Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Various Artists
Label: Klub tolminskih študentov
Release: 2014
Length: 90:54
Rating: 4/5
After thirteen years, »Upitje spod Migovca« is back! With a second part. A double-CD retrospective compilation that sums up the last decade (plus three years) of the Tolmin music scene, or more broadly the Soča Valley’s. The »Upitje spod Migovca« compilation brings together works by sixteen bands in total. From metal with subgenre detours to punk rock, blues rock, all the way to progressive rock, post rock and even choir singing.
The people of Tolmin are persistent, tough and hard to knock down. They’ve survived everything. Brutal earthquakes, and also the arrival of one of the most important metal festivals in Europe, Metaldays (formerly Metal Camp), which they took as their own! In certain »hidden« stretches of the Soča’s tributaries in the Soča Valley, the last population of native marble trout still lives. And, last but not least, this is also home to a special way of perceiving the magic called music. Despite the colorful genre detours among the artists on this compilation, they share one important common denominator, and it comes through loud and clear on both discs. Authenticity and sincerity of action. That’s really the main thing, both in how it’s played and in the messages in the lyrics themselves. The rebellious finger of truthfulness on this compilation is more than once jabbed deep into the eye of the quasi-moralists who trample the little guy with their capital, even though it’s been clear for ages that they’ll never be willing to open their eyes.
Sixteen bands, two CDs. Both lively, fun, and so each stacks up a good dose of tangible musical substance. The opening Time by Devil’s Bridge, taken from the band’s EP released in 2011, lines up a gloomy saga of dynamic death & thrash metal with exemplary musicianship, production and use of the English language. Rodoljubac are actually Tolmin rock legends. They contribute the tracks Globalni škodljivc and Možeš da pališ! Notorious rock ‘n’ roll with a punky, Motörhead-style connotation sounds mocking, direct and, amid the sarcasm, authentically down to earth. A big plus of the Soča Valley bands on this compilation is their commitment to using the genuine local dialect, as well as Tolmin slang, which gives them a recognizable touch. Hip-hopper Iaria points that out right away with the organic backing of Kdo ne ve, something D’Šups Bend (interestingly) steer clear of in their two wake-up-call rock tracks. By contrast, the slang element works wonderfully on top of the worn-out phrase Ti boš moja, directed by Taverna Blues Band, who go on to squeeze out even more fun, soaked in a good dose of black humor, when they deliver the track Moskva – Petuški – Tmin in an authentic blues rock sound. While punk rockers Brand New Start flirt with current global music trends, the compilation again picks up some distinctive character with Tolmin by Jerry & Spacegoat. It’s a patriotic track full of sentiment from a distant past, when evergreen classics by Šifrer, Smode and Mežek were sung around campfires. But strictly »the T’min way«, which outweighs the generic mold of the song. The first disc closes »metal style«. In an endless, swallowing abyss of evil that leaves no survivors behind! Here we have Urborg with the track Winter Void and a touch of doom that freezes the blood in your veins, as the musical dossier of a track brewed in classic black metal fashion rings out, with tasteful mood shifts in the atmosphere. The rolling, raw doom riff doesn’t stay hidden, despite the black metal rasp in the central role.
The second disc is kicked off by Mc Rocco & The Pikzigmars. The »family ties« with Rodoljubac can’t be overlooked here, even though this band sounds a touch sharper. The rhythms stay devoted to speeding rock ‘n’ roll. Primal punk rock with a fist to the forehead, goofy and with excellent lyrics. In proper Tolmin slang. This is an act that disarms you instantly with its honesty and heart. Kantrabanti is a track performed by Bakalina, rooted in traditional folk melos, backed by accordion and, once again, salted with the character of the genuine Soča Valley dialect. It tells a fun saga about a grandpa with a shot-through arm and his needs for tobacco and coffee, as well as the golden days of past smuggling exploits. The up-and-coming youngsters called Wild Crew are a taster in stripped-down hard rock that can veer onto glam as well as punk tracks. They strum along predictable, already-heard molds, which doesn’t mean they have no potential. The vocals are okay, but above all, once their confidence grows, they’ll need to improve their use of English in the lyrics, as well as develop more tangible musical charisma. The second disc gets really interesting again further on, when atmospheric and exploratory progressive doom metallers Mothermound serve up their track Lady Violet. They flag themselves as something special in the metal world. They’re raw and carry a sharp note of darkness and doom. At the same time, their arrangement solutions suggest this is a band that could do a lot to enrich the Slovenian metal scene in the future. The band released its studio debut in November 2013, which is where Lady Violet comes from. What follows blasts us into a completely different, but no less sweet, musical dimension with progressive rock purists Feedback, who contributed the track I’ve Lost My Hair to this compilation. It comes from their fifth studio album, which came out just last November. Outstanding musicians and outstanding chemistry generate a high level of musicality and sharp-witted improvisations, with the band never losing the thread thanks to that great mutual chemistry! Feedback know how to deliver the desired feeling of unexpected twists, and you can also tell the guitarist listened to a lot of Steve Howe (Yes) in his day. Feedback as a whole could be described as a distant descendant of Britain’s Camel. Mydas keep up the progressive character of the second half of the compilation. Both tracks are brewed differently. They’re instrumentals that devote most of their expression to building a predatory atmosphere, while a strong post rock component of cosmic vastness is also present in their musical character. Mydas are yet another challenging musical oddball on whom it’s worth placing big hopes for the future. Sun Set then deliver more predictable musical rhetoric. They’re punk rockers who like to dose their lead motifs with Iron Maiden-style triplets (the track Impossible). Once again, the main stumbling blocks are the indecisive vocals and the use of English. That will need a thorough fix in the future. The compilation is closed out by veterans who already introduced themselves thirteen years ago on the first »Upitje spod Migovca« (2001). Tminski madrigalisti. Choir singing full of the sparkling silliness of big jokers, delivering in the closing stretch a little pinch of cheeky lucidity, leaning on the legacy of traditional folk melos. The first track, Čebele, is eco-minded, while the second, Puntarji, is always topical in Slovenia anyway. Today perhaps more than ever. So get ready to fight for the old cause, as the grinding of a whetstone along a scythe blade rings out. The track Puntarska closes this truly beautiful and immensely fun musical treasure chest of the Soča Valley in grand style!
The second part of »Upitje spod Migovca« took a long time to brew. Thirteen full years. So it has plenty of new things to say and show. Above all, the Soča Valley is hugely colorful genre-wise, and the compilation first and foremost proves that first-rate metal with unique charisma is brewing there, and that this is currently home to what is probably the only truly »old-school sounding« progressive rock band in Slovenia, Feedback. Combining the primal rawness of rock n’ roll with punk remains a traditional bold move, and the use of the genuine Tolmin dialect, which gives the bands extra charisma, is inspiring. The new »Upitje spod Migovca« compilation is full of heart and authenticity. Its sincerity hits you instantly. Among the artists you can feel the difference in mileage and therefore in experience. Some still need to mature a bit, as they’re still searching for their musical direction, while others are at their creative zenith, or heading toward it. In short: do yourself a favor, order this double disc for a modest €5.00 via [email protected] and let yourself be seduced by the famous tradition of the Soča Valley’s philosophy of rock ‘n’ roll.
Tracklist
CD1.:
1. Devil’s Bridge – Time
2. Rodoljubac – Globalni škodljivc
3. Rodoljubac – Možeš da pališ
4. Iaria – Kdo ne ve
5. D’Šups Bend – Napiši nov dan
6. D’Šups Bend – Drugje je
7. Taverna Blues Band – Ti boš moja
8. Taverna Blues Band – Moskva – Petuški – Tmin
9. Brand New Start – Promises
10. Brand New Start – Am I The Only One
11. Jerry & Spacegoat – Tolmin
12. Urborg – Winter Void
CD2.:
1. Mc Rocco & The Pikzigmars – Prekleta mona
2. Mc Rocco & The Pikzigmars – Četrti rajh
3. Bakalina – Kantrabanti
4. Wild Crew – Riot In My Head
5. Mothermound – Lady Violet
6. Feedback – I’ve Lost My Hair
7. Mydas – The Warning
8. Mydas – Second Coming
9. Sun Set – Nightmare
10. Sun Set – Impossible
11. Tminski madrigalisti – Čebele
12. Tminski madrigalisti – Puntarska
