I recently discovered a French band that delivers the goods, as we say. Punk and Hardcore, French lyrics, strong as Hell female vocals, fast and melodic. It has all the ingredients to make you jump like crazy, and it has that powerful and harsh bass line. Top-notch, mates. Faucheuse is a quartet from Bordeaux, with 2 releases so far: “Faucheuse” and “Rêve Électrique”. Both are a punch to the jaw and a kick to the back! Violent music, with a melodic side. Their music is quite addictive in the sense that you press PLAY and we you notice it, you have reached the end. Ok, one can assume that the music is so weak and hollow that quickly passes by, leaving no mark; yet it is the opposite. As mentioned before, this is fast Punk, ruthlessly grabbing onto your throat! Rock n’ Roll poisonous licks! It kills you, with passion. This dichotomy is very French, right? The melodic and the aggressive personas, mixed, confrontation of emotions… I like it. Faucheuse is that monster truck that opens its way through monotony, with class. I advise you to check it, swiftly.

The Basque Country is up there as one of the strongest locations for Hardcore Punk, in my opinion. Before Mendeku Diskak started spreading the disease, bands like Eskorbuto, R.I.P. or Kortatu, were doing their thing and leaving their mark. Jump flash to 2024 and we get the new release from GURS, “Gerran Bizi Gara”. I was not aware of these lads and must thank the almighty Hardcore-Punk-Oi-Post-Punk paradise that is the YouTube channel No Punks in K-Town for keeping me updated on the best sounds. GURS is a Basque band that sings in Euskera. Their first recording is the 2022 self-titled EP, “Gerran Bizi Gara” being its consequent follow-up. And well, this is straight up cool. Punk, Post-Punk, a bit of a lot of things, which is great. A dynamic sound is what we need, right? The Post melodies really give the record depth and body, if that makes sense. Bands like Chain Cult or Brux, that mix sounds and different inspirations, really help people to open their ears to all things different. Not that GRUS is such an odd, and hard-to-understand specimen, but being aware of this diversity will most definitely help the listener. I love that the atmosphere is all dark and haunting in a beautiful, and non-aggressive, way. Post-Punk has always had this aura, very industrial coldness and concrete texture, and we have it here. Great, indeed.

Allow me to present to you a band I discovered a few days ago: Face the Pain. “Straight Edge Hardcore... The Old Way”. Is there any other way? I guess not. These lads sound old, and old is good! I do love some details that make me, from the get-go, believe it will be a top-notch release. You got the Jordans (the MJ 4s), the lad jumping for his life, the colours, the font… details that have been used for years but have always been a sign of quality. Musically speaking, they sound very good. Melodic, energetic, very straight to the point. It’s that sound that makes you dance, jump, and just feel very happy for just being alive, you know? This is, as written at the beginning, an Old School sounding band, and a very short, yet effective, race! Under 9-minutes, “Demo 2024” shows a band that knows its path, its sound. Gives us moaaar!

Still on the Hardcore Punk world, we welcome the return of Punk Oi! lads in Castillo. This is the work of one Alex Zambrano (COMBAT FORCE, CRIMINAL OUTFIT, REPEAT OFFENDER) who started CASTILLO during the lockdown of Spring 2020, and quite quickly grew to be a force to be reckoned with in terms of the Punk Oi! sound. This time, we get 1 new track and 1 cover. Has their sound suffered any change? No. it is still that Punk Oi that calls out to all Punks to join in and dance, drink, have fun, and revolt! Castillo’s sound has never been limited to the standard lines of Punk Oi! although it holds to directives, of course. Their sound has hints of a different modernity, if that makes sense. Lots and lots of melody, lots and lots of that hearable energy. Castillo is just one of the best at their game at the moment!