Mid-tempo punk out of Seville, Spain that tensely keeps the right amount of lyrical and musical attitude through the eight quick tracks. This could have been something the JAM recorded in the short time between their first two albums, if only Paul Weller sang in Spanish.
Kinda gothy, at times this has an almost lo-fi feel to it, as well as being punchy and rocking. Like a spooky-sounding MARKED MEN almost, with less bounce and from France. I dig it.
Hardcore crust out of Finland. Very thrashy at points. In fact, this feels more like a metal album than a punk one. Not that I’m complaining, I’m a big fan of this release. It was almost a little shocking to see this was recorded within the last year—it honestly feels like this was unearthed from the early ’80s. Very tight recording, and the guitars are absolute fire. Blistering fast galloping that never wavers. Fantastic stuff, and the album art is the icing on the cake. For fans of early METALLICA and ZNOWHITE.
NUEVA GENERACIÓN kicks off this split with two mid-tempo songs that walk the line between almost sliding into pop punk territory, but are just a bit too dark and slow to fully cross that line, “whoa-oh”s aside. BETTER OFF DEAD also contributes two songs which are faster and more upbeat than the songs on the NUEVA GENERACIÓN side, with a dueling female/male vocal combo that works together well. While both bands don’t take a similar approach to styles, the contrast works well.
Straight from Triana and Nice (Spain/France), TENTÁCULO is a punk band that treads a fine line between mid-tempo melodic punk and hard rock, or NWOBHM and post-punk, with the chops and attitude of those great working class heavy metal Spanish bands from the ’80s. Whatever, we don’t need to pinpoint TENTÁCULO down anywhere: these eight songs give no-frills rock’n’roll with existential dread-themed lyrics and hook after hook after hook. “Extrañas Luces” shines with an old-school hard rock riff in contrast with the bleak pessimism in the lyrics and the energetic singalong of the chorus. Have to highlight the guitar work on this record: simple at times, but extremely melodic in a HÜSKER DÜ kind of way. The three last songs on the B-side are some serious bangers: you can imagine yourself singing with your pals in a sweat-drenched embrace at a dark small club or spitting this street poetry into a hot and humid night after a really bad day at work. Beautiful cover and design work.
From Seville, Spain, TENTÁCULO releases their second LP and their first release in five years. Fairly straightforward melodic punk sound, with a little post-punk guitar riffing, ever-present throughout the songs. A really great mix—I can hear everyone clearly and evenly. While not the most exciting praise, I find it worth noting, as it’s often not the case. Listening brings to mind the kind of passion and aggression similar to Portland, OR’s ABOLITIONIST, though these lyrics aren’t presented, so I can’t say what they’re actually conveying. Anyway, they play on a heavy sound mixed with the melodic, hardcore-style “aaaah” backing vocals, mimicking guitar riffs, in the choruses that often bring a melancholic energy. I really appreciate the craft on display here; everything is tight, precise, and very honed-in. They formed in 2012, so it’s no wonder they’re completely bonded by their sound.
