Raised Fist
The sound of the republic
Burning Heart Records
On this album Raised Fist have pushed the limits a bit more. We're still talking about pissed-off, aggresive hardcore here, but the band has made its most diverse set of songs yet. While the first couple of EPs was strongly influenced by Youth Of Today and the old-school hardcore scene, this album contains more metal breakdowns, hard-hitting grooves, no compromising vocals and even more rawk. Yes, it's true, Swedens finest hardcore act (still existing, that is) have a few rock n' roll influenced tunes on this one. And I like it! It keeps the album together perfectly. One of the best things that ever happened to the band was the recruitment of Matte Modin, (and by that I'm not saying that former drummer Oskar Karlsson didn't do a great job), the Dark Funeral-drummer gives them a push forward not imaginable before. I've been in love with Raised Fist ever since they released the "You're not like me"-EP and my love is still intact with "The sound of the republic". In fact, it's even more passionate than before! When it eventually comes time to put together a list of the best albums of 2006, this one will probably be on my top 10.
- Jonas Appelqvist