Emotions In An Aggressive Way

My two ongoing searches for more Systral and anything fronted by Tati (Lost World, etc.) have happily converged in the discovery of the above comp. As you can tell from the cover, "Agressions In An Emotional Way" (Daydream Records, 1995?) is an assemblage of modern German hardcore bands. Like much of the "hardcore" of the nineties, the term is a loose one. In one way or another, though, all the bands on this 7" are enjoyable and/or awesome. Come for the Day By Day and Systral-- stay for The Better Tooth Organization and Spit Acid.

Track List:
1. Day By Day- "Beautiful World"
2. Grey- "Genocide"
3. Spit Acid- "No Lifes"
4. Better Tooth Organization- "Right On"
5. Systral- "Eiszeit"
6. Peace Of Mind- "Machine"


Emotions, aggressions, better teeth...

Christ 4 Prez

Since we're on the topic of evil seminal metallic hardcore of the mid nineties Arizona, I've finally gotten around to posting the Tho Ko Losi 7" (thanks to Lloyd who inadvertently put the fire under my ass!). Prepare yourself for five rugged tracks of pathologically anti-Christian grindcore from this pre-Suicide Nation outfit. Bonus points are due for the blasphemous The Simpsons soundbite. After you get used to the production, I think this should be adequately brutal for you...

Total war!

For When Life Is A Toilet...

Mike was interested in seeing some Wellington posted here; more than happy to oblige! The only reason I hadn't done so already was the possibility that their discography CD may still be in print, so this may be one of those limited-time-only downloads. So who the fludge was Wellington, you ask? Yeah, they were a little overlooked during their time, but not for any good reason. Historically, they were the primordial slurry that would one day ossify into Unruh. But let's get back to the topic at hand: Wellington played scathing sludge metal that could only be produced by the clinically depressed. Their guitar sound had all the subtlety of a rusty, runaway saw blade, the power of which seemed to disguise the fact that they were merely a trio. The longer tracks make good use of space at certain points, allowing the bass to come forward and lull us before the next attack. This tactic does wonders to enhance the power of the heavy parts, but those chilling, quiet junctures really add a compelling demension to the writing. Perfect music to stalk by, but if you're on any kind of medication, I wouldn't recommend listening to it all at once.

As I said, Deep Six supposedly has copies of the Discography left (?) as does Ebullition Records (if you've got 100 ducats to spring for an order). It's totally worth it. The layout is nice, but unfortunately the script is a bit small and I don't have a working scanner. I went ahead and included pics of the LP ("Thank You Jesus") and the split with Noothgrush to compensate. I may have to remove the link soon so...

download if you like Rorschach, Dystopia, 13, Graves At Sea, Noothgrush, Unruh, Enewetak...

192

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Part 1
Part 2

Song Of The Week: "Corners" (Assück)

I think we can all agree that Assück destroyed! Faced with the impossible task of choosing one song of theirs to post, I erred on the side of sentimentality. "Corners," the version that appears on the No Idea comp, "Big Pants Waste Precious Fabric," was the first track I ever heard from these Florida sages of political (and "personal") grind. I was going through an anti-metal/grindcore phase (I guess it was a pro-Ebullition/Gravity phase), but my pretentious prejudice stood little chance against Assück's immense power. The clincher was definitely the lyrics. I wasn't about to tolerate (at that time) any silly occult/evil/gore-suffused nonsense, and the lyrics to "Corners" struck me as incredibly sincere. Later, the leftist diatribes on "Anticapital" would continue to win me to the band's side forever, inflaming the idealist in me, and pulling me out of the musical rut into which I had fallen. I still remember seeing them play and only being able to recognize "Corners"-- it being the only song of theirs I was familiar enough with (the indistinguishable blur of noise coming out of the amps was also a factor). So, yeah, everything they did was great, but for me this is where it started. We needn't get into a debate about which of their albums was the better; both are essential and luckily still available. Hail Assück!

"Corners"

Time does nothing but work against me.
I wake alone and walk alone between the walls
that insecurity has built around me.
Forced into circuits, into circles, into cycles.
I find all my refuge in corners.
It's the only place where things meet.

Old, weird show flyer:

The Lesser Of Two...

Is anyone else sick of hearing about the US presidential election? I thought so. Flip a coin when you turn on the radio-- will it be about the economic "catastrophe," or the election (catastrophe)? At least one of those topics of constant verbal diarrhea will expire soon...

Lesser Of Two's name just seemed appropriate for this time of the year, and since they also produced some baffling and insane hardcore/metal/crust (and I know you're lovin' the cover art!)... here's their self-titled LP on Malarie Records (2000). It seems increasingly hard to find any band presence on the web, so I'm assuming their material is out of print(?). According to the myspace of some members' current band, Embers, you can still obtain most of LOT's recordings through them. However, their official website lists nothing in the way of LOT merch. I don't know, I figure this band isn't really out to make money, but if anyone has a problem with me posting this just send an e-mail. So the music... Lesser Of Two played a manic style of crusty hardcore that sometimes treaded in psychedelic and/or doomy waters. The writing is unpredictable and the playing is tight as hell! The chaotic feel is only superficial, because these gentlemen and lady knew exactly what they were doing. No comparisons will quite do the trick, but ABC Diablo, Skaven, and early Burst (vocals) are the ones that come to mind. Check it out, and also check out Embers who are great as well (and hit them up for LOT CDs and whatnot).

Lesser Of Two

Sapporo City Hardcore Vol. 2

Slang is yet another Japanese band whose die hard spirit inspires the heck out of me. 2008 marks their 20th anniversary as a band, and in celebration they've released a slew of recordings, including the three 7"s posted here, and a new LP, "The Immortal Sin." The three EPs-- "Ill Peace Hymn," "Rain In August," and "Amid The Raw Pain," were released in one-time pressings of 500 by three of the more well respected labels in Japanese hardcore (MCR Company, Blood Sucker, and H:G Fact Records respectively). Each beautifully represents the newer Slang spin on traditional Japanese hardcore, which is also what you can expect from the LP. Fans of Gauze and Death Side won't be disappointed, but if you loved the NYHC influence of "Skilled Rhythm Kills," the new Slang may take some getting used to. After a while though, there will be no denying that this band can do no wrong.
Three of the tracks can be found on "The Immortal Sin," but the b-sides, I believe, are only available on these little gems. Themes deal with the usual topics of war and the destruction caused by imperial aggression, with an extra emphasis on "Rain In August" toward the H-bombing of Hiroshima. Powerful stuff, and if you don't believe it, check out the powerhouse over there in the singingbox. And of course, don't forget to visit Hardcore Holocaust distro to fill up on Slang tunes.

Here

Song(s) Of The Week: Leatherface Mix

Two things sparked this post: 1) I fuckin' LOVE Leatherface! 2) I finally saw Leatherface live this summer and while I was having a religious experience of it, a large majority of the crowd (what I like to call the hair-style-of-the-week crew) was sitting OUTSIDE during the band's set (!), probably waiting for the flavor-of-the-week band that was to come on after. Since the late eighties, the UK's Leatherface have consistently (more or less) written some of the most driving, powerful, beautiful, sad, joyous punk in the history of that musical style. Although they have legions of reverent fans worldwide, my encounter with the pathetic enclave mentioned above leads me to believe there are a few unanointed, could-be Leatherface fans out there. For better or worse, the band influenced a ton and a half indie rock-via-punk bands like The Sainte Catherines and Hot Water Music, but I have yet to hear a band of this style as heart-breakingly powerful.

Seeing that it's impossible to choose only one Leatherface song, I've put together a mix of 10 favorites. That was still a hard task, so I limited myself to one track from each album, and a couple of singles selections. As usual, if you like what you hear, go to BYO Records and order some of the band's fine work. Their early LP, "Mush," is unanimously considered their opus, but you can't go wrong with any of their releases (especially "Fill You Boots," "Horsebox," "Cherry Knowle," and their split with Hot Water Music).

Link has been removed. Go to BYO or the Leatherface myspace.

Tracks:

1. "Dead Industrial Atmosphere"
2. "Sour Grapes"
3. "Here Comes The Judge"
4. "Deep Green Beautiful Levelling"
5. "Patrick Kills Me"
6. "Animal Day"
7. "Books"
8. "Dreaming"
9. "Hops and Barley"
10. "Hoodlum"

The New Normal

I've been listening to some Damad, Karst, and Institute lately, but the Kylesa stuff had been sitting dormant in my collection for quite some time. It's time for a little revisit. I started with an earlier release, back when they were at their heaviest-- their split with Memento Mori (Hyperrealist, 2002). Darn it, I still like Kylesa! "The New Normal" certainly lays waste to their newer material in the heaviosity department, although their last two albums excel in diversity of song writing. I'm busting out their first LP next...

Commenter Aboynamedstew reminded me of the awesomeness of Memento Mori a while back. This thrash-metal-hardcore band featured Michelle of Scrotum Grinder "fame" and were quite a force (albeit a short-lived one). MM start things off with an interesting and off-kilter instrumental acoustic track, and then rip you apart with a thrasher called "Dirt Roads And Howls Of Wolves." Damad's evilness comes to mind, as does the speed and further evil of Sacrilege (UK). A bit more bass in the mix would have really increased this band's menace, but they do fine with what they have.

These rips came out nice and loud, so...

Crank it!

... which is Spanish for "The Guapo"

Apparently, the El Guapo Comp was a real pain in the ass to assemble and release, and well, it was only slightly easier to rip it! Regardless of these ripping complications (read more below), I felt that this comp was such a classic (for me at least) that I simply must post it. Being an early 625 "Productions" release, the conclusion seems foregone that several, if not all the post-Plutocracy bands will be represented (Spazz, No Less...). The line-up in general is...
intimidating! Many of the who's who of mid-nineties "powerviolence" are in attendance, at varying levels of quality. I've spun this thing so many times since its release, a note on the sound quality may be in order.

Disclaimers: First of all, according to Hirax Max, pressing number one had shitty mastering (my copy-- pressing number one). Second, I was not always as near-retentive as I am now regarding my records. This one has been a casualty of neglect and it shows in the fuzz and crackle; not to mention the giant scratch which makes the first three tracks a little hard to listen to, and which led me to delete one between-song audio sample (many apologies). For the most part, though, this is one hell of a noisy comp, and sound quality isn't a huge factor. The final issue is the track tagging. The band SBC supposedly has five tracks, but it wasn't clear how they are divided. I decided just to combine them into one giant track. With regard to No Less's track, I had to guess at the title. And finally, for the track that appears between Pisspoor's and Ansojuan's, I just assumed (perhaps wrongly) that it was an unlisted Pisspoor track and tagged it as such. There's always a glimmer of hope that someone out there is more astute than me at this (comments are more than welcome).

So here it is... around 40 headache-inducers conveniently assembled for your listening joy/agony/hilarity.


Here

¡Libérame!

I'm on this whole compilation kick, so I hope you'll bear with me...
"Libérame" is the second comp posted on this blog that features a song each by Los Crudos and Huasipungo (yay!). And, like the last one, it's aim is to pass on information, as well as rock. This time the theme is the injustices perpetuated at the US-Mexico border (well, mainly). There's a small 'zine's worth of information and contact addresses, as well as the expected DIY art/design that makes releases like this even more meaningful. The line up is pretty impressive as you can see, consisting mainly of raw political punk/hardcore. Give it a spin if you think it might suit your fancy.

Here

Song Of The Week: "This City"

The Red Dons, and their former persona, The Observers, are responsible for releasing some of my favorite punk rock jams of recent memory. I could listen, toe-tap, and sing along all day to their bitter-sweetness; it's youthful, yet world-weary; old-school, yet strangely very modern. It seems so simple, yet it's anything but. The contradictions abound, but The Red Dons are a paradox, in that by the end of their album, it all makes sense.

I love this LP so much, I really could do the roulette thing and choose just about any song. Instead, I chose "This City," mainly for its content, although it's every bit as brilliant and catchy as the rest of the tracks. There might be a few of you out there like me who have outgrown your home town, or who are simply captivated by the allure of the open road. This one's for you. There will be other songs of the week, but for the next 8 months, this will be my mantra.

Sing it with me...

"This City"

There's nothing for me
In this city
What a waste of time
Nothing works out at all
Nothing works out at all

Well the road it greets me
Oh so warmly
Though I'm here now
You know I can't stay long
I'm just a wanderer's
Searching for my home

Because there's nothing for me
In this city
What a waste of time
'Cause nothing works out at all
Nothing works out at all

Just this morning
The sun was shining
On a place where I've never been
So packed my bags
And hit the road again
You know it's not that close
But it's not too far
For a wanderous child
For a vagabond

You see there's nothing for me
In this city
What a waste of time
Nothing works out at all
Nothing works out at all
Nothing works out at all

A Little Gender Bender

Depending on the way you experienced the nineties, this compilation represents either everything significant, or everything that sucked about that decade. "This Inheritance Must Be Refused" showcases a wide assortment of bands, artists, and writers of yester-decade who had something to say about gender politics. I have a soft spot for this era, and as whiny and "PC" as some lyrics and zines were, I find myself marveling at the experimentation that went on, as well as the almost obsessive DIY effort that went into many releases. That mania is ever-apparent on this one-sided 12" both musically and in the layout and content of the booklet (see scans uploaded below). As far as the bands go, this comp is worth the download simply because there's a One By One track on it, but Citizen Fish fans and Spitboy completists have a reason to get excited too! (The spoken-style vocals on Spitboy's track are a little unnerving, but I guess that's the point?!). An interesting, if inconsistent listen, and a quintessential artifact of a fast-fleeting moment in our history.

Here

Tracks:

1. The Ex- "Stupid Competitions"

2. Paxton Quiggly- "Breaking Free"

3. Spitboy- "Dysfunction II"

4. One By One- "Male Voice Choir"

5. Citizen Fish- "First Impressions"

6. Spork- "Held"

7. Dogfight- "Gender Bender"

End Ageism Now

Based on the Song of the Week responses, this Nux Vomica 7", "The Uninspired," (Firestarter/Torture Garden Records, 2005) seemed so very appropriate. NV are based in my future home, Portland, but members have origins in Baltimore bands such as Wake Up On Fire. If you haven't heard this band, it's time to end the deprivation! In avoiding the term "neo-crust," I'll just say that they play an amazing mix of metal and crusty hardcore with epic and unpredictable songwriting, and frequent meanderings into darkly emotive and melodic territories. Theme-wise, the tracks touch on the way our culture discounts the opinion of the younger folks, extreme disaffection and its constructive possibilities, and the inconsistency between the words and actions of bands that preach revolution. Nux Vomica is easily one the more exciting bands in the American crust arena; their LP is great, their split with Kakistocracy is great, this 7".... great! They also recently released a split 12" with Wake Up On Fire which I assume is really great too! "The Uninspired" appears to be sold out almost everywhere, so hopefully the band doesn't mind that we...

Share it

Sun-Blackened Metal

It seems almost too often that a reviewer will describe a band as "metal played by hardcore kids," but I think it's appropriate with Suicide Nation. The metal in question here would be mainly of the black variety. Suicide Nation comes from the land of saguaros and cookie-cutter tract homes as far as the eye can see: Arizona-- the same steaming, earthen cauldron that birthed Absinthe, Unruh, Structure of Lies, etc. Posted here is their raw and devastating first LP released around 1998 on King of the Monsters Records. There's a bit of an older black metal feel, combined with some emotional nineties hardcore dissonance, and finished off with a beautiful acoustic instrumental epic. Although a bit hard on the ears at times, this one's a ripper!

Click if you dare.

Song Of The Week: "The List"

This post is dedicated to the over-30 punks, hardcore "kids," metalheads, and fuck-ups out there. Filth's "The List" is a spiteful rant about an imaginary roster of the many who drop out of punk as soon as they "grow up." It's also a fuckin' great song! But I imagine, nowadays, another list-- one that perhaps you are on. Maybe you're in your 30's or 40's and although you have a 9-to-5 and belong to the PTA, your idea of a good time is drinking beers with a friend while blasting Jerrys Kids. Maybe you still receive the stink-eye from yuppie-types in the grocery store; or you blend in but secretly want to dump Miracle Whip all over their heads. Or maybe you make "plans" to go see your favorite bands when they come to town, but don't, fearing you may be the oldest one in attendance. Whatever your situation, I'd like to believe there's a thousands-strong list of our names, who are still in this...

The List

Splitter Split

As the little blurb on the cover explains, the From The Ashes/Splitter split 7" is "1o tracks of devastating grindcore brutality!" While this is accurate, was it really necessary to print it on the cover?! Not a sticker, but the actual cover!? I think only 500 were pressed, and I don't think these bands really need such hype to sell their records. Rant over, on to the music... I discovered Splitter on the Lo-Res Viscera blog a while back, and immediately connected. They play intense modern grind like their fellow Swedes, Nasum, and completely shred at it! The four tracks included here are masterful examples of this style, and the fact that they were recorded live in the studio is even more impressive! Under different circumstances, I would be enthused about their fellow countrymen From The Ashes, but Splitter just wins me over big time. FTA play with less dissonance, but still nail their own bitter brand of grind six times over. The recording may be a factor in why these tracks have less of an impact, because the riffs at times are pretty solid. There's just something missing. A good band though, and they certainly round out this "devastating" slab of "brutality."

Devastating brutality!!!!!