Zikin Zatitkxu EP
This 7″ lives up to the expectations that develop in my head whenever I see that Mendeku Diskak has released something. It evolves their sound a bit from their last 12″ on the label, where it’s still a dark, punk-tinged mix of street punk and Oi!, but the layers of post-punk and hardcore influence are a bit more resilient this time around. I hear some structuring and riffing that made me think of IMPALERS but with the aggression toned down, and some guitar work and arrangements that put me in the MARKED MEN space, but neither of these aspects comes across as blatant. Instead, they are added to the punk rock tunes on the record with purpose, creating some memorable songs. In particular, track three, “Gerizpia Iluntzen,” spoke to me on every level, and it kind of shows off the songwriting here. I still don’t speak Basque, so I have no idea what is being said, but on this EP, they show why they belong on such an excellent label.