Jan 26, 2011

Letter from the imprisoned comrade Christos Politis

Stylianos Glykofrydis should have been a really prominent man during his times, while he had served as director and general supervisor of prisons. He had been calling the government to fight against communism “imitating straightly or in a milder way the acts of Hitler” while in 1936 proposed for the Communists waiting for a trial to limit their rights during the visiting and the courtyard time (toavoidcontactwithotherprisoners “that lead to the well-known and unwanted results”).

The thoughts, the perception, the proposals of Stylianos Glykofridis certainly were not left untapped by the modern state.

After our kidnapping, mine and Kostas Barlis’, from Exarcheia on the 4th of January, we get led to the offices of the antiterrorist unit. While my comrade was being set free, they announce the arrest of mine after 48 hours. At the same time, the chief of the Greek Police states cynically that I was arrested “because I was set free about the case of Efeteio”. Namely for a case for which I have been called and examined by the 8th regular investigator judge and I have been released after her decision. The truth is that they are interested in keeping me as a hostage exactly because I am an anarchist. Because during the last 15 years I am active in this radical political part. Inmy case, it is not simplyattempted only theupgrading but also the development of the repression method of criminalizing friend and comrade relationships, the results of which are experienced lately by dozens of fighters. In my case, the antiterrorist unit moves to build up relationships which do not exist in reality while I do not even know personally my co-defendants. After my pre-jailing, while the hooded antiterrorist units were talking more often with the investigator judge than my lawyers were, I get led to Grevena jailhouse, a detention establishment of C Type. Despite that according to the penal code “In C Type jailhouses are kept without communication with prisoners of other categories, prisoners who serve penalty of life-time imprisoning or temporary imprisoning for at least ten years and are accounted as particularly dangerous for the smooth co-existence in other types of jailhouses”. An isolated jailhouse, with law buildings and high walls in order to cut from sight anything from the environment, with cameras and electronic security systems everywhere. A static and stony construction that wants to deprive any exoteric stimulus, to flatten your personality, to destroy you mentally. Obviously, while following orders they put me in a “security” sector, without being asked for something like this from mine, without being threatened by anyone and despite my continues applies to get out of here. The result of this deliberate persistence is to impose on me an aberrational status quo of absolute isolation, trying to – up to a level – to raise my request for my transfer to Korydallos jailhouse.

The economical policy definitely includes as a supplement also a new “quality” of state repression. Today that capitalism can not hide its real face, the social consent can be approached only through violence. Through the courts’ decision that judge the workers’ strikes as illegal, through water cannons, through threatens for levy en mass, through tear-gases, through “antiterrorist” operations. Through the callouts for self-control and through the screams of journalists. Only and only through these methods, the Greek state will become a successful experiment, that will turn the country into a region-part of strong Europe and make it an economical paradise for the bosses. With a population keeping holding on, waiting for someone to come and save them and the persons who are counted as left-over crowding in front of soup-kitchens or inside the jailhouses. Already, since the beginning of the 70’s, the “antiterrorist” policy has overcome the traditional anticommunist policy. It has turned into the answer coming straightly from the status quo, into the repression of an enemy who was everywhere present, diffused, flexible and not specific and static like the formal Communistic Parties or the Soviet Army in Eastern Europe. Already, the new enemy was found among the dynamic and polymorphic movements, among the proletarian parts that do not get homogenized, among the urban guerilla. So today, when more and more actions and political practices are under the targeting of the Counter Authority for Crimes of Special Violence, the “antiterrorism” for the Authorities is something to be commanded in order to keep the people’s rage encaged inside the limits of a pretended realism and conformism. That’s the reason of the persecutions with doubtful DNA samples, of the cascade upgrades on the “terror-law”, of the “wanted” callouts, of the special offences (ιδιώνυμο) against comrade and social relationships, of the continues surveillances, of the hundreds of fighting persons who are judicial hostages and the dozens of persons who are kept inside the jailhouses, of the mass media propaganda that talks about “terrorists” and “co-transportingvessels”… All these, in order to lend fake meanings on words, to isolate and finally smash the internal enemy. To smash all these people who stir up the class hate and escalate the national division, all those who boost solidarity, self-organized action and clash with the status quo.

The bet for us on the time of our seasons is, more urgent than ever, to determinate the line of history. Because Capitalism, its total poverty and misery that are imposed, is not a one-way direction.

Christos Politis
Grevena Isolation Jailhouse
8th January 2011

Jan 14, 2011

Kingterror & Agathocles - split 10'' (2010)

Days go by so fucking fast like tornados, music lately sucks (in all forms) and i stucked with some "emo" desert tunes lately that helps me bite my insomnia. But every now and then some terrific new band comes from the ultimate dark to catch up with my numbness and make me wanna start run in the night, wearing hooters and sport clothes. Dear ladies and gentlemen, Return to Your Seats and Fasten your Seatbelts, here we have Kingterror.

four bald guys, dropdead and negative approach shirts. sweet
So, i'll skip Agathocles 'coz the belgians mince-core founders wants no introduction. Just meat and potatoes style grind. We love them anyway. a band with good political lyrics.

Now, Kingterror! You may remember a band called Rubbish heap. And you may remember that i love rubbish heap. So, a guy called Kim have contacted me and told me that he used to play for rubbish heap and if i'm interested i can check out his new band called Kingterror. Musically the band offers a great blend of old-school hardcore with some fast as hell blastbeats who will fucking nail you. They have great riffs and vocals so fucking check them. Not forgot to mention, this band have some very familiar and also close to me, thoughts about mixing music with politics, read it carefully :

"we are four individuals with somehow common backgrounds and interests. we were in other bands, we have mutual ‘friends’, we have jobs. some of us have children. we are not saints. but we ain’t sinners either. we try to make something here for ourselves within this out-of-hand capitalist system. some of us drink, some of us smoke, some of us just breathe. some of us are creative outside of music. some of us prefer not doing anything at all. we want to have our say. we are not pointing fingers but if you feel offended by anything we say or anything we write... we think maybe there’s something wrong with you or your views. reconsider them first. if somehow you still think we are full of crap, we prefer animated conversations above so not-done barfights. violence and ‘i’m gonna get you’ grudges are not our thing.

we also prefer bands, venues, distro’s and labels that have something to stand for other than how cool their shit is. this is hardcorepunk. if you think it’s boring to hear all that leftist shit at shows and start complaining about biting the hand that feeds and not being able to change a thing, just fuck off.

hardcorepunk without content is totally useless. like beer without alcohol. we want to share information and frustration. say what we think needs to be said. we’re not talking about destroying the system and burning police cars (though that could be nice too). HELL, it’s not like we are throwing molotovs at every demonstration. it’s about awareness and small-scale action. the state will not be overthrown by some hardcorepunk kids, but we can claim a place for ourselves and for criticism. for free thinking and discussion. for squats and other small initiatives. for creativity. for non-capitalist entertainment. a space free of corporate sponsoring and advertisement. creating a bulb of chaos and mayhem. a fucking moment of freedom. where we can talk, dance, smile, cry, love, fight or crash down on the floor."

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Jan 9, 2011

"...that is something wrong with this world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter on your mind driving you mad."

Holy crap, i'm so excited to write about some of the best N.W.O.J.N.H. bands (new wave of japanese noisy hardcore) in this post that i can't feel my legs. Here we go. I first listened to these comps mainly to the "italian" monsters Isterismo (songs of the band included on both comps). But here we have some deadly good hardcore, Hit it band-by-band.


Here you'll get two compilations released in japan. Hard Core Inferno and Yotsuva. Both comps have been released in 2009. Firstly, let's see Hard Core Inferno.

First band is Death dust extractor that everybody knows more or less (they have tracks on both comps and you gonna noise your ears really bad with these gents). Ada plus max and Krossa are the highlights on this comp. Ada plus max have that dirty hardcore sound, with some metallic riffs that make me want to lay down and trip out really bad. Krossa continues that noisy hardcore full of vocal-reverbs but they do it really great. I prefer them in compare with other "famous" noisy bands. Deathtribe mixing their technically accomplished crust ala Battle of disarm with fast drums and schizzoring guitar tunes, while Skizophrenia have the most radio-friendly tracks, i don't like the voice (reminds me of UK82 style in a strange way) but the tracks are blistering. Tantrum are good and fast, but nothing extraordinary. Disturd are fucking heavy and a little bit thrashy reminding me how Bolt-throwerish crust should be played. Play them loud and you'll be deaf. Chaotix are more or less "expected" and isterismo are Isterismo. Last but not least, Sacrifice. Good as an old wine, noisy crust.

Yotsuva comp starts with three tracks from Isterismo (can you ask something more?) and continues with three tracks from Death dust extractor (No, you can't ask for nothing more). Lastly (the band) are not my cup of tea but you can say that have this crazy chaotic sound. Zyanose continues the noise odyssey but in an exeptional way. Crazy japanese motherfuckers, sniffing pepper.

VA - Hardcore inferno & VA- Yotsuva

Jan 2, 2011

Crude - Corner 12'' (2010)

Happy new year to everyone, guys. Hope the new year will be much better than the previous one. I had a perfect anniversary evening with lots of friends, good home-style wine and tsipouro, met the guy behind crustcracker blog and slept on a floor. The previous year was in general bad, but it had the so-called highlights.

I start feeling like the official site of Crude 'coz the majority of band's album are posted here, but then...com'on : Crude! PLUS : this month i'll post only japcore albums (what an originality, ha!).


Being among the lucky elitists that saw these sharp-eyed mosters some time ago in a basement somewhere in the world, and being impressed from the shinning smiles of the japanese guys (great for a band that the only english were "ok", "yes", etc) i thought that you might want to listen this album before you buy it.

Here you'll get no fancy, car-stereo, diamond-sound album. The album is recorded on a four-track and i must admit that i was a little bit sour with the sound 'coz you can't listen clear enough neither the bass lines, nor the guitars. After 10 times, i finally believe that the guys do the right thing. The know that these tracks have not the quality of "Attitude" lp so they accomplished to have a dirty and raw sound so the recording to be more "dog-bitting". If you expect some familiar poser-friendly solos or the usual epic Crude guitars you can skip this post 'coz it will led you down for sure. On the other hand here we have CRUDE.

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