Zdrajca Zdrajca CD
If you think that pronouncing the name of this band properly would prove difficult, just be aware that they are from Szczecin, a town that is notorious for being both the mighty WŁOCHATY’s hometown and a nightmarish word to read aloud. ZDRAJCA (meaning “traitor”) was unknown to me, and this first album was released on the well-established and respected label Pasażer. The band is clearly influenced by ’90s hardcore and, if the recipe is classic, you can hear a lot of variations, articulations, and details that are typical of that decade, back when punks strove to expand hardcore’s songwriting. While I am not a massive fan of that type of sound (overall, ZDRACJA is clearly influenced by heavy USHC), I have to say that it is a powerful and mean hardcore album with hard-hitting, aggressive sing-along choruses, but the band still manages to offer hooks and interesting changes of pace in order to bring something more narrative, versatile, and darker to the story they are telling. In fact, I enjoyed listening to the album, as it is just the right length for the style and all the songs have been carefully thought out (the Polish language also adding some additional intensity). Not a work I would buy for myself, but definitely a band I would expect to be devastating live. And by the way, I almost forgot to mention: I can actually pronounce “Szczecin.”