Demo / EP, Self-released / Independent
April 11th, 2013
Genre: Blackened Hardcore/Crust/Grindcore
Region: USA
I'm still working back through my (and others') 2012 list so those posts will get more regular between newer records, but for now another new and quick one. Florida's Shit Luck just released a pretty damn enjoyable eight minutes with this demo and I think some people here will enjoy it. I definitely am despite this subgenre becoming a little watterlogged.
Creatively this is a couple of big steps up from their 2012 release Expired which, upon checking it out, showed promise but did not hint at the fairly intriguing mash-up that we find in the five songs here. Just on a base level this is louder, grittier, far more aggressive and full sounding, tighter with a more interesting approach to the whole YAITW blackened crust style.
They're not breaking conventions but this four piece do push something refreshing to various degrees and I'm interested in where they're going to take it. You can expect lots of feedback between tracks and raspy hoarse vocals, though here the vocalist is slightly outside the mold while spitting themes of alienation, apathy, bitterness. The down-tuned ashen riffs whirling onward through thick, muffled distortion creating a pretty bleak atmosphere. On the other end the drumming is
competent, pretty tight snare and keeps shit together well but the kicks are pretty weak.
However like Dephosphorus they find a comfortable and rewarding zone where grind, crust, and black metal influences break apart and reform in energetic, satisfying and very heavy ways. Definitely more on the grind side of things but the brief excursions involving larger doses crust/blackened-etc. work in both the slower closes ("Slow Death") and the galloping rhythms ("Maniputlate") and compliment the furious attack found everywhere else.
You're met with this immediately on the opener "Into The Chasm", the opening riff and percussion taking after Dephosphorus to some degree before spilling into a series of blurred, crackling hardcore rhythms. It's the title track and "Manipulate" that are the stand outs for sure though and are easily the best formulations of their sound — filth permeating the riffs and vocals and both ending with phenomenal, simple slowed sections. "Slow Death"'s first half is grind ridden assault with hints of crust, and once you cross into the second half shit gets crushing as a torturous, dark section consumes you. "Manipulate" is the second boulder of this demo though where the formula found in the title track is repeated without losing steam and with a devastating effect.
This contrasts pretty starkly with "Waste" which follows, as it is nothing but a 28 second grind wildfire that drops all other masks. And to a large degree this is the case with "Timeless Grief" but this does not make them any less interesting. That latter track has some vicious chunks in it, the interruption in the final breakdown for a frightening roar combined with feedback beats you down bluntly. Overall the filthy storm of genres here is very effective and refreshing enough to set them apart from the pack.
So yes this is a fuckin' wicked little demo cassette that is definitely worth a listen. Especially for those who are into the crusty black hardcore out there like Young And In The Way or Dephosphorus, or even Votnut, Hexis, Unsacred, etc. Shit Luck are probably ones to keep an eye on. The physical version of this is limited to 35 copies and only a few were sold online — only two are left on bandcamp so if you want to throw them $4 get on it. Otherwise it's free.
Split, Nice Dreams Records / Witch Bukake Records
April 3rd, 2013
Genre: Grindcore/Powerviolence
Region: USA/Canada
Just in time for their soon-to-commence partial US tour and send-off show we have two new and quite fantastic splits involving Six Brew Bantha: one with Buffalo legends Water Torture and the other with Minneapolis's Agitate. Both are out right now and I managed to get a copy of each while at Six Brew Bantha's send off show the other day, and because they great I figured I squish them into one post to make it easier. And it just makes sense of course.
This also the second of two pairs of great grind splits with a wicked leading band, the other being the recent Suffering Mind splits with Phobia and MASSGRAVE which I'll get to soon enough in a similar style post.
First up is the split with Water Torture. Because I only recently submerged myself in the genre I'm not entirely familiar with this two piece but I have certainly heard of them for the past couple years. They're a rising powerhouse of bass/drum powerviolence and they seem to indulge in some experimentation outside of the punishing speeds, and here they employ a guitar with David Pacheco behind that end. So they end up sounding less like Thrones doing grind as they have at some points like on their self titled and the Shellfire EP but are no less capable of snapping necks with their brutality.
Six tracks to match Six Brew Bantha's five and contrast nicely with the more pure grind on that side. I went back and checked out previous records to get a taste of their sound minus the guitar as it seems to worry some people, I've heard its temporary but even so it sounds pretty fucking sweet to me. Of course it's always hard to make something sound heavier than the bass and drums combo they've molded (unless you add a second bass) but here the writing and execution are still crushing.
The first two tracks exemplify this and mesh together so closely they might as well be one track, starting off bouncy before the chaos seeps in; strained yelling underneath the grooves and blasts; both filled with a relentless hammering from all angles and very addictive. You're gonna return for a beating for sure especially for "No trophy", my favorite on this side, because that palm-muted break down is ugly combined with the hate-filled strained yells. This and "Alone Always" are the best here, with the latter consisting of literally two riffs: one blazing and then one lumbering giant which makes the blunt lyrics exponentially more weighty:
"RECOGNIZE THE TRUTH LIE TO YOURSELF FOR A POSITION OF SELF COMFORT? FRIGHTENED ALONE ALWAYS [NO]"
"No Trophy" eventually seaps into the relatively thrashy "Home/Sick", whipping you back and forth wrecklessly. "Black Blood" brings back the tumbling slabs in between spazz sessions which Water Torture do so well and I can imagine these would be even heavier with just the bass tearing shit down.
Their contribution sticks with the always gloriously simple formula they've strengthened up until now, and it is guaranteed to crack pavement even when returning to more punky roots like in the closer. From my limited perspective I'd say they strike a good balance on this release with their experimentation and bring some truly jaw-dropping writing here
Six Brew Bantha played a few of these at the last show and that was the first time I had heard them despite their bandcamp having their side up for download since early in the new year. There will be video of that soon. I was still digesting their full length which is something grind finds ought to check out if they haven't, and now I've gotten through their side on this 7" and can't get enough. They continue slinging creative one minute mincing sessions unlike any of their peers with one of the tightest snares I've heard, continuing a socio-political theme lyrically.
The first track "Struggle to Exist" was one of the closing songs the other night and boy is killer, there's a strong undercurrent of death metal in the middle chunk and buttressing that is blazing grind. I love the seamless blend. Other's like "Bred Into Enslavement" return to the core of there thrashing and just rip your face off before a wicked breakdown. A really groovy track and tied a little bit of dissonance is spliced in the last third during a break downand the pummeling does not decreas
Everything here is engineered to stomp you and I would argue that goes twice as much for the drumming, the snare is just ricocheting inside your skull; unlike the original mix of Adversarial's debut the snare's pang here does not overpower shit. Listen to "Manipulated Public" or "Bred Into Enslavement" because the fills on those are pretty evil. "Opposition" is another good example. What's up front more so are the riffs and vocals, the latter filled with vitriol and unhindered bestial energy; the perfect style for the fury you hear around it.
It's hard to say which side is better. One boils shit down and bulldozes you while the other ensnares you throws you against the wall without losing grip so it'll depend on what you're in the mood for. It's a great collaboration anyway you look at it and I recommended it for sure.
The packaging on this split is pretty nice too so I suggest spending the cash to get it while you can, especially if you catch them on their tour. There was only a few pressed for the band on tour (200 in blue and clear) and even fewer for those who preordered (purple), and you can get the black press over at Nice Dreams Records. Or you can get Six Brew Bantha's side as a name-your-price download.
The second of the two splits does not disappoint either, though I suspect more people were awaiting the Water Torture split. Six Brew Bantha destroy shit right out of the gate with "Outcome of Ignorance", a 34 second ripper that leads to a 4 second track and straight into the nicely dissonant "Mandatory Termination". This one is the longest of their side, they played at their kick off show and the was even more amazing, specifically the blasts beats and the transforming tremolo breakdowns near the middle. "Product of Your Environment" sounds like something Discordance Axis might have made in their earlier records; technical and discordant, ending with like a Dangers slam to cleanse you of the writhing prior to it and end their side.
Agitate are a two piece I haven't heard of until now, described as "no-frills mincing grind" withe the addition of "FUCK PORNO-GRIND!" I can go with both those statements I suppose, I can also get on board with the opening sample which is amusing.. It leads to the meat of everything of course: Agitate provide us with a glimpse storm trapped in cassette form as they completely shred the first half of their side in just over two minutes, or two of the three tracks. Occassionally I do get more oldschool punk and crust vibes mostly in the final track which slows shit down (much like Bridgeburner would), keeping it nice and lumbering for almost the entire length before stepping it up to a more crusty level.
Both contribute some nice stuff here but I'm gonna give it to Six Brew Bantha for now, they just don't cease to make memorable grind. Definitely grab the cassette if you can't wait from Nice Dreams Records or hold on and soon it'll be pressed on 7" wax by Witch Bukkake Records; or get both. The cassette is a nice green if you're into that.
My previous post about the Vancouver group Ahna kind of resulted from a renewed interest in the underground on the west coast of Canada, specifically because I'll have been back on this coast longer than I have been in the past 4 years. So excuse this local focused and semi-indulgent round up of a handful of good grinders from B.C. and if it's not your thing then don't worry, more posts are coming. I think it fits in well with catching up on 2012 too.
It's strange growing up on Vancouver Island and just when you've become more invested and interested in underground music, you move to Toronto. That basically happened to me, and understandably from there I became more observant of the metal and hardcore scene in Toronto than I ever was of the one back west. Even when I was in B.C. I was in a place where it was an ordeal to go to a decent show (local or otherwise) even if I had known where and when, or was interested in music bands around me were putting out. I was a little underage as well so that wouldn't have helped.
What I'm getting at is I'm ashamedly very unfamiliar with the B.C. underground music culture where. I did know of and love a few acts (such as Skagos, Baptists, and Mitochondrion) however despite my geographical disconnect for so long I know I can do better.
In that spirit I plan on attending more shows when I can while I'm here, I've only been to two here compared to the hundred I've seen in Toronto. Even then in those two I came away with two great locals outside of Mitochondrion: Griefer and Ahna, plus others like sludge makers Hoopsnake. I'm kind of annoyed because I just missed a Despise You show with five bands I'm writing about here, a perfect chance to ease into things, meet people, and pick up some records while avoiding increased shipping costs.
This post will deal with releases under the punk umbrella but I intend
to get some local doom, sludge and death/black metal together if I find
enough enjoyable records. What you'll find below are some of the grind and punk bands I've been enjoying lately from my home province.
What we have here is two great grindcore acts coming together for a short but sweet split. If you want to you can hear this streaming at Cvlt Nation in full.
Dephosphorus' side is three tracks which will appear on their upcoming album, following up their phenomenal EP Axiom. After the release of an amazing creation like Axiom it's going to be difficult for them to top themselves — such is curse of coming out of the gate with near perfection — but until Night Sky Transform is released Dephosphorus have decided to tease us with what they lay down here. If it's any indication on what the rest of the album will sound like they may have managed to keep up the quality that Axiom displayed.
They continue to follow their unique formula of combining grindcore, death metal and crusty blackened-hardcore with an astral flavor to birth short (much shorter than Axiom's tracks) and powerful transcendent songs, all three filled with strange yet catchy sharp riffs that blend comfortably with the violent scorching rasps of Panos, and unrelenting hyper-speed drumming. Moments of groovy powerchords help to slow down the pace before taking off into blast beats and swirling shreds; The Cosmologist exemplifies this perfectly. Dephosphorus have shown that they're not satisfied with resting on the success of Axiom. Once again they display their ability to craft furious sounds — well arranged, thoughtfully written and tightly performed with a thick production while managing to retain their signature style. A searing, cacophonous and spacy journey as only they can conceive.
Wake on the other hand I only recently became aware of. I've yet to hear all of their 2011 album Leeches but what I have heard of it was enjoyable; here though it definitely feels like they've stepped up their game. Like Dephosphorus, Wake offer up three tracks of unrestrained and brutal grind.
More traditional than what Dephosphorus present both in terms of style and aesthetic (socio-political as opposed to cosmological) but clearly filled with refined structures and a filthy atmosphere — each track plows through you like an out-of-control freight-liner. Two tracks run slightly longer than two minutes, but not to a detriment. Thirst and Veil of Odin both have tasty, chunky powerchord sessions after long bouts of blistering shred passages. Especially the latter track, it bursts forth violently from the start adding in some tastefully used hammer-ons when in the mid-point we hit a sick set of catchy rhythms and feedback leading to the conclusion of their side. Wake are clearly lurking in the dark of the underground for the moment but it would seem they have the potential to emerge and stand proudly beside the more well known acts of the genre.
All around it's a very solid split, and those of you aching to hear a glimpse of what Dephosphorus have in store for their next outing will want to pick this up; and if you want to hear some Canadian's ripping out some harsh grind alongside them then you can't go wrong with this one. They manage to compliment one another quite well. You can order this from 7 Degrees Records in 7" vinyl format with some nice art accompanying it (and a digital download as well).
Full Length, The Path Less Traveled Records
May 1st, 2012
Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore/Crust/Hardcore/Black Metal/Fusion
Region: Croatia
Brace yourself for some Croatian lunacy. A friend of mine in Gods Of Chaos gave me a preview of this album a while back before it was to be released, while they were looking for a label. Admittedly when I first heard it, it was a difficult one to place genre-wise and even after a few more listens recently it's still a jarring experience. The release is on the horizon and it was requested that I put up a review and link for it (so fair warning: I'm biased).
Also, one of the tags is "aidshammer". Fuck yeah?
The bands no bullshit fuck everything attitude comes through in March Into Perdition: a psychedelic, frantic romp through multiple genres — mastered by the trusted Colin Marston (Krallice, Gorguts, Behold... the Arctopus, etc.). This is a case where I would use the term fusion to describe their style. There really are no groups offhand I could compare these guys to in truth but there are brief moments when something pops up that I recognize but can't place (possibly a sliver of Krallice or Gigan), and they're gone before my mind can grasp it.
The quirky tangled maze of sound is somewhat comparable to Daughters if they lost the drunken Elvis vocals and went old school black metal-crust-punk-grindcore. This is especially apparent on several tracks like Black Alert/Lack of Earth but only momentarily.
Throughout the 32 minutes of chaotic pissed off hyperactivity you'll encounter elements of thrashy hardcore (Twitching Sours, The Drug of Joy), rough old school black and death metal (Nuclear Phantom Warhowl, Grinning with an Errection at the Gallows, Dealers of Nadir), and furious grindcore (Crush The Skulls of All Fucking Posers, Conquer All!!!) — either all in one track where they flip back and forth, fused effortlessly together, or on single tracks separated neatly.
Regardless of what avenue they take Gods Of Chaos tear it up. Occasional waves of sharp feedback, creepy ambience and creaking noise intro and outro tracks leading to frenetic, bouncy schizoid tremolo riffs and sudden trips of chunky powerchords to break up the hyper punk pace. A notable bass presence is key hear as it plows alongside the angular guitar with the fierce blasts of the drummer supporting the ugly structure. On the vocal front, a howling, distorted raspy voice slices through these elements, ravaging and hoarse with a serious blackened crust edge carving divots in the soudscape.
The record only slows down momentarily in some songs like Crystallized Telekinetic Mindfuck, or the final track Skullfucking Despair which runs for a little over 7 minutes: this track includes a nice dose of dissonance, slower chords and chunky gallops, though it eventually gives way into more unabashed destructive riffing. It's one of the less jarring tracks here. The last 2 minutes include heavy noise and feedback, appropriately closing a very strange and raw journey.
I recommend checking out March Into Perdition. It's a bizarre fusion of twisted oldschool flavor with hardcore pacing and structures; truly odd and contorted. The haphazard and schizophrenic tone could be a deal breaker for some people but for a first release it's surprisingly tight, leaving some room for expansion of their style.
If you want to give this a listen you can check out their bandcamp page, or buy a copy on The Path Less Traveled Records' bandcamp. I'll update this post with physical release information if it's made available later on but if I recall correctly I was told a physical release hasn't been planned.
Genre: Blackened Hardcore/Crust/Doom Metal/Black Metal
Region: Romania
I've mentioned before I'm backed up on requests. I hope to remedy that soon. Here's one from Void Forger, a crusty blackened doom three piece from Romania who have released this demo themselves for free.
There's a lot of genres blended within these three tracks but these guys manage to keep it from getting muddled and haphazard. This is what I imagine Young and In The Way would sound like if they had more doom elements. It's a pretty even mix all the way through with the crust and hardcore moments peaking over top in many instances. The riffs from the bass and guitar are slow, coarse and chunky for the most part with bouts of faster chops both punk-like powerchords and black metal tremolo tears; the production is raw making the atmosphere quite gritty. Deep growls and blackened yells briefly surface from the murky depths and the drums splash and froth among the other members.
Pointless Media starts of mid paced and heavy before breaking into a
thrashy section, and ending with nice tapped riff that starts off very
YAITW-ish. Relief starts of a little faster with a crusty, bouncy,
muffled rhythm that heads into a few blackened bits of territory before
slowing down, hitting a nice section of chords before diving back into
chaos; they make an out on a gritty bass line and a nice dark tremolo
riff.
Automation is the final track and the most sludgy. A slow opening riff and pounding percussion rotates comfortably for a minute or two, changing not long after that but maintaining speed. It finally builds after some feedback and a bass line into a nice hardcore section to end, quite catchy.
There is definite promise and potential in Void Forger's demo, some room to grow and tighten up but as a whole it's a great demo. Anyone who's enjoying the wave of crusty blackened hardcore at the moment and wants a little more doom/sludge to spice up the mix would be smart to give this short release some attention. Check them out on bandcamp and facebook.
Demo, Independent/Self-released
February 26th, 2012
Genre: Hardcore/Blackened Hardcore/Crust
Region: USA
Been trying to get to some requests as you can see, been neglecting the folder up until now. For those who don't like the dark hardcore — tough shit.
Unsacred bring you their first demo, a blend of Converge or Heartless styled hardcore with some more blackened and crusty influence. Six short blasts which alternate between blazing, feedback-slathered chunky tracks to a sound that takes on a more darkened aura. Blackened intense chords and low tremolo riffs with some pretty catchy grooves hidden amongst these elements — sometimes with excellent use of massive bends and pinched harmonics (the last two tracks are great examples), or sparse injections of dissonance. Where The Light Dims is a promising demo, the vocalist has a wicked rasp spitting out what I can only assume is disgust over top the clattering drums and thick, fast rhythms on the bass and guitar.
I would watch these guys as what they've developed here is quite solid. Definitely give this a listen if you enjoy hardcore with a filthy edge. Listen to it on bandcamp or Stereokiller and follow their facebook and tumbler for updates on where to pick up a copy.
Full Length, A389 Recordings / Swarm of Nails
June 17th, 2010
Genre: Blackened Hardcore/Crust
Region: USA
Since I've already posted their other albums I figured this one should be up here too.
Young and In The Way's first full release Amen compared to their more recent releases displays how far they've come. This album has several tracks that eventually were reworked into I Am Not What I Am and here they sound just slightly different in terms of vocals, production, writing, pacing, etc. "Earth" eventually turns into "Love and Terror Laid the Stone", "Worrier" becomes "The Chaotic and Bloody World Around Us", and the second half of "White Light" is put into "Leaving Nothing But the Absence of Everything" — the first half is slow and sludgy with a nice build to this point.
The rest of the tracks are unique to this release, blasted through their signature style of blackened crusty hardcore with relentless vitriol. The first track is an instrumental and very chunky, followed by Dark Seed which has some wicked gallops and slow chords, and Eye of Providence is full of twangy dissonant riffage. The final track (opening with rainfall) almost hits atmospheric sludge territory. It's 13 minutes with slower chords bringing a melancholic atmosphere swelling up reverb and sparse amounts of vocals until the midway point. It quiets down after this before hitting some crushing powerchords, thick bass lines and launching into a reverby tremolo riff finale.
Amen is an excellent record showing off early on how much Young and In The Way are capable of in terms of blending genres, keeping everything tight and powerful. A389 Recordings just repressed this and I Am Not What I Am as one double LP (in black or black/white split) so pick it up while you still can, or listen to it and get other copies on their bandcamp.
Genre: Crust/Blackened Hardcore/Hardcore
Region: USA
A short demo from Black Monolith, but a fierce and beastly one at that.
Powerful and dark. Bristling with copious amounts of thrashy blackened hardcore throughout the 3 tracks, twangy riffs and frantic drumming, and a dude with a wicked rasp spitting over them. The last track begins a lot more slowly and with a darker tone, an angry chick laughing mockingly before the more substantial dissonant and crushing leads kick in. This gives way to more of what you heard in the first two tracks: addictive crusty powerchords, fast paced drums and hoarse yells.
This is a solid effort that leaves you wanting more, and I do hope they're working on full length. Highly recommended especially for those who love Young and In The Way. Up for free on bandcamp and follow their blog over here.
In the middle of a Thou binge I decided to check out some requests (something I don't do often enough). I have a few other requests I want to post eventually but this one in particular caught my interest. Sid from this young two-piece London band called Chromes left me a nice email about their new EP. Not much can get me to stop a Thou track midway through but this two track release did just that.
"And Here My Disgust Begins" is a short but very hard-hitting/well written EP with a distinct sound, creeping along the edges of Young and In The Way and Celeste territory. A seriously dark and bleak atmosphere surrounds this one. Hopefully this is only a small taste of what's to come as these guys know how to create some brooding and pissed dark hardcore.
The first track "And Here My Disgust Begins" starts with jarring feedback. Immediately following this is a mass of slowly writhing blackened hardcore riffs and dissonant slides which lead up to a mid-point of hypnotic ambience, finally letting go into a melodic chunk of chords with a subtle piano bed — ending the song in a very beautiful yet sad light. Everything moves along smoothly, no dragging moments. "Diamond Crowns" quickly follows with some slow, powerful sludgy leads that melt into a brief clean/quiet moment and back into the former again. This repeats once more to great effect and drags you towards a noisy, ominous conclusion. All elements here are well refined from the Converge-esque vocals tinged with hate and desperation to the noisy and thick guitar tone, to the pounding drums (which get lost in the chaos at points). The subtle touches of piano and feedback are very effective without coming off as cheesy or forced. Intense from beginning to end.
Thoughtfully constructed and highly recommended. You can listen to and download the EP on their bandcamp page and soundcloud, and follow them on facebook or on their blog. You'll definitely want to keep an eye on what these guys have planned.
"Young and in the Way return with their heaviest and most experimental
album yet. This album is devastating. The guitar tone is downright
ruthless. The vocals are scathing and brutal. From the opening solemn
piano, to the sound of a distant train that brings the album to a close,
you will be absolutely pummeled by everything in between. The band has
pushed themselves harder than ever before, both as musicians and as
song writers, and it is clearly evident here. The music is both heavier
and more experimental than any of their previous work. "The
Gathering", the nearly 12 minute B side track is nothing like you've
ever heard from this band. Every member lends some additional
percussion, and there are additional woodwind instruments as well.
Again, this is nothing like you've ever heard from Young and in the Way
before." - Antithetic Records
I guess I Am Not What I Am was just a taste of where their sound was heading. "V. Eternal Depression" is Young and In The Way's next relase and it just went up for streaming on their bandcamp and preorder today, so have a listen if you want.
V. Eternal Depression takes the blackened part of their crusty hardcore style and cranks it up a shit ton, to great success indeed. There's a greater emphasis on atmosphere and ambiance compared to IANWIA but this is not at the expense of the sludgy blackened hardcore riffs, wicked drumming and raspy vocals that are even more pronounced here.
Of the five new tracks here four keep within the three minute mark while the fifth track spans eleven minutes and for the first half is instrumental, tribal and atmospheric ( sprinklings of piano, strings, acoustic guitar, etc.) with the tail end slowly melting back into their crusty groove slathered in reverb. It ends with sample of a train whistle far off in the distance conjuring up images of early morning fog enveloping a darkened landscape, closing off the album with oppressive atmosphere.
I would suggest getting on top of this now if you enjoyed their previous releases. as it's a big and noticeable step in the evolution of their sound.
"Leeds 3 piece, taking influences from the doomy atmospherics of Neurosis, an underbelly of crust care of Amebix, and an air of recklessness favoured by the likes of Eyehategod. The band create a vibe that is heavy, dark and ambient, with tortured male/female vocals, and a mission to take you to a frightening place. "
Definitely has a sound comparable to Amenra and Neurosis at times but with a much more crusty edge. Listen here. DOWNLOAD (Mediafire)
Hardcore with a black/metallic/sludge tinge spread finely throughout, a little bit of dissonance/angularity, and nice vocals too. It makes for some very good stuff all the way to the end. Full album is up for streaming here, and their earlier stuff is up for free on their blog.
