Zap

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

"Zap"

Hard To Swallow Manfat

Here's some more Hard To Swallow hardcore, this time partnering up with Manfat. HTS's Sabbath/sludge influence is a little more upfront this time, but ultimately it's still fast and excellent hardcore! It's no surprise that HTS members have/had connections to Iron Monkey, Voorhees, and Electric Wizard. As for their split-mates, Manfat play really tight metallic, DC influenced hardcore/post-hardcore. Bri (Doom) handles the "lungs" on these two rock assaults, but don't expect traditional crust. The guitar picking is outstanding; the energy is unstoppable! If you haven't already, don't forget to pick up Manfat's first 7" at 7 inch crust.

Get the split HERE.

Up Next: some more nineties UK sweetness!

Baba Yaga, Squawk, Zap, Rum-ti-Tum...

No, the above image is not of E.T. undergoing a gynecological exam. It is, however, an icon used often in the cover and label art of UK band, Witchknot (I'm not an anthropologist, so if you have any info about this icon...). So what about the music? Well, since you've forced me to describe it: pagan-feminist-dada-post-punk. Maybe not. Witchknot is not easy to label, and to do so may not be very fair to begin with. So what's the bottom line regarding the listening experience? It's fuckin' brilliant! The driving force of the band's music starts with the bass and drums, which almost always combine to create amazingly infectious rhythms (and there's plenty of cowbell for you CB fans out there!). The melodies are provided by the violin and cello parts, which are simple but incredibly effective, and by, of course, the powerful vocals which alternate between beautiful singing, impassioned yelling and grunting, haunting harmonies, and quirky chants and incantations. The guitar may not be the driving force, but the cacophonous chords and wildly picked rhythms add a definite signature to an already unique sound. Some of you may want to accuse the band of trying too hard to be "artsy" or different, but even YOU might find, after listening, that all these parts combine and move seamlessly and organically. As off-kilter as Witchknot's sound appears at first, there's universal pop appeal that will surely enchant you and hold you spellbound if you let your guard down long enough.

What's also curious about most of Witchknot's releases, is that they were put out by Flat Earth Records (RIP), the hardcore label responsible for putting out records by Sedition, Ebola, etc. The download link below contains the "Squawk" LP, the "Suck" EP (both on Flat Earth), and some comp. tracks I found on a certain P2P site. Witchknot will not be for everybody, but if you're musically malleable enough to enjoy Guts Pie Earshot, Red Monkey, Spitboy, and/or The Horny Mormons, this band may change your life...





Listen


Also, check out three of the members' new band, Baba Yaga.

Sedition - "Earthbeat" LP

By request, here is Sedition's opus, "Earthbeat" (1993). As mentioned in a long-ago post, Sedition was a political hardcore band from Scotland influenced thematically by an atavistic tribalism. Musically their influences stemmed from other UK political hardcore, a little '80's crossover, and, on this record at least, a bit of the emotive modern hardcore contemporaneously spreading across the globe. There are no throw-aways on this rager, and as lead-ins to most tracks the listener is treated to some stimulating sound samples taken from documentary films on various tribal societies (mainly from North America and Ireland/Scotland). Sedition's socio-political vision may deter some, but their musical power and rhetorical sincerity render those hang-ups superfluous.

According to Flat Earth Records, 3500 copies were pressed and sold (1000 of which came in Hessian sacks). The tracks were collected on Sedition's discography CD, "End in the Beginning... Beginning in the End," but good luck trying to find anything of theirs at a reasonable/sane price.

"Earthbeat"

Health Hazard & Sawn Off 7"

Since we're on the topic of ultra-raging splits, we can't ignore this noisy specimen released by two bands with long histories (or would go on to create long histories. Futures?...) Health Hazard took England and the world by storm with their 7" and 10", and finished their reign with this split 7". On this release, the recording on the guitars seems cleaner than on previous outings (definitely less bass dominance than on the 10"), and it appears that the band was really coming into its own musicianship-wise (just in time to call it quits). These are perhaps HH's best written songs, although their entire discography is awesome. Their sound can be perhaps described as the intersection between ENT and Ripcord/Heresy, with the vocals of Pink Turds in Space (but not really). The first track supplies some unexpected levity in the form of a "Funky Town" cover, and the track "Just for Now" was later re-recorded with different lyrics by Suffer (the band three of the members would form in HH's wake), for the "Complacency" compilation (post on this disc soon). On the other side, Sawn Off make/made what I believe was their debut. They are a perfect match for Health Hazard, as they played a similar raucous style of fastcore/hardcore, but with atrocious distortion and production. Their lyrics deal with the usual hardcore fare, but with a healthy serving of snideness (e.g. observe the title of their side and the image of a dog taking a big leak on a big cross). Members of Sawn Off went on to play in Boxed In, Shank, Endless Blockade, Afterbirth and other bands, all of whom are great. Somewhere out there, you may be able to find Health Hazard's discography CD from Prank Records (also serves as a Suffer discography), but I'm not sure about the availability of Sawn Off's material.

The Split

Pink Turds in Space vs. Sedition

Along with the Crudos/Spitboy LP, I think the Sedition/Pink Turds in Space LP is my favorite split LP of the 90's. The record was originally released on Real to Real Records in 1990, and then reissued in 1994 on the great Flat Earth Records. Both bands have since released discography Cd's, but even those are becoming increasingly scarce.

Sedition was an assemblage of impassioned Scotsmen who played meaningful peace punk/hardcore with a bit of metal, fronted by a screaming bearded dude in a kilt. My introduction to the band was in the form of their one LP, "Earthbeat," which was a slightly modernized thrash/hardcore barrage, propelling lyrics which encouraged humans to resist over-production, over-consumption and state control by returning to their tribal roots, either physically or at least psychologically/spiritually/mentally. The tracks they contributed to the split LP, being recorded at an earlier time, were cruder and more straight forward, but every bit as powerful and engrossing. I hate to choose favorites, but I believe Sedition takes the title on this record (and just in general). Tracks from this split LP, the "Earthbeat" LP, and the split 7" with Disaffect are included on Sedition's discography CD, which is out there if you search for it. Band members went on to play in Scatha, The Dagda, Ruin...

Flip this platter over and you've got Ireland's Pink Turds in Space. In addition to donning one of the best names in punk history, they also boast some of the most obnoxious lyrics and vocals. Their music has more of a thrash metal influence, but the shitty production dulls the metal edge some. The vocals and attitude, however, firmly embed this band in the musical space we call punk. They're raw, they're pissed, they're funny... you will/already do love them. Rejected Records in Dublin put out the "The Complete Pink Turds in Space" CD, compiling these split LP tracks, the "Greatest Shits" 12", the split 7" with Charred Remains (MITB), demo material, and live tracks. Hunt it down if you can. Members formed Bleeding Rectum and other bands (leave a comment if you know names!).

Sample Tracks (if you've never heard these bands):

Sedition - "Authority"

Pink Turds in Space - "Sickle $ell"

Download the entire Split LP (zip)
Click Here!