RMP magazine #8 by RMP Magazine

Content Interviews

RMP magazine breaks trough in 2013 Hello again! With the rain and cold that comes with the fall breathing in our necks we at RMP will blast you back into that heavenly hot summer chocked full offestivals and shows again. Some old, some new, that is the recipe we would like to share with you and we invite you to take this quest with us. So time to sit back in your comfy chair and read all about some of the artists that graced our festival stages this summer and hear all about their experiences. A big thanks to all the bands, festivalcrews, RMP volunteers and especially you, our loyal reader, for helping us create this document of our scene once more. Keep your eyes open for our upcoming magazine to get your monthly dose of the latest in rock, metal and punk and give our Facebook and Twitter accounts a visit to show your support. Sharing is caring!

David Marote

Managing editor RMP magazine

RMP- Magazine September

4 6 9 10 12 16 18 20

Yellowcard E-town Concrete August Burns Red Face To Face Last Call Brawl Adolescents White Lies Zebrahead

Album Reviews From page 22 until page 31.

Interview - Augus

9 What the meaning behind the name of your record, because it’s totally different from the previous names like “Constellations” or “Messengers”, which where lightly influenced by your visions and beliefs? The meaning came from a line in one of the songs. It’s about pushing the limits of music and creativity.

One song of the new record really stood out for me, which was “Fault Line”, but I was wondering: what’s the actual meaning of the music video you guys made for “Fault Line”, because it contains unusually more violence than your other clips, like “Meddler” and “Internal Cannon”? You’ll have to ask the director about that one. I’m sure

there’s something more deep meaning wise other then a car being on fire.

guys most proud o “Treatment” is my fa the most forward thi

How long do you th live on from now, b seems you guys ar ing steady at this p I’m not sure. As long still listen to us and l hopefully be around

How was the lyrical process on the new record, it seems like the lyrics are even more emotionally driven than usually? I always write my lyrics pretty much directly after the inspiration for them hits. I don’t really sit down and just write, because I don’t want the words to sound forced. It could be 3am and if I wake up with an idea, I usually write down as much of it as possible. What I always wonder: Which song of the new record are you

You will be playing on Sept 27th with B and Counterparts! something you wan the fans over here? Come hang out with Sept 27th, and sing Brussels, Love you g by Stefan

facebook.com/a Next album : “Rescue & Restore”

Out now!

Next Belgian sh

27/09 - Vaartkapoe

RMP- Magazine September

If you think about melodic punk rock you think about Yellowcard! Vocalist Ryan Key was excited to share some stories with RMP. We chatted about the acoustic remake of Ocean Avenue, how throat surgery changed Ryan´s life and about what happens if you don´t follow the tour bus etiquette.

The 13th of August the album Ocean Avenue was released acoustically because of its 10th anniversary! How did this process of rewriting go? Ryan: “A lot of the songs are just us playing them on two acoustic guitars. We wanted the acoustic record to have the same energy as the original record. We did an acoustic record a couple of years ago. It was more focused on percussion. We wanted this record to be more of a band experience. It has a kind of new, young, pop punk vibe but just acoustic. There are songs that we did differently. For example, we used a smaller drum kit with softer drumsticks.

RMP- Magazine September

“Empty Apartment” for example is completely different and “23” has an eighties vibe. “One year, six months” has a piano vibe; we invited a pianist from LA to play that. I keep saying that I wish I could play the piano well enough to play that live. Thinking of ways to do new stuff but also staying close to the original was a challenge, but a fun one.” Yellowcard is playing at Vans Warped Tour Europe in Eindhoven! Do you think there will be huge differences with

Warped Tour USA? Ryan:”I don´t think the differences will be big, most people of the same scene are the quite similar all over the world. At some places the whole crowd from front to back is going insane but I don´t know if it´s going to be that crazy. The venues in Europe are indoors and the venues for USA are outdoors, so that´s going to be the biggest difference, that´s going to be interesting. We´re stoked!” You worked a lot together with producer Neal Avron. He almost seems to be a part of the band. Ryan: “Getting him on board changed everything. He taught us

Interview - Yellowcard

how to write songs the right way and to focus on what we were best at. He really taught us how to write good pop songs, he was able to tell us how we suck in an encouraging way. Heightening the strength of each member but also making us a team. I learned so much about singing and song writing myself from him and Eric Talbo. Eric is an engineer and works with Neal, he does the mechanics. He and I produced the acoustic record and it´s great to know how to do these things on my own.” On the album Southern Air there are a few guest vocals, for example Alex from All Time Low. On which criteria do you base your choice of someone doing guest vocals? Ryan: “Most of the time we just invite friends. We´ve been on tour with All Time Low so long and we wanted to do a group vocal. I think our fans were worried when they saw the list of names of guest vocals that it would be a hip hop record or something. It´s just a part with all of us singing at the same time. The only other time we really had guest vocals was when we recorded next to a studio where the Dixie Chicks were recording “Taking The Long Way”. On Ocean Avenue for “View From Heaven” we wanted a female vocal, I suggested to the label that we would ask Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks and they told me to be more realistic. Then I finally got the balls to go over to her. I´ve let her listen to the song and she was totally into joining us. That was an amazing experience.” Back in 2006 you had to undergo throat surgery. How was it for you to go through that time? Ryan: “It was a hard time, the reasons why I had to have this surgery is because I didn´t know

how to sing for years and I just messed up my throat. When Ocean Avenue got picked up, it was excessive, things got wild. You´re not taking the best care of yourself when you’re on your way becoming successful. I was really pushing the limits and crossing the line a little bit. So after I had the surgery I really learned to focus

that girl that shitted in our tour bus?! Ok, first of all, you can´t shit in a tour bus, that´s one of the primary rules of tour bus etiquette. Second of all, it was a really hot girl. A really attractive young girl, who had too much to drink. We were on tour in Canada and it was in January and it was freezing cold. There was no water on the

"He taught us how to wr ite songs the r ight way and to f ocus on what we were best at." on how to sing for the first time. When I was a kid I was heavy into acting but not into singing at all. I had no idea how to sing and that singing would become my job. I certainly don´t think I´m a ground breaking vocalist. I work really hard to sing, still. Being coached makes performing more enjoyable for me, I´m more confident. I know that I sound better than I used to sound.” Yellowcard is a band that a lot of bands listen to before they listen to heavier music. A lot of people listen to punk rock before they listen to metal or hardcore. Do you think this is correct? Ryan: “Yes, I understand what you mean. We were influences by old Warped Tour bands: Bad Religion, NOFX, No Use For A Name. That music has that harder edge that we don´t really have, we sound really poppy. There is a bridge between us for sure and I think we all got a little softer as years went on. They went softer and so did we. We have no delusions that we’re a hard punk band.” A totally different question now, what´s that story about the ´poo mummy´? Ryan: [laughs] “That story about

bus because it would freeze. So the girl went to the toilet and she realised there wasn´t any water. Being drunk she thought the best idea was to wrap it up and burry it in the trashcan. There´s a little heater in the toilet to keep everyone´s piss from freezing. So we’re in a situation where there´s poo in a trashcan with a heater next to it that started smellingWe couldn´t figure out where that smell came from. It got to a point where we would wrap our heads in towel and get what we needed on the bus for the rest of the day and ran off again. It took our driver four days to find out where the smell came from. The poor girl´s life´s probably ruined by now too because we told this story to MTV Canada too, they even animated that story. The girl also had a friend with her and there´s no way her friend didn´t tell anyone. She could´ve promised all day long but she probably told somebody.” By Lisa Leysen

facebook.com/yellowcard New album : “Ocean Avenue Acoustic”

Out now!

RMP- Magazine September

E-Town Concrete is probably one of the first bands to introduce raps over metal-hardcore riffs to the hardcore audience. Ever since the beginning the band has faced fans and haters all over the world, so when the legendary New Jersey band came over to play Ieperfest in August, it was time for RMP magazine to have a talk with original member David Mondragon regarding their sound, DIY approach and today’s music scene.

Welcome back to Europe, you’re here for three shows only so Ieperfest is honoured to have you, how has it been? Europe was awesome! It’s amazing to see that after all these years people still come out to support us. Thanks to everyone who came out. You guys are from New Jersey and proud of it, so how do you feel about the image that Jersey has gotten in shows like Jersey Shore and The Sopranos? Jersey must be the most misunderstood place ever. Yes, it is a shithole in certain places, but there are also sections of the state that are beautiful. Obviously, the seedier side is what sells, so that’s what’s going to be pushed out on TV, but as far as I know, none of the Jersey Shore cast were originally from Jersey. It’s just business. On the other hand there’s the New Jersey music scene with bands like Bouncing Souls and Gaslight Anthem who have fans all over the world. Does it make you feel proud to be part of that

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NJ music scene? It seems like every day I learn about another act that was originally from Jersey. Last week I went to the bank and the teller, a 70-year old black man, and I started talking music. Turns out he sang with the original Parliament (which later became Parliament Funkadelic) in the 50’s and 60’s, and that they got their start in Plainfield, a town that is right next to where I live now. Yes, it makes me proud....this state has a lot of character. Growing up in NJ, you we’re very close to the whole NY scene, in what way would you describe the bond between NJ and NY? Personally, I would get mad when bands who were from Jersey would advertise themselves as being from NY. I always thought that, although it makes sense from a marketing point of view, that they were selling out. Now I don’t care as much, but to answer the question, it seems like sometimes NJ acts feel inferior to New York acts. I think one of the things that made a band like E-Town different

was that we we’re proud to be from the armpit of America. And I think other bands respected us more for it. Last year E-Town released a long awaited EP Heart Of Stone, a first release after many years and a new approach to your music. Still the world renowned hip hop and metal sounds fused together but with more space for actual vocals/singing? Being a “retired” band makes it a lot easier to do whatever you want. We don’t have to be so concerned with what people will move to, or what is trendy. With the EP, I thought it would be something that we did for us, just so that we could sit in a room together and write songs like we used to when we were younger. I showed Anthony, Ted and Eric the Heart Of Stone riff because I liked it musically...I never thought they would go for it, but Anthony insisted I recorded it for him to mess with, and everyone agreed without worrying about how it would be perceived. Although E-Town never tried to sound like anyone else, we always battled with the fact that,

Interview - E-Town Concrete

musically, we were not doing what others were doing. Now, fuck it, let’s sing! The band started in ‘95 and one of the pioneers in blending rap with metal and rock sounds. A few years after the whole nu-metal, rapmetal thing blew up leaving the music scene with tons of shitty bands. Luckily it went by. Did this have an effect on the break up in 2006? Again, we weren’t doing what other (shitty) bands were, and as a result we were kind of ostracized, maybe not in the sense that people hated us, but we were politely excluded from shows and tours etc. I remember talking to other bands and they would say “Hey let’s tour together,”, then we would hear later that their management would say it wasn’t a good idea. It was hard hearing that a lot. I think “Made For War” was our response to the criticism that we weren’t “metal enough”. But in the end, being too much of everything and not enough of one thing wore on us and eventually we were beaten down by it. I think the last song on Made For War was like a farewell - every time I hear it, it reminds of that

period when I realized this band wasn’t going to last forever like we all thought it would. It turns out we still play, but back then it seemed like the dream was slowly fading away. I love that fucking song. The lyrics of ETC are from personal to political, you have a message to tell and are not afraid to do so, you love both hardcore and hip hop, how do you feel about certain artists that have no content in those scenes or even in pop culture? I liked some hip hop growing up, but I was a metal head before liking the grunge thing of the 90’s too. When E-Town first started writing and Anthony started “rapping” over riffs, in my head I said “this is not exactly what I envisioned, but it’s cool so I’ll go with it”. I think people who are not willing to explore other styles of music are pigeonholing themselves. Music has only 2 genres: good or bad - Who gives a fuck what the style is?

You guys have been praised and hated over the years, but you always remained your own DIY ethic even with fame and fortune luring around the corner with clips on MTV. You’ve booked your own shows, slept on floors or in cars when necessary, it could have been different if you took the ‘popular’ route, what motivates you to keep doing it your own way? We always did things ourselves because in the beginning, DIY was the only thing to get anything done. As we grew and played with bigger bands, we saw other bands with big tour buses, managers, and all the business behind them, but they were spending all their profits on that fluff.

RMP- Magazine September

Interview - E-Town Concrete

We tried to get some of those people to support us, and they were reluctant, so we did it ourselves, and in the end, it worked out because we got shit done and made money without having to always cut in the middle man. For us, ETown was a full time job: I worked

loading and the internet. 15 years ago, if I liked a song, I had to go the local music store and buy the whole album to hear one song, and hope my $12 was well spent. Now I don’t even buy music, I downloadstuff on iTunes. Touring seems to me the best way to

I think people who are not willing to explore other styles of music are pigeonholing themselves. Music has only 2 genres: good or bad. Who gives a fuck what the style is?

here and there, but we devoted all of our free time to making it work. In short, we did things DIY out of necessity but it also turned out to be good business. Where we’re at now, we don’t need anyone’s help. As an insider in the music business could you give us your view on the music business and how you see things evolving… I think the music business has been forced to change its business model as a result of down-

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make money as a band since artists and labels can’t make money of album sales the way they used to, but I live under a rock, so what the hell do I know? How do you feel on today’s music scene? Today’s metal is way over my head. The tunings to me are too low, there is no melody, and the

polyrhythms, although cool, are not commercially viable. Maybe I’m old, but I just have a hard time getting into it. I personally think hip hop and metal/hardcore are suffering from an identity crisis. Every rapper is trying to do what the last guy did, and every band is trying to follow the trend. I guess that’s the way music has always been, but when it’s so hard to get noticed in this era of big business and not developing artists, it seems magnified to me. How do you feel about playing Europe compared to the States? And in this particular instance Ieperfest? Playing in Europe has always been such a great experience. The venues treat you better as a band and people are more appreciative of what you’ve travelled so far to do. Americans are jaded and spoiled by the fact that you can see a good show just about whenever they want. Ieperfest was awesome! Cool vibe and everyone there treated us well. I would love to go back! By David Marote

facebook.com/E-TownConcrete

Interview - August Burns Red

there’s something more deep meaning wise other than a car being on fire.

What is the meaning behind the name of your record, because it’s totally different from previous names like “Constellations” or “Messengers”, which were lightly influenced by your visions and beliefs? The meaning came from a line in one of the songs. It’s about pushing the limits of music and creativity. One song of the new record really stood out for me, which was “Fault Line”, and I was wondering: what’s the actual meaning of the music video you guys made for “Fault Line”, because it contains unusual amounts of violence, more than your other clips, like “Meddler” and “Internal Cannon”? You’ll have to ask the director about that one. I’m sure

I found myself the conclusion that your latest album isn’t that hard as your previous released albums. Was this a decision from the label or yours, or maybe just my imagination? We just write music we want to hear. It’s not about what’s heavy or melodic. It’s about does this sound good and is this part awesome. What was the lyrical process for the new record? It seems like the lyrics are even more emotionally driven than usually? I always write my lyrics pretty much directly after the inspiration for them hits. I don’t really sit down and just write, because I don’t want the words to sound forced. It could be 3am and if I wake up with an idea, I usually write down as much of it as possible. What I always wonder: Which song of the new record are you

guys most proud of? “Treatment” is my favorite. It has the most forward thinking lyrics. How long do you think ABR will live on from now, because it seems you guys are still rocking steady at this point? I’m not sure. As long as people still listen to us and like us we will hopefully be around. You will be playing in Brussels on Sept 27th with Blessthefall and Counterparts! Is there something you want to say to the fans over here? Come hang out with us at VK on Sept 27th, and sing along. Love Brussels, Love you guys. By Stefan Van Den Broeck

facebook.com/augustburnsred New album : “Rescue & Restore”

Out now!

Next Belgian shows :

27/09 - Vaartkapoen VK (Brussel)

RMP- Magazine September

Interview - Face To Face

By David Marote

facebook.com/facetoface New album : â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three chords and a half truthâ&#x20AC;?

Out now!

RMP- Magazine September

Last Call Brawl is one of NY’s best kept secrets that I recently discovered through one of our readers who pointed me in the direction of one of my favourite albums of the year. Since the distance between NY and Belgium is not one for a daily commute we at RMP met up with Mike Fullam after the Sick Of It All show at the Masters@Rock festival in Torhout where Mike just performed his task as stage manager of Sick Of It All. A nice talk about the whos and whats of this Long Island based band with some thoughtfull insiders on their lyrics, Belgian beer, Europe and even sexual assault. Drink a beer, pussy!

Your debutalbum Let’s Get Ready To Stumble is almost out for a year now, how has the response been so far? The response has been awesome, unfortunately we’re a DIY, kind of small band, so it’s all to ourselves to keep pushing it out there, just trying to get the album out. But everyone who comes across is like “Oh my god, this shit is fucking amazing, why aren’t you playing with Pennywise or like NOFX, Rancid?” Well, we can’t cause it’s kinda hard for us. Everybody who’s heard it just loves it, it’s been getting a good response. And it’s surprisely being selling more overseas in Europe than in the States. I do all the merch so I see every album that goes to the postoffice. That’s going to be changing soon since it’s getting too much. You did release a sort of live/ demo album from a show at

RMP- Magazine September

CBGB’s (2004) earlier that contains some songs that ended up on LGRTS, but since the beginning of the band and the debut album it took nearly 8 years. Why the long wait to release the album? Actually that show was the UK Subs last New York show ever, so we were really stoked to be there. What took us so long was that in the beginning we had two other members in the band. Those two weren’t able to be in the band anymore, so we went on a hiatus for a while. Trying to see what we were going to do. We ended up getting this kid who was 18 years old at the time and now he’s been in the band for almost five years. Basically what the hiatus was, was a change of members and also we didn’t just want to put out shit, like if you can tell by the quality of the record, it cost us alot of money. No DIY band spent what we’d spent. I’m not going to say numbers but

people were like “Damn, that’s a lot of money!”. Between the money and the change of people in the band, it just took a lot of time. Everybody is saying we’re crazy doing it, but we had to do what we had to do. The album was released through NY Drunkcore records, could you tell us some more about the label? Basically the label is mine and one of my really good friends. So it’s me and him basically; he helped fund it. I do the running of it and he chipped in for the pressing and releasing and he does a lot of our graphic artwork. It’s been a year now since the album came out and it’s not up on Itunes or anything like that. We wanted to sell as many discs as we possible could before anyone took 5% of our money. That’s going to be coming soon; I just filled out all the forms online just before leaving

Interview - Last Call Brawl

on this tour. Now we’ll put it out digitally as well, I know I should have done digital earlier but we’ve done OK. We’re a little bit of a loose band. So what do you think of the Roger Miret quote “Never trust a hardcore kid who hasn’t listened to punkrock.” Exactly, it’s got to have melody, you just can’t scream all the time. What we do, we’re a fun band, we like to bring the fun, that’s why with all four of us, there’s always different parts going on. You never know what you’re going to get out of us. At the end of the album there’s a hidden disco glam song by Sexual Assault, something totally different but great in its own way. Can we expect something more from Sexual Assualt? We actually discussed doing a Sexual Assault album. Basically it just started out as a joke. We had that one song Sexual Assualt,

which we just called Sexual Assault. Not that other song (She Likes To Dance) although it’s combined on the album. JD came up with the bass one day, he listens

show and everyone was dancing. We came up with that other song during a show and we put them both on the album. We discussed doing a full album but nothing

“

Those two weren’t able to be in the band anymore, so we went on a hiatus for a while. Trying to see what we were going to do. to such a wide variety of music. He originally was a guitar player so while playing the bass he was always walking around and doing that on practice. He started doing that one day and I just started doing in with a disco hihat-snare behind it and Chris is such a character and started singing in that voice. And we were like “That’s hilarious!”. So during shows when someone breaks a string or is tuning we just started playing that song, just to fuck around at the

came of it. People even seem to like that too. It would make a really great disco song. Beer seems to be a loved liquid by LCB, with the album title pun Let’s Get Ready To Stumble and of course the band’s name. Today you’re in Belgium with SOIA, home of beer, how do you like our beer and what’s your favourite? I’m drinking myself a Leffe Tripel now, I love a good beer. I have

RMP- Magazine September

tons of favourites but Belgium is obviously my top favourite for beer. I actually had the luck to get the Westfleteren 12, which is fucking nice and almost impossible to get. I know all my friends at home who brew their own beers back home, they like sweat that shit when I send them a picture. Overall the Karmeliet is probably one of my favourite Belgian beers by far. It’s a bottle I get from friends like Ludo whenever I get over here. Armand actually turned me into the high alcohol content beers. And now it’s becoming a big thing back home, people just to like slam Budweisers; they still do but there are coming up a lot of microbreweries where I grew up in Long Island now. Beer is a pretty essential topic in Last Call Brawl. How is it being a New Yorker in Europe? Like playing a town like Torhout today, you must have seen some strange scenery compared to NY? I’m kind of used to it at this point,

RMP- Magazine September

because I’ve been touring with Sick Of It All since end of 2005, so since like 2006 I’ve been coming over here. And I love it, it’s awesome to see so many people and different genres that you would never see in the States mixed on one show and all the people coming together for it. It’s pretty crazy. There’s like bills like Reading festival, like big pop bands playing and then the Bronx and Sick Of It All on another stage, three years ago NOFX and Bad Relgion was there and then Guns ‘n’ Roses and Axl Rose getting booed of stage. It’s quite a variety but they’re doing it right over here. Even the smaller clubs, people seem more passionate about it. They actually buy merchandise and tickets. Even when you look at our record sales; like just Europe alone, we’re doing pretty decent. In two weeks LCB is playing a show with the Angry Samoans, a band that has earned his stripes in the past. Looking

forward to that one? We’re really fucking stoked for it, because I never got to see them in all my years, always for some reason I had other obligations. It’s one of those bands I’ve always fucking missed. When they were playing I was on tour or had to work. So now these guys are going to their sixties, so these days you have to go and see them because they may not be around anymore. , they’re getting old. So actually when we posted the flyer on Facebook, the Angry Samoans commented on it. When I saw they commented on it, holy shit! It’s in a nice 200 capacity venue with a small stage. We are really excited for it. The music and lyrics have a big fun aspect to them, songs about love, life, intoxication and pleasure. Basically, in general it’s about life. All those songs tell a story, some of those songs are truth, for instance Trance-Ill-Vein-Ya was

Interview - Last Call Brawl

written by me the night my friend was murdered. That was a true story front to back. We touch all topics, even bulimia. It’s what’s in our life, what we see. The lyrics are witty, like “Fat Mikeesque”, in a way. They are kind of funny vocals, people like to say “How do you come up with that?” Then I point to my singer Chris, he comes up with like real hooky stuff. He’s a master of doing that and I fill in the blanks. He’ll come up with like really good stuff. Even like the lyrics of Beer ‘N Violence, ‘bored of education’, it’s twisting words, like the board of education who oversees you and then there’s bored of education, like a twist of words. Lead Poisoning Of The Head was written back when the Columbine shootings went out in the States. It’s what we see. Will we be seeing LCB in Europe sometimes soon? We wish, we can only wish.

Unfortunately the band is kind of restricted because most of the members have fulltime jobs. It’s hard to combine at this point and time. That’s kind of what held us back; our jobs. We just wish we could fund it, but that’s hard for us to get. We can only do it once for like a week maybe. We mostly play the more local shows, NY, New Jersey, upstate New York, we only play certain shows because of everyone’s jobs. Any plans for new songs/album? After the Angry Samoans show we plan on taking a break and take some time off of shows to write a new album. We’ve already been doing some writing, some have lyrics, some have no lyrics at all. And now we’re writing with two new members. They are different styles members but what we have so far I’m really stoked about, it’s still catchy. It could be another eight years to release this but in reality it depends on how quickly

we can get this together. But our album has been out for a year so it’s still new. We already took a lot out of our pockets to do that so... You’re from NY, any inside knowledge regarding who we need to check from NY, bands, albums? Live Fast, Die Fast, they actually have their second album just coming out, they’re from Long Island. Razorblade Handgrenade from New Jersey, who I help manage a bit here and there. There are so many good bands around, so many. York is another great one. They actually came over to Europe some time ago. By David Marote

facebook.com/LastCallBrawl

RMP- Magazine September

The Adolescents have sustained puberty for over thirthy years and are still wreaking havoc wherever they can. To promote their latest offspring “Presumed Insolent” the SO Cal legends flew abroad to show us Europeans how they do it over in sunny California. After their set at Ieper Hardcore Fest we found original bandmember and vocalist Tony digging the record crates at the fest’s distro tent. In between flipping through the records we even got some answers to our questions.

You’ve been on tour for a couple of weeks now with the new album Presumend Insolent , you even stopped by in Belgium already, how are the reactions to the new songs so far? They’ve been actually really good, people know the songs, it kind of surprised me that they did. I didn’t expect anyone to be familiar with the new material. People knew some of the songs on the first show before it even came out. It’s really positive so when the album came out we saw more people

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singing along. I was pretty blown away. Do you ever feel that the band is more known and appreciated in Europe then back in the States? We have a pretty good following in certain parts of the States just like here. Like having here a strong audience in like Italy or France, strong audiences in Texas or Florida. You know that we can go to places that are like pockets. It’s just different, a different experience but we do have a lot of fans here. Because the releases are here it makes more sense to play here more. Since the release isn’t out yet in the States so we’re really lazy about it. We want to let Concrete Jungle get as much out of it with export and so. When we put it out in the States it’s going to cause competition on our music. It’s not really fair to them so we’ve been waiting, most of our fans at home only hear the new songs by internet or at a show.

Interview - Adolescents

It was a different kind of punkrock compared to now. It was still done by different people working together. It was a great spirit but it was just different. What started as a reunion because the blue album was turning 20 years, ended up in over ten years of touring again and three new releases. What keeps you guys going as a band? It’s just something I like to do, it’s just a choice, we don’t need to do it. I work almost the whole year round. It’s hard, I’m older and I’ve got kids. I don’t like to take breaks. You play game the same way or get out. This tour was 35 shows in a row. It makes us a better band, we work together, we live together. It’s different being at home when we’re all separated. The band has always revolved around Tony and Steve, and it will always remain that way. What inspired you guys in each other to begin a band together and to still keep doing that after thirty years? Steve was in Agent Orange and I was the guy that was really into that band, so Steve once said we should start a band together and we did. And it worked out really great. You and Steve have played in influential bands over the years, be it in Adolescents, Steve in Agent Orange, Manic Hispanic and currently in Punk Rock Karoake. Combining all those projects with a daytime job like being a teacher, how do you handle that? It’s hard to do, it’s a lot but it’s just a matter of scheduling stuff. Being

really carefull to schedule stuff and not let one thing get in the way with another. I’m not paid for this time off so it doesn’t cost anything to me, it’s my vacation days and I like teaching a lot. You come from Orange County, which is like the breeding ground for melodic punkrock. Considering you were there from the beginning with bands like Black Flag, Germs,... you’ve seen a lot of changes within this scene. Good and bad, from new music to ideas, what’s your view on today’s punkrock scene? I don’t think there have been any really bad changes, sometimes I don’t even notice that there are changes untill it’s huge. As far as music goes, I would have never thought in the middle of the 80’s that there would be a time that I was really happy to be part of. But I saw a lot of great bands but it was a different kind of punkrock compared to now. It was still done by different people working together. It was a great spirit but it was just different. Tony, you also had a small part in the documentary about punk rock dads titled ‘The Other F Word’, As a father it must be strange to be a punker on one side and a caring dad on the other. Does it come easy or do you struggle with certain issues? Well, politics are part of my life, you see I’m pretty active in disability rights, so the politic stuff is already there. At home I go to

schoolboard meetings where my childeren go to school, I speak there all the time, I’ve almost been arrested a couple of times for speaking my mind. The people that I work with know what kind of person I am, they know what kind of teacher I am. They know I’m very outspoken but it doesn’t ever interfere with anything I do. My kids on the otherhand, sometimes they’re embarassed, they would rather have that I’m a little bit quiter about it. So when I make mistakes it’s public mistakes so they’re more sensitive to this. Something that struck me in that movie and I find in lots of punk songs, is the absence of a father figure, do you believe that certain events in one’s life can push you more towards certain musicstyles? Yeah, it attracted me because I’ve got a lot more opportunities to get out. Because there weren’t two parents to keep me staying home. But at the same time I found father figures in my friend’s parents, like Steve Soto’s father, those were very important men in my life. Untill I moved with my grandfather who became my predominant father figure. By David Marote facebook.com/Adolescentsusa New album : “Presumed Insolent” Out now!

RMP- Magazine September

White Lies is a three-piece band from Ealing, London. RMP sat down with Harry, (vocalist and guitarist), Charles (bass) and Jack (drums). We had a chat about the taste of success, about how boredom and bad weather inspires people to be creative and their most recent album Big TV.

RMP- Magazine September

Interview - White Lies

By Lisa Leysen

facebook.com/WhiteLies New album : “Big TV”

Out now!

Next Belgian shows : 29/11 - AB (Brussel) 30/11 - AB (Brussel)

RMP- Magazine September

rd aded towa head is he a gi r b in e p Z p . y to sta k of sto even thin ,t , and here ’t e e r c n r e o h fo w e g y r e a in They e and th eir driv s th a t le t u e o r a b d p a r uch a r them tenth reco to make s We asked ! w e o e r h ll a tu t, c r fu a d r r reco the nea exy cover their new hind the s rse about u o fc humor be o d n o clip, a filled vide Friends! r u o Call y

Just two weeks ago, you guys released your new album called: Call Your Friends!. Which audience are you guys targeting with this new release? Call Your Friends! was actually released worldwide so we are hitting most of the markets with the release and following it with a World tour. Also, one thing that really stood out was the pick of the album

RMP- Magazine September

art; who came up with the magnificent idea to pick a girl’s middle ‘waist’ as the album cover? We met Tawnie through a mutual friend and decided she would look great on the cover. After the photoshoot we spoke to James Franco and David Lee Roth and we all decided that the “waist” was both artistic and boner time. What’s the general theme of

your new record, because if you listen closely, you can hear that it counters more than one theme? We wrote the songs without going in with a specific theme in mind. As we worked through each song, they kinda got a life of their own and we did our best to match them lyrically. You guys had a great producer for this album (Cameron Webb

ds a in the ty ed:

Interview - Zebrahead

red.) who also produced albums for great bands like Pennywise and Motörhead, but how was it to work with such a great talent? His talent was so enormous that none of us could fit in the room. We all took turns standing outside each day. Also, Cameron is an old friend whom we’ve worked with before so it was very easy and layed back which helps with creativity and the recording process over all. You guys have been a part of the punk rock scene since 1996. Doesn’t it get boring after all these years? Yes...but that’s what beer is for. Most bands tend to break up after their sophomore release, but you guys have already reached the magical 10th album release, which is really amazing! Thank you. It’s because we are all very, very, very, ridiculously good looking. In my opinion, you guys seem like very fun guys in real life, so tell me: did something funny or totally out of the earth happen during your recording or live performances in the last year? Well...about two weeks ago our guitar tech decided to jump out of

e had cky to hav lu y r e v e We ar ith him. the chance to work w the window of a moving taxi cab in Japan for no apparent reason. That shit was hilarious!

we stop having fun.... But that doesn’t seem like something that will happen anytime soon.

I saw the video clip for the title track of the album, Call your Friends! Unreal! What a party! But how was it to record a video clip with such an overload of fun and partying? It was pretty much exactly what it looked like. We started drinking and partying at about noon and Matty puked and passed out before we were done filming. It was a blast and I wish you could have been there.

Are you guys planning to play in Belgium in the near future? Yes. We are coming back on 11/01/13 in Torhout at club de B so come party with us!

You guys also had the privilege to have Lemmy of Motörhead during your recordings, what was the experience to have such a rock god next to you? We’ve known Lemmy now for many years. He is a living legend and a great guy. We are very lucky to have had the chance to work with him. It’s something none of us will ever forget.

By Stefan Van Den Broeck

facebook.com/Zebrahead New album : “Call your friends”

Out now!

Next Belgian shows :

01/11 - Club de B (Torhout)

How long will you guys stay with us as a band? I don’t know. Saturday? Seriously though, we will keep going until

RMP- Magazine September

Reviews BoySetsFire While A Nation Sleeps

Release 07/06

Score:: 80/100

Teen angst is an emotional state that we’re expected to outgrow as we age in life. Although it’s a very real experience comprised of uncertainty, insecurity and anger, the common expectation in modern society is to become adults and begin focusing on things like careers and families. If we do find ourselves feeling insecure or angry, we’re expected to push through and not dwell. For tomorrow is a new day and we’re far too busy to be distracted with any pesky emotions. On their first album since 2006’s Misery Index perennial post-hardcore band BoySetsFire reminds us that not only teen angst is real but perhaps it’s also something we never outgrow. Angst is a constant in life. With their current line-up consisting of Nathan Gray, Chad Istvan, Joshua Latshaw, Robert Ehrenbrand and Rev. Chris Rakus, BoySetsFire are full of ambition and tighter than ever. ‘Nation’ is an album that feels focused and poised to please both old and new fans . It’s eclectic in both lyrical content and composition. There’s still some angst err… life left to breathe from this band and I for one, am grateful.

By Michael Pupillo

King Kartel Not Done Fighting

Release 01/10

Score:: 95/100

The Indie Rock genre can proudly accept a fresh group of musicians into the mix with King Kartel’s debut E.P ‘Not Done Fighting’. The hip quartet based in Manchester gained notoriety last year with their single ‘Stone Cold Killer’ which paved a road of opportunity and success for the young bards. The E.P contains four songs, each with their own unique upbeat rhythm. ‘Aftershock’ is comprised of upbeat melodies and a constant pulse that makes the listener feel as if gravity is forcing their bodies up and down. ‘All Talk No Trousers’ brings in a spooky undertone with a heavily reverbed sound to produce a very mysterious tune. ‘Not Done Fighting’ embraces elements of love and honesty which creates a depressingly beautiful sound. ‘Shine on me’ carried me away to the edge of a canyon in a distant desert on top of a vintage Camaro with the warm orange sunset gleaming on my face. These cool cats have a very bright future ahead of them and if they keep their efforts up I have no doubt that they will find themselves on the Grammy stage.

By Cameron Smith

RMP- Magazine September

Templeton Pek Signs

Release 26/04

Score:: 65/100

Templeton Pek is a Punk Rock trio from Birmingham, England. Sings is their fourth release. A great new song is called ‘Trial And Error’. The song has a strange intro, that did not make a good impression on me, but the rest of the song is straightforward and good sounding Punk Rock. The kind I would love to hear when I’m in a crowdsurfing mood on a festival this summer! There aren’t really bad songs on this album, but some songs sound quite the same, so sometimes this album gets sort of boring. Top songs on ‘Signs’ are the title track ‘Signs’, ‘Slow Down For Nothing’ and ‘Trial And Error’. If you’re a Punk Rock fan and you don’t know this band yet, you should give these guys well-deserved listen!

By Jonas Hoflack

Crimson Falls Downpours Of Disapproval

Release 06/09

Score:: 78/100

Crimson, that will be the color of the blood that will ooze out of your ears after laying ears to ‘Downpours Of Disapproval’, the newest album by Belgian Progressive Death Metal project Crimson Falls. Afters some internal struggles and other issues the servants of death have returned with their latest offspring. A fine example of another Belgian band that maintains a high level of heavy music with space for progressive sounds and ideas. From opener ‘Resurrection’ to bonus track ‘Show Me Your Hands That Strangled My Child’ yours ears will be submitted to furious attacks of blastbeats, screeching riffs and even some electronic sounds blended in nicely with the rest of the mayhem. Each track is more than only a sonic attack, they are well thought and passionate tracks with a underlying message. The background and reason of each track is even included with each track in the CD booklet and explains what pisses these guys off and how the song was influenced by certain events in our sickened society. Along the album they tackle different issues ranging from personal and scene related topics to some specific Belgian historic events like the Dutroux case and Haemers/VDB. For the latter track Crimson Falls even descended into writing and singing in French which suited the song better. Expect Progressive Death Metalcore with the occasional twist like in ‘Testify’ where they create their own version of Dubstep and Death Metal. And with a little help from their friends there’s also some room for guest vocals by none other then Brent (Steak Number Eight) and Daniel (Textures). Hell, there’s even a track with some sort of rap on it. A very diverse album for a genre that I normally don’t like that much and really a treat to the ears even with a constant assault on your nervous system by the complex rhythms and furious riffs.

By Barbara Maes

RMP- Magazine September

Twitching TonguesIn Love There Is No Law

Release 20/08

Score:: 85/100

‘In love there is no law, no rules!’ The self-proclaimed title track to the sophomore album of Twilight Tongues proves that also in music there are no laws, no rules. A band with a rather short career span as Twitching Tongues that releases a follow-up album like this one under the knife here is an occasion that doesn’t arise as often as I would like it to be. The Young brothers and their partners in crime have once again melted together an album full of melodic misery drenched in despair. A furious metallic riff mammoth drawing inspiration from infamous sounds such as Carnivore, Life Of Agony and Cro-Mags will make your ears bleed. From title track ‘In Love There Is No Law’ to ‘World War IV’ and ‘Good Luck’ the melodic parts of vocalist Colin Young grab you along the left hand path accompanied by gigantic metalriffs and blasting breakdowns. With ‘Preacher Man’ the LA based band show their downtempo melodic side still drenched kneedeep in anger and fury. ‘Departure’ is an acoustic based song with added female vocals that will send shivers to the spines of those beholding it and a safe haven amidst the madness. ‘Feed Your Disease’ and ‘Frigid’ close off this album with another round of metallic madness and if Peter Steele was still around he would be surely sporting a Twitching Tongues shirt or tattoo. The legacy continues! By David Marote

Sworn In The Death Card

Release 20/08

Score:: 80/100

Most of you will probably think of a different Sworn In, which was an English hardcore/punk band that split up a few years ago. Obviously this is not that band. This Sworn In has only been around for two years, but in those years they’ve made an amazing amount of progress. The band has already released two EP’s (‘Catharsis’ EP and ‘Start/End’ EP). Especially their song ‘Let Down’ is an obvious fan favourite and definitely gained them some more listeners. The band recently signed to Razor and Tie Records which released their debut album The Death Card. Sworn In has always sounded pissed off, angry and full with anxiety. A sound they continue on their debut album. The album may as well have been in a horror movie or game because of the eerie, haunting atmosphere is has throughout. It was made to feel like you’ve gone insane, which is perfectly provided by the guitars and vocals. The guitars sound heavy, yet interesting with a lot of tempo-switching to which the vocals add a raw, passionate and haunting vibe. These two fill in each other very nicely and create a constant state of fear and insanity in the songs. 2013 will be a very good year for Sworn In and if they keep progressing like this in a short amount of time, everything could happen within the next years. ‘The Death Card’ is a very good album and will surely gain them a lot of attention from fans worldwide, which will probably result in a lot of touring (hopefully in Belgium too!).

By Wouter Grauwels

RMP- Magazine September

Reviews Defeater Letters Home

Release 16/07

Score:: 90/100

After an EP and two albums, Defeater deliver the last part of the story of a family during World War two. ‘Letters Home’ lyrically brings an end to this tale and does it ever so convincing. The album was released on July 16th, before the band joined the second half of 2013’s Vans Warped Tour. They already released a couple of songs, such as ‘Bastards’ and ‘Rabbit’s Foot’, which showcased their passionate sound they bring so well. In terms of music, ‘Letters Home’ resembles the style of their 2008 album, ‘Travels’. Either way the music and lyrics go perfectly together. They help each other portray the image the band’s trying to bring across. The overall sound of this album is very dirty, yet heavy and intricate with raw vocals from vocalist Derek Archambault and sometimes guitarist Jay Maas, who often provides a nice extra touch of aggression into the songs (especially ‘Bastards’). Newly found drummer Joe Longobardi lays down some amazing beats in each song accompanying the guitars wherever needed. ‘Letters Home’ is simply said an amazing album, both lyrically and musically. Defeater has always been one of the more interesting hardcore bands around and with this latest release they’ve proven that once again.

By Wouter Grauwels

Doganov Pre1ncarnat1on

Release 01/10

Score:: 70/100

Doganov are the four dark horsemen of the apocalypse who came to destroy us with their danceable electronic rock. Building upon a rich tradition of EBM and new wave the Belgian combo Doganov has created their own breed of rock and industrial metal fused with the dark influence of previous named styles. A 21th century creature from the abyss rises up to release its grim bile upin its listeners. ‘I Am The Dark’, ‘Bullet With A Name’, ‘Cry With Me’, dark, mysterious and dangerous songs pound your brain to pieces. With the combined sounds of industrial fueled guitars and the electronic rhythms of the synthesizer Doganov paints a picture of dark, desolate places. At times you can hear the resemblance to the same influential sounds that bands as Rammstein or Ministry have used peeping through.Something dark to dance to indeed, look out for these nightcrawlers appearing in a cave near you.

By David Marote

RMP- Magazine September

Born of Osiris Tomorrow We Die Alive

Release 20/08

Score:: 55/100

After two great album releases with the first album ‘A Higher Place’ and the second one ‘The Discovery’, Born of Osiris return with their technical deathcore. Their previous 2011 album ‘The Discovery’ was greatly received by fans everywhere. Because of the success of the album, people were wondering if the third album ‘Tomorrow We Die Alive’ could top this success. This question still remains unanswered, but it is obvious that the material is fairly simplified in comparison to ‘The Discovery’. This could possibly be due to the fact that the band fired guitarist Jason Richardson at the end of 2011 . Today Born Of Osiris consists of only Lee Mckinney as the guitar player of the band, making it harder to play their previous songs live. They even had to play with guitar backtracks. This being said, ‘Tomorrow We Die Alive’ (what does this title even mean … ?) isn’t actually a bad album, it just doesn’t live up to its two antecedents. The guitar work consists mainly of chugging open chords and there are a few nice melodic pieces, but they don’t get much attention. Where ‘The Discovery’ stood out, ‘Tomorrow We Die Alive’ fails a bit. The songs are quite simplistic, don’t have much going on musically and don’t grab ones attention like the songs on its predecessor. As said this album isn’t bad, it just doesn’t live up against the previous records. The music is pretty simple in comparison. Born of Osiris do have a lot of talent, there’s no questioning that and there is a reason why they are one of the bigger bands in the genre. But ‘Tomorrow We Die Alive’ is frankly a letdown. There are some interesting parts, such as the intro of the song ‘Absolution’ but it is quickly overshadowed by constant guitar chugging. If it wasn’t for the keys and synth parts this album would’ve been quite boring to listen to.

By Wouter Grauwels

Antillectual Perspectives & Objectives

Release 23/08

Score:: 90/100

Punk rock trio Antillectual have staked their latest claim in the punk rock scene with their fourth studio album ‘Perspectives & Objectives’. These musicians have recaptured a smooth and upbeat form of punk rock quite unlike anything else I have heard in a long time; this album is a must-have for fans and fresh audiences alike. ‘To All Members Of Parliament’ and ‘Future History’ attacks the ignorance of politics and the media in a down to earth and honest fashion. Their cover of Guns and Roses’ ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ (rephrased ‘Welcome To Le Jungle’) highlights Antillectual’s playful side and ability to take the mickey out of a classic. The clean and semi-distorted guitar settings pave the way for frontman Willem to project his thoughts on society. Now that’s punk rock for you.

By Cameron Smith

RMP- Magazine September

Reviews Citizen Youth

Release 11/06

Score:: 75/100

Citizen is a five-headed Indie Pop Punk band from Southeast Michigan. Their new album is called ‘Youth’ and is recorded by Run For Cover Records. Keep that name in mind, they have recorded other great bands like Basement, Daylight, Seahaven, Tigers Jaw and many others. ‘Youth’ is the third album after ‘Young States’ and ‘Turnover’. The two things that define Citizen are their strong lyrics and the magical voice of Mat Kerekes. You can notice this in the first song on this album ‘Roam The Room’. It’s a very nice warm up. The second song ‘Figure You Out’ begins with a great bass line and they keep up the good work with the chorus. The fourth song ‘Sleep’ is more tranquil in the beginning but evolves during the rest of the song. ‘The Night I Drove Alone’ is the best song on this record, if you would ask me. The guitarists Nick Hamm and Ryland Oehlers did a very good job. The melodic parts make the song even stronger. One song you must remember is ‘Your Head Got misplaced’. It has a very recognisable riff and it gives you a happy feeling. Citizen is also playing on the Vans Warped Tour, check them out. By Paulien Verfaillie

Zebrahead Call Your Friends

Release 13/08

Score:: 94/100

Pop Punk, a genre you have to love or hate, with famous bands like Blink 182, Sum 41 and Green Day at the top of it. I’ve got some kind of love/hate relationship towards the genre, mostly because you don’t know what to expect in the first place, but also because the genre is overflooded with a big group of untalented bands using riffs and choruses from the big ones, and being more repetitive than enjoyable. Zebrahead really is another story, I loved them back when they started breaking through in 1998, which really is a long time ago. But the question remains, can they still capture that soft pop punk spot in my heart with their already ninth record? Let’s start with the rather unusual artwork they chose for this album, showing us a nice pair of boobs, leaving us with questions what the link is with the album. And funny enough, there isn’t a single link to find in the actual songs on the album, but I’m sure it will lure some more listeners. And stating that, that’s what makes Zebrahead such a funny and fine band! They play with your laughter, making songs with titles like ‘Nerd Armor’ and ‘With Friends Like These Who Needs Herpes?’ but still achieve to make some pretty solid and mostly catchy songs which you will repeat more than once. Best thing about the songs, is the fact that they are full of awesome and tasty guitar riffs, and really great lyrics, foremost about teenage things and partying, which makes it a record where teenagers can go wild on and adults can relive their teenage period with. But what’s that thing that makes me love them? To be honest, it’s the mixture of vocal use, because next to the singing, we got some well-placed hip-hop, something only Zebrahead can pull off like the best. So yes, Zebrahead still succeeds to capture that soft spot by again making a wonderful and delicious record, and I really recommend you to listen it as soon as possible if you even love a slightest bit of Pop Punk!

By Stefan Van Den Broek

RMP- Magazine September

Adolescents Presumed Insolent

Release 26/07

Score:: 85/100

The Adolescents, with founding member Tony almost reaching the age of 50, are still as energetic and driven as twenty year olds. ‘Presumed Insolent’ is their newest album and the follow-up to ‘The Fastest Kid Alive’ that was released through the German Cargo Records label again. An exlusice European release since ‘Presumed Insolent’ hasn’t been released in the States yet. Adolescents have always been one of the founding fathers of Southern California punkrock and with their 1981 selftitled album ‘The Blue Album’ the Californians have set the bar for punkrock. With their previous album ‘The Fastest Kid Alive’ we already heard the more poppy and melodic side of The Adolescents compared to their 80’s classic so the continuation on ‘Presumed Insolent’ is no surprise. Although I do find the new album to be a bit more exciting compared to the previous. A decent balance between melodic punkrock and fast paced ragers make sure that ‘Presumed Insolent” will make your feet move in the pit. You’ll be sure to sing along to tracks like ‘Forever Summer’ and ‘Big Rock Shock’, while songs like ‘In This Town Everything Is Wonderfull’ will drill a way into your head and you’ll be caught singing along to its melody for days to come in places you wouldn’t imagine. Title track ‘Presumed Insolent’ is bound to get your fist slugging into thin air while ‘Snaggletooth And Nail’ will make you want to start a circle pit of your own. ‘Presumed Insolent’ is another great release by one of So Cal’s finest punk bands and displays the anger still left in these Californian legends with their perfectly balanced old school punkrock.

By David Marote

Dads Pretty Good

Release 06/08

Score:: 75/100

Dads is a two-headed Indie Punk band from New Jersey. They formed in 2010. In the meantime they made their fourth album called ‘Pretty good’. It’s hard to describe the sound of their music. I can always listen to Dads, Summer or Winter. They have a great power in their sound, like they consist of a four-headed band. The album holds only four tracks but it is more than worth it. The first song ‘My Crass Patch’ is an ideal song for people who don’t know Dads’ music. It clarifies how they sound like with their boisterous drum en raw voice. ‘Can I Be Yr Deadbeat Boyfriend’ has a pleasant tempo and the strong lyrics bring the song to another level (“Well maybe I should get some sunlight but it’s just a yellow burden to me.”). ‘Boat Rich’ is the most cheery track on the album. It has a swiftly tempo that lasts during the whole song. ‘Last but not least, No we’re not actually’, is my favourite song on the album. It begins very soft en sleepy (“Because everything will be fine, as long as we say so. And everything will go right, as long as we say so.”) The transition in the middle of the song gives you shivers. One of the best Dads songs if you ask me!

By Paulien Verfaillie

RMP- Magazine September

Reviews Fingers crossed Dedos Crusados

Release 01/01

Score:: 70/100

The state of Texas has found a new vein of gold with the release of ‘Dedos Crusados’. Punkrock band Fingers Crossed has brought water to the dry land with a barrage of happy tunes we can toast to. The group draws some of their influences from Blink 182 - which you can pick up immediately. However, it’s somewhat comforting to listen to a well-produced punk-rock studio album where all the instruments are in-sync and not overpowering one another. Excellent drumming and fine-tuned palm mutes coincide to form a sound I can only describe as pure of the punkrock spirit. Unfortunately, there are a few tracks where the lyrics are overpowered by a noisy and slightly grungy rhythm guitar. That being said the acoustics more than save the day during the interludes and breaks. Listen out for ‘These kids are weird’ (also to be viewed on Youtube as a pretty cool music video), ‘Turquoise’ and ‘Welcome to Mexico’.

By Cameron Smith

Counterparts The Difference Between Hell And Home

Release 23/07

Score:: 85/100

After 2010’s ‘Prophets’ and 2011’s ‘The Current Will Carry Us’, the Canadian youngsters of Counterparts already released their third album entitled ‘The Difference Between Hell And Home’. The band has almost been touring nonstop, making a name for themselves in the worldwide hardcore genre. Their distinct and unique sound is very recognizable and set them apart from so many other bands. ‘The Difference between Hell and Home’ continues their sound although the songs seem to be more structured than before. The first two albums had a lot more different guitar riffs in each song, sometimes making it sound like there was almost too much going on. Yet, Counterparts always managed to keep things interesting throughout. The guitars are balanced very nicely and keep all of their songs very versatile. Counterparts has always been a composition of faster, heavier and mostly melodic parts. Also, Brendan Murphy’s screams and personal lyrics have made Counterparts into what they are today. His passionate words don’t let you untouched and always have something to say about himself or the world as he sees it. In some songs clean vocals take over a bit, which gives a nice extra to the sound. There’s no doubt that ‘The Difference Between Hell And Home’ is one of the better hardcore albums out this year and that Counterparts will continue to grow and stand out amongst the rest. If you ever get a chance to see the band live, be sure to go at any cost, because they’ll be more than worth the money.

By Wouter Grauwels

RMP- Magazine September

Reviews YellowcarD Ocean Avenue Acoustic

Release 13/08

Score:: 45/100

It’s already been ten years since Ocean Avenue came out! But you don’t have to feel old all by yourself: Yellowcard is celebrating with you by releasing a new acoustic version of their most popular record. The band started in 1997 with ‘Midget Tossing’, with Ben Dobson at the time and can still be called a respected punkrock band in 2013, now with vocalist Ryan Key. His career as singer of Yellowcard started with ‘One for the Kids’ and peaked at Ocean Avenue. I remember hearing it when I was only eleven, and eventually seeing them when I was 19. Ryan was sick at the time but it was still one of the tightest shows I’ve ever seen and they lived up to my expectations. Last year they performed an entirely acoustic show at Groezrock and I and many others were blown away. I had goose bumps all the time and I even shed a tear or two. If only their new project was as good as I imagined it to be. In my opinion the acoustic release of Ocean Avenue lacks feeling and depth. The songs stay as good as they ever were but I don’t feel like they’re doing them justice. I get the feeling they’re rattling the songs off instead of blowing new life into them. The one thing bothering me most is the use of drums in general and the constant distracting snares. It takes the intimate feeling away an acoustic album tends to give. The tracks are strong enough to stay put stripped from all frills. No bad words of course about Ryan’s singing and the band but I just hoped they were going to lift Ocean Avenue to a higher level, but actually they made me forget about how good it really was. By hindsight it maybe could’ve been a better idea to make a live acoustic album, where you get the energy from the crowd and hear how much they like it after all those years, but that choice was up to the band itself. But if you ask me they made the wrong choice.

By Aranka Van Dongen

Meet the storm To What End

Release 25/05

Score:: 75/100

After five years of recording and producing, Dutch punks Meet the Storm are out with their Debut album ‘To What End’. The quintet hails from the port city of Rotterdam and has been adding a local hardcore Southern flavour to the scene since 2008. A rough and twangy sound is what these guys are all about – beautifully handled by guitarist Jochanan Veerbeek. Frontman Matthias Szijj packs one hell of punch with his well-toned screams – aided smoothly by backup vocals which produce somewhat of an interesting contrast. Get ready to raise your fists to the songs “A.A preschool” and “Raymond K. Hessel” . These cowboys from Holland are doing a good job of keeping hardcore punk alive and kicking!

By Cameron Smith

RMP- Magazine September

Thanks to . . . Directors Kenny Leys CEO - @KennyLeys Lisa Leysen Head Editor - @LisaLeysen David Marote Managing Editor - @DavidMaroteBE

Design Jolien Krijnen Chief designer - @JolienKrijnen Ray Slavenburg @rayslavenburg Lena Stahl

Editors Frederik Geuvens Krystal Cole @krystalccole

RMP- Magazine September

photography Eva Vlonk Daria Colaes @DariaColaes AurĂŠlie Geurts

Writers Michael Pupillo Cameron Smith Barbara Maes Jonas Hoflack Wouter Grauwels Paulien Verfaillie @PaulienVrf Stefan van Den Broek Aranka van Dongen @ArankavanDongen Quentin Nourisson

RMP- Magazine September