Reviews

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Gargara Versus Jesus EP

The first thing you’ll notice about this EP is that the cover art is terrifyingly beautiful. It’s the type of image that will keep you up at night, but one you can also appreciate. I also think that’s a pretty apt description for the music on here. This is just some no-frills, zero-fucks-given, noisy hardcore punk coming from Skopje, Macedonia. There are four wild, caustic, and to-the-point tracks here, but none of them let up. The standout track is surely “Jesus Was a Bigfoot.” Really, there’s not much more to say. If you’re wanting some wacky aggressive hardcore then it doesn’t get much better than this.

Арлекин Извор На Главоболките LP

From Macedonia comes Арлекин with this dirty, scummy slab of wax. Their debut album Извор На Главоболките delivers some inspired noise rock jams, packed with plenty of punch and even more riffs. There are a bunch of interesting ideas on this album, especially on the nine-minute descent into madness “Извор на главоболките,” which in my opinion is the album’s highlight. I do feel the album does slightly drag on a bit in spots, but when they get it right, it hits hard. Not necessarily an essential listen, but recommended for fans of noise rock.

Некројаготки М​а​ј​ч​и​ц​е В​е​ш​т​и​ц​е LP

Deluxe vinyl issue with screenprinted cover of a DIY boombox recording from 1992. Why this dogshit recording is being lovingly reissued is beyond me, but someone is about to end up with a full box in their garage. There are ten tracks here, recorded by two Macedonian friends, that draw from and/or parody early grindcore, glam metal, hard rock, and worst of all, funk. The vocals move from hair metal wailing to raw and reverbed growling, while the guitar and drums never move beyond beginner level. Nearly every song starts with an overlong found TV recording, which gets old in the middle of the first one. The members may have fond memories and do sound like they are having fun, but fellas, this shit sucks.