I only recently got my hands on one of these, but better late than never! One of the highest acclaimed records released from the punk world in 2012, TERCER MUNDO's EP is a provocative and scathing offering. The pure DIY effort put into the screen-printed sleeve and hand-folded/stapled booklet is awesome, while the images and content are frightening - severed heads and limbs, cadavers, and piles of bodies, though much more effective than the hordes of stock gore-grind and copycat crust releases filling the used bins. All the images are presumably of victims of the ubiquitous violence in Mexico as a result of the escalating drug wars. Under a sickening photo of a dead, armless and legless young woman, reads: "MEXICO 2012 - 60,000 HUMAN BEINGS DEAD. NOW GO PARTY AND SCORE SOME COCAINE." Throw on the record, and the eerie intro sets the desperate tone for the hardcore chaos that follows. Don't miss this distorted and original-sounding hardcore punk from Monterrey.
Also---it was brought to my attention recently that my audio files are in mono, not stereo...here I was all proud of myself for figuring out how to digitize my music and make a blog, despite my lack of knowledge/experience with such technologies, and I've been giving you all mono files all along. I'll take the fact that no one else has noticed as an indication that this discrepancy is not terribly important to most blog trollers, but I think I have figured out how to do them in stereo now. However, I simply don't have the time or energy to go back and re-rip every release, because I do other things too. If you really really really need something stereo-fied that I've previously posted, just write and ask politely, and I'll get around to it. Today's post, by the way, IS in stereo!
This is one of the best records of the past decade; it reminds me that punk is still relevant in some parts of the world. Compare this to the 'politics' and the social statements made by most U.S. bands these days - it's hard to believe that there just aren't any American bands saying anything relevant.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that the messages and statements expressed through this EP are relevant, and the effect it has on me is energizing. Though it is true that much of the punk/hc bands in the US these days seem to be apolitical, i'd have to say that some do exist- maybe just not the "hyped" ones. It does seem that the majority of bands in the states are focused more on beeing seen, releasing records, playing "fests" and touring - not with any particular social or political goal, and often without putting much effort into their band in the first place. It's a pretty hedonistic approach to punk, which usually comes off lacking soul. Many people don't seem to mind, they just want it loud and fast and familiar, and don't wanna be yanked out of their comfort zones. I can totally understand this mentality, and even relate to it sometimes, but often long to be moved by a punk band/person/community that is challenging and has that afformentioned "soul." TERCER MUNDO conveys it - and I feel it from bands like DRAPETOMANIA and REPLICA as well, even though they aren't necessarily outspoken with a political agenda.
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