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[hardcore]

ARTIST/TITLE

59 TIMES THE PAIN / TWENTY PERCENT OF MY MIND

D.F.L / GRATEFUL

DIE KRUPPS / PARADASI NOW

MARILYN MANSON / ANTICHRIST SUPERSTAR

MR HANGPIKE AND ADAMS LEAFS / INDUSTRIAL TECHNO GROVE CORE

SOCIAL DISTORTION / WHITE LIGHT, WHITE HEAT, WHITE TRASH

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59 TIMES THE PAIN TWENTY PERCENT OF MY HAND [BHR052] [BURNING HEART RECORDS] 1996

I might have a personal problem, but I can't help to believe that swedish hardcore always sounds like something I've already heard. It's been so until I heared swedish 59 Times The Pain which is SLIGHTLY different. Their debut album "Twenty Percent Of My Hand" is a fast and intense hardcore album with a dirty hardcore sound with a "Pantera-style" drumsound. Thanks to that mixed sound, I think thay could attract a wider audience and not just the punkrockers and hardcorefans but also some heavy metal fans. They manage to squeeze in 12 songs on a less than 30 minute album, which is pretty cool. 59 Times The Pain is a promising band and has got a pretty good chance to stand up to the well positioned swedish bands Refused and Fireside.

Christofer Sundberg, Spindrift Catalogue

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D.F.L GRATEFUL [EPITAPH] 1997

The sequel to "Proud To Be D.F.L."; "Greatful.." became the last dead fucking album from "americas most hardcore"; D.F.L. since the band broke up this spring. "Greatful" is a brilliant example how this type of hardcore should sound like.

D.F.L. creates music for trained ears and "Greatful" is not any easier listened than D.F.L.'s other albums. The songs "The greatful song", "Prove me wrong" and "It's all in your head" are straight and fast songs with simple and strong messages in the texts. These three songs raises above the other 14 songs on this one track, 27 minute album which is a humoristic, different and a very agressive hardcore album which should be a welcomed addition to any hardcore CD collection. "Greatful" requires some listening though to really get into the wierd world of D.F.L..

Christofer Sundberg, Spindrift Catalogue

Die Krupps shows with "Paradise Now" that they really are the # 1 band in the techno metal hardcore genre. Die Krupps has matured since the "A Tribute To Metallica" album which I believe was just a poor attempt to attract a new audience.

"Paradise Now" is a thirteen track album and never gets monotonous. Their constant experiments with wierd sounds mixed with a really heavy metal sound ends up in a impressive mixture. Die Krupps has also put more sense in the texts and not just stuff that the audience want to hear. They mix wimpy songs like "Fire" which more sounds like euro disco with songs like the fast techno-hardcore song "30 Seconds" and the totally awesome openingtrack "Moving Beyond".

Christofer Sundberg, Spindrift Catalogue

I don't really know what to write about Marilyn Manson himself and the band. They are so surrounded by rumours and stories by now that you don't know what is true or false. One thing that is for sure; "Antichrist Superstar" is one of the most appealing albums ever. It is strange music but in some way music for the large crowd.

Marilyn Manson (or Brian Warner as his real name is) is a really interesting personality with thoughts that has some roots in satanism. The titletrack tells Mansons own story and so does the other songs more or less. The texts are strange and instantly gets into your mind and sticks there night and day.

I believe "Antichrist Superstar" is an ambitious and very well done project and Marilyn Manson might be a travelling zoo or not, but I can't wait to see them live (if they are allowed to cross the border).

Christofer Sundberg, Spindrift Catalogue

Swedish Mr Hangpike brings the hardcore genre to a new level with their somewhat messy techno-hardcore. This four tracked CD is the first (but not least I hope) from MHAAL and is a large step in the right direction but is still a bit to hard for me to appreciate to 100%. The music is noicy and fast but the lead vocalist Jonas Wahlstroms raps is a bit too low recorded to be heard enough through the music.

Mr Hangpike has choosen a difficult track between techno and hardcore and has succeded in finding a straight and fast middletrack which is worth all attention.

Hopefully, Mr Hangpikes next album will be released from an appropriate label, that takes their innovative music straight to the target group, who ever those might be.

Christofer Sundberg, Spindrift Catalogue

Social Distortions latest album shows that the old punk rock band still rocks even though this album is missing the old Orange County punk rock sound. Then, the fact that Social D kicks ass live compensates the new albums missing "kick-ass".

"White light, white heat, white trash" is a really good album and shows that Social D has matured without loosing the old base-sound that was built up during the days of "Mainliner". This is the first album for the new drummer; Chuck Biscuits (former Danzig and Black Flag drummer) who replaced Christopher Reece.

Christofer Sundberg, Spindrift Catalogue