StillHoldingOn

CHICKENPOX – Approved By

(Burning Heart)

I wasn’t really that interested in listening to this cd because I had heard early releases of the Chickenpox and I didn’t like them that much. As you can see I decided to give this a chance and I can definitely say that I’m pleasantly surprised, since this release is a huge improvement from their earlier material. The songwriting is much better, the songs are all pretty energetic and entertaining. Sure, if you can’t stand horn-driven ska or swing music you’re not going to fall in love with this release, but if you’re a bit open minded you might like this. If you think of bands like the Voodoo Glow Skulls you might get a completely wrong impression of what this is all about, because this is a lot more relaxed and ”slower”. Songs like ”Elevator” or ”Watcha gonna do about it” are highly danceable tracks that will make you move, while songs like ”Who is she dancing with now” reflect the emotional and melancholic side of this Swedish band. Highly recommended for all ska & swing fans!

PUFFBALL – The Super Commando

(Burning Heart)

Scandinavia’s kings of ass-kicking are back with a new full-length packed to the bone with explosive punk rock and roll. The booklet comes with a Mario Andretti quote and I guess this might give you a slight idea of what this is all about… It’s high-speed, it’s dirty, it’s finest Swedish nitro! Hell yeah, this rocks! If you’re into bands like Zeke or Motorhead you’ll love Puffball – or most likely you already love them! This time they kick out 14 new tracks and basically they keep up where their last release left off. ”If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”

RIGHT BRIGADE – S/T

(Revelation)

The full-story behind this release is kind of strange, because Right Brigade broke up already a couple of month ago, so… Actually I didn’t expect much from this, but I like this record a lot! The production is really powerful with an awesome drum sound and Standhard is definitely one of the best hardcore shouters out there! The only thing that I really hate is the fact that the last half of the record is nothing but noise! I hate all these stupid ”hidden-tracks” because in most cases they’re only there in order to make the record seem longer… This aspect aside, this is a first-class hardcore record. Fast, powerful with heavy mosh-parts and awesome vocals. I don’t have a booklet so I can’t comment on the lyrics. If you’re into Boston ”old-school” hardcore you should definitely pick this up! Street date: 3-31-01

DIESEL BOY – Rode Hard And Put Away Wet

(Honest Don’s)

The much anticipated fourth full-length from these Santa Rosa all-stars. This time they present us 15 new songs full of catchy melodies, witty lyrics, Diesel Dave’s unmistakable vocals and there’s still a little rock flavor. ”Rode Hard And Put Away Wet” is full of all the things you’ve come to expect from this band and in my eyes this is without a doubt their best record to date! I like their older stuff a lot, too – but all their previous releases had a lot of ”mediocre” songs that just didn’t do much for me. This time it’s different! Literally all the songs are very well crafted, the melodies are extremely catchy, the harmonies are awesome and the choruses are great! My favourite song is the kind of more rocking track ”Dog on the tuckerbox”, but there’s only ups, no downs. For the first time there’s even an acoustic track that sounds sort of serious. The only negative aspect is the fact that the awesome cover version of ”Livin’ la vida loca” is not on this record, but as far as I know they’ll put it on an upcoming ep. These guys beat the shit out of Ricky Martin!! This is a great record and the perfect soundtrack for upcoming summer so make sure to get this even if you didn’t like the previous Diesel Boy records!

HARD-ONS – This Terrible Place

(Bad Taste)

The legendary Hard-Ons signed to Bad Taste Records, known as one of Europe’s finest addresses if it’s about first class independent music and here’s their first full-length since their split back in’94. No doubt, ”This terrible place” has to be one of the weirdest records I’ve ever heard – but at the same time this has to be one of the most fascinating records ever. Maybe the crazy cover-artwork reflects the music a little bit. If you still expect Ramones-like punk-rock with a melodic edge you might be a bit disappointed. Back in ’94 they broke-up basically because they wanted to do something new, and with their new full-length they definitely do something new. The album combines elements of pop, punk, bubblegum a little bit melancholy and a lot of irony – you see, this is a really innovative album! At first I didn’t like it that much, but at the same time I couldn’t stop listening to this either! While songs like the sweet ”Ice Cream” or ”Trouble trouble” are so catchy that they’ll stick in your head at once other songs are pretty ”sick” with strange elements, parts brutal, parts a bit psychedelic. No doubt, this is one of the most entertaining and innovative records for a long time – but you have to be aware that it’s far from ”easy-listening” music! If you’re a bit open minded you’ll fall in love with this release! The Hard-Ons are back, yes!!

MISCONDUCT – One Last Try

(Bad Taste)

After a couple of lineup changes Sweden’s Misconduct finally present us their third full-length release. Actually I didn’t think this band could get any better and as a matter of fact they do not manage to beat their second record ”A new direction”. No doubt, One Last Try is a great hardcore record and for sure their most diverse material to date. Besides the typical Misconduct songs that are short, fast and to the point there are more punk influences. They included a couple more ”screaming” guitars and for the first time on a Misconduct record there’s something like ”mid-tempo songs” e.g. ”Streets of Glory” although the main part of the songs are still very-fast with catchy sing-alongs and maximum energy. All in all you get 14 tracks, but I have to admit that the tracks “I believe”, “This is my way” and “Tribute” appeared already on last year’s split with Trigger Happy. Ollo is still responsible for the shouting and he still got a badass voice! As always, the recording is very powerful – those guys know exactly how a hardcore record has to sound like. No, this record is definitely not a disappointment, I’d give this 11 out of 12 credits while ”A new direction” got 13 out of 11! Misconduct is still one of my favourite hardcore bands because they don’t try to experiment too much, they just do what they do best and that’s kicking ass – so you always know what to expect. Still head & shoulders above the rest!

DROPKICK MURPHYS – Sing Loud, Sing Proud

(Epitaph)

The Dropkick Murphys are back with 16 new tracks and I still can’t believe that they managed to beat ”The gang’s all here”! Basically the title ”Sing Loud, Sing Proud” says it all, because that’s what the Murphys do throughout the 16 songs. The record starts with loud ”Let’s go Murphys” stadium-choirs and I’m pretty sure this impressive beginning will send shivers down your back, too! With a whole bunch of new members added, the Dropkick Murphys are more folk-influenced than ever, with lots of bagpipe parts and mandolines. I know, some people have serious problems with the ”working-class lyrics”, but to be honest I don’t care at all! This is a record full of catchy anthems, and I already shouted myself hoarse in front of my stereo. These are the best sides from Boston and Dublin captured on one record and I can definitely say that the Dropkick Murphys are my favourite band at the time. I’d give this 13 out of 12 points and the official Still Holding On award – although it doesn’t exist by now… The new definition of a ”must-have”!

THE DONNAS – Turn 21

(Epitaph/Lookout)

Girls and rock-music – can these two things walk hand in hand?? Yes, they definitely can, and if you still don’t believe me, make sure to listen to this nice album. Epitaph decided to put this record out in Europe and that’s a wise decision! First of all I want to make absolutely clear that this has nothing to do with ”melodic-punk”, ”melodycore” or whatever – no, this is rock music, pure rock! I needed a little time to get into this record because I don’t listen too much rock-music anymore. Anyway, this is a very good record with nice female-vocals, very professional guitar-work and a certain ”punch”. I’m not going to comment on the lyrics, here’s just some song-titles that might give you a concrete impression of what this is all about. ”Do you wanna hit it”, ”40 boys in 40 nights”, ”You’ve got a crush on me”… Okay, I think that’ll do. Some of you skatepunks are probably a bit too young too understand this type of music and will probably just call this ”lame punk music” – but it’s not. This is a descent rock-record and it’s refreshing to see some girls conquering the genre.

DEATH BY STEREO – Day Of The Death

(Epitaph)

This is a whole new kind of metallic-hardcore. If think of metal-core you think of bands like Earth Crisis or Drowningman – bands that combine hardcore influences with sluggish metal. Death By Stereo play fast old-school hardcore with a heavy Iron-Maiden touch. Yes, the guitar-solos totally remind me of Iron Maiden and I can’t think of another hardcore band that sounds this way. I mean, just listen to the beginning of ”Desparation Train” – that’s 100% Iron Maiden style. If you can’t stand 80’s metal, you better stay away from this record but if you’re a little bit open minded you might discover a great hardcore record. The crucial point is definitely the vocals by Efrem Schulz. He has an unmistakable voice and a unique way of ”singing”, he just covers everything from nasty screaming to melodic-singing. All in all one can say that this is a very interesting hardcore-records and I really like it – but I’m aware that you either hate it or you love it, there’s not much in between. I’d give this 11 out of 12!

REACH THE SKY – Friends, Lies And The End Of The World

(Victory Records)

Attention hardcore-community – here’s the first highlight of the new year! Basically the new album of Boston’s Reach The Sky sounds a lot like their Victory debut ”So far from home”, and that’s great! ”So far from home” was emotional hardcore-punk at it’s prime and that’s exactly what you can expect from the long-awaited follow-up. In detail ”Friends, lies and the end of the world” is a bit more melodic but at the same time even more powerful and maybe a bit more mature. (and the layout of the cd is a lot better!) Once again, producer Brian McTernan did a great job… in my eyes he’s the best producer if it’s about hardcore! I was really looking forward to hearing this release and it definitely didn’t disappoint, this band just never seizes to amaze me! I’m glad to see that Reach The Sky managed to maintain their variety, you get everything from hard dance parts with heavy machinegun-fills to sweet melodies. I really can’t recommend a special song, all 12 tracks are really good – this release just stands true to the previous RTS releases! Ready for continuous play for hours and hours… Release date: March 20th