Live Review: Jenny Woo + others @ Zimmer, Tel Aviv [26th April 2018]

Jenny Woo

Shortfuze

Helem

Akrabut

Cyanide

Extravaganza

Extravaganza

Starting off the night is possibly the first classic metal band to play a punk show like this – Extravaganza. Comprising of members from Tel Aviv ska, punk, surf, rock and even psychedelic bands, Extravaganza are the supergroup no-one really asked for (sorry). Their reasonably short debut set consisted of original songs that sound like imitations of Dio or Iron Maiden, as well as an enjoyable cover of Judas Priest’s Breaking The Law. Although the songs are actually good and they all play tight, the overall performance resembles that of a hair metal themed wedding band. Even the band name is something you would call a party band. (There's actually a Lithuanian Black Metal band with the same name but that's an even weirder choice.) Shouting "This is a metal extravaganza" throughout most of the set also just enhances the cheesiness. That said, it doesn’t mean they’re not entertaining. The punks here seem to enjoy it, some who even already knew a song or two. If anything, Extravaganza is definitely a band to get drunk and take your shirt off to.

2.5/5  

Cyanide

Up next are a young local trio called Cyanide (or "Tsee-ya-need" to the locals). I think I’ve seen them before but if I had, this was a slightly better performance. Although they play simple punk rock, including covers of Ramones and GBH, you can tell they’ve been working hard to get things right. There is still a way to go. Some of their original lyrics are a bit childish and the musicianship needs some cleaning up in places, but there is certainly potential.

3/5

Akrabut

Hailing from Haifa (via Russia), Akrabut is a new punk trio featuring members of Nezek and City Rats. In a way, Akrabut is on a similar street-punk/crossover wave as City Rats only with a darker edge. At least it sounds darker live, with the reverb on the vocals almost at maximum. It just overall sounds less traditional compared to City Rats, which makes them just a little bit more interesting and intense. Akrabut have tons of energy which shines through in their performance and takes over the crowd, making he venue really come alive. In the same way that City Rats had both the music and attitude to get a bit of notoriety in Europe, I reckon Akrabut have a similar future ahead..if they want it.

4/5

Helem

Back to more new local talent as Helem (which means something like "foolish behaviour" but can also be a play on the word meaning "shock") take the stage. Being pretty much the same line-up as local Oi covers band Oi Lo! minus 2 singers, Helem do fairly traditional Israeli street punk but with the catchiness and almost mainstream sensibility of Oi. As well as their own songs with choruses that can worm their way into your head, their set's highlight is their Hebrew version of What A Wonderful World which has been changed into Ezeh Hara Olam (What A Shit World). Not only does it show creativity to practically reinvent a classic but to do it another language is always pretty impressive. Helem are definitely up there as one of the most interesting punk bands to come form the scene at the moment.

4/5

Shortfuze

Now we go from a band influenced by Oi to a brand new band that considers themselves purely Oi - Shortfuze. Starting off their first ever show with a little bit of simple instrumental ska (to be fair, ska is pretty simple anyway), the band then play a set of classic Oi. Going along pretty typical themes for Oi such as unity, positivity and how great Oi is, there's nothing too original about the songs. However, their token Hebrew song Oved Shaot (Working For Hours) stands out as the most personal and relatable (for those who understand it, that is). I think that goes to show that you can be more creative and expressive in your native tongue. The band then have the honour of being joined on stage by today's main guest, Jenny Woo, for a cover of her song Here We Stand and Chaos by 4 Skins which get the crowd all excited for her set. The main problem for me throughout this set was a sound issue - the snare drum disappeared. It seems as though the mic fell at some point so most of the set was without any punchy snare drum which was a bit of a distraction for me, being a drummer myself. However, I'm looking forward to some recordings of Shortfuze some time soon.

3.5/5

Jenny Woo

And now for the main event of the night all the way from Canada - Jenny Woo! With an electro-acoustic in hand, our guest finally takes to the stage while enduring the interval watching Israelis and Russians dancing to some of the weirdest techno-pop you've ever heard. Although acoustic Oi might not sound that entertaining, Jenny controls the crowd by teaching lyrics and getting the crowd to join in with both her songs like Sound of the Streets and classic covers like I Fought The Law and Because You're Young. To add to the fun, she makes a competition out of the crowd participation by saying who ever sings the loudest gets a free CD or Vinyl (I think she had a few things to give out). Jenny has an awesome voice similar to that of City Mouse singer Miski. It's got a bit of a harshness to it but more comprehensive than someone like Brody Dalle. Jenny seems super sweet and definitely knows how to get a crowd going but I think she was let down a little bit by the venue's sound. Her electro-acoustic was a bit too crackly for the most part. However, you can't beat a bit of classic Oi!

4/5

Unfortunately I was unable to stay around for The Bad Wins and their collaboration with Jenny but I've seen them a good few times before and they are a fun classic punk band with some catchy songs. I'll try and review them properly another time. In the mean time, a big shout to them and to all who took part in this event. It's been quite the evening!

All photos courtesy of Ella Ben Yakar

Live Review: Lehavoth/Dukatalon/MooM/Aphotik @ Tmuna Theatre, Tel Aviv [29th December 2017]

Lehavoth
Dukatalon
MooM
Aphotik


I think it's been a while since I've been to/reviewed a local metal show, so tonight sees me at the Tmuna Theatre in Tel Aviv to witness 4 local bands who all appear on slightly different parts of the metal spectrum.

Aphotik

First up tonight is local band Aphotik. I can't specify how local as none of their profiles suggest where they are from but Tel Aviv-ish would be a good guess. On stage, they are a very competent death metal band with the odd beatdown reminiscent of more metallic hardcore bands like Irate. Their Theocracy EP/demo is a bit misleading as the vocals lead more towards grindcore growling whereas the live vocals are so much more audible and therefore just a little bit more enjoyable. Think of a more death metal sounding Lamb of God and that's the kind of thing Aphotik do. As new blood goes, Aphotik are a nice surprise.

3.5/5

MooM

Not that it's too much of a surprise to anyone who knows me or even to anyone who reads this blog regularly, MooM are one of the main reasons I am here tonight. Consisting of people from other punk and hardcore bands, MooM are the most exciting powerviolence band in the country (there's just about enough of them for that statement to have any significance). Fronted by Sima (also singer for melodic punk band Not On Tour), MooM manage to blend powerviolence, sludge and hardcore punk perfectly in a way that they can not only play on punk bills like they have mostly been doing but also play a metal show like this and not seem out of place. Sometimes, it's all about the intensity and the enthusiasm put into the playing and MooM have that in spades, as everybody spasms about the stage ferociously hammering and shouting away. As well as regular crowd pleasers like Sacred Scripts and Piguey D'Kirot, there's some newer, more hardcore material which gets people head banging and pushing each other like crazy. MooM have definitely deserved their places on European festival billings and may they be met with many more!

5/5

 Dukatalon

As well as MooM, Dukatalon are my other main reason for being here tonight. Sludge and doom can be a bit hit or miss with me but sometimes I can just hear a band playing and get immersed in their grooves - this Tel Aviv trio is a prime example. I don't think I can name a single song of theirs...but I just know I love them nevertheless.
Although guitarist/singer Zafrir (Tsori)and the rest of the band don't really talk much on stage, it doesn't make the performance any less enjoyable. The band just blasts out their slow, low and heavy riffs which blend with pounding drums and echoey vocals to fill the venue like some sort of cloud of intensity over the crowd. Although the band's music in general has strong Crowbar influences, Zafrir's vocal are more gruff. The newer yet unreleased material even sounds like what Kingdom Of Sorrow (featuring Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed) could have sounded like if the music leaned more towards Crowbar's sludge sound and had tons of reverb on Jasta's vocals.
It is good to see Dukatalon again after all this time. Although original drummer Yariv isn't around to make over-exaggerated expressions, set off confetti canons and generally hype up the crowd, new drummer Maayan does the job of knocking out the grooves with the greatest of ease. I'm now eagerly awaiting the new album!

4.5/5

Lehvaoth

I'll be honest, by the end of the night, I wasn't fully awake and can't remember much. However, what I can say is that I was quite pleasantly surprised by final act Lehavoth.
Having technically been around since 1995, the Tel Aviv band have gone through a few line-up changes. I think this is my first time seeing them. I can't be 100% certain but if I have seen them before, I must have been way more tired than I was tonight or else I would not have forgotten them. The band have a lot of life on stage and actually seem to have a lot of fun while playing their mix of grind and death metal.
Although there isn't normally much room for originality in those genres, Lehavoth are quite refreshing. There's almost a punk-like energy to their performance while still being very much metal - sort of like Napalm Death but sounding much darker. They might not be a band I would choose to see on a regular basis...but I definitely want to give them another go. I would definitely recommend listening to their latest EP Grinder.

4/5 

Photos by David "Doh Doh" Rosen - www.dohphoto.com

Review: Krang - Singalong [January 2018]

Skate punk might not be as big as it was in the 90s but fast paced, melodic and slightly tongue-in-cheek punk rock isn't dead. One example is the hugely fun Krang from Czech Republic, named after the pink brain-like alien from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While the artwork to Singalong does include said baddie, this new album has a more general 80s/90s' pop culture theme compared to it's predecessor Baddest Brain, with titles like IDDQD (a cheat code for the original DOOM game), Kick Ass or Chew Bubblegum (They Live quote) and I Ain't Got No Time To Bleed (Predator quote).

Like before, the tracks on here are pretty short, fast and bouncy with vibes akin to Satanic Surfers, Millencolin and even Sum 41's more melodic side only with slightly more..er..European sounding vocals. Although I've heard stronger accents on records before, you can't help but notice it, especially when mixed with the odd grammatical error. This isn't an entirely bad thing, though - at least they're not pretending and it makes them distinguishable. 

Besides the movie quotes and retro references, the odd song tackles slightly more relatable subjects. King of a Dancefloor, for instance, is an anthem against violent dancing at punk and hardcore shows. Personally, I don't think hardcore dancing is something to be complaining about so strongly but it's clearly an important enough problem for the band...and I respect them wanting to get that message across. Ironically, the song is pretty kick-ass and might make you want to break things!

Other songs of importance include the short and anthemic No Fun In Fundamentatlism (where the Sum 41 vibes are most prominent), the fun and catchy Indian Jones Hates Nazis and Snakes and the band's impressive twist on The Beatles' classic Help! which still keeps the song's original essence while also being faster, harder and generally...more punk! 

I had the privilege to see Krang live in Tel Aviv last year. I meant to write about it but..yeh..never got around to it.. Anyway, as fun as they are on record, they are definitely a band to be experienced live for all their energy and on stage antics. Singalong in particular is just missing a little bit of that magic but is still an album worth checking out, especially if you're not into most modern day "pop punk".

3.5/5

Review: Social Virus - Social Virus EP [20th December 2017]

Although Tel Aviv (and Israel in general, for that matter) has quite an intimate punk and hardcore scene, there has been a lot of new bands popping up lately. Not just ones with members of already established bands but actual NEW BLOOD. One of them is possibly one of the youngest hardcore bands EVER - Social Virus. With an average age of about 15, these 4 friends have already been getting attention for their age alone but as their debut self titled EP proves, the hype is not totally unwarranted.

Social Virus might be young but they have some actual hardcore chops. Consisting of 3 songs in English and 3 in Hebrew, the music on this EP incorporates the musical simplicity and aggression of old school hardcore punk mixed with the more lower tones and breakdowns of more modern tough-guy hardcore. Sticking to what hardcore should be, the songs are all quite personal and from the honest point of view of a teenager, as opposed to just being random songs about hardcore, unity and other such clichés.

Although the song HaShomeret Bat Zonah (The Bouncer is a Bitch), written about an incident involving the boys being refused entry to a punk show, has already gained a huge following alone, I personally wouldn't consider it the EP's stand out track. The 30 second long Still Here might be super short but is the best song by far, from its frantic intro by drummer Guy right to singer Atir's "Bleh!" (which is a bit of a cliché but I'll let it slide). I Was A Kid is also a highlight, not only for the catchy "So much different, so fucking different" chorus but also for the relatable content. Even at the age of 15, you start to realise that life isn't all that easy.

The overall production is more "demo" quality than sounding like an EP. In a way, it works well with the material as it makes the songs sound a little "gritty" but you can't help but think that they could sound even better and fuller with a higher quality mix.

Social Virus as a band are definitely going places but have a bit to learn. One suggestion I would like to make (not that my word really means anything) - you don't need to swear so much to sound "punk" or even more "adult". Obviously, it helps accentuate our frustration but if it gets overused, it can get less effective and cheapen everything. That was advise I was given which I've learned to appreciate more with time.

3/5

Review: The Driers - Sad Party [August 2017]

It has been a while since I've written about Tel Aviv based alternative/rock trio, The Driers. Their 2015 EP, See You In Never, impressed me with its blend of punchy rhythms and beautiful harmonies (read my review here). Their long awaited debut album, Sad Party, provides very similar vibes.

Like on the EP,  Sad Party flirts with the likes of disco-tinged indie, alternative rock and even proto-punk; sometimes within the same song. Although all 10 songs on here are toe-tappers, there's still a bit of diversity among them. Songs like The Slides and Day One use interesting rhythm patterns provided by (previous) drummer Ben which'll get some hips a-shaking, while album opener Delayed, Fifty and Heartworms deliver faster and harder hitting punk rock beats which could have easily caused mass pogoing at mud-drenched music festivals in the 90's. The Invisible Girl also has a 90's feel but far more laid back, reminiscent of the Ash classic Oh Yeh! (the verses actually feel quite similar.)

Squeeze, a personal highlight from the album, teases you into thinking it's a sweet indie-pop song before erupting into an almost Weezer-meets-Violent Soho style chorus which conjures up images of long-haired teens jamming out their angst in someone's garage. The album's title track has one of the most infectious choruses which makes perfect use of guitarist Ronnie and bassist Tomer's breath-taking male-female vocal harmonies (similar to Band Of Skulls or Belle and Sebastian), a trait prominent throughout the band's work.

Although other bands do come to mind at times, The Driers are doing something very special; they manage to have one foot in the British indie scene of the last decade and the other somewhere in California in the 90's. While some Israeli bands who sing in English can come off sounding either too Israeli or like a poor imitation of their influences, The Driers sound totally natural, including some interesting and thought-provoking lyrics (e.g. The flight to my brain got delayed, And when it landed, it was too late..)

Although the mix of the drums, in particular, could do with being a lot cleaner on occasion, Sad Party still shows that the band has the potential for success abroad. Anyone who is a lover of beautiful harmonies, up-tempo beats and the odd dose of straight up rock thrown in will not be able to resist cracking a smile while listening.

4/5

Live Review: Nasty + support @ Levontin 7, Tel Aviv [25th May 2017]

Nasty
03
Ostra Torn

There are some bands that I thought might never come to this country and when they actually do, it's not something to miss out. Tonight, a variety of people from the different hardcore scenes in Tel Aviv have gathered at Levontin 7 to witness the crazily heavy beatdowns of Belgian hardcore crew Nasty.

Östra Torn

Starting off tonight's proceedings is Haifa trio, Östra Torn. I've already reviewed these guys recently when they supported Zaga Zaga and I was really impressed by their doomy/sludgy hardcore. They did a very similar set tonight, set up in a triangle and just making the loudest noise possible. The band walks the fine line of playing loose enough that the music feels more natural and free-flowing but tight enough that no-one is loosing their place and they're all on the same page. The band hasn't got anything recorded yet (soon to come, though, I believe..) but watching them live is essential. You find yourself in some sort of tennis-spectator mode, as your eyes bounce from screaming bassist Nir to more growly guitarist Dean while drummer Ofer goes crazy amidst the heavy riffs and rumbling bass. I think that even when they do eventually release something, this is a band that can also be solely enjoyed live without needing to be familiar with the material. As long as you like things slow, heavy and energetic, you'll be smiling the whole show.

4/5

03

It was quite disappointing to hear shortly beforehand that tonight is 03's (Efes Shalosh) last show, so I think there's a lot of people who have come almost exclusively in support of them. Like Östra Torn, I have reviewed 03 before but with varying reviews. They've definitely become the tough hardcore powerhouse that they are now since the addition of guitarist Lemmy, who always jumps about the stage like his guitar's a kid's toy! With the recent release of their first album This Is Survival, Not A Revival, more people have gotten to hear exactly what this band does and have therefore gained more recognition. I still wouldn't go as far as saying that they're breaking any new ground in hardcore but they've certainly helped bridge that gap between hardcore and metalcore in this country, even bringing both fanbases to their shows.

As always, singer Jenia struts about the stage and the venue floor with his razor blade vocals blasting out of the speakers while the band delivers their Born From Pain meets Madball hardcore with infectious energy that rubs off on the crowd. The track Bruce Lee will forever be the band's Clobberin' Time; like the Sick Of It All song, it's less than a minute's worth of thunderous instrumental hardcore that just gets everyone pumped, making it the highlight of every show. They definitely have the right grooves to get people moving and a general likability but it just always feels like they're lacking something that separates them from the rest of the hardcore world.

 Hopefully, the band are not splitting up completely but just taking a break for a while and will come back with some fresh new material.

3.5/5

Nasty

All these years, I've wondered what kind of people would turn up to see some proper European beatdown hardcore. Tonight, there's a bunch of faces I've never really seen before as well as a few familiar ones. I was still unsure by what the reaction would be as normally any form of hardcore show out here tends to be still pretty "punk" in terms of the dancing and the general attitude. Although 03's set saw a bit of "violence", things went up a notch for Belgian posse Nasty.


Pretty much from the start, the pit has opened up and we see some 2-stepping, spin kicks, windmilling and stage diving as Nasty plough through their low-tuned, boisterous, hip-hop tinged hardcore. Frontman, Matthi, roams about the stage, getting everyone fired up and encouraging all the pit-action. The rest of the band also give it their all on stage, with Paddy (guitar) and Berri (bass) bouncing around and Nash smashing the kit behind them.

To be honest, the rest of the show becomes a bit of a blur as it just gets so crazy (and a literal blur because I took my glasses off to avoid any mishaps). As the band plays hits like Shokka, Lying When They Love Us and Slave To The Rich, bodies start flying all over the place, knocking the monitors off the stands in front of the stage. This leads to Matthi deciding to move all the monitors to the side of the stage and leave the front completely free for stag diving and sing-a-longs.

Whereas you can sometimes come across bands who are in the mindset of just turning up, plugging in and playing, it seems as though Nasty are genuinely excited to be experiencing a show in Tel Aviv, making sure that everyone's having a good time and especially that there's some carnage. There's very minimal talking between songs and nothing gets too "preachy". Even when it gets to the finale of anti-fascist anthem Zero Tolerance, Matthi mostly spreads some PMA instead of getting political.

This has to be one of the most "hardcore" shows I've ever been to in Israel, in terms of seeing some of the dancing I grew up seeing in the London scene. Maybe it's because of my age but I actually felt too intimidated to join in as much as I would have liked to. That said, it was still cool to just watch from the sidelines. Where I once originally thought of Nasty in a similar way as a band like Emmure (i.e. immature heavy music for college jocks), my views have changed. Nasty are simply a tough hardcore band with some solid beatdowns and try to touch upon serious topics in the most aggressive yet also fun ways possible. 

4/5

All photos courtesy of Miguel St Labao

Live Review: Zaga Zaga Album Release Show @ Levontin 7, Tel Aviv [18th March 2017]

Zaga Zaga
Östra Torn
Mitromemot

Noisy Tel Aviv hardcore punk outfit, Zaga Zaga, have released a new full length album. In order to celebrate it, they have invited their fanbase and friends to Levontin 7 to witness the new material live. They have also invited two new bands to open up for them.

Mitromemot

Up first is Tel Aviv based Mitromemot (which apparently means "faggots"). As I'm sure happens in most small scenes, sometimes new bands will pop up made from members of other popular/once-popular bands. Mitromemot consists of drummer Oneg (also the current Haium HaDeomgraphy drummer), guitarist Adi (Deaf Chonky), bassist Benjamin (Almonim Metim) and vocalist Mati (ex-Erev Rav). Having only just put out their debut self-titled EP, this is also their debut show. However, there's already a lot of people eager to see them. The band plays all of the 8 rapid and aggressive songs from the EP (no longer than 1 min 30 secs each) which run in a similar vein to the aforementioned Almonim Metim and Erev Rav. Out of those songs, Savta Coeset (Grandma's Angry/Angry Grandma) stands out the most. Although a song I cannot personally relate to, it simply speaks of the true and familiar generation gap between modern Israeli liberals and their Jewish/Zionist elders. As an added bonus, the band also treats the crowd to an interesting Hebrew rendition of the straight edge classic Minor Threat by the legends of the same name. I didn't actually recognise it due to never having heard the song in Hebrew before but those who get it are singing along and holding Mati aloft. All in all, it might not be the type of hardcore punk I would normally choose to listen to but the band has the right amount of passion behind the music and Mati has turned into one hell of a performer, screaming his lungs out and owning the stage.

3/5

Östra Torn

Man, Haifa has been giving birth to a lot of heavy shit! As one of the bands to have been born out of the demise of Haifa hardcore heavyweights Barren Hope, the next band on, Östra Torn (which I believe is Swedish for "East Tower"), similarly play low-tuned, fuzzy, metallic hardcore. On stage, the trio align themselves in a triangle so as guitarist, Dean, and bassist, Nir can both see equal amounts of each other, the crowd and drummer, Ofer. As they aggressively plough through a thunderous set of Nails/Trap Them/Soulground heaviness, Dean and Nir share vocals, with their different styles complimenting one another well. I basically had a grin from ear to ear throughout most of the set; it just hits that spot in my brain that really responds to crushingly angry music. If these guys can stay around longer than Barren Hope, I can easily see them as a welcomed addition to either Prosthetic or Nuclear Blast roster.

4/5

Zaga Zaga

Yes, yes..I'm having to write about Zaga Zaga again! To be honest, I'm writing this review more to give some publicity to the supporting acts. I've written about Zaga Zaga a lot over the passed couple of years. Although my views on them did change after the first couple of times seeing them, they've since just been consistently fun to watch live that there's never really been nothing new to say. With the release of their self titled album (which some are calling their debut, although I personally consider Year One their first proper album), they've now just added more crazily fast, heavy and noisy songs to their set. Joining classic crowd-pleasers such as The Dancer, (I Just Called To Say) I Hate Your Band and Industrial Estate (my personal favourite due to its interesting question-answer guitar breakdown), new tracks such as Black T and Cancer Man are already seeing the crowd get involved. Razorblade Razorblade, although from the new album, has been in the band's repertoire for quite some time. It's jagged, dissonant groove always manages to get my head moving.

There is still a part of me that finds some of the faster songs flying right by me like a barrage of shouting and shredding, but there are at least songs which have enough balance of groove and rapid intensity which make them one of the more interesting bands in the scene at the moment. Also, every time I watch them, I'm reminded of a quote that a friend read in a band's biography (I think it was The Sonics). It was something along the lines of "If you haven't sweat enough from a show that you can throw your shirt at a wall and make it stick, then you didn't give a good enough performance." Tonight, I was worried guitarist Ben was going to create a fire hazard with what was pouring out of his face onto his pedals! Even if the music isn't your thing, everyone can admire how Zaga Zaga give 110% on stage.

3.5/5

Photos by David "Doh Doh" Rosen