Vole - Tohle není prdel (2021)
By Flork!
The resurgence and renewed interest in punk and post-punk here in Central Europe has injected life into an already lively music scene. Vole, a foursome from the Czech Republic, are definitely one of those groups to thank for this. They were formed a mere 5 years ago after the break-up of Hlinomaz and released their third album Tohle není prdel just last October.
Now, if any of you remember, Hlinomaz was a hardcore punk band that was described by their record label Stoned to Death Records as “…… a crude, rude, apocalyptic force that whipped their listeners with lashes of noise and chaos and irritated weak stomachs by the ever-increasing scar on Banán’s forehead (Banán was the lead singer) through which he tried to insert the entire microphone, following the example of Cronenberg's VIDEODROME. Fortunately, the band broke up before he succeeded to do so.”
They were a great band with lots of noise and screechy vocals, but they weren’t meant to last forever. Nowadays, Hlinomaz’s former members can be found in various groups all over the Czech hardcore scene, but it’s Vole who comes out on top as the result of their dedication to tireless, hard work. What started as a few concerts here and there has resulted in dozens or maybe hundreds of gigs, despite the pandemic situation as well. This has translated into better shows and a better sound in the studio. And what’s cool about their latest album is that they themselves claim that the journey between their second release to this one was “a switch back from metal to punk and rock” (although Dej Bůh Pěstí is a bit of a tribute to their noise punk beginnings). And this is true, its a great experiment with new sounds and beats, all of which somehow magically come together.
It's clear from the opening track Byl jednou jeden člověk (There was once a man) that the band has fine-tuned its identity and increased the intensity of its playing. David Vála’s fast and original guitar riffs, where power chords are replaced by chords and melodies produced by the higher notes, stand out with the backing of Ondřej Filípek’s fast drumming. If this combination were an Olympic sport, then Vole would have little trouble getting a gold metal. Emil Prachař’s skillful bass doesn’t just fill in the gaps, but rather balances out and keeps the chaos organized, especially in the last track Džungle. All of this brought to maximum decibels with the vocals of Tomáš Mitura, who pushes the whole intensity as far as possible.
And what are Flork!‘s favourites? Personally, I like Byl jednou jeden člověk since it was the song that really caught my attention. But there are several others that get very high marks. TV and Styl are awesome tunes that remind me of mosh-pits and weekend concerts in dirty and divey venues. Panter has a great beat to it, blending punk, thrash, and metal elements. Byznis/Kovboj, the longest treack on the album is like a wild ride on a bucking bronto, with moments of solo-guitar transitions between the remaining instruments join in again. Kind of like being at a punk rock rodeo. This is where Vole really presents the listener the end-product of their journey of transition and experimentation. It is obvious from the large number of details put into these songs that they‘ve come a long way since Hlinomaz.
Overall, the record has a great flow and tempo throughout, with quick transitions and smooth changes between every track. All ten tracks add up to around 30 minutes of total album time, with only a couple of the tracks lasting a little more than 3 minutes. According to their info, they have 250 vinyl copies for sale, so better get yours quickly. This is definitely a band worth following.
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