Masquerading in a Failing World

Here we have another situation where a commenter has helped me with my procrastination problem.  I've been sitting on this Calloused post for months now, and with all of the Minneapolitan madness of recent posts, now is the perfect time.  As mentioned previously, Minneapolis has produced an enviable number of great crusty hardcore bands, many of which escape notice outside of that area.  Calloused may unfortunately be one of these bands. They wowed me on their now classic split LP with Shitlist, and as with any band this uncompromising, their other releases are no let down.  Posted today are the band's final 7" and "The Masquerade" 12" (the tracks from this one I believe also appeared on the CD version of the Shitlist split). Calloused is of interest to any hardcore nut who can appreciate the musical benefits of repetitive cranial trauma, but also welcome a touch of sadness thrown in for complexity and a sense of tragic resolution.

Calloused - "Still Failing World "7" (Sin Fronteras, 2003) and "The Masquerade" 12" (Fired Up!, 2002)

No Beer in Heaven

With such a shit week, it's great being a hardcore fan, where any record I put on brings instant commiseration, or at least makes me feel grateful I live in a place that hasn't been annihilated by some kind of holocaust, or been completely raped of basic human rights, like the right to drink beer. Staying with the theme of Profane Existence related bands and/or Midwest crusties, this post concerns Path of Destruction and Provoked, but is a little heavy on the Provoked side. These lager-quaffers shared one hell of a priceless split, which I'm linking below along with both of Provoked's LPs. POD is a brilliant blend of Portland and Minneapolis ingredients with Japanese icing, while Provoked venture into darker terrain like their predecessors Unhinged, or their contemporaries, Schifosi (but maybe a little snottier, like their antecedents, Detonate).

Path of Destruction/Provoked Split 7" (Self-Released, 2002?)

Provoked- "Infant in the Womb of Warfare" LP (Profane Existence, 2003)

Provoked- "Prepare for the Cold" LP (Profane Existence, 2005)

Minimum Wage Slave Tirade

I've got another handful of random requests to fill, starting with Default's "Die With Honor" one sided 7" (sorry, I don't yet have the other EP requested). There was a time when Default 7"s were being sold for a dollar, and in one instance, I received one free with an order. What a travesty. Maybe it was because they were from Wisconsin and didn't release an LP (I don't think), but they never received their due respect. The "Complacency" comp was my first exposure, and those 44 seconds of gonzo crustcore made them standouts even among the honorable company they were in. "Die With Honor" thankfully continues along these lines, burning with such intense fervor that the tracks disintegrate shortly after starting. The impression is lasting, though, due in part to some flourishes in the songwriting, but mostly due to the tornado-like ass-kicking they deliver.

I got a request a while back for the first Scorned 7", and why not? Scorned is one surly political hardcore ensemble with a scary guitar sound. Being a pretty raw and rough outing, I would maybe not recommend this EP for the uninitiated. After listening to either their LP, split 7", or more recent 7", the first one can be a lot of fun, if fun includes the hardcore equivalent of a jackhammer and a chainsaw trying to drown out the shouts of an angry neighbor. Scorned is another in probably a long line of mid western bands that deserve way more attention, so give 'em a shot.

I was going to post the "Double Crossed" 7" by feisty Texans, Manchurian Candidates, but then I remembered that Mike included it in his post of the LP. For now, we'll just have to settle for some comp tracks until I track down their other 7" and split 7" (which I thought I still had...). Two tracks were re-ripped from the "El Guapo" comp ("Blind Lives" is still my favorite) and the other comes from "Reality Part 4" (a much more metal manifestation of the band).

Default, Scorned, Manchurian Candidates

For One More Smoke Off The Devil's Cigar

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"

...With your cock out.

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

here.

Petroleum Straight, No Chaser

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"

The Ones To Start The Fires

Get 'em while you can: the link for Segue's two 10"s will be taken down shortly. I'm posting because I'm a sucker for requests; I'm removing out of respect for the band and labels. This weekend we have the alpha and omega from a fiercely odd band that happily frustrates our need to pigeonhole. The first was a fine debut, but on the second, the band pulls the lever on the trapdoor leading to a more ominous, dank cavern of excruciating isolation and psychic turmoil. Considering the production and song "structures," I'd say this is the band's most solid work. If they live to put forth another 10", well I just don't know what I'll do with myself.

Segue's 2 10"s (Link has been removed. Contact Trujaca Fala, etc. to get copies)

(Hopefully I got the track tags right on the first 10". Trying to follow along with the lyrics is a bit disorienting if not impossible on some tracks).

Note: When you buy the vinyl for the 2nd 10" (see links in previous post), listen to it at least once on 33 1/3. Brutal!

Nutrasweet and LSD

Segue has a curious fascination with insect imagery, as well as burroughs-esque slip-stream bad-trip lyrics. On this 7" we also get to hear a fairly early account of these Minneapolitan's loose-structured fusion of crust, metal, folk, and noise that, while depressing, leaves me guffawing like a mad scientist. The monster given life here is a challenging one, but ultimately one that could open some doors. Recommended for those who resist following formulas.

The idea was to post the rest of Segue's discography, but their two 10"s are still widely available. Hit up the links below if you have a turn table. I don't know, maybe I'll post them as a limited time download later this week(?).

I just noticed this is post # 400. How the hell did that happen?

Segue 7"

Segue/Inflicted split 12" post

Buy the 7" here

Buy the 10"s...

NIC

Active Rebellion

Puke'n Vomit

A Channel of Static Gray

It's opportunities like this where I'm glad I stuck with this blogging nonsense. Today's split 12" features two fairly obscure bands that I already liked, it seems pretty rare, it was cheap and in great condition, and, most importantly, it kicks a fierce amount of ass! Prior to this split with Segue, I only knew Manitowoc, Wisconsin's Inflicted from their split with Ojorojo. That's a whopping three minutes of music, but they left their mark. I remember them sounding a lot like the nineties Bay Area HC I worship often, and these five tracks continue that, but for some reason this time they seem more New Mexican. Dark and slow meets fast and angry in a contest I find myself comparing to Neurosis, Logical Nonsense, Dead and Gone, and Eldopa. This is solid, world-class hardcore that deserves much more attention.

Segue is a bit more of a protean beast. Between the grooves is a nightmare journey of noise, Bremen-style grind/hardcore, and heavy Neurosis-esque mood-crust. I took a chance on these bug-obsessed Minnesotans a while back with their first 10" and loved it. This is more of the same despair-ridden ugliness, mingling with blades of gray melody that keep the tracks from collapsing on themselves. Certainly a sweet find for fans of Mörser, Dimlaia, and Christdriver. If/when I verify that they're out of print, I'll post the band's first two releases. Their second 10" is still available from Trujaca Fala.


The Inflicted/Segue split 12"

You're On My...

...Shitlist is a band whose brilliance was brought to my attention through the miracle of blogging. With all the great, mediocre, and terrible crust released in the nineties/early 00's, it's nice to have some guidance to navigate it all. I have blog hommie, Shawn, to thank for holding the torch up to this band. Shitlist's pedigree, while impressive, only serves as a stylistic reference index, because their power is absolutely singular. I believe the band is related to Hail Of Rage, Inhaste, and possibly Decrepit. I apologize if I'm wrong; all of the music and info I take up daily is getting to be too much for the o'l Duder's head. But the nine tracks on this slab lay waste to much of the material from those other bands. The tightness, the unrelenting fury... unbelievable. Thanks again, Shawn.

If you're energy isn't completely sapped from Shitlist, Calloused offer another challenging aural workout. Blokes like me who'll never get enough Detestation and Pink Turds In Space will find a 10 track feast of obnoxiousness bursting through the grooves of side B. The collusion of these two bands is just pure crusty perfection. The CD version of it was been posted elsewhere, but I really wanted to have it here for personal reasons. The link below has the usual 320 kbps vinyl rips with complete scans...

The Shitlist/Calloused Split LP