"stronger than ever"
Year: 1996
Label: Burning Heart
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 9
Time: 18 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Hardcore
"fuel"
Year: 1998
Country: Sweden
City:
Hertsön
Label:
Epitaph
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 11
Time: 25 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Hardcore
Sweden has a penchant for producing some great skate-punk bands. Millencolin, Satanic Surfers, No Fun At All, Randy, Astream, Adhesive.... They've been also known to produce some decent hardcore bands (ok, legendary - Refused anyone?) Raised Fist fits in quite well. Raised Fist started out as a typical hardcore band, recording a good EP in You're Not Like Me, yet nothing that able to force it's way into a congested American hardcore scene. Stronger Than Ever, the follow-up EP gave them a bit more of an identity, as they infused a bit more melody, along with more agression. Finally, after a long wait, they recorded a full album. Fuel is a bit of a paradox. It contains some of their slowest material, as well as some of their heaviest. They continue in the direction taken by Stronger Than Ever. The album starts off with a bit of a strange song in "Monumental", which changes pace & tone at least three times before it is finished. The next song, "Reversal", begins as a very average song, and ends with a guitar riff that, while not very technically difficult (any hack with a guitar could play it), is simply astounding, so good that when playing it live, they decide not employ the accompanying lyrics, and just play it as a solo (quite effectively I might add). "Reversal" is followed by "Pretext", one of my all-time favourite songs. This song alone is worth the price of admission. Probably their slowest song, yet one of the most agressive. The screamed lyrics over palm-muted guitar makes you wish you could understand even one fucking word either of the the singers says.
The problem with the album is after "Pretext", with the next eight songs (making eleven in total, saving you some mental math). These are all very good songs, and any one of them would be a standout on a compilation, yet they lack the originality that the first three have. They all employ the same sort of musical devices - palm muting, start/stop choruses, tying together different segments with killer bass lines....in much the same manner. This all adds up to some great head-bangin' fun, but you tend to lose track of where you are in the CD.
I can't think of an appropriate way to wrap this up, so I'll just finish by saying that if you're into bands like Snapcase, or the heavier Boy Sets Fire stuff, or just hardcore music in general, you'll definately want to pick this up. Even if you're not, but are looking for something new, give it a shot...you never know.... (*Review by
Layawayplan ).
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"ignoring the guidelnes"
Year: 2000
Label: Epitaph
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 13
Time: 30 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Hardcore
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"dedication"
Year: 2002
Label: Epitaph
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 11
Time: 30 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Hardcore
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"sound of the republic"
Year: 2006
Label: Epitaph
Format: CD
Tracks: 12
Time: 30 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Hardcore
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"veil of ignorance"
Year: 2009
Label: Epitaph
Format: CD
Tracks: 13
Time: 30 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Hardcore
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"from the north"
Year: 2015
Label: Epitaph
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 11
Time: 30 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Hardcore
Brilliant, brutal and blunt. In a world of skewed social standards, the
organised chaos of hardcore has never felt so relevant. Punk legends Raised Fist
have once again turned their hands to their own brand of punk that
exemplifies vitriol at its catchiest and imitable. Spitting venom and
face-melting riffs in every direction, ‘From The North’ breaks 2015 wide open and vows to seek revenge for last year’s wrongdoings.
Owing their existence to the lyrics of Rage Against The Machine, Raised Fist
have consistently translated the aggression of their peers and their
21-year experience into some of the catchiest punk going. The Swedish
five-piece has matured with age in all the best ways, compressing the
relentless energy and rage of all their previous releases into their
sixth studio offering ‘From The North’. There’s no stopping hardcore, at least, as long as these guys have any say in it.
“Let it be said, they should be fucking dead”, screeches vocalist Alexander Hagman, hurling lucid threats of “time is running out for you, my friend” to demonstrate the most menacing lyrical content to storm the hardcore scene in recent years. The record’s defining line “circling like fucking maniacs” from ‘Depression’
will doubtlessly blow apart any venue on their upcoming European tour.
Accomplishing the feat of showcasing each band member in turn to which
hardcore should aspire, the beautifully chaotic ‘Gates’ allows
Modin’s relentless drums to translate a livid frustration rivalled only
by Tikkanen and Holmgren’s tricksy leading lines throughout.
Anthemic album-stealer ‘We Will Live Forever’
takes matters into its own hands, combining seemingly effortless
defiance with raucous, roof-raising riffs. The supercharged vocals of ‘Flow’ play a timeless game of cat and mouse with the earth-shattering opening line of ‘Man On Earth’, completing an 11-track battle cry for the perpetually downtrodden.
Cementing their message that “we still don’t give a fuck about the gig you’re playing”, ‘From The North’ raises both fists and yells against the social state, making waves hardcore has forgotten it was capable of. Raised Fist have raised the bar incomprehensibly high for 2015 – your move, Stick To Your Guns (*Review by Stepan).
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"anthems"
Year: 2019
Label: Epitaph
Format: CD, LP
Tracks: 10
Time: 28 min.
Genre: rock
Style: Hardcore
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"V"
