The Novi Sad music scene is blooming, with SKCNS and Rebuild collective working so hard to document the current state of their hardcore punk scene for the third time in a row. The result of this collaboration is a third edition of the Hardcore Novi Sad 2019 compilation, which brings a handful of phenomenal bands that differ one from another in so many ways. The bands donated previously released and unreleased recordings for this musical endeavor, and the xBrokenx from Banja Luka is responsible for the visuals. Flinch are opening up the comp, a young band whose members boast extensive playing experience in Against The Odds. Flinch can be characterized as a melodic hardcore band that is stylistically reminiscent of American straight edge hardcore punk bands which have been most active during the beginnings of a millennium. Breathe and Overthought has previously appeared on their EP release called Ask For Help and are a great overture to the upcoming tunes. Ground Zero are coming up next, metalcore veterans who have published a brand new material called Levitation In Suffering a couple of months ago, which is one of the best metalcore releases in a last couple of years, in my humble opinion. The band has included Heroes Of Today and Constellation Of Remedy from the aforementioned EP release and both tracks comprised of abnormal dynamics, hysterical vocals, and great guitar structures. Still Bleeding are relatively a new name on the local scene, mostly made up of veterans from bands like Strive For More, Through These Eyes, Lockdown, Red Union and many more. With its appearance, the band has removed the casual monotony that has graced the scene for years, and their combination of rock ‘n’ roll, surf rock and hardcore punk is a true refreshment for your ears. Devil In Me and Unity In Diversity are just a part of their debut single called Outsider, and their songs are a cool mixture of RKL, Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, and Cro-Mags. The melancholic atmosphere brought by the next band significantly differs from the previously presented part of the compilation. FYN brings their tune Clouds Of Wyoming to the table with a significantly more innovative sound than the rest of bands on this comp. Their version of melancholic post-rock, post-metal, intertwined with the modern grunge sound and presented with slightly modern vocal sections is ear-friendly and prepares us for other bands. Inside Out are probably more familiar to the older generation of the scene followers and the band returns on the scene with a blast. Stylistically, the band continues in the same vein like almost twenty years ago, and the compilation features two tracks, Stop The Silence and Don’t Fall Down, announcing a new era for the band. Next up is Vršnjačko Nasilje, an Oi! band that picked up a lot of praise and remained noticeable last year when their demo recording appeared on bandcamp. The band recorded two tracks for this occasion, Energetski Vampir and Od Danas Do sutra, which can be characterized as a good blend of both old and new schools of Oi! music. The harmony of the streets is broken by the chaotic sound of the band Artio, which reminded me of some bands who published their works for Victory Records, such as Cast Iron Hike, Deadguy or Bloodlet, but stylistically significantly more modern with more interference in the mathcore waters that are imbued with post-rock tunes. The chaos continues with another veteran band. Nyazov is a well-known name on the local scene, and their mixture of the crust punk / d-beat sound blended up with classic hardcore punk is a perfect combination for all the fans of much dirtier approach to the underground music. Become As One appeared with four tracks on this compilation. Their melodic version of youth crew hardcore is reminiscent of the bands who published at Dischord and Bridge Nine Records. All four tracks are part of their Vreme Uništava Sve EP, which came out last year as a digital release. Cassette version has been published this year with the help of Underground Disco Beocin. Cobb brings two tracks of typical metalcore sound with a strong presence of sludge sections, and their tracks Doomed To The End and Trace present a mix of multiple subgenres of metal imbued with a lot of influences taken from the classic hardcore scene. After the heavy metal riffs, Sex Or Suicide are taking their part at this comp with their version of the pop-punk sound, which exudes the classic riffs characteristic for the American skate punk scene with great guitar sections that embellishes almost the entire song. The compilation continues to resonate with the First Flame, currently arguably the most serious hardcore punk band Novi Sad has to offer. With energy, melody, and lots of dynamics, they significantly outstand from the rest of the scene, and with each new live performance, the band sounds even better. This compilation features two tracks, Why Can’t You Hear Me Screaming and Surrender, announcing the upcoming second album. War Engine are bringing back metal music to the plate with all those thrash metal riffs, reminiscent of the golden mid-’80s when this musical genre dominated at the global levels, but with slightly more modern production. Essentially, Memories and Stabbed, the songs featured on this compilation CD announce the upcoming end of this release with the full range of phenomenally arranged riffs, crazy bass parts and chaotic beats that essentially carry the terrorizing sound of this band. This phenomenal release closes up with See It My Way and their great acoustic performance of the Firestarter marks an end of the third edition of the Novi Sad hardcore punk compilation. This version of the comp perfectly depicts a cross-section of the current state of the local scene and probably, more than ever, offers a wide range of quality bands that have a lot to say both conceptually and musically. This phenomenal CD release is available through Rebuild Collective distribution.
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