THE WRONGMEN formed early in the year, and by July had released the excellent “Den of Vipers” cdep, one of my personal favourite NZ albums of all time. This short-n-sweet crusher was a mixture of hectic punk death’n’roll of great urgency with flashes of technical genius; all ending on the tumultuous Western journey of “Bacteria Disguised as Men”. Having recently changed drummers (with drummer Dmitri departing and being replaced by Ben from STREETKUNT), there is no end in sight for these guys any time soon with a new 7” in the works and a full-length to follow that.
During the year, THE WRONGMEN played everywhere from Tentacles of Destruction house parties to opening for Some Girls at the Kings Arms, as well as venturing to Wellington a few times. Tthere's no doubt that THE WRONGMEN will continue in 2007 to push boundaries in hardcore punk through a committed effort to create original and passionate music, with little or no regard for pleasing anyone other than themselves.
The upcoming 7" will feature two brand new tracks as well as a cover song on the b-side. More information will be announced shortly. |
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It has certainly been a varied year for DAMAGED. Their "s/t" cd, released in January, proved to be an excellent documentation and tribute to their energetic live show, receiving great reviews from wtihin and outside the punk community. After adding second guitarist Mike Schibli (STRANGERS), DAMAGED played and toured relentlessly throughout the country; billed alongside everyone from DEATH BY STEREO and BOUNCING SOULS to hardcore veterans RINGWORM, topping it off by touring the North Island in September with the legendary MADBALL.
DAMAGED will undoubtedly continue to ruffle feathers with a vicious lyrical approach targeting the various corruptions that exist in society as a whole, and indeed also within the hardcore commnunity itself. With a whole batch of new songs that will be put to tape for a full-length in 2007, you can be certain that religious fundamentalists and their ilk should be ducking for cover. And of course, the intensity of the DAMAGED live show will surely maintain its position at the top of their agenda, proving that real punk hardcore doesn't just come from pushing buttons in a studio.
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THE WARPATH have had a huge year. Starting the year as the longest running hardcore band in New Zealand; they released their first full-length (following up the “BCH” and “Born ta Fight” demo and cdep) entitled “Nowhere to Run” in January. Undoubtedly one of the most spiteful and angst-filled records released in this country, the album inspired a reaction within most people who either hated it or loved it. The song “Boondock Saints” also appeared on the “Hardcore Cinema” 7”. After a consistent year of touring, the band then continued with a thoroughly successful voyage to Australia, playing Stronghold’s last show along the way. Unfortunately, the year ended on a down note with the revelation that an end was too come, with the band announcing their last show to be Hamtown Smakdown later this year. This will certainly be an occasion to remember and I would recommend that anyone who appreciated the continued commitment of The Warpath to underground hardcore punk with a message should try to be there.
For the future? When asked, Dylan (vocalist) said "Jeremy (WARPATH drummer) has a new band underway that will be playing soon where he does vocals; I’ve got something in the works as well but nowhere near ready yet. Everyone should support ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES and the other good real hardcore bands who keep the ethics alive."
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In a year of chrysalis, STRANGERS began under the name GUEST STABS HOST, playing AMR’s Pessimist Fest in Hamilton in January. Following the release of the “Hardcore Cinema” 7” (which features the GSH track “Groundhog Day”) a hiatus began until an entirely new entity unfolded in July at Sharkfest. With a new set of songs and changed line-up (Kalem O'Brien replaced Simon Rodger on bass), STRANGERS were redefined completely (although the name change didn't occur until a few months later).
The band then appeared alongside RINGWORM at Hardcore 2006, played Punkfest in their hometown Wellington; and embarked on a full NZ tour with friends DIAL (a new Wellington act that you should stay tuned for), visiting the South Island and the rest of the North. It was a thorough success, and gave STRANGERS an opportunity to exhibit the bleak and raw sound for which they have since become known.
The new year signals immediate occurrences - the next week or two will see the release of the brand new "Holding" demo, which features four new songs given in deluxe packaging. Information on this release will be posted on the AMR site as well as www.strangersknow.com.
*** Photo above by Roger Grauwmeijer / Rokpx.com |
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THE WRONGMEN
"(untitled)" 7"
AMR009
Coming soon |
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HARDCORE CINEMA 7"
w/ THE WARPATH, EVIL PRIEST, GSH, BRICK VS FACE
AMR005
Available now! |
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HARDCORE CINEMA 7"
w/ THE WARPATH, EVIL PRIEST, GSH, BRICK VS FACE
AMR005
Available now! |
