Fugitive Equilibrium

Scream

2012-01-19T19:03:00.001-08:00

Himei marks the smoldering nexus of several traditions and a touch of originality. The punked-out riffs can't decide if they want to be sharply angular or endlessly danceable, and for me they don't need to. All eight of the tracks on their two EPs meet so many of my musical needs with such pleasing efficiency, not least of which is the need to hear a possessed woman recently released from her straight jacket shrieking inhibition into a cowering little mass. Or a reasonable approximation thereof. Somehow Himei make good old hardcore punk sound fresh and new again, and their vocals rival some of my all time favorites.

Both Himei 7"s (H:G Fact, 2010)... here

Turn Up Your Wick

2012-01-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

The FE 7" archives are getting pretty chaotic, so order must be imposed with another series. This week will be Japanese 7" week-- each band featured will be as obscure as they are raging in that traditional Japanese way so many of us crave. Next week, maybe I'll head toward more a-traditional territory. Anyway, today's pick is Flux Cored Wire, and I first came to know them through the comp I'm throwing in below as a bonus. Descriptions are redundant-- listening is mandatory. That is, if high-energy hardcore with gang vocals in the manner of Deride or Assfort suits your fancy. The comp even features an Assfort "remix" and a track by Freak, who end up winning the three way split.

Flux Cored Wire 7" (MCR, 2000) & "No Way" Comp (Mangrove, 1998)

Moselle As Fuck

2012-01-10T20:01:00.001-08:00

Coexist is another French band whose 7" I didn't quite get a chance to post last week. Rather than savoring the screamotive excellence this country exported during the nineties, you may find yourself adjusting your palate to something more like what the UK bands were doing at the time (ie. Disaffect, Sedition, One By One). As the zeitgeist dictated, bands like Coexist were proud to eschew polish and precision in favor of heart-felt idealism and a dash of free-spirited creativity. Their rollicking, hard-edged peace punk is often garnished with more ambient build-ups that have now become mainstays in many a crust band's repertoire. The rather involved packaging of the first press of the 7" also stings me with pangs of nostalgia for the DIY days of yore: not only are there multiple inserts and a nice looking booklet, but the sleeve is made from a screen printed piece of sweatshirt fleece. While this is a far from perfect little EP, its spirit somehow leaves me with a warm glow, which its flaws only seem to enhance.

Coexist 7" (Ape Records/Brassica Rapa, 1995) Link includes scans of first press booklet and covers.

A Burning Black Teardrop

2012-01-05T17:04:00.001-08:00

Unpersons is perhaps best known for their collaboration with Baroness; but don't let that prejudice you. I first came to know this ensemble from Savannah from their Life is Abuse outing, and their noise rock meets hardcore is just the shit. I believe the 7" posted here is their first vinyl contribution, but don't let that fool you either. The four tracks on this beast are every bit as accomplished as their future releases, if not more so if you ask this warped blogger. The intersection of drugs and southern life never sounded so... satisfying. Members apparently also play in Pig Heart Transplant, Kylesa, and Black Tusk among other bands.

Unpersons 7" (I) (Fish Fur Records, 2000)

The Goal Posts of Life

2012-01-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

As you can probably tell from the cover, in "Punk In Drublic" we see a Word Salad in its burgeoning and most immature form. In fact, it predates the band's first Prank Records 7" by about five years. Not yet the metallic leviathan that baffled us with its ability to be both manic and incredibly controlled, the band's unhinged disregard for predictability is still ever apparent on this debut. It warms my heart to know how our Word Salad turned out, and hearing them in their embryonic stage is tons of fun.

Word Salad "Punk in Drublic" 7" (Dog Shit Recurdz, 1993)

We all die in the end...

2012-01-03T20:34:00.000-08:00

Installment number two this week is the first No Statik 7". Being that it's on Iron Lung Records, I assume it was posted on a bunch of blogs, but I'm not one to gamble on such things, so here it is. These two tracks comprise the prologue to the band's 12" that was soon after released on Prank Records; one is an exclusive-- the other is an edited version of "We All Die in the End." Members were previously in Look Back and Laugh, Destroy!, and Scrotum Grinder, so you should be able to anticipate the fury that awaits you...

Here.

New No Statik 7" is available here.

Pleasure Inflicted Suffering

2012-01-02T18:37:00.000-08:00

This week, every post will be a random seven inch by a band I like, a couple of which have had other releases posted on this blog before. Most of the bands will be fairly obscure, like today's selection, "Human Ruins" by Running For Cover. The first time I experienced their LP, the term thinking-person's power violence came to mind. All of the cathartic punishment that keeps us coming back to this genre is present and accounted for on both of their releases; but the lyrics, which deal mainly with the meaninglessness of life, are tinged with existentialist musings, and on a couple there's even a bit of an Eastern element. PV songs about Kung Fu movies and enchiladas are fun and all, but it's kind of nice to see a band taking things a bit further.

Running For Cover - "Human Ruins" 7" (625 Thrashcore/Out of Limits, 2004)

Haldol

2011-12-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

I'm forced to ignore many band submissions due to scarcity of free time, but I couldn't ignore Haldol. The first impression was that of a hazy deja vu-- not that I had heard it before, but that at some point I imagined a band with this sound; perhaps it was more of a hopeful premonition. Haldol is hardcore, certainly, but in between the fits of frantic riffs and raspy snarling, the band enters musical space evoking what I can only fathom to be the inner demonic cage match induced by the drug for which they are named. The jarring tempo changes could be a liberation from this, or the victory of those inner demons. Either way you look at it, the outcome for the listener is more like the majority of other drug experiences-- ups, downs, fatigue, cravings, and, finally, addiction.

According to Geoff, Haldol is engaging on a tour soon or now, so get in touch. The demo is available on a sliding scale for download at their bandcamp page, and will perhaps be released on cassette one day. Songwriting for an LP is in the works, so keep checking with them and over here for updates on that. For the next few days I'll have the demo available, as long as you send the band some dough as soon as you become hooked.

Haldol Demo

Once again... Bandcamp

Les Voix du Silence

2011-12-25T07:52:00.000-08:00

This French series is hereby bookended with this post of odds and ends held loosely together by hardcore innovators, Ivich, and the force that was their music. The first link you see below is for a compilation, and what a monstrosity it is! I won't lie to you; much of "An Insult to Our Freedom" sounds like ass. Between the low volume and the bad demo/live quality of many of the tracks, digital sound files are the way to go on this one (skipping around being so much easier). As with all comps, it is only as worthy as the line-up, and with bands like Disaffect, Unhinged, Disrupt, Agathocles, Battle of Disarm, Active Minds, and a slew of others, you can probably guess why I'm posting it. Ivich contribute a raw and loose rendition of "Si J' Etais Libre," which would later be re-recorded for their split with E-150.
In the other link, you'll find three little gems, not least of which is Ivich's only 7". The always fabulous Fab sent me these tracks a while back, but I decided to rip my copy which I hunted down recently. As an early offering, the band is a bit less melancholic, but the raw emotion that would come to fruition on their LP glimmers noticeably below the surface.
The "Autonomie Volume 1" comp. makes me wish more comps were like it. With only four bands and four tracks, there's no room for turds or boredom. Ivich once again bring us an early version, this time of "Les Voix du Silence" from their 10". Alcatraz is arguably the weakest band, but their meandering and plodding screamo is interesting enough, especially with the random trumpet flurries (something I would expect from Ivich, actually). Headway and Coche Bomba finish it off, the first with a slow take on the Bremen style, and the last with their characteristic Larm-influenced grind attack. A little variety never hurts.
Finally, and for the hell of it, I'm tacking on this Vanilla/El Vidal Sonido split 7". As some of you know, some Ivich personnel formed Vanilla, and if you've heard the Ivich 10" and early Vanilla recordings, the confluence is easy to recognize. "The Ink" is a mid-period track, not fast like the early material-- not as indie rock as the later stuff. It is anguished and atmospheric, so if that's your mood, Vanilla deliver. El Vidal Sonido is a different animal, and a mysterious one. Reading the insert I got the impression that they were a little pretentious, but the goods are delivered in the form of some very well done indie rock instrumentalism, so I forgive the posturing. Atmosphere is the key word again with these guys, the gloomy kind, so maybe they aren't so different from Vanilla after all.

"An Insult to Our Freedom" Comp LP

The Ivich 7", "Autonomie Vol. 1" Comp, & the Vanilla split

667- Sign of the Beast's Neighbor

2011-12-11T18:05:00.001-08:00

Well, it was back to school for me for these past ten months, and man is it great to be done! The experience only reinforced one of the many ironies central to my life: that I am jaded and suspicious of institutionalized education, even as I continue my career in this very field. It's good to be back though, and I'll try not to neglect the blog so much in the future...

I still haven't gotten the Francophilia out of my system properly, so today we have another French band, Algolagnie, whose only full length was released in 2000 on the great Nabat label. French as they may have been, the music Algolagnie produced draws from the whole array of nineties (mostly) European hardcore, both the metallic and emotive varieties. At different intervals, they tickle a wide spectrum my own aural nostalgia of the preceding decade from bands as diverse as Undone, Lost World, Kimusawea, Grievance, Age, Spitboy, Farcical, Ivich, the list goes on. Regardless of the treble-heavy production, the tracks on the LP afford the band an honorable place alongside those listed above-- they are smart and challenging, without sacrificing the raw emotion and aggression prerequisite to our beloved genre. The French have a firm handle on this meshing of ugliness and beauty, and I can't help but think that the implications of this union stretch far beyond the music.

The Algolagnie LP (Nabat, 2000)

Kissing the Revolution of What We Are

2011-10-20T19:06:00.001-07:00

The Finger Print discography is getting harder to find, so I did some digging. With a little window cleaner my old scratchy copy of the CD made for some good ripping. As far as my personal canon goes, Finger Print were one of the delectable treats that lured me into the rabbit hole of nineties hardcore. Things would never again be the same for me, and I rather like it that way. Claw your way through the tangle of FP's jack-hammering drums, metallic dissonance, winding melodies, and curdling screams, and you'll find four regular guys, hacking their own rambling and fugitive path to the same vague place you hope to one day end up too. Like many acts of the decade, their path went somewhere inward, exploring the place of the individual among the shape-shifting and ghoulish menagerie of the political realm. Whether or not they ever found what they were looking for, I cannot say, but this 19 track document suggests to me that the journey was well worth it. There's nary a single throw-away (other than the awfully recorded live tracks at the end), and unlike many hardcore discographies, I am always riveted by this one from beginning to end. Speaking of the end, the final three studio tracks revealed a slightly new direction for the band, smoothing the jagged metallic edges to more elegant contours. Members would continue in this direction in the band Jasemine, who sadly only released four songs.

Finger Print discography (@320 Kbps)

Q: Mankind? A: Dirt.

2011-10-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

I won't get into all the reasons for this blog's dormancy; it's the usual case of taking on too much and having too little left to give by the end of the day. I'll slowly get the cogs moving again, and by the end of November, it should be back to clacking and clanking at its old pace. But what really matters is the music, so I'll continue on the therapeutic simplicity of the last post with a couple of splits by Connecticut's Mankind?. This short-lived peace punk/hardcore ensemble channeled all the best aspects of the 80's and 90's, albeit through only a handful of songs...

The first split represents arguably the best material from both bands present, the other being UK veterans, Dirt. Dirt's flickering presence throughout the 80's had exceptionally luminescent moments, but their brief return in the 90's was for me their most focused appearance. Maybe you'll enjoy their more raw material better, but the stylized direction of Deno's vocals just do it for me on this one.

While disappointing by comparison, Mankind?'s two offerings on their split with Final Warning are still solid efforts. The disappointment for me lies in the poor production and in the decision to not make Stacey the lead vocalist. Other than that, "Utopian Nightmare" is a more than passable contribution to American political hardcore, and their cover of "Electrodes" is a boiling, frothing brewpot of angst and loathing.

The original idea for this post was to gather a bunch of Final Warning tracks, including the Warning 7". Both Warning and Final Warning were New York-based bands featuring Neil, Nausea's original vocals-man. Mike of Twisted Tracks must have been eating the same thing this week or been tuned to the same frequency as me because he beat me to it. To complete your Final Warning collection, the track "Wasteland" on the split above is one of the finer examples of FW's post-Discharge bleakness, complete with Neil's burliest angry-sailor vocals. You can get FW's "Eyes of a Child" 7" here, some compilation tracks from both FW and Mankind? here, and FW's live LP here. In an interesting twist, on the LP Final Warning takes their stab at an "Electrodes" duet between Neil and Stacey (Mankind?).

Mankind?'s splits with Dirt and Final Warning

Powerless with a Guitar

2011-08-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

When the clutter of life becomes so entangled as to become a hindrance to living it, I look to bands built on a framework of simplicity. The last month has been one of those times, and Disaffect has been one of the remedies. By now the band is infamous as part of the Scottish division of the more hardcore branch of peace punk produced in the late eighties/early nineties in parallel with Nausea, Disrupt and the like. "Powerless With A Guitar" is a posthumous live document that proves to me at least that Disaffect only gets more classic as the years pass. Side "Punk" is a superior recording of a set in Glasgow in '92, and side "As Fuck" is perhaps one of the band's last sets (1994), and was recorded in Dijon. The 23 tracks hereon make a great bookend to their studio discography, the main contents of which can be found on the resurrected Stay Female Fronted blog.

Disaffect - "Powerless With A Guitar" Live LP

Rock-Out Without Your Cop-Out

2011-08-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

For your sake, I hope you already have Ebola's "Imprecation" 7", as it is quite the classic of nineties fast/grindcore. I thought I had convinced myself of the superiority of the band's more hardcore material, but hearing these nine tracks and their split with Servitude has me constantly swaying and reassessing. The band however, could always be counted on to pinch our self-righteous nerves with the forceps of their scathing honesty, and at times to slam our hypocritical ideals headlong into the meat grinder of their sour chords and unforgiving blast-beats. These musicians and people rank way up there in my personal cannon of UK hardcore, so as with the last post, the honor is all mine in presenting this to you...

The "Imprecation" 7" by Ebola (UK)

Studiocidal Transmissions from Planet Fascista

2011-07-27T18:56:00.001-07:00

With this other oddball 7", we keep kindled the One by One fire with the waning hope that one day the former members will catch our signal and release the mythical discography CD. In the meantime, click the One by One label below for a bunch of their vinyl efforts, and the link below for the "Atrapad@s en el Fascista Planeta Tierra" 7". This one features a "studiocide" ("Silent Consent" and "Virtual Reality '93") and a "live evil" side ("The Monsters Almost Look Human Now," "Making Bacon," and "Nazi Raus"). Regardless of how you feel about live recordings, this is One by One, so it doesn't matter, but I do have to apologize for the abused condition of the vinyl being ripped here. By now you know the drill: One by One played passionate and unique political hardcore, members of which would go on to play in Ebola, Jinn, etc. Always a joy to hear, and an honor to post...

"Atrapad@s en el Fascista Planeta Tierra" 7" by One by One (Flat Earth & Victimas del Progresso- Crimines de Estado)

Calling the Waffle House Home

2011-07-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Mr. Nuclearpowergrind requested anything by pre-Assfactor 4 bands Unherd and Tonka. Mike at Twisted Tracks stepped up and posted the Unherd LP, and after some searching, I managed to track down some odds and ends. We start with the Tonka 7", a collection of four high-energy, youthful tracks bathed in DC post-hardcore, but hung to dry in a more southern clime. The cover design indicates either the band's affinity for early Jawbreaker, or a mere coincidental resemblance to a certain album of theirs. Tonka wasn't as fast or hardcore as Assfactor, but they nailed this style damn well, as did Unherd.
Both bands contribute solid offerings on the "Stupid by the Grace of God" comp, which showcases four South Carolina bands. In addition to Tonka and Unherd, we're "treated" to some syrupy pop-punk by way of Toast, and a helping of "cereal-core" compliments of Bedlam Hour. I thought "Frankenberry Mosh" might be a silly fluke in their discography, but the photo on the back depicts one member wearing a Cheerios box on his head. Good thing this never became a trend.
Finally we arrive at another Unite and Fight Records release, the "Please Stop" comp., relevant here for its two solid Tonka tracks, and curious for its inclusion of Orange County peace punkers, Media Children! Demise play decent old-school hardcore, but I'm not too fond of Officer Friendly's track.

Get all three records HERE

Hardliners is Hippies

2011-07-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

Yet another badass compilation, the Homeless Benefit comp EP is an amazing and aggro glimpse at the end of the nineties-- excellent intentions and voraciously violent music. Read the band list below to understand why I had to post this even though The Pope did the honors years ago, then go to his blog while you listen and read his dressing-down of Jeanxseberg's naive lyrics.

Homeless Benefit EP

Starving The Starving

2011-07-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

So maybe we won't be leaving Canada alone just yet. I got bitten by the summer bug since the last post and thus the delay; but in the meantime I secured a cheap copy of the Wisigoth/Jobbykrust split LP which I'm happy to share with you today. Wisigoth continue with their raw and ugly doom/crust/metal, and Jobbykrust compile some early demo material for 12 tracks of charged-up political hardcore done right. Both bands are so distinct, yet the pairing seems just perfect and both match each other in intensity and sincerity, making the 47 minutes of music seem all too short. Get more Jobbykrust music and info here, here, and here, and get the Wisigoth 7" here.

Wisigoth/Jobbykrust split LP (Funai Records)

Hybride

2011-06-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

I'll go ahead and leave Canada alone for while, but not without first dropping a double regiment of Hybride. I can't find much information about these guys, but on the 10" depicted above, prepare yourself for a seriously fucked up guitar sound and some noise rock/sludge/hardcore that leaves me with the same sickened satisfaction as the Gasp demo or the Insuiciety 10". There's a looseness of structure and direction that the band would shed a bit on their...
...7" a year or two later. On this, their final (?), outing the band stripped their sound down almost to the bones and opted for a mean, almost unencumbered sludge-metal approach. They also kept only Mélanie on vocals, and in isolation she reminds me a lot of the Daymare singer (maybe it's just because her screams are high-pitched and in French). I can't pick a favorite between the two records as it really depends if you're in the mood for some psychedelic chaos or more measured heaviosity. Both are in the folder below.

Hybride 10" & 7" (Spineless and Bad Card Records respectively)

In the Wake of an Ethereal Nightmare

2011-06-22T08:37:00.001-07:00

In collaboration with 15 Counts of Arson, Ire week comes to an early terminus. Head over there to download Ire's first LP and scroll down a little for the second and some early tracks. I predict some disagreement as to which of the band's releases showcases their best material; since I have the floor, I'll say that "What Seed, What Root?" is my favorite. It really is a matter of taste, but on "WSWR?" I love the way the band exchanged some of the emotive sentimentality and cold mathematics of their previous two phases for warmer, riff-centered song-writing, along with some crushingly repetitive, hypnotic sequences. The song lengths are a bit shorter than their first LP, but the entire project retains an expansive feel as each song flows into the next with a narrative fluidity. To allocate Ire to a genre at the end of their career is not easy, but they might have found a comfortable spot near Token Tantrum or Lost, yet I can see logically how some of the members would be involved in The Black Hand demo as their next project. For full enjoyment, play it loud, and play it when you're not too antsy or distracted.

"What Seed, What Root?" by Ire (Scorched Earth Policy Records, 1999)

Appreciating Darkness

2011-06-20T10:47:00.000-07:00

Our exploration of Canada's contribution to nineties hardcore and metal continues with a fairly unique split LP between Seized and Ire. For most of its life on my turn table, I had only listened to the Seized side-- their sound being unlike anything else I was listening to at the time, yet the tracks were powerful and engaging. Perhaps I was seduced by each track's serene opening, each following an idyllic trail that slowly darkens into a forest of mysterious and sinister goings-on. To say that the tracks are bass-driven is a redundancy after we see in the notes that there are three bass players and no guitarist in the lineup. Seized also employed a violinist who knows her limitations and adds great ambiance, and a vocalist who might have listened to some Cathedral records at some point. If all of this sounds strange, it's because it is; but not in a bad way. Seized is a case where oddness enhances greatness. These would be the last tracks the band would record (and the best), but they also left behind two split 7"s and I believe a 7".
My avoidance of Ire would end with time and the inevitable opening-up of my musical tastes. I still have reservations over the "PC" spoken word portion at the end of "She," (not over its validity, but over its necessity/delivery) but now I just dismiss it as a product of the zeitgeist. At this point, the backbone of Ire's metal was ossified of the same stuff as Rorschach, but tending in the more "sentimental" direction (read: "EMOtive") of bands like Groundwork or Grievance. As the band worked out its ideas, it's easy to see that these guys were endowed with considerable skill and conviction which would continue...

... on their follow-up 7" also posted below. These three tracks see the band giving into their aggressive tendencies and abandoning some of the dissonant flourishes present in past tracks. As is perhaps predictable with musicians like these, the band would experiment a little more with their style on their ensuing two LPs, which I hope to post later this week.

Seized/Ire Split LP (Spineless/Fetus Records)

Ire 7" (Schema Records)

The Slaughter of Immortals

2011-06-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

I was looking for more Wisigoth material in order to compliment this excellent 7" and offer a more extensive post. Unfortunately, this didn't happen before the urge to post it took over. Wisigoth was a Canadian band that sliced and trampled its way into the secret society of bands ruled over by Dystopia-- bands with a definite metal base, but with leanings toward crust, a DIY hardcore ethic, and tempos that earn them sludge honors. If you're into other French-Canadien metal/crust/grind/sludge, you either already dig these guys or will have no problem doing so. Since I'm on this whole kick of doing series, look out for more Canadian stuff this week.

Wisigoth- "Une Hécatombe Pour Les Immortels..." 7" (Spineless Records, 1997)

Quinientos Años

2011-06-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

I've been putting this off for too long. This is a repost of the "In the Spirit of Total Resistance" 2X7"-- one of my all time favorite comps. Seven bands assembled to attack Man's inhumanity and celebrate the 500 years of resistance enacted by indigenous peoples of the west, from Canada to Puerto Rico. The brutality is amply provided by Crudos, Huasipungo, Man is the Bastard and One by One, while Jonestown, Pollution Circus, and Dogfight inject a balancing dosage of eclecticism. In true repost fashion, the tracks have been re-ripped at 320, and photos of the entire layout and 60 page book have been made available.

The Comp

The Book

The Kaaos Continues

2011-06-06T11:59:00.001-07:00

You may have to sublimate your hate for tribute records to enjoy this one. If you love Finnish hardcore, it shouldn't be hard. Some of that country's finest bands from the nineties and beyond cover one of its finest from the eighties (the one exception would be Portland, Oregon's Detestation... Doom was supposed to contribute but missed the deadlines). Many of the covers are fairly traditional, although each band leaves its indelible signature. The ones who really bring something new to the picture are Olotila, Silmäosasto, and Absurd Attitude, in most cases with pleasing results. Taken as a whole, this is a great listen and a worthy tribute. There is a rare 3 X7" version out there too, if anyone has info on that.

"The Tribute to Kaaos- The Chaos Continues" 2X7" comp. (The End Records, Finland)

Vacation has officially begun! Expect a higher frequency of postings...

400DayHeadache

2011-05-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

We're gonna slow things down a little, add a pinch of dissonance, and coat them with a nice glaze of melody for easy ingestion. "400 Day Headache" spins like a good Allied Records comp from the mid nineties, but this one was put out by an operation called Unite and Fight Records. The cover above has a few very recognizable names, but a few that are less so offer some pretty impressive contributions as well. A very nice listen that brings back angst-y coming of age memories-- as does the suggested retail price. Four bucks in 1993 got you an LP shipped to your doorstep, and the label was still able to send fifty cents of the proceeds to The Rainforest Action Network. Bygone as those days seem, at least these days you can get a free simulation of the real thing beamed right to you...

"400 Day Headache" LP

Left Back, Let Down

2011-05-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

Compilation week was interrupted by life, so we will call this Compilation Series, part II. I've got two or three more in the chamber, but for today we have the classic four-way split between Stapled Shut, Crom, Spazz, and Despise You. The only reason not to post this is that it's probably already all over the download circuit (circus). But that's not good enough for me. The impulse to post this was too strong. So here it is, ripped from the vinyl at 320...

"Left Back-Let Down" 2x7" Comp. (Pessimiser/Theologian Records, 1995?)

Unforeseen Disasters

2011-05-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Another exhumed time capsule of the nineties, the "Unforeseen Disasters" comp offers an almost complete sampling of what was going on in that decade. Specifically, this one was planted in the loamy catacombs of The South, even more specifically, Georgia and the Carolinas. Of greatest interest for me is what I believe to be an exclusive track from Damad, which represents one of their earliest vinyl outings (along with the In/Humanity split). The same can be said for Initial State's "Die Silent," but that track also appears on a No Idea comp and on the band's own LP. In/Humanity, Quadiliacha, Blownapart Bastards, and El Toro each bring an eclectic tidbit to the gathering, making this shindig short, but hotter than Georgia asphalt.

"Unforeseen Disasters" (Passive Fist Records, 1994)

Uña de Gato...

2011-05-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Spring cleaning and some recent landscaping endeavors have rekindled a tight bond I once held with compilations. Cuing a few of them up while knocking out some grueling task just seems to work: fade in when the winners come on-- fade out during the duds. And so we arrive at another compilation week, but one that I hope will rejuvenate interest in a format tarnished by saturation and mediocrity. I can try at least. The best way to start is with "Uña de Gato- Cuerno de Vaca," a rare 2X7" of heavy bands Tee Pee Records put out 15 years ago. There are many reasons to start here, one is that a nice commenter requested it, but you may be more interested in reasons like El Dopa, Corrupted, Logical Nonsense, and Cattle Press. Some of the other bands are interesting too, but with a line up like this, they become an after-thought.

"Uña de Gato..."

On a side note, the same commenter who was looking for this was looking for other Cattle Press and IaborHer rarities. Justin at Mustard Relics tracked down a couple.

One Less God

2011-04-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Reasons to rejoice over the Godless 7": 1. It's fucking Godless! 2. Rough versions of "OCA", "Equal" and "Blood and Tears." 3. Two exclusive tracks. 4. A ripping Sin 34 cover. As unpolished as the production is, the recording dates indicate that this may have been their last release. The band also added two more musicians, freeing Leslie up to focus solely on vocals; but rest assured, this is the same Godless of Portland who caroled at your virtual door last Christmas, ate all your cookies, drank all your schnapps, and left a year's worth of melody on your lips.

The Godless 7"

Shrieking in Three Movements

2011-04-19T21:21:00.000-07:00

Alarido is an anomalous arctic blast, ravaging the sun-smitten Nevada desert landscape. The band's first cassette is a three-part odyssey of what Painajainen calls "crust/d-beat with black metal influences," and that sums it up as well as any label could. What he's too modest to say is that this tape completely rules. What turns out to be nineteen minutes of music, seems like only five, as the band seamlessly navigates through violent blizzards of blast-beats, searing d-beat siroccos, and the occasional rest on an inland sea of acoustic tranquility. You definitely don't want to miss this one, or the next tape which is in the works.

Buy the first cassette here

Download here

Crashin' Down the Halls & Bouncin' Off the Walls

2011-04-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

Words are so two-dimensional, that to describe the majesty of Icon Gallery's debut LP would surely be an exercise in falling flat. Each of these nine tracks seems to have its own life, its own deep subtext, and so much energy the air itself seems electrified when needle hits groove. Driving each are the red-hot, punk rock pistons of the rhythm section, but the guitar leads take cues from Iron Maiden and Sonic Youth, and all this is spearheaded by a woman with the voice of the Avenging Angel. Icon Gallery is everything you've ever loved about rock, minus all the cheeze you've been forced to tolerate. Even the most calloused crusty has an inner place for music like this, so put aside your pretenses, and take the plunge...

Icon Gallery LP

gallery.icon[at]gmail.com

dearskull[at]gmail.com

Kevin and band were kind enough to allow us to download the album, but I strongly recommend contacting them or Dear Skull Records at the above addresses and buying a copy. The LP looks and sounds too amazing to pass up. In fact, I may remove the link after a while to encourage such a transaction. Their equally amazing demo and 7" are available through the above addresses as well.

A Dark Night of Shameless Abuse

2011-03-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Complications was a pariah mongrel of death rock and punk unleashed by members of Born Dead Icons, The Black Hand, etc. For me, this seemingly rare 7" evokes a heart-pumping pursuit of mysterious ends through a twilit dreamscape, all the while skirting along the edge of a nightmare but never quite lapsing into it. It's no doubt an exhilarating experience which can be enjoyed in a more fruitful and layered form on their LP, and which I hope you'll pick up from a distributor of your choice. Once the LP becomes harder to find, I'll just have to post that too.

Complications 7" (Feral Ward Records)

Starving with our Stomachs Full

2011-03-24T17:25:00.001-07:00

Another commenter has prompted me to dust off yet another post from '08 which I've been wanting to polish up for a while anyway. Asebia would make a great bookend to another slab of cold Northern gloom posted recently, and I daresay these Copenhageners stabbed even deeper into humanity's diseased viscera. They then proceed to mop up the filth left by this ailing beast with its own entrails. The attack is swift like all great scandi-thrash, but the evil metallic flourishes and abundant tempo changes really lend Asebia a singular signature I've come to admire in them and similarly gifted bands like Konfrontation and Acursed. Below their LP has been re-ripped at 320 kbps, and I've included the minimal graphics of the layout. Apparently there was a cassette version of these 10 excellent tracks, but its production is a bit mysterious and its distribution a bit shoddy.

Asebia "Face of Civilization" LP (Plague Bearer Records)

Entropy Time Motherfucker

2011-03-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I could get this up sooner, Roman; sorry for the wait. This is a re-post of the venom spewing classic, Suppression/Cripple Bastards split LP posted way back in '08. I first came to know the biomechanoid hate-generator known as Suppression from their split with Despise You circa 1996, and have since then continued to admire their caustic ejaculations with few interruptions. If Man is the Bastard and Crossed Out deliberately crashed their tour vans into a Guitar Center's amplifier department, these 13 tracks would be the ostensible result if it happened to be in Virginia. The sludge, the speed, the noise-- it's all there, in horrific abundance.

There's little that needs to be said about Italy's grindlords Cripple Bastards other than maybe some comments I've heard about some unenlightened things said by the singer (no details; not in the mood). Other than that, the 23 songs on their side are pretty raw renditions of tracks that would appear on the "Your Lies in Check" LP.

Suppression/Cripple Bastards split LP (Bovine Records... ripped at 320 kbps)

Skull Crushing 101

2011-03-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

My love affair with The Conversions persists long after their demise, leading me to pursue a copy of their split 7" with iron tenacity. So here it is: three of their best tracks on this very rare platter, recorded with the same rawness as their 7". The sound The Conversions explored was not unlike the blueprint of eighties punk being reworked by ambitious engineering students armed with protractors and slide rulers and hopped up on coffee and Pixie Sticks- smart and angular, while still retaining a hefty impact at the gut level. This band will be sorely missed, and I hope you'll go find a copy of each of their 12"s, and maybe download the 7" and comp. track I posted long ago. As for Witches With Dicks, they have a tough act they're following, but I still enjoy the Lookout! Records throwback sound, huge Crimpshrine fan that I am. More contemporay analogues may include The Sainte Catherines and The Monikers. Catchiness, energy, a sense of humor... good stuff, just don't get me started on their band name.

The Conversions/Witches With Dicks Split 7" (It's Not A Phase, Dad Records, 2005)

The Redeadening

2011-03-05T07:53:00.001-08:00

Same-Sex Dictator continue to document the escalation of the long-going interplanetary war the rest of us have been blind to as our attentions are affixed on expensive little bleeping toys and glowing screens. "From Beneath You It Devours" is the band's insanely brilliant first (hopefully not last) full length, which to untrained ears may sound not unlike both Yeti records mixed together at different intervals and at incorrect speeds. Further examination will find that these very original compositions are the score of a bipolar inner space opera, interpreting the role of a heretofore undiscovered, subterranean guerrilla force and their role in said conflict. Taken at face value or analyzed for subliminal content, these eight tracks are consistently and simultaneously engrossing, crushing, and ultimately not quite like anything else out there. I recommend this LP to anyone whose dendrites have remained reasonably intact even after all the deadening exposure to the aforementioned distraction instruments. Below I have provided the entire record for download, but I don't expect it to remain there long; there are forces out there beyond my control. Plus, I really want you to buy a copy (see links below).

Full link has been removed, but chew on these killer tracks and go buy a copy if you like 'em

Same-Sex Dictator (2 sample tracks)

Buy:

Robotic Empire

End Theory

Rumor has it, there will be a cassette release with a download code coming soon.

For a more accurate review of the band, see here.

They'll Put the Kibosh on You

2011-02-24T16:45:00.000-08:00

I've been too stressed and busy to post much lately, so for a while I'll stick to mostly 7"s . In between these you find some reviews of bands I've come to know and love since starting this blog who have just released some incredible new records; some of these downloads will be limited time only, so check in now and then. Today's featured band is from the good ol' nineties and is ideal for the stressed and pressed for time. Devola have a lot to say, but mince few words. They have a lot of songs, but waste little of your digital space. The CD and 7" linked below will run through you like a bad 25 minute bout with dysentery, and leave you nice and cleansed, if not a little exhausted. The 625 label on the 7" should give you a further idea of the speeds we're dealing with, but there's evidence that this band doesn't take itself quite as seriously as others in the PV crew (note the Cookie Monster-with-groin-injury vocals). The CD finds the band exploring more modern hardcore territory, but rest assured that there are still blast-beats aplenty, and that this development only made the band rock harder.
Devola "Playing the Game of Revenge and Winning Every Time" CD and "The Resuscitation" 7"

I hope to one day have the Devola/Murdock split to post, butI'm not there yet.

Bizarre and Fantasy

2011-02-10T04:55:00.000-08:00

Acute is a contender for my favorite Japanese woman-fronted band since The Comes. Chairmaker sent me rips of this gorgeous 7" a while back, and I knew at once I would have to get a hardcopy. The band has somewhat "loungy" tendencies; I'm basing this mainly on the incredible layout, the flat notes on the more melodic vocals, and the otherwise out of place "outro." Be that as it may, 90% of this thing is runaway bullet train, blood sweat and mucus hardcore played fast and tight. If anyone knows where to get more material by this band, please comment before my ears bleed from looping these four songs.

Acute 7"

The Beast That Despair Feeds

2011-02-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Jobbykrust is the choral chant of thousands of smelly angry people, fed up with always being smelly and angry. Really they're a potent amalgam of all that was great about the hardcore coming out of Scotland and Ireland in the nineties: the unrelenting mucous flow of Pink Turds in Space, the common sense politics of Disaffect and Sedition, the fugitive taxonomy of Scatha, the tasteful, delicate flourishes of The Dagda. This band was simply incredible, and you might be able to get their entire discography here. But tonight I'm posting rips of their scorching split LP with Viktors Hofnarren (Switzerland?), a bunch of filthy, surly polyglots who rock a pretty straight forward form of political hardcore with the crusty edges still intact. Perhaps not as straight forward as Paragraf 119, but similar in their crudity and stool-loosening energy. For sure, a band to be blasted loudly, not dissected verbally.

Jobbykrust/Viktors Hofnarren Split LP

De Este Lado del Mundo

2011-01-28T04:46:00.000-08:00

Around 2004 my waning interest in hardcore hit a point of resurgence with help from a newly resurrected Profane Existence, who were releasing some pretty great stuff. Their distro then introduced me to another a burgeoning label that still can do no wrong: Alerta Antifascista! I picked up a grip of invigorating vinyl products, but one in particular was like a sparkling Roman candle wedged in the butt crack of my musical conscience: Migra Violenta's "Superficial" 10". It may not be the only reason I have yet to lose interest again, but it certainly snapped me out of the malaise. Migra Violenta consisted of hardcore kids from various South American countries who had immigrated to Argentina. Although they were compared to Los Crudos, I suspect that was mainly due to a lot of American reviewers' lack of exposure to Spanish speaking bands. Crudos was never this fast or tight (although I still love them to death... SOTW coming soon on them...). "Superficial" is packed close with manic, antsy blasts of defiant hope in the face of the impossible and immovable. Speed, anger, and even good musicianship are nothing new I guess, but these guys did their own take on it, and not only did it come out superbly, it's also endlessly listenable. The band has a ton of other releases, including an LP on Profane Existence, and on the 10" below they added two tracks from their Kontraataque split.

"Superficial" 10" by Migra Violenta (Alerta Antifascista/Le Nains Aussi)

Dead Songs to Hum to

2011-01-23T08:42:00.000-08:00

Bear with me dear readers, for I know your prejudices concerning "screamy" hardcore. I have my own, after all, mainly based on the pretentiousness of many of these bands. Today, you'll just have to trust me, or move on. This post shines the spotlight on a short-lived band whose frigid guitar sound and stifling rhythm section smashed my own prejudices, not unlike the violent collaboration of liquid nitrogen and a rusty sledge hammer. Armed with talent, a quirky sense of sound manipulation, and a deep acceptance of human despair, Welcome The Plague Year bowled me over in 2004, and continue to do so to this day. If you have a stomach for bands like One-Eyed God Prophecy, Raein, early Envy, Gasp, Joshua Fit For Battle, Shikari, or the band's split mates, Funeral Diner, then definitely look into WTPY. I'm also including the bands split 7" and one-sided 7". There's one track missing that is on their CD, but you'll just have to seek that out elsewhere or shell out serious cash on ebay...

Welcome The Plague Year LP (vinyl rips... 320)

Welcome The Plague Year 1-sided 7" & Split with Funeral Diner (also 320 rips)

The Creators of Dismay

2011-01-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

Two tracks today: one on distinguishing our past from our present, the other on our present attempts at affecting our future. Both are about futility. And so Arctic Flowers and Spectres do the only thing there is to do when tethered to an atrocious past, in a morally desolate landscape: make great music.

Arctic Flowers/Spectres Split 7"

This out of print split was a great excuse to post about one of my new favorite bands (AFs) and it also gave me a chance to really listen to Spectres who have finally sunken in and won me over (they have several releases you might be interested in). Arctic Flowers are touted often as "Stan from Signal Lost's new band" and they are that and so much more. They're the celebration of all things dark and beautiful, and the annihilation of the illusory and false. I hope this band is as resilient as their namesake, because their next releases will/would be amazing. Be sure to grab their 7" here or from the band on their California tour dates.

Cleansed by Flame

2011-01-09T09:45:00.000-08:00

Here's Unruh's two part prescription for the most brutal form of Euthanasia: the first to knock you out, the second to end it all. This is the most extraordinary of renditions Arizona-style that's caught in the Rorschach dilemma of being either metallic hardcore or hardcore influenced metal depending on what angle you view it from. After all these years, Unruh's Hell is still hotter than Satan's crotch, like a chunk of coal emerging as a shining jewel after smoldering in His loins for 13 or so years. For the take today is Unruh's debut LP "Misery Strenghtened Faith" and...
their follow-up/swan-song "Setting Fire to Sinking Ships." While both are nearly equal in their raw brutality, I would venture to say that "SFTSS" surpasses its predecessor in production and technical precision, as well as in the impact and originality of the lyrics. As to which I enjoy more, I lean toward the first, but really you just can't go wrong with either one. Both have been ripped from the vinyls at 320 kbps as per request from Mike, but you may want to check Pessimiser Records (if you can find them) or ebay to find the CD version of "SFTSS".

"Misery Strengthened Faith" by Unruh
"Setting Fire to Sinking Ships" by Unruh

The Season For Unreason

2010-12-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Let's get the disclaimer out of the way: Godless might shock or disappoint upon first impression, much like finding out that Santa doesn't exist, or that Jesus was a mere cult leader, or Christmas may simply be the Roman winter solstice, or that Jell-O contains animal bones. After a while, though, the knowledge is liberating. So here it is: Godless is not crust, regardless of the initial evidence to the contrary: they were from Portland circa 1992, their LP "Who's In Control?" was released on Tribal War Records, and well, just look at their band name and that cover art. What you need to know is that Godless played melodic political hardcore, not at all disappointing for fans of The Assassinators and La Fraction. As with all bands of this ilk, the vocalist holds much of the burden on her shoulders, and Leslie does a smash-up job here, from the soulful, deep-from-the-diaphragm croons, to more staccato, squeaky, snotty dressings-down (and all the while playing bass too!). I'd much rather be listening to this on Christmas morning (which I am) than any of that foul music associated with this season, so mix up a flask of hard-nog, print out the lyric sheet, light some candles, and show your neighbors how the punks do it...

Godless "Who's In Control" LP

Dežuje

2010-12-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate it when you crave some all-girl Slovenian punk from the eighties, but nothing in your collection quite fits that description? Fortunately a savvy bootleg operation has answered our "prayers." The Tožibabe 7" has probably been posted on several of the Eastern Euro blogs, but I guess I'm just excited to have a copy of my own, and the chilly, wintry feel of the guitar sound seemed right for today. Plus, it's just a great piece of former Yugo awesomeness!

After finishing semester grades, digging rain trenches, and just dragging major ass on this whole blog thing, I finally have some time and motivation for posting. I've got a ton of records ready to go, but also let me know if you have any requests or need me to re-up something.

Tožibabe 7"

Spiritually Cemented Dystopia

2010-12-06T18:43:00.000-08:00

It was in the mid aughts when I was sure the Swedes were going to take over again-- Acursed, Kontrovers, Skitsystem, Martyrdod-- a small but terrifying enclave, harbingers of a new generation of bleak, razor-sharp Scandi-thrash. The blunt implements of their ancestors were traded in for scalpels edged for surgical precision, only to be applied with a nihilist's abandon. And then... I'm not sure what happened. Momentum petered out, or was diluted into more "progressive" forms of metal that were arguably more boring. Enter Konfrontation, who arrived on the "scene" like a star player 30 seconds late for its train. The unsuspecting station patrons would delight in what they witnessed, and this post is a weak attempt at deflecting the glint of the band's highly polished steel to a few more onlookers. What you'll hear on the band's LP is not unlike the gloomy excellence you've heard from the above bands, although the slightly more daring structures make for a much more memorable ride than most forays into this already intense subgenre. I've been keeping an eye on this one for a while, and although a ton of different labels released it, it is finally out of print, and as far as I'm concerned, public domain...

"Nedbrytningsprocessen" LP by Konfrontation

Loud Silence At Home

2010-11-26T08:51:00.001-08:00

If anyone has the cure for Busy, please send it my way! There's no shortage of great music here at the headquarters, but the postings just haven't been happening for various reasons. I'll see what I can do to catch up this weekend, but for now here's a heaping gravy ladle of French 90's hardcore. I've noticed that a lot of my posts and would-be posts are of newer records, simply because there are a ton of great releases of late. But I can't forget the decade that this blog specializes in, and so I present the few releases I own by Undone. While I can't guarantee you'll love Undone as I do, they did offer an enticingly puzzling admixture of hardcore styles; if music doesn't cut it for you unless it boasts copious moshy metal riffs, emotive dissonance, or speed, Undone have got you covered on all accounts (especially the first two). It won't take long to figure out that Undone grew thorny and strong out of the same cracked concrete slab as Finger Print, Ivich, Vanilla, etc, and for that they should already warrant a serious listen. For today, I'm offering the band's later 7" "The Other Side," as well as an early 7" that I will simply call "Undone." Both rage, but on this early outing I like the vocals better, and the metal is cranked way the hell up.

Since you hate comps, I'm sneaking in yet another rose among weeds, the "World Hardcore" 2X7". Perhaps it should really be called "European Hardcore", but whatever. A comp is a winner if more than half the tracks are at least good, if not great, and this one huffs and puffs across the finish line. I was mainly interested in the Vanilla and Undone tracks, but Olotila rock and it was nice to hear an early-ish Deadbeat track (post of their 10" coming soon).

Get the two 7"s and Comp here

More Undone posts as I find more of their releases.

** Addendum- Mike of mighty Twisted Tracks posted the 12" and the "Reconstruction" comp!

Japanese Title

2010-11-11T19:17:00.001-08:00

The Kaibousitsu LP is an impenetrable black box. Do not attempt to figure out its inner workings; just listen joyfully to Crow (of the bands Crow and Death Comes Along) wail and croon psychotically over energetically played, darkish punk/hardcore rhythms. The other aspects of the enigma that we do know: The band's name was also a song by The Stalin and has been translated variously as dissection room or autopsy suite, the LP was released on the mighty H:G Fact label (their website is screwy as of late), and it was sold in the US for a pricey sum and appears to be sold out everywhere. I was all set to rip this thing, but my klutz-ass dropped it, taking a decent sized chunk off the outer edge. I ripped it anyway and replaced the truncated tracks with ones I downloaded from a nice soulseeker. Apologies in advance for that inconsistency of quality and for the lack of song titles.

Kaiboushitsu LP

Check out this post on the band's 7"

How to Lay Down

2010-11-07T08:06:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you'd much rather have a full-length for your free download, but let's not forget the punkest format ever. Not to mention, a nice split 7" will introduce you to two bands, add focus to your musical life, and make you less lazy. While I can't guarantee that last bit, I can almost guarantee you'll dig at least one of these bands: Acts Of Sedition and/or Surrender. I fear these bands haven't gotten the attention they deserve outside of the Bay Area, and I was floored when I heard these two very different bands making equally powerful and meaningful music on one little disk. AOS was an instant hit for someone like me who was raised on Christ on Parade and Econochrist. Only one track is offered, but in no way is that unsatisfying. Recognizable as their hardcore is, their song writing somehow breathes something invigoratingly new to the field. The same can be said for Surrender, a self-proclaimed peace punk band. Added to the tropes inherent in that label is a bit of that post-whatever of bands like Spitboy and Witchknot. The politics is in your face; the drums are upbeat, while the guitars are spacious and unpredictably frisky at times. The end result leaves a similar impression as the whole record: fury and wildness held in mean check by an equal amount of intelligence.

Acts Of Sedition/Surrender split 7"

Find out about other AOS released and future collections here.

Find out about other Surrender releases and download them all here.

Song of the Week: "Images" (Complications)

2010-11-03T17:28:00.001-07:00

I'm bringing back an old institution after a couple of weeks without any inspiration. This time my drooping antennae were compelled northward by the signal of an LP aged three years in the pipeline. Most descriptions of Montreal's Complications will start with the members' prior involvement in Born Dead Icons. An irresistible attention-grabber, no doubt, but inadequate for descriptive purposes. You might also see the Killing Joke reference, and here we start to unravel the secret. Whether you settle on post-punk, post-hardcore, dark punk, etc, Complications will likely mesmerize many listeners at first with the complex layering of their dark guitaristry, such as the amazing second riff in today's selection, "Images." Such shadowy music deserves a fitting vocalist, and here I think the band succeeds again. At the risk of completely missing the mark, I offer this: the creeky basement despair of Rozz, the rasp of Piciotto, the gravely hum of Stubbs. Despite the persistent gloom, there's odd warmth to the band's sound that isn't common among its tribe; this is due in part to the drums which in calmer instants lull and rock, but in fits of violence pulse and pump-- the former like a warm oatmeal stout by the fire on a moonless night; the latter a frantic chase through a tunnel whose end is a mere pin-point aperture. I thought I could kick the habit I had formed from listening to Zygote and Bad Influence, but it seems with bands like Complications and Cross Stitched Eyes around, there may be no end to it. "Images" from the self-titled LP by Complications (Feral Ward Records)

For One More Smoke Off The Devil's Cigar

2010-10-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

If crusty hardcore has become a broken record, I can be perfectly happy as long as it's stuck in a groove carved by bands like Detonate. There really is nothing new on their 12": fast and assertive drums, dirty hardcore riffs that point to crusty predecessors (... Behind Enemy Lines, maybe, or possibly... Consume), ultra-rousing throat action (I'm thinking Amy from Nausea meets Eva from Makiladores), and dove-motif cover art. Yep, this is a wheel reinvented, yet I can't and won't stop playing it. Tracks like this are why I got into this "genre" in the first place; so I say, recycle, reinvent, play on, because this kicks ass, and if that's not important anymore, then I'm completely out of touch and happy that way.

I assumed this twelver would still be around- it being a recent release; but I'm not seeing it in many distros (Puke'n Vomit has a copy). As always, if it is widely available, I'll remove the link (just send an e-mail). Check with Detonate or Distort Reality Records and see if they have any copies left and pick up some other Detonate merch while you're at it.

Detonate 12"

Killed By Fast

2010-10-23T13:12:00.001-07:00

As usual, my posting is dictated by tangents: the fast Japanese hardcore of the last post led me to cranking a bunch of Shikabane. Then I saw a giant hole in the postings where their first 7" should be (their last one is pretty easy to find, I think... maybe this one too but I felt the impulse to see it here...). The "人間に生まるること難し・・・" 7" is a complete feast of frenzied hardcore encapsulated into a tight 10 track 7". The band would later change to a more moody, introspective hardcore band, but here the songs range from fast to really fast, and skip the mind and heart completely. The viscera is the target, and it's a hit ten times over.

The bonus comp this weekend does indeed feature Shikabane, as well as 13 other Far East ensembles of the short, fast, and noisy set. Like a good drinking binge, "Thrash Ahoy !" is lots of fun, but the headache afterward is something else! The bands/tracks:

Both Records HERE

Update: the Pisspoor splits have been re-upped here, and a few other Shikabane records can be found here. Also, Japanese track titles have been added to the Knucklehead post, and a nice commenter offered some phonetic and English translations in the comments. Thanks again!

Knucklehead

2010-10-18T19:39:00.001-07:00

I've only got time for a quickie, so if you're as pressed for time as I am, Knucklehead (or Knuckle Head if you prefer) will only take up four minutes of your day. They'll be four worthwhile minutes, for sure. I fell hard for these grinding hardcore nuts when I found their "Gouo" 7" in a used bin (it was on MCR Japan... hard to go wrong with that label). The two-banger ripped for today was released on H:G Fact (another no-brainer there), and is a slightly earlier outing. While it's certainly fast, blasting hardcore, there's something in the arrangements that places these guys far above the generic bands that usually dominate this "genre." The vocals, which sound like the guy is hawking a Drano and razorwire loogie, seal the deal. Neato.

Knucklehead "虫けらの時間"7"

Tracks:
01虫けらの時間
02 呼吸困難

Trapping The Taker, Turning The Tables

2010-10-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

The first tremor comes and goes, and in an endorphin haze, you stand grasping the doorknob for escape. Giddy with brain chemicals and the absurd thought of your naked and aborted evacuation, you return to bed. When the calmness of the night finally returns, a jolt of paralyzing proportions throws you bodily. The bedpost seems your only anchor to solid ground, to which you cling with primate imbecility. It's only when the gentle, rolling quakes come that you can relax your grasp. But your blind faith is rewarded only by a convulsion three times the intensity of the last. Thankful the floor was still there to break your fall, you dust the ceiling cakes from your eyes and scramble for the darkest spot you can find; some subdormatory where you might pass the night... This is the sonic Hell of Inept, but instead of begging for it to end, you'll wish it never to stop. Like a string of aftershocks, it's more terrifying for its apparent randomness of interval, and its complete disregard for your cries for mercy.

If you're dying for classification, Inept played some kind of bastard fusion of modern hardcore and grindcore. The bass-heavy gloom of One-Eyed God Prophecy and Welcome The Plague Year stands out to me, along with the slow-meets-fast mindfuckery of Systral and the like. Maybe throw in the outsider nuttiness of Kisses & Hugs and Three Studies For A Crucifixion, and you're getting even closer. The lyric sheet is like a catalog of all topics the Ebullition school obsessed over, but upon reading it seems these guys were pretty sincere about it all. If you disagree, at least you have the insane musical delivery, which I think will smooth over any hang-ups.

A big thanks to Geno for introducing me to Inept's LP, which I ripped below...

"Images of Betrayal"

Song Of The Week: "Summer Sucks" (Void)

2010-10-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah, fuck summer. Who needs it? See, I can say that now that it's officially over. Truth be told, I'm a huge fan of summer, but I'm also a huge fan of Void. I can understand their aversion to the season, being from DC and whatnot. But this post is really just a celebration of finally hearing a handful of Void tracks I haven't heard in 17 years of fanhood. The SOTW was all made possible by the the bootleg LP which contains both of the band's demos ("Hit and Run" being the one I hadn't heard) and a live set. While none of the tracks beat the greatness of the band's split tracks, I love Void in such profound and profane ways that this was just an amazing find.

"Summer Sucks" by Void (from the "Hit & Run" Demo)

Charred Hippy Remains

2010-10-05T17:37:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure what I could add to the many favorable reviews Necro Hippies has received for their first 12" (read a few here). Much of what makes it rule are the very things that descriptions can't capture. In fact, descriptions may only serve to diminish interest. Yes, they are old school inspired hardcore punk, have charmingly rough production, lyrics built upon the bygone angst of adolescence. But it's the authenticity and lack of any pretense that has to be heard and not read about. Hopefully you'll hear it too. I envision some ramshackle shed, a hive of skinny, scraggly teens drinking mysterious clear liquid from mason jars. At the center of the turmoil is a band called Necro Hippies, who just want to have fun.

I'll probably remove these rips in couple of days because I'm not sure about its availability from the label (Raw Sugar... you can still get a copy here while supplies last). This was a request, and I've got a hard time saying no to those. If you don't have a turntable or you already have this, enjoy. If not, go buy a friggin copy at the above link!

Necro Hippies "Have Fun" 12"

*I hope I tagged the tracks correctly. One song on side A seemed like two different songs(?). Let me know if I screwed up.

Crust Like There's No Tomorrow

2010-09-29T21:13:00.000-07:00

It's about time I pulled this blog out of the ICU. For a while I thought I might pull the plug on her once and for all, but it appears there's life in her yet. This blog wouldn't be what it is if it weren't offering some forgotten relic of the '90's, so on with it...

The Axiom/Church Of Nihil/Autonomia 3 Way Split LP is the darkest, dirtiest, worm-ridden filth at the bottom of the compost heap of its decade. As such, it was indeed overlooked by many, but was doubtless made of richer stuff. Axiom are a product of pre-Tragedy Portland, the roots of which quite obviously suckled the moist detritus of bands like Deprived and Resist, and grew heartily alongside North Westerners like Shitlist and Decrepit. Axiom's galloping crust lets up for rare seconds of gloomy ambiance, but for the most part, this band was all about punishment of the most relentless kind. Turku, Finland's Church of Nihil seem cut from a similar mold, but an extended listen sees the band breaking that mold more often than it adheres to it. Some stenchy chugging, some compelling melody, all beautifully held together by the brutality of that shifty framework we've come to call crust. Since you forced me to choose a favorite on this one, here you have it: CON win this. If by this point in the record you're all crusted out, Autonomia from Lima change things up a bit. Their hardcore is crust only by association. More accurately, this is ultra-melodic hardcore, simple but penetrating, like a clever slogan, or a dagger. While the passion of their ideals echoes that of Sin Dios, the simplicity of their melodies hearkens to something much older.

3 bands from 3 continents, and some Dennis Dread art...

3 Way Split

Scans of booklet

In other news, I have revamped the following derelict links by request (let me know if you need something re-upped, because I am not going to check every link myself...)

Conversions 7"
Dead And Gone 7"
Whipped/Inhumane Split 7"

Also, if you have linked me to your site but I haven't returned the favor, let me know so I can do so.

Song of the Week: "Suburban Home" (Descendents)

2010-07-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

In a couple of days I'm gonna be moving to a place that, according to friends and family, reveals that I'm finally "growing up." As you can imagine, these words are more upsetting than encouraging. To drown out their jeers, I celebrate with a song I've been enjoying since high school, from a record that, groove for groove, might be the catchiest of all time. So catchy in fact, I can imagine even Asian lesbian jock drug addicts forgiving the sophomoric lyrics and singing along. "Suburban Home" is not my favorite track on the "MGTC" LP, but every track on there is a winner in some way, and thematically it was just too perfect to pass up.

So with starting work up again, and with my records packed and stacked and probably no internet for who knows how long, posting will be even more scarce than it has been lately. This reprieve will also allow me a little space and time to make some decisions I've been grappling with about the future of this blog...

"Suburban Home"

Another Day In The Void

2010-07-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

You knew Grievance would have to make another appearance here, didn't you? Before throwing this one against the wall to see if it sticks, I recommend sampling the previous 7" posted below. The 7" at hand today, which I'm calling "Un Altro Giorno" after the first track, is a bit flawed. Let's begin with the positive-- the songwriting is amazing! The guitars are even more dissonant than their other material, and while the tempos aren't as varied and oddly placed, the riffs perform some pretty impressive time signature gymnasticism. Where this little record falls short is in the weak production (specifically on the drums), and in the absence of the usual vocalist. But seriously, the music destroys.

Whenever I can I like to add a little bonus track. The "Resistance Is futile... Assimilate" comp has another outstanding Grievance offering (with the other vocalist!). It reverts back to their other 7" with its whacked-out tempo progressions and emotive build-up. I was going to just add this track, but I figured you might also like the other material from Konstrukt, Stalingrad, and No Comply (they do a Spazz cover with pretty much a drum machine and bass!).

Grievance "Un Altro Giorno" and "Resistance Is Futile" Comp.

Zorn

2010-07-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

While drawing the contrast between '90's bands of Europe vs. America, I was led to dig up some old Zorn 7"s. No, not the Avant Guarde composer, nor the black metal band. You may know the hardcore band from the classic "Plot" compilation, or if you're German perhaps they were a household name. I fear they were glossed over in my country, although the harsh, metallic hardcore hybrids that came out a couple of years later (in Arizona, for example) share some things in common. The "Heftig Aufflammender Unwille" 7" brings us stiflingly heavy hardcore that is emotive without being "emo" and metallic without being, well, metal. The "clean" passages nicely break up the relentless pummeling of the guitars I think, but some of you I fear will probably just want the guy to hit the damned pedal already. Anyway, this is classic stuff for me, and if you already love Systral, early Dawnbreed, Ego Trip, Gogatha, Acheborn, and maybe Wounded Knee, this is a band for you (as well as for lovers of Absinthe, Unruh, Jeremin, etc.)

A simple click will also get you Zorn's split with Zelot, who fall into a similar subgenre slot. I enjoy the Zorn tracks on their 7" much better, but really both bands do a fine enough job on this one.

*I have to apologize once again for the condition of the vinyl rips. I bought these for a buck each out of a used bin circa 2000.

Zorn 7"s

Song of the Week: "Homo Afflictus" (Charred Remains a.k.a. Man Is The Bastard)

2010-07-13T12:44:00.000-07:00

Still vying for my favorite Man Is The Bastard track is "Homo Afflictus," for the usual intensity these musicians always brought to their music, as well as for its unpredictability of structure and overall weirdness! I've said it before and will continue to do so: MITB's recorded material pales in comparison to their live sets. When these guys plugged in, the brutality was real, not just an aspect of the genre they played. If you were fortunate enough to see them a couple of times, just close your eyes and crank up the volume; maybe some nifty flashback experience will visit your consciousness. For others, the advice concerning volume is still recommended.

"Homo Afflictus"

I've been putting off a re-post of the excellent comp from which this song was ripped. I'll continue to place it high on my list of priorities.

If Just I Could Burn As Well...

2010-07-12T13:04:00.000-07:00

Since we're on the topic of The Assassinators, I noticed that this CD is becoming harder to find outside of Australia. It collects the band's demo, comp tracks, and the 7" I posted a while back. All twelve songs are as consistently invigorating and catchy as you'd expect from this band...

D/L here (for a limited time???)

Buy here.

Song of the Week: "Mit Mareridt" (The Assassinators)

2010-07-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my favorite Assassinators songs from a 7" I've been playing uncontrollably for a couple of months now. Addiction is inevitable with these Danes, from their tight, traditional structures and galloping punk drumming, to the contagion-laced vocal melodies and harmonies (the comparisons to Bad Religion and La Fraction are not entirely misplaced). This is one of the few bands I know that can somehow sound so sweet and digestible, and still hold a stern place in the political/crusty hardcore canon. I've also heard that the band is no more, sadly, but this 7" is available all over the place. So, support them, and while you're at it you can support DSB who is also rad.

"Mit Mareridt" by The Assassinators from the split with DSB

Ivich Part II

2010-07-05T10:15:00.001-07:00

Ivich's one and only LP was a major discovery for me, right after another major discovery-- that of the Ebullition mail order list. Ivich was without a doubt hardcore, but not like I had heard it previously. In the DIY spirit, it proved to me that a band still didn't need a huge recording budget to create innovative and moving noise. It was also my first indication that the nineties experimentation in Europe was a lot heavier and less whiny than its American correlate-- two traits I still adore in these bands. "La Mort Heureuse" is noisy, messy, and unpredictable, but it's equally riveting, passionate and sincere.

You can also hear some of the band's earliest work in the 7" included below (thanks a million to the always awesome Fab!) and on the "Le Garage" comp posted a while back.

Ivich LP and 7"

I won't be posting the 10" as it is still available from Ebullition.

Song of the Week: "Gusano De Fuego" (Moho)

2010-07-01T20:33:00.001-07:00

Well, the SOTW is way late, but that's how it goes on vacation-- the days of the week are thrown out with the alarm clock. Late rather than never, we have one of the vices of all my summers. Along with more melodic stuff, I tend to grab the slow and sludgy records too, complimented with some non-cigarette tobacco product and a little alcohol. Eyehategod and Cavity are defaults for porch-sitting capers, as is the mighty Moho. They fit the MO perfectly-- Low and dirty post-Sabbath riffs? Got 'em. Sickening vocals? In abundance. Oodles of feedback? Check. Bearded Southern guys loaded on meth and whiskey? Ooh, not quite. Moho is some ex-grindcore kids from the capital of Spain, but don't let that prejudice you; they can easily hold their own with the big guns.

"Gusano De Fuego" by Moho from "20 Uñas"

Ivich Part I

2010-06-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

France's Ivich was my first glimpse of "modern" hardcore (specifically their LP which will be the subject of the Part II post); today's post concerns their two split 7"s (and I'm throwing in the "Illiterate" comp track). Whether any given Ivich track is blasting you with fast and fiery emotional HC, chunky mosh metal, or those odd, free-form undistorted pauses, you'll know who's doing it to you, as the band always sounds so very distinct. The two rippers on the E-150 split fit into the first category mostly-- fast and chaotic, and dripping with raw emotion. Their Spanish partners on side B take an even more straight forward, Chicagoan approach (MK-Ultra, Crudos, etc), except for the weird electronic track at the end. The music is tight, fast, and powerful, and ends before it could ever possibly get old.

The Ivich track on the Jasemine split is probably their least interesting one, and therefore this EP is posted for the sake of completism, as well as my mission to spread Jasemine's brilliance as far and wide as I can. I've already waxed hysterical over this post-Finger Print band's ugliness-meets-sublime beauty before, so just take my word for it-- Jasemine is essential listening, even if they only released four songs.

Ivich splits and a comp track

Life After Nausea

2010-06-23T14:49:00.000-07:00

Final Warning was a band from New York City that didn't release too many songs. Hearing them on "Stop Vivisection" crank out 16 live tracks is pretty awesome indeed. Because of Neil's time in Nausea during the early days, we get a handful of Nausea renditions, and I believe a Hellkrusher cover. Stacey of Mankind?(I believe?) takes duet honors in lieu of Amy on "Electrodes" and I believe all FW tracks are accounted for too. Gruff and abrasive political hardcore for fans of Crucifix and Discharge...

"Stop Vivisection"

Song of the Week: "They Divide" (SSR)

2010-06-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

Judging from the quietness around here, I suspect that everyone's summer has started off great. I hope that's the case. Mine has as well, but after just coming off of Mount Whitney everything seems so little and insignificant, including blogging. I'm trying real hard to snap out of it. Inspiration for the SOTW wasn't coming through for me either, so in these cases I throw out a song from a new record you may like...

SSR (Sedition Sub Rosa) was a huge hit at FE headquarters after I picked up their LP and EP on the strength of their myspace playlist. These Richmond, Virginians are the genuine article and play fairly noisy '80's Japanese meets Scandinavian hardcore punk. Not "Confuse" noisy, but there's a deliberate lo-fi quality that adds authenticity to the sound. Like their influences, they've mastered the art of using simple riffs that stick with you, and in addition add some catchy, semi-melodic guitar leads once in while to keep their records on your turn table indefinitely. Certainly a band to look out for, although their "Orwellian Future" 7" and self-titled LP are already admirable accomplishments. "They Divide" comes from their 7" and although the tempo is much slower than most of their tracks (which are more 'd-beat' in speed), it does wonders in capturing the eerie, dystopian feel the record's title foreshadows, and it's a real crusher!

"They Divide" by SSR

An Earwig's Guide To Traveling

2010-06-16T04:38:00.001-07:00

I'll make this quick since most of you have this, and I've got to head to the mountains in about 5 minutes. Gasp was one of the most powerful and unique bands of the nineties and "An Earwig's Guide To Traveling" is the miscellanea that comprises the rest of their discography. I've been planning to post this for a while, and an e-mail from Mr. AD sealed the deal. Yes, the "Sore For Days Demo" is included in the collection. (Scans of the fold-out insert will be here when I get back).

"AEGTT" part I by Gasp (320 kbps... singles, comp tracks, demo)

"AEGTT" part II

Song of the Week: "Mlha" (Uz Jsme Doma)

2010-06-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

Being on the mighty Nikt Nic Nie Wie label, I bought "Rybi Tuk" a couple of years ago thinking it would be some awesome crazy Polish punk. Uz Jsme Doma is neither Polish nor punk, but they were something incredible. What that something is, I still can't put into words. Passion and musical daring, it certainly exudes, and if genius was a musical genre, then there it would definitely fall. Tradition and innovation collide here in a voluptuous feeding frenzy to satisfy anyone's true Transylvanian hunger.

"Mlha" by Uz Jsme Doma

Between Cracking Up And Getting Yourself Together

2010-06-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

I think I'll keep the crusty stuff I have in the pipeline for next week. In lieu, let's hear a band I recently rediscovered to most gleeful result. Plus, it was the first sunny morning of my vacation today, after days of June gloom. Yes, 8 Bark is much more appropriate, with their volcanic rhythm section and characteristic male/female harmonies. Punk in spirit and speed, but smart and daring enough to hang with the "undie" rock circuit, the band quietly refuses classification, much to my further enjoyment. For years, I only knew them through comp tracks. Getting ahold of a 7" and this amazing "Scam" LP has allowed me to see the error in my delay. "Scam" is themed around work, the meaningful kind, and ways to make the more meaningless drudgery of life less so. A couple of spins should do it, and you'll be hooked too I think.

"Scam" LP by 8 Bark

Violent Incendiary Distortion Monster

2010-06-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like something fast today. Nailed Down circa 1995-97 fits that criterion. The obvious Lärm and Infest influence is observed in vicious collaboration with menacing Bostonian hardcore qualities and noisy Japanese amplification (made even more apparent by the band's choice of bands to cover: Negative FX, Kuro, and Confuse). "Violent Distortion" is an early example of the band's work before their sound changed a bit. On vinyl it was released as a 10" by a bunch of French labels, and Profane Existence Far East released it on 3" CD. What you get in the folder below are 320 rips of the CD with graphics from both versions of the release.

You'll also find rips of ND's "Honour and Glory" 8" flexi (Six Weeks Recs). The tracks are similar to "VD" but slightly less vicious, and a couple of raw live tracks are tacked on to the end. I did my best with the rip quality considering it's a flexi.

CD Cover:

Download both records here

Song of the Week: "First Step" (Jawbreaker)

2010-06-09T12:09:00.001-07:00

Some summer vacations are about adventure and getting into trouble; this one is all about R'nR-- drinking it all in and convincing time to go a little bit slower. "First Step" is yet another (the 3rd) Jawbreaker Song of the Week, but it seemed so perfect and mentions two things I associate with leisure time: bikes and coffee (one I would like to do more of, the other less). Beer is not mentioned, but there's plenty of SOTW slots for those kind of songs.

"First Step" (Jawbreaker)

** Be sure to pick up a copy of the re-press of "Unfun"!

Work Is The Curse Of The Drinking Class

2010-06-06T19:37:00.000-07:00

Whew! I got kind of busy there, but I think I'm back. My last day of work was Friday, so I'm gonna focus on catching up on blog stuff as much as I can this week while still maintaining my regiment of running around stupidly in the sunshine. Tonight we have one of Mikxx's recent obsessions: Norway's IOU! "A Cause For Anxiety" 7" was recorded a couple of years before the LP, and is a little less heavy and metallic. The band plays an intelligent take on the more modernized forms of old gritty hardcore... Born Against and Fucked Up come to mind, but as always, those are just ambiguous reference points. When it comes to music, the country of Norway has rarely let the world down, so see what you think...

IOU's "ACFA" EP

Song of the Week: "Only To Infinity" (Remains Of The Day)

2010-06-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

Blame them for tainting the American well with a hemlock dram of "neo-crust" if you will, but I tend to credit Remains Of The Day with playing powerful and unique hardcore (yes, they were similar to Cwill, but still different enough). I think I heard somewhere that they had a member of Hellshock in their line up, but rather than stenchy crust, ROTD opted for dramatic narratives with fast and energetic tempos (mostly), dabbed with a few slow and somber interludes. If you follow the rule that crust should be simple and straight forward, this band is not for you. But if you like it when bands tunnel across boundaries and smuggle in musical contraban, maybe you already know this band, or should.

"Only To Infinity" (ripped from the vinyl version of "Hanging On Rebellion." Buy the full album at Crimes Against Humanity Recs.)

This post should be called "Remains of the Year," as the last week of school is finally here! Hopefully this means that posting will become more regular. I'll make that a goal, not a promise.

What About Glass Smashed And Shattered?

2010-05-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-05-25T04:44:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-05-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

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.

2010-05-12T05:43:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-05-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

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)

2010-05-04T19:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-05-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

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"

Hello, We're Åsswipé From Big Lick, Kentucky

2010-04-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

For a while, at least two bands a week would send me links to check out or review. While this did wonders to boost the false vanity of my blogger ego, it got to be overwhelming. I kept all the e-mails under the delusional notion that one day I would post this stuff. If you're in one of those bands, I haven't mentioned you until now not because I hate your band or that I'm an asshole (although in other facets of my life, that is easily proven), but I just let myself succumb to a priority "system" based on pure impulse and whimsy. In other words, I post whatever the fuck I feel like on any given week. This will continue until this blog's death, so sorry to say that most "submissions" will be archived indefinitely in favor of dusty records from my collection and the occasional request. To say thanks to most or hopefully all the bands that contacted me thinking that people actually read this thing, here is a big directory of the offerings. I'll make each blurb quick and let you all be the critics. Honestly, some of these bands are doing some incredible things, so get comfortable and get your clicker finger ready.

Mit'an - Un(holy) Hebrew! This band from Israel is just incredible! Emotion, speed, and tightness like you haven't heard in a while. They leave me with a similar feeling as El Mariachi, Torches to Rome, and Ballast/Preying Hands. According to Gad of Urban Decay Records, the band featured members of D9, Dir Yassin, Uzbeks, and Tea With Satan, but unfortunately broke up last year. Crying shame. Being one of the few countries in that region with much of a "scene", it's hard for Israeli bands to get noticed. Thanks Urban Decay for allowing this free download.

Arxi Tou Telous- This band from Athens, Greece is hard to pinpoint soundwise, which is a characteristic in a band that I love. They're right in using the post-punk moniker, but even that can be ambiguous. Very moody and complex, with some nice build-ups. Check out their myspace page or this live set.

Famine Year- Perhaps you've heard of these Finns. They play dark and metallic, grinding modern hardcore a la HHIG, Nasum, Asebia, Perth Express, etc. The recordings sound good and they play with ridiculous amounts of power. Sample their MS tracks here.

Sanctions- The dudes from Sanctions sent me some download links, but the links died. The tracks on their myspace page are pretty powerful post-HHIG, Silence, Madam Germen-type melodic dark crust. Good shit from these guys, which you can purchase here.

The Constellation Branch- TCB get compared to Sunny Day Real Estate and Radiohead, and as reference points, we're not far from cracking the case. Slick, moody, oozing with talent, I wanted to dismiss this band as not-my-cup, but they're sneaky in how they move in on your favor. Maybe it's the xylophone in "ReCreation In Sleep." I don't know-- if you're willing to explore, check 'em out.

Nervous Sex - Some nervously sexual noise here from Philly. I feel bad for holding onto these downloads for so long, because these guys seem like good people. Now, if I can be said to have any expertise, Nervous Sex would be beyond it. But even a layman like me can appreciate the layers of racket produced by these three mad scientists and their convoy of homemade instruments and stockpile of stimulants (just guessing). Here are links to their "Creep Sea" album and a split tape with Drums Like Machine Guns. I hope they don't mind sharing the goods; contact NS on their MS if you'd like hard copies.

Mass Obliteration- I think there's a rule somewhere that if your band has "Mass" or "Obliteration" in its name, you're automatically in with the grindcore crowd. Mass Obliteration from Rome self-label their music "anarcho death metal." This is more accurate than my original assumption. The whole record has an old-school, mid-paced death metal feel, but with some unexpected rockin' and groovin' flourishes. So if that's your thing, get it here (lyrics included, MS link they gave me = dead).

Protozoan- This is a more or less one man industrial/electronic/heavy music band. TomAD has generously offered his three albums for download: "Waterburner", "Amok", and "Fault". These mind-squeezers should keep your consciousness busy for some time.

Big Shiny Prison - ... is a book and journalistic adventure whereby author Ryan Bartek took to the road and committed his experience interviewing various folks in the metal, punk, etc. world to paper (or in our case, a pdf file). I haven't had a chance to read it, but it sounds interesting as heck. Here is the free download for it; I'm not sure if a paper copy has been published at this point.

Stagnation Is Death - Polish hardcore/death metal, and pretty raging as far as that goes. Harsh vocals, lots of bass drums, tremolo madness. It's all there, and the members are very involved in local anarcho activism in their country. So, support SID all you can, and download their LP and split CD to sample the wares.

The New Enemy- I posted one these Canadians' last record a while back and here they're back with this new EP, "Shakedown". I love the more heavy and hardcore direction this time around, but I'm glad they retained their melodic tendencies. Gruff, but still slick, emotive but still heavy... good outing and a nice indication of the future things to come.

Dead Until Dawn- A little more polished than what I'm used to, Dead Until Dawn play ugly metallic hardcore that's good for its genre. The crusty in me makes my attention span wander during listenings, but that's just me.

Lanterns - Hey they're from San Diego! Lanterns play indie rock with punk rock energy, and a hint of the bitter in their sweetness. Kind of like some of those mid-western bands in the nineties. Judging from their merch, I was afraid they'd be too hipster, but the music is what counts, and I have to say... me likey. Not something I'll listen to all the time, but it's a nice way to break up the screaming, blast beats, and post-nuclear imagery of my usual fare.

Fat Mans War Face - Yeah the name got me interested too. FMWF is death metalcore, or whatever arrangements of those root words you prefer. Once again, more metal and more slick than what I'm used to, but they will more than satisfy dudes with a hardspot for mosh, and pride in their hardcoreness. Get their "White Light" EP here.

Purity Control - Another Canadian band to look out for, Purity Control play raw and mean hardcore with distorted vocals and definite associations with PV and metallic hardcore. Devastating shit. This kind of music doesn't require good production, but better production next time will only make this band more badass. Visit their MS page and get links to both of the band's cassettes.

The Smashrooms - These Italians play tight, melodic yet metallic hardcore that draws on that country's HC heritage, but I can also hear a little Sin Dios and American SxE gang-styled vocals. Interesting stuff, and nicely played. The lyrics link is down on their MS page, but they have an anti-fascist blurb on there, so at least there's that. Also at their MS page... free download!

Cool Band Now - If you're tired of being preached at by bands, check CBN. These Santa Cruzers are all about keeping the fun and funny in music. Hard to describe these guys, but I like their attitude about music and such. Chris introduced me to his band after noticing my strange love for crusty pop punk (if such a thing exists). Click here if you like your crust thin...

Organ Trail - Moody, tripped out weirdness that has a heavy feel at times, and a spacious and serene feel at others. I'm at a loss for other words besides... intriguing. I haven't ordered my copy yet, but I will, and you can too.... here.

Mona de Bo - Latvian experimentalists with a dirgy feel to their compositions. Consumption of depressants would aid this adventure greatly. Some tracks are more listenable than others, but I have the feeling time and patience will also come in handy in unwinding the complex threads holding this band's sound together. Another interesting one to walk into with the most open of minds.

Groover - LoFi, Funkadellic, blackened grind! Or something. The band reassures us that we haven't heard anything like this in the last decade. Gotta be true; must be heard. Download "Let's Boogie"

Okay, so I'm not doing this again. As the name of this blog indicates, I much prefer the randomness that has directed postings in the past. Thanks again for all the generous contributions, but I'm probably going to ignore most submissions in the future. I have a hard enough time maintaining this blog as it is!

On that note, I'll try to fill a request tomorrow that I've had to put off, so stay tuned.

Song of the Week: "Facet" (Dezerter)

2010-04-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

I've been on a bit of a Poland kick since the release of the new El Banda 2xLP (which is excellent but a bit over long) so I have a very Polish song for you. Dezerter designed the blueprint for modern Polish punk in the early eighties from the other side of the Iron Curtain, and continued to lay waste for many years after. You can hear lots of British and Euro influences ("Facet" was inspired by Crass apparently), but more importantly you can hear Dezerter's influence in band's like Post Regiment and El Banda in not so subtle ways. This is an excellent thing I hope you'll agree, and "Facet" takes the form of a duet with a guest vocalist who sounds uncannily like those from the above two bands (although from what I can decipher from the liner notes, she is neither(?)). There's great energy and chemistry on this one, so enjoy; and in case you're wondering, "Facet" means "Tough Guy" and it's about chauvanistic men.

"Facet" by Dezerter from "Ile Procent Duszy?"

We Do The Numbers...

2010-04-24T09:47:00.001-07:00

Things are starting to get back to... equilibrium around here; sometime last week, the counter finally made it 100,000 visitors-- and just shy of three fucking years! That's what I get for posting shit nobody else likes, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I also replaced my needle cartridge with a really nice one after breaking the last needle in a beer-buzz klutz-move, so ripping should resume soon. All this is restoring my lagging interest in blogging, as are a couple of e-mails I received recently.

The first was from Eddie (formerly of Tafkata) letting me know about his insanely good new band, Seven Sisters Of Sleep. I asked him the first obvious question you'll have too after hearing "Monastery" and Swamp": when will the first record come out?! Rest assured, the band is working all that out. If you're on this blog, there's already a 90% chance SSS will be the subject of the next shrine you build in your living room, and if utter despair set to music is your idea of a good time, the chances are even greater. The next, less obvious question was: "How's about that Tafkata demo I've heard about"? I'm a shameless moocher-- sorry Eddie. Turns out there were two, and he hooked them up for us. As a Tafkata fan-geek, I feel it's my duty to share everything I can with you, and these heavy and dirty cuts are more than worth repeated listens regardless of, or especially because of, the damage it will do to your head and the walls around you. Thanks a million Eddie!

Tafkata Demos (Some tracks are titled differently than the album versions)

Another generous e-mail was from Kevin from another favorite band, Icon Gallery. Kevin gave the permish to keep the demo tracks up, and even sent a five track version including the song, "Pain" (which is amazing!). He also included a rip of the band's 7" which long ago I prematurely had a lukewarm response to (probably because I was buzzing on the demo still). Giving it another spin led to giving it five more, and now I'm under its spell. This is such a talented and great band, I hope you crusties can put aside your prejudices and rock the fuck out. I'm going to include the 7" in the folder below under the condition that you will buy it or that you promise you don't have a turn table. Support this band and check with them in June to see if their LP is out yet (there's a new-ish track up at their MS page that sounds great!).

Icon Gallery EPs

Song of the Week: "Drowning In The Aftermath" (Schifosi)

2010-04-20T05:50:00.001-07:00

Coming out of a 3 year, late-nineties bender of straight His Hero Is Gone, I needed something to keep me going, and keep the edge off. This and my unreconciled need for more bands like Unhinged led me to a little known Australian band called Schifosi, specifically to "Ill Winds From Outopia." The abrasive character of the vocals and Swedish-style drumming were smoothed over by the dark, malty guitar leads with the insidious after-effect of both satisfaction and craving. The year or so after this discovery is a bit of a blur, until "Half Lit World" came out. There are only four tracks on this one, but even after the great final 12" was released, I consider this 7" to be the band's finest achievement. "Law Is Freedom" and "Drowning In The Aftermath" are still my two favorite songs by the band, but after binging on both, "Drowning's" forceful build-ups and excellent songwriting put it in the #1 spot.

"Drowning In The Aftermath" by Schifosi (from the "Half Lit World" 7")

Sapporo City Hardcore Vol. III

2010-04-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't seen this mini-CD in too many places, so I'll just throw it out there for you. I'm sure a bunch of you out there dig the leaden, Japanese pummeling of Slang's hardcore, and this disk is right up there with "Immortal Sin." Actually, it has the title track and few more off that LP, plus a couple that are not (including a Ripcord cover). The package itself is a little cheaply put together, but that'll be the farthest thing from your mind as you stagger around in a bloody stupor of Slang-induced trauma.

"Humanistic Disorder" CD

From The Depths Of An Ether Binge

2010-04-14T18:22:00.000-07:00

As I await my new stylus in the mail, this break allows me a chance to get caught up with blog e-mails, and post some submissions I've been sitting on. I can't say I'll do this much in the future-- I have a hard enough time keeping up with the whimsy that normally dictates the posting on this site. But where to start in the back-log was easy. James from Into The Storm was kind enough to send me a copy of the band's debut CD. I didn't think bands still did this! An actual CD! ITS obviously works hard on their presentation with the slick artwork, and the many extras they sent with the CD, but it's the music itself that we're most interested in here. In this category, I was not let down either. I feel like it's redundant to describe ITS's sound, when one of the guys at Razorcake already said so much of what I was planning on saying, from his comment on the art, to the Shotmaker reference (that was fuckin' creepy when I read it!). I could rattle on about the Post-this genre/that genre that could maybe fit their M.O., but that would imply that the band is some kind of Isis clone (certainly far from true). I mean, when a band can so easily warrant comparisons from so many genres that have been given such trite labels (post-metal, emotive hardcore, post-punk, post-rock, stoner rock, math-metal, metalcore...), but isn't the least bit trite, what can a "reviewer" do? This conundrum can only be solved with a download, which the band is more than obliged to provide. It's a pleasure to hear these guys working out their fertile ideas, and I look forward to their next release, hopefully with recording quality that does them even more justice.

Click the punk rock pelican:

Song of the Week: "Cut" (Drunk)

2010-04-14T05:30:00.000-07:00

Last time I posted Drunk, the download numbers were a little... modest, but the Song of the Week is all about... me, damn it! So I proceed with "Cut" for the week's selection, for the usual reason of its brilliance. The more rock-influenced nature of the band may put people off for the first listen, but great things are bound to happen with my favorite guitarist in the line-up (Roger from LBHTLI, So Much Hate, and I think Bannylist), and English lyrics that put many American/English bands to shame. The punk rebelliousness and abrasiveness is all there, it's just projected through the more wise lense of experience and therefore more subtle (or does experience make us wise, or just more confused? Lately I've been leaning toward the latter...).

"Cut" by Drunk (from the split LP with Goatboy)

Indescribable Megahertz

2010-04-10T12:36:00.001-07:00

15 years ago, Three Studies for a Crucifixion and Coleman recorded a groundbreaking split LP; Since then I have inextricably linked the two bands. As you already know or will find out, this isn't really fair--each being two very different entities. But then they shared a comp together too, and now for me, they are inseparable. This post is both bands' discographies as I know them. Any other comp tracks, EPs, or their demos would be much appreciated if you have any. First we have arguably the pinnacle of both band's recording careers, the LP. I used to think Three Studies strutted along the dam that keeps music from falling into chaos, but upon repeated revisits I'm convinced they crossed over and returned with news of how beautiful the union of the two could be. Or ugly, if that appeals to you more. You're welcome to dismiss it as chaos, but if you are so inclined, I urge you to give the band a few chances. The intensity of these tracks is undeniable, and I defy anyone to place these guys into any cozy category.

Maybe it was due to my infatuation with Three Studies that I at first regarded Coleman as a pretty cool band. My revisit to Coleman's world a few years ago was an epiphany: this band may have been one of best things to happen to the 1990s. The enthralling cacophony of the guitar and tantrum-esque vocals seem to anticipate a future Boston quartet, The Conversions, and on top of that, the drumming is incredible. The live feel of the recording adds to the raw, DIY feel, although the sound is a lot better than on the glorious EP below (not sure if the cover is rotated right).

In the other folder at the bottom of this post is a collection of both bands' additional tracks that I was able to dig up; once again, I'm not sure if it's a complete collection, but it's a pretty substantial start. Included is the Coleman 7" which, considering it's rawness, songwriting and hilarious sound samples, is one hell of an entertaining listen, if not one of the more perfect artifacts of nineties hardcore. Like most of the tracks, they reveal the condition of the vinyl they were ripped from (ie. in "much loved" shape). The other tracks were ripped from the Education Comp, the Amnesia Comp, and Three Studies for a Crucifixion's splits with Melt-Banana and Harriet The Spy.

The Split LP

The Comp Tracks, Coleman 7", and Three Studies split tracks

Enjoy, or don't. Man, I've been plagued with obstacles here at FE headquarters. I fixed the camera situation, but last night I broke my needle. Then this week's hectic schedule left me no room to breathe. Next week will hopefully be more productive-- I'll probably post CDs and a mega-links post of all the cool shit people have sent me to "review." Anyway thanks for your support, patience, etc...

Song of the Week: "Briganti" {Live} (Contropotere)

2010-04-05T20:28:00.001-07:00

My camera is somewhere on the bottom of the San Diego River (which right now looks like an actual river for once) so I stole the image to the left from the great Night Gaunt Graphics site. Posting will be even slower than usual until I get a new camera, but this week we feast on the haunting, yet rousing live version of "Briganti." This little beauty was found nestled within the "Farmhouse Records 1994" comp amid rollicking pop punk songs and some ragers from Apeface, Lesser of Two, Mohinder, Fuck Boyz, etc. All this talent aside, Contropotere's offering is the one I sweatily anticipate during each spin. That should come as no surprise once you hear it, or maybe it will; depends on what you like. But if you're at all like me, this song will have you burying your dead and marching on to the good fight in no time at all.

"Briganti" (Live)

I'm Feeling I Wish I Was Dreaming

2010-04-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

As the season arrives when we sweep out the dust bunnies from the baseboards and corners of our houses and the psychic junk from the recesses of our minds, it's time to replace the bad debris with the good Debris. I'm referring of course to Scotland's Debris, who continue the traditions begun by Scotland's Quarantine. Those traditions include driving and precise punk rhythms, harshly sung melodies, and acerbic political commentaries. The "Attrition" 7" was recorded way back at the end of 1998, and continues pretty close to where "Automatic Negative Thoughts" and "Junction 10" left off, and is beyond satisfactory for people like me with a love for crust and a soft spot for Bay Area (pop) punk.

The band followed up with the equally piss and vinegar suffused "Ten2" LP which is available in many distros, so I may not be able to keep the link up for long. The rips were recorded at a fairly loud volume, so be sure to play them through good speakers.

Debris LP and 7"

Song of the Week: "Power" (Agnostic Front)

2010-03-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

It was great to finally hear "Victim In Pain" on vinyl thanks to Bridge Nine who put out the well packaged re-issues with butt-ugly covers. Well, they're not ugly; they would make good menus or something. Not that the original was pretty to look at, but it was authentic. They used the original recordings, why not the covers? Anyway, "VIP" is one of my top ten early '80's records (I was never into buying at collector prices. I settled for years with that cool Combat CD that also has "Cause For Alarm" on it), and easily one of my favorites of all time. Agnostic Front was often challenged for their politics (or other people's perception thereof), but on "Power" they dig their trench before an abstract enemy most of us can feel good uniting against. And, as the band professes on many songs, unity is in fact what we're all about...

"Power" by Agnostic Front

Petroleum Straight, No Chaser

2010-03-26T09:48:00.001-07:00

The above art is not the cover of a long lost Spine Wrench 7", but rather that of the one 7" released by Minneapolis' Servitude. Even if this was not a pre-Segue band, and even if this was not released on Profane Existence/Skuld records, I would still post it. Mainly because, like many records on this blog, it's obscure and I fuckin' love it! Conjure the ferocity of nineties north/mid-west crust core (Shitlist, Decrepit, Dearborn SS) and shoot it up with 100 cc's of Segue's gloom, and see how it compares to what Servitude did.

Servitude 7"

Hello Disaster

2010-03-25T09:04:00.001-07:00

What more needs to be said about Out Cold that I haven't noted already? OC are the most genuine, bitter, scabby-knuckled, wake up in a pool of urine, lipstick message on the mirror hardcore this country has to offer. They've been offering it since the late eighties, and their most recent LP, "Goodbye Cruel World" shows no sign of burnout or sellout. The fast tunes are raw and cutting; the mid-paced ones are fist-pumping and full of grit. Like all of OC's LPs, this one is my favorite as long as I'm not playing one of their others.

These rips are for Mikxxx at the always adventuresome 15 Counts of Arson blog, but it's also for you if you have this LP already, or if you don't have a turn table. I'd like to think this post will turn someone on to Out Cold and that person will go buy the LP, but very few blog visitors will probably do that. Just in case, here is a link to Mad At The World Records, where you can get a copy for cheap. The d/l link will be removed 2 days from the posting date.

"Goodbye Cruel World" by Out Cold (link has been removed)

Don't Let The Bastards Grind You Down

2010-03-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

As requested, I went ahead and ripped a couple of One By One 7"s, and Mike generously contributed rips of their 12". The "Fight" 7" is one of my all time favorite EPs, drawing on tons of UK punk and hardcore traditions, but of course sounding like something quite all its own. Two deadly forces are conspiring: rage and intelligence. The same is true for the other two records posted here, but unfortunately the vocals are more subdued (both by Micky and the recording) by comparison (some of this has to do with the absence of Karin's vocals). Either way, this is classic hardcore/punk that should never be forgotten. It seems that the long-promised One By One discography CD has been back-burnered, as Micky is focusing on his fiction writing.

One By One 7"s

One By One LP