Enemy Noise - No Control, No Parade

Band request from California.

Enemy Noise are here to make a noise and shout out loud -

that may be a basic message but sometimes that is all I need.

They play aggressive punk/hardcore with a nice trashy feel

to things and really steamroller through the songs. Excellent

production makes sure that every bellowed vocal and distorted

guitar is crystal clear. The song arrangements steer clear of basic

noise and offer some intricate riffs to latch on to.

The 7 songs go by pretty quickly but leave you wanting to

hear them again.

Free download from Bandcamp

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Lead the Way - And In Vengeance We Strike

From the UK, Lead The Way are rooted in melodic

hardcore but have the infectious groove of skatepunk.

Plenty of distorted, chugging riffs are thrown around

with the occasional tasteful solo to liven things up.

The political lyrics and songs would not sound out

of place on a Propagandhi album but with the more

open passion of Strike Anywhere or Hot Water Music.

For a new band, they certainly hold their own against

the above bands - while not inventing the wheel, they

are going to be worth watching out for - also see them

if they play live, this sort of music just screams out to

be heard in the flesh.

Listen

Download for a tiny amount of cash at Bandcamp

All their details on Facebook or own website are under

construction, so no links to them.

Oceana - Birth.Eater (2009)

This is some awesome melodic hardcore - of course,

if you don't like this sort of thing, your reaction could

well be different and you should leave now.

Vocals are delivered with a mixture of brutal screaming

and tuneful, powerful singing which suits the lyrics of

abandonment and desolation.

All the instruments mesh together to deliver a very

powerful sound with excellent use of time changes

to vary the songs.

This got a lot of shit when it came out because it

was on Rise records but regardless of who released it,

the music stands up to close inspection.

Band Info

Buy from Bandcamp

Iselia - Life From Dead Limbs (2011)

Iselia play melodic hardcore but with a technical,

progressive feel to the song structures.

There is a post-rock feel to the atmospherics but

the screamed vocals and distorted guitars come

crashing back after the quieter passages to jolt

the senses.

There is a lot of variation here, which makes this

album stand out from the 'core-by-numbers brigade.

Although very powerful throughout, this album has

an epic feel that will make you play it often.

Buy from Big Cartel

We Were Skeletons - We Were Skeletons (2010)

We Were Skeletons are a chaotic three-piece

playing melodic hardcore with a slight screamo

influence.

A lot of dynamic shifts and intricate guitar work

make sure that your attention never wanders.

Thundering bass and drums propel the songs

along which showcase twin vocals.

Recorded with great clarity, every powerful

note is heard and the energy really comes across.

The technical ability brings in some mathy scales

but never takes away from the aggression on show.

Buy from Bandcamp

Get the Vinyl from Topshelf Records.