Padkarosda

Padkarosda is a three piece punk band from Hungary. Szabadulásom M?vészete (translated as Art Of My Liberation) is their second full-length release. Recorded in Budapest in June of 2013, Oakland, CA-based Wake Up And Live Records picked it up for US release this year. It comes on cassette with a pro-printed foldout J-card, complete with song lyrics, band photo, and artwork. It’s really nice looking package, all done in various shades of purple, which really adds to the aura of the music contained therein.

According to various descriptions Padkarosda play a style of punk that draws heavily on the influence of ‘80s Hungarian bands. I’ll admit I don’t have any real familiarity with Hungarian punk bands past or present other than this tape, so I don’t have much in the way of comparisons to offer. While there are discernible bits and pieces of other international hardcore styles at play, it’s also unlike anything I’ve heard recently. It’s like a more gothic take on Finland’s Riistetyt crossed with a less raw-sounding GLAM. In fact, much in the same way the latter-mentioned Barcelona band did on their Veveno En Sus Flechas LP, Padkarosda uses vocal effects and dissonant guitars to push the sound beyond the confines of simple genre tags like 'raw punk' or 'hardcore.' It reminds me of the weirder stuff on the discographia version of '80s Italian band Stiny Rats' Vergognati LP.

For a cassette, the recording is really good. It's not the 'demo quality' style that has come into vogue as of late, but rather the type of sound you'd expect back before CDs, when vinyl records and tapes were the the only option.The bass is distorted and subbed to death, which I love, while the drumming is both frantic and on point. But it's the uniquely atmospheric guitar effects at play here that standout as the band’s defining sound. “Az Ártatlan” (translated as “The Innocent”,) the rager that closes out side A, and “Az ?rz?” (“The Keeper”,) which begins side B are perfect examples. And they really bring their distinctive sound into new territory with a moody post-punk album closer “Csendent” (“Silence.”)

Szabadulásom M?vészeteis is beyond good. If you appreciate genre-challenging punk, obscure bands, and archaic formats (and really, what self-respecting punk doesn't,) do yourself a favor and track this one down.

9.0 / 10 — Nathan G. O'Brien