Radio Bikini is an odd name for this relatively raw hardcore/punk act who delivers four songs of fast power chords and frantic shouts/screams in around a minute each. "Inhale You Sucker" has a little more of a typical crust punk drive to it, but there's not much variation from song to song for the most part. They tend to stick with the speed and the straightforward approach without much deviation from the path. Not bad, but a little tedious in terms of all sounding basically the same. The recording also leaves a little to be desired since it's kind of thin and rugged for my tastes, so I can listen to it, but I might feel a little more power coming from the songs were the sound thicker or barely cleaner. I don't have a problem with rough recordings, but sometimes it can get in the way and hold a band back. On the other hand, Makiladoras, another Dutch band, offers two tracks of heavier, crustier material with killer female yelling vocals that contrast the thick chunkiness of the music well. Oddly enough the distortion they're using on the bass and guitars is kind of like a rawer take on the Sunlight sound, and they do indeed break off a couple of metal riffs that sound akin to early Entombed or something of that nature!? Very unexpected, but definitely a nice blend of influences that leaves me wanting more. They could also benefit from a thicker sound, but a better balance of the rough edges is achieved here, so they're able to inch by. The black and white sleeve has a nice looking illustration on the cover, while inside is a pretty good sized booklet of lyrics, artwork, and explanatory content from the bands. Both of the acts sing in Dutch and provide either translations or song descriptions, and each attacks a variety of socio-political topics: Radio Bikini taking the more direct and pissed off approach, while Makiladoras are appropriately somewhat darker and more sinister in their dealings. To be totally honest, while not a bad band, Radio Bikini simply isn't doing much for me on this split, but Makiladoras saves the day and certainly comes across as a band that I'll be looking out for in the future.
[Underground Punk Support]
Running time - 10:00 (approximately), Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Inhale You Sucker, Rekenmeester]
Underground Punk Support - http://go.to/upspunk/
