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)

Live Review: Betzefer/Sinnery @ Barby, Tel Aviv [17th August 2016]

As a youngster growing up in the UK, I didn't come across many Israeli bands when flicking through magazines and the TV channels. Useless ID came up now and again and Rabies Caste was on a compilation CD. However, it was the band Betzefer that I was the most aware of when doing street teaming for the famous Roadrunner Records. They had really hit the big time getting signed to them over in Europe, although I was somehow less interested at the time and never got into them.
Now, the band are back with new frontman, Aharon Ragoza (Shredhead), and new material. To celebrate their return, many metallers across the country have come together at the Barby, Tel Aviv for their comeback show; their first show in 3 years.

Sinnery

Sinnery are one of those bands whose name I've seen posted around town and on Facebook but whom I still hadn't seen. I think I assumed, based on other Israeli bands, that they might be the same as the others and not interest me. Boy, I was wrong!
  I enter the Barby just as the band finish their first song. That one song on its own makes me realise that these guys are different. The band are set up with the drummer on the side of the stage instead of the drum platform, leaving all members stood in a line. This immediately makes their performance more intimate. As the band play on with their Pantera-meets-Sodom style thrash, they do it professionally and effortlessly. Whereas some metal bands act like parodies of the genre, overdoing the theatrics and on stage banter, Sinnery, especially guitarist and lead singer Alon, do it more casually. There's still the requests for a circle pit, fist pumping, an attempted wall of death and general hype phrases, but it somehow seems more necessary.
  The music itself has just the right mix of straight forward old school thrash with added elements of groove and even progressive bits. As I watch and listen to them, I actually felt like I was watching a touring band. If they haven't done so already, they are definitely going to do well overseas.


4/5

Betzefer

On to the main act. With the Barby pretty full by now, Israeli metal legends Betzefer (a version of the word Beit Sefer - "school") arrive on stage to the playback of Eminem's Without Me. This is apt due to the "Guess who's back" line, signifying the band's return. As the crowd cheers and applauds, the band start off with brand new track, Never Been Away, the video of which has already been doing the rounds online. The song's sentiment makes it a good opener for a "comeback show". The band certainly have the stage presence and talent that proves they haven't lost it. Even new frontman, Aharon, seems to have filled the position effortlessly, comfortably taking control of the song and the crowd. Those already familiar with the track are bopping their heads away and joining in a little bit, but it's on next song, Running Against, where things really get going. Coming from their debut full length and only Roadrunner album, Down Low, we start to see some pit action and many people singing along. Although sounding a lot like Hatebreed, zooming along in a hardcore style into a crushing chorus, this is still classic Betzefer. 

The music just keeps flowing, with the band playing the bouncy Copkiller (not a Body Count cover) and the hard hitting Cash. Aharon gets into the spirit of things by spitting and chucking some water onto the crowd (cliché, but metallers love it!) before announcing "FUCKIN' ROCK N ROLL, BAYBEHH!" A mental pit ensues for Fuckin' Rock N Roll, with one failed stage dive from one of the show-goers. He basically just fell in between people. Nice try, though.

We eventually get some interaction as Aharon addresses the crowd. He praises opening act Sinnery whom he tries to point out from the crowd. After realising they're not actually there, he jokes about them being a shit band. You got to love friendly banter! The show then continues with two brand new tracks, Light Away and Hand In Hand To Hell, before someone dressed as Satan, all red with horns and in a suit smoking a cigar, comes on stage. This cleverly leads into one of the bands more sleazy, Southern metal number, The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land from the album of the same name. The song itself and the theatrics work together perfectly, making it an excellent performance. Whoever was dressed as the devil played him pretty laid back and cool but still pretty menacing, throwing his cigar into the crowd at the end. I'm sure that's considered a fire hazard, isn't it?

The band stay with the last album, playing the head banging Sledgehammer (not a Peter Gabriel cover) and thrashy Suicide Hotline pt 2, before Aharon remarks that this is his first proper live show with Betzefer and thanks both the band and former singer, Avital (now in OSOG, which I was totally unaware of before.) After two new songs, Crash and Truck Leaking Gasoline, drummer Roey is left on stage for a bit of a drum solo. It's not the best or most creative solo I've ever witnessed, but anyone who has the strength to do that while having already beaten your heart out on the kit for almost an hour gets my respect. The solo leads into an instrumental jam before they jump into one of the band's earliest tracks, Buddah. You can tell it's an older track as it has a more nu-metal vibe compared to the rest of their repertoire.

After playing Cannibal, the heaviest, most death metal-like track of the night, and the brooding Black Inside, Aharon introduces an audience member who has come from Sweden, apparently especially to see them. That's hardcore! The guy gets the opportunity to stage dive at the start of Doomsday, which sees the place bouncing and joining in on the chorus. The band then finishes the night off with 2 classic tracks from Down Low, Early Grave and the album's title track. At this point, an extra pit has opened up in the back half of the dance floor and things just look amazing from where I am standing.

For my first time seeing Betzefer, I am certainly impressed. The material, both old and new, might not be anything original compared to other bands, with it all floating in between the likes of Hatebreed, Pantera and Hell Yeah!, but it's still enjoyable. Aharon even has a Phil Anselmo look and presence about him. Because of his work with Shredhead and having duetted with Betzefer in the past, he took to his new role like a duck to water. Anyone who didn't know he was a new singer would easily mistake him for someone who has been there from the start. That's a good sign! I wish them all the best of luck from here on in.

4/5

Photos courtesy of Sharon Shapira

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: Metaling Ra'anana - REBORN @ HaMartef, Ra'anana [19/05/2016]

Shredhead

Canine

Unleash The Pain

Ages Of Atrophy

Recently, I've found myself actually heading out of Tel Aviv for shows. I've been to Haifa, I've been to Rishon LeZion and now I've come to Ra'anana to yet another HaMartef (The Basement) for a metal show. As well as mainly coming to support old band mates Canine, I've come to check out Ages Of Atrophy, Unleash The Pain and to see Israeli metal legends Shredhead again. As the venue name suggests, I walk down a flight of stairs decorated with luminous strips/paint to what is apparently a form of youth centre. So it's going to be a pretty sober night, folks!

Ages of atrophy

The first band of the night is Tel Avivian deathcore five piece, Ages Of Atrophy. I have a feeling they may not have done much of a good enough soundcheck beforehand. As the band starts up, it's all a bit quiet apart from the ridiculously prominent double kick. In this type of metal, the double kicks are indeed important but this rendered the vocals pretty inaudible at the beginning. May have also been a mic problem which seemed to sort itself out as the show went on.
  As a drummer myself with sensitive ears, I could hear the drummer sometimes losing pace during blast beats but the impressive finger work of guitarists Ran and Gal takes the focus away. Although I am not usually into deathcore, I do find myself enjoying the band as the set goes on. Some of the beatdowns get me thrusting my body backwards and forth and smiling. I still find the genre as a whole pretty unimpressive and what Ages Of Atrophy play is nothing new but it does seem to hit a soft spot tonight.


3/5

Unleash The Pain

Another band I've never heard of before, Unleash The Pain, take the stage next in a strange costume of torn white T- shirts. Not entirely sure of the meaning behind all that and what it stands for but it seems to be their thing. Could be considered gimmicky but at the same time it does show them as a "united front", as it were.  
  This is apparently an important occasion for the band. Not only is it a comeback show for them but it is 6 years since the band played their first ever show in the same venue. After some mic issues, the band start blasting out some Killswitch Engage meets Lamb Of God style metal. Everything musically and vocally sounds surprisingly quite polished for a live set. Israel's (vocalist) clean vocals on tracks from their Isolated EP actually sound better live than on record. Maybe time and a lot of practice has helped him develop his vocals even more. 
  As well as their old material, the band preview songs from their upcoming album. At one point, Israel says that the next song is called We're Not Gonna Make It. For a split second, I think it's going to be a Presidents Of The USA cover...but I'm wrong. We get treated to another slab of modern metal with some beatdown/breakdown parts. During the set, the band go amongst the crowd, which is always fun. The crowd seem to lap it up.

  Unleash The Pain is certainly not the most creative name I have ever heard. On top of that, the name suggests a more brutal band. There's a little bit too much melody for them to be worthy of the name. But what's in a name? Anyone heard of We Butter The Bread With Butter? 

   Unleash The Pain are worth checking out and are definitely at quite a professional level right now which did not come across as pretentious but quite modest. The white t-shirt costume thing might let them down in terms of being taken seriously, but as long as people judge them on the music alone, they might be ok. I'm interested in hearing the new stuff.



3.5/5

Canine 

Ahhh and now it's Canine.  I will admit that I have come today primarily in support of them but they don't really need it. For some years now, the band has had the confidence and the cojones of a big time band that it's as if they don't really need fans at all. The band turn up tonight with conference-style drop down roller banners with their logo on that take up a majority of the stage. The band hasn't even released their first official album or toured out of the country but have already jumped ahead to such on-stage extravagances. All power to them and everything, but it personally seems a bit too much for a fairly unknown Israeli band who are essentially called DOG. 
  Alighting the stage in a professional style, the band kick of their set with Silence Before Chaos, a fairly old song for their repertoire that has still yet to be released. I am familiar with it from my short lived days with the band, so I'm already going nuts at the get go. It's pure Machine Head, for sure, but it's certainly a great opening song and Ben Saada's more Lamb Of God-like vocals gives it a new twist to the song's previous incarnation. 
  The rest of the band's set also includes some songs which are technically old but are set to be released on the upcoming album, whenever that will see the light of day! Some of the songs take on a more Killswitch Engage vibe with the addition of Saada's clean vocals, which seem to have improved with time. The band also do a cover of Faith Or Forgiveness by The Ghost Inside. My knowledge of that band is close to non-existent so I'm not going to pretend like I knew the song or how the cover compared but those familiar with it are shouting along and getting a pit going.
  As well as both on stage and off stage antics from band members, there is a moment in the set which, for me, is quite sweet. Saada speaks about his former band Eyes Sewn Shut and how they once played in that venue...or something along those lines. He even starts reminiscing with former band members who were quietly standing not so far from me and it suddenly makes the evening all that more intimate.
  Finishing their almost hour long set with crowd members singing and dancing along to their last single, Last Words Live Forever, it's hard to say that Canine are not entertaining. They seem to give the people all the metal cliches that they want in a show and are somehow still managing to just float above the line of generic metalcore. An hour is certainly far too long a set for a band still essentially in their early stages but they pulled it off. It is still a shame (personally) that they completely eradicate all material from their more groove-metal influenced Degeneration EP, but it's a sign of maturity, I guess.

3.5/5

Shredhead 

  Although Canine may seem like the main act of the night, it's Israeli thrash heavyweights Shredhead who take stage to finish things off. I've seen the band once or twice before but it has been mostly to a much larger crowd than this. This is a teen friendly venue in Ra'anana, to be fair, so maybe most of their beer drinking fans from Tel Aviv and elsewhere didn't see the point in travelling over for this. It's a big shame because Shredhead have both the presence and material worthy of a bigger crowd.
  Due to being the end of the night, I will admit that I am unable to recollect particular moments of the set but did find myself really getting into them for the first time. In a world full of attempted metalcore, Shredhead keep things thrashy with added elements of groove metal. With a set almost exclusively made up of tracks from their 2015 Death Is Righteous album, such as set opener LPBZ, the Pantera-like Last Words Are Lost and crowd pleaser Devil's Race, the 5 piece also play a brand new song and classic track from the Human Nature album, Knife In A Gunfight. The latter really gets the die-hard fans headbanging, finger pointing and shouting along. 

 For a headline act, Shredhead's set feels quite short but I think that's a good thing. It leaves the people wanting more and forces them to come to more shows in the future. I certainly wouldn't mind watching them again with more material as I am impressed at how they still manage to come off as current while playing pretty old school styles. It also makes me want to start listening to them more regularly.

4/5

 Well done to Yam Yaffe for putting on a great night. I've come away with some new bands to like and a newfound admiration for Shredhead.

Photos for Ages Of Atrophy, Unleash The Pain and Canine by Shahar Gino. 

Live Review: Hardcore Attack! @ Tachles Bar [Thursday 1st October 2015]

DUST

03 (Efes Shalosh)

Dam Al Zona

Sick Society

Tonight, I come to Tachles Bar in south Tel Aviv for a night of some of Israel's up and coming hardcore bands, including a band I haven't seen or even heard of before.

Sick Society

   First up is fairly new thrash influenced band, Sick Society. I've seen them at least a couple of times before but wasn't really into it. The last time that I remember was at the Zimmer and the whole set was a bit of a mess. Their drummer, Andrey, just wasn't on point; unable to keep tempo and sloppy fills which thus made everything sound very mediocre. By tonight's performance, the band has certainly done some hard work. Andrey's playing is tight, showcasing some impressive blast beats, and the sound over all is better than before.
 They might not be doing anything new but there are parts that make me nod my head and other parts that get a lot of the fans tonight going berserk. Songs like All Nazis Are Bastards and Black Penguin Society are more in the vein of simple street/crust punk, making them sound like many of the other Russian/Israeli bands out here. Other songs such as crowd favourite, The Slaughter, has a more crossover backbone and sounds especially impressive tonight.
  Guitarist, Johnny, plays some really old school style solos which, when he gets them perfect, fit really well and help them stand out a little bit more. Frontman, Alon, looking as thrash as possible, might not have anything unique about his vocal style or presence, but he loves the music and he loves the crowd. He shows that by crowd surfing, managing to return to the stage just in time to continue the song. He also brought a bit of fun to the party at the very beginning by wearing a Lucha Libre mask, but that quickly lost its charm, as it pretty much always does.
  My views on Sick Society have changed slightly and I definitely enjoyed them more tonight than before, they're just not interesting enough right now, although newer songs, The Dancing Monkey and "The Last Song", do show potential and progress.

3/5

Dam Al Zona

   Here's the band I'd never heard of before. Dam Al Zona (lit. Blood On A Whore), are a four piece from Tel Aviv who simply play some crazy shit. They look like they should be playing old school death metal but, instead, have that crust/early hardcore punk sound. The songs seem to be mostly in Hebrew, and due to live vocals for this sort of stuff being generally quite unclear, I couldn't tell you much about what they were talking about, but the songs are short, fast and chaotic.
  Frontman, Yuval, brings some hardcore punk ethos to the performance. He verges on the line of GG Allin, stripping off to his underwear, banging his head with the mic and even letting crowd members kick him and jump on him while he writhes about on the floor covered in (what I hope was) beer. Sometimes, the time keeping on the whole wasn't also kept in check, but it was certainly an energetic live performance worth seeing.

3/5

03

   I've written a bit about 03 (Efes Shalosh) before. They're one of those bands that I've grown to like more and more over time. Especially since taking on guitarist Lemmy (Sintax), the whole stage performance and even the sound are somehow both much tougher. 
   Frontman Jenia has always been consistent. He has sung for both Instinct and Brutal Assault (maybe even others) and his vocal style hasn't changed. Luckily, 03 are musically more metal than the previous bands and thus doesn't just sound like a carbon copy of either one of them. He moves about the floor space, trying to get crowd members riled up and ready to move, which always helps in a performance.  

  No Racism is currently the band's stand out track, with cool grooves and some great "chugs" in the middle. They have more songs in their set than before and the newer ones sound even tougher. Comparisons to bands like Terror and Death Before Dishonour are obvious, although I'm eagerly awaiting the band's upcoming album to hear what else they have to offer. 

4/5

DUST

   Dust! How many frickin' times have I seen Dust now? I can't even count. Over the last few months, I've must have seen them at least once a week (I just didn't bother writing about it.) Yet another band who are meant to be releasing an album soon, these guys and their mix of unconventional stoner time signatures and hardcore aggression just gets me every time. They still practically do the same set over and over again, which, for a band who has to have been around now for at least 2 years already, you'd think would have expanded a little bit more. There are some new songs, but they're harder to get into. I'm ok with odd time signatures but when a song doesn't really settle into a groove, it's hard to follow and enjoy it. That's the feeling I get with some of the newer songs. That being said, I can't wait to hear the new album. 

4.5/5

All photos by Sharon Ronen

THE NEW SLAYER VIDEO HAS ARRIVED!!

  Some of you may have read recently about the filming of Slayer's Repentless video. The movie style filming took place at Sybil Brand Institute, a former county jail for female inmates. Not only did Tom Araya (vocals/bass), Kerry King (guitar), Gary Holt (guitar) and Paul Bostaph (drums) play to a boisterous crowd of "inmates" in the prison yard, but the site was also the scene to some pretty gruesome activity, played out by the likes of Machete himself, Danny Trejo, and legendary Halloween villain Tony Moran. 

   As people would expect from a Slayer video, there's a lot of blood involved. Directed by BJ McDonnell, the whole filming process apparently had a very film set like vibe about the whole thing, and the results prove it was worth it. Although Metallica played in a prison to real inmates for St Anger, not only is Repentless a much better song, but having the whole prison riot/murder spree concept is so much more interesting than a simple performance video.  It's good to see that the band back on form!

Live Review and Album Review: Sintax: Sway For A Better Day release show @ Gargarin, Tel Aviv [30th May 2015]

   Although there was a show at Koro tonight I could have gone to review (my apologies to both Jeronimo and Krokodil Popular, whom I was hoping to give support to, and Regel Sabres, who I don't really know), I have ended up tonight at Gagarin in South Tel Aviv for yet another metal show. Tonight celebrates the release of Jerusalem Metal band Sintax's new album, Sway For A Better Day. As most of the set consists of songs from the new album, I shall be doing my first ever 2-in-1, reviewing both the show and the album.

         Photo by Sharon Shapira

   I have seen Sintax once or twice (I can't really remember) over the last few years and never really paid proper attention to them. I always thought they were good but never all that memorable. Tonight, I have come to check them out with the proper attention deserved and also give support to the two Sintax members I know from hardcore band "03" (Efes Shalosh), Lemmy and Misha. Misha has even turned up in a No Turning Back shirt, which has to be a first for out here.
    There were two supporting bands, Mechanigod and Sinnery, who I missed due to tardiness, but managed to turn up just in time for the main act. Ascending the stage to the sounds of sirens and under quite blinding lights, it is quite an epic entrance despite a low turn out. The band then kicks in to the set opener, the weirdly named Fine Line To Sodomy (track 5 on the album). The song has an amazing opening riff with thrash drumming and basically stays pretty old school throughout the song. The chorus is very headbang inducing, although I'm not really seeing much of that amongst the crowd. The band are putting a lot of energy into the performance. I already know that Lemmy (rhythm guitar) and Misha (bass) are great performers from their 03 shows. Lemmy is jumping every chance he gets as Misha strums his bass with gusto and an aggressive (although incredibly content) expression on his face. Lead guitarist Roi (ex-Shworchtsechaye) keeps reminding me of Shane Embury of Napalm Death; he's a mature (in age) fellow with big hair and a goatee (technically, Embury has a Van Dyke) who plays standing quite still but still oozing coolness. Frontman Yehi (frontman of Caveman King and owner of Blaze Bar in Jerusalem) has great vocals and a proper metal presence but sometimes lacks on the enthusiasm and energy that the rest of the band shows.

    Photo by Sharon Shapira

Next song, Up For The Physical (track 8), is quite classic metal in style, especially with its long and haunting melodic intro. The "Stop wasting my time" refrain is infectious and can be used in any pissed off situation. Throughout the song, the style switches from the more classic metal sound to pure thrash, ending with an amazing thrashy climax. Drummer Nir, who, from where I am standing, is pretty hidden in darkness, seems a bit off in this song. The cymbal crashes didn't seem to be in the right places and the fills often seemed like he was squeezing too much in. Despite that, he continued to play spot on throughout the show. 
    Shooting Starts is a very new song which is set to be put on the next record. It's a heavy and groovy track. The vocal rhythm and general feel of parts of the song reminded me of the heavy parts of a song called Fundamental by PUYA. It's almost on the verge of rap metal and I for one am not complaining. Lemmy is encouraging the crowd with all his might like some sort of knight leading his men to victory. He's so metal, it's not even cheesy...just brilliant. The band then invite Orel from Mechanigod to join in on guitar for I Get It Now (track 7). The song has a frantic intro, with fast paced riffing and chaotic drumming. The song stays pretty thrash throughout and causes major headbanging. At the show, the sound was a bit muffled so everything was a bit unclear. On record, however, the song is clearly a banger with an awesome ending. 
   Title track Sway For A Better Day (track 2) takes us back to a more old school vibe with some solid standard 4/4 drumming which then switches to 6/8 at around the 1:30 mark (yeh...I'm getting all technical on your asses right now!) and back to straight up metal. There's a more modern metal groove near the middle of the song which, at the show, got me swinging my head as Lemmy bounced over the place. Let's Get Mental (track 3) starts slow, heavy and demonic. The guitar melody could easily be summoning Satan [Punkalovich does not endorse Satan worship or the black arts in anyway...although The Craft is a great movie]. The pace then picks up and the "pit" here tonight eventually opens up, although there's still not a lot of people. The song is a great thrash number with changing drums patterns and interesting breakdowns. The "Let's get mental" refrain near the end of the song is something that, with time, all fans will be throwing their horns and shouting along to. 
  The following few songs in the set are newer songs lined up for the next release. Moti (Spawn of Evil vocalist) joins the band for a song entitled Pen Sword, which starts off groovy and then goes full on thrash. Finally, there's a bit more excitement on stage as Moti is properly engaging the crowd with eye contact, hand gestures, a lot of hair swinging and an evil yet incredibly pleasurable smirk. I already liked Moti from when I saw Spawn of Evil first time I came to Gargarin so I'm not really all that surprised. Both Hate People and Most Hated Man In The Universe give us a dosage of both thrash and groove, with the pit opening up again during the latter. 
     The Answer...The Name... (track 6) marches itself into thunderous double kick and chugging guitars followed by blast beats and fast riffing. The song itself, especially on record, sounds a lot like classic Metallica, which isn't a bad thing at all. I didn't really get that feeling live; it just came off as raw death metal. Either way, it's good old fashioned fun!

Photo by Sharon Shapira

   The band then treat us to two covers. The first song turned out to be You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Seasick Steve. Unexpected and interesting cover song choices are always a thumbs up in my book. Even though I had a feeling the original was not even a metal song (the slide guitar was a bit of a giveaway), they still played it their own way which had me far from thinking it was a Seasick Steve cover. This song was then followed by a proper hardcore bassline from Misha. As soon as it started I thought to myself "Don't I know this?" Ex-Instinct frontman/current 03 frontman/current Best bassist Jenia who was standing next to me then asks me "This id Pro-Pain, right?" Pro-Pain are one of my favourite bands so I was going to kill myself if I didn't recognise this. It wasn't until the "Outta my way! I'm coming like a freight train right on through ya" part of the chorus that I realised that this was Don't Kill Yourself To Live and my wish for a band out here to cover Pro-Pain is actually coming to fruition. I thought it might be one of the more hardcore or crossover bands so this is a great surprise. I of course move from my comfy spot at the bar to try and put some life in the empty space by singing along at the front of the stage. Even Lemmy coming down into the crowd for the whole song didn't really get anyone excited. THIS IS PRO-PAIN, PEOPLE!
   After a new, more hardcore sounding song entitled Lunch Time Funeral and the fairly progressive and melodic Four More Years (track 4), the band treat us to yet another new song which doesn't even have a name. The song itself reminds me of the Stampin' Ground song Officer Down. The vocals seemed to run the same and had a very similar groove (I'm using "groove" a lot in this, aren't I? I need to find a new word...) 

   All in all, I am glad I came tonight to celebrate with the band and see and hear them properly. They both surprised and impressed me with there mixture of classic metal, hardcore and thrash. The newer songs sound great and I am now very eager to hear what is yet to come. Sway For A Better Day is a great listen. The fact that it's mixed, mastered and partly recorded by the legendary (in my eyes) Mark Mynett of long forgotten Manchester electronic metal band Kill II This in itself is pretty cool. Everything is played to perfection and Yehi's vocals sound immense, sometimes even more heavy on certain tracks than others. The only thing that bugged me at first were the toms. Maybe it's because I am a drummer and I pay more attention to these things, but the toms are incredibly high pitched and also quite high in the mix. After a while, former drummer Rom's impressive musicianship trumps the actual tom sounds and it all seems to work. Although this album didn't make me jump for joy and isn't breaking any boundaries, it has it's moments and will please many a metal fan.

Live: 4/5
Album: 3.5/5

Thanks to Sharon Shapira [Facebook] for the photos.