EGO - Ego-ism (2021) - 12" LP

Band................................Ego
Album..............................Ego-ism
Year.................................2021
Genre...............................hc punk
Format.............................vinyl, LP
Country............................Germany
Web.................................youtube, bandcamp
Label................................Agipunk

most probably the biggest (positive) surprise in last two years in the world of hc punk to me personally.. Ego is international band based in Berlin, Germany and vocalist is Nesha (Doomsday Graphics) and if you know which bands he was part of in the past (Unutrašnji Bunt, Nakot, G.A.U., etc.) immediately you know this can’t be bad.. and sure it isn’t, just contrary it’s pretty much amazing..
Ego-Ism is their debut recordings originally self released by the band as a tape in two presses and one by Voice From Inside tapes (100 pieces each) just before the beginning of pandemic (how appropriately) in January 2020 and in the middle of 2021 luckily the crew from Agipunk decided to put this out on the 12” vinyl.. why luckily?.. because of two things, first tapes were quickly sold out and the second this is whole new and better experience to listen those recordings on vinyl, you now, one of those which simply deserve and must be pressed on this magic medium, it was meant to be since the beginning..
we have here 10 tracks of dark, heavy and harsh punk hardcore, somehow very specific and original, I don’t know to whom I would compare it, they have this Unutrašnji Bunt vibe in slower songs, like "Dekadent" and "Robovi Slobode" but on the other side completely different.. also it’s very hard to stuff them into only one genre, but you’ll see/hear for yourself.. be ready to be thrown right into the 80’s atmosphere and mood which will chew you but with few outbursts will spit you out in dark present with relevant sound as same with meaning and message.. just as they would say – punk music for dark times..
anyhow, song structure varies from song to song and they are from one and half minute like 2nd on the A side of vinyl, direct and simple "Stupid" to even 8 minutes long as the closing one on B side "Moć".. while most of them are in some mid-tempo (but still angry), there are few slow, very atmospheric songs, to the fast ones, real d-beat attacks like "Ljudi", "Do You Love?" or my favorite "Mrtva Budučnost".. except above mentioned originality the fact that songs don’t sound the same one to another is one of the main benefits of the record.. two of them are shouted on English and rest are on Serbian which for sure also contributes to specificity of the sound and the whole thing about this demo..

production is superb and sound is perfect, surprisingly for a demo and debut recordings, but also on the other side members are old wolves on hc punk underground and recorded this by themselves, obviously they knew exactly what they wanted..
vinyl itself is simple, my is black, with simplest cover ever but with all the necessary info as well as lyrics and translations of the same.. cover art is of course by mighty Doomsday Graphics.. there were all together 300 copies pressed, 100 on white vinyl but I am somehow sure it will be repressed again in the future and become cult record of one era in hc punk history.. still available from Agipunk for 12 or 13 euros for the white one.. and if you are from Croatia try at Sumoggu or Doomtown Records..