Braindead

Weapons Of The Weak

Written by: PP on 01/10/2010 00:03:56

Hardcore ska-punk, or skacore as it is often referred to, is extremely difficult to get right. You've got to carefully balance the friendly melodies of ska-punk with the harsh vocals and breakneck pace from hardcore without treading too far into either direction. If you fail, you'll either sound like a monotonous mess with a few ska-beats appearing misplaced within music, or like an overbright ska-band hopelessly attempting to sound heavy. Few bands I know have successfully combined the two, Leftöver Crack being the most successful one, together with the other Stza-sanctioned band, Star Fucking Hipsters. I guess you could throw in Operation Ivy as well, but I suppose that's a bit of a stretch. Now, however, we can add another solid competitor to the scene thanks to Hamburg, Germany's Braindead and their newest album "Weapons Of The Weak", an excellent display of all the strengths in ska-core played right.

Drawing clear inspiration from Leftöver and Star Fucking Hipsters, Braindead's songs revolve around intense ska-rhythms supported by d-beat punk rock. Plenty of melody will hook in the punk rock fans, whilst the relative harshness of the (still melodic) vocal delivery and high-octane tempo is likely to appeal to the hardcore kids as well. See "T.I.N.A" for good ol' harsh/melodic dynamic, for instance. You should probably also expect massive (and dangerous) skanking-pits at their shows. Extra fun comes in the form of rock'n'roll-ish solos and riffs added, but it's fairly obvious that Braindead are at their best when they allow ska-picking to take the lead in terms of melody, contrasting the bright guitar tone with semi-harsh vocals and the occasional distorted riff on top. These sort of songs are in the majority on "Weapons Of The Weak", giving the record a busy, intense feel throughout. There are a few breathers, too, where the band expands into reggae-esque experimentation, where guitar effects and thick bass-lines are key in a strange live-dubbing atmosphere, as it were.

After one such song, it's great to return to the hardcore-infused ska which is bound to get you legs moving. The best tracks on the record are "To You, The Answer Is No", which sounds just like a good Star Fucking Hipsters song, and "One Track Mind", which contains a ska-beat that can only be described as easy-going and pleasant in nature. But it doesn't stop there, the whole record is of high standard and should be checked out by anyone who's into ska, but also into heavier forms of punk and hardcore, and definitely by any Stza fans.

7

Download: "To You, The Answer Is Now", One Track Mind
For the fans of: Star Fucking Hipsters, Leftöver Crack, Happy Trash Culture, The Flatliners
Listen: Myspace

Release date 05.11.2010
5FeetUnder Records

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