(DL19)
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Mighty Midgets - Raising
Ruins for the Future
Written by: PP on 30/3-10 at
00:40:03
"Just because you have the right to say what the fuck you want
doesn't mean you absolutely have to criticize and demonise everyone
around you" is how Aalborg, Denmark-based Mighty Midgets kick off
their fiery, politically charged melodic hardcore / hardcore punk
crossover debut album "Raising Ruins For The Future", immediately
placing the listener right in the middle of the whole Muhammed /
Jyllands Posten crisis of the last couple of years (Article 19 deals
with freedom of speech). It offers sharp, opinionated commentary
about the issue suited for anyone into intellectual melodic hardcore
bands like Propagandhi and Strike Anywhere, although Mighty Midgets
are quite a bit more direct, in-your-face and heavier than those two
acts.
While still containing plenty of melody and shout-a-longs, Mighty
Midgets storm through their debut without the slightest intention of
slowing down, hammering hard-hitting riffs and screamed lyrics in
your face like there's no end. So don't expect a breather or too
many mass sing alongs if you'll see these guys live, because I
believe their shows will be speed-dominated, full of aggression,
tight guitars and the all the nice stuff you'll hear about in this
review and on the record itself. The guitars occasionally borrow a
little too much from NOFX ("Our Perfect Lines" has an identical riff
to a NOFX song I just can't get to my head right now), but not
enough to make it sound like a problem by any means, especially
because MM constantly introduce technical elements into the mix,
drawing parallels to a band like A Wilhelm Scream, all the while
pounding away with the intensity of local Copenhagen melodic
hardcore kids Stars Burn Stripes.
But where Mighty Midgets are at their best is when they focus on
playing as fiercely as they can, and including just a teeny weeny
bit melody enough to lure the listener into the songs. Good examples
are "Plea For Peace", "Too Punk To Funk (Part Deux)" and "The Final
Anthropogenic Extinction Event", which should all score high points
from the style referees of melodic hardcore. So although "Raising
Ruins For The Future" may follow the melodic hardcore textbook
chapter by chapter, it at least demonstrates that even in a country
where the genre is pretty much non-existent, it's possible to come
up with a solid album that should draw fans of the genre to their
live shows and open up a few more lucrative support slots in due
time. [7]
For the fans of: Propagandhi, Strike Anywhere, Stars Burn Stripes,
Hear The Sirens
Release date 26.03.2010
5FeetUnder Records / Shattered Thought Records / Deadlamb Records
(DL19)
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Mighty Midgets - Raising
Ruins for the Future
by Fungalpunk - UK
I'd never heard of the Mighty Midgets and had no idea what the
SAS sponsors and top notch guys at Deadlamb Records were throwing my
way, and so I popped the disc in the player with a baggage free
approach. Initial assessments were of a good production of
new-school technical punk that stayed away from becoming too
self-indulgent and exhibitionist and thus retained favour from
Fungal. More spins and the feelings were the same so the review
unfolded as follows (simple intro hey).
'Thoughts On Article 19' takes a hasty breath and opens up with
every aggressive facet and blinds you with technical intricacy
interwoven with fully taut and ill-tempered gobbology. It is an
exact start with much ado about something and the flag of favour is
lofted high for all to see and accept as to which way the wind will
blow throughout this CD. Chopping guitar strokes then tumble with
varied vocals going at it full tilt. The mix is absolutely spot on
and where so many bands fail at the final productive hurdle these
impressive imps succeed big time. With every listen a new sub-route
is followed and further interest stoked, poked and provoked. Guitars
duel in one short spurt and the end is insisted upon us and all
after only 1 minute 26 seconds. A perfectly timed opener and the
follow on is more incessancy of the same standard and informs us
'You Are Not Alone (the World Is Full Of Assholes)'. Mmmm - very
reassuring ha, ha! 6 seconds longer than its predecessor the thrust
is immediate and is a right pummelling penetration of the aural
jacksie leaving the listener shell-shocked and prolapsed. Neat
outlandish touches are kept to a minimum thus creating a greater
effect and not hindering the song too much. The band handle their
instruments with almost sexual expertise and each and every
component ejaculates a valid contribution to the end pool of sonic
semen. The outsider feeling of not being understood or even noticed
is disaffected punk incarnate and delivered with erudite sharpness
that I am happy to be sliced up by.
The learned approach continues with a stunning tirade against
weapons, the system and the surrounding flab. The best song of the
lot is a pure stunner with intelligent lyrics glowing amid a furious
fire of sincere intensity. Ominous strums accompany a sober
statement before drums tumble us into a screwed guitar riff that
makes way for the glorious initial verse. A mesmerising feast is
enjoyed before a slight alteration of tone causes one to ponder
before a chorus of gigantic magnitude is poured over our acceptant
heads. Memorable and some of the best shit I have heard from a
sub-generic pool I am not usually at home in. Delicious - splash
away dudes! The Ernest Hemmingway quote at the end of the lyrical
content is a sweet touch and once again shows we are dealing with no
thickhead pricks. More sobered strums and we are done before a drone
draws us in to the straight ahead routine of 'Our Perfect Lies'.
Very, very American this one in all areas with a sound so familiar
yet regurgitated and made as though something new. I particularly
like the buzzing bee bass that accompanies the versage as well as
the clarity of the entire offering. One I could walk away from if
any lesser band had concocted this number but again the end
arrangement is spot on and so keeps me intrigued.
Being brave as a reviewer and trying to predict the impending
music is always a precarious path to take and I am oh so glad I held
back my judgement at this point. Why? Because I would have been
completely wrong that's why! The ethos behind 'Freezing Factory
Floors' is admirable and is a kind of rally call for all labourers
enslaved to have their day and for one small moment to be
considered. Rampaging hardcore that stomps and romps with a couple
of great riffage attacks to savour this one is another bulls-eye and
another major highpoint. 'Time Well Wasted' tumbles along and
includes a James Dean quote as well as encouraging us to not waste
the minutes and get out there and live your life. Fair enough -
advice taken - review over!
(Ominous time passes and one wonders if the reviewer will return
- please add own tense organ music and irritating heartbeat)
Ok I'm back (boo hiss) and on with the overview. The false start
is borne of a man possessed but the song soon gets exorcised and we
have a short sprint filled with energy albeit somewhat staccato in
effect. The double M's are certainly not hanging around and we move
into the textually hippy tirade 'Plea For Peace' with barely time to
scratch ones arse. The vocals are still on fire and the mix still
immaculate although this one is the duff doughnut from a case of
cracking confectionery. A bit to busy for me and never really gains
any momentum. If dissected there are some good muso-moments but as a
full song it comes across as rather fractured. The finale is joyous,
perfectly delivered and somewhat saves the day. 'Greed Energy' is an
environmental gem and I clap with agreement of the lyrics found
within this tempestuous whirlwind. Wild fury, deep resonant guitar
slices and splashing drums mix with direct approaches that make this
a busy number ending with a great final plea for us not to 'Fuck It
Up'.
'Too Punk To Funk - Part Deux' is one which will enchant the
new-school lovers and has yet more great words to savour as
difference is requested to be put to one side and equality and
respect given a chance. Within religion or rock many must take heed
and be a little more tolerant of all that isn't the 'accepted' norm
(fuck extremists and frauds though). Arnie welcomes us but what the
hell does he know? Not a bad track with the sub-chorus terse and
tuneful. 'The Final Anthropogenic Extinction Event' builds with
bass, cuts deep with guitar and then bowls along with expected
passion. 3 or 4 similar flavours are combined cutely to bring a fair
song that varies pace and retains attention at this advanced stage.
In case you are drifting off then ' As Seen On TV' will get you back
on the ball as the 24 second ear-bashing is boisterous, outstanding
and well-positioned.
The last card is dealt and given a true punk title, namely 'Fuck
The System etc'. Unlike the orthodox punk basic belligerence one
expects we are given a technical lesson that screws around with its
own rhythmic privates and in some respects showcases all the best
aspects of this band. A bit too long and a bit too involved to be
honest and I would have preferred the Midgets to sign off with a
short, sharp attack that simply says – ‘that's it so have it'. But
then that's only a Fungal opinion!
So for a CD of this ilk I must say I am more than a little
impressed. The band can play, mix it up and are obviously in tune as
to what to get out of a production room. There is plenty of passion
and the first half of the CD is to be savoured over and over again.
Young and old and the twats in between should surely find something
to tickle the sonic shaft here so I guess all I can say is 'examine
further please'
http://www.fungalpunknature.co.uk/
Metal Orgie, France
Après le sacre d'After the Fall, les Mighty Midgets
s'approprient en un seul et court full length les rênes du
créneau "entre Strike Anywhere et A Wilhelm Scream", presque
devenu un genre à part entière depuis quelques temps. Armés de
l'authentique hargne de ceux qui ont des choses à dire et les
qualités techniques requises pour les défendre pleinement, les
Danois partent à l'assaut de la scène punk hardcore mélo
européenne...
Privilégiant les formats courts (1 à 2 minutes), ils avancent
pied au plancher, en ligne droite. La seule préoccupation qui
bridera leur inexorable fuite en avant c'est ce tiraillement
perpétuel entre pulsions punk hardcore sauvages et tentations
technico-mélodiques.[Soft Break]Sur le papier, ça ne s'annonce
pas des plus suaves. Et pourtant, à coups de refrain mélo par-ci,
de sing alongs par là (fin surprenante de "Plea for Peace") ou
encore d'un groove finement distillé ("The Final Anthropogenic
Extinction Event", "Our Perfect Lies"...), Mighty Midgets
finissent par séduire subtilement.[Soft Break]Un peu comme s'ils
ordonnaient à leurs auditeurs "Oubliez tout, dévalez ce long
couloir blanc le plus vite possible", et au passage ils
entrouvraient discrètement des portes pour introduire double
chants engageants, chœurs, soli endiablés, et autres ruses qui
boosteraient ce sprint effréné de 25 minutes.
Et puis voilà, en bout de course, galvanisé par une orgie de
chants mélo-criés euphorisants, l'auditeur-sprinteur percute
puis s'accroche à "Fuck the System Etc", pièce épique de 5
minutes (faisant d'ailleurs écho au "Ruins for the Future" joué
quinze minutes plus tôt). Une cavalcade qui ressuscite et
dépasse en vitesse des spectres de Strike Anywhere, et qui aux
alentours n'est peut être devancée que par un Propagandhi en
pleine bourre.[Soft Break]Elle parachève un album en hommage à
l'énergie brute, viscérale. 25 minutes d'un savant défouloir
aussi jouissif que fédérateur.
Danish
people which is really angry and you who think this is Gasolin,
DAD or similar must think again because this is really fast
punkrock which is the thing for this group and I think that you
are into early American hardcore would like this a lot because
this have much in common with that and together with more
melodic USHC and that in a very positive way for Might Midgets
and doesn?t play fast just for the sake and it´s cool because
they manage to do that and this is among the best things I have
heard from Denmark in a long time? 12/4-2010
http://www.skruttmagazine.se/recmightymidgets.htm
Skrutt Magazine, Sweden
This
is genuinely fucking brilliant! If you like your punk rock
played at lightning speed, with hardcore energy but with
melodies that stick in your head for days, these guys seriously
deliver.
To get an album that is catchy without sacrificing rawness and
energy is a tricky thing to do. Some bands end up sounding too
poppy or some bands go too far the other way and the melodies
lose their definition, but this keeps all it’s punk credentials
AND has sing-a-long qualities. It’s just done very well!. The
speed is at times mesmerising, particularly as the band are also
playing quite technical parts and are clearly fantastic
musicians.
Stand out tracks for me were ‘You Are Not Alone (the World is
Full of Assholes) , which explodes with energy and the
ridiculously catchy ‘Our Perfect Lies’ with a bass line that is
so fast it sounds like a drill!
An honoury mention also needs to go to the brutal ‘As Seen on
TV’, but to be honest, there is not a bad track.
Fans of Strike Anywhere and Propaghandi will love it, but it
will appeal to fans of fast punk as well as a melodic hardcore
crowd.
This comes very highly recommended. We have a few in the TNS
distro and you can also get it from 5feetunder.com.
Just get it! You won’t regret it!
Andy TNSrecords Fanzine
http://www.punk-hardcore.info/
MIGHTY MIDGETS "raising ruins for the future" Cd (Dead lamb)
La base, c’est NO FX, BAD RELIGION, et surtout PROPAGANDHI. Mais
attend ! Ne passe pas tout de suite à la chronique suivante ; ce
disque est génial. Y’a ces harmonies vocales et ces riffs de
guitares et de basses mélodiques, mais à côté de ça, t’as des
passages bourrins de la mort, des stop’n’go’s, des solos qui
tuent. Franchement c’est classe. Du vrai Hardcore moderne qui
devrait plaire aux lycéens, sauf qu’en plus ils ne chantent pas
des conneries de boutonneux sur le skate et les filles qui leur
brisent le cœur, au contraire, les textes, pas du tout
sloganistes, façon PROPAGANDHI, parlent de la mondialisation, de
la guerre, de l’écologie, de la société de consommation. Dans un
digipack plutôt joli, avec une bonne production. Ils me font
penser à certains groupes des pays de l’est, mais ils sont du
Danemark. www.deadlambrecords.com (Yann)
ox-fanzine.de
from Germany. Zine #91
MIGHTY MIDGETS Raising Ruins For The Future
CD I Deadlamb I deadlambrecords.com I 25:37 I Die vier jungs aus
Aalborg, Dänemark, wissen einfach wie man guten (melodischen)
Hardcore-Punk macht. Generell scheinen die Skandinavier ihr
Lieblingsgenre gefunden zu haben, in dem sie ein Spitzen-Album
nach dem anderen raushauen - genau so ein Spitzen-Album wie
,,Raising Ruins For The Future", In zwölf Songs werden
aggressions geladene, energische Hymnen dargeboten, die mit den
ehrlichren Songtexten perfekt harmonieren (denn Dänen lügen
nicht!). Die Zwerge beweisen auf ihrem Debüt, dass sie zwar
vielleicht körperlich klein sind, aber muslkaIisch und textlich
mit den Großen mithalten können. 25 Minuten lang prügeln die
Dänen ihren Hardrore- Punk a Ia DEATH IS NOT GLAMOROUS raus und
keiner wird sitzen bleiben! (9) Peter Nitsche