1,5 year since the release of their punchy debut album, Berlin based power hardcore punks are back with a new EP “Heavy Blues”, recapturing some of the greatest fundamentals and hooks of the genre, and spicing it up with their own groovy twist and wild energy that will keep you moving! “It’s punk ripping off blues”, they say, and it couldn’t be more aptly summed up. Today, we’re giving you the official first listen of the EP, along with the band’s track by track commentary below!
Hailing from Berlin with members from France, Italy, Germany and Romania, SLOW JAMS has been busy honing their heavy yet groovy, nostalgic yet modern type of hardcore since December 2017 with the mission of bringing fun back into a scene that has seen too much tough-guy bullshit machismo. Currently the band is working on the new LP and will enter the studio this next summer.
Their last tour was in October 2019 with the American band Drip-fed (ICorrupt Records), and this year they have some shows planned in Berlin in February and planning more for the next spring.
Recorded at Tricone Studios Funkhaus by Juanfe Rehm (Berlin, Germany), mixed and Mastered at Studio 73 by Riccardo Pasini (Ravenna, Italy), the EP is being released by 5feetUnder records (Denmark), Sengaja Records (Ger), and Financial Ruin (USA).
Artwork by Gatean Heuze.
01 Determined Law
Police brutality is a reality almost everywhere in the world. The song is as much a critique of that phenomenon as much as a plea for unity in the face of authoritarian bullies, whether in ‘the West’ or in places like Hong Kong, Venezuela or Iran.
Lyrics:
like rats we run, we have determined laws on our back i am no horse but i suffer the sting, give me the spurs to serve or protect is a grotesque (fucking) narrative when we are not even safe promoting humanity get (fucking) lost like rats we run, we have determined laws on our back i am no horse but i suffer the sting, let’s (fucking) go we are not safe promoting… my group is scattered, the rain is clearing the smoke the street is half empty and half full to the brim your lungs are burning too, where do we turn? hold on, i quote: they can’t account for you being alright they can’t account for the safety of you they have us pinned down, tight and conned we have to regroup
02 Griefcase
The things you want and value might just be illusions that someone powerful uses to turn you against somebody just like you. Seek understanding with the latter so that you can both oppose the former.
Lyrics:
wanting is an endless ruse it is a gauntlet of heavy blues i am clueless and anxious, too its sabotage in advance i can’t cross over to you crossed out i would not be crossed out for the rst time but i am still not used to this give in to the endless ruse face the trial of heavy blues i could be trying to be an open book if your judgement hasn’t already put [us to an end] i am out of step, i require some rules to play it’s a lose and lose kind of game and i can’t keep up it’s an on and off kind of deal and we are about to sit back when we both need to step up
03 Reanimator
Modernity promotes an extreme version of individualism. Eventually, this becomes self-defeating but many chase their salvation within the same paradigm because they know of no other alternatives.
Lyrics:
brittle humanity foiled by its hardened match the configuration of repression, it goes on and on postponed collective thought refused substantial healing how did you perceive the last decade? who cares who cares who cares, that’s you your change is spent and I’m adapting to the news system is a rigged wishing well i’d rather spare my change into this bony hand. free them of dwelling in their own closet tombs can you hear the bone on the bars? the mufed messages, the tongueless consonants the carol of the skeletons, sing me awake seduce me reduce me x my brittleness reduce my body to the marrow of its bitter bone of its bitter anarchy (fuck) (reduce my body to the marrow don’t stop)
04 Body fidelity
Intimacy is sometimes difficult, but being vulnerable even more so.
Lyrics:
limb by limb we explore a quest without the lore we are mapless it remains a mystery a puzzle i can’t solve hint by hint it comes together alright thought it was simple, i guess not it remains a (fucking) mystery two bodies entwined i have witnessed crimes that I can’t solve this is not my rst tongue it’ll help if you spoke up you dont need your hands to show just tell; i forgot my glasses at home spill some coffee, remain uptight and dry not comfy, stuck between slouch and lie does this bother you yet? i can hardly tell, express away; excuse me i need to avoid the pitfalls of my identity maybe in a few mornings we can share the same body
