Words Hidden Between the Words

Lost is either a doomy crust metal band from Poland with ex-members of Homomilitia, or civilization's last hope impaled on a rusty barb somewhere on an undiscovered tract of tundra. The word bleak doesn't even cut it. If you find yourself in too perky a mood... seriously, check this band out. Then if you like, listen to their musical legacy scratching its way through the distorted hell of bands like Insuiciety and Token Tantrum. Perhaps you'll also enjoy their 7" which hopefully you can still get here. For now, get these 9 originals and a 13 cover below.

Lost "Strach" (Fear) LP (320 kbps vinyl rips)

It's My Choice to be on the Piss

Just because you have a favorite beer, is that going to keep you from trying other brands? It certainly doesn't stop me (Green Flash's Hop Head Red Ale is my current obsession in this department..). Neither does the fact that The Obliterated didn't exactly revolutionize hardcore punk stop me from liking their stab at the crusty obnoxiousness exhibited in today's featured disks. Do I hear some Vice Squad, Dirt, Mankind?, and Smarpils in these tracks? Or do my ears just want to hear them? Whatever the case, this is The Obliterated, and they rock hard.

When Brandon H. mentioned this band, I didn't hesitate to jump on them since he's the man who introduced me to Whipped, which I'm still jazzed about. Today you can get the "Insanity" 7" and..

... their split with UK d-beaters, Haywire. The vinyl for both recs. are in pretty "used" condition, but this is crusty punk, not Relapse rock so it shouldn't matter!

Both 7"s HERE

SOTW: "Busy" (Jawbreaker)

I guess this song first attracted me this week because of the title. My single friends and I are always bitching about our married friends and how "busy" they are. We spend most of our adult lives working and sleeping; then add familial "obligations" into the mix and the extra things that must be done to handle the extra expenses of the little ones (extra work, going back to school...) and, yeah, I can understand being busy; my sympathy and patience goes out to those folks! But then there are the others, married or otherwise, who clutter their lives with so much... intent on living "better" through a concentration and saturation of busy activity. Whatever happened to smelling the roses... reading a book? Maybe I've been reading a little too much Proust lately (yes, I will read the whole fucking thing this time), but ride your bike during rush hour and you'll see that everyone seems to be in a hyper-tense rush to get to the next phase of their day, psychotically and with a disregard sometimes for others' lives. Everything must be canned and packaged for easy and fast preparation, even our information and news. We watch our world from the window of a high-speed train, and wonder how we got to the age we're at so quickly. This folly becomes painfully apparent at times like these, when I realize I've become one of those people. Then I complain of my victimization by life, by my boss, but how much of that stress is self-imposed? Lots to figure out here, but I digress. How about some more Jawbreaker?!

Blake, or at least the persona of "Busy," will always find the time to help you when you're in need. Especially when you're on the brink of suicide. Comforting, eh? I've always thought so. Not to mention, the "Busy" 7" was the first piece of vinyl I ever owned by this, one of my favorite, bands. It's a brilliant early track with many of the Jawbreaker hallmarks present and accounted for: blurry but catchy melody, a special wit with language, and a hint of the sardonic. Turn off the TV, maybe even turn off the lights, and drink it in, my friends...

"Busy" by Jawbreaker (ripped from the 7" on Shredder Records)



Lyrics:

The Tear That Shines In Your Eye

The prescription of the day is... you need to get more in touch with your EMOtions. I'd like to think there's an emo-wuss in most of us, perhaps yours just needs to be uncloseted. I'm not talking about the pretty-boy Hot Topic bands of a few years ago; I'm talking about the disjointed, DIY, small town bands from the '90's with their wardrobe of thrift store clothes and hand-made 7"s for sale at $2 a pop. More specifically, I'm focusing today on how the French mastered and continue to rule over this style. Ignore the band name (as you may have had to do with Jasemine), ignore even the lyrics in some cases, and Vanilla will treat you to some elegantly-wrought hardcore painted in broad strokes of speed and angst, edged subtly with shadings of sad, clean guitars, beautifully in-tune with the feelings you sublimate daily with your regiment of Insect Warfare and Weekend Nachos records (maybe that's just me). As with the cousin-bands of Vanilla (Ivich, Jasemine, Finger Print...), speed is not completely sacrificed, nor are harsh vocals or energetic drumming. What results is this first LP by Vanilla, which succeeds in merging "true" hardcore and that 90's experimentation so seamlessly, that it may one of the more perfectly realized records to come out of that exciting fiasco of a decade.

Act now and you can also get the above early Vanilla 7" which sees the band working out their method to very pleasing effect.

I've been planning on posting these records for quite some time. The process was sped up by these great posts here and here. Thanks to the two of you for unknowingly putting the cattle prod in my back!

Vanilla 7" and LP

Song of the Week: "Pressure Bomb" (Rash of Beatings)

All of Rash of Beating's songs do what grindcore tracks should: cut straight for the viscera and quickly move to the next one, leaving an imprint of psychic mutilation for life. Track one of the band's 7" was all it took for me back in the late '90's when I picked it up. Recently, I was pleased to find other bloggers out there who treasure their ROB scars, but now it's time for me to pass the aural maiming on to you.

"Pressure Bomb" by Rash of Beatings (s/t? 7" on Sensual Underground Ministries)

Metal-Grinding-Voices-Screaming

Among the many jewels in the Satan's Pimp crown is today's offering, the Ruinacre LP. The band also brings us back to Arizona, but this time we venture to the highlands (Flagstaff) and this time we step completely out of mid-paced metallic hardcore territory. The terrain occupied by Ruinacre is an alien one where otherworldly entities resembling tech-metal and others vaguely reminiscent of nineties hardcore battle for dominance. In our own dimension, they might be a temporary peace pact between later Abc Diabolo and Creation Is Crucifixion, and in our language we would be made to use adjectival phrases like fast as fuck and perplexing as bloody Hell.

Ruinacre LP

Because Man Will Always Be Man

Mindless is (was?) one hell of a crusher of a hardcore band with Faiza of Faithealer and Hatred Surge on vocals. Aside from some idiosyncratic flourishes here and there, the band stays true to the lull you with slow, heavy riffs, then crack you over the head with a cudgel of blast beats method of hardcore. Crossed Out did it, Extortion does it, and I'm blessed with a wooden ear that never gets tired of hearing it!

The Mindless 6 track demo tape

It's doubtful (limited to 100 copies), but you may still be able to get a copy here.

Song of the Week: "Rainforest Downfall"

I believe I've sung the praises for the scratchy vocal stylings of Tati* before on this blog. In an unintentional scrape with irony, the SOTW is an instrumental track from the most prolific of her bands, Lost World; that's right, I'm posting a Tati band, sans the Tati. It seems unfathomable, but "Rainforest Downfall" is one of those rare things: a truly affecting hardcore punk instrumental. I'll follow the band's lead and cut the verbage already.

"Rainforest Downfall" by Lost World from the "Tot Aber Haltbar" LP

* Tati handled vocals for Day By Day, Lost World, Endrophobia, His Iro Is Gone, Animal Bondage, Apocalypstix...

Dogs, Cats, and the Grievousness of Actuality

I never know when that hankering for Japanese punk will come up slithering between the feet. Well, it came this morning, and bit me right on the ol' keester. It didn't take long rolodexing through my "to be posted box" of seven inches (yes, I have one...) to find a perfect pair of EPs as antidote. Reality Crisis are one of contemporary Japan's best along with Clown, Blowback, Slang, etc. (although Slang's been around for over 20 years now!). Like most 7"s on MCR Japan, "Deformed Society" is pretty rare. So if you missed out, here's your chance to enjoy RC in one of their most raw forms. The vocals, like a strange mix of early Hiatus and Paul Bearer (Sheer Terror) had me marveling at how Daisuke could go five tracks without giving himself a hernia. Lyrically the band follows the Shikabane path, penning various ways of dealing with our inevitable despair, but then finishing with a rant against irresponsible pet owners (!). The lower-end, chunky metallic guitars compliment all this to form a truly crust-tacular experience.


I know I've seen the "Who Is Your Messiah" 7" posted elsewhere, but I figured I'd offer my rips anyway. Here the band pokes its head out of the gloomier mire of the previous EP, and lets fly a more energetic flurry of riffs. To enliven their sound further, they've added a vocalist, credited as providing "Insane Vocals." Indeed. If you like this one, you'll find similar goods on the band's two LPs.

"Deformed Society" and "Who Is Your Messiah"

Scathed & Decrepit

Ah yes, the return of Decrepit to FE-- easily one of the most vicious crust-core bands ever to exist! In a mere three tracks on this split, the band minces no words as they take on ageism, elitism, pacifism, militarism, homophobia, and the God myth. After these four and half minutes I think you'll be left still holding the mouse and wondering what the fuck just happened. Click again; it will only do you good.

Scathed festered in the same damp corner of the country as their split-mates, and played similar "music" although tainted with a bit more noise and youthful sloppiness. What charges this band into the 'memorable' enclave are the harsh vocals which saw through the noise and lacerate the mind. The lyrics to "Buffy (the Clown)" earn Scathed some bonus points too. Knowing (at least vicariously) the Seattle situation, I wouldn't be surprised if the members played in other bands. But I'll leave that blank up to you to fill in.

The Decrepit/Scathed Split (199?) on Un-Yelliman Records

Note: The copy I ripped was in fairly sorry shape... I did what I could to clean it up. The Decrepit tracks are supposedly on a CD that I've seen around the web. Another Decrepit split may be forthcoming, but not for a long while...

Songs of the Past Few Months

It's been a damned long time since I've done a Song of the Week post. Having given myself a chance to catch up on recent releases, I'm bubbling over with songs to where the SOTW format just won't cut it. That's right, it's mixtape time! This is NOT a best of 2009 mix. It's merely a sampling of some records I picked up last year and which refuse to stay in their sleeves. Hell, some of them may be as old as 2007. I also made an effort to choose LPs that have NOT been posted either as a SOTW or complete download here in the past. The genres showcased tend less toward the violent grinding ensembles this time, and lean decidedly toward the heavy and gloomy, as well as the melodic. I can't say why-- that's just the way it happened. I'm super stoked on all the records represented below, so if you're not familiar, give 'em shot!

All the tracks were ripped from vinyl (@256) so there may be some minor editing issues. As usual, if you like what you hear and have the cash, support the bands, labels, etc.

1. Never Healed- "Where The Crosses Grow" from the s/t 12"
2. Battle Of Mice- "The Bishop" from the split 12" with Jesu
3. Extortion- "Losing Battle" from the "Sick" LP
4. Preying Hands- "Preying Hands" from the "Through The Dark" LP
5. Insuiciety- "Left For Dead" from the s/t LP
6. Contrast Attitude- "Life" from the "Apocalyptic Raw Assault" 12"
7. Agrimonia- "The Decay" from the s/t LP
8. Organism- "Hell" from the "Hope" LP
9. Morne- "Untold Wait" from the "Untold Wait" LP
10. Assassinators- "A For Anarki" from the "Sigt Efter Hjertet" LP
11. Aussitot Mort- "On A Qu'à Se Dire Que L'on S'en Fout" from the "Montuenga" LP
12. Grails- "Reincarnation Blues" from the "Doomsdayer's Holiday" LP
13. Masshysteri- "Istiden" from the "Vår Del Av Stan" LP


Download The Mix