How can a 10 million people country like Sweden produce so many good records still is a mystery. Vicenza based metal infused post hardcore act RADIO RIOT RIGHT NOW come from a country which hosts 60 million people and it’s mostly famous for their awesome food. No surprise if an Italian punk hardcore band drew up a list of favourite Swedish records instead of talking about Carbonara.
RADIO RIOT RIGHT NOW‘s “Hurts” LP is out now and can be grabbed at this location.
RADIO RIOT RIGHT NOW‘s activity from 2000 to 2009 was filled with epic with wild raging live shows. Their “new” album “Hurts” was actually recorded in 2009, but never released after the band took a break that never ended. Singer Silva Cantele then embarked on a solo career as “Phill Reynolds” touring all over with his folk songs. Guitar player and recording engineer Maurizio Baggio became a successful as producer for Soft Moon, The Merchandise and many others while drummer Mattia Bardin joined the other legendary punk band La Piovra.
“Hurts” is the Radio Riot Right Now long awaited album finally released on digital. A picture of a band in its prime, influenced by the Swedish Burning Heart scene of Refused and Breach. Angst, rage, radical political views growled out by singer Silva are surrounded by heavy de-tuned guitar riffs and d-beats.
“Hurts” travelled secretly from computer to computer for years but never had a proper official release until now!
To celebrate, we’re giving you the band’s handpicked selection of Top 10 Swedish Punk/Hardcore/Metal records from 1995-2005 era, the time dear to their hearts and identity.
MESHUGGAH – Destroy Erase Improve (1995)
Before becoming musicians, Meshuggah were probably just Math nerds. We still can’t say for sure if they’re actual Humans, Robots or Reptilians. But we’re pretty sure they’ve found a way to travel in time and see the future. Destroy Erase Improve still sounds like if Math algorithms had some sort of personality and feelings and that’s what makes this album special. First song of the record features one of the best intros ever produced and their rhythmic patterns can be so complicated that make you feel kinda high.
BREACH – It’s Me God (1997)
This record is heavy, it’s the soundtrack of a war, it really sounds like if you’re constantly afraid of something, quoting our singer Silva: “It sounds like rotting bowels”. Songs are 3 minutes long but feel really heavy. This record sounds more obscure than most of black metal records. 3 of us were able to go see Breach at their last show in Stockholm and, despite one of us having a strong fart attack during their show, it was worth the trip.
NINE – Kissed By the Misanthrope (1998)
What would have happened if AC/DC were born in Sweden instead of Australia? What if they had to spend a 6 months long winter in the dark every year instead of xmas vacations on the beach? What if it’s too cold outside and most of their friends are Blacksters, Metal Heads, Punks? Take all of it and pitch it down 4 semitones. Kissed By the Misanthrope would definitely be the result.
RAISED FIST – Fuel (1998)
11 songs all in the same key. This record sounds like a guitar player telling the mixing engineer: “Could you please turn the guitars up a bit?”; but imagine him saying it 60 times a minute. Later records are pretty crazy too, but this sounds rougher and that’s why we like it. If you’re that kind of person that generally postpone its alarm clock five times before waking up, just change your alarm tone to this record’s first track “Monumental”. You’ll never postpone again.
REFUSED – The shape of punk to come (1998)
This record is timeless. Experimenting in hardcore music has never been well accepted and that’s probably why it didn’t really make it in ‘98 when it came out. Electronic music, Jazz walking bass, falsetto vocals. It took a decade for people to take this record into account and, year after year, it became a masterpiece for an actual larger audience than regular Hardcore kids or Punks. If RRRN were wearing nice stylish tight shirts as uniforms back in 2007, that’s because of Refused. Productions like this are few and far between.
RANDY – You can’t keep a good band down (1999)
This is the one and only record on this list that features actual melodies, no screams, no anger. 14 sing along songs to sing with your friends, drunk at the pub, under the shower, on a date, on vacation. Randy did a bold move after their first records, which basically sounded pretty much like their favourite bands. You might find yourself singing about Karl Marx or social inequality in a joyful way. This is probably the only record on this list your mom would approve.
ABHINANDA – The Rumble (1999)
This record sounds hardcore but there’s always some rock’n’roll elements keeping it special. Some songs start like a party and then turn bad as if somebody actually died at the party.
Production on this record is clever: it’s hard to find something alike.
The song entitled “The Rumble” features a string section, classy mood on.
WITHIN REACH – Complaints Ignored (2001)
Their 4th album “Fall from grace” came out in 2000 and it was a big change in sound for this band, which previously released 3 records that sounded pretty close to classic NY Hardcore.
Their previous album titles “Something’s Not Right”, “Strength Through Diversity” , “Reconsider/Reconstruct” win the competition for most meaningful Hardcore titles we’ve heard in a while.
This record is their last and darkest one. It remains special in our hearts because it contains great emotional chord progressions and guitar melodies, but vocals keep it away from being too much of a love drama and more keen to sound like struggle, hope and, somehow, victory.
DISFEAR – Misanthropic Generation (2003)
This record sounds like if Motörhead went on tour in Sweden in ‘79, did sex, drugs and partied everynight. Then, 20 years later, their illegitimate childs started a band called Disfear. Well… unfortunately that’s not possible, because Disfear in 2003 were already grown up people.
Fast music and messy fuzz pedals generally don’t get along this good. No matter how low tuned or dark they can sound: this music is party music, pogo dancing, beers and sweat. This record is like having fun looking at motorbike burnouts, while thinking it’s probably one of the most stupid things you’ve ever seen.
CULT OF LUNA – Salvation (2004)
Cult of Luna don’t like quickies: their sound and melodies are sad and never ending, heavy and quiet. This record contains 8 songs and it lasts 73 min. That’s probably because CD’s maximum length is generally 74 min; we’re pretty sure they would have jammed for 20 minutes more if they could.
Cult of Luna sound like the end of the world has come and there’s really nothing you can do but scream, destroy your furniture and cry.
Cult of Luna come from Umeå, like Refused, Abhinanda, Meshuggah. Umeå has 80.000 inhabitants.
Sometimes we like to wonder what was going on at that time in Umeå, or maybe the right question is what wasn’t going on…
