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The Satanic Surfers, a standout band in the melodic hardcore scene and the general punk landscape of the Nineties, formed in Lund, Sweden, in 1989, but their full-length debut came, after several EPs and lineup changes, only in 1996 with "Hero Of Our Time," released by Burning Heart.
Considered by some as the pinnacle of their career, it is the first in the trilogy recorded with the "classic" lineup of the group, followed by "666 Motor Inn" and "Going Nowhere Fast," featuring: Frederik Jakobsen and Magnus Blixtberg on guitars, Pat Tomek on bass, and, in a particularity of the band, Rodrigo Alfaro covering both the roles of drummer and singer simultaneously. This, if it might already sound at least original in the genre, turns out to be almost disconcerting when listened to: the melodic hardcore played by the band is indeed highly technical, full of syncopations and sudden breaks, tempo changes, pieces played at lightning speed, and riffs decidedly complex by punk standards. And Alfaro's work certainly lives up to these premises, revealing a superb technique that's not at all spared, despite him also being responsible for all vocal lines.
This is the kind of sound typical of overseas groups, such as Lagwagon and Bad Religion, but the band's strengths lie elsewhere, basing everything on elaborate arrangements and complex songwriting, almost entirely by Alfaro himself, who often rejects the verse/chorus formula, occasionally creating a sort of "progressive punk", even though it starts from those basic elements that characterize the genre. In this, the intent is similar to that of the contemporary and fellow countrymen Refused, though sounding obviously radically different: if the latter emphasized the political, aggressive, angry side, the psycho-emotional component, these work in this sense on the technical, strictly musical side.
The album has the merit of sounding very cohesive from start to finish, never lacking in adrenaline, with no ups or downs, nor compositional peaks of any kind, moving on the tracks of a sound already very personal while still clearly tied to a particular music scene.
Already exemplary are the initial ..And The Cheese Fell Down, Armless Skater, with perhaps the silliest lyrics ever written, Before It's Too Late, Better Off Today, with a finale played very softly, almost jazzy, leading into a metal-driven outburst, Head Under Water, among the favorites in live performances. In its own way, without destabilizing insights, without social content or grisly revolutionary slogans, a masterpiece of the genre.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Better Off Today (02:34)
It was on the tip of her tongue
but she did not say a word
Why did she sometimes take shit
that she did not deserve?
She wore a smile on her face
as a disguise
to hide the tears
in her eyes
And she just let the time go by
She´d turn away
so that no one could see her sad
Where had the love gone
that they once had?
She only cried
when she was alone
when her husband and the children
were not home
And she just let the years go by
But one day she had enough
packed her things
went out the door
I've seen the pictures
of when she was young
of the happy girl she was before
She met the man of her dreams
fell in love and suddenly
she found herself in a situation
she thought she'd never be
But I (I)
I know that shes better off today
All that time
all those years
So little joy
and too many tears
All the sacrifice
that she had made for him
all the things she'd given up
just to please that man
but now that she is on her own
she can smile again
just like the happy girl
that she once was
(she left a note
for her husband at the phone
it said:
i hate your soul and I'm leaving on my own
04 Ketty (01:42)
I drank my head to pieces, that day had been a bore first time in her apartment, I passed out on the floor next time in her apartment, had a fucking hole in my head I started on the floor but we ended up in bed I'm just a teenage punk first time in her apartment, I passed out on the floor funny how things they change, now I have a key to her door I'm just a teenage punk I'm just a teenagepunk and I love this girl I'm just a teenage punk I'm just a teenage punk and I love this world when I'm with that.....girl!
07 The Treaty and the Bridge (02:42)
You're not blind, I know you see but you just don't want to believe that the politicians lie People have a right to vote for the ones who can afford to cover up their lies They let you in when it comes to big decisions that way it seems like if you have controls to your mind deep inside your head they plant the lies they want you to believe they threaten you with their terror propaganda 'til you do just what they want you to the power's not in your hands it's in the money they possess to get just what they want make up your mind or else they will make it up for you for sure and they'll get just what they want they let you in when it comes to big decisions but first of all they feed their fucking answers to your mind propaganda to convince seems to be the one who wins confidence passifies make you believe in the political lies so now we're joining the treaty and we're building the bridge
08 Armless Skater (02:15)
I have a friend who's only joy in life
is to skate, surf and flog his log
That is all he wants to do
and I think that's really great.
But one day he had an accident
they had to amputate his arms
guess if he was sad that day
He can't surf, he can't skate
and he sure can't masturbate
no more
09 Puppet (02:15)
surrounded by people
who make your decisions
living your live like a puppet on a string
you don't raise your voice
you do not oppose
they spit in your face but you don't say a thing
soon every thought in your mind
every dream, every feeling that you have
will be gone forever if you don't cut those strings
and start by living your life for yourself
you must fight back
don't live your life on your knees
stand up fight back
don't live your life on your knees
fight back it's your life
surrounded by people
who are running your life
they're always telling you what to do
you don't say a word
you do not oppose
just let them take everything away from you
soon every thought in your mind
every dream,
every feeling that you have
will be gone forever if you do not break free
and start by living your life for yourself
11 Good Morning (04:30)
Who gave you the right to judge me by the clothes that I wear?
or the rumors that you hear? I take pride in who I am.
I don't need to fit in don’t have to pretend that I’m something I’m not.
Do you feel insecure of who you are? Or what others might think? Is it hard to be yourself? I say good morning, it's time to wake up time to realize, to look with your own eyes .
How I wish that you could understand that I don't care.
You can pierce your butt, put a bone through your nose shove our record up your ass and we could not care less.
If you don't like how we play, hey that is okay but don't talk shit behind our backs or we'll shove our record up your ass .
say it to my face if there's something you'd like to say ,say it to my face or just get the hell out of my way if there's something you dislike tell me now and take a hike if there's something you'd like to say, say it to my, say it to my face.
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