Chainsaw Justice

P E R P E T U A L S T R I F E

2011-08-07T22:33:00.004+08:00

Please check out my new blog entitled Perpetual Strife. It promises to be better than anything that I've ever done here!

Furthermore, if you have any demo submissions, etc, e-mail them to Perpetualstrife@gmail.com

Thanks

2011-07-14T16:56:00.002+08:00

Motherfuckin' Doombox

2011-06-07T11:16:00.004+08:00

Official Site

Label: Vitrol

Release Type: 10" EP + CD w. EP and trilogy (Destination Time trilogy)

Released: Spring 2011

Genre: Grindcore

I wish I could stop my review here... y'know images speak louder than words... look how cool that thing is!

Everyone's favorite action movie aficionado grindcorists return with this nifty box that's both a new EP and a reprise of their totally awesome trilogy. The packaging isn't something that I can leave out as it folds out to a ghetto blaster with the EP+back catalog on a CD up top and a 10" of the EP tucked in the front. Remember, these are the guys who gave us a release in a backpack, another in packaging reminiscent of everyone's favorite scene of Alien and finally one with cross-hairs over the likes of JFK and Tupac. Of course the liner notes are included in the instructional pamphlet for the boombox.

Over the top and insanely cool packaging aside the EP is stands up on its own as a solid chunk of hardcore tinged grind with plenty of references and snippets of movies. Super slick production highlight the pummeling drumwork and the plethora of vocals used. Riffs standout and blur together, just seconds apart; many feel like sped up Integrity riffs. This isn't to discredit the band, far from it. The riffs just have that "positive" nature found in many hardcore acts (the opposite kinds being that of Weekend Nachos and black metal bands, etc).

Where Spazz were just spastic with their samples, the GO boys look to thematics (no matter how silly or light-hearted they might be) each track and sample plays a crucial role in their cinematic grind feature. Fans of their previous efforts will find little tweaks, but thankfully much of the same ( and better might I add than their previous release). Newcomers will find grindcore not without hardcore sentiments a'la gang choruses, breakdowns and rhythmic shifts that make the pit all the more satisfying with plenty of tremolo outbursts and blistering blast beats. What Frightmare are to horror movies, Graf Orlock are to action movies; nerdy, fun, and brilliant homages to the mediums that reflected the times of their conceptions.

To dip into the collection aspect of the package you get their first LP, Destination Time Yesterday, which is one of my favorite grindcore albums post 2001 and definitely their best work. Following is Destination Time Tomorrow, an 8 song EP much in the same vein, but better than the second LP and third part of the trilogy Destination Time Today, which I found to be a bit lackluster.

And I quote "No rights reserved, not licensed for distribution to everyone on Earth, reproduction and exhibition authorized, all rights reserved. Summary execution will result from looking at, touching, listening, selling, or buying said product."

Buy

-F

Not Even Europe's Safe

2011-06-07T07:52:00.001+08:00

Words from Gilead Media mafioso/cult leader...

"My swamp-dwelling buddies in THOU will soon be making their way across the Mariana Trench to flatten the old-world on their 2011 European tour. Please do whatever you can to meet them at these locations on these days:

10.06 - Brighton, England at Cowley Club

11.06 - Groningen, Netherlands at Vera

12.06 - Eindhoven, Netherlands at Area 51

13.06 - Leiden, Netherlands at 071

14.06 - Bielefeld, Germany at AJZ

15.06 - Hamburg, Germany at Flora

16.06 - Copenhagen, Denmark at Stengade

17.06 - Berlin, Germany at Cassiopeia

18.06 - Leipzig, Germany at Zoro

19.06 - Praha, Czech Republic at 007 Club

20.06 - Wien, Austria at Arena

21.06 - Koper, Slovenia at Pandamonium

22.06 - Milano, Italy at Dauntaun / Leocavallo

23.06 - Bologna, Italy at XM24

24.06 - Stuttgart, Germany at JH West

25.06 - Versmold, Germany at Cry Me a River Fest

26.06 - Mülheim, Germany at AZ Mülheim

27.06 - Utrecht, Netherlands at dB's CAB-Rondom 100

28.06 - Kortrijk, Belgium at Cinepalace

29.06 - Portiers, France at Le Confort Moderne

30.06 - Paris, France at La Miroiterie

01.07 - London, England

02.07 - Nottingham, England at Stuck on a Name Studios

Bring Josh and Matthew greasy food, bring Andy an

d Bryan vegan food, and bring Mitch lots and lots of comics."

God Harvest - Demo 2011

2011-06-03T15:23:00.003+08:00

Myspace
Label: Unsigned

So JGD at The Living Doorway just posted this up. Guy knows his shit for sure. God Harvest play pissed-off hardcore (what else could hardcore sound like, eh?) and they play it fucking well. "Hardcore" and "demo" put together usually spells bad production, but this release is anything but that. There's plenty of weight and punch in the guitars and bass, satisfyingly enough. Drums are not muffled at all as one would find in inferior releases and run a gamut of blastbeats and d-beats. Demo clocks in at a perfect 11 minutes.

Minimum time spent, maximum bludgeoning achieved.

And On and On...

2011-06-02T01:35:00.006+08:00

Despise You

Agoraphobic Nosebleed

Label: Relapse

Released: April 2011

Release Type: Split 12" or CD

Genre: Power Violence/ Grindcore

West Coast power violence purveyors Despise You team up with East Coast grind freaks Agoraphobic Nosebleed for what seems to be the split of the year.

Thankfully, after all these years Despise You has stuck with what they do best, but as one would expect and hope, they've added here and there and really tried to trim the fat. "Roll Call" alone makes the split worth it as it shifts from blistering blast beats to d-beats until we get a slew of fuck yous, gang shouts, and the much loved female contributing vocals. It's not only the curb stomping vehemence of the vocals that propel this band, but also the band's dominance of rhythm and song structure that really make it enjoyable. Before there was melody, there was rhythm and Despise You have rooted themselves deep into that heritage. This isn't to say there aren't good riffs, quite the contrary, there's plenty, but those riffs duel it out with the uncompromising drums and vocals to merge each aspect into one pulsating body.

"Roll Call"

The production this time around is much cleaner, guitars cut off on the drop of a dime and the bass drum threatens to jump out of your speakers and throw a haymaker. Where they retain much of what's made them one of the best power violence bands out there, "Fear's Song" keeps in line with their attitude but plays out like an old school punk song with the simple punk chord progression and drum beat. The proof is in the punk pudding when "All the Regimes You Hold Most Dear" ties together every aspect of the band into one 34 second song. The only thing I could ask for more of would be break downs... but I'm happy where this one leaves it. I can only look forward to what's next. To quote the laconic machine-gunning genius "they drew first blood:" up the ante Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

I've never been much of a fan of Scott Hull's side project, but here I am listening, head-banging and looking for more. A nice aspect of the split is the similar production between the bands, this creates a nice listening experience (although it is a bit too clean for me, particularly the drums). "Half Dead" starts things off perfectly only to be followed by "As Bad As It Is" with its Slayereque dive-bombing and a slew of drums, riffs, and vocals flying around like shrapnel. Agoraphobic Nosebleed play a super thrashy style of schizophrenic grindcore that's familiar enough but at the same time jarring and bone shattering. The varied vocals, every shifting drums and riffs are overwhelming in the best kind of way. "Ungratful" and "Burlap Sack" stand out as the best tracks, the former being a knotty grind explosion where as "Burlap Sack"

crawls along fittingly featuring Kat's vocals front and center (as she sings for the sludge band Salome). A varied whirlwind of tracks from Scott Hull's mysterious bag of tricks.

So far one of the best things I've listened to this year. Well worth picking up.

-F

Hayaino Daisuki - Invincible Gate Mind of the Infernal Fire Hell EP

2011-04-23T11:30:00.003+08:00

Myspace
Released: 2010
Label: Hydra Head Records

APs are coming up in a couple of weeks so I'll be hitting the books - hard. Don't expect to see me until the second week of May. In the meantime I leave you lovely gentlemen and scholars with this little baby.

Hayaino Daisuki is Jon Chang's other significant other, the first one being Gridlink. Latter sounds like an abstract art-grind soundtrack to some Japanese surrealim-inspired acid freakout. Invincible Gate Mind... sounds like a hardcore otaku zonked on energy drink playing through Ikaruga on hard mode for the 3rd time at 4 in the fucking morning. A wide-eyed, cramp-thumbed, foam-spewing, delirious, manic, kill-'em-fucking-all-high. Nothing else compares. The EP has been out for a good while, but I fear it hasn't gotten as much attention as it deserves.

Please prove me wrong.

Cut Your Teeth

2011-04-08T17:10:00.005+08:00

3 hardcore kids from NYC playing thrash with a rock 'n roll swagger. Heavy shit that will put you flat on the floor in no time, like a good kick to the groin or several vodka shots too many. Music is pretty much a mix of those two. It's potent stuff.

Check it out.

And here's a music video for their new song "Stallion".

Gridlink - Orphan

2011-04-03T15:55:00.009+08:00

Myspace
Released: 2011
Label: Hydra Head Records

So now that every member of Chainsaw Justice has been rendered inactive one way or another, I suppose it falls on me as a second-semester high school senior to resuscitate this blog. Let me warn you though, I have a penchant for long-winded, self-indulgent monologue but write terse, short reviews. Hopefully the next few posts will see me writing/ranting more about the music than my personal life. We can only hope.

As mentioned, the next couple of reviews will be short and concise. I prefer to let the music speak for itself and the readers to use his/her own ears. Perhaps I'll offer deeper criticism when I've got more time to spare and when people are reading this blog again. In the meantime, my job here is to simply expose the audience to music they hopefully aren't familiar with and regenerate interest in this blog. That'll be all for now. As promised, here's the review.

+-+-+-+

Grindcore deity Jon Chang and fellow noise-pollutors from other genre greats such as Hayaino Daisuki, Kill the Client, and Discordance Axis are back with the follow-up to 2008's Amber Gray. Chang-boy brings back the death growls employed during his DA days to compliment his typical throat-shredding sceams. The addition of bassist Teddy Patterson III (Burnt by the Sun, Human Remains, Hayaino Daisuki) supposely adds the low end that was missing on Amber Gray, though it's hard to tell it's there at all. The presence of two-guitarists (Takafumi Matsubara and Takafumi Matsubara) only ups the trebly piano-wire strangulation-madness that they somehow manage to convert into riffs.

Gridlink (and pretty much any of Chang's bands) are notorious for taking an extremely long time to put out new releases and having a perfectionist streak. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Along the longest, most laborious distillation process can produce the the purest, strongest works that will stand the test of time. Those who can stomach the wait - the true believers - will be rewarded richly. Everyone else can go listen to Amon Amarth. Orphan is 12 minutes of the most skin-flaying, eardrum-rupturing, skull-piercing technical grindcore known to man and probably any other intelligent species in the multiverse. You will enjoy it...

...and then beg for more.

Weekend Nachos- Black Earth

2011-03-29T05:06:00.006+08:00

Official Myspace
Label: A389 Records
Release Date: March 2011
Release Type: 7" EP
Genre: Power Violence

Striving for the balance they found on 2009's Unforgivable, Weekend Nachos bounce back from the lackluster Bleed e.p. and hit home with this one.

Black Earth is a short, jam packed e.p. totaling 4 songs just over 5 minutes.As mentioned earlier, I found Bleed to be a let down as it had the animosity and heaviness I loved of Unforgivable but lacked speed and variation, making it overall a bit boring. This time around they band keeps it's focus on unbelievably heavy guitars and beat down sections but thankfully intersperses plenty of faster and more typical power violence outbursts. Flurries of blast beats lead into intense mosh sections introduced with harsh feedback and cascades of cymbals. As far as song writing goes I'm sold with this one.

And while the band regains the form that they do best, the singer still seems to be struggling with his voice as it sounds artificially distorted and quite different from the last two releases. This is a sore point as the vocals hamper the release overall and are not up my ally. To go further, it's a sorer point if this is studio magic as the vocals dramatically shift throughout the band's whole discography; the tough guy barks from Unforgivable are gone (which was a huge part of my enjoyment). Seriously listen to the band's discography and the vocals will be recognizable but drastically different each time.

Worth a buy for sure, but I have my axe to grind with those vocals. Their next full length promises to showcase both "Black Earth" and "Friendship," while "Priorities" is a redo from This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. I and the last track, "No Saints" is an unrecorded oldie.

Pick it up from A389's site.

-F

Record Radar

2011-03-10T05:12:00.008+08:00

Here's just a little update for all of you fan, collectors, enthusiasts, consumers, and what else have you. What we've got here is Gridlink's Orphan due out soon, Weekend Nachos's new Black Earth e.p., and Agoraphobic Nosebleed's split with Despise You.

Soon to be out is Gridlink's sophomore effort Orphan. Available for pre-order over at Hydra Head. There's a CD and a limited vinyl version in either blood red or black. In addition, both versions contain downloads and karaoke versions of the Orphan tracks. Furthermore, the vinyl is heavy weight 45rpm with the A side being Orphan and the B side being a remastered Amber Gray (I believe this means there's a bass and a second guitar on this recording). And to top it all off, there's a karaoke contest....

" Sugarbear (aka Andrew Cox) assembled this karaoke video for the title track so you can shred your vocal cords at home!

To enter the contest, make a video of yourself (or whoever) performing "Orphan" Karaoke, upload it to youtube, and post the link in the comments for the contest blog post (http://mrch.me/r). The deadline is March 22nd, 2011.

The winner(s) will be chosen by Jon Chang (Gridlink, Hayaino Daisuki, Discordance Axis), and will receive a test press of the Orphan / Amber Grey LP, plus whatever else we decide to throw in the package.

No purchase necessary."

This is all great news, as I've been excited for this since it was announced a year and change ago. I myself have only listened to the Myspace stuff and loved it, not to mention heard them play it live at MDF last year which was amazing. Definitely going to be a bright spot for the year. The Black vinyl seems to be all out, so get it while you can.

Weekend Nachos's Black Earth coming out on A389 records sometime soon. This 4 track e.p. features two tracks from their upcoming l.p. that'll be out on Relapse/Deep Six sometime this year. There's a much stronger power violence vibe this time around, which is a welcomed attribute as Bleed was a bit one dimensional in its lack of rhythmic diversity and song structure. This is what's on their Myspace...

"[T]his will feature 3 brand new songs, 2 off of our upcoming LP on Deep Six, and 1 exclusive B-side. in addition to those 3 new songs, the 4th song will be a re-recorded classic that we play at every single show but has still not been seen on an actual W.N. release until now. true Nacho enthusiasts can probably figure out which jam we're talking about. We really wanted to produce a heavier, updated version of the song and make it more recognizable for future live shows by putting it on an actual 7"....so there it shall be. Stoked."

Simple black vinyl with a download code, for the cost of 2 tacos and a coke I think it's worth the bread; buy it!

Probably what I'm most excited for is the Agoraphobic Nosebleed split with Despise You. Already set for pre-order at Relapse in a nice CD t-shirt package; expect it by the end of April. The shirt itself isn't my favorite, but it's worth getting amped about. Info on the vinyl is sparse, but on their Facebook the guys acknowledge that it will be done.

If the tracks from This Comp Kills Fascists 2 are any indicator, than this is gonna fucking kick dick. I've never been a fan of AxNxB, but I'm always open to new things, especially if it involves Despise You.

So there's an update, keep your eyes peeled for all this great stuff, as well as the stuff due out on Gilead. I'm sure there's things I've missed, but these are three things I'm looking forward to the most.

-F

Cassette Casualties Part I

2011-03-02T06:42:00.006+08:00

So I've been torn between school work, personal matters, Trailer Park Boys and NHL '11, so it's been hard to get at this blog; but here I am. What I've got in store are two awesome casette's that I had the good fortune to hear.

First up on the chopping block is Spewtilator's Get Conjured ep
.

Official Myspace

If you're uncomfortable cutting your hockey mullet, replacing your Wehrmact and Morbid Angel tapes or unwilling to play anything but your SNES then Spewtilator's latest ep might alleviate your temporal anxiety.

Gloriously fun and frantic, Spewitlator are a brilliant homage to the sounds of the 80's. Quintessential thrash riffing tied together with mosh breaks and outburst blast beats offer something for everyone. Vocals shifting from nasaly shrieks to guttural belches keep up the dynamic and fast paced nature of the band. If you heard their excellent debut ep expect a bit more of a death metal influence with this one.4 songs that breeze by quick, Spewtilator find ample ways to make it attention grabbing and fun; not to mention nailing the perfect kind of production for this kind of music.

Ordering details here, support good dudes playing solid stuff. Keep a look out for the band as they prepare for a new 7" that promises to be good (I've got the inside scoop).

-F

Fell Voices - Untitled

2011-02-08T03:51:00.008+08:00

Official Myspace
Label: Gilead Media, Howling Mine
Release Type: LP, Full Length
Release Date: March 2011
Genre: Black Metal

Fell Voices, containing ex members of Mohoram Atta and Centipede, are taking the proper route this time around with the reissue of their CD-R only release thanks to Gilead Media and Howling Mine.

Fell Voices play a long, winding, stream of black metal much in the vein of Wolves in the Throne Room, Leech, Skagos, and the like. The vast sprawling composure of their new LP spans two songs and over forty minutes, allowing for all kinds of twists and turns, winds and falls, and always with momentum. It's a hard thing to keep someone listening for twenty minutes straight, yet that's never an issue with Fell Voices as they deftly craft songs earning the quality of epic. Every snare hit, cymbal crash, note and piece of feedback has its place; it's a rare feeling of cohesion that allows the listener to blissfully zone out in a black metal daze.

The record itself promises to be a real treat as it's heavy black vinyl with awesome artwork, a huge poster, patch, and pin. It's dirt cheap and can be pre-ordered over at Gilead. Also check out the Ash Borer/Fell Voices split being reissued by Gilead Media and Eternal Warfare which is also available for pre-order at Gilead.

No egos, no bullshit, nothing about how evil they are, Fell Voices are a sleeper-cell in the black metal scene and this is their dirty bomb.

2011-01-30T10:17:00.004+08:00

As is plainly obvious, the frequency of posting on CJ has slowed considerably in the past several months. Now that FleshMonolith, lately our only regular poster, has become occupied with some personal affairs, I think it's entirely safe to assume that there will not be any new posts for a reasonable amount of time (at the very least, until his return). As for the rest of the crew, engagements and activities in our offline lives have kept us from posting (some of us much, much longer than others), so I'd like to extend my thanks to our dedicated readers who continue to privilege us with their attention. I believe that FM's guarantee of an inevitable return applies to all of us, and I do hope you lot won't forget about us before then. I know that Axel and I most likely will not be back before June, however 206, and especially FM, could come back well before then and run this ship singlehandedly as they have done so exceptionally before. As for the bands sending us demos and EPs, do know that we have not forgotten you, and that we are planning to review much of the material you've sent us later down the line. All in all, I'd simply like to extend my thanks once more to all our readers, and assure you that this project will be much more active later this year.

Best regards,

Gravemarker

2011-01-09T13:19:00.002+08:00

I've run into some personal issues that have kept me away from this site (as you can see). A return is inevitable, but for the time being I'm overwhelmed.

Thanks for sticking with me,

-F

Real Talk: Sakatat

2010-12-19T22:26:00.009+08:00

Turkey's Sakatat have been working at it pretty hard in the past couple of years and lucky for us Semih, singer for these grind bastards, was able to lend a few words. Humble beginnings between high-school friends Onur (guitar) and Semih (vocals) in 2005, they've progressed to tour Europe, release 8 splits/eps (with a handful more to come), and worked to create a grindcore scene within Turkey. "I think we hadn't even realized we were about to start a band, that is probably why we picked up such a random word to be our moniker which means "offal" and obviously has nothing to do with what we stand for now." Even though their name might allude to goregrind (for Turkish speakers that is), it's obvious this band's sound doesn't rest in such a gimmick. One listen to their superb spli t with Dispepsiaa and you'll find yourself in some kind of grindcore time-warp; not sure if it's '87 or what.

Finally completing their lineup in 2008 with the addition of drummer Kaya, the band began recording and touring. "We have been pretty active after he joined in 2008, recorded bunch of split 7"s, played shitload of great shows, toured as much as we could..." vocalist Semih concludes. In light of there being almost no grindcore scene, and a very small punk/hardcore scene, Semih and co. have found ways to flourish by playing in some of Europe's biggest extreme festivals and consistently playing within Turkey and not being negative at the current lack of a scene.

Ucuz Can Pazarı

"As for playing grindcore here, well even though the interest in grindcore is growing, most people still have no clue about what grindcore really is, people tend to think it is same thing as brutal death metal or just some kind of joke. We have been offered to play shows with fascist bands more than once and people were really surprised when we rejected the offers and explained them why! On the bright side, many local punks and metalheads order our records and shirts and people seem to be aware of us, there are recently good number of people at the show when there is a good foreign grind band so there might actually be a grindcore scene here soon."

Beyond Turkey's growing metal scene, Sakatat themselves have had quite a time with the recent Bloodshed Festival in Holland. With big names like Magrudergrind, Suffering Mind, Weekend Nachos and Idiots Parade, not only was it a pleasure to the ears, but an event in of itself. "Bloodshed Festival was a blast[...] Personally I spent the first day catching up with the the homies[...] another good thing about touring, you always get to play with and see great bands." The band isn't short on notches on their belt as they've played at both Obscene Extreme and Play Fast or Don't, along with the recent Bloodshed Festival.

When asked about touring and productivity Semih claims "...we usually end up spending almost one month of each year on tour. We really enjoy it when we play those new songs live while they are fresh! I don't know if you noticed that already but we always try to have some kind of wholeness on our records, if that is the right word. Meaning that we try to make the whole record sound like one single cut not like 5 or more tunes put together. That is the case with the shows too. We like to play the next tune without giving a break in between and make each bunch of sets sound like a single song."

As all this touring, festival playing, and recording continues it's only logical that the band would approach the idea of a full-length release. "We never wanted to rush things when it comes to recording a full-length and finally it seems like the right time to do it. We have the general outline and ideas for a full-length already like the songs, cover artwork, concept etc... so we might give it a shot really soon. Interested labels shouldn't hesitate to contact us."

With great music comes a great attitude, as Semih exclaims " I think the charm and sincerity [of grindcore] would go away if let's say, a grindcore band made a deal with a major company. We listen to all kinds of weird shit, from obscure metal to punkrock and we are involved in many different activities like 'zines, radio show, setting up shows, booking tours, hosting touring bands and more so whatever we do, we keep it DIY and encourage our friends to do so. DIY, on the other hand, might have different definitions depending on who you ask. Our definition would be something like keeping it as capitalism-free as possible, not for profit, sincere and always partying like there is no tomorrow!"

And as for last words:
"I'd like to add that we have a split 7" with MESRINE coming out soon, it will be released by To Live A Lie in the States, Grindblock and Useless in Europe and Bucho Discos in Brazil, also the rough recording of our show at Bloodshed will soon be released on tape by Death Agony & Screams. Moreover we will record another split 7" soon, this time with our comrades MATKA TERESA and we might even go on a tour in summer if we manage to get the full-length out by then. You can check the other news and tour dates at our web-site: www.sakatatgrindcore.com"

Beyond Sakatat you can stalk their members in a few other projects:

Semih co-hosts an online radio show/podcast that you can check out here.
Semih's zine, Impact Drill
Nettlethrone, drummer Kaya's former band.

Unreleased album cover, from their boyband days

It was a great pleasure to interview these Turkish upstarts; my converts and I seem to have a lot to look forward to.

-F

Best Albums of 2010

2010-12-16T07:13:00.023+08:00

I am very pleased to announce the second annual year's best presented by Chainsaw Justice. Chainsaw Justice Vol. III will follow soon as a collection of the best songs of the year.

Bluntly said, I'm not happy with the output of 2010. Full length wise there were some good ones, but very lackluster (especially for grindcore/power violence). There have also been some difficulties personally. I know that Lycanthrophy's LP as well as The Makai's LP would be top 10 material, but I can't get a hold of them until after New Years. I'd rather not put off this list anymore than I have, so without further adieu here are the best albums of 2010.

10.Jesus Cröst- 010
A soccer (football) hooligan's approach to stop'n'go fastcore from this dutch duo. Just making it at the 10 spot with their World Cup offering -010. Thankfully the band's use of pitch-shifted vocals has been greatly reduced this time around. 206's review

9.Lantlôs- .neon
One of the better mixtures of black metal and post-rock/shoegaze out there, Lantlôs take it down a notch after their debut but still offer up some blissed out black metal jams with .neon. A bit melodramatic, but it still packs that melodic and emotional punch we've come to expect from this group of bands. Features Neige (Alcest, Amesoeurs, ex-Peste Noire, etc) on vocals.

8. Nails- Unsilent Death
Ignoring the fact that the badassness of this album largely pertains to the ridiculously over the top production, Nails's debut is a killer slab of death metal tinged power violence. Think Crossed Out teaming up with Entombed. Short and barbwire bitter.

7. Protestant- Judgments
Milwaukee hardcore juggernauts return after their amazing Antagonist Ep from last year. A furious slab of metallic hardcore, that finds a good balance in everything that hardcore stands for. For fans of Integrity, Tragedy, and Behind Enemy Lines.

6. Bastard Priest - Under the Hammer of Destruction
I'm a complete sucker for old school death metal that finds its reanimated pulse to have d-beats. Bastard Priest are a pure and brilliant homage to bands like Dismember, Entombed, and Master.

5.Enabler- Eden Sank To Grief
Gothenburg tinged hardcore that's not afraid to blast and thrash, Eden Sank To Grief is a dirty pearl of music that's got the grooves to headbang to and the riffage to pray to. Underwhelming attention to this overwhelming band.

4. Salome- Terminal
After their excellent split with Thou, it was only a matter of time before another full length from this trio would surface. The band seems to have come into their own as their debut was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. Terminal is violent, heavy, and painfully noisy as the band experiments with much longer and sparse sounds. Oh, and Katherine Katz has one of the best voices in metal today, she absolutely kills with her powerful and varied voice.

3. Thou- Summit
If you read my review you'd know I wasn't completely sold on this one. With that said, Thou's 'good' is better than most band's best. Summit showcases some instant classics, as well as a more optimistic and experimental sound. There's a lot of buzz around this one and for good reason.

2.Suffering Mind- Suffering Mind
As I said, it was a lackluster year for grindcore. Thankfully though, Poland's shining star Suffering Mind put out this stellar release which almost makes up for the lack of everything else. Off the wall vocals match the firecracker snap drums and cement churning guitars. The band isn't afraid to slow things down with double bass bouts and stomach dropping rhythmic shifts; a must have.

1. Deathspell Omega - Paracletus
Surprised? Me too. DSO's latest effort was off my radar for awhile as I've become a bit dismissive of the band's mumbo-jumbo black metal. This time around, however, I find the band to be much different. The band has built upon the absurd complexity of works like Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem where the dissonance and jarring composure work to highlight some of the sublimely clear and melodic passages and riffs. Overwhelming is an understatement first time around, Paracletus, benefits greatly from shorter and more diverse songs and a lack of pedantic intros. Deathspell Omega have finally reached a point that they first alluded to with Kenose.

Here are my favorite eps, comps, and splits of the year.

V/A- This Comp Kills Fascists Vol. 2
Sakatat/Dispepsiaa- Split 7"
PLF/ In Disgust- Pray for Death / Visions of Your Own Death
Machetazo - Necrocovered
Endless Blockade/ Bastard Noise - The Red List
Innumerable Forms - Dark Worship
Lycanthrophy/ FUBAR - Doomed to Consume
Swarrrm/Atka -Split 7"
Parlamentarisk Sodomi/Blodspurt 7"

-F

Agathocles - This is Not a Threat, It's a Promise

2010-12-01T07:15:00.004+08:00

Official Myspace
Released: Oct 2010
Release Type: Full Length, CD
Label: Selfmadegod Records
Genre: Grindcore

Belgium's self-proclaimed "mincecore" perpetrators continue to grind away with their most recent full length This is Not a Threat, It's a Promise. It is surprisingly the only full length release for 2010 (so far... watch them slip one in right as it ends). If there's anything to know about Agathocles it's their prolific back catalog (over 150 releases since 1985). The band itself has become a rite of passage in the world of grindcore, you're no one until you've done a split with Agathocles. A punker attitude than most punk bands, Agathocles always do things their way, and this one's no exception.

The thing that turns me off with bands like Unholy Grave and Agathocles is the (what I hope to be) wrongful idea that the band just records every little thought it has, and doesn't know the meaning of 'quality control;' fortunately that isn't the case with The is not a Threat, It's a Promise. Surprisingly diverse, coherent, memorable, vicious, and most importantly enjoyable, This is Not a Threat... quickly establishes itself as a damn good album. Songs like "Cleptocracy" and "Straight Lane" are quintessential grindcore; lightning fast blast beats to surging d-beats and power chords blistering gurgles and screams galore.

On the other hand, the curve balls of the record come in "God Save The Real Green Crocodile" and "Aside" as they are both catchy, distinictly 'un-extreme' yet retaining a total 'mincecore' tone. "God Save The Real Green Crocodile" starts witha very 70's punk riff and delves into a ska refrain with clapping, clean vocals and the most ska guitar riff you could think of; strangest of all is how well it works. "Aside" comes a bit later, and like the adforementioned oddity is over 3 minutes as well. The track itself is a midpaced somber one with tendrils of distancing feedback.

You don't expect a band like Agathocles to write good full lengths, but here it is. This is Not a Threat, It's a Promise, is a violent, mincing album not without a sense of humor and the occasional melodic hook.

-F

Chainsaw Justice Vol. II- Eastern Bloccore

2010-11-26T09:27:00.010+08:00

I'm pretty sure Lenin's(?) introducing the importance of grinding down the capitalist system to that youngster. And no, I don't speak Russian so don't be cute and tell me this picture has nothing to do with grindcore.

There's a lot of things to give thanks for, but today I'll narrow it down to the grind and the core of Eastern Europe. This is the second installment of the Chainsaw Justice Volumes. I'm having a lot of fun doing them. Unfortunately good grindcore seems to be hard to find outside of Poland and the Czech Republic, most bands (especially in Russia) play awful goregrind. I was tempted to call this comp "Czech out Poland" but decided against it based on the excluding factor. (I know the Czech Republic is more central European , but I wanted to include them, so fuck you).

Without further adieu, here's the list of Chainsaw Justice Volume II: Eastern BlocCore
Download

1."Prawo"- Selfhate (Poland)
Poland's answer to Phobia, Selfhate rejoice in thick and buzzy guitars and bring that fine aftertaste of punk into a brutal grindcore sound. Taken from their album At the Beginning God Created Fear, Selfhate establish themselves as a crucial force in Poland's ripe grindcore scene.

2. "Birth Cleanliness" -Idiots Parade (Czech Republic)
Making a splash in the states on Scott Hull's crack frenzied baby of a comp, This Comp Kills Fascists 2 Idiots Parade play a very modern style of power violence with absolutely skin shredding vocals. This is taken from the adformentioned comp; brilliant.

3. "News From Pedigree" - Orchestral Pit's Cannibals (Russia)
Oddest band I've come by for this comp by far, and probably oldest too. They play a style of grindcore that sounds really similar to Impetigo, but gets all kind of bizarre (note the duck vocals please-no pig squeals here). Taken from their 1998 debut Exalted Oestrum.

4. "Kazdy Powod Wystarczajacy" -Suffering Mind (Poland)
Making giant steps, Polish grinders Suffering Mind just released their s/t lp this year and boy does it kill. Maybe my inspiration for this comp, Suffering Mind's defiantly the toast of the...country... if that works. Track taken from the self-titled full length.

5. "Two-faced Politics" - Wojtyla (Poland)
Wojtyla are just fucking awesome, they're my favorite recent discovery. Maybe there's something in the water, but like Suffering Mind, Wojytla rocks a female vocalist that has some of my favorite vocals I've heard yet. The vocals are very black metalish, and they match perfectly with Wojtyla's super heavy and dark grinding affair. Track taken from their split with Canadian grinders Archagathus.

6. "Rotten Glory" - Onanizer (Czech Republic)
Straight ahead grindcore that got you moving back in '86. Perfect mixture between punk and metal, viscous vocals; all killer-no filler. Taken from their split with UK jokesters Joe Pesci.

7. "Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Ass" -Squash Bowels (Poland)
Poland's favorite gore-drenched sons make themselves a mandatory player in this comp with their highly modernized take on Carcass's gory antics of the 80's. Too clean a production to get much of a play from me, they're still worth a listen. Heavy Grindcore that stays away from the putrid aftertaste of many goregrind bands. Track taken from their '09 Grindvirus.

8. "Samota" - Extreme Smoke ( Slovenia)
Holding the proud title of "Slovenia's first grindcore band." Playing gruff, lo-fi grindcore all the way from '93 Extreme Smoke are just that, not too hot but deadly if too much is taken in. Track taken from their 3 way split with Agathocles and Epilepsija.

9. "Skřípot" - Gride (Czech Republic)
Bad ass thrash-grind bastards Gride know how to do everything I want. There's thrashy grooves, grindy blasts, punky d-beats, gang vocals, riffs galore, and lyrics in a cool sounding language I can't understand. There's a reason why I kick myself for missing this band at last year's MDF. Track taken from their split with Lycanthrophy.

10. "Gore Ne Može" - Dislike (Croatia)
The former Yugoslavia countries seem to really know how to grind. Dislike, one of the only bands I know of from Croatia play a slick pseudo-death metal style of grindcore. This is from their 2006 demo Ctrl, dunno if anything else exists by this band, hopefully they keep trucking as it's pretty damn good.

11. "Queue for Perfectness" -Lycanthrophy (Czech Republic)
Possibly my favorite band here, Lycanthrophy rock a totally authentic and brutal style of power/fast/grind/whatever/core all with a female vocalist of course! Can't get enough of this band. In their 12th year, they've just released their debut LP, something I'm very excited to get my hands on. Track taken from their split with Suffering Domepiece (Mind)

12. "Lord of The Shits" Ass to Mouth (Poland)
With more goregrind then you can shake a dead, disfigured, prostitute at, Eastern Europe leaves a lot of shit to sort through (literally!), fortunately, Ass to Mouth are actually good. No lack of pig squeals, blast beats, or an absolutely crushing guitar tone, Ass to Mouth know how to grind and stay away from inane blasting and shit riffs. Taken from their album Kiss Ass.

13. "Starec" - Saywhy? (Czech Republic)
Blistering hardcore with male/female vox, how can I lose? Saywhy? know what's up and add a huge touch of punk which works so well. For fans of U.S. power violence/ fastcore bands. Taken from their split with Bastardass.

14. "Wicked faith" - БУТ (Czech Republic)
Reminds me of modern day Napalm Death if they didn't suck and knew how to write riffs and had a badass punky vibe. Track taken from their 2009-2010 promo.

15. "Suicidal Philosophy" - Needful Things (Czech Republic)
If you thought the Czech Republic only had awesome beer and sausages, I hope this comp helped change that; especially with the final contributor. Similar to bands like In Disgust who tread a line between death metal, grindcore, and power violence. Needful Things don't need shit, they're awesome the way they are. Track taken from their split with G enital Gore.

A lot of fun to do this, and eye opening as to how goddamn fruitful the Czech Republic is when it comes to grindcore. I hope you enjoyed this, await Vol. III due sometime around Christmas(sacre).

Download
-F

Swarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrm / ATKA

2010-11-24T06:50:00.007+08:00

Atka Myspace Swarrrm Myspace
Released: Autumn 2010
Release Type: Split, 7"
Label:Ecocentric Records
Genre:Experimental Grindcore

A match made in a mental hospital, German tech-grind wizards Atka pair up with Japanese bizzaro grind masters for this 11 minute blastapiece. Seriously, I wonder if being schizophrenic is as off the wall as these two bands; each one displaying an eccentric and extremely different take on grindcore pushed past its sanity.

Atka cover every possible inch of their side with their noodlely, technically drenched and Dillinger Escape Plan loving track "untitled." The first minute's unrecognizable from the last, and yet it all works. I hate gimmicky technical shit, so thankfully this ain't it. The high-point of song is the last minute in a half which sounds straight out of Murray and Smith's playbook but jumbled with blast beats and varied vocals. Here's a snippit of the song.

A different kind of crazy is what Swarrrm always is. "Maborosi" is a ballad a'la typical Swarrrm (i.e. pretty acoustic guitar paired to gibberish vocals which washout in an avalanche of drums and distortion). "Kono ude ni" is a great track, the best of the split. As always fantastic shifts from artsy/melodic riffs to pummeling blast beats and jazzy sections of harmony between the guitars and bass. Swarrrm still continues to be the most dynamic, powerful and interesting grind band out there; shame on you if you've never heard them before.

Here's that ballad to sooth yourself to sleep

Don't question your sanity listening to this, question the sanity of those who refuse to listen. Swarrrm and Atka are outstanding this time around, so pick it up!

-F

Rediscovering the Dead

2010-11-17T06:03:00.004+08:00

No Official Site

Label: Selfmadegod Records
Released: 2005
Release Type: Compilation
Genre: Death/Grind

Not for the faint of heart, Sewn Shut of Sweden play a serious conglomeration of death metal and grindcore. The band reminds me strongly of Belgium's Aborted, their first album anyway; but beyond that comparisons are few for me. Sewn Shut's one of the few bands where death-grind actually fits. Blast-beat bouts come to groovy transitions and double bass romps that would get your local crew floor punching in no time. The lowly gurgles foil the sky scratching screams which allows some room for the throaty, wet mid-ranged rasps. There's a welcomed touch of technicality that heightens the death metal vibe, not to mention some sweet pinch harmonics.

One thing that really gets me hooked is their rhythmic attack. It's hard to describe, but it's like a rocking chair, or when you're headbanging and the sound comes and goes because of your motion. The drums crash at every quarter and the guitar plays an ascending melody, then starts over. It's pretty gnarly. You'll have to hear it yourself.

The release itself is a compilation of all their work leading up to 2005 (except their first ep and the split with Unholy Grave). That means: splits with Squash Bowels, Embalming Theatre, Ulcerrhoea, Mind Collage, Man In Shackles and three additional tracks taken from "Polar Grinder" LP). The only thing post Rediscovering... is a split with Nashgul that's quite good as well. Odd how many great, or well received bands they've done splits with, but how relatively unknown they are.

Anywho, if you like stomach churning, heavy, and dark grindcore that knows how to properly groove then I can't recommend Sewn Shut enough.

Here's a taste (samples are very hard to come by, 2 tracks on youtube, no proper myspace, etc).
Link taken from Brutal Zone

-F

Sakatat/Dispepsiaa Split

2010-10-27T06:50:00.006+08:00

Sakatat Myspace Dispepsiaa Myspace
Released: 2010
Release Type: split 7" wax only
Label: Bringer of Gore Records
Genre: Grindcore

Sakatat and Dispepsiaa are a modern day explosion of grindcore that’s shrugged off the past 20 years of recording technology and happen to be the best surprise in awhile for me. Heavy grindcore played for heavy dudes (and dudettes).

I think Sakatat’s the first band I’ve ever heard from Turkey, strange huh? Good place to start I guess because these guys absolutely rip. With six splits under their belts and numerous tours in Europe I’d expect them to get snatched up quite quick like by one of those overseers of grindcore (Earache, Willotip, Relapse, etc). Stomach churning grunts, machine gun blast beats, dizzying moments of tension and breakout d-beats and shrieks makes up their approach. Songs are all about the trip, no 2 minute blast beats, there's actual writing here.

Adım Adım Elerki by SAKATAT

The songs maintain a catchy kinda quality that's more about rhythm and quick shifts in vocals and riffs, a very punk nod.There’s a Sore Throat cover that’s pretty good, they manage to make it shorter by 40 seconds, which is like half a Sore Throat album right?

Brazil’s Dispepsiaa (consisting of members from Rot) strikes fire right away with a very “Suffer the Children” beginning to “Falsa Realidade” and burns straight through with 5 other songs which all clock in just under 6 minutes. I love everything about this band; the guitar has that really flat low tone, the bass is just a monstrous rumble, the drums are perfect (the mid paced blast beats with hi-hat on quarters possess a hypnotic quality; a rarity in grindcore) and the dynamic vocals are a much appreciated homage to Vane/Jones.

Anormal? by Dispepsiaa

Example of those hypno-beats

As their side progresses it seems to just get heavier and heavier until we hit “Algemas Da Bibila” which stands at some kind of heaviness zenith with its pummeling breakdown and final blast-beat. It's a shame these guys called a quits.

Put down your Rotten Sound records, stop fussing over what Napalm Death’s doing and for fuck’s sake turn off whatever’s passing for grindcore these days and pick this up. This is two bands who are trying their hardest to replicate the noise of a steam roller strapped with a hundred jet engines running over miles of glass and bodies; this is defiantly a good way to spend 3 Euros( I don’t know about who has this stateside).

-F

In Disgust & PLF- Pray for Death / Visions of Your Own Death

2010-10-23T07:33:00.006+08:00

Official Sites: PLF Myspace - In Disgust Official Website
Released: 2010
Release Type: Split
Label: Regurgitated Semen Records
Genre: Grindcore

In Disgust and PLF go together like gravy and fries, not the first thing you think of pairing with the other, but it makes perfect sense. In Disgust’s style of unyielding angrier-than-thou grind starts off the split leading to PLF’s Terrorizereque mosh grind.

Feedback fills the voids in between the Disgusting jams, alluding to a kind of authenticity 206 preached awhile back, and that’s something you’ll always get with this band. The production’s heavy, the guitar actually sounds like a shredder and the bass hits you like a billy club. There’s the typical In Disgust song structure, punk drum beat and coarse vocals, quick measure shift to blast beats with higher shrieks, it gets to a point where you can sit there and cue perfectly when the blast beats are due. I suppose it comes off as a knock, but it’s not; In Disgust’s style is what it is and I love it. Along with the punk beat- blast beat jumps there’s great gasps of breakdowns, and groove sections that play to In Disgust’s heaviness and brutality. Angry as ever, and thankfully short and sweet, In Disgust prove 3 years later they still have it.

PLF’s side is of a similar thread of quality. A much more traditional metal production, the guitar’s more muddied and nothing’s too loud or low. Within tracks PLF could trick you into thinking it’s a separate one (listen to “Thinly Veiled Collusion” at 0:38 and 0:54 it sounds like it could jump into another song) which might just be contrast with In Disgust’s typically shorter times and PLF’s “lengthy” songs. I myself never cared for PLF’s recorded material (could never make it through Complete Grindcore Annihilation), but once seeing them live I “got it,” as these songs are dynamic when given their short time frame and contain some great riffs and transitions, not to mention mosh friendly sections. There’s a Krullur cover that ends the split, although I thought a Krullur was just a donut, I guess I’m wrong (it's just as tasty though).

Buy it here

Download here

-F

Chainsaw Justice Vol. I- Olde Timey Grindcore

2010-10-21T04:56:00.007+08:00

This will be a new installment from the CJ crew, every so often (1-2weeks) I’ll try to compose a mixtape of some particular theme. For the first installment I figured I should do one that has to do with grindcore and its roots. I’d like to say all the bands contributed to grindcore history, or metal history, but some of these I think are just relics of their time (regardless if they’re good or not).

Chainsaw Justice Vol. I -Olde Timey Grindcore

I started in 84, I think the latest I’ve gone is 1990. This was actually really fun to undertake, especially listening to laughable junk that for some reason I actually liked (Deadlock’s one of them). So brace yourself, I’ve chosen to include a lot of demo material from bands and I hope I show you something new. It’s no surprise this is mostly US/UK based(although Japan has quite a presence).

It seems the 1987 becomes the focus of this list.1987’s an obvious choice, ENT’s Peel Sessions, Napalm Death’s Scum, S.O.B’s Leave me Alone, Sore Throat’s Death to Capitalist Hardcore, Carcass’s Flesh Ripping Sonic Torment and numerous demos. I’d like to say Genocide’s (Repulsion’s) 2^nd demo, Violent Death exemplifies the first instance of grindcore as we know it (I haven’t heard pre Scum Napalm Death, but I’ve heard it’s not really like Scum) and that was 1985. The playlist I’ve given is in a rough chronological order (I’ve only paid attention to year). Beyond that I hope you all enjoy.

Interestingly enough, going by Metal Archives (a site which claims to carry only metal, so bands like Sore Throat and Siege aren’t present) shows that in 1984 there was only one release dubbed as grindcore, Genocide’s Toxic Metal demo. Another issue that arises with this method is that bands that might have developed into a grindcore band, or shifted styles are still listed; even if they were a Christian rock band in 85, but did grindcore in 96, so take that into account as well. In 1985 we see 8 releases, only 1 of which is a full length (Rose Rose’s Emotional Disturbance which is really a hardcore punk release). 1986 we see 18 releases, 1987: 29, 1988: 42, 1989: 69, and 1990 there’s 114. For perspective’s sake in 1995 there’s only 212 releases that year and at 2000 there are 358. Unfortunately this leaves out a lot of the power violence/fastcore bands of the 90’s which might have been considered grindcore or whatever. And at 2009 we had 606 releases (8 of which belong to Agathocles alone!). It’s been an odd 20 whatever years for grindcore, for such a short passionate and burning style you’d think the adage “the flame that burns twice as bright lasts half as long” would stand true here, but with technology and the dedicated fanbase grindcore seems to be a staple in the extreme music world.

Here's the play list and quick rundown of each band.

1. "Cold War" - Siege - Drop Dead - 1984

Classic as classic gets in the world of punk and grindcore. Cited by all the big names as their influence, Dropdead stands to be one of the most important (and also great) releases of the extreme music world. Miles ahead of other hardcore acts at the time, Drop Dead was the fastest and harshest thing around.

2. "Horrified" - Genocide Violent Death - 1985

Repulsion before they were Repulsion. Everyone should know the name of the song as it's the title of one of the most important and best grindcore records ever. Don't just take my word for it. I'd say this is the first real example of grindcore. Blast beats juxtaposed with punk beats, so it's not just a crust beat. The riffing's total grindcore- simple sped up thrash riff, that distorted bass tone and Scott Carlson's half hardcore half prototypical death metal vocals.

3. "Evil Mayhemic" - Deadlock -Deadly Intention demo 1986

I don't really know what to say about this. It's a demo, so I won't be too harsh, but jesus christ it sounds like they just learned how to play their instruments a couple of days ago. To be fair the riffs aren't that bad (first sounds like sloppier Hellhammer), just poorly played and I have no idea why it's 3 minutes long (others were longer; I've spared you). Blast beats, simple tremolo riffs and maniacal shrieking vocals. This is the Deadlock from Nuremberg- apparently they just faded out of existence.

4. "Knock Out" - S.O.B - Leave me Alone - 1986

Another Siege like band. Obscure in America, (and the west for the most part) yet extremely influential in the development of grindcore and hardcore. Next to GISM, S.O.B's one of Japan's most important bands in the extreme music scene. Quite big now, but at the time they were only known to the underground and gained exposure due to Napalm Death and eventually a session with John Peel. From their first release, "Knock Out" is blistering hardcore, but if it had been produced heavier could easily pass as grindcore; chosen for it's bridging quality.

5. "Never Healed" - Heresy - Never Healed Flexi - 1986

Never Healed shows the pioneering style of hardcore that's just about grindcore. Searing blast beats, quick shouted vocals, and hardcore riffs sped up as fast as they'll go; I picked it just for this reason, to show the bridge between hardcore and grindcore.

6. "Divine Death" - Napalm Death - Scum - 1987

I don't need to say anything about this except maybe my reason for picking it. I've picked it 1. because the B side of Scum has them playing in a metal tunning, showcasing a real shift from punk to metal and 2. The structure is quintessential early grindcore, not abusing the blast beat and trying to figure out how to make the song last longer than a minute and 3. the shrieked vocals and deep growls are exemplary of metal, where as the grunts are more hardcore.

7. "Carry On Screaming" - Extreme Noise Terror - Peel Sessions - 1987

Like Napalm Death, I shouldn't have to say much about the band's significance. This song shows an anomaly of ENT's style as they use a sustained blast beat and move away from their typical d-beats of the time, yet the guitars are playing a typical punk riff.

8. "Psychopathologist" - Carcass - Fleshripping Sonic Torment - 1987

Pretty much the cue for gore-grind, Fleshripping Sonic Torment was eventually reworked into their first album. Downtuned and messy guitars, blast beats galore, demoinc echoing vocals- a huge jump from punk.

9. "Implosion" - Regurgitation - Bathroom's Rule - 1987

Later known as O.L.D, Regurgitation showcase an actually well recorded demo that shows few traces of punk. Heavy sounding, lots of reverb, a very metal solo and the vocals show this, along with Carcass, as the formation of a more death metal influenced grind. The riff around the end shows this for sure. This demo's surprisingly good.

10. "Benedictions" - Terrorizer - Nightmares - 1987

Interesting mix of punk riffs and drum beats which jump to really metal riffs. Feels a lot like a proto-death metal band, who is jsut playing thrash, but added blastbeats making it more grinding. Bad, but listenable production. The basslines are as thrash as thrash gets. The guitar tone and song structure really solidify this as metal, bending the punkness of grindcore to their standards.

11. "Vac Head" - Sore Throat - Death To Capitalist Grindcore (Bootleg, but same material) -1987

A lot more innovtive then I think they ever intended to be, Sore Throat begins the trend of lots of short songs, often a simple measure. Along with structure, the hypercritical and "fuck you" attitude, not to mention the humor of the band would be seen in countless bands after, both grindcore and hardcore (Insect Warfare's S/T, The Locust, Agorophobic Nosebleed,etc). The noisey sections of feedback, clips, and random sections seem to be the root of "noisecore" bands of the present.

12. "The Day Of Doom" - Deathpeed - Possessed By Speed Demo - 1988

Another Japanese act, Deathpeed was a short lived project of now Unholy Grave singer. I actually love everything I've found by the band. Songs tend to be long (this one's 5 minutes) and are written in a very modern kind of way. The thrashy/d-beat beginning which jumps to a very metal blast beat and guitar solo. The riffing throughout jumps from hardcore to a very contemporary death metal style. It's really interesting. I like it more then the 3 Unholy Grave releases I've heard. Reminds me of modern day Effigy, I don't think it's just because they're both Japanese.

13. "Born Backwards" - Assuck - Born Backwards - 1988

Assuck's one of the greatest metal bands ever. Okay, that aside, this demo isn't that good. The production's atrocious which pretty much hampers every other aspect. Beyond that this is totally metal, just faster death metal. Interesting to see Assuck like this.

14. "The Colour of Blood" - Nuclear Death - Bride of Insect - 1990

Really great track, totally grindcore with a very thrashy vibe. The vocals remind me a lot Vio-Lence and Dark Angel (in fact the main riff sounds like "The Burning of Sodom" off Darkness Descends). I think there's a cult following of this band, but it'd seem as they're largely forgotten.

Apparently berevity isn't my strong point, but I'll spare you for Vol. II.

Download

-F

Machetazo- Necrocovered

2010-10-18T06:42:00.002+08:00

Official Site
Released: 2010
Labels:Parasitic Records (USA), Living Dead Society (Spain)
Release Type: 10" lmt 500, MCD
Genre: Various, tribute.

I've been waiting for this one awhile as it was announced in the spring and now Parasitic Records has finally unveiled it.

Necrocovered is much like Napalm Death's Leaders not Followers albums; it's just covers. That said, what makes Necrocovered so great and interesting is the cast of guest vocalists. You can see with the guests as well as the tracks Machetazo covers a wide range of genres. From sludge (Corrupted), black metal (Darkthrone), thrash (Kreator and Carnivore), punk (Septic Death) and death metal (Obituary and Master), almost all bases are covered (ha!). Not only is it fun to listen to, but I can't imagine how fun this was to put together; I can only hope that they met up and didn't do this by sending respective sections to some studio.

Here's the lineup as well as tracks:

1. "Sex and violence" (Carnivore), lead vocals by Chris Reifert (Abscess/Autopsy).
2. "Pay to die" (Master), lead vocals by Johan Wallin (General Surgery).
3. "Skald Av Satans Sol" (Darkthrone), lead vocals by Skrappar (Lobotomized).
4. "Tormentor" (Kreator), lead vocals by Kam Lee (Bone Gnawer/Death/Massacre).
5. "Arrastrándose sólo" (Corrupted), lead vocals by Tim Call (Aldebaran).
6. "Demon" (Septic Death) / "Dying" (Obituary), lead vocals by Santi (Nashgul).

While they're not stretches, and don't sound awkward, they're outside of Machetazo's immediate sphere of grindcore which is another reason why this is so cool. They handle all songs perfectly, as they're respectful of the orignial, but at the same time interested in making it their own, not mention adding in a particular vocalist for each one.

The delicate balance between homage and replication is tough with some bands as I never see the reason to do a cover that sounds identical to the original, but at the same time taking the original expanding it to something unrecognizable is just as uninteresting. Like I said, there's a good balance to be found here.

The tracks themselves are all great. My personal favorite is the Master cover, simply because I think it fits their style best and Johan Wallin sounds downright evil. I'm also a sucker for something this heavy to have d-beats. "Sex and Violence" has the necessary whistle and Reifert does an excellent job fitting in with the up-beat hardcore-ish song. "Skald Av Satans Sol" might be better than the original only because I hate the fucking production on that Darkthrone album. "Tormentor" is practically turned into a grind song with an ample dose of speed.

The Corrupted cover is maybe the most faithful of the bunch, I was very excited to hear a grind band play sludge, but as it turns out they sound pretty much like Corrupted, just a better mixing job (Tim Call sounds exactly like Hevi which is a bit scary). Because of its faithfulness, I find this to be the weakest of the EP (not to mention I never thought much of that Corrupted song). The Obituary/Septic Death mashup is most ambitious undertaking of the EP, and it works perfectly. Santi's voice is perfect for this track. While it wouldn't be my first pick of a Septic Death song to cover, after listening I can see why they picked it. The fun pick up and go style of the song just begs for blast beats.

Well worth the wait.

Check it out here, buy it here or here.

-F

Halloween Essentials

2010-10-17T18:43:00.007+08:00

I thought this would be a fun undertaking, and people are usually always looking for shit like this around Halloween, so I'm providing a list of albums that would make any Halloween better. Links provided are mostly just google'd searches, I haven't tried them myself. I can't upload at this stupid university, so my apologies.

Earth A.D.
Misfits
The only band I've liked since I was 12, the Misfits hold a special place in my heart. Earth A.D./Wolfblood is essential, the only issue being that the song "Halloween" isn't on it (for that I suggest Collection II, or if you're a big spender like me, the box set). But you've got the more "hardcore" songs here- "Earth A.D." (my favorite), "Green Hell," "Death Comes Ripping," "Wolfsblood," etc. For the more upbeat kinda Halloween.

Download

Buried Death
Coffins
I can't say enough about this band. Old school production, lyrics, style, but refreshing in some way. Coffins combine absurd heaviness with gore drenched lyrics and imagery and badass song writing. Some songs crawl, some are propelled by d-beats. It's Hellhammer and old school death metal worship compressed with agonizingly slow tempos.

Download

Midnight Murder Mania
Frightmare
Leave it to Razorback records to be on this list, but Frightmare are everything you could ask for. Thrashy death metal that's all about the horror movies you grew up watching behind your parents back. Midnight Murder Mania is catchy and absolutely rockin'. Employing riffs galore, varied vocals (from gurgles to screeches, and barks in between), and blasting drums, Frightmare offers it all. I prefer this to the cleaner sounding Bringing Back The Bloodshed as well as the handful of other Razorback bands. There's even a Misfits cover.
Download

We Came For The Dead!!!
Ghoul
Very similar to Frightmare's brand of thrashy death metal, We Came For the Dead!!! is another essential. Started by members of Impaled, Ghoul is a tribute to the bands before them that reveled in gorey lyrics and a horror filled imagery. Catchy thrash riffs off put with blasting drums, a huge array of vocals and little noises here and there to keep the hairs up on the back of your neck.I used to love this band, haven't listened in awhile- happy to use this as an excuse to.
Download

Hell
Hell
Aptly named, Hell conjure a horrowing and oddly bleak atmosphere with this tape. Mixing black metal, sludge, ambient, and drone, Hell gets your head banging and at other times it gets you holding the sheets tight. The juxtapositions are clear, as one track trudges in a super heavy and dark sludge tone, then goes to long stretches of noises and other effects eventually back to riffs. Black metal in terms of atmosphere, production, and vocals, sludge in terms of structure and guitar playing, and overall droning. This is the USA Hell, from Oregon.

This is my rip, so it's a bit rough-but i guess you could say it adds to the creepiness. Download

Horror Of The Zombies
Impetigo
As essential as essential gets, Horror of the Zombies is Impetigo's shining star. One of the first bands to pay such attention to horror clips, Impetigo matches the unsettling movies from which they borrow with a punky style of death metal with some of the most distinctive voices in metal. Punk like progressions with that dirty late 80's early 90's guitar/ bass tone and a lot of odd vocals, it stands out amongst the other death metal acts at the time. There is such an old school charm that surrounds this, you can't help but love it, i'd say the same kind of charm Horrified has.
Download

Mundo Cripta
Machetazo
Spain's best band (yeah, that's right I'll say it) Machetazo play a style of grindcore that dips heavily into the gore splattered death metal that I've talked about earlier. Raw, heavy, and fast is the name of the game. I've just ordered their cover album which I'm stupid excited for (check/buy it here). Zombies, movie clips, thick fuzzy guitars, blast beats, everything in Spanish, unique not without little homages to the gore lords before them; what else do you need? "Horror death grind from beyond" as they put it; it fits.
Download

Death and the Black Work
Nightbringer
Creepy and winding black metal that seems to be an endless void of tremolo riffs and drums with whispers and yells from beyond. It's a marathon effort as it's quite long, but the first track alone should give you a good idea with that creepy as hell intro and catchy riff. A real powerful album, I love it; overwhelming and dark as hell.

Download

Gudsforladt
Nortt
Unsettling and dismal, Gudsforladt plays blackened funeral doom; a fitting zombie shuffle pace for this list. Waves of feedback, sparse drums, shots of ethereal keys and odious growls and moans that swirl throughout the album make this release quite chilling. A real mood killer, but great to leave on and scare your neighbor's kids with.

Download

Obviously there's a lot I left out, but I hope ya'll can appreciate this.

-F

revamp

2010-10-16T02:17:00.005+08:00

I've decided to do an overhaul here, redo it and keep our archives and followers together. I don't think the others will mind as they're near non-existent. Keep your eyes peeled.

Thou- Summit

2010-10-10T07:39:00.007+08:00

Offical Website
Released: Summer 2010
Release Type: Full Length
Label: Gilead Media (CD), Southern Lord (upcoming vinyl)
Genre: Sludge

In the 2 or so month wake of Thou's latest full length, Summit, I think I've finally arrived at an opinion. I'll shelf my personal recollection of Thou's back catalog and get right to it.

It comes to me as a paradox as the album is coherent and well constructed, yet incomplete and a bit too long.

The album itself doesn't offer amateurish leaps from mood to mood, or anything too avant-garde and misplaced, rather it's something I don't know how to really approach or pin-point. To play it safe, I'd say it feels as Thou are holding back with this release. One track shines, and another doesn't really do anything for me. "By Endurance We Conquer," "Prometheus," and "Another World Is Inevitable" are shining examples of Thou at their best. Maybe moreso than before, Thou showcases detailed, complicated, and moving songwriting as each of these three bleed sludgy sophistication. But on the other hand, I tend to skip "Grissecon" every time i spin the cd, as well as "Summit Revisited" and "Voices In The Wilderness." This is a real shame as that makes up for 2/5 of the album.

The first track, "By Endurance We Conquer" is a winner, although I kind of dislike the synth or whatever effect that is around the end. This song, and the one after, I think sum up my view on the album perfectly. Starting off and being great throughout, "By Endurance We Conquer" closes like some pre-war ritual; a preamble if you will. Unfortunately "Grissecon" loses the vibe and just widdles around for 8 minutes. There's many different things in the song, but nothing that really grabs me; call me spoiled.

Whatever complaints aside, the album is about the 4th track and the 4th track alone. "Another World Is Inevitable" is a typical Thou styled lesson in tension, climax, melody and emotion. Just 2 seconds over 10 minutes, "Another World Is Inevitable" works it's way through heaves of tar and viscous fluid until finally erupting around the 7 minute mark as constant bass drum beats merge into the measure like troops ranking into a final formation. The outcome is uplifting, trance inducing and awe-inspiring as Bryan screeches "A new world springs from the corpse of the old," and eventually "This will be the day." With the shift towards more dynamic and sprawling composure, the lyrics seem to match as they're optimistic and more demanding (fortunately, lyrics are a strong point of Thou and always have been;so this isn't such a stretch). Needless to say, I end up playing this track a lot.

When the muck boils away what's left is that I'm not thoroughly satisfied with this album.
This isn't as good as Tyrant, I don't know if anything could be. It's similar to Peasant as there are stellar songs but also some that are less. Where Peasant had "The Work Ethic Myth," "Belt of Fire to Guide me, Cloak of Night to Hide me," "Burning Black Coals And Dark Memories," and "They Stretch Out Their Hands;" Summit has its three as stated earlier.

Without question it's worth a purchase (as is everything this band seems to touch). That being said, Thou is dynamic enough, heartfelt enough, and invigorating enough to be the only band that matters now, and even though Summit has it's rough edges, there's plenty of strong footing.

Buy it here. I'll add one other thing, there can't be enough praise for Adam over at Gilead for his work with this release and all other Thou stuff; the cd jacket is beautiful and quality and the shirt is flawless.

Audio fodder:
"Another World Is Inevitable"
"By Endurance we Conquer"

-F

FM's Favorite Metal/Punk Drum Performances

2010-09-09T02:12:00.023+08:00

This summer's been odd for me. I've been through a bad car crash, a death of a friend mixed with seeing my girlfriend a bunch (which is a good thing) getting ready to go to the UK for 4 months, work and helping my dad move. It's been busy to say the least. I got to see MDF which was mind blowing (although no time to drink!). I know you probably don't care, but that's my lame excuse for not being on the up and up with new music. That said, I'm a drummer who hasn't played drums for 4 months now and I thought this would be fun.

I've complied a list of my favorite drum performances in the realm of metal and punk (otherwise you'd see Elvin Jones, Gene Krupa, and others flyin' around). But the list isn't just about drum wank, they're amazing albums that wouldn't be what they are if they didn't have the phenomenal drum work to back it up.

I don't think I could put them in order so I'll just list them as they've appeared in time.

Black Sabbath- Paranoid- 1970
Drummer: Bill Ward

It would be easy to say "this is important because Black Sabbath basically started metal" but I won't, instead I'll say Bill Ward epitomized how to drum slow in rock and metal and keep it interesting. Those fast fills in the slow pace of "War Pigs," what would "Iron Man" be without that plodding bass drum or the main beat and perfectly placed crashes and of course the double time section around the middle? "Electric Funeral" (one of my three favorite Sabbath songs) shows constant cymbal variation and play during the slow laid back sections of Ozzy's cryptic vocals. The staggered grace bass notes on "Hand of Doom" creates such momentum for Iommi to run wild with his solo. And let's not forget that badass drum solo in "Rat Salat."

It helps to have Butler and Iommi playing with you, but Ward is one of metal and rock's best drummers hands down. Paranoid wouldn't be what it is, and Sabbath for that matter, if Bill Ward wasn't there flamin' and a'rollin' all over the place.

Slayer- Reign in Blood - 1986
Drummer: Dave Lombardo

Like Ward, I always think of Lombardo as an extremely competent and talented drummer who doesn't have to do anything gimmicky or flashy. Rather Lombardo's extreme precision and power propel Reign in Blood through all 29 minutes of it's supreme glory. I remember when I first heard this album thinking how fast Lombardo was, no blast beats, but the true measure of speed being how fast he could play those snare hits without them blurring together. Just listen to "Epidemic" or "Jesus Saves," the cymbal play is so absurdly fast yet clean, as is the snare playing and every single fill. The best part is how human it all is, his kit is powerful sounding and not triggered and artificial sounding.

Like "Iron Man" everyone knows the simple, yet ominous opening to "Raining Blood." Coupled with the frenzied guitar playing of Hannemen and King, and Araya's frothing vocals, this feels like one of the fastest albums ever without a single blast beat; that means a lot. Play any drum track from this album and I'll recognize it, and I don't think I'm alone. The opening to "Criminally Insane" or the mid paced neck breaking action of "Piece by Piece" are the sections that really standout. While Lombardo does play a lot of typical things (snare on every quarter or eighth) it's the fills and off sections that really stand out. Like Ward, Lombardo completes Slayer, he also matches (and one ups) everything King and Hanneman offer.

Napalm Death- Scum- 1987
Drummer: Mick Harris

Like the two albums I've mentioned before it, Scum is a cornerstone. Largely, it fell upon Mick Harris to speed up what countless bands were already doing and meld it together with the rest of the band. It's not even the speed of Mick Harris's performance that stands out for me, but rather the contrast in speed. Build ups like in "Scum," "Instinct For Survival," "C.S" and many other songs make the avalanche of blast beats, barking rabid vocals and buzzing guitars all the more powerful and monumental. Harris employs the right mixture of sloppy punk playing (some of those d-beats, transitions, and blast beats just kinda get loose and sound like an 18-wheeler stuck in top gear swerving around). Like many, this was the first grindcore outfit I ever heard, and I felt punched out of breath by songs like "Divine Death" and "Pseudo Youth."

Not only is Mick Harris on point every song, but there's no double bass at all. I remember reading the CD booklet accompanying Noise for Music's Sake that said it took Mick Harris a long time to get used to double kick drumming (which is absent on Scum). Reminds me of Anders Jakobson (Nasum) who never used a double kick drum either. Harris, as well as the rest of the band, solidified the mixture of punk and metal, as did Siege and Extreme Noise Terror, but with Napalm Death it didn't feel like a punk band playing metal or a metal band playing punk, but rather something new and unexplored.

Suffocation- Effigy of the Forgotten- 1991
Drummer: Mike Smith

This is an easy one for me, as Mike Smith is probably my number 1 or 2 favorite drummer of all time. Suffocation's innovation in terms of matching technicality and masking it with brutality and creating a paradox of complex layman's death metal. Effigy of the Forgotten highlights this as things start of with Smith's trademark blast beat (usually all elements hit at once). Smith never relies on speed but rather on precision and deep groves accented with all kinds of cymbal flourishes and kick patterns. Similar to Ward's style, Smith rarely repeats himself and will always add little accents and adjustments each measure.

The complex arrangements highlighted by absurd fills and lightning fast transitions of Smith's part add a level of depth to Suffocation that no other death metal band has been able to match. You can scratch your head over the playing of each member and at the same time simply enjoy it as somewhat catchy and groovy death metal. Songs like "Infecting the Crypts" showcase unusual little things such as that second beat in the song (the flam'ing bass drums that almost sound a little off) that eventually break into a typical double bass pattern broken up with a multitude of tom fills and accents.
The rhythmic shifts throughout the album give way to Suffocation's "slam" personality as the breakdown in "Liege Of Inveracity" and "Mass Obliteration" are simply disgusting. Smith's style as innovative and technically demanding as it is, also offers simple enjoyment as it does fall in rhythm and isn't wank but rather is intricately layered into each song. It's not Derek Roddy 300bpm triggered mania, yet it rivals him in terms of skill. Mike Smith offers one of the best performances of any drummer here, period.

Pig Destroyer- Prowler in the Yard - 2001
Drummer: Brian Harvey

Similar to Scum, Pig Destroyer's big breakthrough was an eye opener for me. Few albums are as disgusting as this one is. From the art, to the lyrics and the down-right dirty sound, Prowler in the Yard is one of the greatest grindcore albums ever played. While everything fits (J.R sounds the best here, he gets weaker as time goes on. Hull's riffs are top-notch and of course Harvey's on point).

The first thing that struck me about Harvey is how powerful his kit sounds. The bass drums sound like 20lbs steaks smacking Jabba the Hut around and the snare is that perfect middle pitch. Beyond the actual sound, Harvey's bursts of unbridled rage go perfectly with J.R's manic vocals and Hull's intricate riffs. Something like "Junkyard God" has Harvey upfront showing off like he should at a slow tempo before it goes into a palm muted mid paced mosh fest. Like smith, Harvey leaps from blast beats to chugga chugga midpaced beats to d-beats; he's all over the place in the best way possible. "Sheet Metal Girl" has an awesome thrash-on-steroids beginning before it just goes to a blast-a-thon broken up by single measures of d-beats. "Strangled with a Halo," shows a more bombastic slower side that employs a myriad of fills and beats. Harvey can start and stop on the drop of a dime, and fit in any amount of space perfectly.

Prowler in the Yard, amongst other things, showcases gridcore drumming that has no perceptions as to what it is supposed to be doing or how it should be played. Check out the off-time groove of "Intimate Slavery" not very formal in regards to grindcore.

Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines - 2002
Drummer: Tony Laureano
If you look at Nile's past drummers you'll see practically every big name in death metal: Derek Roddy, Tim Yueng, George Kollias, and of course Tony Laureano. While I'm not the biggest fan of Laureano's work with a slew of other bands (Nachtmystium ahem) he really stands out here.

At first listen you might thinks it's all just blast beats, and you wouldn't be too wrong thinking that. But the creme de'la creme aren't the blast beats but rather what's around or mixed in with them. True, the sheer speed showcased in "The Blessed Dead" is jaw dropping, but more than that are those little fills and that cymbal play. The constant breaks into fills then into full fledged blasting is astounding in it's own right.

"Execration Text" implores a blistering tom work out juxtaposition to blast beats then more fills, never letting up below what feels like 200+bpm. Laureano's performance isn't about class, or modesty, but rather grandeur and the most demanding output he could manage. Even a slower track like "Sarcophagus" which relies on a slow double bass pattern finds itself to be as demanding as any of the other tracks which are twice as fast. From crash to crash, and tom to tom, Laureano makes use of every facet of his gigantic kit.

Not only is Laureano's sheer speed impressive, but the amazing amount of stamina he shows through a track like "Unas the Slayer of the Gods." While with lesser bands this type of fancy, proficient and overwhelming drumming might become a sore part because of it's attention demanding nature it melds perfectly with the guitar wizardry of Sanders and Wade, not to mention their ever shifting vocals. Another key component is how atmospheric this album is, and how on the more "themed tracks" Laureano matches the vibe of ancient war drums perfectly.

The amount of crap Laureano can fit into his performance and make it interesting and enjoyable makes this one of my favorite drum performances ever, not to mention the fine balance he has in his drum production; triggered, but just enough to match Nile's modern austere.

1349- Liberation- 2003
Drummer: Frost

If there was to be a book compiled about metal drummers, Frost would have his own page for sure. While he isn't as dynamic as drummers like Jensen Ward (or Bill Ward for that matter), Harvey, or Smith, I cannot deny how much I love his performance on this album. It's almost a guilty pleasure, as he's really just blasting away at an insane speed and there are bits of brilliance that make me bug the fuck out ("Legion" for example).

Starting just how I'd want it to, the album explodes in a flurry of blast beats, Frost's excellent sounding kit (sounds so organic and powerful) completely devastates and the crunchy fuzz-fueled guitars tremolo pick their asses off. Each song is completely driven by the drums, no question about it, even though the production is fair to all the instruments, the guitars serve as a reason to have Frost go completely apeshit.

1349's sense of rhythm and the constantly changing drums provide for great entertainment and complement the melodies perfectly. The awesome midpace beats that end with a sharp rim shot and tear into an unbelievably fast blast beat, the little Celtic Frost groove bouts that dive into hyper speed blasts and or the blasts that careen out to a slow chug fest a'la 3:30 in "Legion."

There's so many cool things Frost does, like the section at 3:30 and that little diddy at the beginning of "Legion," that unusual, but awesomely fitting gallop in "Manifest," as well as the other gallop beat in "Riders Of The Apocalypse," that fast little workout beat at around 2minutes in "Evil Oath," and the all the showboating he does on the track "Liberation." Boasting an extremely powerful sounding and echoing kit, Frost sounds better than he ever has. There's so much personality in his playing, and while he doesn't compare to the likes of those countless death metal drum showboaters he still maintains such a personality behind the kit that makes him much more of a pleasure to listen to.

Iron Lung - Cold Storage- 2005
Drummer: Jensen Ward

There's something to be said for a drummer who sings, not only on record but live too. Beyond all of that, he does it well, I should know (they were a highlight of 2010 MDF). While Cold Storage is a compilation of various works, it's still getting a mention as it's one of my favorite releases.

The first thing you'll notice about Iron Lung is how unique they are. While they share similarities with other power violence and hardcore bands, the uncomfortable atmospheres of their recordings, unique way of playing both drums and guitar and composure sets them apart from every other band. Three songs into Cold Storage you've already picked up on the unbalanced feeling the band carries throughout many songs. The starts and stops, jumps from faster beats to measure long fills, atypical blast beats paired with bizarre guitar plopping guitar notes ( "Pushing Life" showcases one of the most interesting sections they've thought up).

They're something dismal and suffocating about Iron Lung's sound, the brief interludes highlight this as does the muddied and dank production. "Concentric Circulator" is another of those bizarre off-beat songs where Ward runs astray with the drums bursting out scattered fills in between blasts then jumping to a slower wavering beat all in the span of roughly a minute. "Arc Lamp" is one of my favorites as it's a playful start stop session between the guitar and drums. The drums not only add to each song, but are memorable, fun, and highly creative making each song unique and memorable, albeit the 40-1:30 length typified by each song.

Ward's unique style is highlighted by lots of start stop rhythms, syncopated beats, and jarring juxtapositions between tempos and beats. If that weren't enough, he has some funny stage banter and seems to be a cool dude. One of the most interesting and consistent bands around.

An honorable mentions go to:

Repulsion's Horrified. The drumming's downright sloppy and badass, but I don't know if I could put it up here.

Insect Warfare's World Extermination. One of the best grind albums, and the drumming is amazing.

Discordance Axis's The Inalienable Dreamless. All kinds of interesting stuff going around.

Absu's Tara. Drum wank to end all drum wank in this laborious black/thrash attack.

Hope you enjoyed this, download links would prove to be too much. This stuff should be easy to find. And fellow drummers, let me know what you think.

-F

Vomitous - Surgical Abominations Of Disfigurement EP

2010-08-09T01:08:00.004+08:00

Myspace
Released: 2010
Label: Sevared Records

Hey guys. So recently I just realized in my boredom-induced summer stupor that I still was part of this blog and that it had been about fourty dog-years since I last wrote something for it. Technically I didn't write this review for Chainsaw Justice, but it still is something written by me, so I hope it counts for something. Anyways, it's a review I wrote for Extreminal webzine The original review can be found here.

Hope ya'll like your slam.

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When it comes to putting out quality old school death metal albums, Sweden has always been top dog. When it comes to brutal death metal and slam though, Sweden seems to lag behind. Vomitous set out to change that.

Vomitous have been around since the turn of the decade but only became active and began putting out release until 2007, which saw the release of a split with American slam band Inhuman Dissilency. It was a solid piece of Devourment-worshipping slam, with the only major flaw being poor drum production.

2009 saw the release of a two-track promo available for download on the band’s Myspace. Originally they had a full-length slated for 2010 release. Vomitous didn’t manage to put it out, but this four-song EP is still a treat.

Anders Johansson vocals are as savage and guttural as ever. He manages to hit the “induced-vomit”, Angel Ochoa-esque low while retaining powerful clarity and enunciation. Unlike most vocalists, Anders doesn’t simply puke out monotone, “urghss” and “errghs”. His vocal patterns are dynamic and varied, but catchy and complement Michael Bergström and Christian Lundgren’s chugging riffs and slams perfectly. If Anders’ vocal power and versatility weren’t enough, tracks one, three, and four all enlist guest vocalists from fellow brutal death metal bands, included one Mike Majewski of Devourment fame, making Surgical Abominations Of Disfigurement one hell of audio feast for anyone with a liking for guttural vocals.

Any previous problems with poor drum production are mostly gone with this EP. The bass drum is unfortunately triggered, but it and the snare drum punch through with excellent clarity, carefully augmenting the grind-esque blasts as well as the groovier slamming sections. The sharper tones of the cymbals manage to cut through the heavy layers of bass with equal effectiveness.

When it comes to riffage, the guitar duo Bergström and Lundgren keep it either slamming and grooving, or skin-flaying and fast. The opening slam of first track “Deranged Entanglement Of Severed Heads” instantly recalls classic Molesting The Decapitated-era Devourment riffage. Song tempo alternates between groove-conscious mid-pace and fast blasting that would do most grindcore bands proud. Rarely do Vomitous lapse into slow tempos, with the exception of the funeral slam (fast slams which gradually slow to tank-tread pace) of the first track which is excellent lead into with a short solo bass riff.
Like most slam bands, Vomitous don’t write terribly memorable individual songs, but they definitely do succeed in writing slam that keeps your head banging for the duration of the EP. The listener might not recall the specific nuances of these songs until after a couple attentive listens, but ultimately the desire to gorge themselves on more slams will be there. And when it comes to bringing the gore grooving slam, Vomitous do indeed deliver.

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Here's a download link because I know you guys will still get this somewhere else if you don't find it here. Might as well have shit sorted out nice and neat with the cover art and all for you fine people anyways.

Mammoth Grinder- 2010 Tour Cassette

2010-07-23T02:35:00.007+08:00

Band Myspace
Released: Summer 2010
Release Type: Cassette,only sold at shows I believe
Label: Nuclear Solution

So last week was a good week for me in terms of shows. I was able to catch Salome with Landmind Marathon on Tuesday, then come Thursday I got to see Mammoth Grinder, Concussion, and two others who weren't bad. Salome were amazing, and Mammoth Grinder were just tons of fun. For Mammoth Grinder I was too close so the PA was behind me and because of that I never really heard any vocals.The energy, and song selection made it an awesome gig (even did a Terrorizer Cover, "After World Obliteration" I think: can't go wrong).

So I picked this up, along with The Impalers cassette (( a blackened Motorhead-esque band featuring Chris (guitars of Mammoth Grinder/Hatred Surge) and Mike (drums for Hatred Surge) I believe. It's something I'll probably post later)). Anywho, what I've heard of Mammoth Grinder always seemed good, but never really struck me, this cassette however, alludes to an awesome future for the band. I'm lacking track titles as the cassette gives none but simply says:

Tracks 1-3 from upcoming split with Hatred Surge on Cyclopean Records
Tracks 4-5 from 'Obsessed with Death 7"' sing on Hell Massacre Records
Track 6 from 'In the Year of our Lord: A Tribute to Rorschach'

That being that, the one track I know for sure is track 5, which is a is a cover of Venom's "Welcome to Hell" which is superbly done. The tracks from the upcoming Hatred Surge split are reminiscent of early 90's death metal, which I love. Things stomp around at a midpace tempo that is just begging for you to headbang to, not to mention that brutal half time shift in the first track at 1:40- trust me, this was great to hear live. I don't know Mammoth Grinder too well, but this seems like a bit of a departure as things for the most part are kept around a mid tempo with short blast beats and d-beats to be found. For the most part sounds like a d-beat influenced 90's Swedish death metal band.

One thing I can't applaud them enough for is their Venom cover. Some bands do too faithful of a cover, which seems pointless as I could just hear the original then, and some bands like Mammoth Grinder incorporate the basics and make it their own. The vocals are in a gruffer Lemmy style and the tone is a lot heavier than Venom could ever fathom; there's even a blast beat. I'd say this is worth the tape alone. Speaking of covers, the Rorschach cover is great too. I don't know Rorschach too well (in fact I'm not much of a fan of their stuff) but this track is badass.

This is a nifty little item, if you can catch them on tour defiantly pick this thing up. I've tried my hand at ripping it, the quality seems a bit skewed, but not by much.

Tours dates can be found at Cyclopean Record's website as well as some merch.

-F

Bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed

2010-07-13T12:59:00.009+08:00

Official Myspace
Label: Relapse
Released: 2010
Release Type: Vinyl 12" 105 White, 105 Clear (not released to public), 556 Black
Genre: Hardcore/Sludge

I've been pretty busy, and I can assume the same for the rest of the GJ crew. I'd love to see 206 drop in and give some of his grindly insight into the goings on of today, because frankly I'm out of the loop. That being said one of the only recent non-Thou things I've gotten is Weekend Nachos's new ep Bleed, something I had been waiting for since last year when Unforgivable stopped spinning its first time on my turntable.

If you've dipped into our back catalog of reviews and commentary, or if you're a faithful follower you should know how I feel about Weekend Nachos. Their second full length, and reinvention that is Unforgivable made me forever a fan. Bleed is odd in terms of its direction not just because it sounds nothing like their older material, but because it's a strangely logical continuation of Unforgivable.

The band's affinity for heaviness and brutality is what's on the mantel here. Bleed is 14 minutes of leisure time hardcore. The thing starts off at a crawl, resembling some of the beatdown parts of Unforgivable but ultimately sounding more like a sludge band than anything else. John's vocals are as tough as ever, bludgeoning the listener with very bark. It's not so far fetched coming from this band, but it feels like unnatural ground for them as John's vocals lack variation this time around (no background shouts either) not to mention the guitars play what seems like the same handful of riffs throughout both sides of this LP and there's only one mid/up tempo section.

I like it, but I think I expected something more. Bleed comes off very underwhelming in comparison to last year's best album. Further from that, if this ep was from another band I can't say I'd give it too much attention. What I said about uncertain ground really comes out in the second track "Observer" as it's about 7 minutes of the same refrain broken up by some crashing noises that remind me of the beginning of Dopesick (maybe that's the point?) and slight shifts. It's an attempt at being heavy that falls flat.

Overall I'd say it's worth the purchase if you're a big Weekend Nachos fan, if you're on the fence then I'd save your money for when they visit your town or their next offering which will hopefully be a bit more developed.

Here's a DL thanks to Harsh Distractions. And of course, if you like it buy it here.

-F

p.s. Oh, and Maryland Death was awesome. Here's a late and quick summery.

The Good:Gorguts, Aspyhx, Impaled, Capitalist Casualties, Portal, Converge, Malignancy, Magrudergrind, DRI, PLF (the whole prefest was awesome).

The Bad: Entombed played a lot of dad rock, I think only two tracks from Left Hand Path, not to mention only one guitar. Trap Them/Sodom/Stormcrow and others didn't make it. Expencive beer/food, things I wanted sold out too quickly, some bands must have forgotten their merch (Gridlink I'm looking at you). Waitan, boring on cd and somehow more boring live. Missed most of Obituary to see Converge, I was too far back and they were a bit underwhelming.

The great: Coffins, then after show with Coffins and Massgrave playing till sunrise. Incantation, Wolfbrigade, Repulsion (awesome pit, lots of cuts and brusies from that one alone), From Ashes Rise,Gridlink, Eyehategod (although the setlist was a bit lacking) Autopsy!! and I'm sure there's something else I'm forgetting. Being told Jeff couldn't make it for Possessed, then hearing Sadistic Intent playing Burning in Hell and seeing ol' Jeff wheelin' around- awesome. Jesus Crost we're a great surprise, and super nice guys too. Awesome way to blow 200bucks, hopefully I can go next year.

Maryland Deathfest

2010-05-27T04:10:00.004+08:00

So it's times like these that I'm giddy as a school girl (I think I've said this before, keep an eye on what drives me like that).

I'm heading down to Baltimore tomorrow for America's biggest and best metal fest. There's a bunch I'm looking forward to, but I'll just include some of my favorites in order to enlighten, remind, or simply spread the gospel.

Gorguts, Coffins, Sodom, Autopsy, Capitalist Casualties, Wolfbrigade, Eyehategod, Incantation, Repulsion, Magrudergrind, and Gridlink.

Here are some links I've borrowed, as uploading all of this would kill me. It's mostly death metal here, excited to see a lot of the bands I don't know.

Gorguts- Obscura
Avant Garde, weird, super technical death metal that's all over the place. Atonal and dissonant as hell, nothing sounds like this.

Coffins- Buried Death
Death metal, slow, and as heavy as heavy gets. An homage to old metal stalwarts such as Incantation, Winter, Hellhammer, and others. One of the best bands around, hands down.

Sodom- Persecution Mania
Sodom, thrash, Sodom, thrash, if you look under Thrash in Webster's i'm sure you'll find Sodom. I don't know what else to say, one of the best things to come out of Germany.

Autopsy- Severed Survival
Another death metal essential, incredible basswork and riffs. Apparently MDF has been bugging Autopsy for the past 4 years to play, it's about time. Great production, things fell apart a couple of albums later and that's where Abscess comes from.

Capitalist Casualties- Subdivisions In Ruin
If you know power violence, then you know CC. It's like Minor Threat and hardcore, this is mandatory. They've got more releases then you can shake a stick at, enjoy this one.

Wolfbrigade- In Darkness You Feel No Regret
Defenders of the d-beat (borrowed from Disfear), originally wolfpack. Stalwarts in Swedish hardcore, if you don't know them then where the hell have you been?

Eyehategod- Dopesick
The epitome of sludge, one of my favorite albums of all time. Dirty, grimey, hopeless and heavy, Dopesick is NOLA's most important contribution.

Incantation- Onwards Towards Golgotha
Along with Autopsy, a similar slow death metal band of the glory days. Few albums are as heavy as this, pretty atmospheric for a death metal band.

Repulsion- Horrified
Duuuuuuuuuur, one of grindcore's finest moments. Saw these guys back in june play the whole thing, super excited to see it again. Sloppy, organic, geniune, and awesome, Horrified is a piece of music history.

Magrudergrind- Rehashed
A nice mix of power violence and grind, Rehashed is where Magrudergrind belongs. Spazz like vocals, great songwriting and excellent production. Not to mention they are awesome live.

Misery Index - Heirs to Thievery

2010-05-08T19:59:00.006+08:00

Myspace
Released: 2010
Label: Relapse Records

Heirs to Thievery sees Misery Index streamlining and shortening their assault, a slight nod to the philosophy of their grindcore roots. Lyrical ammunition is once again pointed at political and social cancers from materialism in “Plague of Objects” to the New World Order conspiracy (“The Illuminaught”). 2008’s Traitors received a heavy dosage of groove in its songs. Heirs to Thievery pumps it up to a near-fatal injection. When massive gravitational forces aren’t heaving your helpless ragdoll of a body to and fro (“The Carrion Call”, the middle riff of “The Illuminaught”) , it’s the steel-soled boot of all-consuming imperialism and impending doom trampling you deep into the ground (“The Seventh Cavalry”, “You Lose”) or bombs going off in burning broken streets (“Day of the Dead”, “Heirs to Thievery”) . Misery Index wield sound like a weapon, and manage to do a hell of a lot of damage.

Heirs of Thievery, like its predecessor Traitors, is very much quintessential modern death metal. It’s a music very much fixed in the present, in the now, and in the chaos and strife of this modern age. It doesn’t transport the listener to an alternate universe where the Old Gods slumber or into the treacherous depths of a fiery, cavernous hell. Instead, Heirs of Thievery forces the listener into the reality of dystopian human civilization. A reality of car bombs around the block, of the invisible hands of corporate despots strangling you, of world leaders forcing you onto your knees, of collapsing skyscrapers, of whole nations burned into steel and concrete skeletons in a single great white flash. Welcome to the modern apocalypse. The end is not nigh, the end is now.

Pre-order it here.

Blood I Bleed - Massgrav - Split

2010-05-03T16:14:00.005+08:00

Blood I Bleed MySpace
Massgrav MySpace
Type: CD
Release: 2010
Label: SelfMadeGod

This split presents two bands playing the same genre in different ways. First up is Blood I Bleed, a band who went from Never Heard Of 'Em to Can't Get Enough Of 'Em status in one trip to Grind And Punishment. They play 11 songs, including three from their previous incarnation My Mind's Mine. And they get right down to business. The tone is metal, the approach is thrash, the final product is a relentless grind of hyperblasts over riffs bordering thrashcore. They also have a barrage of crust riffs at their disposal. There's an odd slow passage or two, most notably the final track, and the band gathers their strength between a fair amount of well-placed feedback. Mastered in the middle of the mix are full throated screams with an extra helping of gravel. This is worthy ear candy for anyone who likes the punk side of grind.

Do I dare even assume you have never heard of the next band? Listening to Massgrav is like finding a handful of early 80s 5" punk singles - but unknowingly playing them at 45 RPM. They are not simply tuned like a punk band, they sound like the fastest punk band you have ever heard. They are also accomplished musicians who grind and thrash with the best of them. Conceivably you could call them powerviolence. But that's taking the easy way out. My advice is to press play and go along for the ride. Massgrav is perfect for anyone who likes the grind side of punk.

The packaging is nice if you speak Swedish. Other wise you get full lyrics for Blood I Bleed, some random letters strewn together in paragraph form on the Massgrav pages, band photos and some Thank You's. For me that all takes a back seat to the music and this CD has two great bands playing their distinct brand of proper grind. Support the bands, support SelfMadeGod - buy it here.

Enabler - Eden Sank to Grief

2010-04-28T05:04:00.005+08:00

Official Myspace
Release Type: Tape (lmt 150) digital and vinyl soon.
Released: April, 2010
Label: Halo of Flies
Genre: Hardcore

So this is the first thing I've bought in awhile (besides the recent Thou tape), because I've been trying to save money after my recent acquisition of a ticket for Maryland Deathfest That's right boys, I'm heading to that pie in the sky...

Anyway, what we've got here is another trusty offering from Halo of Flies, a small DIY outfit in Milwaukee that's put out gems by Protestant, Fall Of Efrafa, Thou, Half Gorilla, and now Enabler; I've yet to be disappointed by anything I've heard from them. Enabler sports a hefty lineup of members from Abaddon, Regrets, The Butts, Party by the Slice, Quest for Fire, Dead Issue and the former drummer (on guitar here in Enabler) of Trap Them,Today is the Day,Shai Hulud, etc.

Enabler's style, in a nutshell, is metallic hardcore baring a resemblance to His Hero is Gone, Trap Them, Integrity, and heavy darker power violence acts like Hatred Surge. Eden Sank to Grief features eight songs and so far is a limited tape, of which only 150 were made. Plans to go to vinyl I believe are in the works.

I like Enabler, plain and simple. Eden Sank to Grief starts perfectly, a quick d-beat into a bar of lone bass chugging along, then back to d-beat then out of nowhere a soaring solo. Within a minute or so, Enabler establish themselves as more than just a HHIG worship band, and thank Whatever. "Unconditional Surrender" continues the pace with blast beats sparsely used and impressive work along the fretboard, a very Gothenburg styled track. Things continue at a frantic pace until the middle of "Fucking Wartorn" where the listener is able to rest their neck and stomp around for a bit. Strong rhythmic shifts accompanied by leads, solos, a barrage of vocals and powerful drums keep your attention for the short ride. That lead midway through "Renegrenades" is awesome, almost gets into post-rock territory there.

I don't have any complaints about this one, Enabler know their sound and know the job, there's no missteps and no blunders. It's a surgical strike of heavy-as-fuck hardcore that should impress fans of Entombed as much as fans of Indecision.

Ol' Bill said it best, "brevity is the soul of wit," there's not a second wasted with this ep.

Take a listen here and you can buy it here (scroll down a bit). It's only 5 bucks, no excuses!

-F

On a side note, I hope everyone's got their eyes peeled for Machetazo's up coming Necrocovered, I'm shitting my pants about this one. Machetazo doing covers With all star guest vocalists? Can't lose.

To Live a Lie

2010-04-26T04:28:00.007+08:00

So yeah, we've got a spanking new review from the stalwart of grindademics, 206, the return of Axel with a brutaler than thou review and me, with a useless post.

I looked into Insidious Torture's Lust and Decay but I couldn't see the point in reviewing it as it's decent brutal deathmetal that is more grinding than churning; but nothing worthy of a review. Instead I'm turning back to a gem of 2007, In Disgust's Reality Choke.

Only putting out a comp of all their material in 2009, In Disgust have been slacking. Hopefully the Sharks's(my western conference fav and pick for the cup) success will goad them to releasing something soon. They have 5 releases pending, one of which is a split with PLF, which should be awesome.

Reality Choke itself, is 15 songs clocking in just over 11minutes of low gurgles, ear-piercing shrieks, thick guitars, and relentless blasting. Treading a fine line between power-violence and death metal, In Disgust implore excellent build ups that pay off in beautiful furies of blast beats and endless shrieks. Similar to Insect Warfare in song writing and riffs, In Disgust carry a more heavy and urban vibe, relying heavily on shifts in rhythm to really bludgeon you.

Pacing, riffs, moments of feedback and no remorse make Reality Choke one of my favorite "fast" eps, and by that I mean anytime I want something with energy, animosity, or anger I turn to Reality Choke. "Cali Smile" is a brutal build up of a song that pays off in "Shoulda Known," a furious, fast track.

If there was ever a recording to listen to whilst walking up and down the street smashing everything and everyone with a sledge hammer it'd be Reality Choke. The cover says it all, life is fucking filthy.

Band's Site
Reality Choke

Oh, and a bonus while I'm talking about bands that thrive off my inner tough guy and seething anger, here's a little diddy from Weekend Nachos who have a song off their upcomming ep on their myspace. The new track's okay, much slower and more mosh oriented. I don't know what John's really saying, if it's a joke, or if it's real or whatever, but i find it amusing.

-F

Inhume - Moulding the Deformed

2010-04-25T19:38:00.010+08:00

Inhume Myspace
Release: 2010
Label: War Anthem Records

Yup. Ladies and gentleman, Axel Sikth has returned to dispense Chainsaw Justice upon this earth once more. Since most of our readership right now weren't here in CJ's early days (read: about a year ago when 206-grind and FleshMonolith weren't the sole writers because it was still a one-man op) I'm sure no one knows who the fuck I am. I actually do not mind too much and therefore will spare the history lessons and self-indulgent self-introductions. I shall leave it to my flawless writing and exquisite taste to win you over.

Now onto this review. To quote a Metal Archives acquaintance of mine, "New Inhume is total titties". If we take "titties" here to mean "good", then sure, I suppose I could agree, but only partially. If it meant "bad", I would have a similar response. "Yes, but not completely." Let me elaborate.

If you loved the delicious slab of brutal deathgrind that was 2007's Chaos Dissection Order, then you have a decent chance of enjoying this album. It's got the same Insect Warfare-style vocals (bowel-shifting low gutturals speckled with rabid shrieking), the same blindfire-blast sections transitioning into some killer grooves, and heavy-as-falling-skyscrapers guitar tones (except beefier this time around). With Moulding The Deformed though, Inhume explored a couple of new things, and perhaps, because of that, the aforementioned old things suffered.

Besides the newly buffed guitar tones (think of Insect Warfare's World Extermination compared to their stuff off the This Comp Kills Fascists, Vol. 1 compilation), changes in new Inhume include (gasp) longer songs! I know, a seemingly superficial change, but this change in song length is one of the reasons why I said you have a "decent chance" at enjoying this album instead of "you will fucking jizz your brains over it". In Moulding..., Inhume seem to have traded off most of their intense, catchy, concise deathgrind for lengthier brutal death metal with grind sections. Opening salvo "Deadbeat", "Pandemic", "Phobia", and "Sea of Limbs" still exemplify the traditional 2-minute grindcore song that was pretty much Chaos Dissection Order. With the exception of "Pandemic" though, the rest of these tunes all have seem to lost that hostile groove and merely grind on with little else to break the monotony.

Some of the longer songs aren't too shabby though. "Virus" blasts along at jarring speeds before shifting into a comfortable mid-pace double-bass-supported riff which then breaks into full-on headbanging groove. Riff development is one improvement in Moulding... and "Cure For Life" is another tune that displays this. It opens with the sound of air raid sirens and tank-tread double-bass and palm-muted tremolo picking which break into a fully-realized riff and then assumes blasting position. The problem here though, is the poor transition between slower death metal sections and grind sections.

The title track handles that well, but some songs can be quite "hit-or-miss", being similar to Chaos... but longer, and consequently unfocused or just being hookless. Where Inhume do succeed though, they do make it count. "Pandemic" carries some D-beat swagger with it, the title track, "Virus", "Premeditated", "Compulsory Infected", and closer "Violent Overkill" flow flawlessly from deranged riff to riff. "Cure For Life", though rough in its beginning transitions, closes powerfully.

Despite some losses in the songwriting department and another minor quibble (the drum tone still doesn't hit as hard as I feel it should; I know, I ask for a lot), Moulding The Deformed is still a solid release and very much worth a listen for the death metal and grindcore fan. You could do much worse.

Listen
Own

Japanische Kampfhörspiele - Bilder Fressen Strom

2010-04-25T14:13:00.011+08:00

JaKa MySpace
Type: CD / Vinyl
Release: 2010
Label: Unundeux

As always you get your money's worth with Jaka (their last EP was 19 minutes before the 19-minute bonus track). Jaka have also always been good for writing quality riffs, often penning one-off, throw-away riffs lesser bands would design complete songs around. In their usual realm of punk and grind, these were treats adding flavor to their "short, composed poems" take on grind's micro song format. Bilden Fressen Strom adds a new twist to the formula - featuring 27 songs in 42 minutes (those number are usually swapped) and the name of the game this time around is Thrash. There are three instrumentals - by title - but lyrics are at such a premium that instrumentation was definitely their style of choice during the writing process.

From a purist stand point (read: you have a closed mind and think every band's earlier work is better) a little of the punch and urgency of their earlier songs has been lost. Instead of ten to 45 second outbursts we get songs with body, mind and spirit. In reality, it's a trade off leaving behind an album with more personality. It's a CD that can grace your home stereo system all day long, or, in MP3 format, can get you through your whole commute while you deal with assholes who never learned how to merge...

Bilder Fressen Strom begins with "Die Schlachtung," a five minute song with enough stop-and-go action to make even Antigama blush. It has so many quality riffs that a reviewer working on a word count would simply give up and call it epic. I am a firm believer in transitioning. It's not just "the riff" but how you build up to it and where you go after it. Any one who listened to classic thrash knows what I'm talking about. But if that didn't make sense, just pay attention to what is happening leading into the 1:40 mark and to where the band goes from there. As the tune works to it's inevitable end the only thing I can really ask for is louder bass kicks. The tone is set: it's skin-tight black jeans with white high-tops Thrash time. And there's 37 minutes to go...

There are so many great songs and moments. Take "Supermacht," which meanders through the first half of the track before suddenly morphing into a crossover bordering powerviolence finale. There's the industrial number "Jochbeinbruch" that certain early-90's power houses in the genre are probably furious they didn't write. Then there's "Wie geht nochmal ficken," featuring driving, mid-paced palm-muted riffing that scream out for blast beats. Showing their patient side, Jaka instead offer up an extended, ankle exercising double bass passage that sounds absolutely brilliant by virtue of not being triggered. Another one that comes to mind is "Rentnerparadies," the kind of song that makes kids want to hit up their dads for the car keys and some gas money.

Without question "Bilder Fressen Strom" is their heaviest and most metal album yet. This will probably be the one the band is eventually "known" for - primarily because the songs should appeal across the extreme spectrum. From the punk side, fans of Abscess and Massgrav; on the thrash side, fans of Ghoul and Population Reduction; and especially old school death metal fans: we can all learn German, play air guitar and snarl along. Both disk and vinyl are available directly from the band here.

Being the lazy bastard I am...

2010-04-14T01:39:00.004+08:00

Welcome to post number 100. I left it free for the taking. For a week. Intentionally. None of my blog mates seemed keen on making a big deal of it. It's just a number, right? We can make a fuss over post 1,000.

Plenty of new tunes have come in. Being the lazy bastard I am ... the reviews can wait. Chelsea-Bolton in a few hours. Spurs-Arsenal tomorrow. City-United Saturday. And that's just in England. Huge week for footy. After work, right when I walk in the door this week, I morph into Uncle Frank.

So then. Until next time, here is one of the best bands to ever come out of Japan. Part powerviolence. Part sludge. Part Crossed Out worship. What their name means is your guess as good as mine. The one. The only. Su19b. Here is there discography 1997-2001. Like most powerviolence discogs there are many versions of the same song. And like all good powerviolence bands, you shouldn't care.

Listen.
Own.
Cheers.

Paranoid Existence

2010-04-06T13:38:00.011+08:00

Shitstorm - Paranoid Existence LP
Format: Cassette / LP
Release: 2010
Label: RSR / Vinyl Rites

This is a back catalog of sorts - the material has already been released on splits and comps between '04 and '08. The big deal here is that the band had to cancel their supporting tour - meaning 100 test pressings are available for sale. The fuzzy image below is #59, now in the property of yours truly. Not sure if they were sold in order (only 41 left! Act Now!) or if the guy is grabbing at random. But there is also a printing of 300 proper albums which are available through other sources. And for those still living in 1989, the cassette was released on RSR.

In other news, the split with Conga Fury is actually going to be released this year as well - after three years of waiting. Two Shitstorm items in the same year? Is the Mayan calendar ending early?

Putting the nix on convenience, the output ports on my mixer shorted so I can't rip this. Luckily for you, these songs are already floating around the interwebs. The collection contains their songs from: This Comp Kill Fascists Vol1, Split with Gentle Art of Chokin', Self Released Tour EP (dig it up) and their split with Sloth (ditto). For those of you who were not with us last year, please listen to and then promptly buy their split with Magrudergrind.

Once you have accomplished this, come back and answer my one question: why is Shitstorm so criminally overlooked? Is it just me? Or is it, along with Gate (who play a similar style and are similarly ignored) all due to a lack of material? It's not because of Torche, is it?

Sayyadina and the digital law of the land

2010-04-02T14:07:00.013+08:00

This space used to be reserved for a review of the latest Sayyadina comp. First the preview link was taken down. No big deal. Then I got a DMCA email stating the review was breaking copyright law. How? With no download, the rest of the info is in the public domain, namely the band's MySpace and the Relapse web store.

They place the post in draft status and asked me to remove the offending data. Since there was none, I deleted all the comments (where the link used to be, along with disparaging remarks about a half-assed album by a really good band) and put it back up.

But now, today, I get another email about this post and again it's in draft status. So, even though there was nothing in the post that was not made readily available on the band's website, I am killing this post. It can't be Relapse, as they have been cool about everything else. So it must be the band.

Either way, if it was "you": fuck you. And until I know who it was, I refuse to support a band that brings the hammer down on me for encouraging people to buy their records.

Rotten Sound - Napalm EP

2010-04-01T12:20:00.002+08:00

RottenSpace
Type: CD/DVD
Release: 2010
Label: Relapse

Napalm was my excuse to buy a Rotten Sound t-shirt. I'll admit it. After hearing Napalm Death covers, steadily, for the past 20 years I expected little from this six song EP. I was dead wrong. I'll admit it.

The three new Rotten Sound songs are great. The band is faster than ever before. Their tone is as rotten as ever. And their writing skills have struck a nice balance between the three distinct RxSx incarnations (From Crust Til Grind > Exit > Cycles). "Mindkill" has an obvious Exit sound. "Dead Remains" sounds like one of the better tunes from Cycles. And "Brainload" takes every thing to the next level. It's a solid indication that the new album will place RxSx right back on top of the Grindcore heap. It might even be so good the hipsters think it's "this obscure new band from Finland."

So what about those covers? They fucking slay! Instead of covers we get Rotten Sound Renditions Of Napalm Death Classics. Their tone is far deeper and more distorted than classic NxDx and they made no attempt to hide it. The Kill comes and goes. You will recognize the intro but the rest is a distorted blur. Nick Bullen would be proud. Missing Link, from the greatest grind EP ever made (no hyperbole, all truth) gets proper rendition treatment. And saving the best for last, their take on Suffer The Children blows the original right out of the water.

There is also a DVD taken from their Obscene Extreme show in 2007. No, I'm not ripping it for you. Here's the shirt, courtesy of Relapse.

A Party Political Punk Service Announcement

2010-03-26T12:03:00.008+08:00

With the passing of a bill that, even if it clears all the Reconciliation hurdles, is still four years from being implemented, your typical "go to work and get paid" Americans are starting to find their voice. This is never a good thing. This also just so happens to be a a mid-term election year - and health care just so happens to be the mother load of all hot-button issues. So what's happening? The tendency to opine has reached brave new heights. Sound Bites abound. And as usual, the first thing to go is our willingness to see all sides of the argument. We have reached the ultimate plateau: an Ultra Mega Hyper "My Way Or Go Fuck Yourself" political mindset. When all is said and done, I predict the congressional grand standing and posturing will make the Terri Schiavo fiasco look like a Disney After School Special in comparison.

So what do you do? You can't afford a politician, which means you can't afford a Supreme Court Justice either - and a little voice in the back of your head tells you that if you could afford these things then you probably wouldn't care about the issue anyway. Options seem rather slim, don't they? Well I'm here to help, friends. By going back in our time machine to 1983, I offer you the 206-Grind Three Step Punk Program.

Step One - Get Pissed

MDC - Millions Of Dead Cops / More Dead Cops

And I mean that in a specific way. No "Anarchy In The UK" or "Let's Start A War" ambiguity. I'm talking about collecting a list of anything you can remotely associate with being an arm of the establishment and releasing the fury. Stretch out that web as broad as possible. Play the Six Degrees Of Separation game.

The music is fast, the lyrics cut to the bone and no one is spared. It's raw anger, and it's directed at anything and everything. Call John Wayne a Nazi. Rail against the government for torture (yes, it was "legal" then, too), interrupt Sunday sermons with shouts that "there is no God so get off your knees." All things are hated equal but some things are more equal than others.

Step Two - Focus

Sub|Hum|Ans - Time Flies But Aeroplanes Crash + Rats

You've got all your aggression out, now comes the time to take a step back - change the Google Earth view from "Cracks in the sidewalk" to "Topographical" - and seek out the root cause. The music slims down a notch. Not as distorted, not as chaotic, much cleaner. All the more bandwidth for the lyrics - which still cut right to the chase. Five time zones west and twenty-seven years ago, Subhumans spent considerable time being pretty pissed about this entity called "National Health." They were rather upset about a few useless wars with no end in sight and the prospect of another. Funny how some things never change, innit?

But here's where things start to get tricky. The Powers That Be have all the money, all the media outlets and the ultimate power: distraction. They have enough neon lights, street signs and billboards on the Road Of Life to ensure you always take the off-ramp at the end of Step 2. This only leads you endlessly back to Step 1, setting up a cycle that jades you into a perpetual state of incurable cynicism. And no one needs that.

So after you've been pissed, after you've stepped back and placed everything in perspective, the solution is to drive straight past Jaded AVE and look for an unlit, unmarked alley. The type of road you will miss if you blink. This leads you to:

Step Three - Satire

Suicidal Tendencies - S/T

Because, seriously, you gotta laugh. Otherwise you'd go crazy (IN-sti-TU-tion!)

A Few Words From Thou

2010-03-20T03:01:00.012+08:00

Thou, the prolific sludge fivesome from Baton Rogue L.A. has turned some heads as of late. 15 releases since their inception in 2007 and numerous presses from people's basements to big wigs like Southern Lord, Thou are just getting started. 2010 promises to deliver the long awaited Summit which will be the band's third full length. Bryan, the band's voice, was kind enough to share some words with the CJ crew in between recording their new album, playing around their stomping grounds, and preparing for a North Eastern tour that's got a lot of fans giddy as a school girl.

CJ:Let's get a brief history of Thou, previous incarnations, interesting backgrounds, etc.

B:The band was around for about two years before I joined. Back then, they had more of a post-rock, Isis / Pelican sound with sparse Acid Bath style vocals. I joined sometime after Tyrant was written and took over full vocal duties.

We're all from pretty typical working class backgrounds, and we're all deeply rooted in the DIY punk scene. We've had a few bands before Thou with and without each other. Everyone in the band generally has a few side bands happening, Mitch being the worst with four or five other bands. I met Andy through this amazing hardcore band he was in called We Need to Talk; in fact, the first Thou tour was one I had booked and was driving for WNTT, and they sort of conned me into joining the band, so Thou could hijack it.

CJ:From the depth of the lyrics, as well as the various quotes throughout your works you guys are obviously well read. How much do you find what you read, or watch (The Shooter excerpt is ace), play a role in your music? Have you ever read Manfred? There's a great quote with thou, at the end; just a heads up for more liner notes, haha.

B:We all read a lot. The other guys, especially Andy (who I believe is just a hair and a breath short of an English BA), all send me ideas, and I have a pile of notes that I use to generate themes and lyrics. I might pull a word or phrase from something and then write a whole song about it. Or we might have songs here and there that are basically mangled pieces of text from various places. For instance, I pulled a lot of stuff from the Bonnot Gang for "Hooves" and there are a few hidden quotes in some of the Tyrant LP lyrics from classic gothic horror novels like Dracula and Frankenstein.

I don't know how intelligent we seem now that you've outed us on that Shooter sample! Hahaha. Although to be honest, I didn't see that movie until a couple of years after we used it on "Smoke Pigs." Our old roadie Thomas Mudge had thrown that at us, and we went with it. He's also responsible for coining the whole "Smoke Pigs. Actualize it." and "Talk to Cops.." ideas and probably a slew of other stuff. He's our ghost writer and the almost singer for Barghest.

I haven't read much Byron, but I'll have to check out the Manfred poem. Who wouldn't be turned on by a guy defying religion to his dying breath? We generally stay away with being too cheeky with our quotes, though I couldn't help using that "thou" quote from We on the Kingdoms collection. It was just too good to pass up.

CJ:You're working on a new album I hear, how far along are you with it and can we get any info on it in regards to what to expect, release date, changes from previous works, release format, etc.

B:We just finished the recording of Summit at the Living Room Studio in Algiers, Louisiana. An old friend of mine Chris George built and runs the space with another great guy by the name of Daniel Majorie. It's basically an old church converted into a recording studio. It's pretty amazing! James Whitten, who recorded the all the non-full length songs up to now, acted as recording engineer and did an amazing job. We love James.

We're working on the mix and layout now, and we're shooting to have the record out this summer for our tour in June with Moloch. Southern Lord will be releasing the LP, Gilead Media will be doing the CD, and Broadcloak will be doing a short run of cassettes.

Thematically, this LP is a bit of a departure from our general misanthropic disposition. If folks can read between the lines a bit, they'll hopefully be able to see this as a very positive, life-affirming record: the imminent triumph of anarchists and other fringe revolutionaries over the repressive prison of civilization.

CJ:What are you listening to at the moment? Anything in particular really drive you in your own creation?

B:Fell Voices and Kowloon Walled City from the Bay Area in California; Skagos from Vancouver, Canada; Coffinworm from Indianapolis, Indiana; and Black Breath from Seattle, Washington; Mourne from Boston, Massachusetts.

The first three are probably the only ones having much of an influence on the music, since the rest of the guys who do the actual composing are more familiar with them. Lyrically, I draw more from hardcore bands like Catharsis, His Hero is Gone, Earth Crisis, etc.

CJ:A continuation of the previous question, what kind of music outside of metal do you listen to, does it play a role in your music?

B:Right now, I'm hooked on Kid Cudi's Man on the Moon LP. I can't get enough of it. I also just grabbed the newest Mos Def record which is as solid as you'd expect.

As far as musical influences outside of metal, everyone in the band is pretty heavily into Pearl Jam and Fiona Apple. And there are three of us, myself included, who really like the Shins. I think that stylistically, we share a lot more with bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains than we do with Eyehategod or Crowbar. And we pretty much all like Nirvana, probably my number one band ever.

And I'm a huge Smiths fan--as you can see by some of the lines we bite!--but I'm pretty much the only one in the band who likes them, aside from our roadie and merch wizard Derek.

I just grabbed a pile of unreleased material from this old vegan straightedge band Culture. Chip who does the x Stuck in the Past x blog thankfully posted it. (Great blog, by the way for anyone who likes 90s hardcore.)

CJ:NOLA's a crucial and well known facet in the metal community and from your site I see there's quite a well organized scene in NOLA as well Baton Rogue, what's it like?

B:I think there's a lot of hype because of bands like Eyehategod (who are great!) or Soilent Green or Crowbar or whatever. But it's really the same as anywhere else in the world. I don't know if I would call New Orleans or Baton Rouge "well organized." It's more like controlled chaos that people who have some organizational skills have to float around in.

CJ:While your basis might be sludge, I hear significant influence from black metal, throughout the band's sound. Your vocals, which I am a huge fan of, work perfectly, yet aren't too common in sludge, and some of the riffs, atmosphere and even recent incorporation of blast beats seems to show a nod or two towards black metal. Specifically I'm thinking about the Leech split and the recent split with Salome. Personally I love this, is this conscious? It comes off very natural and I was just curious about the process, reminds me a bit of Fleshpress.

B: It's funny that you should bring up that Leech material because it was written before the Peasant stuff and with a lot of time separating it. But, yeah, we're pretty much all into black metal in some way. We're friends with bands like Leech, Fell Voices, Skagos, Altar of Plagues, Wolves in the Throne Room--and huge fans of their work--so that stuff is definitely starting to creep into our sound a bit. We've talked a little about writing an entire black metal record in the future, though it would more or less be our take on the genre, so it'll definitely be a bit off from the usual fare, I think. Matthew and Terry are also in a straight up, raw black metal band called Barghest, who I think are incredible. So there can sometimes be some crossover in what they do in that band and what makes it into some of our songs.

But other than the idea of doing that one record, we haven't consciously decided to write songs that are in that genre. For the most part, Andy or Matthew will have a few riffs, or the skeleton of a song, and we'll just go from there. If a part comes out sounding more black metal than is usual for us, it's just the logical development of the part.

And my vocals are what they are. I come from more of a hardcore background. I don't have any professional training or anything. They've just always been like that. Before Thou, I was in a couple of bands that were more punk or more 90s emo, Ebullition style, and the vocals were just as "black metal."

CJ: How important is a band's image, and all the various accessories that accompany the music to you?

B:We don't really have a band image. None of us really wear the punk rock or metal uniforms or whatever. And if we did, I would hope that our poor fashion sense wouldn't dictate our writing. We're not trying to fit into a particular scene or even appeal to anyone.

There may be a certain aesthetic that we try and maintain with the record artwork, but that's always dictated by the themes or emotions we're trying to express with the music, rather than a certain look for that look's sake.

CJ:You guys have racked up numerous splits now, what's the process like? Do you seek out bands? You have a knack for playing with some kickass bands.

B:We've just been really lucky so far to be approached by so many people whose music we liked. At this point we're not seeking out any more bands to do splits with. We have a few things in mind that might be on the back-burner for the next couple of years, since our main focus will be on writing the next two full lengths.

CJ:Well thanks a lot for your time and can't wait to check out new material from you guys and eventually see you on the stage. Any last words?

B:You're probably more likely to see us in front of the stage. That thing's just there for you to use to jump over us into a pile of your friends.

Thanks for the interview.

-Bryan
More information here. And thanks again to the guys at Thou, great stuff-keep your eyes peeled!

-F

Anion-Corpse Flower

2010-03-16T01:36:00.003+08:00

Official Myspace
Released: Feb 2010
Release Type: Cassette (lmt 100)
Label: Self-Released
Genre: Hardcore

First off, I apologize to everyone. I've been stupid busy with school work, work, and everything else you can imagine. So this is quiet delayed, and I feel bad about this because this band deserves the attention.

Apparently an Anion is an ion with a negative charge. "Negative charge" is a fitting term for this band as they've got a lot of energy and it's downright dismal. Anion play a super heavy style of midpaced hardcore. Think about the sludgey tendencies of His Hero is Gone and you're in the right ballpark with Anion.Heavy distorted guitars, a thick cudgel-like bass, a tumult of drums and deep throaty yells are the key components in Anion's sound.

I really like the band's attitude and overall sound. It's dark and heavy, and the style in which it's played is like if doom band cranked up the low end, embodied the doom and gloom of the dark ones and threw in some hardcore riffs. The aesthetic of it all is pleasing and there's some really great riffs to headbang to.

And while I like the band, and want to give them a high rating, the lack of diversity in tempos really brings things down for me. Maybe it's a poor way to begin my cricism, but the band does everything else so good it's really annoying not to hear a single d-beat, polka beat, or even a blast beat. "Nothing to Lose" is the only song that has any sense of urgency to it and it works very well; the band should just take this a step further. The production is amazing (especially if it's a self financed release). It's absurdly heavy, clear, and dirty: my favorite. But all the icing in the world doesn't hide the fact that the batter itself is lackluster. It's really annoying because I do like this band a lot from what I've heard. I'm completely serious, if the band just went above mid-tempo, or incorporated a d-beat at least three times in this four song demo I'd be willing to give it an A+

This, of course is their only recorded material, so there's a lot to look forward with these guys, and they seem to play their asses off, so try and catch them! They've generously supplied a download which of course leads me to the cassette itself. This thing is beautiful and very limited! buy it if there's any left (along with their super cool merch)!

Take a listen for yourself here.

-F

Defeatist - Sixth Extinction

2010-03-10T16:30:00.006+08:00

DefeatistSpace
Release - 2010
Type - CD
Label - Willowtip

We all have at least one. That one album, from band X, with three really good songs surrounded by b-side filler. Those are seriously the best songs they ever wrote - yet whenever you want to hear that band you always find yourself reaching for their other CD. Why? Because at the end of the day, it's all about consistency. It's the internet age - if you want to hear those three songs, hit up their MySpace. It's also the instant gratification age and filler is far from gratifying.

Defeatist's latest studio output Sixth Extinction exudes consistency. It also doubles as a Master's thesis in Thinking Man's Grind. There is a steady onslaught of rhythm driven riffs coming at your from song to song - not your typical patchwork 4/4 cookie cutter grind, nor by the numbers death metal riffs strung together seemingly at random. Instead the riffs presented here tend to be longer in duration, well thought out, almost in a progressive fashion. But don't get me wrong - this is not noodling. And the grind staples are in fact present. Standard crust and ripping death metal riffs will show up time and again to trigger your inner head-nod button. They are just not the focal point. In a way, you could almost call this Technical Crust. What ever it is, you will listening to it - and probably learn something if you try to play along.

Between the odd riffs, and changes in tempo ranging from patient sludge to frenetic grind, there is both an illusion of space within the music and also some odd holes and down beats to fill. Enter drummer Joel Stallings. The drum work here is nothing short of phenomenal. With beats, rhythms and cymbal work as eccentric as the riffs themselves, Mr. Stallings comes through with full marks. So many other drummers would have blasted or rolled double base through this album. While we do get plenty of blast, thrash and d-beats, it's actually the rhythms, fills and transitions that help make Sixth Extinction such an exciting album.

Defeatist use a guitar tone and distortion much closer to crossover than death metal, so they have a distinct punk feel to the music. The bass is very low but you can hear it dribbling away at many points throughout the album. So far as production goes the stereo guitars dominate the mix. Behind them is the rhythm section with the vocals taking up all the space that is left. The vocals are shouted out, with some grunts and snarls for emphasis at certain points. If the vocals had a more sizable amount of the bandwidth I'd imagine they would wear on many listeners, but where they are is prefect.

I think this is an album for everyone. It is thinking man's grind, so not everything may get it the first time around. If you are a guitarist or a grind aficionado, pop this in and enjoy the ride. For those who prefer having their asses handed to them as opposed to the more subtle forms of punishment, my recommendation is to play the album once before listening. I like "Dawn of No Light" and also side with Brother Atanamar about the two-riff interlude "Death Holds Her Brood" and "Warning" as some of the better songs. Individual songs however might not be the best way to go on Sixth Extinction - for best results, set aside 27 minutes and listen to the whole thing. Then go buy it here. Get the t-shirt while your at it.

Jesus Crost - 010

2010-03-06T15:31:00.004+08:00

Jesus Crost Space
Release: 2010
Format: CD
label: Bones Bridage

The two leisure activities that interest me the most in life are listening to grind and watching football. And I'm not joking: I intentionally work nights so I can be awake European hours, I have every "soccer" channel DirectTV offers, and I schedule my vacations around World Cup and the Summer Olympics. Either I am not alone or Jesus Crost figured out the path of least resistance to my wallet - Wear your team's kit, toss a football on your album cover and describe yourself as "Hooligan power violence."

010 is 23 songs in 15 minutes. The closest similarity I can think of, from a song writing stand point, is Japanische Kampfhörspiele. Like Jaka, the songs are more like haiku, each with their own themes and intentions. And Like Jaka the band write quick hitting, catchy riffs that lesser bands would design 3-minute songs around. There is plenty of stop-and-go action, groove, variety and just enough aggression to live up to their hooligan moniker. A good example of the band's more patient side is "Parasit" which is up on their MySpace. You can also hear "Wurfloch" and "Gonorrhoea" while you are there to get a good grasp of their ADHD side. For everything in between you have to get the CD.

One of the reasons I enjoy this album so much is how short it is. I will be the first to admit how I would like the band to expand on their riffs. But there are so many notable ones, and they are spaced out well across the 15 minute run time. It always seems like the good ones come back around just in time to keep me listening. Also, for any one who was turned off by the bonus tracks on Tot, rest assured, 010 does not have continuity issues. This one is highly recommended. It may not change your world but I doubt many will dislike it.

Now, unless anyone else minds, I'm off to watch the Tenerife - Real Madrid replay while I kill the seven hours until the Premiership kicks off.

Come What May

2010-02-21T00:40:00.007+08:00

So last night I saw Magrudergrind and Misery Index kick off their tour here in the states. The local openers were horrible and my friends and I suffered through walks in the cold to convenience stores just to avoid them (although one named Shotgun to the Dome was quite tempting just due to their name). All things aside, nothing was truer when Jason Netherton claimed "we should be opening for those guys [Magrudergrind]."

Misery Index formed out of the ashes of Dying Fetus, who at it's heart was a good death metal band who knew how to get people moving. While earlier works like Overthrow, Dissent, and Retaliation showed some wicked breakdowns and slams, they were more about the grind than anything else. Unfortunately, that all changed with Discordia which showcased a sterile production, longer songs, and an overall generic vibe that we come to expect from relapse death metal. Tendencies that couldn't be forgotten from the slam days of Dying Fetus became more apparent and the music watered down into super cleanly produced death metal metal which a touch of grind. A real shame, as I love Overthrow.

They played two new songs from their upcoming album, and it was much of the same. Slams in between blasting sections and a strong chorus like effort to get people moving. It works well live, as I enjoyed myself, but I can't say I'm too excited for their latest.

Maybe it's because they were picked up by Relapse, a label who's done well putting extreme metal into the market (Baroness, Pig Destroyer, Mastodon, etc) but I don't know how fair that is as Jason and the boys were always accustomed to bigger labels (Nuclear Blast, etc). Whatever the reason is, it's a real shame.

So here's to you, Misery Index, in 2001 you were a better child, and grindcore now, seems to have less of a footing here in America, we can only hope you bring it back someday.

P.S. Yes, Magrudergrind kicked ass. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of their latest but they really tore it up. The energy's still there and I'd gladly see them a hundred times over.

Download

-F

And for those who are interested, here's the setlist for Misery Index.

Infanticide - From Our Cold Dead Hands

2010-02-16T17:16:00.003+08:00

MySpace
Release: 2010
Type: CD
Label: Willowtip

Dear Emetic Records,

Thank you so very much for not releasing the latest album by Swedish grinders Infanticide. I know your decision must have hit the band pretty hard initially. It might have even caused them, for the Nth time, to question why they ever got together in the first place. But in doing so you also helped further prove the old adage that "Good things come to those who hate." As, instead of waiting around, seething and potentially splitting up - the band, in true DIY fashion, got pissed, took matters into their own hands and found a label willing to distribute what is indeed a must-have album.

Thanks in part to the law of unintended consequences, your decision has single handedly provided the band with the exposure they deserve. Now there is world-wide distribution, which means the album will always be available. Now there is a marketing department with the skill and budget to get the word out. Now there is the potential for a huge tour with some of the best grind acts in the world. And if that was not enough, at the same time you managed to make life for this reviewer ungodly easy. Instead of having to explain (to those not fortunate enough to know) just how Infanticide sounds and what the production is like, I can now sum it all up in one quick hitting sentence fragment: Mastered by Scott Hull and released on Willowtip Recordings.

That's right, kids: Willowtip. And I couldn't think of a better home for "From Our Cold Dead Hands." So what is it? In a nutshell, it's 26 minutes of some of the best D-Beat focused Swedish Crust Grind of the post Nasum era. And if I said the same thing about label mates Afgrund it's because Infanticide play a grittier version of the same game. The foundation is d-beat crust. What they build on this is constantly changing, both in cross genre riffing and tempo. There are 40-second attempts to break the land speed record, two minute mid-tempo excursions and every thing in between.

I am always a "whole is more than the sum of it's parts" guy when it comes to grind albums. But a few songs stand out as being representative. Two-riff wonder "Lifeless." The proto death metal intro of "A Worse Today," accurate right down to the traditional polka beats. The blistering "Shitfaced and Armed to the Teeth" comes to mind with it's one line manta, "I'm Your God Now." The track I enjoyed most the first time I spun the disk was "It Ends Here," featuring an extended thrash intro that leads into trade offs between full-speed ahead grind and classic death metal.

This album is guaranteed to put up a good fight for control of your CD player. But what really excites me is anticipation. Having Infanticide on Willowtip means I get to anticipate a US Tour with other bands releasing albums this year: Maruta and Defeatist. Seriously, send me the fliers. I will blanket Seattle for that one.

You are strongly encouraged to buy the album here (wink, wink). For more good times check out their debut, "Extinction Scheme" (nudge, nudge). And the Sonic Punishment 7" EP is mandatory for anyone who owns a record player (Say. No. More).

The Mail Order Blues

2010-02-12T13:58:00.005+08:00

I'm singing 'em. I prefer funk though, so I called in Clyde Stubblefield to play drums.

So here we are approaching the ides of February and I have no new tunes. What gives? One mail order got lost by the US Postal Service. The other order was a screw job. I placed the order, then got an email two weeks later stating they didn't have any of the items. They convinced me to wait two weeks while they tracked everything down and then admitted failure. Sad times. But when it comes to international mail order I follow the same rule as I do for gambling: only risk what you are able to lose.

So what have you been listening to? Do you ever go through rough times, when new music manages to evade your every attempt to track it down? When I encounter these phases I usually revert to the classics. The same is true here. Been listening to 80's punk, mostly Subhumans, Discharge and early DRI, along with Bolt Thrower "Realm of Chaos" and Godflesh "Streetcleaner." But between all of this, I get around to my favorite grind band from Poland: Suffering Mind. Poland has quite the grind scene - worth spending an hour between The Archives and friend jumping on MySpace. Off the top, there is Ass To Mouth, F.A.M., Dead Infection, and a certain Squash Bowels.

SxMx is an intense experience. They play raw, dirty crust grind at the speed of hate. The punk influence is strikingly obvious. There is little bullshit, little filler and when they do slow down, it's actually rather welcoming. If any one is looking for a quality, motivating, get up and fucking grind CD, "At War With Mankind" is the one for you. Seriously. Downloading is not enough. That is one to own. Below is all things SxMx. I know the band will probably hate me for this, but they tend to release their tunes on vinyl which is fastly becoming the red-headed step child of media formats. They need to get heard somehow... Shouts to Keep The Grindcore Alive for the Destroy Mankind EP. That's the only one I can't find a physical copy of.

destroy mankind ep
at war with mankind
asshammer split
lycanthropy split
wojtyla split

Vaginal Bear Trap - Slow Jams

2010-02-03T19:14:00.006+08:00

VBT Space
Release - TBC
Type: Mp3 / CD (maybe?)
Label - TBC

The first images that come to mind when I ponder what a vaginal bear trap might look like are humorously disturbing. It can't be made of metal or plastic or else only a starving bear would come within a mile of it. And who wants an emaciated bear skin rug? So what else could it be?

Fucked up imagery and cool name aside, Texas three-piece VBT is a good band. Beyond the grind essentials they bring a little bit of everything to the table on Slow Jams. A fair amount of March, Stomp and Groove. Some Thrash breaks tossed in for good measure. Lots of double bass. And more palm muted riffs than you can gnash your teeth at. So yeah, best of luck pigeonholing these guys into any sub genre. The music grinds. No question here. I never read the lyrics, so I'm not sure what the subject matter is, but if the seriously awesome song titles are any indication then a gore tag may be in order. "Abortion, Apple Pie & D-Beats," "Menstrual Gravy" and "Climaxipad" spring to mind.

I have only nice things to say about the music presented here. The production is great. The riffs keep moving and the band is tuned much closer to thrash than to death or gore - so the bass stands out and their crust/punk bits have more credibility. I enjoyed "Eternal Hangover," "Abortion, Apple Die & D-Beats," the short but sweet "Crystal Meth Mountain" and "Stream." The old-school, proto-death metal vocals are also a plus.

The only issue I take with VBT is in their sample selection. I know this is a personal thing. Some will laugh at them. Some will enjoy them. And who knows, maybe they jive with the lyrics. I simply hate where most of these samples came from. To me they're incongruous. But I really do like the tunes so I'm going to get the CD (if it's ever released). And if the band doesn't mind, I plan on ripping it, removing these samples and burning a proper disc.

A band-sponsored download is available here. Get your jam on.

No Gang Colors - This Is Your God EP

2010-02-02T14:06:00.005+08:00

MySpace
Release: 2010
Type: MP3 / CD-R
Label: Self Released

I don't get around to music like this as often as I should. It's two distinct things living together in harmony. On one hand, it's a three way, no holds barred grudge match between hardcore, industrial and metallic crust with Double Picked Riffing as the impartial referee. On the other it's effects heavy, we recorded this in the middle of an empty warehouse, extreme ambiance. The combination is interesting, expressive and worthy of repeated listens.

To elaborate on that, the guitars take center stage in the production. The band's aggression comes directly from the amount of space their riffs take up. Then they add samples, effects pedal sounds and feedback as a means to focus this. The drums are sparse yet powerful in that industrial, almost sequenced way. There are few blasts and a little more mid-tempo double bass. That minimalist approach to drumming adds a nice contrast to the riffs.

Some of the sound-scapes they create, like Who Fed My Indian and the last half of Chicago Churches could run on for a few minutes longer and no one would complain. It's like they wrote a full album and then intentionally trimmed it down to a bite-sized sample platter. I would have been happy with the full length, but their idea of brevity sits well with me.

I enjoyed this thoroughly. The first track serves as an intro. It has a lot of static and a lo-fi feel, like it was recorded separately. The EP proper is tracks 2-6 with the final song, Darkman, serving as outro filler. In my opinion, This Is Your God should have ended with the closing sample in Chicago Churches. I think it would create a more rewarding listen. Also that would be six songs in 10 minutes which is about right for an EP. Either way, I look forward to some more from these guys.

There is a band-sponsored download here along with their back catalog. Give them a chance.

Onset Of Serious Problems - Oblivions EP

2010-01-20T17:13:00.008+08:00

OOSP MySpace
Release: 2009
Type: Mini CD (limit 50) / Cassette
Label: Cantankerous Records

Where is the line of demarcation? Where does powerviolence end and grind begin? For me it has always been a matter of tone. A band that "sounds" punk is powerviolence; a band that "sounds" metal is grind. It obviously runs deeper than this, and being a sloppy band helps, but in a nutshell this has always been what drives my decision making process. Then again, it's all pretty much academic once the music starts. So while it may not liven up the conversation, maybe it's best to keep things simple: labels mean shit, just listen to the tunes.

Where am I going with this? Enter one of Indonesia's best kept secrets: (unless you've never heard of Proletar, in which case this is the second best kept secret) Onset Of Serious Problems. This two-man destruction unit fucking grinds. They know how write proper intros. They string together crust riffs like seasoned veterans. They know how (and when) to thrash. And they've got plenty of double bass. All the ingredients are in place to state firmly that these guys are a grind band. But two glaring things stand out to change my mind. The first is their tone. Guitarist/Vocalist Wahyu uses a tone that distinctly "sounds" like the brand of punk that evolved into mid-90's powerviolence. The second element comes from the vocals. Wahyu screams his lungs out like an Indonesian Issac from ManMadePredator era Leng Tch'e.

The EP is seven songs in eight minutes. Considering it's a mini CD from a band I've never heard of on a label I'm unfamiliar with, I'd say the production is stellar. In true EP fashion, track one, Mass Obliteration, sets the tone with a brief and familiar instrumental intro. This builds up through three different drum beats and then the Onset begins. OOSP never mess around when it comes to riffs. They seem to be always changing. Some are brought back later in a song, or exchanged verse-chorus-verse style, but nothing sticks around long enough to wear out its welcome. The drumming from Bondie follows along, constantly changing up between punk/thrash, blast and double bass. It's an old punk's dream come true. Those non punk, non-powerviolence fans among us might be a little bothered by what could be considered monotonous vocals. Anyone demanding variation in this regard will be disappointed. Those of you who can look past this will be duly rewarded. I absolutely love it. If Wahyu ever figures out a death growl, look out world. Either way, this is a band that with a bright future.

I'm not sure about the CD's availability. You will have to email/pester Cantankerous about this. You can mail order the cassette from Rescued From Life. In the mean time, check them out here. And definitely follow their MySpace for updates. They have a split in the works with Goner, who are another band worth checking out.

A Tribute To Nasum

2010-01-19T13:16:00.004+08:00

Nasum Space
Release: 2009
Type: CD/2 LP
Label: Power-It-Up

Someone far smarter than I am put it better. Anders Jakobson was no slouch either. Simply put, Nasum is the gold standard when it comes to penning quality grind riffs. Grab a random CD and see for yourself - all of their material speaks directly to this greatness. And you only need to play the Imitation:Flattery game for about 20 seconds to see the band's lasting contribution to the genre. I am also of the belief that you cannot fuck up a Nasum song. Go ahead, call me a fan boy. I truly hold this belief. Fealt this way going into the Tribute and that opinion has held through repeated listens. Of course I am not saying Depeche Mode would do a nice cover of "Worldcraft" or that Nine Inch Nails could do "Shaping The End" justice. I'm talking about metal bands with a punk vibe.

I will, however, be the first to admit that I have not listened to all the bands represented here. I'd never even heard of a few before getting the CD. One of the things I enjoy most though is that the bands played these songs in their own style. I can only assume the bands I am unfamiliar with followed suit. For example, Rompeprop preserved their march/stomp groove and pitch-shifted (to the point of indecipherable) vomit vocals on "Disappointed." In a way, it's kind of ironic, since Disappointed is lyrically one of Nasum's better songs - a scathing rant about something we all share in common: flaky friends we just have to turn our back on.

The main point of satisfaction for me comes in how well Inhale/Exhale is represented, it being one of my top five grind albums - something I find odd, seeing that I prefer double bass, thrash riffs and crossover bass lines in my grind. It's your classic "exception proves the rule" example. But the play list is broken up well, so it's not an Inhale/Exhale tribute, nor a chronological history of Nasum. It's 53 tunes laid out with the sole purpose of getting you up off your ass for an hour. Seriously, how many grind bands have you heard who don't even have 53 songs, let alone 53 good ones?

In this light the whole CD passes my test. Given the degree of hype surrounding the release from it's inception I would argue that all the bands did a great job. The songs are as varied as the bands so I'm pretty sure everyone will have their own favorites. Some classics get the lo-fi treatment while others are over produced to the point of using static as an extra instrument (won't spoil the surprise by giving examples). I particularly liked Poostew's rendition of "Doombringer" and Dead Infection's "Think" in their Swedish meets Bolt Thrower tone. Never heard either band before this.

I can only think of two complaints. Neither one really bother me, nor would having knowledge of them prevent me from buying this in the first place. Number one: How is it, with such a vast discography to choose from, that two bands ended up covering Corrosion (The Arson Project and Sanity's Dawn)? Couldn't one of them do The System Has Failed Again or Burning Inside? The other is regarding the inlay card: It folds out like a 7" split. The inside is a map of the Earth, in red, with your standard black and white death and destruction artwork around the edges. The continents are littered with falling bombs with band names written on them. At first I thought it was all fancy, with each bomb falling on where the covering band is from. But no, it was just thrown together.

Those two points aside, did I mention the songs kick ass? Check it out here. Buy it here. Do it for Johnny. Wolverines! Whatever your mantra: go get it.

Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses

2010-01-18T16:12:00.003+08:00

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Martin Luther King Jr. was born January 15th, 1929. The youngest person to win a Nobel Peace Prize, and one of the most important figures in American history, Dr. King became the figurehead of the civil rights movement in the 50's and 60's and was instrumental in the destruction of widespread segregation and legal racism. Assassinated in 1968, Dr. King remains to be a martyr, a man who lived and died for his ideals. "I'd rather die on my feet, then live on my knees" Zapata said it best and unfortunately for King this was the outcome.

Nothing's given, everything is earned and fought for. While my views on violence differ from King, he is a figure I hold in high regard. Today is no different then 50 years ago, racism, class divisions, and all other conflicts still exist. The patriot act, lack of unions, high unemployment, poor education, outsourced labor, prisoners deprived of habeas corpus, pointless wars... I could go on, but this all goes on and look how we react? There's no solidarity, what movements towards unity and knowledge exist are quashed in media coverage and struggle to get their voices out. The face of capitalism prevails, and if individuals are deprived of rights, tricked into killing and robbing each other, and completely amiss, CEOs reap the benefits and act as they wish.

While steps have been made from King's days, there's still so much ground to cover. A white male still outclasses any other minority and the common image of a black male is that of a prisoner, criminal, or thug; just watch t.v. Action must be taken, not deferred. Rarely today do we see a man ready to die for his ideals. The labor movements at the turn of the century, the civil rights movement, the anti war movement; these were such times of challenge and controversy where lives were on the line for bare necessities. This generation, however, blindly puts whatever brain power they have into a presidential candidate that is just another tool for our bipartisan system. Dr. King would be disgusted with Obama, as am I. Years of abuse, futility, and utter carelessness have created probably the most apathetic country in the world. Every action has a consequence, it can't be denied. So change must come and the only way that is to be is action, remember King, as well as other fallen comrades, those who died, so you, me, all of us may have a better life.

In 1992, the fallout of Reagen, the years of Bush Senior and terrible economy, New York based Brutal Truth debuted with Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses; a hallmark in grindcore and an outcry for change. I offer it here in hopes that whoever might've missed this phenomenal release will take some time to listen, and for those who already know the album to remind themselves what the heart of grindcore, as well as much of extreme music is: to illicit a response, to create change.

Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses

Actions Speak Louder Than Words... or maybe just gurgles do more than words?

2010-01-08T16:29:00.010+08:00

Swarrrm, one of the many enigmatic Japanese bands that remains beyond the West's reach due to limited distribution and language barriers, are truly one of the most unique bands in existence. A large claim to make, I stick by it, as labeling them with a genre is a moot point as they're something beyond grindcore. It still surprises me to find relatively no buzz around this band in the extreme music community; yes here and there a distro might carry an odd split of theirs, but frankly it's nothing too good. Golden releases (full lengths, excellent eps) remain to be collector items and a sign of this band's obscurity. I for one, have had little luck with claiming their releases. A subpar split with Embalming Theater seems to be of easy reach, as does a split with Dimlaia, but these really don't show the band off as they deserve: Enter Nise Kyuseishu Domo.

Albums like Scum, Horrified, Reek of Purification, World Downfall, and Anticapital really defined grindcore, but from album to album there's little in terms of progression, or anything strikingly different. Brutal Truth developed a unique sound and mixture with Need to Control and grindcore seemed to delve into further chaos with electronics and noise. This sort of progression seemed natural as something harsher, something uglier seemed to be an unatiable apex in the grindcore scene.Striving to out gross listeners we got goregrind and pornogrind, to create something heavier we see deathgrind, and for those just trying to create audio torture we got noisegrind (or whatever you'd call it) Yet how many grindcore bands moved towards melody? Moved towards the soothing, the melodious and the coherent to create something captivating and emotionally moving? I'm sure they exist, but I can't think of a single band besides Swarrrm which encapsulates the serene and beautiful, with the chaotic and fervent, the painstakingly powerful, with the frightful, and all of that in between. There's two sides to every coin, and a heaven for every hell, and it is with Swarrrm that grindcore may embody something outside its sphere, something more.

I offer you Nise Kyuseishu Domo, Swarrrm's second proper album which bridges the more grounded grinding of Against Again and the withdrawn, almost post like quality of Black Bong. The simple opener, Scilence (a band not immune to engrish) epitomizes Swarrrm as the mandolin intro serves to offset the listener before a horrid gurgle of a voice spills from your speakers like an overturned meat grinder and much like a heavy piece of machinery falling, the guitars shake your senses. Six minutes into the album and we've gone from a solo mandolin, to blasting chaos, catchiness, then to the somber beginnings of Gobblegegook; a lone wavering guitar which leads to Swarrrm's trademark vocals, pounding percussion and a bottom heavy guitar/bass attack. Dynamic is an understatement when it comes to trying describe whole of Swarrrm's sound and Nise Kyuseishu Domo.

Swarrrm stays away from typical metal/punk guitar playing, sure there's plenty of tremolo picked riffs, power chords and the like, but there's plenty of moments with bluesy leads (Don't Mess With Texas) and many moments that come off with a flavour much akin to something like alternative or post rock (the blusy solo which starts Herzog that fades into huge walls of post rock like distortion which are completely overwhelming). This heightens the mood of the work, much like the frenzied vocals which are often acting as a paradox to the beautiful guitar work (see Parasite). It's a hard album to talk about, but dynamic defiantly fits.

Free jazz like sections melt into cohesive and simply pleasing sections all juxtaposed with insane vocals and a varied amount of riffs and guitar playing styles. The band itself is astonishingly talented and proficient. The drummer alone deserves a large amount of praise, as simple slow sections are garnished with an abundance of accents, fills, little tricks here and there, constant cymbal and snare play, complicated and intricate bass drum work which effortlessly shifts to blast beats then back to it's free roaming style. Obviously the drummer's jazz trained and this free, yet defined and strong sounding, backbeat machine provides for a overall complex sound. The bass has a pronounced and unadulterated sound which follows the guitar many times, and also counters both the guitar and drums to provide a steady beat and melody and sometimes just gets its own thing done (listen at 1:45 in Putrecence for quiet the workout). Far from the typical 30 wonderful seconds we'd hear of an Assuck song, Swarrrm jumps from all kinds of lengths and speeds and moves at its own pace never filling space or wasting time, I kid you not, not one second of filler on this album.

And of course, you can't ignore the vocal performance. Regardless of whether or not Hatada's act involves actual words or not it's amazing what he accomplishes. What some singers hope to accomplish with lyrics, Hatada does more adeptly with a wide range of screams, strings of gibberish, growls, yelps, gurgles, and whatever other noises can come out of one's mouth. Almost like a skat singing of metal, Hatada aptly conveys more emotion in the ending of Putrecence then almost any other singer I can think of (of course it helps that the rest of the band performs a quite forelorn and sad sounding outro). The vocals are really under the spotlight, but Kapo's guitar work is astonishingly moving as well as the bass work all moving in a very very swinging manner.

It's an album where the vocals are the deal breaker, those who can't see past them will miss the wonderful riffs, melodies, drum workouts, bass lines, etc, and those who only focus on the vocals and enjoy it as a gimmick bastardize the complexity of the music. A beast unto its own Swarrrm painstakingly create one of my favorite albums, of all time. Trailblazers in grindcore are rare, as a band like Insect Warfare or Wormrot are excellent, but in truth are a pebble's toss from Anticapital, whereas Prowler in the Yard and The Inalienable Dreamless sprout like an appendage with it's own goals and notions, it's own concept and ideals, building, and creating something very different; Swarrrm finds its place amongst, if not beyond, such works. Of course this is on HG fact, good luck finding it, or maybe I just haven't looked hard enough...

Nise Kyuseishu Domo

-F

Beyond Mind-The Wrath of the Dead Tongue

2010-01-05T12:28:00.008+08:00

Offical Myspace
Label:Self Released
Released: Oct 2009
Release Type: EP, CD-R lmt 100
Genre: Down Tempo Black Metal

New Zealand, verdant plains, terrible acoustic guitar comedians, sheep, and well... more sheep; not the kinda place you'd expect black metal to take root. Well lo and behold, Beyond Mind, one of the only bands I know of from New Zealand (besides Black Boned Angel and Ulcerate, here look for yourself). Regardless, in my eyes, they are worthy flag bearers to this young scene.

Interestingly enough, black metal has proven to grow (and thrive) in the most unlikely places (San Francisco, I'm looking at you) which of course is due to such a dedicated fanbase. Similarly to many offsets of punk, black metal proves easy for the novice to walk into, yet as we've seen with the Myspace era, bedroom black metal has become one of the worst things we've had to deal with. Quorthon set the mark, one which no one could ever reach, but it was Varg's attention to minimalism and isolation that proved to be every black metal kid's wet dream. Uninspired, and downright awful guitar riffs run through artificial distortion paired with a poorly programmed drum machine and vocals with more distortion and reverb then you'd ever think possible and you've got the blue prints to a significant portion of black metal out there. To make my point, maybe a good anecdote would be that cat that poops the most expensive coffee bean, Beyond Mind may just well prove to be one of those poop beans, lost amidst some stupid animal's shit.

A pleasant surprise for me, and big plus was the thick and strong production, something that's far from the tepid waves of static and anonymous cymbal crashes that have become a mainstay as of late. The thick and robust production works so well, I really can't stress that enough. The bass drum really punches and the bass even does a good job in the super slow dismal sections. I was surprised to realize it was a programmed drum kit, as they sounded pretty good. The strong, clean, yet ominous production is the kind that any black metal purist shouldn't scoff or vilify as it works oh so well.

My affinity for the production aside, Beyond Mind couples a slower and more pensive sound which excels when juxtaposed against blazing blast beat sections and riffs to match. Straying from languid exercises in monotony, Beyond Mind emphasis slower sections which harsh contrasts and effectively moving song structures. Personally, the shifts from quarternote bass thuds and distant drumming, to full on cacophony are some of the best parts of the album. The interplay between the guitar, drums, bass, and vocals works surprisingly well as they all drop out at times to highlight another, keeping an effective juggle going of textures atmosphere and mood. The quiet clean picked guitar, to an addition of vocals, then drums is a common trick, yet Beyond Mind utilizes it in such an effective way actually creating a sense of excitment in the listener as to what might come next. The variance of tempo, rhythm, riffs, vocal patterns, and mood make this EP an exceptionally enjoyable and an easy listen.

As mentioned earlier, the drum programming is pretty good, in fact, it's miles ahead of most bands. Accents, interesting and varied fills, ordination to highlight vocals, or guitars, as well as shifting beats and a decent sound create solid ground work for the vocals, guitar, bass, and even piano to wander on their own. The vocals are very throaty, drawn out whispers, screams, groans, and everything in between, yet they remain quite decipherable ( and the same tone). They, as well as the band itself, remind me a lot of Silencer(Swe), luckily for them the vocals aren't as ludicrous and the the production and variation's a bit better. One of the highlights for me is the lonely bass line that begins "Caressed by Cold" (which is probably my favorite song, excellent motif), setting the theme for the song. There's good use of the bass throughout this EP, something I can't say for most black metal. The intro could be shortened, but interestingly enough, the very similar outro is great.

If you enjoy black metal at a slower pace and dreary, then this is for you. A nice surprise, being the cynic I am, Beyond Mind come off very promising with this one. Proving to have compelling riffs and widgets as well as an effective atmosphere, Beyond Mind get the job done. Buy it on their myspace, and take a listen there too.

-F

Protestant- Antagonist

2010-01-03T12:14:00.003+08:00

Official Myspace
Label: Halo of Flies/ Blindead
Released: March 2009
Release Type: 7" Ep
Genre: Hardcore

So on the heels of our top tens, the plastic puddle aftermath of my neighbors nativity scene, and the ash of the Yule log, there's only one outcome: a shit ton of records and tapes. Beyond all the horribly obscure black metal I'm sure our regular readers would roll their eyes at, there is one standout out from this holidays season that I can't find a fault with. What release do you ask? Protestant's Antagonist.

Recently I've just been buying on a whim, and I'm batting a thousand so far. I really don't know much about this band, but wide-eyed me was enticed by the promising packaging of the release and its startlingly affordable price (5 bucks I believe). Sturdy cardboard jacket which wraps around the 7" vertically, beautifully printed cover and an enticing booklet makes up the physical representation of this work. The cover, what looks like some classical engraving of Cain culling Abel, on the cardboard with the quality ink raising off the surface is truly impressive.

As I've pushed before, when the product matches the quality of the music I am deeply appreciative and can't applaud them enough. Protestant churns out three tracks of honest to Odin hardcore. Similar to stalwarts like Tragedy and Integrity, Protestant produce fist pumping tracks with catchy and powerful progressions, all of which at the center lie an abundance of great riffs ("Lost"'s refrain is a perfect example). Vehement and emotionally charged, Protestant employ mid ranged rasps female shrieks and an all around excellent vocal delivery. As noted earlier, there's a great deal of progression as d-beats lead to slower breaks, to faster outbursts and what have you. The production is strong, thick, and clear, I couldn't think of any other way to compliment their sound.

A marriage of visual representation and the tonality of the urgent and the dismayed, Protestant produce a work that I can't find fault in. The furious beating of drums, the voracious vocals, the riff work which enthralls me further, all of it encapsulates a band that has a vision and has executed it perfectly.

"we either drown complacently in all the bullshit or spend our whole lives swimming in search of meaning."

An expression of disdain, disgust and repugnance at our culture, our society, our world and our creation, Protestant acts as an outlet not just for these honest musicians, but a listener in the same boat. Genuineness is not something to be underestimated.

Buy from many different distros, the band's myspace, or Halo of Flies.

-F

Gravemarker's Best of 2009

2010-01-02T08:32:00.007+08:00

I rather dislike doing "best of the year" lists. When I post a list like this, my "best of 2009", it sends the message that what I have written here is absolute. The order is laid out, no wiggle room, no margin for change. Because I put Album X at 1 and Album Y at 10, I consider Album X a superior piece of music and will always prefer it over Album Y. Because I didn't include Album Z in my list, I disliked it/consider it inferior to my top 10/etc. Now, I very well realize that most people reading this list (hopefully) have enough common sense to not jump to such wild conclusions, but I'm not the sort of person who is comfortable dropping statements that leave enough room for people to make assumptions that are wholly incorrect. The albums I have chosen for my top ten are all ones I enjoy immensely, to be sure, but the "rankings" are all entirely temporary. If I were to write this list again in three months, I would be very surprised if my top ten picks were identical to this one. It's inevitable that my opinion of these album will change as I listen to them, and that I will later discover great albums released this year that I had missed earlier. In reality, this list should be titled something along the lines of "Gravemarker's ten favorite albums from 2009 as decided during mid-December 2009", but even I'm not meticulous enough to engage in such a worthless endeavor.

My empty whining notwithstanding, I believe that my list covers well enough what material from 2009 I've been listening to and enjoying the most. Considering the fact I've barely written anything as of recent, this is the least I can do for you, the readers of Chainsaw Justice. Enjoy.

10. Afgrund - Vid Helvetets Grindar
With Vid Helvetets Grindar, Afgrund deviates a bit from the standard swedegrind sound and adds a bit more originality to their musical formula. Vid Helvetets Grindar goes somewhat like this: Begin with the original sound of Svarta Dagar. Take more outside influence from other genres and a bit less Nasum influence. Add some melodic tendencies and punkish energy to top it all off, and you’ve got another great Afgrund album, and a much more unique one to boot.

9. Scrambled Defuncts - Souls Despising The God
Scrambled Defuncts’ latest has left some fans severely disappointed. While Souls Despising the God did introduce the inclusion of synths to the Scrambled Defuncts sound (to the aforementioned disappointment of many a BDM fan), the foundation of their sound mostly remains otherwise unchanged from that of their previous and paramount album, Hackled In Gore. Make no mistake, Souls Despising The God is still a fine piece of brutal death metal, and a worthy successor to Hackled In Gore.

8. Hatred Surge- Deconstruct
Hatred Surge’s first full-length outing is a successful one, to be sure. Deconstruct features the same brand of pure, unadulterated powerviolence that Hatred Surge have presented on their previous splits and EPs. As always, the brevity of Hatred Surge’s output leaves fans wanting for more, but with this level of maintained quality, it’s hard to complain.

7. Necrovile - The Pungency Of Carnage
Obscure as they are heavy, Necrovile unfortunately seem to be virtually unknown. It’s a real shame, considering Necrovile deliver a raw, hard-hitting, and unique brutal death metal experience that needs to be heard. The raw, murky production will alienate some, but the majority of BDM fans will dig this one.

6. Denial - Catacombs Of The Grotesque
Denial boasts a well padded roster that includes members of established bands such as Pulverized, Shub Niggurath, and Cenotaph. Fans of said bands should know what Denial have in store: dark, crushing, old school death metal. The veterans in Denial obviously know what they’re doing, proven by the tight execution and simple yet effective songwriting present on Catacombs of the Grotesque. A very solid performance all around.

5. Super Fun Happy Slide - The Undislodgable Nugget Scenario
One of the forerunners of the ever growing Australian grind scene, Super Fun Happy Slide takes cues from all our old school favorites to whip up their brand of relentless grindcore. Extra points for the surprise addition of guitar solos and the sick, septic tank gutturals. Grind fans should be all over this.

4. Insidious Decrepancy - Extirpating Omniscient Certitude
Extirpating Omniscient Certitude is the third offering one man extermination engine Shawn Whitaker has produced under the name Insidious Decrepancy, and boy, does it slay. With EOC, Whitaker takes the best elements of his previous output (the outright technicality of Decadent Orgy Of Atrocious Suffering and the superior songwriting of The Inerrancy Of Profanation) and masterfully blends them together for ID’s best album yet.

3. Human Mincer - Degradation Paradox
My favorite album by the Mincer to date, it’s got everything you would expect from the same Spanish BDM freaks who starred on Wormed’s “Planisphaerum”. On Degradation Paradox you’ll find the usual: insane amounts of gravity blasting, intense riffs, groovy chugs and puke-your-guts-out vocals that all blaze by in a short half hour. Excellent work, gentlemen.

2. Wormrot - Abuse
It’s been said a considerable amount of times already, but it very well merits repeating: Abuse is just plain awesome. Everything from the presentation to the execution of this finely crafted grindcore opus reeks of old-school in the best way possible. Grindfreaks, this is absolutely mandatory.

1. Human Rejection - Decrepit To Insanity
It was a tough call for my top spot of the year, but I believe that Human Rejection truly have earned it this time around. Remarkably powerful riffs, criminally catchy slams, and a thoroughly exceptional performance on all fronts help to grant Decrepit To Insanity my top spot for 2009. Hailing from Greece, a country that isn’t exactly known for brutal death metal, Human Rejection have put themselves on the map and earned themselves a spot in the scene. Anybody who even slightly enjoys slam/BDM needs to have this.

2009 Grindcore Top 10

2009-12-29T15:16:00.012+08:00

With the number of yearly metal releases continuing to stay above 10,000 the "Top 10 Albums" list is increasingly attaining the unspoken addendum, "...That I've Heard." No one can listen to it all. For my part I've listened to over 160 grind albums this year, along with 28 EPs and 51 seven-inch splits. Yet still, when averaged against the full volume of available yearly material, I barely scratched the surface. At the same time, I'm still discovering quality bands and albums from a few years ago. That said, it's been a great year. Many newer bands are returning to the genre's roots. Add the advances in production and musicianship and it is easy to see many good things and solid returns on the grind horizon.

So here it is, my "Top 10 Grindcore Albums of 2009... That I've Heard." And honestly, I think albums 11-30 are just as viable, just as worthy of consideration. I knew right from the start that I couldn't please everyone, and since I don't have to, I didn't try. Still, you are encouraged to rip into these picks with the rapacity of a slighted sports fan. And if anyone is feeling constructive, then by all means, post a list of your own.

#10 - Weekend Nachos - Unforgivable
Label: Relapse
Buy here
Review

More hardcore than grindcore, less powerviolence than anticipated, Unforgivable probably doesn't even belong on this list. It's major redeeming quality is how heavy this album is. Not "heavy" in some Lip Service To The Genre type of way, but truly, neutron star Heavy. From front to back the riffs on Unforgivable serve the title justice.

#9 - Parlamentarisk Sodomi - De Anarkistiske An(n)aler
Label: 625 Thrashcore
Buy: Sold out. Pester 625 for another printing.
Review

Quite simply the best one-man grindcore band that ever was, PxSx encapsulate everything about the genre: lyrics dripping with unadulterated political fury, riffs covering every possible tangent between crust and thrash, and equally important, an approach so full of hate that you almost feel the same way about Norway that he does - even if you've never been there. There would be more fans if the production was a little better. It takes a trained ear to hear the goodness through the static.

#8 - Hatred Surge - Deconstruct
Label: Rescued From Life Records
Buy: Mailorder from RFL, or try Google.
Review

Strike another band off my "overdue for a full length" list. On Deconstruct Hatred Surge adds a secret ingredient to the powerviolence formula: integrity. Many will speak to the awesome vocal performances as a reason to enjoy this album. For me it's the music. The songs are constructed so well that this could have been an instrumental album and I would love it just as much. Deconstruct "feels" authentic.

#7 - Attack Of The Mad Axeman - Scumdogs Of The Forest
Label: Scrotum Jus Records
Buy here
Review

Tree Hugging Death Grind never sounded so good. Just enough punk influence to keep the grinding raw and just enough death metal influence to keep that raw grind from sounding stale. The fusion is rather interesting - instead of trading off one riffing style for the next, they fused both styles into their riffs. Is it deathgrind 2.0 or deathgrind done right?

#6 - Squash Bowels - Grindvirus
Label: Willowtip
Buy here
Review

I cannot get enough of this album. If it was released earlier in the year I would most likely rate it even higher. Grindvirus is as heavy as grind gets. The riffing is seriously down-tuned crust and the drumming is near perfect for the genre. Many say Squash Bowels play goregrind (which I am not buying for a second) but if that's the case then they are the Bolt Thrower of gore.

#5 - Nashgul - El Dia Despues Al Fin De La Humanidad
Label: Power-It-Up
Buy here
Review

Nashgul play Blast Beat Punk at it's finest - and toss in the right amount of thrash riffs to give their songs a constant feel of variety. Nothing new, nothing innovative, just pure attention to classic grind details. They also add a strange twist to the genre by having their "air raid siren" at the end of the album instead of the traditional beginning. I wonder what Andrew thought of this?

#4 - Super Fun Happy Slide - The Undislodgable Nugget Scenario
Label: Bizarre Leprous Productions
Buy here
Review

The Undislodgable Nugget Scenario sounds like the lost live recording of a grindcore super group touring in the late 80's. From their warning in the intro that "It's a Fast One" all the way through to the end, those of us who remember Reagonomics as more than a D.R.I. song should be sent adrift down memory lane. "I Can't Believe It's Not Carcass."

#3 - Afgrund - Vid Helvetets Grindar
Label: Willowtip
Buy here
Review

Slimming down to a three piece and showing a level of musical maturity not expected from a sophomore album, Afgrund truly came to play on Vid Helvetets Grindar. No longer the second cousin once removed of Nasum and Rotten Sound, Afgrund established their own style and approach this time around. It's got a little punk to it. It's got some thrash. And it proper grinds.

#2 - Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse
Label: Relapse
Buy here
Review

I had given up on Scott Hull. Nothing he has done since 2001 blew me away. Sure, it's all good, but good can be found almost anywhere. Enter Agorapocalypse. Everything came together fittingly here. The drums sound organic, realistic, plausible. Any drummer could sit down and follow along. The riffs are as intense as Mr Hull has laid down in years. And Randall came through with his best vocal performance. It seems like all Scott had to do was waste a year of his life on a movie soundtrack that was never used.

#1 - Wormrot - Abuse
Label: Scrotum Jus Records
Buy here
Review

I question the integrity of any grindcore fan who does not have Wormrot somewhere in their Year-End Top 10. The only viable excuse is not hearing it. The entire grindcore ethos is represented on Abuse. Punk collides with crossover at furious speeds. Social and political issues are skewered lyrically. The only modernity on the album is found in the musicianship - which is flawless from beginning to end. "Here's your Patriot Act; here's your fucking abuse of power!"

Top Albums of 2009, My Way.

2009-12-28T04:45:00.006+08:00

So here we are, at the end of the year and what a year it's been. From the bigger names, to the obscure and almost unknown, it's been a productive year. I've compiled the ten albums I think that really stole the show. There's plenty of great eps, splits, and singles I'd love to mention, but we've limited our top tens to albums only. Big names like Magrudergrind, Hatred Surge, and Napalm Death dropped titles on us this year, so there's a lot of competition, but I've narrowed it down to the best ten album of there year. Hope you find something new, and hope the year was as good for you as it's been for me. Links provided, but as always we hope you buy the thing if you like it. Links lead to reviews and downloads contributed by Sludge Swamp, Attila and our very own staff.

10. Wormrot-Abuse
Now I know 206 won't be happy with me for this placement, but Wormrot's furious debut Abuse, showcases a modern twist on the glory days of Earache and blasts its way through 23 tracks of pure grindy goodness. Competent, excellent executed, and viciously delivered, Wormrot rock.

9. Liturgy- Renihilation
From unlikely origins, Liturgy is the creation of Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, whose primarily known for his hardcore outfit, Birthday Boyz (now Survival). While the band predates Krallice, the comparisons can't be ignored. Endless tremolo picked riffs at lightning speeds paired with a endlessly blasting drums. The music's great, and strays from the long-windedness of Krallice and finds it's strength in the crescendos and energy of buildups and simple progressions.

8. Infernal Stronghold- Godless Noise
More blackened crusty thrash from Philly's favorite. Fast thrash with the attitude of punk and the filth of black metal, Infernal Stronghold deliver black metal with a sense of fun and energy. They're a band that doesn't take themselves too seriously and understands music's about enjoyment, not about being evil. Infernally good.

7. Hatred Surge-Deconstruct
Finally a full length from these gulf coast monsters. Hatred Surge sticks with what they know, which is quite a lot, and brings crushingly heavy power violence with all the bells and whistles. Slow sludgy sections, blazing fast grind sections and an awesome punky outro all with both male and female vocals. While it's a bit short, there's no filler to be found; a must!

6. Nashgul- El Dia Despues Al Fin De La Humanidad
My new favorite Spanish band, Nashgul, encompass an overall brutal, thrashy and fun sound with their first proper LP. Thick and punky bass, varied vocals, masterful drumwork, riffs upon riffs and varied composition create my favorite grind album of the year. Songs like "La Plaga,"
"Snake Plissken," and "Disintegration In A Flash Of Light" are absolute highlights and give a good example of what you're in for.

5. Ben Frost- By The Throat
My biggest and most fruitful surprise of the year, By The Throat really standouts as one of the best ambient/minimalist/electronic whatever works I've ever heard. A real curve ball for the typical Chainsaw Justice banter, but Ben Frost's seamless composition and soundscapes create as much of an eerie as well as beautiful soundtrack to a dream I've never had.

4. Arckanum - ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ
Occult and extremely annoying to talk about (in terms of the symbols) Arckanum's latest showcases one of black metal's most consistent and best artists. Whole and clear production tagged along with excellent composure and attention grabbing riffs, vocals, and drumwork create Arckanum's best release to date. For fans of modern sounding, but wholly authentic, black metal.

3. Anaal Nathrakh- In the Constellation of the Black Widow
Returning with their best album yet, Anaal Nathrakh combine all the former elements that seemed to be scatterbrained throughout previous releases into one cohesive and brilliantly powerful album. Filthy and raw riffs coupled with moments of anthemic and powerful clean vocals and riffs help to create an exceptionally awesome paradox of an album. Not much else to say beyond that they absolutely slay here.

2. Teitanblood- Seven Chalices
The album Blasphemy wishes they could write, Seven Chalices is a harrowing and amazingly heavy black metal release which almost rivals many of the classics in the black/death metal field. Having one of the best openings to any album I've ever heard, Seven Chalices combines the super heavy and fuzzy guitar tone of Archgoat and the like with wild solos, thrashy breaks and plenty of riffs. The small interludes and beautifully bizarre packaging heighten this occult and ancient vibe that carries the album so well. Best black metal album I've heard in a bit, hands down.

1. Weekend Nachos- Unforgivable
The best marriage of misanthropy, energy, and violence I've heard in a long time, Weekend Nachos easily deliver the best album of the year. Surging hardcore paired with dismally heavy sludge like sections and plenty of mosh friendly beat downs really highlight the violence in power violence. I can't give enough praise for this album, read my review to see how i tried to put how awesome it is into words.

Here are some great albums that didn't make the cut.

Altar of Plagues- White Tomb
Katharsis- Fourth Reich
Skagos- Ast
Dimatergon- Crossroads
Kylesa- Static Tensions
Portal- Swarth
Fleshpress- Season in Sludge- Decade in Doom (I can't find this anywhere, not even an mp3... would be in the top ten if i could)