Reviews

Cháos & Antikomformismós

Blood Trace Retaliation EP

Although they play old school, American-style hardcore punk, BLOOD TRACE is indeed from Athens, Greece. I confess I was previously unaware of the band, but they do quite well what they intend to do. I do enjoy the POISON IDEA vibe that some songs have here, but unfortunately I cannot say that I really dig this record. This production is fine and energetic, the songwriting does the job with stomping, mid-paced numbers answering beefy, fast ones, and the vocals are the strongest point, rough-hewn but dynamic and expressive. I am sure they can be very enjoyable live, but at the end of the day, it’s just not my style of hardcore punk. Sorry, guys.

Pisssniffers Pisssniffers LP

You know what? I am very pleased that I got assigned this LP for review, not just because I actually already own and love the thing, but because I find the prospect of wearing a PISSSNIFFERS top during a job interview hilarious. Unless you want the job, of course. Greece has no shortage of ace hardcore bands these days with acts like ΠΥΡ ΚΑΤΑ ΒΟΥΛΗΣΗ or ΠΛΕΚΤΑΝΗ delivering the goods. I am a sucker for Greek punk and I find the language works with every punk subgenre, and PISSSNIFFERS, unsurprisingly, indulge in shitlicking käng hardcore punk, a style I am fond of indeed. Our sniffers don’t necessarily aim for a perfect replica of Sweden though, and I am reminded more of other Scandi-inspired but non-Scandinavian bands such as TOTÄLICKERS, PISSCHRÏST, and other bands who dick around with umlauts. The songwriting is simple but effective, and the energy certainly makes up for the relative typicalness of the music (which I monomaniacally don’t mind, personally), and production-wise, it sounds perfect—studs-oriented, pummeling, and still raw with angry vocals. Nothing new under the nuclear sunrise, but PISSSNIFFERS have that je ne sais quoi that makes their classic dispunk recipe stand out. And don’t forget that wearing a shirt can also make your parents mad if you are still fifteen.

Πλεκτανη Κ​α​λ​λ​ι​τ​ε​χ​ν​ι​κ​έ​ς Α​ν​η​σ​υ​χ​ί​ε​ς LP

We have some pretty raging hardcore punk from Athens, Greece here. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they were from Sweden, because they play that style of hardcore. “Plektani” is how their name translates into something I can try and pronounce. Two-guitar attack that makes it sound thick and full. Good production, good songwriting, excellent riffs, I couldn’t ask for much more. I will listen to this again and again.