Kolpeka

Reviews

Kolpeka / Revert split 12″

Perfectly executed split 12” showcasing two bands from the Basque Country, a region whose punk and Oi! scene Mendeku Diskak has pretty much put on the map. On the A-side is REVERT, whose tooth-chipping stompers take cues from early Boston hardcore. REVERT’s vocals are particularly rough and pissed, taking these songs up a notch or two on the aggro-meter. KOLPEKA follows up on the B-side, and while they retain some of the East Coast brutishness of their fellow countrymen, they have a little more spring in their step. I’ve read from a couple of sources that KOLPEKA are avid skateboarders, so maybe that explains the slight uptick in energy. Regardless of its source, their speediness compliments the more mid-tempo pace of REVERT nicely, making for a well-rounded split. Top it all off with the killer artwork this is wrapped in, and Mendeku Diskak once again proves why they’re one of the best in the game.

Kolpeka Amorruz Beteta flexi EP

KOLPEKA’s debut tape is refreshingly bleak in all the right ways. Playing rugged and dark punk with ominous overtones, these teenagers from Spain offer a caustic, punchy take on early NYHC styles. There’s also a bit of devilishness to the melee that reminds me of G.I.S.M., and I like how the three songs on this tape become increasingly more deliberate and hostile as it progresses. The members were only between sixteen to nineteen years old at the time of this recording, so let’s hope they’ve got plenty of juice left in ‘em to keep pumping out cool and inventive music.