Mercyless - Mundo Enfermo

It seems Hatebreed might have fallen from grace with their recent work but no doubt Satisfaction… still has strong influence on hardcore. Mercyless comes from Asturias region of Spain and been around for couple of years, although I cannot tell you exactly how many. It’s metal/hardcore that’s takes cues from both worlds relying on some heavy riffing shit and deep, heavy-ass vocals. There’s a lot of skills in the band but somehow the delivery falls short. They don’t lack technical proficiency and know how to shelve some nice riffs and their drummer definitely can hit double bass like crazy, but somehow the songs tend to be predictable and uninspired. Most of them just pass by without any hook that would grab your attention and make you push the rewind button again and again.

Instead, a lot of elements here are straight up distracting and many of the moments when the songs are meant to really take off are not executed as powerful as they should. I am never too much demanding when it comes to hardcore, in my world the more ignorantly in-your-face it is, that better. On the other hand, I like to feel real passion behind the band, and I know Mercyless are folks who are really pissed off with the world today and want to make a change. But it doesn’t come across in their music though. Listening to these songs makes me wanna bitch a little about my boring job at the office and idiots I have to work with, while hardcore should make me want to go on riot, rape and pillage spree.

On the positive side, the band sings in Spanish which is a definite winner in my book. I have always been a fan of bands singing in their native language and Mercyless definitely scores for that. Doing my research I have found out they’ve got some socio-political edge in their lyrics, not too much PC, but just commentary about what’s happening right now in Europe and rest of the world. And with unemployment among young people in Spain at around 50% right now, you bet they’re fucking angry.

Ok, I realized I have been too negative in this review and I don’t want you to get an impression that No Hay Paz is totally wasted effort. It has its moments, and if you are longing for that Hatebreed/Born From Pain sound that was such a hype couple of years ago, it might be worth to check it out. Still not as good as Reclaiming The Crown, but how many times have you listen to that album during all those years after it came out? Give that album a break and try something new.

Review by Dloogi
Cruzade Records, 2012

New Blood: Impulse CV

Impulse reps vibrant Chula Vista scene and if you like hardcore that’s raw and fast, their demo should be on heavy rotation right now. Here’s a short interview which should shed some light about what this about, what are some other bands from CV to follow and some other shit you might find interesting.

Impulse reps vibrant Chula Vista scene and if you like hardcore that’s raw and fast, their demo should be on heavy rotation right now. Here’s a short interview which should shed some light about what this about, what are some other bands from CV to follow and some other shit you might find interesting.

There is not much info about the band on your FB page so tell us what Impulse CV is all about? How long the band has been around? What is the line-up?
We got together in summer 2007 while were still in high school and took a long hiatus after 2 years of playing shows off and on. Back then the lineup was Alberto Aguilar on guitar, Alex Alvaro on drums, Guam on bass, and Nick Gonzalez on vocals. We just got back together this summer with a different bass player, MASON HATTTAM.

Is this your first band or have you been in other bands?
Yeah, this is our first band. We also share most of our members with SLEEP WALK which was started shortly after Impulse’s break.

Tell us something about your first demo. I dig your style which is all about playing it fast and fucking angry. What influenced you most when writing this stuff?
Old school hardcore, Infest and Straight Ahead.

Chicano Violence – is the any deeper meaning behind the title?
It’s the title of one of our songs and the vocalist felt like it was necessary to pay homage to the fact that our scene is mostly composed of first generation immigrant families from Mexico and the Philippines.

The pissed off and somehow pessimistic lyrics make the package complete. Where does it come from?
Our vocalist Nick committed suicide before the bands third show back in 07. But he’s ok now. BADASS. Some of his songs were written before and some after the fact.

Is there anything you’d like listeners to get from your music?
Nothing. Just making free music for the dawgs, take it or leave it.

Take Offense is the band that put Chula Vista on the map for the folks like me who didn’t even know the place exists before Tables Will Turn came out. Do they get much support from the local scene and how do you think it helps other bands out there to get attention?
Yeah the local scene in Chula Vista and most of San Diego have always supported Take Offense. Our scene is tight as fuck and better than everyone else’s.

So, what are some of the bands, zines and labels from your local scene kids should check out?
Mind disease records, 1039 records, SLEEP WALK, DEADWEIGHT/BACKSTABBER, STOPPING POWER, DOWN AGAIN, DEADLINED, TANTIVE IV, THE ROSICRUCIANS, COLD STARE, P$O, Linkletter and a bunch more we forgot.

And how is living in Chula Vista like? What are some places to go, things to see?
Boobs, Burritos, and Mexicans. Go to Tijuana and check out Zona Norte. Sexta y Revolucion, and of course Lolitas on Telegraph.

As a band, what do you want to achieve over the next 2 or 3 years?
We don’t think that far ahead. We just want to get one more release in before this summer is over and our guitarist joins the air force and our vocalist goes to school up north.

Anything you’d like to add?
Pregnant bitches shouldn’t drink Monster energy drinks.

Uprising distro website launched

World's Appreciated Kitsch folks have launched website for the Uprising distro. "After almost a decade of running a distro, this is the first serious attempt to unleash it to the world," the e-mail says. Lots of good stuff at good prices. Check it out

New album by No Turning Back in October

No Turning Back have announced their next record "No Regrets" will be self released on their own label Take Control Records on October 12th in both CD, digital and LP format. In the past No Turning Back have released records with Think Fast, Bridge Nine and Reflections Records amongst others.

Brutality Will Prevail - The Path

First track to be taken from rhw upcoming new album 'Scatter The Ashes', out November 2012 via Purgatory.

Very Cool & Very Core 7″ compilaton

Ratel Records will release new 7" comp with six young and promising Polish hardcore bands, each from different geographical area. "So you got Desperate Times from Swidnik/Lublin, Last Dayz from Wroclaw, Outbound from 3M, Reality Check from Warsaw, Stone Heart from Silesia and Thug Life from Poznan – all of them keeping our scene alive and well and def worth checking out for some of you who are not familiar with Polish Hardcore." Every track is an exclusive just for this release. Prordes and further info will be launched shortly. Click here to listen to the promo mix of the compilation

In the works: Book on Agnostic Front '85 -' 86 era

Chris Bade is working on a book which chronicles Agnostic Front's Cause For Alarm Era '85 -' 86. Author interviewed over 50 key people for the book, including all surviving members of the band from 85/'86 era. According to official Facebook page of the project, it will follow "the band from its self-booked coast to coast tour in '85 to their signing with Combat Records to their national tour with GBH in '86 and everything that happened along the way. It will also get into the New York scene at the time, which was growing bigger by the month. Metal labels began snapping up more NYHC bands. headbangers began their cautious journeys to CBGB to see the crossover bands such as AF, Cro-mags, and Leeway, and the skins were going to venues like L'Amour to see the hardcore bands that the metal clubs began booking (and to fuck up some long-haired Metalheads). The crossover/metalcore style of Agnostic Front and bands such as D.R.I. Suicidal Tendencies, and Corrosion of Conformity spread throughout the country and was the dominant style in the realm of heavy music for the rest of the '80s." The list of people Chris has interviewed so far when researching for the book looks incredible. Go to the website for more info, I just add it includes Vinnie Stigma, Rob Kabula, Jimmy Colletti (AF drummer 84/85), Alex Kinon (guitarist on Cause For Alarm, former guitarist of the band Cause For Alarm)
Gordon Ancis (former NYC Mayhem guitarist and AF guitarist for ‘86 tour), Peter Steele, Sean Taggert (artist, creator of the cover of Cause For Alarm), Paul Bearer,
Scott Ian, Dan Lilker,Evan Seinfeld, Eddie Sutton, Tommy Rat, Wendy Eager (Guillotine Zine) and many more!

Kidnapped streams Planet Earth album

Kidnapped has posted their entire album for stream at bands bandcamp profile. 10 tracks of hardcore on full adrenaline with guest cameos by people from Out Of Mercy, Guilty and Bitter Taste Of Life.

No Zodiac merch by Holy Mountain Printing

Holy Mountain Printing has couple of new No Zodiac shirt designs in their webstore. Click here to check it out. The band is working on debut full length so stay tuned!

Will To Live posted new song

Will To Live posted new track, entitled Defeating Defeat. The song is taken from the upcoming album "Old Habits Die Hard".