Heathcliff – Stay Posi LP (SBÄM Records)

Heathcliff are making a comeback with a forthcoming recording named Stay Posi. This German skatepunk unit based in Munich are no strangers to our blog, and we already had the chance to cover their previous recording called #chilloutradio, which picked up a lot of positive critics along the way. Heathcliff teamed up with SBÄM Records to deliver their brand new tunes on a vinyl record, which has been delayed by the situation with a global pandemic. Still, this material worth all the wait because of the outstanding quality, brilliant ideas, and intense musicianship provided by the entire group. Heathcliff invested blood, sweat, tears, heart, and soul into this material, and there’s not even the slightest doubt in my mind this material will be the next big thing among the skatepunk community.

Comparing to the #chilloutradio, which certainly bursts with immense quality, Stay Posi showcases even further progress of the group that shapeshifts boundaries of punk rock music. Perhaps these German skate punks rely upon the rich nineties skatepunk heritage, but their outstanding musicianship unveils loads of surprises along the way. This time, Heathcliff digs even deeper into the essence of melodic hardcore, metal, reggae, dub, but the group doesn’t stops there. Their detailed exploration of these beforementioned genres is thoroughly associated with the sheer dominance of skate punk aesthetics. Whenever they decide to include some heavy metal guitar licks, thrash metal shreds, reggae lines, or some dub elements, you’ll notice that the essence of skate punk sound pervades these profoundly detailed acrobatics.

Stay Posi includes loads of ear-appealing melodies, exceptional arrangements, thoughtfully structured segments, and ferocious rhythmical maneuvers. Guitars are dueling throughout the entire material by firing fast-paced sonic clusters, mainly comprised of heavy metal infused, thrash metal powered, melodic hardcore driven instrumentalities. These technicalities are piled by the dominant nineties skatepunk aesthetics, which are leaving that awesome skateboarding soundtrack vibe to this recording. Chunky basslines are supporting guitars with rich low-end tones. However, the bass guitar has some specific punch that contributes even more power to the melodies. The utterly insane drumming performance keeps these orchestrations entirely in line through thoughtfully arranged rhythmical sequences, accentuated by loads of splashing over the cymbals, energetic drum fills, and other skillfully performed delicacies. A high-pitched lead vocal completely follows the melodies provided by the remaining portion of the band, while the singalongs are keeping things even more entertainful with appropriate choir chants.

That’s not all folks, because these guys decided to spice things up even more! This recording contains the skatepunk cover of Witchcraft (Pendulum) and the ska version of The Trooper (Iron Maiden). Both songs sound like a charm, and Heathcliff has done incredible work by covering these tunes. Stay Posi comes with a marvelous illustration done by SBÄM. This outstanding recording is coming out soon, so pay closer attention to the SBÄM website for further info about ordering this gem. Ten out of ten!