Hardcore
Apatia – Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna. Faszyzm.
Poland’s seminal anarcho-punk band Apatia’s infamous debut—now available for the first time on vinyl from Nikt Nic Nie Wie (NNNW), the country’s most prolific and active punk label, which has been going strong since the late ’80s, releasing everything political from hardcore punk to crust, grind and powerviolence. I don’t know what to say about […]
The post Apatia – Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna. Faszyzm. first appeared on DIY Conspiracy – International Zine in the Spirit of DIY Hardcore Punk!
Artist: Apatia
Title: B
Release: LP / Digital
Year: 2021
Label: Nikt Nic Nie Wie
Poland’s seminal anarcho-punk band Apatia’s infamous debut—now available for the first time on vinyl from Nikt Nic Nie Wie (NNNW), the country’s most prolific and active punk label, which has been going strong since the late ’80s, releasing everything political from hardcore punk to crust, grind and powerviolence.
I don’t know what to say about this cult classic from 1993 which hasn’t already been said, but here at DIY Conspiracy we feel obliged to give such an important piece of musical history our share of respect.
The title of the album translates as “God, Honor, Country. Fascism.”, and some of the songs have been anarcho hymns for the Polish radical scene for decades—such as “Młodzi faszyści” (Young Fascists), “Rasizm” (Racism) and so on. Since the humble beginnings of the Polish anarchist scene with other bands like Infekcija and Armia, with some of whom they shared a famous and still active squat called Rozbrat, Apatia have been spreading their earnest positive messages of mutual aid, anarchist direct action and propaganda, the aforementioned squatting and expropriation of capitalist spaces, making zines (one was called Greencore, made by the guitarist at the time), and talking about social ecology, LGBTQ rights, animal rights, and so on. Deeply involved in the ideological sphere of the scene, they always stayed true to their idea, releasing a few more albums and splits before sadly breaking up in 2011, leaving a lasting mark on the Polish and European anarcho-punk/hardcore scene as a whole.
Musically, they started out with bass lines similar to Discharge, or even Crass, with some USHC influence thrown in as well. But something about the guitar harmonies and the peculiar reverb-laden screaming vocals made them particularly unique—mixing a variety of different influences (even some strange jazzy, jangly indie and ska moments here and there), but also maintaining a strong, distinctive sound of their own, which to my knowledge hasn’t been repeated, although they influenced hundreds of younger Polish bands back then and up to today.
NNNW re-released the album on LP (also on cassette) as a benefit for grassroots activists (not NGO cockroaches) and you can get a copy, a shirt or a cassette from the label’s Bandcamp profile. After all, this is one of the magnum opuses of the European anarcho-punk scene—being re-released after all these years of being relevant, the interest is huge given the few LPs and tapes left. So hurry up and get yourself a copy and enjoy this masterpiece of radicalism, listen to the messages and let yourself be immersed in the angst-ridden atmosphere of militant anarchist action music.
Source: diyconspiracy.net
