UPSIDE

Nati Per Soffrire (7")

No Good - 7 €

Furious hardcore-punk from Modena, Italy. Official reissue, originally self-released in 1983. Incl. original artwork and insert sheet. Wretched 'La Tua Morte Non Aspetta' era meets Nabat and Bloody Riot. This EP’s artwork, which looks like it was executed in the back row of a 6th grade math class in 1985, is a much better indication of the sound on display here. Upside are basically right on that spot on the punk Venn diagram where hardcore, oi!, and UK82 overlap, which is a roundabout way of saying that they sound quite a lot like GBH. The riffs and songs are good and the performance is powerful, but I think that what really sets this EP apart for me is how the drums are right up front in the mix… each hit of the bass drum feels like a swift gut punch, and while the drummer’s performance is restrained it’s quite powerful. He even uses cowbell for a little of that distinctive Italian hardcore flavor (and speaking of Italian and drumming, how cool is it that “batteria” is the Italian word for drums?). The more I listen to this one the more it sticks to my ribs, to the point where I’d put this in the top edge of the middle tier of 80s oi!. So, basically, if your interest in the genre doesn’t extend beyond Blitz maybe you don’t need this in your life, but if you’re the kind of person who is down with the Crux / Crash split 12” I can’t recommend this highly enough.