#75 Flork Reviews: Ahoj - Stres (2023)

 

Ahoj - Stres (2023)

by Flork

 

I am so pleased to know that punk is not dead. In fact, it’s far from it. Ahoj, the post punk foursome from Western Slovakia, showcases a captivating and highly energetic mini Lp with their second release Stres.

If you are into this sort of style, a mix of hardcore and punk that blends elements of 90s punk and emo where all the tracks begin and end at the blink of an eye (all seven tracks last a minute and change), you’ll totally dig this disc from start to finish. Ahoj is fronted by a female singer who keeps the testosterone levels at a healthy balance. Punk and fans of punk love this trend, since it’s not Pussy Riot by any means, nor is it Courtney Love and Hole, but more of the classic hardcore punk rock styles with grassroots from the 70s and 90s. There’s no alpha male with “lead singer syndrome” driving the group down a path of doom and early forgottenness, nor any intent to eventually sellout to the mainstream.

I quite like this album and hear a lot of future potential for this band. Take for instance the opening track, which is also called Ahoj (Hello), a quick instrumental bit that sends a brief, but positive signal to the listener. Yet it gets negative pretty quickly with Ti sere na tvár (They shit on your face) and the dynamic energy of Ahoj really grabs your attention and doesn’t want to let go.

The album is loaded with explosive instrumentation and introspection. No Future is a classic title and theme for any punk rocker (think Sex Pistols), keeping in mind that Stres was released when chaos and uncertainty dominates our lives. The album itself was only released only a few weeks ago at the end of April, 2023, right before their upcoming mini Euro tour.

While there is still room for experimentation, there are moments where the songwriting could have been a bit more adventurous. But the band does demonstrate the ability to deliver a captivating sound and message in all their tracks, and so there’s no fear of getting bored when listening to this album. My favourite is the closing Nula Respekt (Zero Respect), which has a lot of depth as well as rough and smooth textures, in that the song was written well, but never gives in to a polished composition. I also wouldn’t say that the production was anything special, but then again, this is post punk that leans heavily on its roots from decades past, with no bling or added effects, and so the mixing and production stays in line with the raw edginess of the music itself. Nevertheless, the group leaves a long-lasting impact and I’m sure their live performances are full of infectious energy. Definitely a band to keep inside the radar in 2023.