ALARM! "ALARM!"
LP - $15.30
STREET DATE: 7/12/24
CAT#: AL-54
LABEL: Armageddon
ALARM! are a hardcore punk band from Stockholm, Sweden. After twenty-plus years of playing together in Victims, Andy, Jon and Gareth reunited in early 2023 with the ambition of making some new noise. Jon switched from guitar to bass and the trio wrote a bunch of songs. About a year later they were joined by Jon’s childhood friend, Henrik. This would be the first time the two had played together since their legendary hardcore band Outlast folded in the late 90’s.
Henrik’s vocals and Jon’s bass playing are the key ingredients in taking ALARM!’s sound away from these Swede’s well-known crust punk roots. The bass is both manic and melodic at the same time, pummeling the riffs behind the wall of guitar and drums. Henrik’s piercing vocals, raw yet steeped in emotion, scream of personal anguish and pissed off, political rage. ALARM! have endeavoured to evoke the classic Swedish sound whilst harking back to an ever-so-slight hint of melodic hardcore pre Y2K.
ALARM! have a 9 song twelve inch record already recorded and soon to be released by Armageddon Label, as well as an upcoming appearance on the second instalment of Malmö-based Quarantined Records “Greetings From Sweden” compilation (distributed it the USA by Armageddon Label). As a follow up to the debut album, a 7 inch is already in the pipeline. A slew of shows in Sweden throughout 2023 have seen ALARM! share stages with the likes of Chain Whip, Nukies and Sharp Tongues. Early 2024 marked their first trip abroad, to Spain, with Barcelona’s Enchastre. More shows are planned for 2024, both in Sweden and further afield.
"AALARM! comes from Stockholm. Even though this is Stockholmers ALARM!'s first release, the band consists of a bunch of extremely experienced guys who have a lot of history playing in hardcore bands. They describe themselves as the following "75% Victims, 50% Outlast, 125% Hardcore!". That sums it all up very well I think. When I say that Alarm! plays hardcore on a higher level, you won't be immediately surprised. The gas pedal is already pushed to the floor from the first moment you press play."
"It doesn't take long before ALARM! has me in its grip and they leave no prisoners. When the fourth track "Scare Game" comes on, I'm already on the floor knocked out. It's a real highlight and my favorite on the record. Only on track six, "Ancient Cycles" does the speed slow down and we're allowed to gasp for breath. What makes me happy about hardcore, punk and its related styles, is that when you listen to the music and read the lyrics, you get a little hope for humanity because there are actually more people out there who think there is a lot of madness in the world. Listening to ALARM! also gives me that feeling" - Anders Bergström/Heavyunderground.se
TRACK LISTING:
01. Into The Dark
02. Alerta!
03. Bring Books
04. Scare Game
05. For Lost Times
06. Ancient Cycles
07. Me And Failure
08. The Loop
09. Never Enough