In a way, i have always waited a day to see this band happens. If you didn’t get that, maybe i should be little bit more specific, even it probably doesn’t help a thing. So, i was always expecting a band like this from this great guy, who i’ve known for many years and he used to live in Turku, Mr. Brown. So it was a surprise to suddenly come across a band called, Pigeon Hunt and find out that he’s doing the vocals for them. To make the band even more interesting, PH features members from (now sadly defunct) Endstand, Heads Down and Kylmä Sota, but rest assured though, Pigeon Hunt sounds nothing like the other bands they’ve played in. These guys have been around for relatively short time and still they have already put out a tape and a 10″ vinyl. I’m going to show some insight to the Pigeon Hunt 10″, that was released a while ago through Spelling Trouble Records.
But what i ment with – this kind of band? I was talking of course about little bit different style of hardcore, in vein with (and as a combination of): Some Girls, Panic, Converge, Switchblade, Neurosis, Swing Kids and Unbroken. Influences are there, all across the board from San Diego to Sweden, with Pigeon Hunt making, turning and twisting them into brand of their own. Modern hardcore, that’s what i would probably call it?
Track titles are here plainly as roman numeric symbols and first song I, kicks off Pigeon Hunt 10″ with short and fast burst of anger. II shows similar influences with first song and it gives off a lot of faster Boston hardcore feel into it, bit like Panic and American Nightmare. Pigeon Hunt just mix it up even more than serving regular hardcore, they have lot of slowed down heavier parts in most of their songs to balance it with their faster parts. There’s a lot of hooks in their riffs as well and you can hear little Converge there too time to time, but not that chaotic or crazy riffs. Towards the end of album, songs VI and VIII demonstrate and deliver a lot of that slower and atmospheric, metallic riffing, drawing them closer to Switchblade, (if you’ve listened to them you’ll realize). Specially i draw Switchblade as very good comparasion to Pigeon Hunt, since at first Switchblade played chaotic, metallic hardcore, very much like Converge, but soon turned into slowing their pace and going deep into doom, sludge and general metallic heaviness, with driving riffs and huge guitar walls. Pigeon Hunt kind of combine very old and new Switchblade together, without sounding like a rip off. I’ve listened to quite lot to this 10″ after i got it and i think it’s pretty damn awesome. It’s cool to hear yet again very different sounding new band, so i encourage everyone to check out Pigeon Hunt. This 10″ is limited to 300 copies, with 100 on clear and rest on black vinyl, it’s available from the band and Recordstore X, who offer shipping outside Finland.
Pigeon Hunt -Bandcamp
Pigeon Hunt -Facebook
Kill The Curse seemed to suddenly appear on Finnish hardcore scene and i’d say, that they caught everyone well off their guard. What could be said as a “all-star” line up, KTC features members from Bolt and contains most players from the late line-ups of Security Threat and On A Solid Rock. These guys are and have been in numerous other bands of course as well. Idea for Kill The Curse had already been breeding behind closed doors for quite some time as Guitarist Miikka (Cold Inside, Security Threat, On A Solid Rock) had a vision and idea and he had wanted to do some music with Lauri (Bolt, Homefront). As well he wanted to getback on track also with Kalle, who with they had played together in Security Threat. I think that originally Kill The Curse had a purpose of releasing a 7″ EP or CD, but as usually in Finland, things tend to take their time. Then in some point, Full House Records stepped in and decided to put out, Of Conformity And Death LP.
It’s been already a good handful of years, since i last time wrote about (originally) Lappeenranta based No One Is Safe, who nowdays reside in cities of Lappeenranta and Helsinki. These guys dropped one hell of a demo some years ago and i’ve been into them ever since i first time heard of ‘em. Hardcore, with HARD very strongly intact in every possible area of their music, is very much present and is the name of NO1S’s game. Now they’re taking the scene by storm with their LONG awaited full-length album; Strike First Strike Hard. While Finnish bands tend really take their time to finish their records, specially full-lengths sometimes seem to take quite a lot time, still again with No One Is Safe’s LP+CD -combination, i’m not complaining at all. Since NO1S demo back in 2006, much hasn’t changed, couple minor line-up changes have happened during the years, but after six years, the guys are stronger and more determined than ever. No One Is Safe is not to fuck with, these guys aren’t playing, when it comes to heavy, pounding metallic hardcore, i’m talking about stuff that punches holes through concrete wall.
