Defied & Matamoska - Split EP (punk) (ska)
Posted Jul 17, 2010, by Marc.
Featured Artists: Defied; Matamoska;
Genre: Punk; Ska;
In the summer of 2004 I picked up a great split E.P. at Trash City Records featuring Los Angeles locals Defied and Matamoska. These two groups were well established in their respective musical niche. Defied were all out Gutter Punks! Green tri-hawks, spikes, boots, spit, adolescent anger, fast drums, blood in the pit, Los Angeles Punk at its best. On the complete flip side Matamoska, long veterans of the Los Angeles Ska-core scene, offered a unique blend of Ska, Punk, and Latino foundation rhythms. In terms of musical style, these bands are oddly coupled, but, in the opinion of this writer, the pairing of Defied and Matamoska left an accurate representation of the Los Angeles underground youth culture around 2003 and 2004.
The split features 8 songs, 4 from each band. The split was released by the Wilmington based Smelvis Records in 2003. The great thing about this split was it only cost $5 and it’s a solid product with a good case and cover design. Good job Smelvis Records!
Defied starts off the split with their fist swinging song “It’s War”. The verse to “It’s War” is a good kick to the face, the chorus is death, and the breakdown is a perfect slam dance beat. The next song, “Stand Against Hate”, starts with a build up that chills through your arms, creating an unnerving anxiety to combatively pace to the rhythm. Then, boom! Double bass pedal, and a quick transition into well structured Punk Rock without getting too fancy! “Stand Against Hate” sounds raw, has a fast tempo, but is an amazingly catchy song. Around 2 minutes into the song there is a guitar lead that sinks in smoothly, adding the perfect touch. Defied then closes up with two solid Punk tracks: “Bear Arms” and “This is me”.
Matamoska flips the momentum with four tracks of well polished Ska-core starting with their song “De Verdad”. The song starts with a distorted guitar riff that leads into a barrage of horns and brass instruments. The song is sang en Español which complements the
Latino Ska rhythms. The horn section is timed perfectly with the chorus and transitions, and the saxophone pleasantly stands out amongst the rest of the brass. The next song, “Suicide Party”, reflects the Punk Rock influence on the bands musical style. By using all the instruments at their disposal, Matamoska plays blast beats, Ska-core, Punk, and Metalcore breakdowns in their track “Suicide Party”. The lyrics behind the song are in English and tell a story of affluent kids hating their lives, acting hopeless, and ultimately killing themselves by driving off a cliff in Mexicali. Matamoska follows up with two more solid Ska-core tracks “Night of 100 Frights” and “Cagapalo”. The last song “Cagapalo” is an upbeat Ska track sang en Español that really can get the dance floor moving.
Overall, this split represents a time in the evolution of underground music in the Los Angeles area where Punk and Ska-core music had a major influence on the youth culture that continues to push the limits of music today. I really enjoyed this split and recommend it to anyone interested in the Los Angeles Ska/Punk scene.
