Raised Fist – Anthems LP (Epitaph Records)

If you ever welcomed hardcore punk music as your sonic weapon of choice and you’ve been the part of the scene, you solely comprehend that’s nearly impossible to avoid Raised Fist. Formed in Luleå, Sweden in 1993, these Swedish hardcore punk legends were one of the prime bands to embrace contemporary sound and production, therefore pave the way for the rest of the bands who wanted to enhance their sound with much cleaner, well-polished production. The current lineup consists of Alexander Hagman on vocals, Jimmy Tikkanen and Daniel Holmgren both on guitars, Andreas Johansson on bass guitar and Matte Modin on drums. Since their formation in 1992, Raised Fist has published You’re Not Like Me EP (1994), Stronger Than Ever Ep (1996), Fuel (1998), Ignoring The Guidelines (2000), Dedication (2002), Sound Of Republic (2006), Veil Of Ignorance (2009), From The North (2015), with Anthems being the latest recording in their abundant career. Anthems is a proper continuation of their previous record called From The North, but with certain improvements, often presented in various progressive melodies, improved arrangements, and production. Sound-wise, the band continues to exploit the sound they’ve embraced with albums such as Sound Of Republic or Veil Of Ignorance, but with compositions dominantly performed in slower tempos. However, these slower tempos are enriched with great doses of dynamics, well-arranged segments, and melodic guitar sequences that showcase the refined sound of Raised Fist. This record eventually delivers an even darker atmosphere than From The North, with an enormous portion of melancholy bursting all around from every conceivable ridge. Alexander’s vocals still sound ferocious, rageful and tone of his voice conveys the message of the band with such confidence. The aesthetics of Raised Fist’s music lays down in raging hardcore punk sound associated with remarkable melodic elements of Swedish modern metal music, but the band maintains the aggressive approach on the entire album. Anthems have been published by Epitaph Records on vinyl and compact disc, but you can purchase and stream an entire album on all streaming services.