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The Waiting Game – Bend Or Break

Screamo, indie and punk rock: three main ingredients that Belgian band The Waiting Game put in their blender and contorted into a cocktail of fresh tunes. A dash of '90ies feel and their amazing talent top off their debut EP “Bend Or Break”. Hailing from other Belgian bands as Campus, The Violet and Get Off My Shoes, these fellows already earned their merits in the local scene and are ready to break some glass ceilings. Emotional, heart-driven tracks and a passionate, energetic live set will lead them onto bigger stages and venues soon.  If you're into Get Up Kids, Brand New and so on The Waiting Game might be your next revelation soon.

– David Marote

Shit Outta Luck – New Generation

Hardcore punkrock at it 's meanest and rawest, that's what Shit Outta Luck is aiming for. And bull’s eye is exactly what these Antwerp punks have achieved with their first EP “New Generation”. Five raging tracks clocking in at a total of over ten minutes. Pure vitriol regarding life, work and all that other shit that keeps us from being truly happy. Starting off with the national anthem of Belgium as an intro and “Der Fuhrer” as an outro proves that no restraints are at hand for Shit Outta Luck. Streetcore raging through the speakers is what you'll get and if you disagree the fellows will gladly take a dump on your chest and if you're lucky they might not even wipe their asses with your face. Oh, and they will also be playing a GG Allin cover set at Eindhoven Classic Fest later this year!

– David Marote

Night Birds – Mutiny At Muscle Beach

Surfpunk! Night Birds are one of the bands I have been following on my radar for a while because they just kick ass! They are straightforward, ‘no holds barred’ punk rocking madness. Giving the fact that these fellows recently released their latest album “Mutiny At Muscle Beach” on Fat Wreck Chords they had to be doing something right. Their previous album “Born To Die In Suburbia” has already been spun to smithereens on my record player and “Mutiny At Muscle Beach” is sure to receive the same destination. Mixing old school ‘Hey ho let's go’ punk rock with more surf-orientated sounds leads to the blood pumping tunes of Night Birds. The fellows of Night Birds are chock-full of adrenaline and energy when playing live, bouncing back and forward off the stage as if their live depends on it, delivering a raunchy, edgy performance. Just the thing that punk rock should be all about.  “Mutiny At Muscle Beach” is a must-have for those who love energetic music that oozes out of the speakers.

– David Marote

Homer – Loved Loss

“Loved Loss” is the latest EP from Belgium hardcore punks Homer. The band has been paving the way for Belgian hardcore and punk for over 17 years and vocalist Johan even runs his own record label named Funtime records. So these guys have earned their merits in the scene long time ago, and still continue to amaze the scene with their epic live performances. And now with a new EP called “Loved Loss”. Six new tracks will make you jump in the pit and wreak havoc on all around. Homer's typical style of hardcore and punk rock with the trademark vocals of Johan ranging from straight-up screaming to melodic clean parts are being supported by the magnificent musical talent that this bands holds. The guitar parts sound better than ever before, the drums are spot on the beat, not too much, precise and all leading to one epic release by Belgium's pride. If you haven't seen Homer live over the years then 2016 is the year you need to drag your ass out there and witness this live monster. You won't regret it, RMP guaranteed.

We Came As Romans – We Came As Romans

We Came As Romans has been paving their wayward way for about ten years now. With their latest album, simply called “We Came As Romans”, this five-piece from Troy, Michigan, illustrates once more they are not afraid to reinvent themselves. Of course you’ll hear the clean vocals of Kyle Pavone, although far less auto-tuned than we’re used to, and the typical positive message We Came As Romans stands for. But you’ll also hear a lot of clean backings from screamer Dave Stephens and more modest intermezzi with samples to build up the contrast between the sing-a-long pieces we all know so well with this band. We even hear Dave rap in “Tear It Down”, a song that could just as well be released by Linkin Park or Papa Roach.  The only downside on this album is the simplicity of the musical arrangements in comparison to their older songs. The musical instruments seem to be of secondary importance to the samples which seem to be in their turn in function of the vocals. Nevertheless, this album has a couple of songs you have to listen. For example, “The World I Used To Know”, “Blur” and “Defiance” are tracks that in a live setting will be in line with older hits like “To Plant A Seed” and “To Move On Is To Grow”.

– Frederik Geuvens

Zebrahead – Walk The Plank

“Walk The Plank” is already the twelfth studio album of Californian punk rockers Zebrahead. Their straightforward, ‘I don’t care what everyone else thinks’ attitude is once more reflected in these 13 songs of pure happiness and absurdity. This whirlwind with black and white stripes will make you dance in no time! Who could stand still with instant classics like “Who Brings A Knife To A Gun Fight?”, “Headrush”, “Save Your Breath” or “Wasted Generation”? Of course there’s also time for the more soft-hearted fans. “So What”, “Keep It To Myself” and title track “Walk The Plank” are slower songs talking about typical teenage angsts like not being accepted and change. Zebrahead won’t be Zebrahead when they woud let you end up with any negative feelings, so after singing along with these teen anthems you’ll feel a whole lot better! So cheer up, Buttercup and pogo your heart out with these veterans of punk rock! We are the wasted generation!

– Frederik Geuvens

Baroness – Purple

"Purple" is the highly-anticipated fourth studio album of Baroness. These four guys from Savannah, Georgia, show once more why they’re getting in line with larger acts in the genre like Mastodon or Valkyrie. Their raw sound with wailing vocals grasp you by the throat with just a few occasions to breath normally like during “Try To Disappear” or “Fugue”. Real highlights are “Shock Me”, “The Iron Bell”, with a guitar solo that could remind you of Thin Lizzy, and the heart-breaking “If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?)”. Last but not least the 30 seconds long “Crossroads of Infinity” leaves you with a confused but satisfied feeling with a strange preference for the colour purple…

– Frederik Geuvens

Born Of Osiris – Soulsphere

Illinois’ finest deathcore band, Born Of Osiris, has treated us once more with a mathematical masterpiece! Their fourth studio album “Soulsphere” is drowned in airtight guitar riffs with a mix of heart-breaking and beastlike vocals. As a listener you will get sucked into an unworldly universe with no chance of escape before the end of these 12 highly technical tracks. Of course because of the tight mix everything could sound too generic, especially the drums which are triggered to the maximum. The excessive use of sound samples could be positive or negative, depending on the listener but I think if Born Of Osiris can pull off the tight performance on this album in a live setting, no one would dare to whine about the samples. Highlights on this album are the very catchy “Throw Me In The Jungle”, “Illuminate” and “The Louder The Sound, The More We All Believe”. The outsider on the album could be closing track “The Composer”. This song begins with the typical Born Of Osiris wall of sound but ends with an interesting techno/classical composition. A real ‘ear catcher’!

Yotam – California sounds

This album is what every singer-songwriter album should be: light, easy-listenable and catchy. Still, the songs do sound a little alike and there isn’t really one that has the ‘wow’-factor. So it’s a good album to relax to, to listen to on a Sunday morning, but it could use some spice, some twists to the gentle guitar riffs. Lastly, I have to say I do appreciate the song’s subjects. They’re not all about love, like so much music is nowadays, but about more refreshing things like the singer’s grandfather and the fleetingness of time. So all in all, this is a good album if you’re looking for something simple and calm, but not if you’re more into something provocative and novel. 

 

– Renske Gommer

Moments – Hopes & Dreams

The Belgian melodic hardcore revelation Moments has finally found the time to record their first full album, “Hopes & Dreams”. The album starts off with the instrumental “Faith”. This ‘djent-ish’ and heavy intro immediately sets the tone for this super tight album. Each song corporates light-hearted twostep grooves with earth-shaking breakdowns, clean-cut riffs and the ever positive hardcore message. The only downside on this album could be the monotonicity of the screams, but we are eager to turn a blind eye on this when hearing songs like “Brothers”, dedicated to their friend Koen Daems who passed away last year, “Lost Souls” with the beautiful instrumental intro “Lost Thoughts” and “The Architect”.

– Frederik Geuvens