Unbound - 2-22-2005 at 05:01 PM
Just posted these a couple of days ago. I'll post both the link and the actual reviews: http://www.unboundzine.com/nr45.html
Slapshot-Tear it Down
(Thorp Records, 2004)
4 out of 5
Slapshot have been together for years now, and despite a few stumbles along the way, this new MCD for Thorp shows the band in fine form. Fast,
energetic and old school is exactly how you can describe Slapshot and I don?t think that this will ever change.
The band has been together long enough that technically it wouldn?t be fair to call them old school, because well they were around when this was a new
style. But for description purposes, this is much more stripped down and simple then what you?d expect from hardcore these days. The band offers
simple riffs, with straight forward shouted vocals. Gang vocals are of course a big part of the bands sound and when the band is screaming Fuck New
York, you can?t help but feel the power behind it.
From downright serious to more humorous, the 7 songs on here cover a lot of ground. The motives behind Fuck New York are somewhat unclear, but the
lyrics to Rap Sucks are definitely as blunt as the title implies. You can bet that despite the song maybe being a bit tongue in cheek, that the band
means every word they say. So suffice to say that there definitely isn?t any rap playing in the bands tour bus.
Add in an amazing layout, and a cd-rom and you have a disc that fits perfectly into the Slapshot discography. It?s been said that this might be the
last release from Slapshot, but with the band writing music this passionate and pissed off let?s hope they change their mind.
The Boils-World Poison
(Thorp Records, 2005)
4 out of 5
This is an album that really reminds me of high school. Not because I listened to The Boils in high school, this is actually the first album I?ve
heard by them, but more so because of the style. The band plays straight forward fast punk rock with elements of hardcore, and some slight street punk
overtones at times as well. It?s nothing new, and that is exactly what draws people to this style. Sometimes you crave innovation, other times you
want to hear something that fits like an old shoe.
This style is all about simple chord progressions, and memorable vocal patterns. World Poison has both of those and in truck loads. Each song features
memorable vocal patterns and simple yet effective song writing. Some of the songs kick up the tempo even more and throw in faster palm muting giving
the songs a more old school hardcore vibe. There is even just a hint of skate punk that comes in as well. By that I don?t mean new school punk bands
that skate board. I mean the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, old COC, or Excel. The Boils don?t have any of the metal influences, but there are
definitely similarities to be drawn.
World Poison was actually originally released in 1999. This new version is remastered and repackaged and available again for punk and hardcore fans
worldwide to devour. Fans of everything from punk to hardcore, to street punk will find something of interest here.