Hashish Eaters

The Assassinators' 7" is a somewhat recent release, but since I can't stop listening to it I felt the need to share it with you (and it's out of print now). This Danish band gets compared to La Fraction excessively, so in my pessimism I figured they sound like nothing of the sort. They actually do, though, with some mixed in accents of other melodic European hardcore bands like Inner Conflict and Post Regiment. The band departs from the La Fraction mould with their less stylized lead vocals, more pronounced harmonies, and a layer of somberness that gets me all excited. The pop sensibilities and melody will compel you to spin this thing over and over, but there's enough punk grit to keep your crust-credentials intact. Listen; become addicted; then track down a copy of their LP released on Alerta Antifascista (You can also get these tracks on a CD along with a lot of other material here or here).

The Assasinators 7"

Sutek Conspiracy

It's a good thing I waited before posting the TR/Sutek Conspiracy/Catheter split CD, because (aboynamed)Stew stepped up and hooked us up with the entire Sutek Conspiracy discography! The compilation is homemade, since no such CD was ever released, but Stew did an awesome job putting it all together. SC was based in Indiana and played an emotionally charged hybrid of metal and modern hardcore that never really received its due praise outside of perhaps the mid-west. Some members went on to have a colorful future, as Stew mentioned, "I only got to see Sutek twice towards the end of their run, once in Athens and once in Columbus. Fucking rippers live, though. After they broke up, the drummer (not sure of his name) went on to play drums in The Dream Is Dead. Leila Rauf, the guitarist, moved to Columbus and played guitar in Memento Mori (along with members of The Awakening, Scrotum Grinder, Cobra Kai, and more) and I think another project called Valkyrie (also with Matt, the other guitarist in Memento Mori) whose tape I was able to find ripped on a blog called Cosmic Hearse. Then she moved to the Bay Area and now plays in a progressive death metal band called Saros (sound a bit like Cynic to my novice ears) who are also pretty killer." The folder below has material from their self-titled CD, demo, 4 splits, and a comp track. I recommend listening to the demo last (tracks 1-6) because the band hadn't yet started wielding their sharp metal edge. How ever you approach it, this collection is powerful and essential especially if you are a serious DIY music scavenger like most people who come here.

Thanks again, Stew!

The Sutek Conspiracy discography

Zap

As we near the hour when the goblins and phantoms come out to play, I felt it was time to revisit a witchy "punk" band I fear many of you overlooked when I posted their discography long ago. Witchknot was one of the more unique bands I've ever heard, and seemed even more curious when held alongside their label mates (Flat Earth Records). Subversive, rhythmic, funny, smart, catchy, quirky... this band was so many things, and yet every time you listen to them, you'll find other facets that will only make them more beautifully perplexing. The Song of The Week is called "Zap!", and it employs heavy-handed witch imagery, which I believe is sarcastic to a certain extent. It also showcases the signature wacky guitar picking, violin frenzies, and ecstatic and snotty vocal stylings that made me love this band instantly (and, yes, not a little cowbell thrown in too). Witchknot won't be for everyone, but I think they should be. Mount your broomsticks and...

"Zap"

X's & O's

Continuing on the trope of bands with curious names creating wonderfully fucked up music, here we have an almost-discography from Kisses and Hugs. Another overlap with the last band posted is Kisses And Hugs' soft-spot for insane distortion, blast-beats, and humorous song titles. Not to mention there's a totally jacked-up cover song ("Kiss Me, Kill Me" by Negative Approach). Titles like "Civ Lied" and "Genital Ben," make me really wish they had supplied a lyric sheet, but we'll just have to use our imagination instead (the crazed vocals certainly don't provide an in, either). So who were Kisses And Hugs? They were three rural Pennsylvania/New Jersey youths who look like the kind of kids who got their asses kicked a lot in elementary school (a compliment is a weird kind of way) but who shredded out some insanely fast and chaotic hardcore and unbosomed their angst with quirky and funny words (presumably). I first came to know the bands from the "Education" comp (Mountain Coop) and their split with Halfman (the former tracks appear on this LP). The album posted today is mainly material from 1994 when faster hardcore was only beginning to adopt its clique-y posturing, so it's free from all that. The LP itself only reached the pressing and circulation phase in 2001/2002, and only 500 were pressed. That's about all I know. If you need the split, just leave a comment and I'll get on it.

Kisses & Hugs LP

Guns, Liquor, & Whores

No, the title of this post is not a feeble attempt to get your attention, but it does sound like a fun Friday night. Guns, Liquor, & Whores was actually the previous band of three future members of Manitoba's Under Pressure. Those of you familiar with the latter band from their "Still No Future" 12" on Sound Pollution are bit more prepared for the abomination at hand: raucous fast(hard)core glued together with thick feedback and some hilarious film (?) sound samples (from a movie that I'm ashamed to admit I cannot identify). The nine originals would be enough to make this 10" a smokin' hot affair, but then there's a cover of Turbonegro's "Hobbit Motherfucker" and a blazing mad version of Infest's "Sick (Fuckin')-O" (remember how they tore apart those Void/Faith songs on "Still No Future"? Yeah, it's kind of like that!). A lot of you out there eat up the fast stuff I've posted in the past, so I'm pretty certain you'll like this one too.

GL&Ws didn't release anything else that I can find. I was bummed to find out Under Pressure quit, but they did leave behind 4 really good 12"s and some EPs, many of which are available still. They slowed things down a bit on later releases, but the quality seemed to get even better on the last couple of outings.

Guns, Liquor, And Whores - "Serpico" 10" (Putrid Filth Conspiracy, 2002, 500(?) pressed, 320 kbps)

Close To Distance

As usual, when I post an old favorite, I'm sent on a nostalgic trip through the band's entire discography. And, as always happens with Guts Pie Earshot specifically, I end up at "Close to Distance." What an incredible song! It's danceable, emotionally penetrating, with a most memorable violin riff and Anneke rockin' the mic like never before. I once thought to dismiss GPE for being so dance-friendly. They must be some pill-popping club kids or something, right? I can't tell you how wrong I was. Pure art.

"Close to Distance" (Ripped by me from vinyl)

"Close to Distance" (Remix) (Downloaded from some nice anonymous person)

"Close to Distance (Live at Holzrock)" (Also downloaded)

You can still download the "Wait" album here.

Crawling On My Hands and Knees

This Sunday morning quickie sends us back to Seattle for another dram of twisted noise. I first was interested in Walls because of Jensen's (Iron Lung) involvement. The band's actual product has a little more to do with Kortland's old band, Gob, than any I.L. style grind. But what you really get is some pretty unique and messed up sounding dark and heavy rock. One track appeared on the Walls LP, but the other ("Hands & Knees") I believe to be an exclusive. Said LP and the awesome one-sided 12" are still available from Painkiller and Iron Lung Records respectively.

Walls "The Crawl" 7" (Iron Lung Records, from the first pressing of 400)

White Belt In Blogging

I think it's great when bands adopt misleading or at least non-generic band names. The only problem is, I rarely ever check them out... because of their names. As fortune would have it, Justin from Same-Sex Dictator introduced me to his band by sending me rips of their awesome split with Requin and permission to post. S-SD appear here as a two piece showcasing a penetrating bass sound with just enough distortion to assert its commanding role without being too abrasive. Song-writing-wise, the band is a reunion with your old crush, but she's different now, and the novelty excites you: the throbbing, crawling pace of your favorite sludge bands, the bursting frenetic fits of a few noise rock legends, but sounding not quite like anything yet in your collection. But maybe "Eight: From Meal To Bait" is more grand and universal, laying out the ancient, cyclical war between our desire for precision and harmony, and our uncontrollable tendency toward entropy and violence, with each listen crowning a different winner. And trust me, repeat listens are inevitable.

Requin are yet another reason to look to the Northwest for rock that ain't your grandpa's grunge. These guys skip most of the contemplation and shoot for a mainly primal approach with regard to tempos. The proggy, noodly fret board action however, prods deep into the cerebrum, as do the drums which keep up beautifully with the breakneck pace. And the vocals: No high pitch screaming, no forced guttural grunting; not even a grungy croon. Just good, raw, throaty yelling! This is yet another solid and original band to bookmark from the mad, musical laboratory that is Seattle.

You can get this very limited 7" from S-SD or perhaps Crucial Blast's webstore. It was recorded this year, so if you like what you hear, you can probably expect each bands' next releases to be similar. In my opinion, that's a good reason to get stoked.

The Same-Sex Dictator/Requin split 7" (320 digital rips)

WaitSitSceamListenFlyDreamFallRiseSpread

In my conscious effort this week to mix in some variety, Guts Pie Earshot seemed an obvious choice, and indeed the textures on the "Anatopia" LP also meld nicely with the autumnal moods of some recent SOTW selections. Guts Pie Earshot answer the hypothetical question few would think of asking: what would happen if a few squatter punk music students with diverse tastes threw all inhibitions and genre limitations aside and wrote some songs? The answer turns out to be as kaleidoscopic as you'd think, and "Anatopia" is a shape-shifting color palette of some of the possible outcomes. Their colorful diversity comes through not only from record to record, but from song to song on this LP. The band's music is driven by bass, drums, and cello with occasional appearances by other keyboard and string instruments, and their early recordings were graced with robust vocal melodies (by Anneke). This is indeed one of those earlier recordings, although the vocals are absent or subdued on many of the tracks. From funereal dirge, to Eastern European folk, to punk, to an awesome cello waltz... this one really shows the astounding array of this band's influences and abilities. It's also apparently a soundtrack to a film (which I haven't seen), presumably about the squat of the same name (?). Any more info about the film would be much appreciated. For more GPE, try this record too-- it's excellent!

"Anatopia" (ripped at 256)

The band is still around and plays mainly as a two piece, however the flyer at their site advertises a reunion with Anneke! Wish I could be there. I have a couple of other GPE LPs if there's one that you're missing.

Spectra Sonic Sound

This is the 3rd time Okara's track "Corona" has been posted on this site. This Song Of The Week was promted by a visit from Shawn of Spectra Sonic Sound Records who announced that he's got about 100 copies left of Okara's "Months Like Years" LP that he'd like to unload. There was a great response when I posted it a while back, so now's perhaps your last chance to own an original! Get a copy or three here or here.

So obviously "Corona" is my favorite Okara track. There's something about those tightly-wound opening measures with their frantic drumming and slightly off-time guitar riff, and the way they lead into the musical equivalent of ecstatic euphoria that sits well with me. The tracks throughout the LP are coated in a veneer of austerity, but a careful listen reveals a complex life under the surface of the songs that's pretty phenomenal for a three-piece.

"Corona"

Okara folks had some involvement in the bands Shotmaker, Three Penny Opera, 30 Second Motion Picture...

Can't Find Any Hope Out In Tomorrow

You might know Protess from their split with Signal Lost. Those songs were good, but weren't enough to prepare me for the bleak epic that is "The End Of The Day." It brought back fond, giddy teen memories of first discovering Initial State or Zero Hour. They also released a 7" which I need to get ahold of, and if they ever release a LP I can die a little bit happier.

The name Noise Pollution may strike one as generic, and I'm sorry to say that this Irish band's sortie into raw political hardcore fits that description too. Their hearts are in the right place, and if they continue to be a band, I hope they write material that does better justice to the spirit of the band and its members. Not bad, but not great.

The Split.

I've been posting a ton of crust lately, mainly because that's what I've been listening to and apparently it's what people want to hear. Next week I'll shoot for a little variety; possible posts from Same Sex Dictator (if my copy will ever arrive!), Walls, Guts Pie Earshot, The Neighbors, Kurt...

It Must Have Been That Pastie

I was going to post the Charred Remains/Pink Turds In Space split, but I realized what a travesty it would be if someone out there didn't have decent rips of Pink Turds' discography. So here you go: 38 tracks of (at their best) obnoxious (vocals), thrashy (guitars), and hilarious (lyrics) Irish hardcore from 1986 to around 1992. The last two tracks are a demo and a 5 song live set, so this is one massive nugget. Hopefully the links work... I don't have time to test them since I'm off to commune with Redwoods out in Big Sur. Any technical issues will be dealt with this weekend.

Okay, bye.

The Complete PTIS Part 1

The Complete PTIS Part 2


I think this was re-issued recently, but couldn't find the site. If it was, I'll remove the link ASAP!

Three Hours

I have a staunch prejudice against most "dude-with-a-guitar" music; Nick Drake is partially responsible for this, mainly due the futility of any other mortal ever surpassing what he could do with voice and guitar. "Day is Done" may be the obvious Song of the Week choice for some, but for me, the way I'm feeling right now... it's all about "Three Hours."

"Three Hours"

The Battle For Seattle

Here's another excellent Brandon pick from two unstoppable Seattle bands. Decrepit should need no introduction, and surely, just listening to their take on crusty hardcore is the best way for newcomers to get acquainted. The incessant, rapid-fire vocals are easily the band's greatest virtue. They released a 7" and a self-titled CD that I know of, both of which are/are probably completely awesome. Phalanx also released a self-titled LP/CD, and then called it quits, leaving this split 7" as the only other artifact of their existence. Their sound will inevitably be cornered as Americanized Scandi-crust galore, with bad cop/badder cop vocals. I remember liking their LP more than I like these tracks, and from what I can tell both Aborted Society and No Options records are sold out of it. Being a low profile band, it should be easy to find a copy in one of your favorite distros (the Phalanx tracks below were tacked onto the CD version).

Decrepit/Phalanx Split