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Czosnek (garlic!) gets heavier, adding another voice makes it more brutal – Croatian review says “dark hardcore”, but “dark” doesn’t mean “black” (metal). This time it includes... a computer game as a bonus. Some tracks are remixes and cover versions prepared by friends. And a gatefold CD cover is another crazy art by the comics designer – Michal Arkusinski.
CZOSNEK means “garlic”,
and is equally healthy and condemned...
The band was formed in 1997 by members and friends of ULICA - the punk band existing since late 80s that has just ceased to exist and hard core boys from INSANE SCUM. Czosnek’s first live show – some months later - gathered over 200 people as it was a benefit for a friend who was sent to prison for fighting a nazi on the street...
2001 - the first demo cassette was released by NNNW (Nikt Nic Nie Wie – the longest running Polish d.i.y. punk label). It was called "Gloomy stories of strife with life stabilization" and contains a mix of raw punk and weird “cold wave” noise. Tracks from the tape were included on some benefit compilations, including „Farewell to arms” CD and „Food not politics” cassette.
2001 and 2002 were busy with concerts - the band played in Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary (as the first Polish punk band there), Czech, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. The line up has changed, and the music became more hard core, but still with a lot of weird “noisy” bits. Czosnek played in weird places, including open air act accompanying a performance set by the befriended artist Leszek Blyszczynski (who designed the album cover as well) – a symbolic act of resistance against the fall of culture in our home town.
In the meantime, the LP "Illegal pornography with abuse of chuildren, animals and plants" was recorded. The band recorded together with an experimental... flute / recorder player. But don’t worry – you can’t tell his noises from another guitar sound... The record cover includes a board game “King of punks” – full of real stories, kind of punk version of Dungeons and Dragons game.
Here’s the “Slug & Lettuce” review of this one:
"I can always count on something new, different and unique from the Polish punks. They always menage to do something cool, that incorporates refreshing elements that are not more rehashing of the same old punk. This band does that - with changing tempos, strange samples of old time music in the middle, flutes and a dirgey grind, mixed with old-school punk, melody, energy and rage, and a totally unique spin that leaves me listening to this 5 times in a row and still finding it hard to describe. I guess when so many bands play the same throughout, when you have a band who incorporates so much variety - it makes it hard to pinpoint - but Czosnek isn't chaotic, they play songs with plenty of structure, just lots of variety. This comes in a gatefold sleeve that has a "king of punk" boardgame in the middle that would be quite a hit with a lot of people I know."
The band changes line-up again, 2 new guitarists, who actually ARE the guitarists (former 2 were bass players before) add new power to the smell of garlic... Czosnek gets heavier, adding another voice makes it more brutal – Croatian review says “dark hardcore”, but “dark” doesn’t mean “black” (metal) in this case.
In the end if 2004 the recordings for the 3rd album start at “Clash Studio” – run by Klinika gutarplayer, another long time friend. It’s finished a year later (but that means only a few days in the studio...). In the meantime – Cesnjak scares Balkan punx playing at summer festivals in Labin, Pula (Monte Paradiso) and Martinska Fest in Croatia. These years live appearances are rare, because of another set of gloomy stories of strife with life stabilization...
The album called “Maras” is released in October 2006. This time it includes... a computer game as a bonus. Some tracks are remixes and cover versions prepared by friends. And a gatefold CD cover is another crazy art by the comics designer – Michal Arkusinski.
