Labels: Dead Beat – Yo-Yo Records
Review by: Sam Westerman
Lights Out! are a German hardcore band from Stuttgart who I caught live a couple of months ago. While I didn’t think they were groundbreaking or anything at the time I thought they had some cool melodies underneath all that ruckus they were making and their enthusiasm for what they were doing rubbed off on me, so I happily forked out the five pounds they wanted for their CD.
On first listen I remember dismissing this as some pretty average European hardcore (paeh?). I thought they’d lost the melodies they had when I saw them live and the production had turned this into some poor re-hash of their influences. I’ve given it a few plays since and it’s started to grow on me. The tunes have come back and while it’s still a re-hash of what a lot of bands have done before them, it’s a worthy tribute from a band who are just a doing a sound they love.
The tone of the record stays pretty consistent throughout; the singer might get kinda angrier in one song but then the band will play with a little more melody a few tracks later to restore the balance. The pick of the bunch for me is the closing track, “Illusions and Summer Dreams”, which isn’t far from the perfect song to embody that “snotty punk rawk” sound.
If these guys play near me again I’ll be sure to try and see them, and if you’re into 80’s American hardcore (and stuff influenced by 80’s American hardcore) this record will no doubt last you some listens, but I’d be surprised if you were to line this up alongside your favourites one day.
www.myspace.com/lightsoutpunk