WARDANCE / PENALTY TIME split LP

All around, it’s an awesome format: more than a split 7”, which can be over before you know it, you’re able to firmly get an idea of what a band’s trying to do—but you get two of ‘em to try on for size. So I figured Sweden’s Penalty Time was going to be some nutty thrash stuff, given that their side of the sleeve had a drawing with skeletons with those little flipped up hats on it. That and the band name were really all I had to go on, and surprise, surprise, I was way off. Me and my assumptions. They’re actually kicking out some pretty decent, catchy streetpunk stuff: think of a more gruff Criminal Damage, or Blitz with a bit more of a hardcore flair. Not bad by any stretch. Wardance is playing dark and doomy crust stuff—they don’t really provide any band information at all, so I’m just guessing when I say that a guy and a girl are trading vocal duties here. If I’m wrong, you lads should know that one of your vocalists sounds strikingly like the woman from Hiretsukan. Taken as a whole, it’s a great introduction to both bands, and neither one of them skimp on the content; generally good songs and consistent songwriting throughout, and there’s so much music packed onto this thing, the record would occasionally skip due to the grooves being so thin. Pretty solid attack.