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.

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Zbrucz je četvoročlani bend iz Maribora, Slovenija, formiran 2023. godine. Njihov prvi lo-fi demo "00" objavljen je u avgustu iste godine, nakon čega su usledile i turneje. Ove godine samostalno izdaju svoj debitantski album "Riparia riparia", miksovan i masterovan od strane Matica Medje, uz upečatljiv artwork Klemna Seliškara.

Album u svojih 20 minuta donosi osvežavajući omaž emo/screamo zvuku kasnih devedesetih i ranih dvehiljaditih, uz povremene emoviolence blast beatove, često podsećajući na bendove poput The Worst Is Yet To Come, Tarkovsky, Dollores, Mahria, Hiretsukan i Heart On My Sleeve. Materijal je izvođen na engleskom i slovenačkom jeziku.

Album otvara "2020 by Shin Guard", intenzivan nalet energije koji kombinuje sirove vokale i razrađene gitarske deonice. Pesma postavlja ton celog izdanja, pokazujući sposobnost benda da spoji agresiju i melodiju, uz poetske i ispovedne tekstove. "Forty Minute Train Delay" hvata frustraciju i anksioznost savremenog života, dok "Flood of Unloved" zalazi u teme napuštenosti i emotivnog rasula. "00" funkcioniše kao spoken word interludijum sa Kill Kill Kill, pružajući trenutak predaha i refleksije usred haosa.

Sledi "Dežujem" - vrhunac albuma i favorit publike. Pevana na slovenačkom, pesma je introspektivna, ali zadržava snažan emotivni naboj koji kulminira u katarzičnom oslobađanju, pre nego što se završi kratkim, ali eksplozivnim blast beat finalom.

"Me vidiš kot sem?" donosi sirovu i iskrenu refleksiju identiteta i samopercepcije, još jednom potvrđujući sposobnost benda da kompleksne emocije prenese kroz muziku.

Album se zatvara pesmom "Konec dober, vse dobro", koja nosi notu nade. Počinje smenjivanjem spoken word deonica, da bi se potom raspala u haotičan klimaks. Slika razbijanja glave o beton simbolizuje očajnički pokušaj bekstva od unutrašnje patnje, dok stihovi na slovenačkom nagoveštavaju mogućnost pomirenja i novog početka.

"Riparia riparia" je snažan debi koji hvata suštinu emo i screamo zvuka kasnih devedesetih i ranih dvehiljaditih, ali istovremeno gradi sopstveni identitet. Zbrucz uspešno balansiraju između intenziteta i emocije, haosa i melodije, čineći ovaj album izuzetno zanimljivim slušanjem. Uticaji su jasni, ali bend uspeva da ponudi nešto sveže - što ovo izdanje čini značajnim doprinosom savremenoj emo/screamo sceni.

A split featuring new material from Zbrucz (Maribor, Slovenia) and Falesia (Trieste, Italy) is nothing short of a riveting and intense release.

A year and a half after their debut, Zbrucz return with two tracks that lean into a darker, more somber direction, drawing closer to neocrust and post-metal. The sound is harsher, more abrasive, and emotionally devastating. Delivered in both Slovenian and English, it feels as if they’ve taken cues from Mališa Bahat and pushed them further into heavier territory.

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Split sa novim materijalom bendova Zbrucz (Maribor, Slovenija) i Falesia (Trst, Italija) predstavlja izuzetno intenzivno i upečatljivo izdanje.

Godinu i po dana nakon debija, Zbrucz se vraćaju sa dve pesme koje naginju mračnijem i sumornijem izrazu, približavajući se neocrustu i post-metalu. Zvuk je grublji, abrazivniji i emotivno razarajući. Izvedeno na slovenačkom i engleskom, deluje kao da su preuzeli uticaje Mališa Bahata i odveli ih još dalje u teži, masivniji zvuk.

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!

APATHY APARTMENT

Location: Ljubljanja, Slovenia / Zagreb, Croatia.

Year active: 2015 - ????

Members: Andi Koglot (guitar, programming, synths, samples), Damjan Blažun (vocals, bass, programming)

Label: Self-released

Related bands: ????

FFO: The Postal Service, pospano, Bowery Electric, Nine Inch Nails

Whenever i think of what else Slovenia has, Apathy Apartment comes to mind. Not every band has to be 100% screamo all the time, there are some things that can be soft, eclectic and relaxing, which AA did offer at the time.

AA was an electronic duo formed in Ljubljanja and in Zagreb, respectively. The duo gathered around in 2015, teased their first single and then dropped their only self-titled EP, played one or two shows before calling it quits... and it lasted less than a year.

Consisting only three tracks (with the exception of 'dank' memes and Jake Gylenhall references in the titles), the EP serves some of the distinctive emo/synthwave bops i have ever heard. The Nine Inch Nails/Bowery Electric is definitely prominent throughout these tracks, yet their own flair keeps them to the ground on their own uniqueness, with an addition of Kaja Skrbinšek's ethereal vocals on the third track which gives an immense amount of charm of this sweet little EP. 

What could've been an adventurous journey for the duo has diminished way too soon. Apathy Apartment's music is eclectic, atmospheric and charming to the point of making a name for themselves in Slovenia's otherwise small DIY scene.

BANDCAMP

give.me.the.gun.

Location: Novi Sad, Serbia

Year active: 2021 - Ongoing

Members: Stefan Duka

Label: Self-released, Khya Records

Related bands: Idiedthisfebruary, Labud

FFO: Jeromes Dream, Usurp Synapse, Combatwoundedveteran, Merzbow, Atrax Morgue, sueisntfine

As i was filming and editing a live set for Labud, i took myself a trip down the memory lane and recalled one of Duka's first projects that i discovered back in 2021. I remember trying to reach out to him via Bandcamp to no avail and then happened to accidentally meet him at AKAB Okretnica some time later. It was up to that point when he revealed himself to be behind this project that made me completely flabbergasted. And i am definitely glad that i met him.

give.me.the.gun., a ghastly lo-fi emo/noisecore hybrid came to mind. A solo project that is nothing short of ferocious. As of 2024, the project had released two EPs and a split release so far.

His debut EP "selected.recordings.", consists of 5 tracks with diverse styles within the lo-fi production. Tracks like 'Whyhavealifewhenyouhavetheinternet', 'xepoj' and 'mr.coathangersayshello' serve themselves as the most harrowing form of lo-fi emoviolence/noisecore. Distanced, amateurish, but soulcrushing and cathartic production within the mist of grainy noise further compliments the raw aspects of the DIY Hardcore punk aesthetics, while 'wakingupfromacomain2001' and 'carpemortem' backs up the short-timed skramz offerings with screeching, pulsating and disturbingly long noise compositions ala Merzbow and Hanatarash, making up a half-an-hour runtime for this magnificent rollercoaster ride of an EP.

This kind of quality continues in the form of a 2023 split with Eva Ras titled 'Similar Genes, Distant Relatives' with 3 tracks and a cover. His side starts with a melancholic instrumental opener 'Burning Bridges', succeeding with screeching 50-second noisecore/emoviolence 'Hello, I Hate Myself'. Ironically, another screeching noisy interlude 'New Year, Old Me' gives the listener a 2-minute break before finally concluding his side with his I Wrote Haikus cover.

Halfway through the year, GMTG dropped another EP titled 'Worm (oh, it's a dreadful life)'. Only this time we're hearing a more upfront and less abstract production, but still maintaining the lo-fi aspect. The first three tracks border on the influences between Jeromes Dream, Usurp Synapse (for its punchy compression in 'I think you don't love me anymore') and Combatwoundedveteran, with the exception of a post-rockish instrumental 'left' rocking with Unwoundish inflections as the calm ambient soars for 2 minutes before finally closing with an interlude cover of Novi Sad's cult Neocrust Reflections of Internal Rain. The band is definitely influential to Duka's contributions to this project and other bands that follow.

In conclusion, give.me.the.gun. is one of the most promising solo projects i've ever come across in my lifetime. Its entire discography and Duka's contribution to the scene gives hope to the other up and coming newcomers to Novi Sad scene and hopefully influences the rest of Ex-Yu. I am looking forward for this projects' further releases in the future. MAKE VOJVODINA EMO AGAIN.

GIG REVIEW: REFLECTION + SPASIBO @ KC ZIVA

Ah, Živa. It's been a damn while since i visited, let alone performed there since that place was just newly opened. It's one of the DIY venues ran by folks who run places such as MKC Kombinat, Matrijarsija and Fijuk Sajam etc. It takes place in the bunker in the middle of Novi Beograd. When i came to, the lack of oxygen was extremely present. You could tell how long has it been laying here, that place hasn't been touched for decades. Nowadays, the air quality has sort of gotten better the second time i visited the venue.

Currently Belgrade-based Russian shoegaze/emo Spasibo started off the event with their statements in English and in Russian regarding the situation their country has been placed in, as well as the Moscow massacre not long ago, stressing that "it has been a catastrophe for all of us" and that "violence is never a solution for the future". The band also states that their lyricism deals with accountability and being compassionate with one another before kicking off their set.

Throughout their activity, Spasibo played various amounts of genres, ranging from Neo-Psychedelia, Hard Rock, Krautrock to Math Rock, Post-Hardcore and Emo. It took them a long time to explore for their own sound.

On this stage, Spasibo tends to lean a bit into the emocore/post-hardcore vibes from the 80's and 90's, with the frontman clean singing and borderline shouting, somewhere along the lines of Rites of Spring, At The Drive-In and Jimmy Eat World. Nearly the entire setlist probably consists of songs from their latest album Terpeniye, save for the shoegazy closure.

Tons of people who are packing the venues are from Russia and Serbia, which goes to show how established Spasibo is during their decade-long career, well before the war, as you can see in the pictures displayed here.

The crowd had carried along their set lasting a half an hour, warming up to the next thing that will eventually shake 'em up. Reflection from Gornji Mladenovac follows up with their usual introduction in Serbian before stomping at the crowd with bass pedals. They're active since 2017 and dropped their debut album Different Paths in 2019, borrowing lots of Melodic Hardcore groups such as Have Heart. They've given out all of their energy to lift up the crowd and even teased their new song.

This is definitely my first time seeing them live. I've been trying to catch up to them and ended up being held back by other day-to-day duties in my life and i finally took an opportunity to see them this time and i was completely intrigued by their raw energy. I figured this would be the next band to review for this blog.

I absolutely do not regret coming here, as it is vital that every active DIY venues of Serbia invites as many emo/screamo acts as possible. I even heard from my friends there that an emo/screamo show will take place in there this June, so i am completely fucking stoked. This is what keeps this otherwise dying scene alive.

Please do not forget to check these aforementioned bands out. They totally deserve your support.

Spasibo

Reflection