ILL WIND

Location: Zagreb, Croatia   

Year active: 2015 - 2018

Members: Benko (guitar), Driš (drums), Jakov (bass), Žbla (guitar, vocals)

Related bands: ????

FFO: Embrace, Touche Amore, Moss Icon, Lumber Lung

Midway through the 2010s, Croatia's hardcore scene was experiencing a wave of younger bands drawing from emocore, screamo and post-hardcore without abandoning the DIY ethos that had shaped earlier generations. Ill Wind emerged during this period, combining melodic restraint with emotionally charged songwriting before disappearing almost as quickly as they arrived. Formed in 2015, the Zagreb-based quartet toured throughout the country alongside underground acts such as Left to Starve, ESC Life, Path of Cestoda, Oi Polloi!, and Bosonogo Detinjstvo before releasing their only record, the self-titled Ill Wind, in 2016.

Across seven tracks and just over twenty minutes, Ill Wind embraces a direct but remarkably cohesive approach to songwriting. Rather than chasing technicality, the band relies on intertwining guitar melodies, driving rhythms and emotionally restrained dynamics. The distorted vocals carry urgency without overwhelming the songs, allowing the melodies to remain central throughout the record. 

The record rarely presents suffering as a singular traumatic event. Instead, it focuses on quieter forms of exhaustion: the slow accumulation of routine, disappointment and emotional stagnation. Even at its most urgent, Ill Wind feels grounded in everyday frustration rather than dramatic collapse, making its melancholy feel surprisingly relatable years after its release.

Although Ill Wind remained active for only a short period, their lone release stands as a snapshot of the Croatian DIY scene in the mid-2010s, when emocore and melodic post-hardcore were beginning to re-emerge alongside a new generation of independent bands.

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Sredinom 2010-ih, hrvatska hardcore scena prolazila je kroz talas mlađih bendova koji su crpeli inspiraciju iz emocorea, screama i post-hardcorea, ne odričući se pritom DIY etike koja je oblikovala prethodne generacije. Ill Wind se pojavio upravo u tom periodu, spajajući melodičnu suzdržanost sa emotivno nabijenim pisanjem pesama, da bi nestao gotovo jednako brzo kao što se i pojavio. Formiran 2015. godine u Zagrebu, kvartet je nastupao širom Hrvatske sa bendovima poput Left to Starve, ESC Life, Path of Cestoda, Oi Polloi! i Bosonogo Detinjstvo, pre nego što je 2016. objavio svoje jedino izdanje, istoimeni album Ill Wind.

Kroz sedam pesama i nešto više od dvadeset minuta, Ill Wind donosi neposredan, ali izuzetno zaokružen autorski pristup. Umesto tehničkog nadmetanja, bend se oslanja na isprepletane gitarske melodije, pokretačke ritmove i emotivno suzdržanu dinamiku. Distorzirani vokali nose osećaj hitnosti, ali nikada ne potiskuju melodije, koje ostaju u središtu zvuka tokom čitavog albuma.

Album retko prikazuje patnju kao jedan veliki traumatični događaj. Umesto toga, fokusira se na tiše oblike iscrpljenosti: sporo gomilanje rutine, razočaranja i emotivne stagnacije. Čak i u svojim najintenzivnijim trenucima, Ill Wind ostaje čvrsto vezan za svakodnevne frustracije, a ne za dramatičan slom, zbog čega njegova melanholija i danas deluje iznenađujuće blisko.

Iako je bend bio aktivan veoma kratko, njihovo jedino izdanje ostaje dobar presek hrvatske DIY scene sredinom 2010-ih, u trenutku kada su emocore i melodični post-hardcore ponovo počeli da se pojavljuju kroz novu generaciju nezavisnih bendova.

photo by Pavle

EEYORE

Location: Zagreb, Croatia

Year active: 2026

Members: Toni Tomljanović (vocals, guitar), Jan Rašić (drums), Jakov Žnidarec (bass guitar, vocals)

FFO: Cowboys Became Folk Heroes, Kite Flying Society, Elegy of Me, Joshua Fit For Battle

Eeyore (named after the melancholic character from Winnie-the-Pooh) is a trio based in Zagreb, Croatia, formed earlier this year. They began performing live in May, sharing stages with Yöu, Hostija, O-Sixfemale, Guinea Freeze, Kijamet, and finally the screamo veterans Mališa Bahat. Their single "Pesticide" first appeared on the 'Gledaju nas kao ptice' compilation, released on July 10, followed two days later by their debut EP, is my ache known to god?

The EP consists of four tracks and runs for just under eight minutes. The production is raw and unpolished, fitting the urgency of a self-released debut.

"Roadside" opens with slow, somber guitar melodies accompanied by drums that gradually build tension before ear-piercing screams crash in, immediately establishing the EP's emotional weight.

"Strip Away" picks up the pace, creating a sense of desperate urgency that is reinforced by lines such as: "I'll cut off my fingers / For using them to write you letters / And peel off my eyelids / To never miss a moment again." The second half intensifies further as the shrieks are joined by deep growls, giving the song an even harsher emotional impact.

"Pesticide," the previously released single, begins with a solitary guitar line and spoken-word vocals lamenting, "Feeling so anxious and alone / I want to say I love you / But you didn't pick up the phone," before erupting into another burst of screamo. Between the chaos, brief mathy passages showcase the band's fluid songwriting and dynamic shifts.

Closing the EP, "boywithagun" follows a similar emotional trajectory. Sparse guitar lines and vulnerable vocals repeating "It becomes another game for me / Nobody came for me" create a lingering sense of isolation before the song abruptly explodes into a final blast-beat-driven outburst.

Despite its brief runtime, is my ache known to god? makes a convincing first impression. Eeyore balance moments of restraint with sudden emotional release, suggesting a young band already comfortable navigating the tension between vulnerability and aggression.

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Eeyore (nazvan po melanholičnom magarcu iz Winnie the Pooh) je trio iz Zagreba, osnovan početkom ove godine. Prve nastupe imali su u maju, deleći binu sa bendovima Yöu, Hostija, O-Sixfemale, Guinea Freeze, Kijamet i na kraju screamo veteranima Mališa Bahat. Njihov singl „Pesticide“ prvi put se pojavio na kompilaciji Gledaju nas kao ptice, objavljenoj 10. jula, dok je dva dana kasnije usledio i debitantski EP is my ache known to god?

EP sadrži četiri pesme i traje nešto manje od osam minuta. Produkcija je sirova i neispeglana, što odgovara hitnosti jednog samostalno objavljenog debija.

„Roadside“ otvara izdanje sporim, sumornim gitarskim melodijama uz bubnjeve koji postepeno grade tenziju, pre nego što ih preseku prodorni krikovi i odmah uspostave emotivnu težinu čitavog EP-ja.

„Strip Away“ ubrzava tempo i stvara osećaj očajničke hitnosti, dodatno naglašene stihovima:

"I'll cut off my fingers

For using them to write you letters

And peel off my eyelids

To never miss a moment again."

Druga polovina pesme dodatno pojačava intenzitet kada se visokim krikovima pridružuju duboki growl vokali, čineći emotivni udar još snažnijim.

„Pesticide“, prethodno objavljeni singl, počinje usamljenom gitarskom deonicom i spoken-word vokalima koji izgovaraju:

"Feeling so anxious and alone

I want to say I love you

But you didn't pick up the phone."

Nakon toga pesma ponovo eksplodira u nalet screama, dok kratki math-rock momenti između haosa pokazuju koliko bend vešto barata dinamikom i promenama u aranžmanima.

EP zatvara „boywithagun“, koji prati sličnu emotivnu putanju. Minimalističke gitare i ranjivi vokali koji ponavljaju:

"It becomes another game for me

Nobody came for me."

stvaraju dugotrajan osećaj usamljenosti, pre nego što pesma naglo eksplodira u završni blast beat klimaks.

Iako traje svega nekoliko minuta, is my ache known to god? ostavlja veoma ubedljiv prvi utisak. Eeyore uspešno balansiraju između suzdržanih trenutaka i iznenadnih emotivnih eksplozija, pokazujući da se već na svom debiju dobro snalaze u prostoru između ranjivosti i agresije.

gledaju nas kao ptice - the first Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence compilation

Premieres tonight at 19:00 CEST via Bandcamp Listening Party.

Join here → https://xdekonstrukcijayugoviolencex.bandcamp.com/live/vol-1-gledaju-nas-kao-ptice-listening-party

When I published the very first Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence post in October 2022, I simply wanted to document a small corner of the former Yugoslav emo and screamo underground. I never imagined it would grow into an archive spanning hundreds of bands, interviews, photographs, documentaries and countless conversations with people across the region.

Almost four years later, that archive has taken its next step.

gledaju nas kao ptice is the first compilation released under the Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence name. It brings together contemporary emo, screamo, post-hardcore and adjacent DIY bands from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.

This compilation is more than a collection of songs. It is an attempt to reconnect scenes that have spent decades separated by borders, politics and distance. While every local scene has developed in its own way, they continue to share the same DIY values: cooperation, emotional honesty and the belief that music can exist without waiting for permission.

I'd like to thank every band that trusted this idea and contributed to making it a reality. Without their enthusiasm, this project would have remained just another concept on paper.

I also hope this release encourages people to discover bands beyond their own cities and countries, to support one another, and to keep building new connections throughout the region.

This is only the beginning... 

For everyone who keeps creating despite the odds.

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Kada sam objavio prvi tekst na Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence u oktobru 2022. godine, jednostavno sam želeo da dokumentujem mali deo emo i screamo underground scene bivše Jugoslavije. Nisam mogao ni da zamislim da će to prerasti u arhivu koja danas obuhvata stotine bendova, intervjua, fotografija, dokumentarnih filmova i bezbroj razgovora sa ljudima širom regiona.

Skoro četiri godine kasnije, ta arhiva napravila je svoj sledeći korak.

gledaju nas kao ptice je prva kompilacija objavljena pod imenom Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence. Okuplja savremene emo, screamo, post-hardcore i srodne DIY bendove iz Srbije, Hrvatske, Bosne i Hercegovine, Slovenije, Severne Makedonije, Crne Gore i Kosova.

Ova kompilacija je više od zbirke pesama. Ona predstavlja pokušaj ponovnog povezivanja scena koje su decenijama bile razdvojene granicama, politikom i udaljenošću. Iako se svaka lokalna scena razvijala na svoj način, sve ih i dalje povezuju iste DIY vrednosti: saradnja, emocionalna iskrenost i uverenje da muzika može postojati bez čekanja tuđe dozvole.

Želeo bih da se zahvalim svakom bendu koji je poverovao u ovu ideju i pomogao da ona postane stvarnost. Bez njihovog entuzijazma, ovaj projekat bi ostao samo još jedna ideja na papiru.

Nadam se da će ova kompilacija podstaći ljude da otkriju bendove van svojih gradova i država, da podrže jedni druge i nastave da grade nove veze širom regiona.

Ovo je tek početak... 

Za sve koji nastavljaju da stvaraju uprkos svemu.

Limited cassette edition coming soon.

SOCKHOLES

Location: Koper, Slovenia

Year active: 2025

For fans of: Mom Jeans, TWIABP, Snowing, Free Throw, Hot Mulligan, Golemata Voda, Mallard, Ubili su Batlera

Sockholes is a duo from Koper, Slovenia. After releasing a handful of small demos (kaj tiste vrtnice and Nehaj hodit tako pozno domov iz Italije) throughout 2025, they eventually returned with their self-titled EP.

Consisting of four original songs sung in Slovenian alongside a cover of Hot Mulligan's "Jimmy Neutron Had a Dog So Why Can't I Have a Friend?", the EP embraces a stripped-down approach built around emotional guitar work, half-sung, half-screamed vocals, and occasional drum machine accompaniment.

The standout track is "2013 tumbler se mi je zameril zaradi moje pjane", where a sampled crying rant plays over an acoustic backdrop. The contrast between vulnerability and absurdity feels surprisingly natural, capturing the kind of awkward sincerity that has always sat at the heart of midwest emo.

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Sockholes je duo iz Kopra, Slovenija. Nakon nekoliko manjih demo izdanja tokom 2025. godine, vratili su se sa svojim istoimenim EP-jem.

EP sadrži četiri autorske pesme na slovenačkom jeziku, kao i obradu pesme "Jimmy Neutron Had a Dog So Why Can't I Have a Friend?" benda Hot Mulligan. Materijal se oslanja na ogoljen pristup zasnovan na emotivnim gitarskim deonicama, vokalima koji se kreću između pevanja i vrištanja, uz povremenu pratnju ritam mašine.

Posebno se izdvaja pesma „2013 tumbler se mi je zameril zaradi moje pjane“, u kojoj se preko akustične podloge čuje sempl emotivnog plača i žalopojke. Kontrast između ranjivosti i apsurdnosti funkcioniše iznenađujuće prirodno, hvatajući onu nespretnu iskrenost koja je oduvek bila jedan od ključnih elemenata midwest emo zvuka.

IDROWNEDINTITOGRAD

Location: Podgorica, Montenegro

Year active: 2026

For fans of: Breakwater, Danse Macabre, .minmo, June Paik, Piet Onthel

Compared to Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia or North Macedonia, Montenegro’s screamo and DIY scene has remained nearly invisible for years. That’s what makes idrownedintitograd such a surprising and welcome emergence.

Based in Podgorica, idrownedintitograd is a new screamo project whose name references the city’s former Yugoslav-era name, Titograd, used between 1946 and 1992 before reverting after the breakup of Yugoslavia. In January 2026, the band released a two-track untitled demo EP.

The first track opens with dark, flangered guitar arpeggios layered over a sample discussing Yugoslavia before collapsing into distorted strumming, angular blast beats and raw, anguished screams. The second track wastes no time with urgent riffs, chaotic but controlled drumming and emotionally charged vocals push everything forward in barely ninety seconds.

Despite its short runtime, the demo already shows a strong instinct for tension and atmosphere, balancing emotional urgency with the kind of frantic instability that defined older European screamo acts.

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U poređenju sa Srbijom, Hrvatskom, Slovenijom ili Severnom Makedonijom, crnogorska screamo i DIY scena godinama je ostajala gotovo nevidljiva. Upravo zato pojava projekta idrownedintitograd deluje toliko iznenađujuće i osvežavajuće.

Baziran u Podgorici, idrownedintitograd je novi screamo projekat čije ime referiše na nekadašnji jugoslovenski naziv grada  'Titograd' korišćen između 1946. i 1992. godine, pre vraćanja starog imena nakon raspada Jugoslavije. U januaru 2026. bend objavljuje demo EP sa dve neimenovane pesme.

Prva pesma otvara se mračnim, flangerom obojenim gitarskim arpeđima preko sempla o Jugoslaviji, pre nego što se uruši u distorzirano rifovanje, uglaste blast beatove i sirove, bolne krikove. Druga pesma ne gubi vreme sa hitnim rifovima, haotično ali kontrolisano bubnjanje i emotivno nabijeni vokali guraju sve napred kroz jedva minut i po trajanja.

Iako veoma kratko, izdanje već pokazuje snažan osećaj za tenziju i atmosferu, balansirajući emotivnu urgentnost sa frenetičnom nestabilnošću karakterističnom za stariji evropski screamo.

YOUTUBE

MALLARD

Location: Skopje, North Macedonia

Year active: 2023 - Active

Related bands: Гола Планина Collective

FFO: I Love Your Lifestyle, Големата вода, The Promise Ring, Everyone Asked About You, Now Now, Casper Elgin, Ubili su Batlera

(Not to confuse with another Mallard from Philadelphia)

Mallard are part of a new wave of bands actively shaping the underground in Skopje, North Macedonia. Emerging from the Гола Планина Collective, their work ties directly into a broader effort to build a functioning DIY scene through shows, events, and local collaboration.

Active since 2023, the quartet has so far released a two-track single followed by the promo EP Ferid Bajram VS Vasko Karangeleski in 2026, supported by the independent label Mrtov Konj.

Musically, Mallard lean into a bright but fragile strain of midwest emo - melodic, slightly melancholic, but never static. Tracks like “Ferid Bajram VS Vasko Karangeleski” highlight the band’s dynamic range, with falsetto-driven vocals pushing a sense of vulnerability to the front, while “Повторно (повторно)” shifts into something more unstable, introducing harsh vocals and tightly wound, spiraling guitar work.

Rather than staying locked into one emotional register, Mallard move between restraint and release, giving their songs a sense of motion rather than nostalgia. Their material circles around young adulthood, but not in a purely reflective way - it feels immediate, shaped by lived experience rather than distance.

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Mallard su deo nove generacije bendova koji aktivno oblikuju underground scenu u Skoplju, Severna Makedonija. Potekli iz kolektiva Гола Планина, njihov rad je direktno vezan za širi napor izgradnje funkcionalne DIY scene kroz koncerte, događaje i lokalnu saradnju.

Aktivni od 2023. godine, kvartet je do sada objavio singl sa dve pesme, a zatim i promo EP Ferid Bajram VS Vasko Karangeleski 2026. godine, uz podršku nezavisnog lejbla Mrtov Konj.

Muzički, Mallard naginju ka svetlijem, ali krhkom obliku midwest ema - melodičnom, blago melanholičnom, ali nikada statičnom. Pesme poput „Ferid Bajram VS Vasko Karangeleski“ ističu dinamički raspon benda, gde falset vokali iznose ranjivost u prvi plan, dok „Повторно (повторно)“ uvodi nestabilniju energiju kroz oštrije vokale i zategnute, spiralne gitare.

Umesto da ostanu u jednom emotivnom registru, Mallard se kreću između suzdržanosti i eksplozije, dajući pesmama osećaj kretanja umesto nostalgije. Njihov materijal se bavi temama mladog odraslog doba, ali ne iz distance - već neposredno, oblikovano ličnim iskustvom.

ГОЛЕМАТА ВОДА

Location: Skopje, North Macedonia

Year active: 2025 - Active

Related bands: Бик, Персеида

FFO: Sore Eyelids, heart-on-sleeve, Title Fight (Hyperview), Ridgeway, Gleemer

Golemata Voda (The Great Water, named after the 2004 film) is a midwest emo band formed in Skopje in 2024, featuring members of Бик and Персеида. They released their first single “Има или нема” in October 2025, followed by their self-titled debut full-length in February 2026.

Sung primarily in Macedonian, their sound blends cohesive midwest emo structures with a warm, melodic sensibility, tinged with dream pop melancholy and light, jangly post-hardcore textures. Somber vocals shift between restrained singing and tearful outbursts, giving the record a fragile but persistent emotional weight.

Across its ten tracks, Golemata Voda explores instability - of identity, memory, and emotional endurance. Rather than indulging in nostalgia, the album treats it as something distant and distorted, where the past feels unreachable rather than comforting.

Tracks like “Сила од Небес,” “Мртов,” and “Бунар” lean into themes of exhaustion and internal collapse, capturing a sense of being trapped within repetitive mental states. In contrast, songs such as “Стој Подалеку” and “Ко(Мета)” highlight a tension between withdrawal and dependence, suggesting an inability to fully exist either alone or in connection with others.

By the closing stretch, particularly on “Маѓепсан” and “Билка,” the tone subtly shifts. Not toward resolution, but toward a fragile sense of renewal... less a recovery than a quiet reintroduction to feeling after prolonged emotional numbness.

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Golemata Voda (The Great Water, naziv preuzet iz filma iz 2004. godine) je midwest emo bend formiran u Skoplju 2024. godine, koji okuplja članove bendova Бик i Персеида. Prvi singl „Има или нема“ objavili su u oktobru 2025, nakon čega je usledio njihov istoimeni debitantski album u februaru 2026.

Peva se pretežno na makedonskom, a njihov zvuk spaja kohezivne midwest emo strukture sa toplim, melodičnim senzibilitetom, uz primesu dream pop melanholije i laganih, jangly post-hardcore tekstura. Vokali prelaze iz suzdržanog pevanja u emotivne ispade, dajući albumu krhku, ali postojanu emotivnu težinu.

Kroz deset pesama, Golemata Voda istražuje nestabilnost - identiteta, sećanja i emotivne izdržljivosti. Umesto da se oslanja na nostalgiju, album je tretira kao nešto udaljeno i izobličeno, gde prošlost deluje nedostižno, a ne utešno.

Pesme poput „Сила од Небес“, „Мртов“ i „Бунар“ naginju temama iscrpljenosti i unutrašnjeg raspada, hvatajući osećaj zarobljenosti u ponavljajućim mentalnim stanjima. Nasuprot tome, „Стој Подалеку“ i „Ко(Мета)“ ističu tenziju između povlačenja i zavisnosti, sugerišući nemogućnost da se u potpunosti postoji ni sam, ni u odnosu sa drugima.

U završnici albuma, naročito kroz „Маѓепсан“ i „Билка“, ton se suptilno menja. Ne ka razrešenju, već ka krhkom osećaju obnove... manje kao oporavak, a više kao tiho ponovno upoznavanje sa osećanjem nakon dugotrajnog emotivnog otupljenja.