If you are looking for fresh wood for the Spring months ahead, Death have rolled out four new pro models this week that will be heading to your local skateshop very soon. Dan Cates has three new models on the shelves, one of them a joint CRV WKD deck with Rob Smith which is rad.
The Cates Cowskull comes in at a whopping 10.5″ in width and 33.5″ long. Patrick Melcher’s new rig the ‘Clash’ is 8.25” wide, Cates’ new Scurvy board is 9.75” and the CRV WKD model is a superb 8.75″.
Didrik Galasso has some of the smoothest skating we have seen in a while and the Levitation Room soundtrack makes it look even better. Take your pick from a bunch of amazing footage that takes Skate Edit of the Week.
That no comply though…
It looks like AntiHero have a new video dropping next week. Yeah, only 4 months after the release of Destination Unknown that came out of nowhere. It’s premiering in the US on March 19th to fuel this latest Vans collab so expect some news on this for the UK soon.
Raketkanon / Brutus live at the Stillery
Camden, London
9th March 2015
It’s very easy to get jaded about music. To not bother with support bands, to not open your ears to new sounds, to sit in the pub with your mates before the main band rather than getting in a bit early to check out something new that you might not have seen or heard before. True lovers and believers in music always dream and thrive off the possibility that the next band you could see might just be the one to change your life, your new favourite band. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it feels pretty damn good. Tonight it happened with Brutus.
They come from Leuven, the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. They feature Stefanie Mannaerts on drums and vocals, Stijn on guitar and Peter on bass. Stefanie, with her supermodel features, leans back behind the drums and begins to lurch and roll around the kit, peeling off effortless blast beats and breakdowns, carving out technical rhythms, adding both ethereal and harsh vocals to the post-rock guitars swirling from the amps. It’s a massively impressive sound and look and you will be hearing a lot about Brutus over the coming months. “Trouble comes in threes. So does Brutus,” it says on their website. You have been warned.
As soon as Raketkanon hit the stage following a howling call from frontman Pieter-Paul Devos, a rhythmic explosion graces the venue with what seems like a charge from a lightning bolt. Precision beats from Pieter de Wilde keep the thumping bass lines moving only forward as they ascend into their set list. It’s the calling card for what’s to come as this lot are like a spring coil and nobody standing in this room has a clue what’s about to go down. All we do know though from the off is that it’s going to be amazing! It’s one of those nights.
We are only two tracks into the set when drum bastard Pieter de Wilde stands up and launches his high hats into the crowd with force, breaking them instantly, only to find himself back at the kit with just his ride for company. It’s only a few minutes after his ‘breakables’ are replaced and de Wilde is at it again; uncontrollably leaving his kit to reveal superwoman-like, red satin pants. He pulls them down from behind his monk-like cape at speed before he runs through the crowd, his old man swinging in every direction, crashing through bearded onlookers who hit the floor startled!
Some bands can try and have spontaneous moments in their sets and pull it off, where others fail and slow down the set, but this lot ooze class when they are in full swing; not missing a beat, riff, or a tweaked vocal harmony. Singer Pieter-Paul Devos has even invented his own language to accompany Raketkanon’s monstrously heavy musical arsenal, so he’s hardly able to fluff his lines as he screams and writhes on the floor upside down.
Those thinking this is all guitars and stabbing bass riffs though be warned. Jef Verbeeck’s sick guitar noodling on the mellow moments and his ability to make his rig sound like stone death when pushed to 11 is just one side of this band’s crown. Lode Vlaeminck’s bass synth steez is a technical display of keyboard infused butchery. He’s surrounded by pedals and knobs, flashing lights and volume controls, as his fingers tweak and deliver a soundscape of terrifying sounds, some reminiscent of hammer house of horrors. It’s a masterclass of sound production that all seems to mold together to create perfect cacophony with an eeriness that will have your teeth grinding into your gums.
There’s no need to rattle on about what songs they played because discovering a band for the first time live is all about getting to know how it works, especially when there’s intrigue ahead of a band performance like this. A combination of new tracks from their forthcoming album RKTKN#2 were heard, including the much blogged ‘Florent’ alongside ‘Herman’ and ‘Anna’ from their first album, aptly titled RKTKN#1. The set flowed to perfection, people’s jaws were left on the floor and there was no need for an encore.
Devos left the stage with blood streaming down his face – nobody knew he actually had knocked himself out in the chaotic curtain closer! We all left with hearing problems and stoked grins.
Raketkanon are pulverising live – pushing the boundaries of punk rock and metal forwards with a nuclear armed Sherman tank and should be seen at your earliest convenience.
Ph: Brutus in full swing.
Have another look around the new CANVAS built skatepark in Peacehaven with Black Sheep’s Jiri Bulin and Drawing Boards crew fam Louis Antoine and Isaac Miller get stuck into the fresh ‘crete down there. That sun dial will be coming in handy soon.
You know this bloke’s got the best pop in the game, well DVS thought they’d remind you of Luis Tolentino‘s skill set. It goes way further than ollies.
A VICE documentary on the life and times of Judge? It’s coming. Watch this trailer and get hyped on the first part dropping March 16th.
Drug Church
Swell
(No Sleep Records)
A great deal has happened since 90s alt influenced punks Drug Church‘s debut LP, Paul Walker. Vocalist Patrick Kindlon has released a number of records with his “main” outfit, Self Defense Family, the band have toured the USA multiple times, and have an upcoming European tour with Title Fight and Gnarwolves planned. It’s not only a struggle to imagine how the band found time to release this EP, but also what’s arguably their best record to date by quite a stretch.
Opening with their most experimental cut yet, ‘But Does it Work?’, this deeply cynical list sets the tone of the entire EP. Kindlon’s almost Morrissey-esque repetition of the phrase “nothing works”, coupled with heavily monotonous rhythms, makes this easily one of the most interesting and engaging songs in Drug Church’s discography, let alone this record.
Kindlon’s song writing prowess extends with EP closer ‘Zero Zero’s lyrics horrifically relatable for anyone with an over-active brain. The opening line of “I care an unhealthy amount about things I can’t at all help / I care a bit too much for those who choose to stay out of touch” sums up the song perfectly before he appears at his most biting with the lyrics, “gas station food and bus station people, a moment to share, surrounded by equals”.
Musically, Drug Church clearly take cues from bands like Quicksand and Seaweed (though I’d argue DC are far more interesting than either). Buzzsaw post-hardcore guitars with moments of shoegaze riffs (again, see the brilliant ‘Zero Zero’), if you were a fan at all of the debut LP it is vital that you pick this up. If you’re unfamiliar, then start with this record, five brilliant songs clocking in at just 16 minutes, it is the perfect length. Perhaps too many bands take influence from the 90s but it’s unlikely you’ll find it done much better than on Swell.
Tim Lewis
Swell is out now on No Sleep Records.
MDC & Subhumans live at The Dome, London
Feb 28th 2015
Playing as part of the annual ‘Winter Of Discontent’ Festival, which sees the best of the anarcho and snotty punk bands from around the world playing over four days at the legendary Dome venue in Tufnell Park, it’s been ten years since Texan hardcore heroes MDC graced our shores and anticipation is high for their return. For the unitiated, MDC (which at any given time can stand for Millions Of Dead Cops, or Millions Of Damn Christians, or 
Metal Devil Cokes etc) started out in Texas in the late seventies and quickly became an important part of their flourishing American Hardcore movement that was exploding across the States. Their debut 1982 album is without a doubt one of the most ferocious, explosive, angry, chaotic and fiercely political albums to emerge from that movement. It’s also one of the best. These guys were brave. Just imagine what it must have been like in Texas and touring America in the early eighties in a band called Millions Of Dead Cops! The amount of harassment and grief this band got from the authorities beggars belief. True hardcore.
Their pairing with the Subhumans is perfect. Both bands complement each other. The Subhumans never disappoint. Despite their long existence you could never accuse frontman Dick Lucus and his Buman brothers of calling it in or going through the motions on a cash-in nostalgia trip. Sure, the majority of their set is always drawn from the classic rock of their eighties albums, but songs like ‘Subvert City, ‘Labels’ and ‘No’ are played with such conviction and passion, it’s impossible not to get swept along in their boundless energy. These songs, the lyrics, and the message are timeless, and tonight they are as good as they ever have been, dedicating a stunning version of ‘Fade Away’ to recently departed Conflict drummer Paco to cheers and respect from the crowd. Another epic Subhumans gig.
There’s a real buzz of excitement in the air before MDC hit the stage and, despite suffering from a dodgy sound as frontman Dave Dictor (all bass, no guitar) and his band start rampaging through their high-speed anarchist punk anthems, the venue explodes with predictable chaos. As the set goes on the sound starts to improve and Dictor, despite being very ill in recent months, is on fine form, stalking the stage and barking out the lyrics in his distinctive Texan drawl. The set draws heavily from the band’s first album with a few choice cuts from later releases, but the surprise of the night is when they play the classic ‘Multi Death Corporations’ 7” EP, originally released on Crass Records in 1983, in its entirety. The four songs from that EP go off like Molotov Cocktails in Tufnell Park and that moment is as good as it’s possible to get in hardcore punk. MDC are back in the UK this August. Don’t miss them.
James Sherry
No doubt you have seen this image that captures more than just Brixton’s new Fleet Chino. It’s one of those keepers that captures much more than a moment and for some, defines everything about the freedom of skateboarding.
Brixton seems to flow that vibe naturally and they’ve certainly delivered with these new Chino’s that have been released in their new Spring 2015 catalogue. The Fleet’s come with a relaxed fit, made for shredding in, allowing the movement necessary for a session and made also soft to the touch. The fabric made from a polyester/cotton mix is heavyweight to take a slam and features a relaxed fit, zip fly, a graded inseam and an 18″ leg opening.
They also have draw string pants and slim fits too. Find them in your local skate shop or ask them to order some in for you.
