Östra Aros Stormvarning! LP Pretty Shitty Town Records 2021 Third album of this Uppsala based band is out as LP on PST Records. Blue or black LP (250 copies each) is packed in the gatefold sleeve with all lyrics and some pictres (four horsemen, skulls, boots or viking symbols). Together there are 11 songs (on playtime around about 30 minutes) including one cover from Great Funk Railroad but with swedish lyrics - Vi Är Ett Svenskt Jävla Band (We´re an American Band). Östra Aros consists of three rockers (two with walrus mustache) and one skin and this combination makes fuckin´ perfect music which hit you like steamroller in high speed. Rhythm is faster in dirty rock´n´roll style with steel sounding guitar like in Den Sista Striden (The Last Battle), Guld Till Sand (Gold on Sand) or Uppsala Rock´n´Roll. Sometimes you may hear touches of viking rock (Vila i Frid – Rest in Peace where a part of the song is sung a capella or the beginning and main riff of Vanligt Folk – Normál People). All songs are melodic and have catchy refrains – just check Bränna Broar – Burning Bridges, slower Medelklassens Barn (Middle Class Kids) or above mentioned Den Sista Striden. This whole LP is perfect hotchpotch which takes their best from rock´n´roll, punk, blues rock or metal. Vocals are rough just right and it fits perfect to the music. This music drag you in even if you will not understand the lyrics. This is as perfect as their previous album!

Some of the last releases from Combate Brutal were French bands/projects and the last LP from them is in that way also. Cœur Vaillant (Brave Heart) is project with Dave (guitar) and Jibé (bass and vocals) from bands such as Tchernobyl, Faction-S, Toholl´s or Chrome Reverse for example. How it is with the drummer I can´t say. The band released three songs demo on tape this year and this is what you receive now on single sided LP with black or whit cover (100 copies from each). First two songs are from the boys - Mercenaire (Mercenary) and Croix de Feu (Cross of Fire) and the last one Porte Tes Docs is cover Boots on his Feet from Scottish Skin Deep. Rhythm is slower with nice and catchy guitar (Mercenaire with sounds of battle) and both members are helping each other with vocals. I really like (and I was quit surprised with the topic) second piece Croix de Feu which sounds like Portuguese Gume (many chants and slow rhythm) and it is dedicated to French organization founded after the 1st World War (on lyrics sheet is their logo). Cover from Skin Deep is smoother then original version from 1985. LP and graphics are perfect (illustrations from Dürrera, Burgkmaira, Morrise and Wood-Stevense), inside is paper with lyrics, band photo and short thankslist plus big A2 poster with the title picture. I also like the band logo. If you like bands who know how to play something more and something out of standards, this is directly for yo (but it is sold out I think) so check them on https://coeur-vaillant.bandcamp.com/. Really great tunes.

After the split tape with US band the Sentinels (which was released last year and review can be checked here) are these four songs from this Portuguese/brazilian project out on single sided LP (300 copies on black wax). LP is out due to cooperation of five smaller labelrs. All songs are in their native language - Nova Praga (New Plague), Odiados e Orgulhosos (Hated and Proud), Valhalla and Transvessais (originally written for Honor Ferox). Songs are faster and the end of the first piece Nova Praga is perfect, the last one Transvessais is most chatchy and I have to mention also refrain and solo in song Valhalla. According to the cover you may see inspiration in bands like Hammer and the Nails or Battle Ruins and somewhere you may hear also Templars (Odiados e Orgulhosos). Cover is black/white and on the back side of the cover are lyrics, photo and thankslist. I gave 9 to their split and I will keep it because all songs deserved LP version. The band has made some new songs (vocals will be recorded soon) and one of them will appear on compilation which will be released on United Riot Records

Third (and probably the last) album of this band is out again in DIY style 30 years from their foundation and you may check 11 new songs on it. Two of them (Matka – Mother and Kupředu! – Forward!) have lyrics from the Viktor Dyk poems (Viktor Dyk was nationalist Czech poet). Again you may found here many historical and patriotic songs – 805 which is about fight between Slavs and Franks, Obrana národa (Defence of the Nation) and Nebezsští jezdci (Sky Riders) is about resistance in 2nd World War and No 311. Czechoslovak Squadron RAF, Pravda (The Truth) and Ve jménu kalicha (In the Name of Calyx) are about Jan Hus and his followers. There is also very personal song Matka (Mother) Válka s mloky (War with Newts) inspired by Karel Čapek novel and lightened last song SKblb (SKAjerk). Music is in middle rhythm and the qualities of the band members are rising – there are some guitar and bass solos (for both check Válka s mloky, Nacionalismus or Nebezští jezdci) and for bass the last song SKAblb. Musically it is difficult for listening and it is not kind of music for relax – like old Straw Dogs for example. Booklet is ok – lyrics, pictures/photos to them, section “what the poet mean”, few words about the album and band photo. For me the best album from them.

Second full album from this Polish band is out as CD on TNT Tunes and as LP on Contra/Tough Ain´t Enough Records. Together you may check 13 songs including one in Polish (Pamietaj) and one in Spanish (Incapaz) and the rest is in English. The band has changed its lin-up compared to previous releases but they keep playing in four with two guitars. Since the tunes of the first song One of the Million it is still very melodic with perfect solo guitar (just check solos in Always Too Late or World of Your Own). Lyrics are quite serious - One of the Million deals with 1. WW and Battle on Somme, 1905 is about Bloody Sunday which was workers uprising in Saint Petersburg, The Other Side of Reality is about the fact that some people are trying to get closer to their photoshoped idols from media, On the Right Track is about false promises of politicians which disapeared after the elections or The Boats Are Coming about migration and the fact that new Babylon statrs falling. You may also find simplier lyrics like Real Man´s Therapy which is classic ode to Friday evening or Stay Lazy, Stay Rebel. CD is done as nice digipack with photo near Mermaid of Warsaw and lyrics inside. Who likes melodic stuff will like this album as well.