Farsi hardcore from hell and punk from Calgary

As if things weren’t already messed up enough in the world, the US and Israel decided in February to escalate matters further by bombing Iran and eliminating the Ayatollah. A schizophrenic situation in which there is, understandably, some sense of relief at the disappearance of a violent dictator, while Iranians still live under an authoritarian regime and are then bombed by two other authoritarian regimes.

It’s exactly this tension that Siyahkal grapples with, and it’s what their new EP is filled with. The band represents the Iranian diaspora from Toronto, and frontman Kasra Goodarznezha also sings in Farsi. Days of Smoke and Ash is therefore an album packed with hardcore with a psychedelic edge. A solid groove in the drums and guitars, paired with almost meditative-sounding vocals. Relentlessly good and strikingly relevant. Their new EP Corrupt / فاسد will be released at the end of May, and they’ll also be playing K-Town. Lucky us that they’re stopping by Groningen as well!

And they’re not coming alone ‘cause Grotto will be there too. Hailing from Calgary, they create a great blend of hardcore with ’70s rock and bring to mind bands like Rudimentary Peni. Their most recent record was released on Neon Taste, the label run by Josh Nickel (known from Chain Whip and Bootlicker), and a new record is already in the works. So tonight’s a Canadian double bill. See you there! | Robert

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