V/A - Eight Feet Under Vol.1

Labels: Don't Live Like Me Records/IFB Records/Shove Records/Through Love Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 01 Jun 2017

Tracklist:

1. Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Myket - Du

2. Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Myket - Kaktergalen Och Rosen

3. Via Fondo - Hurts Just A Little Bit

4. Via Fondo - Out Of Silence...A Sough

5. Nous Etions - Le Jour Ou La Chevalerie Est Morte

6. Nous Etions - La Dernière Voltige

7. Nous Etions - Heretique

8. The World That Summer - The Standard Gravity Of Impending Doom

9. The World That Summer - Interlude

10. The World That Summer - No Hugs For Lucas

11. Sleeper Wave - Endless Elegies

12. Sleeper Wave - Glacial

13. Sleeper Wave - Counter-Friction

14. Sleeper Wave - Welcome To My Life, This Is Me

15. Youth Novel - VII

16. Youth Novel - VIII

17. Youth Novel - IX

18. Youth Novel - X

19. Lamantide - In Absentia I

20. Lamantide - In Absentia II

21. Pastel - Woodpecker

22. Pastel - Tucano

I'm a little bit out of sync but I knew this review was gonna be a big one so I'm not too worried. As compilations go Eight Feet Under Vol.1 is pretty special, not just as a moment in time but also due to the sheer amount of work that went into it. Twenty two new/unreleased songs from eight bands, from four countries across two LPs; Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket and Via Fondo (Sweden), Nous Etions and The World That Summer (Canada), Sleeper Wave and Youth Novel (USA), Lamantide and Pastel (Italy). Five labels collaborated to release it on five hundred copies of double black vinyl back in 2017. To me this is a snapshot in time of where ZBR was and where it was heading as a label (yes this is a ZBR roster review).

I think the writing of this review is going to be spread across a few nights. I’m not used to writing about this many songs in one sitting, but lets see how it goes. By now, all of these bands should be familiar to you if you’ve been keeping track of my Zegema Beach Record roster review series or indeed of ZBR’s releases in general. 

Starting with an old faithful in the form of Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket and their duo of ‘Du’ and ‘Naktergalen Och Rosen’. ‘Du’ is as dramatic as screamo gets. The instrumentation is at first slightly deeper in the mix with the vocals on top. After the midway-point, the roles reverse and the instumentation takes the lead with the vocals relinquishing their position, as Vi Som’s majesty is opened up. ‘Naktergalen Och Rosen’ is a loverly off-kilter/semi-experimental piece of raw and emotive screamo, coupled with lovely melody. It’s a style that Sweden does really well and Vi Som are probably the main proponents of it.

Next up are two songs from fellow Swedes Via Fondo. Their sound is a lot heavier and ‘Out Of Silence…A Sough’ contains a great deal more urgency. The percussion and guitars initially create a huge soundscape before settling down and allowing the semi-spoken/shouted vocals to take their place. Definitely more emo-centred yet still retaining a sense of anxiousness and aggression. Their second song ‘Hurts Just A Little Bit’ is equally as intense, heralding a more blackened sound in places, while being more succinct. I’m blown away so far.

Because this is a double LP release, some bands contribute more songs than others due to their playing time. Canadians Nous Etions have three and true to form, they’re a bit more to the point. ‘Le Jour Ou La Chevalerie Est Morte’ isn’t the emoviolence blast you might have expected. Instead it’s much more introspective and cinematic. ‘Le Derniere Voltige’ follows on in a slightly more violent form, due to its shorter playing time. Still, Nous Etions do well to keep it musical as opposed to just chaotic. Their final song ‘Heretique’ is probably their most beautiful piece on Eight Feet Under. Don’t think anything else needs to be said about it.

The second Canadian band on this comp is The World That Summer. Given the band’s affiliation with ZBR, they’re an obvious choice. They contribute three songs to it starting with ‘The Standard Gravity Of Impeding Doom’, which begins in almost reserved fashion before exploding into something much more visceral. Heavy screamo with elements of emoviolence and multi-vocals for good measure. ‘Interlude’ is kind of exactly that. Spoken word samples sitting on top of a lowly single guitar melody. It’s quite unnerving actually. Their final song ‘No Hugs For Lucas’ is a gorgeously played melodic/post-hardcore number. As with all of the songs on this comp, it’s a snapshot in time but goddamn it’s a good one.

II I haven’t already mentioned it; this is gonna be a long one! It’s now time for some American screamo in the form of Sleeper Wave and Youth Novel, who between them fit the most songs onto their portion of the split. Sleeper Wave’s up first with ‘Endless Elegies’ and it’s wonderfully arty take on the genre. I only call it arty because of those twinkly, off-kilter riffs. The rest ain’t bad either. The feedback that ends ‘Endless Elegies’ leads you into ‘Glacial’, which is slightly more straightforward song (maybe?). ‘Counter-Friction’  is fantastic in it’s delivery. Abrasive yet melodic and wholesome stuff for sure. It leads into their closing song ‘Welcome To My Life, This Is Me’, which is also their shortest. I’m still completely in love with Sleeper Wave’s guitar work and this is a fine way for them to end their contribution.

Things get a bit crazy when Youth Novel take over, but did you expect anything less? Their four songs are the most emoviolent here. ‘VII’ starts off gently but after a pause it changes into a fast and chaotic best, with an added layer of intensity spread across both the vocals and the music itself. ‘VIII’ is their fastest song but aside from that pace, it’s also got plenty of post-hardcore tendencies including some really heartfelt singing. A real standout for me. There’s a level of complexity to Youth Novel’s music and not in a technical sense, but in an emotional one (if that makes sense) on ‘IX’. Maybe it’s just the feeling I get but it’s feels different somehow. Their closer ‘X’ is a much lengthier player. It leans more towards the instrumental end of the spectrum and with the added rock n roll flair injected by the lead guitar work, it’s a bit of a surprise. 

It’s back to Europe again for the comp’s final quarter. Italy’s Lamantide and Pastel get the honour of closing it out. Lamantide’s two song are adjacent in title with ‘In Absentia I’ being very broody and slow to start, building to a thicker post-metal/hardcore sound that’s pretty dark. The riffs are the main focal point and the sound is more blackened, leaning much more towards metal to these ears. ‘In Absentia II’ has the same grim ambience as it’s predecessor did at the beginning and it follows on in the same vein throughout. Lamantide’s sound is very infectious yet authoritative. 

Fellow Italians Pastel are known for their instrumental and experimental music, and they show it off to great lengths on ‘Woodpecker’. It’s not all instrumental though as they do add some gang-like vocals into it, but the band’s skill is clear for all to hear. Comp closer ‘Tucano’ is the perfect finisher. Relaxing compared to what came before Pastel, but that’s not taking anything away from the others at all. It just whisks you off to a dreamier place for a little while, at least.

To summarise this release should be simple, but it’s not. Hats off to all of the labels involved in it though, it must have been a hell of a task to put it all together. All eight bands brought their own spark and sound to it and that’s what makes it special.

For Fans of: Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket, Via Fondo, Nous Etions, The World That Summer, Sleeper Wave, Youth Novel, Lamantide and Pastel

You can stream and purchase it digitally here:-

Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket - https://www.facebook.com/visomalskade

Vio Fondo - https://www.facebook.com/viafondo

Nouse Etions - https://www.facebook.com/nousetions

The World That Summer - https://www.facebook.com/theworldthatsummerband

Sleeper Wave - https://www.facebook.com/sleeperwave

Youth Novel - https://youthnovel.bandcamp.com/album/youth-novel

Lamantide - https://www.facebook.com/lamantidehc

Pastel - https://www.facebook.com/pastelbanda

Physical copies of the comp can still be purchased from the below links:-

Shove Records - https://shoverec.bandcamp.com/album/8-feet-under-vol-1

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/collections/releases/products/va-eight-feet-under-12-dlp

Zegema Beach Records - CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases/ / 

Don't Live Like Me Records - https://www.facebook.com/dontlivelikeme

IFB Records - http://www.ifbrecords.com

Shove Records - https://www.facebook.com/SHOVE-records

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Via Fondo - Efter, Utan Under

Labels: Through Love Records/Tokyo Jupiter Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 11 May 2014

Tracklist:

1. Avstangd

2. Var Inte Radd, Min Van

3. Jag Vill Anda Vakna

4. Januari

5. Vita Staket

6. Isolerat Kall

7. Morkret

8. Strategi

I realised the other day that I hadn't done one of these for over a week (I promised myself I'd write one Zegema Beach Records roster review each week), so instead you're gonna get two over the coming days. One tonight and one over the weekend, in between a myriad of newer releases. It's been a strange few days as since 23rd of Jan, each day has seen blog views rise well beyond the 1,000 mark and I want to make sure that keeps happening, not for any personal gain (I've been told in no uncertain terms that I can't monetise the blog because it contains 'too many swear words') but because it means that more people are checking out the bands I'm writing about.

Anyway, enough about me and more about tonight's centrepiece. Efter, Utan Under was(or is) the first and only full-length to come from Sweden's Via Fondo. After an initial digital self-release back in May 2014, the album saw a full vinyl release thanks to both Through Love Records (EU) and Zegema Beach Records (CAN/USA) a little later on, alongside a CD release from Tokyo Jupiter Records (JPN). 

It’s not often that I start a review close to or past the 8pm mark (mainly due to my own laziness) but I’ve gone a few days without writing and I wanted to remedy that. Being pretty at ease with life right now, despite the current lockdown and waiting for five records to arrive, sinking into more music only makes sense. Via Fondo is a band that I’ve reviewed here in the past, though that was a few years ago now. Back then it was the Fast EP that caught my attention, which was released in the same year as Efter, Utan Under. 

Opening song ‘Avstangd’ is melodic yet slightly jagged screamo/post-hardcore with percussion and guitar raised up in the mix, and vocals lower down. It’s mid-paced for the most part but there are occasional fast bits as well. I love how the tempo of ‘Var Inte Radd, Min Van’ gets faster even before the full band kicks in. It isn’t a song that sticks around very long though it’s groove and steadiness later on make it one to dance too, if that’s your thing! It’s infectious in the same way that Refused and The Hives are, while being completely separated from both of those comparisons.

‘Jag Vill Anda Vakna’ presents a vey different atmosphere thanks the higher-pitched, semi-clean vocals employed during it’s first half. They really compliment Via Fondo’s music and even when the harsher vocals join in, they’re still prominent. The song’s latter half is instrumental and it builds a whole heap of anticipation for what’s to come. That anticipation leads to the album’s longest, grandest track ‘Januari’, which is a slightly more caustic take on Via Fondo’s screamo with subtle crust elements hidden within the music in places. There’s something really organic and innocent about this album and it’s encompassed within this song. So much feeling was put into this release and it leaps out at you on every listen.

‘Vita Staket’ utilises Via Fondo’s very adept melodic and instrumental skill once again, where it’s plain to see that they favour musicality over anything that could be considered lazy and commercial. That should come as no surprise though. Oddly enough, as you get deeper into the second-half of the album, the music becomes slightly more simplistic and ‘Isolerat Kall’ is a mix of lighter passages and crunching hardcore that gives a sense of two sides coming together. The percussion; however, is anything but simplistic and the off-kilter rhythms produced lead you down an ever deeper rabbit hole that should have been spotted much earlier. It’s great!

Penultimate song ‘Morkret’ brings together Via Fondo’s penchant for classy, structured melody and the dissonant hardcore that makes their heavier moments so engrossing, turning it into the catchiest and most listenable song on the album, at least for me. There’s a repetition amongst it’s hooks that really makes you smile, while the post-hardcore backbone keeps everything grounded. Album closer ’Strategi’ is the polar opposite of the song it follows, instead trusting in the band’s punk/crust influences to propel it forwards in a much more chaotic fashion. It’s hard to truly do it justice but there’s no denying it’s ability to energise and galvanise. In short, Efter, Utan Under is still a release to be proud of and while Via Fondo are silent their legacy lives on. Screamo/Post-hardcore bands seem to live fast and die young (so to speak) but in doing so, they leave a much greater impact.

You can stream Efter, Utan Under and download it (name-your-price) below:-

Via Fondo - https://www.facebook.com/viafondo

Physical copies are still available via the below links:-

Through Love Records - https://shop.throughloverec.com/collections/releases/products/via-fondo-efter-utan-under-12-lp

Tokyo Jupiter Records - https://jstore.tokyojupiterrecords.com/

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec

Tokyo Jupiter Records - https://www.facebook.com/tokyojupiter

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords

Via Fondo - Fast EP

Labels: Zegema Beach Records/Truelove Entertainment (now known as Through Love Records)

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 15 Jan 2014

Tracklist:

1. Not Yet

2. Rovaniemi

3. Secrets

I want to fit one review in before I head out so here's the third instalment in my Zegema Beach Records series, which I started a few weeks back. This time, I'm featuring the 2014 single-sided 12" EP (with a silk-screened B-side) from Swedish screamo band Via Fondo, that was release in collaboration with Through Love Records. Via Fondo has been releasing music now for eight years (though they've been quite more recently). This is the first time I've featured them on here, which I'm a little surprised about. They're part of Sweden's ever impressive post-hardcore/screamo scene, so if you're not familiar with them now's your chance.

There are so many bands in the post-hardcore/screamo sub-genre that major on quality instrumentation and Via Fondo’s is melodic and on the right side of chaotic on EP opener Not Yet. It’s the vocals that are chaotic though, as they’re delivered in the form of harsh noisy screams, dripping with genuine emotion. While the opener nears the seven-minute mark, Rovaniemi is brief by comparison and as a result is filled with an angst-laden level of urgency and it flits between beautifully controlled layers of sound and noise that increases in tempo before reaching it’s peak. Contrasting yet intelligent.

Via Fondo ends this short EP with Secrets, which once again shows their ability to write scream that’s encompassing and cinematic. It’s the instrumentation that.again creates a dramatic atmosphere as it builds in intensity and volume. Midway through, the song changes and becomes slightly more violent. It’s a journey that take you through various highs and lows, as well as the elation that you feel once you’ve made it out the other side. This is another example of why there is more substance in post-hardcore than people realise. The screamo tag is still overused by people who don’t truly understand the sub-genre, but if bands like Via Fondo are taking on their own merits, then they will surprise and excite in equal measure.

You can stream "Fast" over at Via Fondo's Bandcamp page below:-

You can purchase the EP digitally from ZBR here - https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fast-12ep 

Through Love Records has long since sold out of their copies of the LP but you can still buy them from ZBR here - https://zegemabeachrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fast-12ep

Via Fondo - https://www.facebook.com/viafondo/

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords/

Through Love Records - https://www.facebook.com/ThroughLoveRec/ 

Next up will be La Parade...