Earlier this year I got a bit stuck into the music/noise from Portugal, some black metal and of course the death/sludge/grind hybrid that is Utopium, which blew me away. I saw that bands like Rotting Out toured Europe with the likes of Cruel Hand and BANE last year and did another tour again this year. Surely there has to be some Portuguese hardcore bands out there? Enter For The Glory, the 5 piece hardcore outfit hailing from Lisbon, Portugal and their new full-length record titled Lisbon Blues.
The band started in 2003 with a mission to play music that they were passionate about that encapsulates rawness and aggression to produce something that is absolutely phenomenal and just really fucking rad. They have definitely raised the bar and pushed European hardcore to the next extreme.
Lisbon Blues is absolutely relentless; it’s fast, heavy and uncompromisingly raw. The way hardcore should be played. The intensity of the record definitely speaks volumes of the state of hardcore in continental Europe. Taking into account the setting of where this record was written and produced, it is a pretty clear statement of intent from the lads from Lisbon. The title of the record really does give you some clues to what it’s all about. Lisbon Blues is basically a manifesto or proclamation of survival, independence, rebellion and a guide for young people in the debt-ridden country. To these guys hardcore punk is more than just a music sub-genre; it’s a way of life.
Listening to this record, you just want to slam in the pit and break shit all over the place. Definitely something that would get any crowd going! It has catchy, heavy riffs, some phenomenal breakdowns, powerful drumming and the vocal work just adds that final ingredient to finish it all off! So it goes nicely with any other hardcore you could possibly be into. So if you haven’t yet, I strongly suggest that you check out For The Glory – Lisbon Blues. If you dig bands like Cornered, Rotting Out, Coldburn, Reign Supreme and the likes, I would definitely recommend you get this record.
