Wednesday 29 December 2010

NUCLEAR DEATH TERROR on tour

"TOTAL NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION TOUR 2011" - so Nuclear Death Terror are on 5-week tour of Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.. if you are coming from this part of the world be sure to check them out, while all we "ordinary mortals" can only wait for some future euro-tour..
gig dates with places and other bands find by clicking here..


Tuesday 28 December 2010

GRIDE interview

hmmm..I think that there's no need to say anything as an introduction about this one.. they are legends, playing extreme hardcore/power violence since 1996.. one of the most energetic bands that I ever saw live.. there's nothing more to say except I'm honored to have this interview with them here..
thanx goes to Iny for answering this my questions in very short period.. enjoy!..


c.f.: Hi!..for the beginning please introduce yourself to the readers..
Iny: Hello, nice to meet you :) My name is Iny and I'm vocalist in Gride. I'm 37 years old, 2m tall, grey-haired man.

c.f.: tell us what were the main reasons for forming a band at the beginnings, what was your expectations and intentions with the band, and did you accomplish any of them?
Iny: Gride has played since 1996. In the beginning we wanted only play music, which we liked... extreme hardcore and grindcore. We were a bunch of people who wanted play this music, but who hadn't any experience with it. So we started practicing and after some time the line-up settled on 4 people: Cert – drums, David – guit, Zdenda – bass and me as the vocalist. We practiced hard and in August 1996 we played first gig. We were pretty nervous, but gig fell out very well, so it was motivating impulse to our activity. But we didn't imagine what we will reach with band in the future. We were satisfied we could play gigs here in Czech Republic and record some stuff. We haven't any goals, schedules or expectations. I think it changed when we went to first „tour“. There were a few gigs in Austria, Slovenia and Italy with our friends of Mrtva Budoucnost (extreme fast core from Brno). I think it was in 1998, maybe in 1997. We appreciate the potential, which Gride could have and we started doing things more deeply and knowingly. But I still have to say that I have imagined never, where we have come now...many records, tours and on other side even band members... I and Cert are only original members of Gride. There were about 6 another persons, who played in Gride and left band or were kicked off. It has been simply always, but I'm satisfied with position, where Gride is now. So I think I can tell that we fulfilled our expectations and I don't lie when I say that we overcome them :)

c.f.: Gride exists since 1998 (if I'm not wrong?!) and that's pretty long time.. from where you gets inspiration for making this kind of music for all that years and such a great performances at your gigs?..I was watching you guys in Zagreb last year, and you were awesome, great energy..and that isn't only my opinion, many people i've talked told me the same..
Iny: Oooh, thanks for your commendatory words :) In Zagreb we were a bit tired after long trip from Skopje, we were some problems on the way... So I'm glad you didn't find anything of it during our gig :) So we are professionals probably :) The show in Zagreb was great, we needed such good gig, to shake our depression off. :) Zagreb is nice city and I would like to come back some time in future.
We have existed since 1996, but as I said, first two years we were active mainly in Czech Republic. The long existence of band brings many problems in years. As I said in previous question, we have had many line-ups changing. It was still the same...after years of playing, people lost their energy, invention and became unreliable etc. So we have been forced to find new people to replace them. I think it's paradoxical thing, which keeps Gride alive. We have changed line-up again recently. Maxeek, our bass player, decided to leave band after US tour. He played a few gigs else until we found new guy instead him and in October he left the band. The main reason were, that he was busy with his family and his another band Dezinfekce. He has little daughter and wants to care for her. Our new bass player is Michal, our friend from thrash death band Pressboil. He is the youngest guy of us, so he has a lot of energy and I hope he will move us somewhere.

c.f.: what about your records? I know that you have many of them, but do you have favorite one or at least one more dearest then others? Any label with which you like to work most with?
Iny: I like most of our records. Of course they have many mistakes and I would do some things differently, but I take them like a testimony of era, where we recorded them. In my opinion, split LP with Mrtva Budoucnost and Horizont udalosti LP are the best. I think, the latest stuff – Horizont udalosti and split EP with Thema 11 – is the most complex and solid. The best label for cooperation for us is Insane Society Records. Barvak – the boss of this label – is our very good friend and the cooperation with him has been always without problems.

c.f.: recently you was on USA tour? How it was in the States, are there any differences in gigs, people, etc. there and here in Europe?
Iny: It was really great… the best tour ever and one of the best gigs in Gride’s history. We toured USA with Pretty Little Flower two weeks and although it was pretty physically intensive, I take these days like one of the best in my life. We started tour in Houston and we were surprised with nice and friendly people. One guy brought original Czech beer for us, so we felt like at home. The people were fucking crazy and mosh pit was pretty hot. People in USA are wilder than in Western Europe and most of shows were awesome. In some venues we were almost scared, that people damage our gear, because they were very violent and wild. But everywhere people were really friendly, they thanked us for coming, asked us about tour and opinions about USA, drank beer with us etc. We read some tour reports of European bands before coming to USA and we were afraid, that anybody won’t be interested in some fucking group from Middle Europe, but contrary was the case. We were exoticism for them and they supported us very well. The last gig on Maryland Death Fest was simply awesome. Imagine venue for 4000-5000 people, half of crowd moshing and big applause after each song. We were satisfied and very very happy. D.R.I, who played 1 hour after us dedicated us a song, it’s honour, which means for me a lot.

c.f.: your view on diy underground scene in Czech Republic?
Iny: In my opinion, the Czech scene is really good and strong. Of course there is some atomization to genre subscenes, but I think that generally the scene sticks together. The scene has changed a bit in recent years. It is less political and more about fashion, it’s more inconstant, but it’s natural influence of surrounding society. There is also evident an influence of internet. The scene is a bit oversaturated by many gigs, bands and records, so there are less people on gigs. They choose their bands and subgenres and come only to gigs of time-proven bands. But it’s the same all around the world. In the contrary I think that there is better situation in Czech than in Western Europe. There are still normal gigs where is more than 100 people and it’s very good attendance in European average. There are also good and world’s famous labels in Czech Republic: Insane Society Records, Obscene Production, Malarie Records… They release even records of famous abroad bands, for example Excrutiating Terror, Bloody Phoenix, Birdflesh, Venomous Concept etc.

c.f.: where bands in Czech usually have their concerts, and how's situation with squatting scene there nowadays?
Iny: The gigs are usually organized in pubs and clubs in Czech Republic. There are also some cultural collectives, who manage independent venues, for example Vrah in Roznov pod Radhostem and Discentrum in Prague. Squatting scene have dissolved in recent years. The last squat Milada in Prague was evicted in 1999. There were many squats in 90-ies. The most famous was Ladronka, where many great foreign bands played. It was regular stand point most of European tours. Ladronka as the squat existed between years 1993-2000. Nowadays there aren’t any squats in Czech Republic. There have been some attempts to occupy some old houses in recent years but they were quickly suppressed by police, security agencies and owners of the houses. The most famous squatting action in recent years was an attempt to occupy the building of former bath on Apolinarska Street in Prague in September 2009. There were some struggles with police and many people were detained and were incriminated. The squatters defended themselves, saying they did not plan to stay in the occupied building for long. Their act was only to attract public attention to the problem of abandoned and dilapidated houses, they pointed out. Most of people stay on the side of state and police and squatting has minimal support of them. So I think the squatting situation in Czech republic won’t be changed in the future.

c.f.: Internet – good thing or  pure evil? Do you miss good old times of hand written letters, tapes, paper zines? Can you compare today  global diy scene and the scene before some 10 years ago?
Iny: Like most of things in our life, internet isn’t neither pure bad nor pure good. You have to take it only like tool, which can help you. Then internet can do your work easier and simpler. When I remember how it was hard to organize tour before internet era, I cannot believe, that we could go somewhere. Or try imagine how long would be done this interview in pre internet era. You had to write me normal letter first to ask if I’m interested in doing interview. Then you had to wait for my answer, then you sent me questions and I replied it hand written on paper… It would take minimal 2 months. Now we can do whole interview in two weeks. Organizing gigs, releasing records, information etc are the same. Internet provides you to touch many people with making minimum effort. On the other side, internet brings many negative things like fucking bullshits in internet discussions, which makes so called dauntless internet hardcore warriors, who know everything in the best, but who hasn’t done anything ever. They can only criticize, but you hadn’t seen them to organize gig, release record, play in band, do zine etc. These internet clever fellows are toll, which we have to pay for its benefits.

c.f.: tell us something about the members of Gride? Are they active on some other bands/project, and what occupies your daily life?
Iny: All members of Gride are active in other bands. It’s a problem sometimes, because we have to schedule our activities agreeable with other bands and families. It’s almost unsolvable situation, but we have to face up to it and to do compromises.
Cert (drums) plays in thrash metal band Radiolokator and old Czech death/black metal band Avenger (they have played since 1991). Pufffy (guitar) plays in Dezinfekce (hardcore, long time existing band too) and P.B.J.P. (band playing cover songs of old punk and hardcore bands, for example Dead Kennedy’s, Exploited, Dyaglo Abortions, Discharge, M.D.C. etc). Paaya (guitar) plays in Uchazim (experimental punk/hardcore) and Retroprotest (similar band to P.B.J.P., but they play only cover songs of Czech punk and hardcore bands). Michal (bass) is into Pressboil – young thrash/death metal band. I (Iny) sing also in Radiolokator and do a zine called Trhavina.

c.f.: Gride is one of those bands singing mostly on their native language, and one more proof that bands on diy scene don't need sing on English to be well accepted by people around the world.. tell us why you decided to sing on Czech?
Iny: It wasn’t primarily “political” decision, but we were pushed to it by circumstances. I take lyrics as important part of our production and my knowledge of English isn’t so good to write good lyrics in this language. So we decided write lyrics and sing them in our native language. It’s natural for us and I thing that it’s better. Secondly it’s also attitude against dominion of English in hardcore. I don’t expect that Spanish, Russian or Japan band will sing in English. I think it’s more interesting when the band gives to music something especial, original and it could be minimal his native language. When Oi Polloi played in Czech Republic, they saw some graffiti on a wall: Fuck the system and they were surprised, why it isn’t written in Czech language. They are right, why we could use foreign language for expressing our thoughts? Only because our favorite band uses it? And are they really our own ideas or only second-hand pose?

c.f.: something about your lyrics, about what they are and what is more important to you as a band lyrics or music?
Iny: It must be in the same level. You listened to music because of music, when you would know something new you could be read papers or book. But many people cannot listen to music with stupid und uninteresting lyrics. I know many bands, which play excellent music, but they haven’t good lyrics in my opinion and they lost my sympathy with it – for example Rupture I love their music, but their lyrics ridiculing holocaust etc are too much for me. Or all that porno gore stuff, it’s fucking silly and it repels me in first sight, even if that bands could play good music, this imbecile attitude don’t allow me to discover it.

c.f.: your sound is pretty original, but you, for sure have some bands that influenced on your music. which bands are those, and do you play any covers at your live shows?
Iny: There were different bands in our different periods, who influenced us. In early days we were influenced by classical gridcore and hardcore bands like Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, E.N.T, Doom, Agathocles, Rot, Unholy Grave, Heresy… Then we discovered charm of power violence and were influenced by Spazz, Capitalist Casualties, Lack of interest, Crossed Out, Infest etc. Then it has started being a bit complicated. How the line-up changed, we have started to take more different influences from favorite bands of new members. Nowadays I cannot say, who influence us and in my opinion isn’t easy, to compare new stuff of Gride to any other band. We are trying to create something original and new with many influences and each member of band brings his own part. I’m still mainly in power violence and experimental hardcore, but I’m listen to many music genres, so I’m open to everything.

c.f.: when we can except some new Gride release, tour maybe?any future plans?
Iny: We should release split LP with Voetsek from California, but we have canceled this project recently. So we are going to record stuff for B side and to release it as full length LP. We would like to release LP in summer next year, but we will see. We schedule also tour in September. We would like to tour Austria, Italy, France, maybe Spain and Germany. We are going to start scheduling tour in February, so detailed information will come then.

c.f.: thank you for answering this..if I didn't ask something and you would like to add, feel free to do it!..
Iny: Thank you for your interest in our band and interesting questions. Good luck with your zine, it’s hard work and only a few people can appreciate it. I think doing zine is most underrated activity in underground scene :)

Monday 27 December 2010

BRUTAL ADDITION / SENSELESS / NONSENSE - 3 way split tape (199?)

when I found the download link for this rare release, a week ago, there was no end to my great enthusiasm.. I'm pretty sure that it's impossible to buy this tape nowhere any more.. I listen to it already the whole last week and I wasn't tired with it yet, and think I won't be so soon!..
so this is 3 way split tape released by DMK Music from Spain which brings you 3 great bands for destroying your speakers and brain cells.. don't know exact year of releasing of this, if anybody knows, please leave a comment..
first we have here Brutal Addition from Spain (members were involved in DMK Music label).. 9 songs from this 3-members act with some noisecore punk sound, including intro + outro and You Suffer, Napalm Death cover.. I'm not some expert for such kind of noise so I can't describe them better.. and the rip of the tape is something fucked up at their side..
then we have Senseless from Požega, Croatia.. about them I wrote something before and other releases of theirs you can get here.. in short, raw hc/crust massacre, fuckn brilliant 4 songs by them.. first one (probably, one of theirs the best) "Ubijena (u ime križa)", then the massacre continues with two fast as fuck songs "Free" and "No Thanx!" and for the end, to settle down things a bit, fuckn hymn "With God We Crust"..
and finally, to conclude this beautiful story we have Nonsense, also from Požega, Croatia.. most of you knows how they sounds today, but here you can convince yourself how it was done some 15-17 years ago, at their beginnings.. four tracks by them, 2 from "Who's Your Enemy" reh/demo and 2 from "Always Against" demo.. legendary song "Baki gdje si ti?" is here, of course!.. grind/noise hardcore, raw to the bone!.. sound quality on Senseless and Nonsense side is perfect!.. you won't be regret if you download this piece of treasure.. the file includes scan of the cover, too..
tomorrow I'm going to buy a blank audio cassette to make my own tape, that's for sure.. DIY!!


download link is here with permission, and it's originally posted at great new blog -TAPES ARE STILL NOIZY- dedicated to the records released on this legendary format - audio tapes.. don't miss to check out this blog with so many of great and rare, out of print releases.. for example you can find there some extreme rare Mrtva Buducnost live tapes, or Social Deformity demo, Doom demos from '87 and '89, Jan AG And The Gajna (project of Jan, AGX and Koppa, Kontatto, C. Sterminii) and more awesome stuff..

Tuesday 21 December 2010

ON'T ROAD #13 / GO FUCK YOURSELF #1 fanzine

okay, this is split of two great travel zines, On't Road #13 (about previous releases of this zine you could read in some older posts) and Go Fuck Yourself #1 (editor of this one was active before with Duhhh zine).. 20 pages each.. language is, of course, english..
from O.T.R. side we have an report from the darts tournament, football articles, 2-pages review of Manic Street Preachers album, some other record and fanzine reviews and  an extensive Pisschrist/Sotatila Euro-tour report from 2008 (among some other countries, they were visiting Croatia and played at Monte Paradiso festival, for which author says, when he saw young east-euro punx, that this was the closest to the 1984. that he ever been.. also he describes the morning after on this festival like "zombie apocalypse..., ...and there were some seriously fucked up people wondering around..." I think that he described that very well, heheh..), article about band Leatherface and report from the gig of Teenage Bottlerocket..
on the G.F.Y. side you can read about the journeys from St. Petersburg to Beijing (10000km) and from New York to California by train, also about some adventure in L.A.  and Thou interview..
download links are again from mighty punks is hippies, and zine contacts are:
O.N.T.: ska1ska@yahoo.com
G.F.Y.: thirteenthirtytwo@hotmail.com



Thursday 16 December 2010

upcoming gigs in Zagreb..

uhhuhu, two great gigs in AKC Medika in next few days..


24.12.2010.
first is on crustmas eve..
bands that night are:
TRUE grind (Croatia)
LEECHFEAST sludge crust (Slovenia)
PASSIVE AGRESSIVE hc punk (Croatia)
entrance: 20kn




8.01.2011.
second one is first weekend after new year's day..
bands:
DISLIKE grind core (Croatia)
VAI FICAR PRETO grind core (Croatia) 
I AM DISEASE metal hard core (Slovenia)
entrance: 25kn

Tuesday 14 December 2010

SCHIZO #6 fanzine


already 6th number of this zine (like it was yesterday when I was reading first number of it..).. the main news are that this issue will be officially printed and become alive like paper zine..
the most space is dedicated to Punk Illegal collective and festival.. that means many of interesting readings related to that great project from Sweden, from interviews, reports from this years festival to some facts and information about the collective..
this time font is impaired to minimum and on 52 pages you can read a tons of material.. from interviews this time here are: Al-Thawra, Zudas Krust (very big and great 'view), Spotlicks, Kansalaistottelemattomuus (yes they are from Finland, did you have doubts on that?!), Power Is Poison, Asta Kask, E.A.T.E.R., Burnt Cross, Sangre, Cow Mag zine, Jason Vomit and  with people from Punk Illegal crew.. besides those interviews you can find also report from Punk Illegal festival 2010, reviews, Wolfrunner info, interesting poll on the theme "what do you know about Swedish punk" (for which the author send some mp3's of Swedish bands without names of the songs to some people and their task was to unriddle which bands are those) and some more author's articles..
for the end, I really enjoy reading this zine more with every new number.. I think that Schizo is good example how good zine progresses in quality from a number to a number..
you can download pdf file for reading or for printing if you want to make yourself a copy at your own from HERE.. all that's is of course, completely free..

Wednesday 8 December 2010

ŠAMAR DRUŠTVENOM UKUSU #1 fanzine

this is for all you nostalgic bastards out there who remember the 90's with pleasure and often regretting for those better times..
this zine was edited by Željko i Tanja from legendary Unutrašnji Bunt! (Inner Revolt! O.E.), and it's published in autumn/winter 1998.. It's written on Serbian language, pity for all of you who don't speak/understand Serbian..
it's really big, on even 60 pages you can read some letters, interviews with Politikill Incorect, Delo Ludila, Panic Overdose (interesting is that I looked for anything of P. Overdose for a while, and in only 2 days I've got links for some of their releases, and only day after got the link for this zine with P.O. 'view in it!..), The Tofu Love Frogs, infos about No Strike, M.G.G. and Wiesenthal, report from the 5th Orto Punk festival, columns, article about fanzine Obrijane Žene (Shaved Woman), a lot of art (poems, articles, drawings, comics...) and record + zine reviews.. all in all, pretty much material for reading..
yes, and I must mention that here I have read the best review ever.. it's for 3-Way Cum - Killing the life LP, and roughly translated it goes something like this: "extremely good band from Sweden surprised me very positive and convinced me that there are still true Scandinavian bands which are able to offer surpassing raw energy like Mob-47, Discard or Anti-Cimex.. 3 Way Cum sounds approximately as if you inject 10ml of adrenaline to the drunks from Doom and torture them with electric shocks at a voltage of 150, and threaten to them that they will not drink, not even drop of alcohol, never again.. this LP, besides 16 new songs, contains their previously released EP Battle of Opinions.. and overall impression is that this is one of the best crust punk bands in the world, at the moment.. this is a lesson of how to play.." fckn great review, isn't it, hehe..
at the end I think that this is good example of how zines has been made in those times, with a bunch of this 90's spirit..
I've had really enjoy reading this one so once again thanx to the author for providing  this link to us..

Sunday 5 December 2010

ON'T ROAD #12 fanzine


2nd number (at least 2nd under that name, author had done 10 numbers before under other name - Waterintobeer) of this diy punk travel zine.. this one is from 2008..
this time on 40 pages you can read about author's trip to St. Kitts & Nevis at Caribbean Islands (yes you read it well, Caribbean Islands, for real), Sotatila and Ruidosa Inmundicia UK tour, Hero Dishonest Germany tour, hilarious drunk adventures from stag weekend in Lisbon, Portugal, article about Manic Street Preachers, vinyl and fanzine reviews, reactions of few people on previous issue of this zine and some other travel articles..
all in all, really nice zine with a lots of readings, especially if you like traveling (and if you don't, reading of this zine would awake the desire for traveling in you, I'm pretty sure in that) with simple and for reading pleasurable layout.. highly recommended by me!
link is again from punks is hippies blog, and zine contact is: ska1ska@yahoo.com

Wednesday 1 December 2010

CRUCIAL ZINE! #6 fanzine


here we have 6th number of zine coming from Cambridge, UK.. one more which is published in paper form, today when there are less and less paper zines..
in this issue you can find interviews with Magrudergrind and The Afternoon Gentlemen, a gig report, Australian scene report, one-sentence reviews of war movies and records, full length reviews, some news - the funny ones and some serious about books and zines + some articles about music, football, etc, and great comic (which you can see below).. all that spiced with a dose of dark humor..
I have the impression that this zine rejects some fixed standards about what content must be represented  in a punk zine so if you want more relaxing and not so usually zine for reading this is for you..
zine is free of payment so if you find yourself on some gig in Cambridge there is a chance that you get your real copy for free, and for others here is the download link with its PDF version..
number #7 is almost done and could be out soon, so check the zine blog here..