It is taken from Bridge Nine Records’ accompanying covers compilation for the restored version of ‘xXx Fanzine (1983-88) Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties’.

The 12″ compilation features the likes of letlive., The Riverboat Gamblers and more covering songs from that era in hardcore/punk. The collection itself is comprised of articles, reviews and photographs from the Boston based 80’s hardcore/punk zine. It not only restores such articles from that era, but also comes with a “then and now” perspective i.e. re-interviewing the bands who were originally interviewed in the document, including Ian MacKaye, Keith Morris, members of Agnostic Front, Bad Brains and Cro-Mags.

The full tracklisting is as follows:

1. Strife – Who Are You? (Void)
2. Done Dying – Blending In (Government Issue)
3. Letlive – Fix Me (Black Flag)
4. Trial – Money (Embrace)
5. H2O – Safe (Dag Nasty)
6. Nomads – How When Where / The Eliminator (Cruxifix / Agnostic Front)
7. Walter Schriefels – Society Suckers (Agnostic Front)
8. Tombs – Kiss Of Steel (Samhain)
9. Voivod – Man In The Trees (Die Kreuzen)
10. Aeges – Hungry Child (Corrosion Of Conformity)
11. Last Light – A Wish To Dream (Uniform Choice)
12. Fuck You Pay Me – Religious Wars (Subhumans)
13. Jesse Leech – Salad Days (Minor Threat)
14. Shai Hulud – Raw Power (Raw Power)
15. True Rivals – Coolidge (Descendents)
16. Fu Manchu – When The Shit Hits The Fan (Circle Jerks)
17. Gallows – The Possibility Of Life’s Destruction (Discharge)
18. American Nightmare – It’s The Limit (Cro-Mags)
19. Riverboat Gamblers – Hate The Police (The Dicks)

It is taken from Bridge Nine Records’ accompanying covers compilation for the restored version of ‘xXx Fanzine (1983-88) Hardcore & Punk in the Eighties’.

The 12″ compilation features the likes of letlive., The Riverboat Gamblers and more covering songs from that era in hardcore/punk. The collection itself is comprised of articles, reviews and photographs from the Boston based 80’s hardcore/punk zine. It not only restores such articles from that era, but also comes with a “then and now” perspective i.e. re-interviewing the bands who were originally interviewed in the document, including Ian MacKaye, Keith Morris, members of Agnostic Front, Bad Brains and Cro-Mags.

The full tracklisting is as follows:

1. Strife – Who Are You? (Void)
2. Done Dying – Blending In (Government Issue)
3. Letlive – Fix Me (Black Flag)
4. Trial – Money (Embrace)
5. H2O – Safe (Dag Nasty)
6. Nomads – How When Where / The Eliminator (Cruxifix / Agnostic Front)
7. Walter Schriefels – Society Suckers (Agnostic Front)
8. Tombs – Kiss Of Steel (Samhain)
9. Voivod – Man In The Trees (Die Kreuzen)
10. Aeges – Hungry Child (Corrosion Of Conformity)
11. Last Light – A Wish To Dream (Uniform Choice)
12. Fuck You Pay Me – Religious Wars (Subhumans)
13. Jesse Leech – Salad Days (Minor Threat)
14. Shai Hulud – Raw Power (Raw Power)
15. True Rivals – Coolidge (Descendents)
16. Fu Manchu – When The Shit Hits The Fan (Circle Jerks)
17. Gallows – The Possibility Of Life’s Destruction (Discharge)
18. American Nightmare – It’s The Limit (Cro-Mags)
19. Riverboat Gamblers – Hate The Police (The Dicks)

The 12″ compilation features the likes of Strife, letlive., The Riverboat Gamblers and more covering songs from that era in hardcore/punk. The collection itself is comprised of articles, reviews and photographs from the Boston based 80’s hardcore/punk zine. It not only restores such articles from that era, but also comes with a “then and now” perspective i.e. re-interviewing the bands who were originally interviewed in the document, including Ian MacKaye, Keith Morris, members of Agnostic Front, Bad Brains and Cro-Mags.

To coincide with the reveal, LA band Nomads have shared their two cover song rendition of Crucifix’s ‘How, When, Where’ and Agnostic Front’s ‘The Eliminator’ via Decibel Magazine.

The full tracklisting is as follows:

1. Strife – Who Are You? (Void)
2. Done Dying – Blending In (Government Issue)
3. Letlive – Fix Me (Black Flag)
4. Trial – Money (Embrace)
5. H2O – Safe (Dag Nasty)
6. Nomads – How When Where / The Eliminator (Cruxifix / Agnostic Front)
7. Walter Schriefels – Society Suckers (Agnostic Front)
8. Tombs – Kiss Of Steel (Samhain)
9. Voivod – Man In The Trees (Die Kreuzen)
10. Aeges – Hungry Child (Corrosion Of Conformity)
11. Last Light – A Wish To Dream (Uniform Choice)
12. Fuck You Pay Me – Religious Wars (Subhumans)
13. Jesse Leech – Salad Days (Minor Threat)
14. Shai Hulud – Raw Power (Raw Power)
15. True Rivals – Coolidge (Descendents)
16. Fu Manchu – When The Shit Hits The Fan (Circle Jerks)
17. Gallows – The Possibility Of Life’s Destruction (Discharge)
18. American Nightmare – It’s The Limit (Cro-Mags)
19. Riverboat Gamblers – Hate The Police (The Dicks)

The aforementioned unpleasant weather in 2016 however was so bad that the land took much longer to grow back than usual, meaning that two stages were noticeably omitted this year. On the plus side, this meant that for many people it meant they were far less timetable clashes, and smaller bands earlier on in the day such as Skyharbour had much bigger crowds than usual.

Belgium’s own Oathbreaker pull in a sizeable audience after mewithoutYou’s emotionally charged set on the main stage. The material from 2016’s ‘Rheia’ is incredibly punishing instrumentally, however the ethereal qualities of vocalist Caro Tanghe feel wasted on the Back to Basics stage. A real shame considering how immersive they can be in indoor venues. The crowd reaction is warm but in terms of musicianship this obviously isn’t one of their days.

The Menzingers also suffer from a few technical problems early on, however this doesn’t take away from their joyful atmosphere. While the material on their latest record ‘After The Party’ may be a melancholic reflection about growing up and the hardships of touring, they throw caution to the wind and dive on through courageous anthems such as ‘I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore’ and ‘The Obituaries’. The chorus responses from the audience are sung so defiantly you they somewhat drown out the vocals in the PA, but it’s still satisfying to watch. Their risk taking attitude to emo and tight pop sensibilities really shows time and time again why they’re so well received in Europe.

A mere few days before this weekend, there was an initial fear of who would replace the almighty Turning Point after they announced that they would be pulling out of Groez and Outbreak Festival in Leeds. To some people’s disappointment, Brutality Will Prevail were brought in as the special guests, but truth be told they’re past the point of caring what anyone thinks of them. Vocalist Louis Gauthier may sound drastically different to former vocalist Ajay Jones, but the ferocity in his vocals on fan favourites such as ‘The Path’ and ‘Trapped Doors Moving Walls’ is undeniable. Cuts from their new album are indeed a return to the dissonant, metallic hardcore that we know and love yet burst with rejuvenated enthusiasm live. Couple that with a group of kids going in hard as nails for each song and you’ve got yourself a set that stands out as being one of the best things to happen at Groezrock this year, even if it wasn’t initially planned.

American black metal outfit, Deafheaven, were also a wonderfully unexpected addition to this year’s line up. Their blend of shoegaze, post rock and melodic riffs, married with vocalist George Clarke’s earth shattering screams as the sun set over Meerhout ensured a rollercoaster of euphoria. As they’re not really the sort of band you can sing along to, the more passionate fans mostly just mimicked Clarke’s movements or simply headbanged themselves into submission. With a Mogwai cover and a showcase of ‘Language Games’ from 2011’s Roads To Judah thrown into their set, their first time at Groezrock was beautifully cathartic.

Strike Anywhere’s blend of energetic skate punk, loaded with plenty of hits from their extensive discography almost feels like a staple of Groez at this point, but never feels stale.  At this point in their career they’re never going to really change much from their live set up but overall they still manage to stand their ground after all these years.

Moving back to the main stage, metalcore veterans Underoath serve up a deliciously nostalgic set, with audience members clearly coming out of pit retirement for anthems such as ‘Writing On The Walls’ and ‘In Regards To Myself’. Aaron Gillespie and Spencer Chamberlain’s voices accompany each other pitch perfectly tonight, despite little crowd interaction. The set is over as soon as it starts as it would have been impossible to perform their two most well known albums in full at a festival.  However when all is said and done, it would be hard to criticise them with such a heartfelt comeback.

AJJ’s formula of insightful folk punk brings a drunken house party atmosphere to the Watch Out stage. Their sets are known to be rowdy but even they are taken aback by the warm response of the Belgian. There’s also a surprisingly heavy element to their music live, with frontman Sean Bonnette coming close to breaking a string at any moment with his hard strumming patterns. A few barren stagedivers show their support, even during some of their slower songs might feel somewhat inappropriate for their music. Thankfully it doesn’t distract too much from their rousing social commentary and joyful singalongs.

With sets from In Hearts Wake and Anti Flag blasting from both sides of the festival, there’s surprisingly not that many people initially for the almighty Deftones. Tonight is a sonic feast for newcomers and long time fans of the seminal alt metal group, opening on on ‘Korea’, straight into ‘Elite’, and the crushingly tight ‘Diamond Eyes’. Frontman Chino Moreno’s stage presence is still charming as ever, making up for conventional stage banter with boisterous energy, often collapsing in fetal position for the heavier cuts.

Only the title track from ‘Gore’ is showcased tonight but it’s nice to see they’re not getting tired of playing their older hits time after time. ‘Rosemary’ and ‘Digital Bath’ are performed with almost blinding rays of purple and blue lights into the audience which greatly enhances the versatile atmosphere Deftones achieve with their live shows.  This is surprisingly one of their smaller shows on this entire tour, but their live shows are so influential it only made sense to have them steal the limelight tonight.

Not giving a damn about your weak, delicate hungover state from last night’s 4am afterparty, Bent Life solider on at the Watch Out stage early on. The bass drops and breakdown sections have kids punching the living daylights out of each other, although still retaining a sense of catchiness with some of the groovier riffs. It’s all the fun of a hardcore show back home, but with more people in Heavenshallburn shirts rather than XL Title Fight hoodies.

Arcane Roots, in comparison, are still just a very average band from Surrey, regardless of what continent they’re playing on. The band are giving it their all and their diverse range of musical endeavours bode well with the audience but sadly fail to be truly engaging.

With this year somewhat lacking in the traditional sprinklings of pop punk bands on the line up, Boston Manor step up up their game on the Watch Out stage. The blissful sing along choruses coupled with energetic riffs are not only wonderful to listen to from afar but prompt plenty of wholesome mic grabs and stage diving from their long time fans. Frontman Henry Cox has the audience by his finger tips, promoting all the angry finger pointing and posi jumps he can muster. Alongside their packed out acoustic set during Pennywise, it’s safe to say their venture to Groezrock did us Brits proud.

A return to the tough US brand of hardcore earlier in the day, Incendiary plunge into ‘Zeitgeist’. As with Bent Life, the sludgy guitar tones sound pissed off and louder than anything else here. You might even argue that they’re the heaviest band on this bill, which of course is noted by how many people are flailing their fists and knocking each other out to them. It’s hateful breakdown after breakdown for their set which to some people might get a bit dull after a while, but never with Incendiary. You just can’t top the belting end breakdown of ‘Primitive Rage’, as the audience clambers on top of each other to grab the microphone for the line “FORCING, A FUCKING, RECKONING”. Totally ahead of their peers, Incendiary are formidable, both on record and today.

Despite their somewhat corny vibe that they give off, it would be criminal to go to Groezrock and not go see H2O. Even if it’s just to hear them play a superb rendition of ‘The Waiting Room’ by Fugazi, the New York punks provide one of the most carefree and liberating sets of the weekend. It’s impossible not to sing along or even be tempted to join the overwhelming number of kids flinging themselves across the tent to anthems such as ‘1995’ and ‘Fairweather Friend’. Even when there’s people on stage for what seems like a fraction too long it never feels cringy or necessary to interrupt the masses of positive energy on display here. Of course, no H2o set would be complete without a total stage invasion during ‘What Happened’, leaving frontman Toby Morse to clamber onto the drumset to finish the set.  The unfortunate clash with Jeff Rosenstock during their set was heartbreaking but as stated before, you wouldn’t want to miss something this special and inclusive.

Surprisingly, while Gorilla Biscuits boded well on the same stage, they didn’t nearly have the same crowd reaction as H2o. This isn’t to say they disappointed, surging through most of ‘Start Today’ with a handful of covers like no tomorrow. As the last band on the Back To Basics stage this weekend they gave it their all, reigniting all the passion and defiance of the influential songs they wrote nearly 30 years ago.

Australian metalcore favourites, Parkway Drive, were given the daunting task of headlining not only last evening of Groezrock, but also as the only band left to perform out of everyone there. Their recent change in sound to a traditional rock sound hasn’t been entirely favourable by fans but their career spanning set is solid and packed with so many classics. Playing ‘Carrion’ and ‘Sleepwalkers’ so early on in the set is a bit of a risky move but the energy ceases to dissolve thought the entire show. This is everyone’s last chance to party and no one is taking it for granted, with push pits, circle pits, stagediving from the side stage and of course, crowd surfing as far as the eye can see.

Vocalist Winston Mccall has no trouble rousing people up to join in with arena rock “woah’s” and “hey’s”, shifting the band’s traditionally club based live show into a larger than life spectacle. A three minute upside down drum solo, Travis Barker style, cements that Parkway have transcended Impericon fame and fortune to a band that’s evolved into something much bigger than anyone anticipated. “Look over there in that tower and you can see my mum,” says Mccall, as the crowd cheers with genuine love and appreciation for tonight’s final two songs, ‘Crushed’ and ‘Bottom Feeder’.  No one ever expected Parkway to pull off a festival headline set in 2017, but against all odds, they passed with flying colours.

See you all next year!

ASHWIN BHANDARI

Cro-Mags, Cold World, H2O, No Turning Back, Wisdom In Chains, Knuckledust, Strength For A Reason, and Lions Law will all perform at the festival, which takes place on November 4th at Klokgebouw, Eindhoven.

Eight more bands are due to be added in the coming months, and tickets are on sale now.

Thrice, H2O, Turning Point, Oathbreaker, Ignite, He Is Legend, Petrol Girls, Bent Life, Skinny Lister, Tim Vantol, and AJJ are the latest names heading to Meerhout in April.

They join headliners Deftones and Parkway Drive, as well as Pennywise, Underoath, Cock Sparrer, Anti-Flag, Deafheaven, Strike Anywhere, Stick To Your Guns, and more fantastic bands.

Groezrock 2017 takes place on April 29th – 30th, and tickets for the event are available now from the official Groezrock website, along with all other relevant details. See you there!

Perhaps not quite a full video, the clip presents itself as more of a love-heavy Pinterest board.

‘Use Your Voice’ is available to stream and purchase via BandCamp.

Pennywise, Boysetsfire, H2O, Being As An Ocean, Backtrack, Belvedere and Siberian Meat Grinder are the latest acts to join the bill.

The festival will also welcome Municipal Waste, Deez Nuts, Turnstile, Beartooth, and more to be announced.

For further details of the festival, and to get hold of tickets, head to the official website.

Beach Slang – ‘Ride The Wild Haze’

Beach Slang occupies that space between dark pop punk and shining indie shoe-gaze, with tons of fuzz, gloriously singing guitars echoing in the background, an intense aggression, and lyrics that hit home. ‘Ride The Wild Haze’ should be the anthem for every pop punk kid. From the opening line, “I feel most alive when I’m listening to every record that hits harder than the pain” to sentiments of being the misfit but not caring, self-medicating only to find it doesn’t change anything, and to wanting to party and rage harder and louder, just to be able to feel…something, this song speaks directly to many of us, as if Beach Slang were there with us all our lives. “Fuck it all,” the song seems to be saying to us, “just get out there and live!” [Paul Silver]

Drug Church – ‘Hit You Head, Greedy’

Drug Church is gloriously unsophisticated. Musically, it’s akin to the guy who buys beer for minors and hangs out at high school parties despite being 23. On what serves as the title track for their new album, this is the archetypal Drug Church song. Crushing riffs and bleak lyrics that paint a perfect picture of an imperfect person. The band’s sound has matured and the subjects in their songs are still regressing. Stopping and starting over again and again. ‘Greedy’ is a reminder that life can always get worse but also that music doesn’t get a whole lot better. [Jay Papandreas]

H2O – ‘Skate’

It’s nice to have them back with a new full release for the first time in 7 years. It’s classic H2O so if you love them you will love the record/song and the video is super fun with Steve Caballero guesting. [Olly Hanks]

Signals – ‘Lungs Apart’

If Paramore were geek/sheek. Beautifully crafted pop vocals, Perfectly timed hooky riffs and a rhythm section that put most others to shame. [Lee Male]

Arcane Roots – ‘If Nothing Breaks, Nothing Moves’

Even though I’d seen the band live once, I never really listened to them before I had the chance to review their new EP. This song has really won me over with its mixture of heavier elements with classic rock sounds. [Kathryn Black]

Foxing – ‘Glass Coughs’

Foxing surprised with their new direction on this month’s ‘Dealer’ LP, seeing them draw their experimental sound into expansive, sorrowful soundscapes. ‘Glass Coughs’ sits as one of the more powerful tracks on the record, with vocalist Conor Murphy sounding more honest and intense than ever before. It builds towards a climax that never is, but never sounds incomplete. Reserved and momentous all at once, it’s just stunningly beautiful. [Ben Tipple]

Crooks – ‘Dear Reader’

The progression in Crooks’ sound, from the vocals to the instrumentals, is huge on their debut album and this track demonstrates how far they’ve come in one tidy, infectious package. [Mark Johnson]

Seaway – ‘Best Mistake’

With their sophomore album ‘Colour Blind’, Seaway have served up a host of nostalgia-tinged pop-punk and ‘Best Mistake’ is one of the highlights. It may not break any boundaries but it has everything that makes a great song; a memorable hook, vocal harmonies, and a energetic, bouncing chorus. A perfect antidote to the cold and grey winter months. [Chris Hilson]

Pinegrove – ‘New Friends’

You know when you hear a song that perfectly suits the weather? ‘New Friends’ is a song that perfectly suits those perfect, crisp, sunny autumn afternoons. It’s dreamy with some cheeky banjo thrown in. Lyrically it deals with that uneasy feeling of being somewhere new on your own and trying to make some friends. “I resolve to make new friends, I like my old ones but I fucked up so I’ll start again” hits home in a lot of ways. What more could you want in a song? [Maryam Hassan]

Press to MECO – ‘Family Ties’

‘Family Ties’ is the first track from the first album by genre-bending British riff merchants Press to MECO and it very much sets out the band’s stall, sounding as it does like Absolution-era Muse covering 80s pop classic ‘Walk Like an Egyptian’. If that doesn’t make you want to go and listen to the rest of their ‘Good Intent’ album in its entirety then nothing will, except perhaps witnessing their live show – they’re tighter than a catsuit on Steven Seagal and every bit as heavy. [Rob Barbour]

Coheed & Cambria – ‘Atlas’

By now someone has probably screamed at you about how good Coheed & Cambria’s new album ‘The Colour Before The Sun’ is; ‘Atlas’ is a phenomenal example of how Coheed & Cambria have stepped it up on this album. Written by singer Claudio Sanchez to his (at that point still to be born) son, Atlas is a rock ballad to end all other rock ballads. A soaring, emotional chorus, and a verse that retains Coheed & Cambria’s already strong prog-rock sound but done to a degree that even those who haven’t got on board with the band before can enjoy. One of the best songs on an already phenomenal album. [Andy Leddington]

Rain – ‘Slur’

Having yet to release their debut record, Rain have made a huge ripple with this mighty opening statement. Cementing heavy and crashing grunge into the UK DIY scene, this band are sure to be one to watch in the future. [Alex Hall]

Boston Manor – ‘Trapped Nerve’

Having just smashed a record deal with Pure Noise Records (The Story So Far, State Champs, Four Year Strong etc.) the Blackpool quintet are taking a giant leap in their career with forthcoming EP ‘Saudade’, out mid-November. The first taste of the new record comes in the form of ‘Trapped Nerve’, an angsty dollop of emo-tinged pop-punk that allows Boston Manor to prove who they are and what they’re about. Henry Cox’s voice hits you in the face and demands that you listen while the guitars swing around your head in feisty whirlwind. This is only the beginning of great things for Boston Manor and we can’t wait to see what’s next. [Tamsyn Wilce]

Fightstar – ‘Sink With The Snakes’

After a long hiatus, Fightstar came crashing back last year with a run of reunion shows and recently released a stunning new album, ‘Behind The Devil’s Back’. This 3 minute banger is one of the heavier cuts and shows that whilst he can croon, Charlie Simpson is at his best when screaming and bellowing like a mad man. A heavy riff underpinned with very obscure electronics and pounding drum work, this is easily one of the highlights in the heavy scene this year. [Adam Rosario]

Sheer – ‘Uneasy’

Through their fuzz-drenched guitar melodies and lush vocals, LA’s Sheer are an absolute delight to listen to. The title track from their forthcoming debut album ‘Uneasy’, takes the cascading walls of noise from shoegaze and effortlessly marries them to pop-driven hooks. After cutting their teeth for the last year on the underground circuit, they are now working with The Native Sound (Koji, Miserable), and ‘Uneasy’ will surely see them steal a lot of hearts towards the end of the year. [Glen Bushell]

Roger Harvey – ‘Tezcatlipoca’

Roger Harvey’s song ‘Tezcatlipoca’ off of his debut album ‘Twelve Houses’ is filled with nostalgic feelings and life lessons learned, all the while guitar nuances appear throughout. The song and record are packed with Harvey’s influences; the biggest one being Neutral Milk Hotel. The song has a plethora of instrumental effects that play nicely with the honest lyrics and the horn piece played at the end. The album is out on Black Numbers. [Daniella Heminghaus]

Beach Slang – ‘Young and Alive’

Youth and vulnerability are familiar themes, a cathartic release from whatever has been or did stifle you, usually emotions surrounding the fancied sex or some other first world problem. But, Beach Slang, named after a skater girl’s description of frontman Alex’s day to day prose, are doing it with a freshness and energy that are catapulting the band to new, uncharted territory. ‘Young And Alive’ is a punchy, emotional, killer tune. “We are young and alive”, spoken word, drives the song behind a wall of crisp drums, floated backing vocals and the strong, moving first vocal parts which will, gig-wise insight sore throats and sore limbs aplenty. [Dave Bull]

The 1975 – ‘Love Me’

Do I even need to sell this? It’s The 1975, they finally put out new music, and it’s awesome. ‘Love Me’ has differentiated The 1975 from every other “pop” band today. The song mocks current pop culture and grooves with a classic 80’s pop feel while also boasting a futuristic plethora of tinging tones and funky beats. One cannot help but be intrigued by the exploratory nature of this new track. My only concern in anticipating the next record as whole is whether or not Matt Healy’s ego is going to stand in the way of The 1975 producing the music their audience craves. The band released ‘Love Me’ through BBC Radio 1, and Healy obviously contradicts himself throughout the interview, first admitting he doesn’t care what anyone thinks of the record and later saying that they are surely concerned with being received positively. He complains about being sick of the lack of “good pop bands” out there, self-proclaiming themselves as one of them, but you might remember the intro to their ‘Girls’ video when he states “we’re not a pop band.” Well, The 1975 is a pop band, and ‘Love Me’ is the truest proof of it. [Tori Pisco]

Barriers? What barriers? What really makes this a unique experience is the invitation to crowd surf, stage dive and pit until your heart is content. Bands who now find themselves regularly separated from their audience by vacuous spaces get up-close and personal, as dust driven up by the enthusiastic hordes takes over the tent.

But don’t take our word for it – we were on hand to film various sets over the two day festival. Over the next few weeks we’ll be releasing live videos by the likes of I Am The Avalanche, The Wonder Years, Touche Amore, PUP, H20 and more.

The videos will be hosted over on the Punktastic YouTube Channel, but we’ll embed them here for you for your viewing pleasure too!

You can also read our comprehensive reviews of the weekend, split into Friday and Saturday.

#01 Modern Life Is War

#02 H2O

#03 The Wonder Years

#04 La Dispute

#05 Touché Amoré

#06 Iron Chic

#07 Paint It Black

#08 I Am The Avalanche

#09 Red City Radio

#10 PUP

#11 The Setup

#12 Restorations

That’s it folks! Thanks for checking out our videos from Groezrock weekend. We’ll also have some acoustic sessions appearing on the site over the next few weeks.

Thank you Groezrock – it’s been emotional.