Utopia Platafórmica

2021 - Sounds & Sights of Hardcore Punk Worldwide Below, some of the berst Hardcore Punk releases of 2021. Many will follow, some might have been forgotten, but these ones are sure to blow your mind, mates. Nightwatchers - "Common Crusades" (Lovely Records, 2021) Kronstadt - "Quai De L'Ouest" (Une Vie Pour Rien Vinyles / Destructure 84, 2021) Beton Arme & Violent Way (Primator Crew, 2021) Bootlicker - "Bootlicker" (Static Shock Records, 2021) Contempt - "Contempt" (Mendeku Diskak, 2021) Ogro - "Ogro" (Mendeku Diskak, 2021) Collision - "Sur les Troittors" (Une Vie Pour Rien Vinyles, 2021) Turquoise - "Hantise" (Les Choeurs de L'Ennui / Symphony of Destruction, 2021) Golpe de Gracia - "Ustela" (Tough Ain't Enough / Tambores de Guerra / Punk Mchine Records, 2021) Ghetto Gospel - "The Price you Pay" (Tambores de Guerra, 2021) Infame - "Demo I" (Medusa´s Lair Records, 2021

Kronstadt – A Punk Revolution I dare say it is easy to see that I enjoy French Hardcore and Punk, a lot. There is something about their way of writing, of composing melodies, which are right on the money! The fact they choose to sing in French is another win in my book. North to South, East to West, all around the geography of this beautiful country there is, at least, one Hardcore Punk band that is killing it! This time I head off to Lille, to speak with the very nice lads of Kronstadt – go search the event if you are not aware of it already – and their latest release, "Quai de l'Ouest", which is on my Best of The Year List (my list is long as f@ck ahahah)! Ladies and Gents… Kronstadt.   Greetings from Portugal. How are you living these moments and, more important, how are you thinking of promoting this album – "Quai de l'Ouest" – given the pandemic we are going through?   Hi, from Lille, thank you for your interest, it's nice. We have indeed

Nightwatchers – "Common Crusades" (Lövely Records, 2021) The French Hardcore scene is enormous, and spreads throughout the country, which is amazing! This leads to a variety of sounds and approaches to the genre, making it, in my opinion, one of the most exciting Hardcore scenes in the World. These chaps are the perfect example of exquisite music from outside the capital: Toulose is the place, and Punk is the game. Nightwatchers have been around since… actually I have no idea, but do not see it as a mandatory information, for their music – and their music's content – speaks much louder than dates.   The other day, while spinning this amazing release, I started thinking on how to label such a band. The label "Punk" sounds very scarce and not a complete description of the band's sound, but who am I to say otherwise… and the label Punk does not come as an insult, no, no, no! The thing is, their music sounds so fresh, so different, so capable of fitting a

2021 – Sounds & Sights Ruach Raah – "Misanthropic Wolfgang" (Signal Rex, 2021) Xerión & Ereshkigal - Split   (Independent, 2021) Diabolical Fullmoon - "The Pagan Wolves Will Rise Again" (Putrid Cult, 2021) Stingray - "Feeding Time" (La Vida Es Un Mus, 2021) Glemt - "Eclipsing Through the Womb of Twilight and Dementia" (Inferna Profundus Records, 2021) Scowl - "How Flowers Grow" (Flatspot Records, 2021) Archgoat - "Worship the Eternal Darkness" (Debermur Mortis Productions, 2021) Arna - "Dragged to a Luna Grave" (Signal Rex, 2021) (interview on its way) Atrium - "Ancient Spells" (Signal Rex, 2021) (again: interview on its way) Cuir - "L'Album" (Offside Records, 2021)

2021… farewell, my twat of a friend   We have come to the end of yet another year. A strange one, I dare say. These last two years have been quite odd. Nonetheless, I am not talking about the obvious, but especially on how the obvious became a sort of radar for twats and pricks! Sides were chosen, and decisions made… thank you very much, dear Covid-19. Buuut, nonetheless, it was possible to see a bright crawling out from all the darkness that we, Humans, pushed Humanity into: Music. Music is always the best. Feel sad? Music. Feel happy? Music. Feel feelings? Music. Music? Music. Is this a sort of Top _insert digits_ of the year? No. I did not check enough music to structure a decent list, but I can throw in a few releases that made me tremble down there. Surprise, surprise: it will be mostly composed of Black Metal and Punk Hardcore, and many of the releases I did enjoy will surely be left out, for forget it I will… sadly.   No Top 10, 20 or 666, just a few releases (and more

Oldarkor - Punk: Mezua eta Dibertsioa Euskal Herria es conocida por la calidad de su Hardcore Punk Oi! Hay algo en el agua, seguro. Al inicio de este año he tenido la oportunidad de hablar con un grupo que ya tiene algunos años, y que sigue llevando la bandera del Punk Oi! bien alta. Seamos honestos: si es Punk, y viene del País Vasco, seguro que me va a gustar. Jaun-andreok, Artea sortzen dutenen hitzak: Oldarkor. Bienvenido y gracias por la oportunidad de conocerte un poco mejor y de hacerte conocer (o recordar) a la gente de Portugal. Y aprovecho la oportunidad y pregunto: ¿qué sabes de la escena portuguesa Punk Oi? Aupa! Eskerrikasko por acordarte de nosotros. La verdad que no conocemos mucho la escena portuguesa a pesar de que no lo tenemos tan lejos jajajaj. Hemos visto a las bandas Facção Opposta y Falcata en el BBC y ya ha caído algún chupito de jaggermaister con algun miembro según me dicen mis recuerdos borrosos de aquellas noches.   Por lo que he visto en los últimos

Klanen - Melodies Beneath Despair & Loss The entity known as Klanen gave its first steps last year, and since then it has shown a tremendous growth in terms of releases and artistic creation. A one-man demon, that unleashed one of this year's best releases (in my opinion): Μνήμα, Klanen, Celestial Sword, and The Oracle. October saw the release the Single (odd thing in Black Metal, I reckon), "Masks Beneath Masks", that confirms that Klanen is a Beast of an Artist. Ladies and Gents, a few words from the man himself: Klanen We are here awaiting for the new album, correct?! Correct.   Welcome and thank you very much. How have you lived through these immense days of confinement, states of emergency, pandemic... you name it! How did you adapt to this new reality?   A.L.: Hi, my pleasure. It has been rough but I've been powering through it. I did not imagine the pandemic lasting as long as it has, but thankfully, I have been able to keep creating to help keep my h