Ruined Tongue “All Of My Bad Habits” 7″ on Irish Voodoo Records

Irish Voodoo Records has launched pre-orders for new 7″ from Ruined Tongue. The Ep is titled “All Of My Bad Habits” and will hold five tracks, including a Black Flag cover. This release was co-released with Reckless Mind Collective & Radical Friends. Everyone who places the order will get a download card of the songs. The first 50 people to pre-order will get a special Ruined Tongue/Black Flag,hand numbered cover over the original art work. First 33 people will get the marble vinyl.

No Second Chance signed to Goodlife for a debut album

Good Life Recordings is proud to welcome No Second Chance from London, UK to the family! No Second Chance caught Good Life's attention in Summer 2010, after having released a 10-song split CD with Beater on Loyalty and Devotion, an Indie Clothing Co/Label! NSC have now recorded a brand new full length album that is now in the hands of Nicolas Declève for Mastering and will be released before summer 2011, pre-orders will be up soon!

Agnostic Front - That's Life

Rise From Above - Phoenix

The album starts with a solid, groove driven passage which immediately brings to mind my favorite hardcore albums when I was a kid. The music has this classic feel to it reminiscent of old crossover records like for example Cause For Alarm by Agnostic Front. But it’s also not only about the past, the music has been updated so to stay in line with what currently make hardcore kids go crazy. I guess the Wolf City or Lionheart merch they’re wearing on the inlay photos gives you some kind of hint what their influences are. I never heard the split with Stay Cold so I cannot say if the band progressed or not, but this CD is very good. For the most part Rise From Above knows what to play and how to play it. The riffs are good, the songs are skillfully put together and the vocals do the job as well. The songs are mostly fast, but there’s some room for slower, groovier parts as well. The vocals are strong and spit out lyrics full of anger and conviction. There's good vibe and energy in what the band is doing, but they could put more variation in it to make it a bit more interesting. Nonetheless, if you’re out for tight and in your face hardcore delivery, there’s no reason to complain. I actually enjoy these songs more than some of the albums by the bands that are being heavily hyped on the scene nowadays.

Review by Dloogi
Label: District 763
Year: 2011
Band's website

Xibalba - Cold

Agnostic Front to tour Europe this Summer

Agnostic Front will be touring Europe in July. Dates are as follows:

24/06 Munchen, Germany @ Backstage
25/06 Unterrohr, Austria @ Saint Sinner Festhalle
26/06 Ferrara, Italy @ TBA
27/06 Roma, Italy @ TBA
28/06 Milan, Italy @ Carroponte Sesto S.G.
29/06 Athens, Greece @ TBA
01/07 Roitzschjora, Germany @ Full Force
03/07 Sulingen, Germany @ Reload Festival
05/07 Pecs, Hungary @ Rockmaraton Festiva
06/07 Brno, Czech Republic @ Faval
08/07 Gavale, Sweden @ Gateway Rock Festival
14/07 Friedewald, Germany @ Festhalle
15/07 Koln, Germany @ Underground
16/07 Dour, Belgium @ Dour Festival
17/07 London, UK @ TBA
18/07 Manchester, UK @ Moho Live
22/07 Schloss Holte, Germany @ Serengeti Festival
24/07 Helsinki, Finland @ Tuska Open Air Metal Festival

New album by Truth In Needles out now on Pride Over Pain Records

Truth In Needles’ new cd "Turning Gray Black" out now from Pride Over Pain Records. Recorded at Method Of Groove studio in Brooklyn NY, produced by Joey-Z(Life Of Agony). The follow up to their first release "Hardcore Liberation Front" which gained worldwide acclaim for its raw and aggressive songs, produced by Don Fury. Both can be found on itunes and digital stores. Check it now with first music video "All Bets Are Off!"

Plead The Fifth joins Arrest Records

Sacramento, CA’s Plead the Fifth has signed to Arrest Records! The band formed in 2007 and play bouncy energetic late 80′s NYHC influenced hardcore. PTF is currently in the studio recording a new 7″ for Arrest Records which is being recorded and produced by skinhead OG Mike from Pressure Point. Please check out their social networking site and online store below and be on the look out for their new record this summer!

Strike Back - Still Holding On

It’s good to hear the NYHC sound is getting more popular In France. Until recently, bands from out there that I was most familiar with were mostly into heavy stuff, like Kickback, Primal Age or Out For The Count. Can’t say I don’t love this sick, brutal shit that only French are capable of, but a little diversity is always a plus and makes things more interesting, right? Strike Back is one of the bands that made me change my perception of what’s going on over there. The band is totally into fast and aggressive hardcore in New York vein, with a strong vibe and some slight metal touch to keep things sharp. They are totally at home with this style and creep through these ten tracks with vicious flows and catchy hooks. It’s not ground breaking, I don't get that shivers-down-the-spine feeling which I get when I pop any Madball or Breakdown album, but I can assure you it’s damn solid. Nothing fancy, no messing around, no technical wankery, just getting down to business from start to finish. This is a type of approach to play hardcore I’m totally down with! Lyrically, the band explores the themes of friendship, self pride, integrity and getting by despite the bullshit everyone gets, whether from the scene kids or the society in general. They must have a beef with a lot of people in their local scene as ‘fuck the scene’ attitude is present in more than one song in here. You shouldn’t take it too serious though, Strike Back is and will always be a hardcore band, but if you’re getting tired of bullshit politics and phoney preaching in the scene, you can relate. All in all, Still Holding On is a solid album that delivers its share of aggression and energy. It’s a good soundtrack to these hard times we continue to face and gives you a sense of meaning, pride and direction.

Review by Dloogi
Label: Self released
Year: 2011
Band's website

Violence Approved - No Free Rides

Violence Approved has been already eight years in existence and through all this time they stuck to the concept of delivering straight in your face, no frills hardcore. Their style is all about pure old school sound in vein of Agnostic Front, Only Attitude Counts or Backifire. You basically know what to expect – irresistible hooks, easy-to-sing gang vocals and impossible-to-forget choruses with dirty aggressive guitars and pounding rhythm section all over. The band delivers sharp as nails performance and approaches each tune with a sense of mission to give listener what they want. They also bring a sense of unity and hardcore family with guest appearances from Agnostic Front, The Warriors, Anticops, Dead End Tragedy and Bleed Into One. All the guys laying down the vocals fits pretty well with the vibe of the album and basically do the great job.

My only gripe with this album is that I don’t really hear anything new or particularly innovative here, and with little diversity between the songs, at the end of the album the energy start to burn out. Don’t get me wrong, I am usually the last one to expect hardcore bands to be original or creative. This specific style of hardcore has been done million times before and I know playing good hardcore is not about reinventing the wheel, but it never hurts to keep some of your own personality and style in the music. On the other hand, it might not be memorable or awe-inspiring classics, but they still deliver that rawness and energy hardcore album should have.

Overall, this is a worthwhile release that though not the most ground breaking you will ever hear, still delivers some nice dose of an unrelenting power and intensity.

Review: Dloogi
Label: District 763 Records
Year: 2011
Band's website