The latest (and best release to date) from Teenage Disco Bloodbath Records is a self-titled "discography so far" CD (the band is still active, after all) from underrated German metallic hardcore/punk bruisers Perth Express—compiling 23 tracks for damn near an hour's worth of material (and few duplicates—only the last four tracks from the band's demo appear elsewhere on the disc in re-recorded form). And I guess these dudes are just admirably fucking productive, because represented are their "s/t" LP from 2006 as well as their "s/t" 10", split 7" with Hellström, and demo from 2004. They're also yet another band who inadvertently describes themselves frighteningly accurately on their MySpace page:
We like down-tuned guitars, we like His Hero is Gone, we like heavy parts, we like Botch, we like fast and in-your-face hardcore, we like Left for Dead, we like blast beats, we like Unruh, we like melodies, we like Tragedy, we like noise, we like Converge...
Seriously, that about nails it. Throw all that shit in a blender and give it a great recording with just the right amount of grit and polish, then deliver it via an array of quick one- to two-minute shots as well as longer, darker, and more diverse compositions that run past three to four minutes, and you've got yourself a fuckin' keeper. Awesome riffs, powerful production, energetic songwriting... this band's got it all. The disc is also handsomely packaged on the D.I.Y. tip in a recycled matte black cardboard digipack with hand-screened artwork in metallic gold ink. The lyrics are all in German, but there are one-line descriptions of the content for each song in English, and thankfully the approach seems to be more personal than political, though such elements do seem to present themselves here and there.
I know I don't currently keep up with everything as much as I tried to years ago, but I'm pretty damn surprised that I had never heard of this band before. If they were from the US (especially Portland or Memphis) they'd probably be fucking "huge" (by hardcore/punk standards—think His Hero is Gone in their heyday). Check this shit out:
Perth Express "Neverending Einbahnstrasse"
Perth Express "U-Turn"
Perth Express "Liebeskontrolle"
Comments
I think they toured last summer in the states with Trap Them…
so maybe there is a chance of getting a name there overseas…
12.17.2007 | By desintegrado
Cool band. The slightly disparate forms of hardcore meshed together work surprisingly well.
12.17.2007 | By Anonymous
good stuff!
12.18.2007 | By klonkk
About to review this myself actually. Really good CD and I love the packaging direction they took. Definitely love the DIY aspect of it.
12.18.2007 | By Jeff
Band is so damn good
1.12.2008 | By Birkir