WISH YOU THE BEST

Location: Serbia

Year active: 2025

Members: ?

Related bands: ?

FFO: Danse Macabre, Disposing of False Halos, Eva Ras, In Loving Memory, IWroteHaikus..., The Truth About Dreaming

I came across this project through an email from someone claiming to be based in Serbia. Digging deeper didn’t reveal much - there’s virtually no background information on the Bandcamp page, no lineup, no context. In situations like this, the choice is either to ignore it entirely or take the release at face value and let the music speak for itself. I went with the latter.

The EP What We Do Is Sacred, released last August, feels very much like a solo project -bedroom production, synthetic drums, and a distinctly DIY approach throughout. That’s hardly a drawback in this scene, where plenty of one-person projects operate on raw urgency rather than polish.

Across nine tracks and just under ten minutes, the EP delivers brief but intense bursts of chaotic lo-fi emoviolence. Tight, frantic drumming drives the songs forward, guitars jerk and collapse in sharp fragments, and the vocals are raw and unfiltered. The production can feel a bit abrasive and “icky” at times, but the emotional charge carries it through and ultimately gets the job done.

This is a short, violent listen that doesn’t overstay its welcome. Recommended for hardcore screamo listeners who are always on the lookout for compact releases built on urgency, tension, and emotional overload rather than refinement.

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Na ovaj projekat sam naišao preko mejla osobe koja tvrdi da je iz Srbije. Dubljim kopanjem nisam došao do skoro ničega - na Bandcamp stranici praktično nema pozadinskih informacija, nema postave, nema konteksta. U ovakvim situacijama izbor je ili potpuno ignorisati izdanje ili ga prihvatiti takvim kakvo jeste i pustiti da muzika govori sama za sebe. Odlučio sam se za ovo drugo.

EP What We Do Is Sacred, objavljen prošlog avgusta, vrlo jasno deluje kao solo projekat - bedroom produkcija, sintetički bubnjevi i izražen DIY pristup kroz celu stvar. To ovde teško da je mana, s obzirom na to da u ovoj sceni mnogi one-man projekti funkcionišu na sirovoj urgentnosti, a ne na uglačanosti.

Kroz devet pesama i nešto manje od deset minuta, EP isporučuje kratke, ali intenzivne nalete haotičnog lo-fi emoviolence zvuka. Zategnuti, frenetični bubnjevi guraju pesme napred, gitare trzaju i raspadaju se u oštrim fragmentima, dok su vokali sirovi i nefiltrirani. Produkcija u momentima može delovati abrazivno i pomalo „lepljivo“, ali emotivni naboj sve to nosi i na kraju funkcioniše.

Ovo je kratko, nasilno slušanje koje ne ostaje duže nego što treba. Preporuka za ljubitelje hardcore screamo izdanja koji stalno traže kompaktne materijale zasnovane na hitnosti, tenziji i emotivnom preopterećenju, a ne na rafiniranosti.

EVA RAS

Location: Belgrade, Serbia

Year active: 2016 - 2025

Members: Filip Stojiljkovic (vocals, guitar, drums, piano, bass)

Related bands: Art of Heartwork, Ask for Answers, Bradikardija, Logical Flora, Minutes of Decay, Ruined Tongues, Sueisntfine, tužan dečak kavr bend, WAAS

FFO: Orchid, Hassan I Sabbah, Pg.99, Jeromes Dream, Louise Cyphre

Eva Ras began the way most reckless and sincere projects do - by accident.

While in college, I started assembling leftover instrumentals into something new and named the project after a Serbian-Hungarian actress from the Black Wave. The name felt absurd. It stuck.

The earliest releases (2016 demo, two 5-way splits) were pure DIY collapse: GarageBand, Mixcraft drums, an acoustic guitar pushed into a dying microphone. They sounded exactly like that. Somehow, they circulated.

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Eva Ras je počela onako kako većina nepromišljenih i iskrenih projekata počinje - slučajno.

Tokom studija sam počeo da sklapam preostale instrumentalne snimke u nešto novo i dao projektu ime po srpsko-mađarskoj glumici iz crnog talasa. Ime je delovalo apsurdno. Ostalo je.

Najranija izdanja (demo iz 2016, dva petostruka splita) bila su čisti DIY kolaps: GarageBand, Mixcraft bubnjevi, akustična gitara gurana u mikrofon na izdisaju. Zvučalo je tačno tako. Nekako je krenulo da kruži.

After switching to electric guitar and Logic Pro X, the 2017 self-titled EP followed - still lo-fi, still Orchid-obsessed, still structurally unstable, but intentional. Cheap programmed drums, no bass, harsh vocals. It was the project finding its shape.

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Posle prelaska na električnu gitaru i Logic Pro X, usledio je istoimeni EP iz 2017. — i dalje lo-fi, i dalje opsednut Orchidom, i dalje strukturalno nestabilan, ali nameran. Jeftino programirani bubnjevi, bez basa, oštri vokali. Projekat je tada počeo da dobija oblik.

Live shows followed: MKC Kombinat, Fijuk Sajam, later Hali Gali’s Nightmare at Drugstore - where I performed alone, screaming over playback from an iPod Touch. It was chaotic, awkward, and unexpectedly effective. For the first time, Eva Ras felt real in front of people.

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Usledili su nastupi uživo: MKC Kombinat, Fijuk Sajam, kasnije Hali Gali’s Nightmare u Drugstoreu — gde sam nastupao sam, urlajući preko playbacka sa iPod Touch-a. Bilo je haotično, neprijatno i neočekivano efektno. Prvi put je Eva Ras delovala stvarno pred ljudima.

The full-length Proliferation of Broken Dreams came next, released through my now-defunct Confusion Specialist Records. Reception was split. Some praised the ferocity; others (correctly) criticized the production and sloppy execution. Both readings were fair.

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Zatim dolazi album Proliferation of Broken Dreams, objavljen preko mog sada ugašenog Confusion Specialist Records-a. Reakcije su bile podeljene. Neki su hvalili ferocitet; drugi su (s pravom) kritikovali produkciju i aljkavu izvedbu. Obe interpretacije su bile tačne.

A turning point came with the double EP/Prekretnica dolazi sa duplim EP-jem:

 

This was the clearest version of Eva Ras: fast, suffocating screamo with no dead space. Tracks like “Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence” finally matched what I’d been trying to express for years. Reviews reflected that - Maximum Rocknroll called it “exceptionally harsh,” and for once, the description fit.

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Ovo je bila najjasnija verzija Eve Ras: brz, zagušujući screamo bez praznog prostora. Pesme poput „Dekonstrukcija Yugoviolence“ su konačno zvučale onako kako sam godinama pokušavao da ih izrazim. Recenzije su to potvrdile - Maximum Rocknroll ga je opisao kao „izuzetno brutalan“, i po prvi put je opis zaista odgovarao.

Between 2019 and 2023, the project existed mostly as live shows and short releases, including the split Similar Genes, Distant Relatives with give.me.the.gun, followed by two structurally experimental EPs.

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Između 2019. i 2023. projekat je uglavnom postojao kroz nastupe uživo i kratka izdanja, uključujući split Similar Genes, Distant Relatives sa give.me.the.gun, a zatim dva strukturalno eksperimentalna EP-ja.

In 2025, while writing Moje ime, moj dom i moj teret amid political collapse, violence, and exhaustion, it became clear I no longer had the capacity to continue.

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Godine 2025, dok sam pisao još jedan album usred političkog raspada, nasilja i iscrpljenosti, postalo je jasno da više nemam kapacitet da nastavim.

Eva Ras began as a coping mechanism, became a weapon, and eventually drained everything it could.

Ending it with an album felt necessary.

This isn’t a hiatus or a tease.

Eva Ras is finished.

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Eva Ras je počela kao mehanizam za preživljavanje, postala oružje, i na kraju iscrpela sve što je mogla.

Završiti je albumom delovalo je nužno.

Ovo nije pauza niti najava nečega novog.

Eva Ras je završena.

It was nice to meet you.

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Bilo nam je lepo upoznati.

STEPA

Location: Novo Mesto, Slovenia

Year active: 2020

Members: Šiba (drums), Krempl (guitar), Želo (vocals)

Related bands: ????

FFO: Rolo Tomassi, Naked City, Me and Him Call It Us, Mara'akate, Rep Seki, Usurp Synapse, Honeywell

Every once in a while, a band appears briefly and burns out fast, leaving behind a single document of their existence so dense and chaotic it feels like a transmission from another realm. That band is Stepa.

Formed in 2020 in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, Stepa was a short-lived trio that only released one self-titled album, thirteen minutes of sheer dissonant fury. It was released on cassette via Quebec’s LeBlast Records, a fitting match given the label’s taste for sonic extremity.

Their style? Call it emoviolence. Call it grindcore. Call it whatever you want, but the result is a twelve-track onslaught where no song breaches the two-minute mark. The shortest, "Vrtača," clocks in at a mere 26 seconds, while the longest, "Hodnik," barely reaches two minutes but somehow feels massive.

This is music that doesn't beg for attention, it kicks the door down. Krempl’s guitar playing is like shards of broken math equations. Dissonant, fractured, and constantly mutating. Šiba's drumming is absurdly fast, channeling the relentless speed and stop-start chaos of bands like Honeywell or Usurp Synapse. And Želo’s vocals? Unhinged. It’s raw-throated desperation with zero restraint, like a flesh wound set to blast beats.

The highlight here is unquestionably "Hodnik", the closing instrumental. In a bold move, Stepa drops the vocals entirely and leans into dissonant chaos filtered through a start-stop rhythmic breakdown. It’s almost like the eye of the hurricane, if the hurricane had no eye. The mathy structures collapse into themselves and re-emerge, only to combust again. It’s unsettling, dynamic, and perfectly in line with what the genre’s more experimental edge they had to offer.

Stepa never stuck around to release a follow-up. No extensive touring. No cryptic new project hints. Just one record, some cassettes, and a whole lot of noise. But in those fifteen minutes, they delivered something Slovenia rarely sees: a band unafraid to go full chaos mode and leave it all in the wreckage.

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S vremena na vreme pojavi se bend koji kratko zasvetli i brzo nestane, ostavivši iza sebe samo jedno izdanje: gusto, haotično i toliko posebno da zvuči kao da je stiglo iz nekog drugog sveta. Takva je bila Stepa.

Bend je nastao 2020. godine u Novom Mestu, Slovenija, i radio je kratko, tek dovoljno da snimi svoj jedini, istoimeni album. Trinaest minuta sirove energije i nesvakidašnjeg zvuka objavljeno je na kaseti preko kanadskog izdavača LeBlast Records iz Quebeca, poznatog po ljubavi prema DIY emo/screamo muzici.

Kako opisati njihov stil? Pa neko bi rekao emoviolence, neko grindcore, a istina je da je to dvanaest kratkih, žestokih pjesama, nijedna ne prelazi dve minute. Najkraća, "Vrtača", traje tek 26 sekundi, a najduža, "Hodnik", jedva dve minute, ali ipak ostavlja jak utisak.

Ovo je muzika koja ne traži pažnju, jer je ona jednostavno osvoji. Gitara Kremla oštro reže i stalno mijenja smjer, bubnjevi Šibe srljaju nezaustavljivim tempom, a vokal Žela donosi sirov i neispeglan naboj, kao da prenosi osećaj trenutka bez ikakvog filtera.

Poseban trenutak na albumu je "Hodnik", završna instrumentalna pjesma. Bez vokala, bend se prepušta igri ritma i disonantnih dionica koje se ruše i ponovo grade. Dinamično, nepredvidivo, i potpuno u skladu s njihovim eksperimentalnim pristupom.

Stepa nije imala nastavak priče, nije bilo novih izdanja, velikih turneja ili tajanstvenih najava. Samo jedan album, nekoliko kaseta i puno buke. Ipak, u tih petnaestak minuta ostavili su trag nečim što se kod nas rijetko čuje: bendom koji se usudio pustiti da ga haos vodi do kraja.

GIG REPORT: UNABLE TO FULLY EMBRACE THIS HAPPINESS & PAGENINETYNINE @ARENA WIEN, VIENNA, AUSTRIA

YUP! You've seen it and you all know what i am coming up with. That's right! I went to see one of the classic cult screamo acts ever from Sterling, VA - pageninetynine and let me tell you: it was such a fucking blast!

The event itself was managed by Hardcore For The Losers and Generation Noir, taking place in Arena, Vienna, Austria. The band opening for them is a local emoviolence act Echelons aka. Unable to fully embrace this happiness.

It was a typically windy Monday in Vienna, slightly rainy too. As soon as I arrived by bus, I realized the venue was just an 8-minute walk away. Since doors didn't open until 8 PM, I took my sweet time wandering around the area. Truthfully, I hadn’t been to Vienna since I was about 10 or 11 years old. My only vivid memory from back then was visiting the Belvedere Castle.

Getting close to 8PM, i headed back to Arena and caught up with Dimitar of DIY Conspiracy, who was also excited to see. The doors open and the people gathered around at the merch table. They're mostly kids ranging from teens to young adults, who were eagerly discussing about both classic and contemporary screamo and sasscore.

I met up with the vocalist who was selling Echelons merch and we talked about 'Enjoy Life To This' - a 5-way split with Commuovere, Fei Lung and Te Lloraria Un Puto Rio. We agreed that it was somehow solid and it could've been so much more. He also mentioned never receiving the tapes from the labels — especially from me — which I was honestly surprised. I bought the tape and the classic pg.99 shirt (that was infamously used as a part of the 'skramz revivalist' character which haven't took off until years later). That was supposed to be it… until pg.99 absolutely floored me and I had to grab the Document #5 repress as well.

ECHELONS (FORMERLY UNABLE TO FULLY EMBRACE THIS HAPPINESS) hit the stage with some of the ferocious React With Protest influenced screamo for half an hour. Their debut 2017 album The Morning Sun & The End of the World gained a lot of traction for their lo-fi microwave production and raw, frantic energy. With that being said, their sound on stage is a bit too polished and would be better off with tight, on-the-floor squat setting. Still, their intensity and crowd interaction held strong.

PAGENINETYNINE (OFTEN STYLIZED AS PG.99) consists of nine people and they hit it off with the iconic, crushing track from Document #4, as well as all classic songs from 5, 7 and 8, having the crowdgoers let loose however they wanted. And it's not just that, it's Chris Taylor doing handstands, climbing on ceilings or crawling on the floor or Blake Midgette going off stage to get himself a can of beer is what makes it so memorable. Especially the encore where David of Echelons joins the hypnotic drumming sessions during 'By the Fireplace in White' where Chris literally gets off the stage, crawls on all fours, all around the room and into the backstage for about 5 minutes or so before the last blow.

At the end of the show, we all came out sweaty and immensely satisfied. If Garfield were there, this would’ve changed his entire opinion on Mondays :)

IDIEDTHISFEBRUARY

Location: Novi Sad, Serbia

Year active: 2023 - Ongoing

Members: Em Drakulic, Luka Salak, Stefan Duka

Related bands: give.me.the.gun, Labud, Plik

FFO: Jeromes Dream, Eaglehaslanded, In/Humanity, .minmo

Ah, yes. Novi Sad, the great old punk kingdom and Odense's southeastern european sister, the city that's as flat as a board and extremely friendly to bike riding, vegan, straight-edge, antifa punks, making sure to keep fascists and neo-nazis afraid of their very own existence. A lot of those things are what makes me love this city. Even more than my own hometown.

And most importantly, my very own friends who reside there, especially Stefan of give.me.the.gun, who has formed an upcoming screamo band along with Em and Luka. With the exception of Luka, both Em and Stefan have their own noise projects respectively.

The band in question is Idiedthisfebruary. They started performing in Novi Sad a couple times and performing in Belgrade for the first time. Whilst performing, they dropped their 2 Song Demo EP.

Here we're on a Wonka boat trip to the noisy garbling sample of this legendary Japanese 90's mindfuck which sets us off to the lo-fi chaotic mess of "Caught in a Daydream" lasting 2:26 of runtime, all hell set loose until we get to that somber moment of 1:10, building up to epic catharsis mode. Then we follow up to 2:38's "Rapid Eye Movement", challenging us with their epic breakdown, being occasionally prevalent throughout the song. Here are some of the lyrics to go by:

"Used to hate the Sun and now the sky's getting red

Every day I breathe, I can't get out of bed

 All my flowers wither as I turn into a slob

The months turn to years as the days turn to fog"

If that doesn't perfectly capture depression, then i don't know what does.

DEMO

A year later of following their touring, the band officially dropped their debut release "These Fading Years" at this exact month after their initial demo's release. An 8-track EP was recorded in Brutal Studio, mixed/mastered by Filip Djurovic and its artwork done by Vivi. Needless to say, it was quite worth the wait.

I've spoken with Em, the guitarist at the time of their gig and he jokingly pointed out how i have to look for new words to describe their show every time i write them a gig review, which sent me laughing, saying "you're totally right, better wait for your EP then!"

The EP opens with "You raise your arm, I turn away", with wearied, monotonous spoken words, lamenting on the effects of physical abuse (One more day to feel lobotomized/Talk to me as if i were a child, But no matter what you say/You raise your arm, i turn away), building up to screaming crescendos. After the lacerating chaos of 29-sec "I Won't Play Your Fucking Songs", the band delves further into themes of existential crisis (Get in the Fucking Robot, In Love With Misery, etc.) and depression (Rapid Eye Movement, Nothing), matching the overall depressive mood to the generous amount. Despite that, the mixing can be slightly muddy and most of the guitar work (trebly at best) is almost nearly upfront than the rest, and it wasn't as punchy as i thought it would be. Nevertheless, it still maintains to be a listenable experience for half an hour.

THESE FADING DAYS

ZBRUCZ

Location: Maribor, Slovenia

Year active: 2023

Members: Alex Češek (vocals), Denis Hornosum (guitars), Julian Lavrič (guitars), Kristijan Matjašič (bass), Urban Saletinger (drums)

Label: Self-released

Related bands: Propad

FFO: Hiretsukan, Mahria, Obroa-Skai, The Worst Is Yet To Come, Heart On My Sleeve, 125 Rue Montmartre, Vales, Tarkovsky, Dollores

zbrucz is a four-piece band that is freshly formed in Maribor, Slovenia in 2023. Their first lo-fi demo "00" came out in August of that year, followed by their subsequent tours. This year, they self-released their full-length album "Riparia riparia", mixed and mastered by Matic Medja and a magnificent artwork done by Klemen Seliškar.

The album takes a refreshing 20-minute take of late '90s and early 00's emo/screamo, with occassional emoviolencey blast beats, often reminiscing other skramz bands such as The Worst Is Yet To Come, Tarkovsky, Dollores, Mahria, Hiretsukan, Heart On My Sleeve, etc. The album of its entirety is sung in English and Slovenian.

The album opens with an intense burst of energy of '2020 by Shin Guard', combining raw vocals with intricate guitar work. The song sets the tone for the album, showcasing Zbrucz's ability to blend aggression with melody, along with its poetic and confessional lyrical themes, with 'Forty Minute Train Delay' capturing the frustration and anxiety of modern life, 'Flood of Unloved' delving into themes of abandonment and emotional turmoil. 00 serves as a spoken word interlude featuring Kill Kill Kill, providing a moment of reflection amidst the chaos. It's a nod to the band's influences and adds depth to the album's narrative.

Then follows 'Dežujem' (trans. I Am Raining) - the highlight of the album and a fan's favorite. Sung in Slovenian, this song is channeled through an introspective lens while the emotional intensity remains and builds up to the cathartic release before delving to another epic blast beat finale for the last 10 seconds.

Me Vidiš Kot Sem? (trans. "Do You See Me As I Am?"), this track is a raw, honest exploration of identity and self-perception. The band's ability to convey complex emotions through their music is evident here. 

Riparia Riparia closes the album on a hopeful note with "Konec Dober, Vse Dobro" (trans. All's Well That Ends Well). The track opens with interchanging spoken words before dissolving to fierce chaos. The imagery of smashing one's head on the concrete floor symbolizes a desperate attempt to escape the mental anguish. The Slovenian lines suggest a hope for a better day and the possibility of reconciliation and renewal. It's a cathartic release and a perfect way to close the album

"Riparia riparia" is a strong debut that captures the essence of late '90s and early '00s emo and screamo, while also carving out its own niche in the genre. Zbrucz's ability to balance intensity with emotion, and chaos with melody, makes this album a compelling listen. The band's influences are clear, but they manage to bring something fresh to the table, making "Riparia riparia" a noteworthy addition to the contemporary emo/screamo scene. For fans of the genre, Zbrucz is definitely a band to watch.

SUPPORT THEM VIA BANDCAMP!

Mališa Bahat

Location: Varazdin/Koprivnica, Croatia

Year active: 2015

Members: Geč (vocals), Crni (bass), Žmer (drums), Luka (guitar), Sanyo (guitar, 2015-18), Dominik (guitar, 2018-present)

Label: Catfish Records, Dingleberry Records, Mad Schnauzer Records, Zegema Beach Records

Related bands: Mal Batard, Melkior Tresicz

FFO: Daitro, Daighlia, La Quiete, Loma Prieta, Portraits of Past

It's 2016. It's this particular time period when Croatia's Mališa Bahat came to prominence in the DIY world with their six-track demo EP "Moments We're Lost In" which made itself a landmark at the time.

Bandcamp profile picture

What i would basically describe this EP as nothing short of passionate but full of excessive agitation. Anguished vocals over melancholic hardcore punk frenzy shine through. It is so packed with an abundance of elements of screamo from France, USA, Germany and Japan.

Mališa Bahat acted as the part of resurgence wave of Ex-Yu Emo/Screamo, along with Serbia's eaglehaslanded and Bosnia's Deer In The Headlights. The debut hit the DIY world with the storm, followed by numerous shows in Europe (such as Fluff Fest and Miss The Stars) and Southeast Asia following the split releases of ZMAR and Old Soul in the next few years.

Then 2020 happened. The pandemic, along with personal matter among members happened which left little news from the band. The songwriting started throughout the pandemic and then stretched through five long years before its completion. Then in 2024, their full-length album "Lovers. Loners. Losers.", recorded by Nikad's Ivan Jakic and mastered by Orchid' Will Killingsworth. The tracks in here are more complex and less explosive than their previous efforts and the quality is top-notch and timeless. The dual vocals here are more in sync and cleverly placed, the songwriting here are definitely nuanced and the drumming is perfectly balanced between frenetic and subtle, which never gets old. Not to mention the clapping part in "Mother's Words" being the highlight that is bringing us together.

The reason why their debut full-length carries on very well is the lyrical theme that comes along with it. True to the name, "Lovers. Loners. Losers." deal with themes of personal and societal struggle, regret and introspection of all things. The fact that a sample from Leaving Las Vegas (1996) with Nicolas Cage is included in "Open The Last Bottle" makes so much sense and with the epic, devastatingly beautiful title closer, everything comes down together, dealing with themes of disillusionment, a search for identity and being haunted by choices.

Mališa Bahat just started touring around the Balkans this year. They were supposed to tour Europe with Piri Reis, but unfortunately the latter encountered many problems with the tour and had to postpone it for some other time, there Malisa's had to tour all by themselves. I am invited to perform in Sofia (June 25th) and in Novi Sad (June 29th). If you happen to be in any of these places, PLEASE DON'T MISS OUT THEIR SHOWS! 

SUPPORT THEM BY STREAMING AND DONATING TO THEIR BANDCAMP!

Irritatement

 Location: Skopje, North Macedonia

Year active: 2014 - ????

Members: Nindža Korača (drums, vocals), Rade (bass), Špagi (guitar, vocals)

Label: Water Boatman records

Related bands: ????

FFO: Deathtaker, Acrid, Hinckley, old Cattle Decapitation, Napalm Death

After finishing my gig review on this blog, a thought came in randomly. It compelled me into re-checking my blog and realise that i haven't written a single post of any band from North Macedonia, so this will be the time where i am getting down to it.

I'll be starting short and sweet with Irritatement, a short-lived grind band from Skopje, with questionable influences. When i first visited their bandcamp page, one of their genre tags 'screamo' was visible so i was fluctuating whether they should be added or not. So many influences in here deem too difficult to properly categorize.

They only dropped this self-titled demo via Water Boatman Records in 2014. Including only seven untitled tracks, their demo EP offers a blistering, gloomy, atmospheric lo-fi chaos. Grind and Death influences guitars, incomprehensible, distanced, raw vocals and sludgy bass just blow the top cherry off the cake for nearly 9 minutes of their runtime.

This band is awfully underlooked and it is said that they've gone too soon. Perhaps we can hope for their reunion sooner or later. Definitely recommended for die hard grind/skramz fans.

BANDCAMP.

Their live clip here:

GIG REVIEW: LAMENT NAD SOMBOROM (27.4.24)

A little while ago, i was invited to perform at Sombor and this was my opportunity to participate in such a small Vojvodinian town, as well as visiting it for the first time. It is located an hour away from Novi Sad and just close in-between the borders: Croatia from the West and Hungary from up North.

On that gig, it has been revealed to me that i would be performing along with Sombor's newcoming local act Getintherobot, Idiedthisfebruary and Quasarborn from Novi Sad. Before the announcement, the local folx wanted to invite me as a surprise guest, because one of the member celebrated their birthday that day. However, the organiser blew that surprise for all of us, thus having my name on the poster for all to see. Although the outcome was so lame, i was, nevertheless, very happy to be performing along with my good friends at one gig. I've always wanted to perform along with them as much as they want to perform along with me, and this was a dream come true.

Anyway, as i came to Sombor by bus, Klemo, the guitarist of getintherobot and his girlfriend came to pick me up and showed me around the town. It was all clean and the scenery was all green, which was however ridden by right wing corruption. They'd tell me all the stories of how the entire town being full of drug addicts and how the pair have faced oppression from the police, simply for looking differently. Not only that, i was also told that the Russian people who took refuge in Serbia, aren't even allowed to do anything they'd want, e.g. touring with the band, otherwise, they'd be deported back to Russia (unless they have a dual citizenship), which is, in my opinion the most depressing thing i've ever heard.

As we made it to the Dve Krigle Debele venue, we've waited for the boss to open up at 6PM. The February's and Quasarborn (both from Novi Sad) came to and we all took time to practice once more, as well as doing a sound check and getting warmed up while people are coming around. Since some of our sets are pretty short, the entire event begins at 10PM.

After the thorough discussion between the organisers and the bands, they decided that i, as Eva Ras, would start the event. I didn't know what would come to this, but i didn't mind about it. Duka of the February's insisted he'd be in charge of taking pics of my set with my camera, and did so with amazing results. Strahinja, the bday boy and the bassist of the Robots had this to say about my set:

"The opener for the gig ''Lament Over Sombor'' was Eva Ras.
A one-man ''jack-of-all-trades-of-balkan-emo'' screamo project by Filip.

He enters the stage with his exorcism-like performance which indulged the crowd 

with huge amount of shock and took everyone by surprise (since that kind of shows 

are not usual in this place).

As the body rises so does the ambient of the nightmarish/gloomy background music 

which introduces us into the starting track for the night. With raging screams 

and thundering instrumentals we enter the emo night through Filip's 

genius design.

Through his setlist we stumbled upon various kinds of screamo songs including 

a cover of Placebo's Nancy Boy, which brakes every form of toxic-masculinity 

and brings out the light out of him and shines upon all of us present in the 

venue. Short but remarkable is how would i put it for his show, since really 

it was a show, not a gig.

Listening his performance for the first time live was one of the best gifts 

i could imagine for a birthday party, since i grew my music-listening 

experience based on his lists.

Unforgettable and impressed, i cannot wait for the next show and hopefully, 

will be able to attend one!

Thanks for great time, Eva Ras!"

Special thanks to Stefan for the pics!

Up next is Sombor's newcoming Getintherobot (whose track i've reviewed on), followed suit. After their debut single 'Arsonist', they told me that the stuff afterwards will be more emoviolence focused. So when they took their turn, they weren't wrong. It was definitely the most exciting thing i've ever witnessed. The band also took their time to celebrate their member's birthday, which was very sweet.

Strahinja, celebrating his bday.

Up next is Novi Sad's Prog Thrash Metal band Quasarborn. Now, Prog isn't my thing, per se, neither do i hate it. BUT to my surprise, i realized that Dimitrije of Nabod is playing for the band. You could tell that he's been pretty busy lately. Anyway, Quasarborn kicked off and got everyone headbanging for good 30-or-so minutes. And as i got out for the fresh air, someone else told me that one of the members crowdsurfed, to my surprise. So, they pretty much ate up most of the venue lol.

And finally, Novi Sad's Idiedthisfebruary were the last to take the stage. Every time they hit off, they come off more brutal than ever before. The crowd got more rabid, everyone moshed, thrashed and grabbed the mic to sing along, more crowdsurfings emerged. It was a fucking beautifully intense shitshow <3

The gig in Sombor for me and everyone else on board is definitely something unforgettable this year. I've met so many new people there and visited the town for the very first time, it's been quite an adventure. Looking forward to performing there in August again. MAKE VOJVODINA EMO AGAIN!