Reviews

Shield

Circles Still. LP

Having formed in Nantes, France in 2017, this marks CIRCLES’ sixth release. The band notes ’80s DC hardcore as a main influence for their sound, with a melodic twist. I hear this in songs like “Sunglasses,” with pummeled drums, angular guitars, and shouted/sung lyrics. While the title track “Still” starts with a FUGAZI-esque riff, it really takes a turn with a long, almost orchestral outro, featuring synths and keys. Other songs like “Giants” and “Waves” have brighter, splashy drums with a tambourine rattle and some of that melodic vocal influence, producing a pop-forward sound. Given this range of focus, I was a little lost after the first listen, but after a few plays, I think CIRCLES achieves the cohesiveness of a solid album with Still.

Custody II LP

This sounds like a SAMIAM record. Like almost to a T. The only difference is this band is from Finland. So I suppose take that however you’d like. In fact….this is their bio on the internet: “We are a band. We make melodic music that makes us happy. We sound like Sergie Loobkoff having a knife fight with Matt Pryor and Mike Carter in the ’90s!” So it’s totally intentional, I guess. Fortunately I happen to thoroughly enjoy SAMIAM, so that helps.

Irish Handcuffs Transitions LP

Catchy melodic punk from Germany with personal lyrics about love, loss, and life, melding different aspects of bands like SAMIAM, NO USE FOR A NAME, and ALKALINE TRIO into a nice package that is totally their own. I’m of the firm belief that everything has been done to death, so to hear a band like this that doesn’t make me write it off as a carbon copy of something from a bygone era and make me reach for the original is refreshing. Well done.

Paranoid State Great Divider LP

This ten-track collection has a tough enough approach to melodic punk. There’s grit in the vocals, and on standouts like “Self-Doubt,” there is an appealing bum-out minor key vibe. Overall, the album doesn’t grab me, but it’s hard to dock it points arbitrarily. The bassist, I’ll say, takes it a couple steps too far sometimes with overly mobile playing that often stubs its toe into the rest of the band. But there are some solid shout-alongs here. “False Prophet,” bassline excepted, centers on a deeply satisfying crash of a chorus. In the end, it’s a good enough batch of songs that could use a little editing (the closing track is baffling, no part seems to cohesively lead to another). With some work on editing and songwriting chops, the band could catch my ear.

Lotus / Ship of Fools split LP

Belgian hardcore punk is alive and well, and this split will prove it! Side A belongs to LOTUS, a band that occupies the sound territory of early TRASH TALK and early CEREMONY, when they played powerful and energetic melancholic hardcore. Violent and resigned with the outside world, the same sentiment that the aforementioned bands would project on their releases. Side B showcases SHIP OF FOOLS, a two-man venture turned into a full traditional punk band. The name is lifted from a FUCKED UP song, so that is a good starting point to describe them. Sounding fresh while rooted in old-school USHC at the same time, SHIP OF FOOLS brings a groovy quality that can hook you. A split that encompasses two sides of the hardcore world that seem to fit together perfectly. At the end of the day, it’s all hardcore!

Custody / Spells split 7″

Denver label Snappy Little Numbers brings you a split 7″ featuring a song apiece from Finnish band CUSTODY and the label owner’s band SPELLS. According to Discogs, the former band features members from NHL 95, CIGARETTE CROSSFIRE, and BAZED, while the latter pulls from MAIL ORDER CHILDREN, DUST HEART, and CHARLIE CONTINENTAL. I’ve never heard of any of those, but they all certainly sound like band names! Anyway, the CUSTODY side starts off promising enough—the first fifteen seconds sound like the band is gearing up to launch into a sick MAN OR ASTRO-MAN? rocker. Then the vocals kick in. Remember back in the mid-to-late ’90s when emo rock bands were trying to make it big by playing music that could slot in nicely next to VERTICAL HORIZON or LIFEHOUSE? No? Well, if you want to get a taste of what that sounded like, give this side a spin. SPELLS deliver on the promise of their name and start their side chanting out “C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E” like the BAY CITY ROLLERS. They then launch into something that sounds an awful lot like early HOT WATER MUSIC trying their hand at posicore. I’m having trouble imagining who this 7″ would appeal to.

Spells Past Our Prime LP

Driving and pounding melodic hardcore, this has a lot going for it. I find male/female harmonies that are done well kind of irresistible. There’s plenty of that on this record. I wouldn’t say that there’s anything terribly unique or groundbreaking about this record, but it’s really well done and easy to listen to. And the title of the record is obviously worth a chuckle. Be serious about what you do, but don’t take yourself too seriously.