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The international punk scene eludes me with few exceptions, namely Germany’s Beatsteaks and the Netherlands’ Bambix, so with immense interest I received the latest from previously unheard of Netherlanders Green Lizard. Would the Netherlands go two for two?
After a building rumble coalesces into militarily marching masses, concluding the standard going-for-epic hardcore interlude, familiar clean screams and full-bore riffing roared from my speakers. Do these arrogant Netherlanders really think they can just burn and then redistribute Stretch Arm Strong’s Free at Last as their own? I was speed-dialing the RIAA when the copyright-infringing foreigners started reproducing Ignite’s magnificent Our Darkest Days, a superlative serenade courtesy of Zoli. I paused, thinking it a shame to jail such good taste, until a new voice chimed in, singing the hook. Layne Stanley!? GRAVE ROBBERS!!
Realizing that séances and resurrection exceeded the jurisdiction of the RIAA, I curled into the fetal/enema-inserting position and wept. And it kept coming. After the Fall’s pop-rock mastery and sugary
hooks. Days Like These’ chunky rock riffs. Is it possible these English-speaking Netherlanders with the
Spanish-titled album meld as much diverse influence in their music as they do their biography?
Indeed.
An expansive rock album from a band that resembles Ignite with less hardcore bent, a Remi instead of Zoli, and predilections for edgy-pop choruses, Alice In Chains-esque vocal harmonies and grunge, Las Armas Del Silencio possesses a complexity that rewards multiple listens. More moderate paced than breakneck, favoring dark guitar tones, groovy riffs and deliberate percussion, there’re still plenty of instances of speedy aggression to satisfy the inner-thrasher.
The Netherlands: two for two.
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