking cool!
Overall this album is nothing but perfect. It might not top "Jerusalem" which is my favorite but it's better than his last one ("The Revolution Starts... Now"). Steve Earle keeps on writing amazing songs and I hope he will continue to do so for at least ten or maybe even twenty more years...
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

MICK WALL
"Iron Maiden: Run To the Hills - Biography"
Book | Sanctuary Publishing Ltd.
Reviewed: January 10th, 2008

I got pretty excited when a publisher sent me the swedish version of this Iron Maiden biography a while back. It took some time before I finally read it 'cause I had some other stuff I wanted to read first, but anyway, here's what I think of it. I grew up listening a lot to Maiden. In Sweden a lot of kids start out listening to heavy metal before they
"advance" to punk and hardcore and I was one of those kids. I remember how amazed I was by all the stuff around the band; the album-covers, the stunts on stage - all that stuff was crazy. I was really hoping that this book would tell stories about how crazy these guys were back in the day and that it would holds tons of fun anecdotes. Unfortunately the book has almost nothing of that stuff in it. However, it gives you a pretty good look into how the guys grew up, how they met and how the classic albums emerged. Sure, this could be interesting for the die-hard fans but it gets a bit boring reading about who left the band after a record, who played on the next, who returned on the following and so on. I think this book focuses way to much on the line-up changes of the band.
After reading this book I can't help but think that Iron Maiden has a pretty boring history. On the plus-side there's a ton of good photos in the book which is cool.
If you're a fan of the band, pick it up, but if you're looking for a rock band biography packed with sex, drugs and rock'n'roll - look elsewhere...
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

RADIO DEAD ONES/ FUNERAL MARCH
"Split"
LP | No Solution/Wanda/True Rebel Records
Reviewed: January 5th, 2008

Every time I hear new stuff from the Radio Dead Ones I like the band a little bit more and this split makes no exception. On this recording the band has reached another level with their music. The sound is much more mature but don't let that mislead you! It's still raw as hell! Once again it's proven that Berlin is the european capital of old school punk rock á la 1977. It sounds like the band really thought the songs trough before recording them this time. Bev's vocals are better than ever and the songs are the band's best ones so far. "Radical Capital" is a fantastic song and my favorite one on the RDO side of this split. I also really like the quite different "Will To Live" which is a really cool acoustic track. Seems like the Dead Ones aren't afraid of trying new things with their music. I love this one!
On the other side of this record we got Funeral March from Dortmund which is a new band to me, but I really like these guys as well. I'd say that Funeral March got a little bit more influences from U.S. bands such as The Germs or TSOL. There's a couple of good tunes from these fellas as well. This side is not as good as Radio Dead Ones' but it's a great contribution to this record. Good job boys!
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM

EXIT WOUNDS
"Like A Rolling Thunder"
CD | Youth Way Records
Reviewed: January 5th, 2008

The first record we're reviewing this year is "Like A Rolling Thunder" by Exit Wounds. The band is a bunch of guys from France playing melodic hardcore in the vein of Comeback Kid or a rougher Good Riddance. This record is the band's debut and it got seven songs on it. Even though the first song "Looking Forward" didn't get me all that excited this is one of those records that grows on you. For each song you hear you'll like the band a little more. About half through this record I like the band a lot and the truth is that Exit Wounds is a fantastic band. The fast and straight-on "Harder, Stronger, Better" and the following song "All My Memories Are Gone" are my two favorite tunes but I also like the mid-tempo song "Do & Act" which stands out and makes this CDEP even more interesting. Pretty damn good...
/Christer Davidsson, MUTINYZINE.COM