Review: Reef - Revelation [4th May 2018 - earMusic Records]

Ah, Reef! You may be known to many for only Place Your Hands but to me you're one of the first bands I ever properly fell in love with. Because of that, I've eagerly awaited 18 years for this, the band's 5th studio album. 

The album's title track gets Revelation off to a promising start. That raw live sound the band are known for is still there but musically it feels too much like Free (of which their name is famously an anagram). Even with Gary Stringer's Somerset accent sneaking through as always, it's as if he's trying to sound more "classic rock" than ever before. Similarly, songs like Just Feel Love and Precious Metal conjure up strong Zepplin and Sabbath vibes. They are still catchy and groovy, acting as nice homages to their musical roots, but it's all just missing that Reef "grittiness" that initially grabbed my attention.

As well as classic rock, Reef also revisit their more bluesy side. When listening to country ballad My Sweet Love (featuring Sheryl Crow), the soulful Provide and their cover of gospel song How I Got Over one after the other, it makes you think if Revelation is in fact a born-again Christian album. The songs' uplifting nature fit with organs, choirs, enticing rhythms and beautiful melodies are thoroughly exciting. In particular, Provide is quite possibly one of the best songs on the record, whether being with intentional religious undertones or not. It's sort of like a follow up to Sweety from third album Rides...and I'm totally down with that! Like A Ship (Without A Sail) is similarly a gloriously joyful and epic ending to the record.

Revelation, as interesting a collection of songs as it is, is not quite the album fans like myself have been waiting for. It's more what you'd expect a new Black Crowes' album to sound like (which is not necessarily a bad thing). It might just be one of those records that needs a few more listens to really appreciate it. One positive note is that Reef have at least stuck to some form of rough blueprint throughout their discography. The songs on here even feel like they continue on from the previously unreleased songs on the 2003 Together compilation. There's no pointless experimentation into hip hop or edm to "get down with the kids". The classic rock, the gospel, the blues...it's all been there in some form of another, only now they've been brought further forward. Reef are simply a band who have matured and want to write songs they themselves would want to listen to. You got to admire that! 

3.5/5

Live Review: Jeronimo EP Release Show @ Maaxan 7, Beer Sheva [25th August, 2016]

Lion's Den
Jeronimo
Elephant Hive
MAGA

Continuing with trying to venture outside of Tel Aviv for shows, I got a lift down to Maaxan 7 in Beer Sheva (South Israel) to celebrate the release of their 2nd EP by post-punk rock trio, Jeronimo. Two classic rock trios, MAGA and Lion's Den, and experimental rock duo, Elephant Hive, have also come along for the fun on the evening that also happens to be Lailah Lavan (White Night - not a racist thing) in Beer Sheva.

MAGA

Starting off the proceedings as soon as they arrive, Tel Aviv's MAGA play through their set of classic style blues-rock. Taking in elements of late 60s/early 70s bands like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Cream and even Black Sabbath, the trio play catchy numbers with all the energy of their predecessors. With some songs being more uptempo and simply structured (e.g. Did You?) and others introducing more groove and experimental tangents (e.g. Again), they have a varied enough repertoire to be considered entertaining. It's incredibly difficult in this day and age to play this style of music and come off as original, so there are no real surprises here. However, they are convincing enough, both in look and in sound, to make one believe that you are somehow watching an actual 70s band.

3.5/5

Elephant Hive

This is either my second or third time seeing Elephant Hive. I can't remember, although I've definitely already reviewed them. Having set themselves up with their own drum kit in a position more central of the venue, the Tel Aviv duo still play short blasts of experimental, jazz-tinged rock but with some different songs to their previous set(s). They seem to have added pieces with more structure. The drumming and guitar riffs sit perfectly well together and everything sounds more controlled and song-like. One song in particular is reminiscent of Primus' Shake Hands With Beef. It has a similar low-tuned, funky groove and even the same quirkiness. They certainly have impressed me more this time than before but I still think they currently cater to a pretty niche demographic.

3/5

Jeronimo

Although it's meant to be their night, Jeronimo hit the stage as the penultimate act. As the band plays a few tracks from their first EP (the ORANGE one), all 3 tracks from their latest EP (the PURPLE one) and some as yet unreleased tracks, it's obvious to hear how their sound has matured.

They are a band that states to have a Fugazi influence but it's the side of Fugazi that I, personally, don't quite connect with. I like the Fugazi with funky bass lines and angry punky vocals, whereas Jeronimo take more from the intense, progressive side of Fugazi's post-punk sound. It is still enjoyable and really showcases their musicianship. Bassist Auriya provides us is with some groovy yet subtle licks on tracks like Lions Suspended in Air and their self titled track. It is drummer Itamar who especially shines through; his overall steady timekeeping and ridiculously tight drum fills are impressive and a joy to watch. Guitarist and co-vocalist Yonatan also gives a great performance, even going amongst the crowd during solos. 

The band do have a few good riffs and some fun moments but, sadly, I think it just goes over my head a little. They are doing very well for themselves and working incredibly hard and that deserves great respect.

3.5/5

Lion's Den

Finishing off the night is hairy Tel Aviv trio, Lion's Den; one of those few bands whose look reflects their name. The band tends to be closely linked to the previous mentioned MAGA but their styles are actually quite different.

Although there is a hint of similar classic rock and blues influences, the likes of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden come to mind as I watch and listen to them. There's a mixture of laid back and funky grooves met with some low, grunge-like outbursts. Along with the bare chests and long curly hair, I can't help but think that these guys would've been great on the Seattle scene.

The chemistry between guitarist/lead singer Yoni and bassist Yoav is strong however drummer, Itay, is not always quite on the same wavelength. He still does a great job, playing with full energy. I'm definitely glad I've finally seen Lion's Den, as their mix of Seattle grunge and classic blues rock has pleasantly surprised me.

3.5/5

NEW HED PE VIDEO

Live Review: Eternal Struggle EP Release Show @ Levontin 7, Tel Aviv [19th August 2016]

Eternal Struggle

Coma 7

Ganza

I've shown a lot of love recently for local tough-guy hardcore band, Eternal Struggle. Although the shows I've seen them at prior to now have not had the best of turnouts, I've brought myself along to this special occasion; their EP release show. I've already sung my praises for Breaking & Entering (see review) so it is no surprise that I am here tonight in support of it.

Ganza

First band in support are Ganza. I've written about these guys twice before; the first time wasn't great and the second was good. Still with new singer Max, the guys sound and perform better than the previous show. Max is still incredibly enthusiastic, with his hair windmills and high jumps, and Ohad's guitar solos impress me more and more each time. The musicianship all round is pretty solid but their actual music style is still a bit all over the place, sounding like about 4 different tribute acts all in one. It still has the essence of some sort of college project as opposed to a real band. However, their songs are still catchy (e.g. Butterflies and Junkie) and they put on a good show, getting the crowd energised.  

3.5/5

Coma 7

  This is my second time seeing Coma 7 but my first time reviewing them. I remember first hearing something by them along time ago and thinking to myself "what decade are we in?" It was so nu-metal that I thought I was still wearing my Criminal Damage baggy jeans from when I was 15! The track I heard was actually poorly produced which ultimately let it down for me. However, it turns out that they are one of those bands that need to be witnessed live. 

  Yes, it is old school rapcore. Yes, it is reminiscent of bands like Clawfinger, Senser and Rage Against The Machine, of whom they covered (Killing In The Name, naturally). Yes, it may be considered dated by some...but damn it! I still have a soft spot for it. Frontman, Shimon, does sound a lot like Zack de la Rocha (RATM) albeit with a slight accent, which brings in the Zak Tell (Clawfinger) comparison. Even on their original songs, the solos by guitarist, Kobi, are straight out of Tom Morello's handbook. They also use politically charged lyrics, like on songs such as No More War, Pigs In Ties and Yeti, with its "We will not be controlled by you" refrain (that the band ironically manipulates the crowd into chanting. Haha!)

  Despite the comparisons, the cool, more drum n bass style beats by drummer, Elad, make things more interesting and I can't help but smile. The rest of the crowd were impressed too, getting up on stage with them and generally going crazy. If anything, Coma 7 are damn good fun!

4/5

Eternal Struggle

  They still might be a tad under the radar in the Israeli scene but Eternal Struggle have pulled in a pretty damn big crowd tonight. Maybe it's because of the support acts and the special guests all mixed together. Either way, the atmosphere is buzzing before their set even starts.

  To make things even more fun from the get go, we suddenly feel things fall on top of us, as foam tubes (aka "pool noodles"), beach balls and all sorts of inflatables are released into the crowd as the band open up the set with a yet untitled new song. (I wanted to do something like this for the Woolly Boy comeback show but didn't have the guts to go through with it.) Of course, a few people lose their minds and the place becomes a giant kid-friendly Jedi battlefield. With the band's down-tuned heavy hardcore in the background, it's a surreal yet also amazing moment.

  I will admit that the rest of the show is a little bit of a blur as I was just having so much fun either punching the air or pretending to ride a motorbike (my body does what the music tells it to). However, it is safe to say that the band plays tracks from their Breaking & Entering EP as well as a track called War and a song for all the footie hooligans, Fucking Football Fanatics. The latter sees the place go crazy, because Israeli metalheads like their football, apparently. Each to their own!

  
  As promised on the show's posters and event's info, the band had some friends join them on stage. Arie Aranovich (Ex-Hammercult/ex-The Fading) plays guitar on the beatdown filled crowd-pleaser Lost, which leads to bodies flying about the room and a lot of head-banging, Alon Karnieli (Sinnery) joins in on vocals for Pride Kills, Lemmy Keller (03/Sintax) plays guitar on the bouncy Repeat Nothing near the end of the set and both Eliav Torjman and Ben Saada of Canine join them on guitar and guest vocals respectively. Not only do the Canine boys help out on the Born From Pain-style anthem Tonight We March, this guest appearance brings about the highlight of the night - A FUCKING HATEBREED COVER! Even though they also do their usual cover of Sick Of It All's Take The Night Off later on in the set (for which I go up on stage and go crazy), it's actually hearing I Will Be Heard for the first time in ages which makes me scream at the top of my lungs. Man! I had forgotten how much I used to love that band...

I've said before in previous reviews that Eternal Struggle deserve a bigger and a more in-tuned crowd; tonight seems to have brought that. There may still be the odd person who has just come along to get drunk and shout "HEY!" at random points in songs, but who cares? To me, Eternal Struggle have two important things that I like in my hardcore - groove and beatdowns. It might not be groundbreaking but it does make me want to break shit!

5/5

Photos courtesy of:
Sharon Shapira (for Ganza)
Miguel St. Labao (for Coma 7)
Assaf Bergerbest (for Eternal Struggle)

Sum 41's first single from 13 Voices

Check out a new track from Brit Rock legends Feeder's upcoming album

Top 10 bands that I don't understand

Being British born, albeit to an Israeli mother, I never really excelled at any other languages and only since moving to Israel have I become somewhat semi-bilingual. With music being an international thing, there are many bands in the world making music that I like but singing in languages I don't understand. Some bands have managed to gain success abroad, such as Rammstein (German), Babymetal (Japanese) and let's not forget frickin' PSY (Korean) but here is a top 10 list of bands that I listen to who I have no idea what they are saying.

Disclaimer: This also includes bands who might be singing in English but have very strong, unintelligible accents, thus qualifying for a band I don't understand.

10. Freedumb

I discovered thrash/punk band Freedumb from Norway very recently due to their latest album, Feeding The Tapeworm, being sent to me via Toxic Online to review. Although the majority of the album and their material overall does include English songs, they do have a good number of songs in Norwegian that I simply don't understand. They actually turn out to be the better songs, as the singer is saying the words with more conviction. This gives the song more meaning, even if I don't know what that is. Playing music along the lines of Dead Kennedys, Black Flag and Municipal Waste, Freedumb are worth a listen.

9. Shitty CT

This is cheating a little as Shitty CT are an Israeli band and I do understand Hebrew. However, I did not understand Hebrew when I discovered them after only just moved to the country. They also sing the Hebrew in slight Russian accents at times, so that can also be confusing sometimes. The band itself mixes rap, punk, metal and electro which confuses many people but I dug it from the start. Their latest song, Kayfuyem, is basically hip hop, sampling the song of the same name by singer Arsen Petrosov with rapping, all in Russian. Russian, for me, will forever be a confusing language.

8. Shabak Samech

Similar to Shitty CT, Shabak Samech, one of the most legendary rap/rock groups in Israel, sing in Hebrew and I also discovered them back when my Hebrew wasn't all that great. Because it is rapping, it is still pretty hard to follow it completely without having the words in front of me somewhere. This goes for other Israeli rap artists like Peled, Muki and Lukach.
Shabak Samech's early work is the stuff that I really like. It is more along the rap-rock lines, as apparently they were influenced by the likes of Dog Eat Dog and Beastie Boys back in the day. The last stuff they brought out was also good but more hip hop based. I don't think old school fans were all too impressed.

This song is called Al Tagidu Li (Don't Tell Me).

7. Sand

Along with mentioning bands I technically do understand now because of my improved Hebrew, putting Japanese hardcore band Sand on this list might be a bit of a curveball. I mostly know Sand through their music videos and that's the only way I can understand them. They luckily have the lyrics come up on screen so that we can follow. This is not a translation, however, as the band actually seems to be singing in English just with the strongest, most unintelligible Japanese accent. Not anyone's fault, to be fair. I tend to flick in between finding these guys to be a joke to just loving it regardless. Either way, the music is tough as hell!

6. Netral/NTRL

Netral, now known as NTRL, are, in my eyes, the Indonesian Blink 182. I discovered these guys through a video of a kid drumming along to their song Cinta Gila and thinking to myself "I like this! This is nice." Upon further research, I found other songs just as nice and even others more punky. They have great melodies and are just great musicians. I think it's actually quite a crime that they are not more widely known. Their latest album, 11/12, came out last year.

5. The Blue Hearts

Back to Japan (you'll be seeing a lot of Japanese bands on here, actually). The Blue Hearts are a really old Japanese punk band. I discovered them through a cover of the song Linda Linda that Andrew WK did. Turns out, a few other bands have also covered it, as it is quite a classic song. I listened to some greatest hits of theirs and just really liked them. Haven't a clue what they are saying or even what most of the song titles are, but I know what I like when I hear it!

4. PUYA

A little break from Asia now, as we head over to San Juan, Puerto Rico where the band PUYA originated from. I still can't quite remember how I discovered PUYA. I think it was by accident or just when going through a bunch of rap metal bands on Youtube. However it happened, I somehow saw the video for the song Fundamental and was simply kicked in the balls by its amazingness. The song flicks in between latin music with brass section and full on shouty rap metal. I downloaded the album of the same name, which is mostly in Spanish. Even though I learnt Spanish in my teens, I don't really understand it. At all. But the music is amazing. The band apparently had great success, especially with Fundamental. Their latest release was the live album Vital back in 2014.


 

3. Maximum The Hormone

Along with Babymetal, Japanese nutcases Maximum The Hormone are now quite widely known. I discovered them quite late through a video that started to go viral. I still don't know what the song is called, but it's the song where the only English in it is "Stop, stop, whinny upload." Apparently it's about an old software...I don't know. The song was just a big bag of genres and the video was pretty crazy with strange imagery and effects.
Maximum The Hormone are simply mental. Both lyrically, musically and on stage. Some people are familiar with them because their music has been associated with the anime series, Death Note. I wish I could understand Japanese because if the responses from their Japanese fans are anything to go by, they are bloody hilarious.

2. Back Drop Bomb

Another band that I don't quite know how I discovered them. Back Drop Bomb started out like the Dog Eat Dog of Japan. They played rock/rap crossover music and had a saxophonist. In more recent years, the band have reached into territories that bring to mind 311 and even Linkin Park. They are still incredibly creative and enjoyable to listen to...I just haven't got a clue what they are saying, most of the time. I think, like Sand, they are actually singing in English for a majority of songs. It's just hard to tell. Regardless, their earlier work is simply some of my favourite stuff to listen back to every now and again. They have a split EP coming up with the band Husking Bee. 


 

1. Mad Capsule Markets

And finally, still over in Japan, the band I consider my number one favourite band I don't understand. Mad Capsule Markets hit the UK market big time in around 1999 with the album Osc-Dis. With digital music channels like MTV2, Scuzz and Kerrang TV, videos for songs like Pulse, All The Time In Sunny Beach and Good Girl got a fair bit of air play in the UK. I never actually got into their albums back then as I was stuck in a bubble of local hardcore bands but I always had a fondness for those hits. I started listening to their discography later in life and they are now a massive influence on me.
They developed their sound throughout the years, but it's always been punk with an industrial leaning, later being also considered digital hardcore. I love them because they have many genuinely catchy songs and just an amazing intensity. Even when songs titles are in English, the songs are mostly in Japanese with the odd English bits thrown in. There are other songs where the song might be in broken English with some Japanese rap parts thrown in.
 Such a shame they are no more as I would have loved to have heard what they would come out with now and see them live. Former vocalist, Hiroshi Kyono, did continue with his own digital hardcore project, Wagdug Futuristic Unity, which is also very impressive.




Are there any bands here that you guys also love? Are there maybe any bands that you think I should be listening to? Do you know any good Korean hardcore bands? Does that exist? Let me know.

Live Review: Liberating Justice Mini-Fest @ Gagarin, Tel Aviv [29th July 2016]

Ganza

Eternal Struggle

Knees Please

Methods

Almonim Metim

Elephant Hive

Tonight, the Gagarin club in south Tel Aviv sees a coming together of bands of different genres in order to collect donations of tinned food, clothes, condiments and other such items for refugee children. The event has been put on by Eternal Struggle members for the Elifelet charity.

Elephant Hive

First on tonight is Elephant Hive. They are a crazy rock duo who play really short cuts of instrumental experimental rock. The idea and the energy is great but, from a drummer's point of view, the drumming is a little too over the top and sometimes doesn't sit well with the guitar. It feels at times that the drummer's choices are kind of unnecessary. He even uses an upside down champagne bucket (of sorts) at times which mostly sounds great but has its moments where it is out of place. The guitar riffs are actually good but there are some "songs" which feel totally unfinished, such as Tom Shush, which suddenly stops as it was just getting going. They certainly have talent but just feels too much like a jam band at the moment.

3/5

Almonim Metim

I've reviewed noisy punk outfit Almonim Metim (Anonymous Dead) before and even played a show with them (with Woolly Boy) but each time I tend to hear something new. On the surface, they are just a "shouty band" but beyond singer Anastasia's screams, there is Amit's jangly guitar, Benjamin's soulful bass lines and Ben's interesting drumming that give them something a little different. It even sometimes brings up elements of surf or 60s rock which not many expect to hear in "screamo hardcore punk." 

The screaming does get repetitive at times and this isn't the most energetic I've seen Anastasia (one time she came up to me and screamed in my face). The band in general are a little agitated already by the age restriction hindering friends from coming in, so that might have something to do with it. I think they have something special musically but the vocals could do with more dynamic changes to keep in with the dynamics of the music itself and just to keep things that little more enticing.

3.5/5

Methods

Methods are another band I've reviewed before and I liked them then and I like them now. The music they do is quite refreshing, not just in the Israeli music scene but in general. Their music reminds me of bands like Therapy?, Incubus and even Three Days Grace all sort of mashed up together. They use dynamics and sometimes changing time signatures which are interesting but sometimes sound messy. They nevertheless do have some catchy songs, like Sub-dimension, which makes me smile!
 The sound in the venue isn't helping them all too much. It could just be where I am standing but it all sounds pretty scratchy and unclear. The rest of the crowd, as small as it is, are moving a bit but I think might be going through the motions. Methods' sound could be considered a little too mature for some show goers. Sometimes, people just like to switch their minds off when they go out and listen to very angry people play very angry music... angrily. Methods have melody, precision (at least try to) and follow almost pop-standard writing formats. Hence the name, probably. It's methodic and well thought out. Although there are a lot of bands that you can say that about, with Methods, it's somehow more apparent. They've got to get tighter playing-wise, but musically, they have something good going on.

4/5

Knees Please

I've reviewed Knees Please before, both live and on record, I've seen them a bunch of times and even did a show with them and I've tended to really love them. Now, however, I'm not all that into it.
This show in particular consists of all new material that I am just not feeling. Besides Barry The Lizard, which is an interesting groovy number, everything else is just a bit too long and uneventful for me. They're still a heavy band and have great stage presence, but sometimes my head can't deal with 30 minutes of only 5 songs. This is unfortunately one of those times. I may be alone, though, as others are headbanging and "moshing" away and simply liking the heaviness. 

3.5/5

Eternal Struggle

I only recently reviewed their latest EP and am most likely going to do more of a write up of their upcoming EP release show, so I'll keep this short. Eternal Struggle are doing groove based tough guy hardcore and they are doing it pretty damn right. I think it's still lost on most of the crowd here tonight who, again, are just enjoying the intensity of the music. The Sick Of It All cover of Take The Night Off only sees a few people, like myself, actually singing along to it. There is still some movement and audience participation but I am never going to stop finding the fist raising and the "hey" chanting misplaced and generally quite annoying. That's just me. Call me a snob, if you will, but I just think there's a time and a place for it and an Eternal Struggle show isn't it. There should just be bodies running about the place and high kicks and bloody faces. These guys need to get to Europe and they'll get the reaction they deserve.

4.5/5

Ganza

With a new vocalist and new drummer, Ganza are practically a new improved version of the band I saw a while back. Whereas I previously likened them to basically trying to be Alice In Chains/Guns n Roses tribute act, new singer, Max, takes their sound into more Pantera territory. Despite having the same songs, everything just somehow sounds a lot heavier and I am digging it more this time around. Butterflies, especially, comes out sounding great and everything is made even more entertaining with Max spinning his hair around.
By this point in the night, there isn't much of a crowd left, but those who have stayed are running around and some even singing along. Ganza might still be nothing special, but they have improved.

3.5/5

It may not have been the biggest turn out I've ever seen for a show like this, but it was a massive result for the Elifelet charity. Well done to all involved.  


Thank you to Assaf Bergerbest for the photos (where labeled). 

See Jeronimo's session for Live From The Garage

Some years back, I was impressed by a fairly unknown band called Jeronimo after seeing them play a show (pretty much to no-one) at Koro. A few years, one EP and hundreds of shows later, the band are just moving up and up. They recently won the Kochav Met (A Star Is Dead/Dead Star) competition and are soon (I hope) releasing some new material. Instead of waiting for the next release, the film crew of Dybbuk Studio and the Garage rehearsal room in Tel Aviv bring to you Jeronimo playing 3 of their latest songs. 

Despite having a more garage rock feel on their self titled EP, the band's newer songs really showcase the band's more post-punk influences, adding more groove, jazzier chords and an all round darker edge. Dear Tee 'O almost touches upon stoner rock, with a massive pounding groove which suddenly involves into a more progressive sound while still being punk rock. Fast Walker manages to start off in a Fugazi fashion, with a solid bass line and shouting yet veer off into Muse-like operatics, courtesy of bassist and joint vocalist Auriya. Final song, Lions Suspended In The Air, is an erratic number, as it goes from being crazy to trippy and laid back, then to being more aggressive again.

Jeronimo have definitely evolved musically, garnering a maturer and more experimental sound. It's not all my cup of tea (just because I don't really like long songs too much) but they are certainly a band to look out for.

Spraygun War Is Buckcherry Gone Dubstep

I am seriously unsure of how to feel right now. Despite other people's views, I still like Buckcherry. I loved the self titled debut, I liked Time Bomb, they then had some hits which were "ok", in my opinion, and the more recent FUCK Ep and Rock n Roll album had them sounding more like their old material again in parts. I've even been known to admit to having a bit of a man-crush on frontman Josh Todd, despite looking like a tattooed Willem Dafoe in hindsight. Mr Todd and Buckcherry guitarist Stevie D have created a side project that goes in a completely different direction to their hard rock roots.

Spraygun War is the duo's new dubstep style outfit and no...it doesn't seem like a joke. Personally, their track OMG could be sooo much worse....but it could also be sooo much better. I don't have that much of a problem with dubstep in general but this isn't even all that creative for the genre. Josh Todd's rapping (yes, rapping!) lacks any real substance. Josh tries to tackle the tricky subject of war and religion but it comes off like a cliche activist preaching to passers by. The chorus does have a bit more bite to it but on the whole the song is pretty weak. Even the guitar stabs don't do much for the track.

OMG's video is annoyingly pretty well shot; simple yet affective. It does feel weird to see Josh Todd acting younger as time goes on. In the video for their expletive cover of Icona Pop's I Love It, the Buckcherry frontman is sporting a NWA cap. In this video, he is sporting his very own Spraygun War cap. That's right! They already have their own caps!! Along with the tattoos, the chains, the wifebeater and shooting the video next to urban graffiti, it's all slipping into Escape The Fate territory and is, quite frankly, embarrassing. 

All that being said, I respect them for attempting something different to the more traditional hard rock they normally do. It shows that they're more open minded than some "ageing" rockstars, although it could be an attempt to "get down with the kids". Spraygun War's Ep Into The Blackness is due for release June 10th. Guess what... I'm probably going to check that out purely out of curiosity.

Therapy? release new EP along with new video Tides

 It's been almost a year since the release of Therapy?'s Disquiet album (see my review here), and now they release the Tides EP. The EP features the Disquiet track Tides, as well as 2 new songs and a remix of their track Insecurity. Along with the EP's release, the band release a video for the title track.
 The track takes in a little bit of influence from bands like Husker Du, with a catchy chorus and fuzzy guitars throughout. The video is a little complicated for me to fully understand, but is probably open to interpretation. It aptly takes place at a seaside, in keeping with the song and the song's back story of how frontman Andy Cairns would watch waves from a pier when in need of inspiration. 

 As a side note, this song, after listening to the Disquiet album pretty much on repeat for a good part of last year, subconsciously influenced some of my newer material for Woolly Boy. They might not be a typical punk band, but there are elements of it in there. More importantly, they know how to write a hook!

Yotam Ben Horin's new video for California Sounds

Yotam Ben Horin has been a very busy bee the past couple of years. He's managed to get an album out for his hardcore band Spit, do extensive solo touring, work on new material for legendary Israeli punk band Useless ID and put out his latest solo album California Sounds. 

The catchy and beautifully crafted title track of the album is now accompanied by a simple yet poignant video which sees Yotam playing guitar and singing by the hotel sign that the record's front cover was shot, as well as taking in a few local sights.

The song might be in a slightly different direction to what Useless ID fans would expect, but Yotam has been able to show his proper song writing chops for quite some time now. Also, sometimes you just got to slow things down a bit. 




Yotam is currently on a massive European tour as part of Joey Cape's (Lagwagon) Stitch Puppy tour. The tour is in its final week which sees them in Austria, Italy, Switzerland and back in Germany.

Live Review: Kids Insane/Spit/Azor @ Levontin 7, Tel Aviv [3rd March 2016]

With the smaller, more punk venues closing down, more shows have been cropping up at Levontin 7. Tonight sees the return of Kids Insane, with their new guitarist, with support from punk supergroup SPIT and the strange choice of rock band Azor.

Azor

Poor Azor! They've been through the wars. With both drummers and bass players coming and going, guitarist and vocalist Yuval has had a lot on his shoulders to make sure his songs still get heard. Tonight is the first show for new bassist Ofer. Out of all previous bassists, he is the most metal. He alights the stage with a raised fist and plays the entire set with the same posture and charisma of a thrash bassist. He brings along that crowd encouragement that you see at metal shows, such as the "hey" fist pumping and mouthing the words. He even gets down amongst the crowd. He's definitely done this all before and shows no hints of nervousness.

Although musically not being totally in keeping with the rest of the night ahead, Azor's mixture of progressive hard rock and stoner seems to be causing a stir amongst the crowd. Although I've witnessed them have good reactions before, I don't think I've ever seen this much dancing at their shows. It could be that most of those dancing are close friends of the band, but it did encourage others around to join in, creating quite an electric atmosphere all round.
Azor's material does still sometimes come off as dated, reminiscent of Black Sabbath and Led Zepplin, but the creative drumming from Alon makes things a whole lot more interesting. As well as purposely showing off on the fittingly titled The Drummer Is Crazy, High Temp Flight's opening groove displays his talent from the very start of the set.
They may not play my favourite track from the High Tempo Flight album, Natasha, but Port City Girl comes close and has me singing along to as much as I can remember of the song. They also play a new song entitled Muse which does not quite sound like the band of the same name.
Yuval still gives it all he has on stage; his solos get better every time. Despite me being sceptical of the new bassist being "too metal" for this band, Yuval and Ofer seem to have gelled really quickly. Hopefully, this lineup will stick and there will be more shows as fun to watch as this.

3.5/5

SPIT

Consisting of Useless ID bassist/frontman Yotam Ben Horin on guitar, his brother Nadav on vocals (Sweatshop Boys/Mondo Gecko/Shifka Chiefs etc.), Kids Insane frontman Corey Swift on drums (also drummer for Mondo Gecko/Backliners/Tamutamen) and Kids Insane bassist Nadav Rotem on..well..bass, SPIT seems to have been born to bring back the 80s/90s hardcore punk of minute long songs you can skate and/or smash windows to.
 As the band basically play their 18 track debut album, Poison In Your Head, in its entirety, there is not quite as much of a reception dance-wise as there was for Azor. There might not be as many people familiar with the band or the record, but those who are sing along and raise their fists to the likes of To The Bones, R.A.M.B.O, Poison In Your Head and Restart. However, there is a good and obvious reason for the lack of movement; everyone is so engrossed in the spectacle that is Nadav Ben Horin that all you can do is stand and stare in wonder. With the others also playing with intense faces and joining in on vocals, the band as a whole give the performance every hardcore punk band should give.

 As the band zoom through all their quick-fire numbers, the set comes to a close with Flag II. As their longest, slowest and grooviest song, it is the perfect closer and gives Nadav more room to go absolutely bat shit crazy as he exclaims "I SPIT ON YOUR FLAG!". Nadav is known for his eccentric behaviour on stage, almost always ending half naked somehow. Tonight, he goes a little bit further, as he crawls into the "dressing room" area through the hatch, microphone still in hand, and tries to make his way out the dressing room door into the crowd. Unfortunately, the cable isn't long enough, so he returns with his trusty ladder and towers amongst the crowd to eventually dive on top of them for one final crowd surf.

  SPIT need to get out into the States and Europe and I'm pretty sure they will gain a much wider fanbase than they already do. It is pure hardcore punk that's well written, meaningful and still packs a mean punch.

4.5/5

Kids Insane

Both Azor and SPIT seem to have warmed the crowd up nicely as now everyone is up front for Kids Insane. As I write this, I admit that my memory of this is a bit hazy. This is one of those times where I actually got quite involved, doing a bit of dancing and shouting along. However, I can still say that they were totally on form, and even more so with Ofek from DUST now on guitar duties, who also did some great back up vocals.

  As always, the "classic" Kids Insane tracks get a great reception, with fans shouting along and a good amount of pushing and some actual hardcore dancing here and there. Tracks like Story Of A Lonely Street, Frustrated, Don't Need This (personal favourite) and Spread It All Over get the biggest receptions, as well as Same Shit, Different Scene and Love creating some sing alongs.
 With a new album almost ready to drop, the band play some brand new songs, such as set opener Black Burnt, Varicose, Slave and Overthinking. These don't seem to sit well with everyone here tonight but I am personally impressed. Some people simply don't like change and the new material is considerably different to their earlier work. Although Kids Insane may have always had The Bronx in mind as an influence and may have also had a similar "swagger" at times, frontman Corey has really moved his vocals into rock 'n' roll territory, making the influence more apparent. They also seem to have written a few more refrains and hooks which did have some people already repeating and singing along to but could become even more popular at future shows. I am definitely eager to hear and review the new album (hint, hint) as it seems even more up my street than some of their other more recent work. It'll also be interesting to see how different it is in general to their previous records.  

4.5/5

All photos by David "Doh Doh" Rosen