#028 NEW WINDS "A spirit filled revolution" LP+BOOK/CD+BOOK

 


 

Track list:

1.SLOW MOTION HOLOCAUST
2.MANUFACTURING CONSENT AS THE ESSENCE OF DEMOCRACY
3.HALF-MAST FLAG
4.THE REAL JUDAS SYNDROME
5.THE OTHER PLAYER (YA BASTA!)
6.DENY AMERIKKKA DENY
7.BLOOD ON THE SAND
8.SILENCE STILL MEANS DEATH
9.STOLEN GENERATIONS
10.WITHIN 20 YEARS
11.CAIN VS. ABLE
12.FOR THE SAKE OF THE VOICELESS
13.PRAYER OF THE WIND
14.WHO SHOT CARLO GIULIANI?
15.(DAR AL-HARB 114)
 

Line up:

New Winds on this recordings:
Bruno Break - vocals
Alexxx - guitar
Bruno- guitar
Shunyatha - bass
BB - drums
 

Recorded:

Recorded: Lisbon, Portugal, December 2003, by Tiago Jonatas
Mastered: Massive Mastering Studios, USA, by John Scrip
Released: June 2004
Total Time: 44'34
 

Reviews:

Both a book and CD this release covers a multitude if leftist political topics. The book starts out with the song lyrics, follows that with short explanations of the songs and then turns things over to a variety of writers who cover a variety of topics, ranging from anti-imperialism to animal rights to the place of spirituality in politics. It's an inspiring collection and is put together very well. Mirroring the variety of the book, the CD contains a variety of music as well. Most of it is very melodic hardcore with a really slick sound. A few of the songs are slow enough that they start sounding a bit more like rock. All of this reminded me a bit of Reason To Believe, though New Winds has a lot more variety in their songs. Also adding to the variety are a rap song and middle eastern style song. At times I was really into the music, but at others it felt like it was dragging a bit. Overall though I would recommend this because the music is good and the book is informative, inspiring and interesting.

(Brett Hall, "Heartattack" #45, USA)

 

With this release New Winds and Refuse Records have achieved something exceptional in today's HARDCORE. A band from Portugal and a label from Poland have joined their forces to make this record that I'm sure will be remembered in the years to come. New Winds is straight edge. New Winds is vegan. But most of all, New Winds is political. The band sings about the injustices in the world and introduces a new level of sensivity and social awareness in the HC scene. "Not beacuse we have all the answers, but because we still have questions" is what Bruno Break, the singer proclaims. New Winds plays a form of punk HC that's hard to describe. It's a brand of its own, which might be hard to get into. This record needs its time to grow. I find myself playing it again and again, and there are still things I discover. But what makes this release so unique is the book that accompanies it. The band has put together a 170-page book which contains the lyrics, pictures, explanations to the songs and other articles/poems/texts. It's really amazing to see the care and devotion that these people have put in the expression of their ideas. For all those that blame HC for having no substance, this one's for you. It will prove you wrong.

(Fotis, "Take Your Shit" #2, Greece)

 

Great prove that bands described as political can talk to the world about their idealistic message, with companion as good as pleasant music. "Spirit Filled Revolution" could be easily released on one of the well known/bigger US labels and with enough promotion could be very succesful. It could be, if not fact, that New Winds incredibly strongly pointing out their close connection to the DIY ethics and there is no compromises on it in their activity. It's one of the reasons that that Cd was released on, maybe not that big, but surely active and doing good job but also strongly idealist, polish label Refuse. New Winds exist since 1996 and even that they had many line up changes (from their original line up probably one person only left), they gain high standards that makes easily for recommends to everyone that likes melodic hardcore in the style of Shelter or 7 Seconds (is is their name have anything common with title of the one of 7 Seconds records?). New Winds exploring the way started by bands like Uniform Choice or No For An Answer, but their they putting into their music much more melodies, breakdown and fragments that can intrigue with their softness ("Stolen generations") and also more incredibly melodic vocals than just straightforward fast hardcore. That vocals and also sort of maestry of the songs remind me last release of Ignite. Behind some hc stuff and some moments for reflections, they have also some interesting things to offer that make this record more attractive. There is hip hop song "Who shot Carlo Giuliani", not only dedicated to killed anti-globalist, but also about general issue, and the other one is oriental sounding song about cruel isreal-palestinian war, in which band is not afraid to put whole responsibility for the conflict on Israel state, screaming "Fuck your promised land". Similar emotional and direct, but also having some publicist vein of the old protest songs, are all other songs of this band coming from - attention - Portugal. Maybe it's because of the place they live on the deep southern Europe this band is caring so much about third world countries problems, being outside of the most richest countries as US and western Europe. Music, even that it's so attractive, it's just only half of it what New Winds want to give us. Since ages I didn't saw the records so heavily with the message. It's not only about lyrics, who are not overtalked, but mostly putting attention on some issues but it's also how it's released. Booklets to the records, mostly vinyls, was never been any rare thing, but something like this probably I never saw before. Together with packed into digipack cd record is also even not pamphlet, but regular 170-page book with varnish cover. It's include lyrics of the band, long explanations about them, not only written by bands members, sort of "lexicon" of political prisoners, articles of the people related to the band or to the bands ideas, interviws with New Winds and sort of bibliography, the list of the websites worth to check out and books worth to read. Everything is in english and portugal. Everything into social-political message of the band. It's worth, really worth to check out this record of this "hardcore answer on Conflict", to remind yourself, that still in punk rock there is something more than just music and nice songs.

(Bezkoc, "Pasażer" #19, autumn 2004, Poland)

 

I really don´t know how to say it, but this CD here from X NEW WINDS X, which is called "A Spirit Filled Revolution" and was released by REFUSE RECORDS, truely made me think. Think of what is going around here, around our world. This five guys here, from Lisabon/ Portugal, are coming with a straight, political and positiv message. They´re singing about the truth in clear and sensefull words, these songs sound like a real weapon for a better world. Musically X NEW WINDS X play an earlier Ignite and maybe a Farside and Shades Apart influenced style. It's full of great melodies and it rocks. No tough screaming, no moshparts but clear and good Hardcore music that´s all. The artwork of this release comes in a cool Digipack and also the band discribes their lyrics in a book coming also with the CD. You should really check this out here. It´s good for everyone, listen to the music while you read the book. rating: 10 of 10 stars

(Elvis, True Side Music.Com, Germany)

 

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