What About Glass Smashed And Shattered?

Although H:G Fact still lists it as available, I'm posting Envy's first full length due to its scarcity in my hemisphere. But, with the possibility of its reissue by Temporary Residence (just a prediction), these rips will be removed soon. "From Here To Eternity" is a real treat to hear, as the band works out its early ideas and angst, and reveals without shame their distinct take on 90's French hardcore (the first minute sounds like an unreleased Finger Print track!). The drumming may not be as frenetic-yet-intricate, and the layers of guitars not quite as masterful as on, say, "All The Footprints...," but considered as if in a vacuum, "FHTE" is an excellent piece of work.

"From Here To Eternity" by Envy (H:G Fact, 1998... CD Rips). Please try to buy a copy and support H:G Fact because it's an amazing label!

The Magic Formula For Misbelievers

After two visitors recommended Grievance, I finally got around to grabbing their 7". The verdict: holy shit! Just about everything I love overtly or secretly is nailed by this band- challenging structures, metallic chugging, gloomy moods, and the mastery of conveying heartfelt emotion without sounding sappy and weak. This should appeal to a wide array of hardcore fans, but especially those who kneel at the altar of Contropotere, Zero Hour, Daymare...

Grievance 7"

I forgot to include this little bookmark with English translations in the folder.

Song of the Week:"Left Hand" (Envy)

I remember when Envy was still somewhat of a hardcore band. It was during the transitional phase that I first found them, with the release of "All The Footprints...". Screamy hardcore was getting dull and redundant, but Envy wasn't about to fall into that trap. Their hardcore was indeed emotional, but there was still a raw fury backing each song, and the emphasis was on the music, not the hairstyle. "All The Footprints..." is a great album, and to a certain extent there is greatness on all of Envy's releases... just not nearly in this high a concentration. Level Plane had a hand in releasing it on CD, but "Left Hand" was ripped from the LP version put out by H:G Fact and Molaire Industries.

"Left Hand" (from "All The Footprints You've Ever Left And The Fear Expecting Ahead")

Everything I Hate About Hardcore

Christ, where did this week go? Faster the better, I guess. A nice 7" is always good for when a post is in order, but time is scarce; so let's get started-- rumor has it that Far Left Limit had (a) future member(s) of Pisschrist in its line up. However, expect no abrasive d-beat on this split. Instead these Aussies plow through 5 tracks of political hardcore American style that are over before you know it. The brevity is disheartening, but it can be redeemed by playing the tracks again for an equally awesome experience, or by checking out Deadstare. These guys played grindcore and were not ashamed of it. Furious, metallic, blazing fast... it's grindcore, people. Get more information about Deadstare as well as their discography here.

Far Left Limit/Deadstare Split 7" (The last Deadstare track had some kind of bump in the wax, creating a low-rider with hydraulics effect with my turn table arm. I did what I could to remedy this).

Song Of The Week: "Twilight Amaranthine" (Asunder)

The vast majority of doom metal bores me, but every so often a band of this ilk, with slow grace, will "bore" into me in another way-- under the skin and right to the psyche. Asunder did this with their beautiful 1x1/2 LP, "A Clarion Call." They succeed for me because they structure their compositions like intricately wrought narratives and use heaviness as only one facet of what are ultimately fairly complex songs. More importantly, tracks like "Twilight Amaranthine" are just chilling and beautiful to hear, all the way up to the fourteenth minute(!). It's been a while since I've posted a long, slow one, but "TA" should more than make up for lost time.

"Twilight Amaranthine" by Asunder (ripped @320 from vinyl)

Unholy Sea Of Shite

Members of One By One, Jinn, etc blasting through 13 intense, grinding tracks-- I'm not sure what else you could want in a record. This is the UK Ebola's only 12" I think, which might be self-titled but I'm calling it "Incubation" because that's what it says on the booklet cover. Both vocalists are in rare form and belt out their wares with straight from the gut anger. Classic!

Ebola (UK) LP (Side B had some surface scratches, so sorry about that.)

...With your cock out.

Painajainen was going to rip this for us too, but because he's a bit busy I took the liberty. The Servitude/Ebola (UK) split is about what you'd expect from these two musical bruisers if you've heard them before. I was all excited to hear more Servitude after their excellent 7", but I gotta say, their tracks on here were a bit listless by comparison. They still play their own take on dark-edged crusty thrash, and for that I'll always appreciate this band. Ebola on the other hand, dominate, ripping this EP to shreds, gluing it back together with their own snot, only to smash it to pieces again. This is angry political hardcore that reaches the borderline of grindcore and does the hokey-pokey all over it. The funny sound samples and smart lyrics top off their five tracks capitally. Rock out in the cockpit...

here.

Song Of The Week: "After You" (Sin 34)

I think it was 17 years ago when, through the fuzz of a broken KROQ signal, I first heard Sin 34 and Anarchy 6. But it wasn't until the heyday of Napster that I finally got to hear them in all their suburban LA, snotty-ass glory. Still to this day, I own nothing by either band, although if money wasn't an issue I probably would. Slowly over time, I've come to place Sin 34 in the higher ranks of my '80's hardcore faves, among excellent company I assure you. "After You" is wound up with the fire typical of this band, and perfect for yet another ass-dragging week that won't end, with vacation so near on the horizon.

"After You"

Play At Any Speed And Fail

I'm gonna throw up a bunch of re-ripped slabs over the next few weeks, and Gob's opus seemed a fine place to start. When I posted the "Kill Yourself Commandment" LP the first time, I think I just stole some rips for upload, and that just doesn't cut it. Tonight we have the 320 treatment for one of the most sour affronts to music ever committed to wax. Gob took everything our ears have been taught to hold sacred and did things to them that are still considered illegal in some states. If you like your noise rock violent or your violence noisy, Gob might be your favorite band, or they might make you rethink your preconceptions about such trite labels. I hate name-dropping, so I won't mention that Mr. J. Kortland of Iron Lung was one of the Gob masterminds.

Download the 11th Commandment!

("The Kill Yourself Commandment" by Gob (Reno) released on Satan's Pimp Recs, 1999)

Song of the Week: "A Six Inch Valley" (Planes Mistaken for Stars)

Another song about loss and the sauce, "A Six Inch Valley" is one of the more hard hitting tracks on the brilliant "Up In Them Guts" LP. Plenty of bands are "hard to describe," but PMFS was one of those rare breeds that created a distinct concoction that seemed to flow from them organically. They didn't try to sound like anyone else, ended up truly sounding like no other, and if anyone else tries to sound like them, they will be called out as posers, but quick. The Motorhead comparisons you may have heard only allude to the band's grit, but really the similarities end there. It's just grungy, emotive, brutally sincere rock that although standing alone, has its roots anchored in many varied and mysterious soils.

"And you know, I couldn't sell you a lie to save my life.
So it's up to ugly truths to scrape us by.
Or down to dirty tricks to keep us blind..."

"A Six Inch Valley" by Planes Mistaken for Stars

Crust, INC

As per request, today's serving is a small but fortifying slab of industrial metal/punk with a generous garnish of crusty aesthetics. In Nomine Christi was a one man band from Germany who also did an equally invigorating LP which Painajainen ripped for all to enjoy over here. The 7" consists of two more head-bobbing, bass driven jams, and one dirge of cold despair. Our anonymous friend who made the request made the comparisons to Spine Wrench and Godflesh, and I'm hard pressed to do any better than that. I like the way the composer makes great use of electronic sounds and keyboards to flesh out more musical layers in a genre that usually leaves me cold. Nice record!

In Nomine Chrisi 7"