Guts On Fire

I'm too friggin' busy to make any rips right now, so I'm taking a chance that this incredible Icon Gallery 7" is sold out. If it's not, don't be a cheap-ass-- order one if you like what you hear. "Retribution" made it to the Song Of The Week a few months back (which is when I ripped this), and I'm easily sticking with that decision. How to describe IG's rock leads us to quite an impasse. The band's myspace profile cites Post Regiment, Heart, Iron Maiden, and Prince. Some of these names make sense in vague ways, but we're far from a complete picture. What we do have is some kind of awesome post punk-rock-hardcore with a fair amount of complexity, melody, grit, and hooks; the kind of rock that needs to be heard and not analyzed.

This EP presents their 3 demo tracks and one extra. Some members were previously in Aphasia.

Icon Gallery "Demo" 7" (Link has been removed. Go buy a copy)

The Buttshits Split

It looks like we're embarking on another split week. This time, I'm posting whatever I want, regardless of how many times it's been posted or whether or not the tracks have been compiled on a discography. Yes, a true celebration of a truly punk format. When it comes to punk as fuck splits, it's hard to shake a stick at Filth and Submachine's manifesto of drunkenness and punkness, "This Is Why We Are The Drunks." These bands need no intro and no disclaimer-- listen and let the debauchery begin! Full scans, 320 kbps vinyl rips, bla bla...

The Submachine/Filth split 7"

Song Of The Week: "Retribution" (Icon Gallery)

I was all ready to post Icon Gallery's "Demo" 7", but then they re-pressed it. A SOTW post shouldn't hurt, though, and the honor is one I give not begrudgingly, but rather proudly! This EP just kicks so much ass! I "discovered" the band while doing research for the Aphasia post (2 members in common), and was floored. The band cites influences from Prince, Post Regiment, Heart, and Iron Maiden. Sure, okay. In a weird way, this makes some sense when you hear the tracks. The first comparison I wanted to make was Signal Lost meets early Sonic Youth. That falls short of the mark too. Whatever description you decide on, let it be known that the band churns out some fiery rock that is soooo punk, but yet soooo much more. The musicians play with gusto but, as with Aphasia, the vocals steal the show. Such a great 7", and "Retribution" is beautiful example of the band's energy and edge-of-the-seat songwriting. I was a little disappointed in the IG's newest 7"; it's a bit polished with a poppier edge to it, and I can only hope that next time they return to the foundation set down by the demo.

"Retribution"

Keep It In Your Pants

Bands that release one good 7" and then break up... is it better to just forget about them? It's such a tease, you know? Since obscurity often fuels (and enshrouds) this blog, I'm gonna keep the rarities and one-hit-wonders coming. Tonight's post is the only release by Aphasia, who changed their name to Die Screaming and recording a demo under that name (hey, if I rotated the cover art the wrong way up there, let me know...). If your tastes are anything like mine, these four tracks would have you combing the web for whatever splits or comp tracks you could find. Sorry, no dice. This is it. So what is it? Super-charged nineties-style crusty hardcore with vocals that sound like a more pissed off Ashley from Signal Lost! Chani's vocal chutzpah really turns this good band into a great one; you know, one whose LPs you'd be more than willing to throw down some dough for (damn it!). Chani and Aaron started Icon Gallery, which sounds equally promising (but in a different sort of way), so support the hell out of them!

Aphasia 7"