Band : New Pokerface
Album title : Another Day, Another Religion
Label : Own Release
Distributor : New Pokerface
Release date : October 2008
Release : CD

Based in Breda (South of Holland, some 47 kms above Antwerpen), this band was formed in 2006 by the trio of guitarist/ singer Tom Klaasen, bassist/ singer Erik Hermeler, and drummer/ backing singer Thomas Frankhuijzenwith the intention to make melodic yet fast-paced and powerful Punk Rock.

After having secluded themselves in their rehearsal room for a while, they decided it was time to bring their music to the people, so they struck a deal with the people at Split Second Sound studios (which has been home to recordings by the likes of Textures, to give but one example) and recorded their 6-track EP Act The Animal, self-releasing it in late 2006. Only after the release did the band start playing gigs. Reviews of the EP (in such appreciated magazines as Up Magazine, Roar Zine and Live-XS) were rather positive, and a second printing of the EP had to be made only two months after the initial release, just to meet demand! 2007 was a relatively good year on the live front, the band playing some 41 shows, some of which were supports to The Apers, The Gaslight Anthem, The Undeclinables, Peter Pan Speedrock, The Leftovers, Malkovich, Antillectual, and more (they also made friends with a couple of bands with which they went a-roaming the Dutch countryside...not on tours, apparently, but with consecutive gigs anyway).

Earlier this year the trio renewed its cooperation with Split Second Sound for the recording of their debut full-length, which was released on the 4th of July. As you can imagine, Dutch media have already written nice things about the band, things the like of "...in Holland this genre couldn't get a better kick in the butt than you do. Praise!" (Musicfrom); "...Punk Rock with chill factor..." (Oor); "...this album is a party from start to finish..." (Musicmaker); "...a new generation ready to take over..." (Punx.nl); "...a couple of songs are remeniscent to the likes of Ignite or the now defunkt Superhero, whilst others have a Bouncing Souls feel..." (Aardschok); "...now that we have a band of this quality in our own country, I wonder why we even bother to have American bands come flying over..." (Up Magazine); "...I can say that with Another Day, Another Religion, the group doesn't just live up to the expectations, but actually surpasses them...the progress the band made and the professionality of this self-released full-length are truly amazing..." (Asice.net).

Get a whiff of the band's knowhow by surfing either to www.newpokerface.com (one song off the EP, two off the new album), www.myspace.com/newpokerface (3 songs posted off the new album plus one off the EP), last.fm/music/New+Pokerface (two songs off the new album – regrettably already the one's you've come across, plus two off the EP – regrettably only 30-second samples...but there's a video for one of the songs as well), or newpokerface.hyves.nl (same two songs off the new album, plus two off the EP).

87/100

Tony.