Reviews: Split with Winter in June and Steel Rules Die
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Scene It All (http://sceneitall.net)
Engineer Records, the label who has been specializing in finding the United Kingdom's best acts has once again brought us an amazing split featuring two of the UK's best bands. On one side you've got Winter In June, the once metal/hardcore band who have now honed their skills more toward punk-style hardcore, and on the other you have Steel Rules Die, the hardcore group formed from the remnants of former UK powerhouse Anthem Of The Century. Both of these groups have toured like crazy with big names, and have accumulated a nice size fan base. With three tracks from each band, this split is set to be a perfect reflection of what good is going on in the UK right now to all how don't know.
Winter In June take the mic first and perform the opening track "Looking Back Doesn't Equal Living Now". Once the song gets started you'll hear what I mean about their newly found old school hardcore sound, the vocals, the guitar riffs, and the blazing drum lines all make it clear. An awesome aspect of this group is their higher pitched vocals, they're not the typical hardcore growl, but instead of distinct scream. "When No One Else Gave A Fuck" begins with a subtle guitar strum, and is quickly whipped into another quality track. The vocals almost remind me of Comeback Kid, only not as reserved. The last song by Winter In June, "A Heart Has Reasons" proves to be their best of the split. It's got some pretty heavy hitting guitar parts, pretty chuggy, giving it a slick hardcore sound, but still equipped with the "punkish" musicianship as well.
Steel Rules Die start with their song "A Mile A Minute" which at first will make you wonder if it's going to fit with the album, because it starts off sounding slow, but it abruptly leads into a musical masterpiece with a quite fast tempo. Their vocals are much deeper than Winter In June, but they're still great and portray an old school feel. Musically they're a little more tamed that WIJ as well, they don't play the spastic type punk as their predecessors, instead their play a modern style punk rock. "Lives Like Movies" speeds up the drums quite a bit, and the riffs get a little more catchy. You start to hear some chorus vocals in the background, which definitely add to the overall feel of the track. The closing track "Our Time Honoured Tradition Of Trying To Hard" continues with the speedy instrumentals, as well as the backup vocals. My favorite track would have to be "Looking Back Doesn't Equal Living Now" by Winter In June, it's the fastest track on the album, and just has the most life to it.
Ever since Engineer started their US location and have been releasing their records to the masses, they've broughten some really good acts from Europe and American alike. Winter In June is definitely one of the best bands on their roster, as they play a great take on punk hardcore music. Steel Rules Die have done well for themselves and have stayed consistent to their sound, and have proved that true with their contribution to this split. Overall this album is really solid, and have a pretty good variation of hardcore music. Go out and pick this up and see what the UK has to offer hardcore kids.
Source Lost During Site Update
Winter In June have been making a name for themselves through near constant touring since their split CD with Urotsukidoji, also on Engineer records. Their sound has metamorphosed into a more Swedish influenced punk rock style. They have previously been compared to the likes of Nine and Strike Anywhere. Steel Rules Die were formed in from the ashes of Anthem of the Century amongst others. They have a particularly individual sound comparable to old school hardcore bands in the vein of Lifetime, Jawbreaker, Kid Dynamite and Reach The Sky.
Michelle at Gigs Unlimited (http://www.gigs-unlimited.co.uk)
I've set myself a challenge not to say 'hardcore' in this review, starting from now! The unfortunate truth of the split E.P is that one of the two bands is going to be over-shadowed by the other. Winter In June never give Steel Rules Die a chance. 'Looking Back Doesn't Equal Living Now' is a startling introduction to a band with a definite future. Ripping through any poor production (these three songs were recorded in a terraced house living room) is the mesmerising combination of melody and ferocity. The influence of AFI can be felt here in the soaring guitars that grab you by the guts and force you to pick up the sleeve and start singing the words. This sure-fire anthem culminates in an elevating breakdown to make your spine chill and your eyes fill. The opening single-plucked melody of the second track quickly explodes into the speedy, sorrowful punk rock of 'Back Sails' era AFI. Its not all heart-felt rawness though as chugging riffs and blasting double bass drum bursts usher in a meaner, darker side of this band. 'A Heart Has Reasons' pretty much follows suit, maintaining the high and hard-edged vocals and melodious, multi-layered guitars. An interesting Tool-esque breakdown staggers in towards the end, which could possibly be an indication of what Winter In June are to offer in the future. On to Steel Rules Die then, and its generally music of the same ilk. However, whereas WIJ have a form this band unfortunately have a formula. All three tracks carry a similar mindset, no real variation taking place at all. While the breakneck drumming and chanting backing vocals are excellent, the central vocal performance lets them down. The yobbo heckling of frontman Ricky is a monotonous journey through the pubs and bars of a very small town. Such a vocal is not usually a problem in punk rock, but here the gob-filled rantings of Ricky's mouth tarnishes the guitars, worthy of worship, with a stringy, inescapable phlegm. Steel Rules Die are not ones to shy away from cliché either, as is displayed by the utterly icky emo-soaked breakdown of 'A Mile A Minute'. A band that clearly benefits from audience participation then, which having seen them live I can confirm. On the stage they become a balls-out punk rock band with an infectious energy, but on this here disc it all goes a little tits up. So, if this split E.P were a piece of toast, Steel Rules Die would be the buttered side, landing face down while Winter In June are left steaming on the upside, not a crumb out of place.
Emoisdead (http://www.emoisdead.com)
Well, this is hardcore again. I used to listen to the cd in the morning shortly after I woke up, jumping through my appartment. Winter in June remember me of bands like Raised Fist and Nine, and I don't think I'm wrong with that. I think that maybe I'm a little bit to old for that, but as long as I can jump through my appartment while listening to this stuff I'm probably not. Steel Rules Die like Hot Water Music. You hear it when listening to the voice, the guitar. They try, but they aren't as good as HWM. Personally I like Winter In June Better.
Jan at Enough (http://www.enoughfanzine.com)
First release of former Ignition Records, which is now called Engineer Records. Here we have two bands from England, which we have talked about at this website before. Winter In June are first on this disc. As with their last release, I'm still not too deep into them. Sometimes metallic '88 sounds meets straight forward punkrock, but somehow it leaves me cold. So after I had to listen to 3 songs by them, Steel Rules Die finally took over. This band, which was formed from the ashes of Anthem Of The Century, continue to walk the way their previous album went. A liitle rough, but melodic Hardcore with a lot of punkrocking going on. Rounded off by personal lyrics, their probably the UK's equivalent to bands like HWM and Avail. Good band!
Woys (http://www.woys.com)
Here we have a new great split CD of two hardcore bands, both being from UK. First is Winter In June. They also released on Engineer Records a split CD with Urotsukidoji, Their three new catchy songs are in the same vein as their older work. Winter In June produce catchy metal hardcore with heavy breakdowns, but they also appeal with a punk rock noisy sound. Next is Steel Rules Die. They are rocking the kids since winter 2001 in tours with well-known bands like Agnostic Front, As Friend Rust, Strike Anywhere, AFI and Grade. They play great old school hardcore. Awsome songs! Go to Engineer Records and buy this hardcore six track split attack!
Nick at A Short Fanzine About Rocking
First release for this label as Engineer (it was previously Ignition) sees two of the best British hardcore acts I"ve heard for a long time offer three new tracks each. WINTER IN JUNE are the heavier of the two, "Looking Back Doesn't Equal Living Now" opens up with an ominous slow chugga-chugga intro before launching into some quality fast old-school melodic hardcore. If you want obvious reference points, US hardcore bands like reach The Sky and Where Fear And Weapons Meet spring to mind but WIJ are very much their own band, displaying a tightness, dynamism and sense of when to 'slow it down" that many hardcore bands sadly lack. They save the best for last with the crushing "A Heart Has Reasons" complete with quality shout-a-longs. Of the two bands, STEEL RULES DIE have more of a reputation right now and they"ve been getting some mainstream press attention. As soon as "A Mile A Minute" breaks out of it's instrumental intro into a hard-edged punky number it's easy to see why. They may come from the H/C scene but SRD have no problem injecting their sound with a healthy slab of melody, and their songs are catchy ... in a good way! At times reminiscent of a harder edged Hot Water Music, I think you"re gonna be hearing a lot more from SRD this year.
Mike Diver at Do Something Pretty (http://www.dosomethingpretty.com)
This split is intended as a showcase for two of the UK's most "exciting" hardcore bands. Of course, its success is dependent on your own definition of what is and what isn't exciting. Winter In June are a five piece from Kent that play music similar to Strike Anywhere or As Friends Rust in their harder moments, with a vocal style more akin to the hyperactive delivery of At The Drive-In. Their three songs on this six tracker vary from good to very good, with "When No-One Else Gave A Fuck" being the best of them, with an almost Breach-like bass-heavy middle section. Whilst Winter In June add a little metal to their hardcore, Steel Rules Die are a more old-school proposition, with the most obvious comparisons being to Hot Water Music and Reach The Sky. Their three tracks lack impact after Winter In June's contributions, but are decent enough within their genre. Drums are played fast, and guitars are kept loud, even if the actual compositions leave little to the imagination. Ultimately, this record comprises a decent introduction to two promising, if thoroughly different, UK hardcore bands, but you"re not going to get too much longevity from it. If you find it cheap enough, buy it.
Alt UK (http://www.alt-uk.com)
Ok, this is the first CD to be released by Ignition Records with the new name of "Engineer Records" so this is a new beginning for the label because with a change of name they will hopefully release many a more great CD for years to come from many more great CDs. This first release as Enginner Records is a split CD featuring Steel Rules Die whose previous releases were on IATDE and Winter In June who are more at home here having already released CDs on the label.
This is a 6 track split CD with the first 3 tracks by Winter In June and the last 3 by Steel Rules Die so there is enough to keep listening as this is an exciting CD by two bands that have a lot of talent. So, starting with Winter In June then ... here are three good tracks, "Looking Back Doesn't Equal Living Now," "When No-One Else Gave A Fuck," and "A Heart Has Reasons." This is a five piece band that certainly knows what they are all about, their music is heavy, hardcore Punk with a Metal tinge and they are described as being influenced by Swedish bands. I can really hear this influence in their music as they could easily be a Swedish outfit and it's a good job that I like that style! In fact, I love it and especially when it has been done as well as this because these three tracks are brilliant and show off a band with some amazing talent. The bass lines are really heavy, with a metallic edge and that is obviously where the metal influence comes in, there is definitely a metallic riffage thing going on here and I really like the sound which it is creating. It is exciting and full of energy and gives the music a bit of flavour and originality. The vocals are in an extremely hardcore fashion and are sure to appeal to a varied audience. The drumming on show here is extremely fast and aggressive with a good beat, and there are also some mellower guitar riffs at times on this CD like at the end of "A Heart Has Reasons" before taking you into the heavier bass lines and back in to the vocals again and this technique seems to work really well and pays off as I was extremely impressed with their third track and it is probably my favourite track on show although it is hard to decide what my favourite really is as they are all amazing tracks that are just as good as each other. Check this band out, Punk fans and Hardcore fans alike are sure to agree that this band are something special that deserve to be bigger than they are as before reviewing this band I had never heard of them before and they don't even live that far away from me. This band is changing the scene, with something a bit extraordinary that is sure to grab your attention and have you hooked. And on we go with the second band to take the CD on, Steel Rules Die, a unique Hardcore band with a sound that is definitely their own as I cant actually think of any bands that I could compare them to. They are in a league of their own with their exciting sound and I swear that there will be no other band this year to create a sound anything like this and their sound is really quite inspiring. The three tracks here are extremely exciting ones with drumming that is deadly, guitar riffs to die for and vocals that will just totally blow you away. I would say that if you are to try and start to label their sound it would be an early sort of Hardcore sound and this is no easy sound to reproduce. With these three tracks they are really stirring something up as they are all awesome tracks that are well worth listening to with "A Mile A Minute," "Lives Like Movies," and "Our Time Honoured Tradition Of Trying Too Hard," all drumming through your body at a million miles an hour and ripping your insides apart with their great take on hardcore. This band are a great inspiration to me with a sound of their own which is sure to be mimicked by Punk kids the nation over in years to come. Everyone has to appreciate this band as their sound is just so great and if you cant find it in your heart to appreciate this band then my, there must be something wrong with you because there is plenty to appreciate here and plenty of Hardcore Punk Rock to digest. If you are looking for a band that are a bit different and you are into Hardcore then this is a band that you should seriously check out because original they are, and amazing they also are! If I could drum like this, sing like that and play guitar with that energy then I would be extremely proud of myself because all the elements of this band are amazing and they must have some extremely talented musicians in their band to make music like this! I have just witnessed one of the greatest Split CDs I have ever heard, featuring two amazingly inspirational bands that I would love to find out more about. Mark my words, these two WILL be big and in theory their time should be pretty soon. If these bands aren't big within the next year or so then there is no justice in this world because they definitely deserve it and both have great talent for what they do. What a great CD to introduce Engineer Records with! This one is out on the 11th of August, so on that date do yourself a favour and get out their and purchase this CD ... if you don't then you are missing out on the experience of a lifetime! Not to be missed!
Jason Schreurs at Flex Your Head (http://www.flexyourhead.net)
Two emo hardcore bands from the UK team up on this split CD, and both fair pretty well. Winter in June are a competent metallic hardcore band with screamy, Refused style vocals that start to grate after a couple of songs. Luckily, we only get three. Steel Rules Die are the better of the two groups; a much more vibrant production sound compliments their melodic punk which is similar to Hot Water Music or early Jawbreaker. These songs have that perfect horse gallop beat and raspy vocals; it's a sound I will probably always fall for. Another cool release from Ignition (now known as Engineer Records) from the UK.
Dan Moriarty at Ulek (http://www.ulek.co.uk)
This split is Engineer records first release under their new name. This label, formerly known as Ignition, is probably best known to ULEK regulars for its Eden Maine release - The Treachery Pact.
I first listened to this split without a clue what to expect, to my knowledge I'd never heard a song by either band before this split dropped on my doormat. However after just one listen I realised how high a quality release this was. Winter in June open this split with three of their own tracks, all recorded between April and August of 2002. They are a five piece, hailing from Kent, and have been compared to the likes of Strike Anywhere, which is high praise indeed. The comparison is an easy one to make, Winter In June defiantly have a Strike Anywhere feel about them, although they have by no means 'ripped them off'. They sound a hell of a lot rawer than Strike Anywhere and, to my ears at least, the singer has got a wider vocal range. Each song is delivered aggressively, with pounding guitars, screamy (although never too much so) vocals, and some great drumming. The production is first class and it's hard to believe these songs were recorded in a living room of a terraced house in central Watford! My favourite of the three tracks is probably the opening track, looking back doesn't equal living. There are some great moments in here, particularly in the middle where some terrific guitar work, and a rare moment of vocal silence, leads up to James screaming the immortal words 'Don't accept what you know, the answer are within, then you'll realise a choice is there, don't let it go to waste'. If these three songs are anything to go by Winter In June are going to get bigger and bigger over the next few years. Now for the Steel Rules Die side of the split. To me, these three songs raise the bar on this EP. Winter in June set a high standard with their opening, but Steel Rules Die blow it all away with their offerings. This is meant as no disrespect to Winter in June, as I wrote above I thought very highly of them, but Steel Rules Die are quite amazing. Steel Rules Die formed a little under two years ago, in the cold winter of 2001, and have toured with AFI, Strike Anywhere, As Friends Rust and Grade. As with Winter in June, all three songs are delivered passionately and aggressively, but there are big differences. If Winter in June are Strike Anywhere, Steel Rules Die are Hot Water Music. That's probably the best way of describing it. Its hard to pick out a best song out of the three of these, none of the songs have noticeable drawbacks, and all the songs have a similar style, although each song still sounds refreshing. I'll defiantly be going back and checking out the back catalogue for these guys. Well that's it, I could write an essay about each song on the Steel Rules Die side of the split, and could quite happily talk for hours about Winter in June, but I'll leave you to make your own minds up. It's available on engineer records (www.engineerrecords.com) now. If all the releases under this new name are as good as this one Engineer will be huge in no time.
James Batty at Big Cheese Magazine
Another quality UK hardcore release from the record label formerly known as Ignition.
What I initially felt to be a weakness of WIJ has now developed into one of the bands major strengths. They have managed to harness the power of the off-kilter vocal style to great effect combined with musical prowess and dynamically more than a nod to the metal bands of yore makes their contribution very exciting. SRD are a different prospect but no less brilliant for it. Mixing the passionate sounds of the likes of Hot Water Music with a liberal sprinkling of elements from the darker elements of hardcore and enough great breakdowns and build ups to surprise, invigorate and to create a level of empathy with the listener. When's the duel headline tour? 4/5
Trond Anders Fossum at Puls (http://www.puls.no)
Winter In June and Steel Rules Die just have to be the two most exciting English hc-bands. This is quality, that's for sure! This is the first release on Ignition after they changed name to Engineer Records. And if the forthcoming releases are as good as this one, then the future will be bright for Engineer Records. Well, for Winter In June and Steel Rules Die the future is bright! Winter In June plays unpolished hardcore with a rock attitude. They sound a bit like Amulet did some years ago. They are just a bit slower, but even more dynamic. Winter In June has a raw and dirty sound that suits them well. Very well, actually. Both bands are playing hard and nice punk, so much better than all the MTV-punk. This is punk that matters. Beware. Steel Rules Die sounds more old school than Winter In June, but this is also intelligent punk. If you like Hot Water Music, you will like Steel Rules Die. "I seem to remember sunsets that I have or haven't seen and I swallow because
it's all that I have and I want to be a hero somehow". That's an absolutely fantastic part. The singer goes deeper and deeper, as the lyrics get darker and darker. This is the best I've heard in a long, long time. The song is called "Lives Like Movies" and Steel Rules Die is the band. Capisce?
Bands like Winter In June and Steel Rules Die aren't bands you meet every day. Check this out. And in the meantime I hope somebody will get these bands to Norway.
James Kearse at Punk News (http://www.punknews.org.uk)
If we followed the Chinese calender, 2003 would probably be known as the year of the split EP. Fig 4.0 seem to have followed John F Kennedy's lead and taken on several of them at a time, Chillerton and When All Else Fails have got us drooling over their forthcoming half-and-half and finally these two protagonists have taken us by surprise (I'm joking, this must be one of the most delayed releases ever) and released their own tete a tete. I think it's fair to say that Ashford Kent's Winter in June are one of the most revered bands in the South of England, if not my personal favourites (might have something to do with them half deafening me at the GTS all dayer). After an impressive split EP with Kent unpronouncables Urotsukidoji they've filled out their sound a little in the three tracks here, rebounding between warp speed Strike Anywhere/Kid Dynamite choruses and these crushing, oscillating metal riffs reminiscent of Bane or perhaps xCanaanx (RI fucking P). It's all very uncompromising and not a little imposing. Though I bet it sounds a hundred times better live. The Steel Rules Die-hards that got into the Nottingham band through their AFI support slots might be a little disappointed here. Then again, they may well not be: the threesome SRD contribute to this split all featured on the hard to find demo CD they recorded a few months before full length 'Nostalgia for Beginners' was conceived in late 2002. SRD are by no means the most visceral, pulse-raising band around. Nor are they particularly novel: borrowing extensively from the Avail/Lifetime book of heartfelt melodic hardcore. Nevertheless, they've honed their particular discipline to a t and I actually prefer this material to much of the 'Nostalgia for Beginners' stuff, especially the ominous-sounding 'Mile and Minute'. I'm not quite so as enthused by the fast-slow-fast 'Time honoured tradition of trying too hard' and the heavy chuggage of 'Lives like Movies' though. This split has been delayed longer than T.Bliar has put off his referendum on the Euro. So much so that Pete from TSUA - another Kent band that have since split up - did the artwork and the label that released it - Ignition - has changed its name to Engineer Records. Despite the material being, in most cases, well over a year old, I think it was worth the wait.
