V/A – Gledaju Nas Kao Ptice Vol. 1 CD (xDekonstrukcija Yugoviolencex)

It has been a while since we had any opportunity to listen and write about music that comes from that particular, emotional side, where relentless passion, tremendous power, and sheer honesty collide harmoneously. It’s also become rare to see so many incredible bands and artists from that region, yet they resonate with pure quality, talent, creativity, and experience. If you’re looking for the same qualities in underground music, you’ve come to the right place as Gledaju Nas Kao Ptice Vol. 1 is packed with everything you need. The first thing you’ll notice about this various artists compilation is an impressive lineup. From renowned names in the game such as Reflection, Dead Dog Summer, Deer In The Headlights, Mališa Bahat, Eva Ras, Suplexx, Sivo, and YÖU to lesser-known, but equally impressive acts like Tužan Dečak Kavr Bend, Dreamwalk, Sockholes, Mallard, Lars From Norway, ZBRUCZ, Mo, IDrownedInTitograd, Eeyore, and Plastic Flowers, this compilation not only demonstrates xDekonstrukcija Yugoviolencex’s deep love for the emotionally resonant music but also his dedication to showcasing all the significant bands from the Balkans. Across eighteen compositions, there’s a continuous wave of raw emotion, brutal sincerity, relentless aggression, and tremendous groove, with ongoing dynamics floating around and keeping listeners’ attention. And to be honest, this is like heaven for any true emo, screamo, skramz, post-hardcore, post-rock, Revolution Summer fan. It’s a treasure trove where each band represents a true gem, especially to those newbies to all those subgenres, but as usually is the case, even the elder music enthusiasts will be impressed by the skills, rawness, and energy shining across the entire tracklist.

Although emo, emoviolence, skramz, screamo, post-hardcore, post-rock, and Revolution Summer might sound quite similar to inexperienced ears, these bands truly represent how tiny nuances, various directions, and creative viewpoints shape any of the mentioned styles. For example, Tužan Dečak Kavr Bend delivers late 1990s jangly, angular chord progressions empowered by the poetic narration, but the song explores into the pure, reverby, and noisy post-hardcore/screamo anthem. Deer In The Headlights deliver their recognizable blend of early 2000s screamo and neo-crust. Dead Dog Summer flawlessly pairs late 1990s emo, screamo, and post-hardcore thanks to beautiful melodic chants, relentless screams, profoundly melodic chord progressions, intricate basslines, and energetic rhythmic structures. Dreamwalk pairs lush guitar interplays with catchy, memorable, engaging themes and powerful riffs, chunky basslines, and groovy beats, empowered by excellent vocal performance. Suplexx delivers technically demanding music by blending math-core, post-hardcore, and screamo. It’s chaotic and beautiful, as it should be. Mališa Bahat brings similar music to the table, but with more feral screams, crazy rhyhtmic patterns, jangly yet heavily distorted guitar work, and heavy basslines. It’s a perfect blend of math-core and screamo music. Reflection packs all the raw emotion, brutal honesty, and tremendous energy into the song, where vocals tear the listening apparatus apart, guitars shine brightly with all those captivating themes, melodies, chord progressions, and riffs, basslines puncture through the heart, and drums push everything into one hectic, orchestral, cinematic slab of well-articulated harmony. Sockholes offer a slice of acoustic emo/screamo music through profoundly emotive vocal performances and memorable chord progressions. It arrives as a more than necessary break from all the agression delivered by the previous bands. Mallard commences with a fine blend of 2010s emo, post-hardcore, and melodic hardcore music. Such a beautiful composition where all the harmony, melody, groove, and energy articulate perfectly.

Lars From Norway contributes sweet, atmospheric, noisy, shoegazey layers of raw, unfiltered, abrasive guitar layers, which are perfectly paired with reverby, melodic chants. The rhythm section holds everything together perfectly, while contributing immense groove and dynamics. Sivo leans into those noise rock, indie rock, post-hardcore waters by delivering catchy, beautiful chord progressions, harmonies, melodies, paired with groovy basslines and outstanding rhyhtmic patterns. ZBRUCZ delivers a slice of chaotic, abrasive, energetic screamo music where excellent vocal performance meets beautiful chord progressions and fast-paced beats. Mo keeps at the same pace, but with hypnotic, addictive, irresistible riffs and uncontrollable screams, all while the rhythm section keeps everything in line. IDrownedInTitograd merges raw, gritty production with technically demanding instrumentation and beautiful melodies. It’s a perfect piece of screamo and emoviolence music. Eeyore showcases outstanding songwriting, composing, arranging, and producing abilities through their almost jazzy version of screamo music. Every riff, bassline, and beat has that jazzy quality, often leaning into more obscure math-core. Plastic Flowers turns those calm, soothing, relaxing chord progressions into colossal shoegaze-inspired riffs, while the feral screams heavily drenched in generous servings of reverb, command attention. Everything is rounded out with half-time rhythmic patterns and intricate basslines that bring more warmth, depth, and clarity. YÖU offers another fine piece of sonic artistry that leans towards modern post-hardcore and modern hardcore music. The vocals sound tight, the guitars deliver those beautiful interplays between melody and raw riffs, while the rhyhtm section brings tremendous groove, dynamics, and energy upfront. This epic sonic journey comes to an end with Eva Ras and a composition that exemplifies how skramz and emoviolence should sound nowadays. It’s loud, noisy, and chaotic, as it should be.

xDekonstrukcija Yugoviolencex has curated an important document that serves as a cross-section of the Balkans’ emotional music scene. With eighteen bands sounding absolutely amazing, Gledaju Nas Kao Ptice Vol. 1 stands as one of the most significant compilations the regional underground DIY scene has witnessed in decades. You should immediately head over to xDekonstrukcija Yugoviolencex and purchase the limited edition CD.