STRONG INTENTION "Razorblade Express" Review

Baltimore’s Strong Intention are a ruthless blend of grinding, murderous and elongated outbursts punctuated by classic Hardcore breakdowns. The juxtaposition of what sounds like the darker, more depressive side of Black Flag being thrown into a fucking blender with the clarity and simplicity of the “Another Voice” era Agnostic Front is wonderfully enthralling.

From the off, I’m not a fan of the more grind friendly elements of this album, but even I, a sceptic of all things crusty, find it hard to view this album in a negative sense for the simple reason that the intrusion of rhythmic breakdowns is utterly irresistible and sure to hold the interest of any Hardcore fan. By the second track, I’ve even warmed to the sounds that are far outside my comfort zone. There’s something incredibly charming about this outfit.

The vocals are comparable to those of the Cro- Mags, as is their general doomy-yet-high-energy and pessimistic sound. There seems to be something for everyone on this album which in parts resembles DRI, in others Napalm Death and in others still, Hatebreed.

If this album is anything to go by (and I believe it is), Strong Intention have an unprecedented skill for flirted with genres and teasing the listener before pulling the rug from under our feet with glee. They’re far too erratic to place, and that’s all part of the fun, but generally I’d assert that for any Punk Rock, Hardcore, Crust, Grindcore or Crossover fans this album will take care of business.

To speak of stand- out tracks would be fairly meaningless here, as each and every song is a strong one and each and every song knits itself to the following and previous to present a cacophonous album that has no lulls and no lapses in energy. I would advise that you grab this album as soon as possible- it’s refreshing to hear something that refuses to toe the line and convulses violently out of step with the rest of the Punk Rock scene. Fan-fucking-tastic work, lads.

NUESTRO SANGRE'S Samurai Interviewed!

Hardcore heavyweights Nuestro Sangre are on the up. In between bringing us some of the most brutal Brazilian music ever forged from the heart of its Hardcore scene, guitarist Samurai dropped in at Ball Breakers Media for an interview: 

BBM: OK so for anybody who doesn’t know; who are Nuestro Sangre?

Samurai: Neustro Sangre are Fábio Vargas (Vocals), Nelson “Cicinho” Detimermane (Drums), Bruno Mattos (Bass),and me, Samurai (Guitar).

BBM: When did you form?

S: Nuestro Sangre formed in mid 2006.

BBM: How did it come about?

S: All the members of Nuestro Sangre had played together before in other projects until one day we got together and the band just happened.

BBM: How would you describe your music? Who are your influences?

S: Well, each one of us has different influences (including Slayer, Napalm Death, Ratos de Porao, Sepultura, Hatebreed and Carcass) and let’s say that Nuestro Sangre’s music is a is a mix of styles, starting with the old Heavy Metal, going through Thrash until it reaches Hardcore!

BBM: Is there any message you hope to put across with your songs?

S: Our songs are always based on political protests, politics, social inequality, religious fanaticism and violence against the less-favored population.

BBM: What did you hope to achieve with your EP "Massacrados pela

Ganância...Esmagados pela Miséria" ?

S: "Massacrados pelaGanância...Esmagados pela Miséria" to begin with was made with the intention of introducing the band to the underground scene, but it ended up exceeding all expectations being well-accepted by part of the public and critics. 

BBM: Was there any specific agenda behind the EP in terms of what you wanted it to say or stand for?

S: Basically this EP tries to give consciousness and warn society of the abuses suffered by us by part of our government along with dealing with the question of religious fanaticism by part of those who hide behind certain doctrines to abuse, hurt and kill in the name of gods.

BBM: And it’s of course on line available for free download. How do you feel about illegal downloading and downloading in general?

S: It’s a double edged knife! On one side a band, be it large or in the underground, can’t profit with sale of original products because of piracy. On the other hand, the internet helps advertising the band a lot and makes it easier to connect with other bands and producers. Without that we would never have played in as many places or met as many people around. In Nuestro Sangre’s case, that doesn’t see music as a way of making a living, this aspect is more positive than negative.

BBM: When can we expect a full length album?

S: We are preparing to Record some new work, it’s not set IF it is going to be a new EP or a full-length album.

BBM: What do you hope to accomplish in your musical career?

S: We only hope to keep what we have accomplished do far. What is most valuable, the friends we’ve made and the respect of those who admire our work. For us this is the most important and it is above any other material gain.

Samurai, thanks for talking to Ball Breakers Media!

REVILERS "Stand Or Fall" Review

“Stand Or Fall” is the second effort from Revilers, and it’s safe to say an improvement has taken place. Execution and sentiment come on so much stronger, it feels as I hear opening track “Stand Or Fall” that the restrained reservations of their first effort have been hacked away. Straight away this sounds more like a Street Punk band coming into their own as opposed to just utilising techniques made famous by other artists, something they were guilty of in their prior release.

Things can only get better, it seems as the melodic charm of “Tried and True” makes itself known and is followed by the desperate countdown of the suicide anthem “Running Out” which avoids the path of nauseating self- indulgent and instead delivers something altogether tangible that is pungent with anguish.

“State Of Fear” is probably the poorest track on the album- not a bad track itself, but certainly not comparable with its populism politics to, for example “Tried and True”. “Road Rage” is a surprisingly strong closer considering I was envisioning a pointless wank of a song about automobile related sorrow. It seems that even the least dramatic of subject matter can be taken to new depths of desperation and pain!

Revilers have here done what I maintain they needed to do after their first, considerably weaker effort. The brutality, bile and frustration that is the inspiration for so many of their songs has been expressed in a much more cogent and brutal manner on “Stand Or Fall” and I would recommend this EP fairly highly.

REVILERS "Isolation" Review

Revilers’ first EP is a short sharp shock of Punk Rock clarity. Part US Bombs, part Bonecrusher, part Wasted Life, every Punk Rock musical signature you can imagine is present and correct- from Steve Jones- esque blues oriented guitar riffs to bile fuelled vocals. Revilers essentially cement their reputation as the band that a lot of the original Punks could have sounded like. If only they had.

This observed, this is by no means the greatest EP in the world, and nothing particularly ground breaking; this is largely to do with the inevitable fact that the overall sound feels too broad and not particularly focussed, due no doubt to their manipulation of cliches. It feels as though these guys need to up the brutality and give their song writing a hefty kick in the bollocks. It’s all very well utilising stock sounds that made Punk Rock great, but a little injection of something a little more their own wouldn’t go amiss.

This aside, credit is definitely due for the opening track “Isolation” and the closer “On The Outside” which show Revilers at their best, kicking and screaming through verses and chanting on unifying choruses. This is definitely worth checking out, and we’d probably do well to keep an eye out for this band, but this EP is a little too reserved for my liking and the appeal too broad.

Milo's Syndicate "War Is Peace" Review

I can’t remember the last time an opening track seduced me as devastatingly as the “Intro” to this album which is reminiscent of the moodier works of Blood For Blood and carries all of the menace and slick execution of Sheer Terror’s “Broken”. It feels almost sultry and sets a tone of intrigue before hurtling us headfirst into “The Party Vs The Brotherhood” which is in places utter Hardcore perfection, and in others unfortunately a little too like every other fucking Metalcore band.

However, the band definitely has a uniqueness and individuality that serves to keep them the right side of cliché, and all in all it’s a pretty strong effort. We’re treated to another smotheringly smooth performance with “Silverback” but the best is still to come. “Shut Your Mouth” is unexpectedly and refreshingly melodic, hearkening back to a style more akin to Street Punk, it’s easily the finest track on the album and I’d even go so far as to say that were all the songs more like this, I’d have a new favourite band in my life! Having said this, I wouldn’t change “Silverback” or the “Intro” for the world.

Tracks I would change, however, include “30 Second Fight”, which feels like the ultimate in derivative Hardcore pieces, and does soil the overall performance of this album. Similarly, “Splitting Headache” has the same problem, although the consistent monotonous barrage of sound in this case serves to reflect the title’s theme, so I’ll let that one go!

I feel almost a sense of loss with this album- like I was promised something seminal and was delivered an album of unpredictably varying quality. The first four tracks deliver without a doubt, but what follows is a fairly average album, with exception being given “God Complex” and “Down and Out” which warrant credit. Generally, I can’t help feeling that this album suffered from a lack of imagination. It’s evident that Milo’s Syndicate have a veritable arsenal of potential, we just might have to wait til next time to hear it used in full.  

EXECUTIONER "Anthology" Review

Having known nothing of Executioner before hearing this album I hadn’t a clue what to expect, but was nonetheless hopeful upon hearing that they played with the likes of Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. I wasn’t disappointed.

Opening track “Fix Me” introduces us to what sounds like a jauntier Black Flag having a scrap with The Freeze, and what follows is a confusing yet elating convulsion of pure audio violence. There are of course the odd weak tracks to tolerate, this being a fairly vast and comprehensive collection, but over all Executioner’s bouncy charm will win any lover of Punk Rock or Hardcore over at some point on here, and once they’ve charmed you for the first time, they prove virtually irresistible.

I’d strongly recommend this for any fans of the “This Is Boston Not L.A.” and “Unsafe At Any Speed” compilations, and also for DRI and Crossover enthusiasts. That is not to say this is a Crossover collection, but the frantic shift between Hardcore noise and epileptic guitar solos carries the same appeal. The finest tracks have to be “Fix Me”, “Hellbound” and “Crime Through Corruption”. There isn’t a poor track on this collection, although as I said before, some fall a little short of the finery of the aforementioned tracks- but even then they’re pretty damn blinding.

 This band have all the energy, exuberance and vitality of youth with none of the stupidity, arrogance or inanity that usually comes with it. A thoroughly enjoyable racket!