Tag: Adagio 830

REVIEW: Sport – “Bon Voyage”

sportHow the fuck is this band not from Chicago? If you played me this record, and I didn’t know otherwise, I’d assume they were from here. Alas, they are not. Sport hails from Lyon, France. If you’re anything like me, they should be your new favorite band.

Sport was impressive from the start. Their debut LP, 2012’s Colors, showed the raw potential the band had. Bon Voyage is a great expansion on that foundation. Coming through is a great punk/emo sound that is melodic and driving. Their sound is right there with CSTVT and Grown Ups. It’s fantastic.

My favorite part of the record, aside from basically everything, is how the lyrics are simple without being trite. The songs are what they are. They don’t rely on any esoteric bullshit. It’s easy to connect. There’s a recurring theme of wanting to leave and go somewhere new (which is pretty on the nose for a record called Bon Voyage). All the songs are sung and played with such heart and conviction. It’s hard for me to imagine any genre fan not being absolutely excited by this record.

Sport
BandCamp

**This record is being co-released by 23 labels. I’ve linked directly to the main label page if there isn’t an item page for this record yet. Keep checking the label of your choosing. I’m not updating this list, because holy shit.**

NORTH AMERICA
Kiss Of Death
Housebreaker

UNITED KINGDOM
Good Post Day
Don’t Shoot the Messenger

FRANCE
Guerilla Asso
Songs Of A Bitch
La Tête d’Ampoule
Impure Muzik
Crapoulet
Voice Of The Unheard
No Routine
Don’t Trust The Hype Recordz

GERMANY
Adagio 830
Pike Records

SPAIN & ANDALUSIA
La Agonia de Vivir
We Are The Daughters
Walking Is Still Honest

BELGIUM
Ruin Your Fun

ITALY
Oceano

AUSTRALIA
Eunoia Collective

RUSSIA
Unlock Yourself

SOUTH AMERICA
Inhumano Records
Seein’ Red

REVIEW: Lord Snow – “Solitude”

solitudeThe term “emoviolence” rarely gets used anymore. It was obviously a genre tag that started as a facetious thing, but goodamn. If it was created to describe bands that mix powerviolence with screamo, then we need to bring it into the discussion here. Lord Snow don’t fuck around. Made up of members of Chicago area bands (Suffix, The New Yorker, Lautrec, and Raw Nerve), this is a band that knows exactly what they’re doing.

Solitude is not a record that you put on as background music. It’s 11 songs that demand your attention for the record’s 19 minute run time. It’s jagged, it’s raw, it’s loud and it’s one of the best things to come out in 2013. If you miss the days of emo music being hardcore, this should be your new favorite record. But, genre discussions don’t really matter in the end. It’s the music that counts.

Solitude is an abrasive record. It may not be for everyone, but even people who don’t like this kind of stuff have to appreciate the heart. The band leaves everything it has on these songs. There is one thing I think about every time I listen to this record, and it’s about how Steph Maldonado even has a voice after recording it. Her scream is raw and it sounds like her voice could give out at any moment.

The rhythm section of Steph Maldonado (bass) and Erik Anderson (drums) lay down a great foundation. Anderson is especially great. He’s able to go from full blast to reigned in at the drop of a hat. Niko Zaglaras (guitar) is able to shift between fast and chaotic to calm and melodic just as quickly. There are some great dimensions to this record that a lot of people are going to overlook.

This is a blood and guts record. The lyrics are great, the music is fantastic, and everything about it works.

Lord Snow
Lord Snow (Tumblr)
Adagio 830
Bandcamp

*Note: this seems to only be available in the US from the band directly (and is currently sold out). So, if you really want a physical copy, you’ll probably have to get it on import from Adagio 830. Bummer.