Reviews

If Society

Hero Dishonest Maailma Palaa Taas LP

Well-travelled Finns drop their eighth album! Stop already! Just kidding, it’s great! Who says only the youth can still make great hardcore? I say that sometimes, but I’m full of shit just like everybody else! I don’t think I’ve ever properly listened to a HERO DISHONEST record before, but that puts me in the perfect position to say this LP stands well on its own. I saw them fifteen-ish years ago and they ripped back then, so it seems they’ve stayed in good shape! This is not that classic Propaganda Records or P. Tuotonto-type Finnish hardcore, but more akin to an early ’80s USHC style shouted in breathless Finnish. Whether a mid-tempo strut or full-tilt thrash, the whole effort is overflowing with exasperation, down to the tug-of-war sleeve art. They think it’s OK to color outside the lines a bit, and I’m inclined to agree. Keeps shit fresh.

Hero Dishonest Flat Society LP

Helsinki’s ever-prolific HERO DISHONEST is back again. This veteran band’s pummeling hardcore punk approach remains intact, complete with politically-charged lyrics and an overarching darkness shadowing their meaty sound. This album is overflowing with angry energy, and these dudes can really rip it up when they want to. Switching between Finnish and English lyrics, the universal language of disgust and frustration comes through loud and clear, especially when the singer forgoes words in favor of straight shrieking. Truth be told, this is as solid of a hardcore record as you’re going to get these days, and if the wordier tracks lose you, simply turn to the fantastic “Brick Wall” for a speedy assault with an unmistakable message.

Loins Loins 12″

First off, this EP’s cover is a still from Electrocuting an Elephant, an early 20th century film in which, you guessed it, an elephant is killed on screen. If there’s a good reason for using this image, the band doesn’t provide it. Yuck. Luckily, the edgelord antics end there. The rest of the album really splits its time between plodding hard rock riffs and brittle pop tunes with a menacing bass-and-drums undercurrent. This band could be playing something from the Doolittle outtakes and the rhythm section would still sound like it’s about to throw a floorpunch. The last track is a thrashing noise piece whose lyrics consist of the singer screaming “beans!”—the whole record is filled with this back-and-forth between sillines and severity.

Hero Dishonest / Ydinperhe split EP

A double-feature EP starring two of the longest-running punk bands in Finland, this split is filthy with raw expression. HERO DISHONEST has been in the game since 1999, and they’ve changed with the times a bit throughout the years, but on this record they sound freshly pissed-off and unpolished in the best way possible. This violent sound pairs well with images of the band making breakfast, relaxing on the couch, and doing household projects in their video for “Pettynyt” (look it up). Less seasoned but just as potent, YDINPERHE comes in sounding like a pack of Finnish firecrackers. On this eighth outing since the band’s start in 2011, they lay out three dizzying tracks that take you from headbanging to hungover in about four minutes. Impressive, and it’s nice to see the infection is still festering strongly in Northern Europe.