No more ballads

I will do my presentation on Monday on Epstein's article about punk rock in Korea. We will embark on a journey together to explore the worlds of punk, hardcore, metal and their various sub-genres in Korea. These alternative genres generally diverge strongly from the mainstream ballad, hip-hop and kayo music in many respects. Thematically, the principle themes tend to be ones of individuality, anti-establishment, the bleak realities of life and rebellion against societal norms. The presentation, instrument choice, rhythm and image are also radically different. I present now a few videos with a brief commentary that should help to make the transition from ballads to alternative as injury-free as possible.


A brutal auditory assault from the awesome K-metal band "Crash." They are old on the scene, formed way back in the early 90's. A catchy refrain with some nice double bass pedal, definitely a good video.


N.E.X.T - The Power. A slower, gritty punk video that uses war footage as a backdrop for this music video. Definitely has an epic feel to it, and has some nice fret work near the end.


Monkey Monkey, a silly name but there is nothing silly about that guitar and drum beat. Very energetic.


Oathean. This is a live recording, not a music video, but Oathean has such a brutal sound that I feel compelled to include it. These guys and Crash are my favorite K-metal groups that I've heard. This video has a bizarre interlude as well.


The Cockrasher, a new-wave sounding punk band. I confess to having no idea what they are saying, but the sound is pretty catchy. This style is typical of many punk music videos.

I like a lot of Japanese and Chinese punk/metal, but until recently I have not had much exposure to the Korean alternative scene. I have found plenty that I like though, and am always looking for more recommendations. These videos are just a primer, based on what I could find on YouTube. Keep on rocking out, Korea.