Satanic Surfers
Hero Of Our Time

THE REVIEW

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.