These five belgian guys have come out with a great sounding melodic hardcore album that you cannot pass up. You must always appreciate the great sounds from Dé Studio and I've gotten to familiarize myself with that great studio's work and it's collaboration with Johan's Funtime Records. The first thing that you notice with this BofD album is that the vocals are recorded at a high level which is great since you clearly hear Teun's amazing and signature voice! For the people that don't like the "shouting" element, I am one that can honestly say that I do love Teun's voice and shouts combo. It's not forced, it's a natural talent. And that's a reason why the band is signed to Funtime! Yes the vocals are a big element but the overall concept of the album along with the honest and well thought of lyrics are worth reading along when you listen to the songs (The well done booklet allows you to follow the band's work). The mix of tech guitars along with heavy breakdowns is worth checking out too! Everything is clearly well done. A part that I have gotten to love is the "Dawn of the world" 2:40 mark until the end of the song. The vocals and guitars bring you sweet harmonies and so much is going on, I often find myself pressing repeat. Or you can get a taste of the great guitar on "Casualties of belief and greed" around 1:55, for example. The ending shout on that tune is so special I fine, reminds me of a classic death metal vocalist finishing off the song with an important point. On the album you also have a good mix of faster skate punk beats which brings up the intensity level for the moshers out there in the great belgian and european scene. "The hobo wears Prada", a track that captures you right away and can be seen on the band's myspace, has to be the hit song and the band is right in choosing it so. "Father's Day" truly captures the writing skills of a melodic hardcore band going over the fence and doing something special for their fans, and for themselves. Listen to that song and you'll know what I mean.

In ending, the guys have come a long way since their demo - "Where Ends Meet Life Begins". On this new album, Teun and the boys re-recorded two tracks from their killer demo to put on this soon-to-be famous album. I'd like to emphasize on one of the two tracks, "Once Upon A Time In The Dark" (the other is "Dawn of the World", mentionned earlier). "Once Upon...", since the first time I heard it on the demo really struck me with it's intro. Classical and hardcore at the same time. Teun, I find, shows us what he's made of on this track with the shouts and great vocal experimentation. This track deserved to be re-recorded again at the great Dé Studio and the band did the good thing. I salute you.

I recommend everyone to buy "The Hangman's Fracture" ASAP. No buts, or whys, or ifs, just do it.

Trevor Leonard is a genius when writing any style of music. Like I mentionned in the EP review, this release is full of various instruments therefore every song differs from one another so you cannot get bored. Skipping a track is not an option, in other words. Having powerful tracks all together is quite satisfying too. Throughout the cd you hear Trev's melodic voice and it truly captures you, it's the kind of voice that everybody loves. There's just something special about it. You can tell with this release that much effort was put into analyzing all the parts and getting help from a good amount of people. I could name songs that standout but really it's up to you to decide. With the variety in this album, some days you might like a certain song and other days another one might get to you more. This is what's unique with Trevor's writing style, he always has something new to show. Great buy!!!

Trevor did a great job with his first EP! This one surprised me. On this release it's really just him and his guitar, compared to the full length with a ton of added instruments. Props goes to him with "It's All Fun And Games...", the first track. It's uplifting with the guitars and you hear his sweet voice not too far into the start of the song. Another highlight is the track "Moving With The Tides", an acoustic song obviously, since this track is also from Procession Came Opposite - his other band (check them out!). Lyrics and song structure in this song are quite special. If you want something different and/or relaxing TSF is the new sound for you.

When people think of Austria, they think of Rentokill, Red Lights Flash, Estate, the great beers it offers, the beautiful mountains, and so much more. A hidden talent from this central European country, NBF, bring their unique sound to the masses of Europe and the world. Influenced by the American skate punk scene, these guys deliver fast, technical, and creative wizardry on their most recent EP, "Charged." Released late in 2006, this release was a hot album that I needed to get my hands on. Interesting cover art follows suit and the booklet offers a pro look, showing that these guys mean business. First thing you'll notice with the release is the production. Crisp/clear sound, but it still has a certain classic feel due to the style these guys bring to the table. The drums, for example, sound really good all through the release - they are solid and real as they can get. The EP starts off with "That's Torn It", a song that gives you the mood and impression for the rest of the cd - tech guitars and fast beats. Jan delivers his patented throaty voice, which you'll become familiar with throughout the album. While listening to the album, you'll have to take a minute and admire the work done on guitar by Tom and Eric. I can see that "A Wilhelm Scream" partnership going on already and it's only getting better. They keep it simple and complicated, and unlike many bands, do not over do it. It seems like they are years ahead! On a side note, don't forget that this band started in 2001 but had a change in sound, which then lead to this EP. Following with some songs, we go to "Poison Ivy" which really "shreds" on guitar, I mean really. The intro says it all. The guitars truly sound mint and gives this song the respect it deserves. Props goes to No Budget Studios in Linz - Austria. Afterwards, "Signs of Science" shows us what kind potential Jan has on vocals. This song is the type which could be a single on any album. "Mediator" follows with a strong and catchy chorus line and brings on screamy back-up vocals which add another dimension. Again, they don't over do it. All in all, a very solid release and in my opinion, a must for ANY collection.

Never Been Famous are only getting better with their sound and rising up in the austrian scene. I know they are new compared to other austrian bands but they are gaining the respect of many through punk rock's elite worldwide. Expect big things from these five Austrians in the coming year. Go buy their merch and buy this EP!

These guys from Croatia have come out with a punk-hardcore album for the ages. Think Propagandhi meets european underground punk, like slovenian punk rockers In-Sane. One thing you will notice at first is that Tin's voice is straight from the heart; you can't have more emotions from a vocalist than this. The lyrics are from the tough times in the band's country and actually are worth listening to compared to other bands these days, strong and important messages! You really have to take a listen! Songs that have strong messages are "Waste of My Time", "River of Bodies" and "Thank You." Don't get me wrong, there's so many more I could mention. Production really makes the vocals blend well together with the music, just the right volume. Cover art is pretty damn cool, same with booklet. The lines notes, after every song, explain what the lyrics are all about and again, you can see that the guys are there to send a message with each and every song. I agree with the description above, this is an album worth hearing and a sure bet to own in any punk collection. Also, as a bonus on the cd you get their two other albums + a video. A complete package one might say!

Bankrupt's most recent album clearly shows that they can play old school/new school melodic punk rock with the best of them today! Think Ramones vs. Screeching Weasel vs. Descendents. Being from Hungary shows that punk rock can touch many parts of this world. With this album and their music in general, it's always good to know that Bankrupt can stick to their roots and don't go off and play what they don't want to/what's popular. This type of punk is not my favorite style or cup of tea, as we say, but Bankrupt really surprised me with "Shorter Than Danny DeVito". Only good things to say about their ideas and style. Rocco has a excellent melodic voice that brings life to the already upbeat songs. And having an album with 22 minutes in length is very important in that regards. Shorty keeps the poppy beat with the drums and helps keep the drive with the music. A song to check out is "18 Now" sung by William, in which he sings the melodies to perfection. You have to love his voice and his delivery; the type of song where you want to press repeat. It's a song that's a bit less upbeat then the others; more focused on melody and lyrics. William, owning Piar Records from Hungary, shows how much passion he has for music and dedicating the appropriate time for all his work. Production wise, this album blends all instruments together, you can see that it was done with a lot of thought, vocal delivery is excellent and being that all songs have their own identity demonstrates that they can deliver on any ground. Interesting cover art as well, gotta love Danny D! Booklet is well done with lyrics and all. "Shorter Than..." is the type of album that everyone can appreciate. Great driving music/cottage music/party music! Good times ahead :)

Solid release with much potential for The Doppler Effect. It's always nice to know that punk/metal is played worldwide. For these guys, think Thrice with elements of metal and hardcore. All tracks have the potential to be a single. In general, guitar playing is fun to listen to and the intro really gives you a feel for the whole album. So tech, fast, and well harmonized. Vocalist's emotional voice bring the songs to life.

It's always interesting when you see punk rock bands covering metal songs. Sun Eats Hours is something special when doing so, thus the reason I got this split. In addition to Nicotine, this split brings out the best in both bands. Production wise, you can't go wrong, everything sounds as top quality as you can get. Songlist at first makes you wonder how they will deliver and as you'll see there's always a way. Sun Eats Hours are at the top of their game and as I was saying, it's special to hear them cover songs like "Enter Sandman", "Ace of Spades", and the great openening track, "Rain." The vocalist has one of the top voices out today and covering metal songs really shows his full potential. So get their albums! Nicotine bring up a solid challenge on here and I find they are the asian version of NOFX, as many people say. Good split in general, can't go wrong with whatever Sun Eats Hours releases :)

Procession Came Opposite have come out with their own style on this release. Think Staring Back vs. a nice chill time at the cottage/beach type sound. The melodies came out really well and speed wise it was not too much; good variance. The type of sound they got with the production really fits the music and the sounds from the ocean and surroundings really give a certain mood to the style. Lyrically it's not amateurish at all, it's very well thought out and intelligient. This release flows like the wind from song to song and there's no need to press stop/pause. Check out PCO's "Are We Gettin Through?" since you'll see that it's fantastic work, in addition to this. Not much else to say but only...listen to this band's music and the music will speak for itself.

This band and this album deserve the highest praise. One of the top 3 releases I've bought here on Interpunk. It's been in my car, mp3 device, you name it, for a while now. After coming out with a solid first release, Mute the Silence, really have made a name for themselves with "Cursed With Ambition". Every song on this release is gold, trust me. The first thing I noticed from this release is the sound, in general. Matt Hyde worked his magic with the mixing so that says a lot, very good choice! So expect the same feel/darker sound as "Exile in Oblivion" from Strung Out. One of the best sounding records in my opinion, and "CWA" is pretty much there as well to be honest. Matt really hit the bullseye soundwise and it makes MTS's music sound umbelievable. Strung Out, obviously, are a big influence in their music. I also see some Boy Sets Fire (Tomorrow Come Today album). Vocally and lyrically, you just have to love what Alex/Ion have done. I especially look at "Sacrifice" and "Ugly Son." Everyone brought their instrumentation to a new level. Guitarmonies, being tech and metal, are very pleasant to hear and Hulio on drums makes you want to see him live! Hopefully this album gets the marketing it truly deserves.