K-Beat

What's that creaking underfoot? Is this derelict barge finally starting to budge?  Yes, it's sailing once again, but the waters ahead may be choppy and a bit foggy.  I can't be sure it will get far, but it's time to leave dock and let the current take it where it will...

This post consists of the other two bands I alluded to in the Acursed post.  Lest they be forgotten, I thought it'd be a good idea to post a retrospective on a band that really hooked me in to all the dark scandi-core of the late nineties/early naughts.  The first album by Kontrovers seemed to gush an endless supply of manic, thrashing riffs, made endlessly listenable by their tasteful touches of guitar melody.  I'm sure this garnered them many lazy comparisons to Tragedy, and genre-wise that isn't entirely off.  But I certainly wouldn't want them to be written off as some disposable derivative.  I think their discography speaks volumes to the band's worth, and below is the bulk of it.

The idea behind these posts was to gather the odds and ends, so this link is in keeping with that goal.  It collects the band's early 7" and splits with Beyond Description and Mass Separation.  On many of these tracks we see a slightly "grindier" and more raw approach.  While I prefer their later, more intricate song writing, there's not a thing wrong with these little records.

All three records here.







In case you've passed Kontrovers up before, I wouldn't feel right letting you go without loading you up with my favorite releases of theirs.  Their two albums offer some of the finest work this sub subgenre produced.  The massive 20 track debut is a real feast, but the final LP exudes a confidence and mastery that really distinguishes it.

Kontrovers LP (Putrid Filth Conspiracy, 2002)... If anyone has better quality rips of this one, let me know! I really didn't feel like ripping my copy of the LP

Kontrovers- "När Spelreglerna Ändras" LP (Putrid Filth Conspiracy, 2003... 320 Kbps)

The lesser known of the "K" bands, Konfrontation only managed to drop one LP, but it was quite the doozy.  From when I posted it before, I vaguely remember using imagery of finely crafted surgical instruments to describe the way this band can rob you of your vitals with a precision that is both artful and savage.  Instinct of course led me to explore their back catalog, and while none of their EPs quite match "Nedbrytningsprocessen," they still collectively make for a great listen. If you missed out on the LP, though, you can find it here.

 Two Konfrontation EPs and their split with The Slicks (also a Swedish band, but with more of a punk 'n roll thing going on).

I hope to do the impossible and get another post up before the end of week, along with new favorites in the side bar, and, after I check all my e-mail, some re-upload links.  Stay tuned, those of you who haven't given up on me yet.

A Soul Full of Holes

This post begins a triple thrash threat of sorts, that will unravel between posts over the next couple of weeks.  Showcased will be three bands that fall into the subgenre I can't seem to get enough of.  I'm referring, of course to the dark, Scandinavian stuff.  All three bands have either been posted before, or referenced repeatedly throughout this blog.  As you can see, Acursed is the first band, and many of you know them from the black pall their two LPs draped upon the unsuspecting world; which brings me to the main motivation for this post-- it seems that the days of collection/discography CDs have come to a near dead end. This blog can be of some use in this respect.  Under the assumption that you have or can easily find the band's full lengths (I recommend starting there), I've ripped and collected all of the EPs and splits that I own to supplement those. If you're new to the band, I would point you in the direction of the Fallout split LP as a starter.  There isn't much more to say about Acursed that I haven't said already.  They're dark, heavy, fast, and refreshingly more complex than much of the boring raw punk rehash going on out there.

Acursed/Last Warning split 7" (Red Storm Rising, 1997)

Acursed- "A Fascist State... in Disguise" CDEP (Distortion, 1998)

Acursed/Victims split 7" (Putrid Filth Conspiracy, 1999)










Related Re-uploads:
Acursed/Bonds of Trust split 7"
Fallout/Acursed split LP
Fallout/Last Warning split 7"

Get a cheap copy of the band's second LP here

Requested Re-uploads:
Jeniger LP
Filthkick 7"
Inflicted/Segue split LP
Quarantine discography (?)
Depressor - 2 x 7", 7", splits.

Land of Stone, Castle of Emptiness

Martyrdöd's first LP is a storm landing just after spring's first thaw, despoiling the promise of renewal with its shroud of jagged ice, turned gray by the blackened sky.  For years, I thought the excellent "In Extremis" was their debut, but after following the soot-streaked snow trail that eventually leads to "Paranoia," I came to know of their savage and impetuous origin.  Given to us by the same madmen who brought Asebia into this world, "Martyrdöd" is a lost classic of righteous conviction smothered in a haze of Scandinavian bleakness.

Martyrdöd LP (Plague Bearer Records, 2003)

Recently re-upped:
Saké - Discography
Crow/Artimus Pyle Split 7"
Himei 7"s
Undone- 2 7"s and a comp

Peace, Bastards

Finally, a post, and fittingly on this day of resurrection.  You'll get no Christ from me though.  This season so far hasn't encouraged me to want to get the blog back together much (hence the month-long delay in getting this one up) or doing anything involving staring at a monitor.  But I 'm hoping some of the spring giddiness has been expelled and things will change.  We'll see.  What we have today is a band I probably would have overlooked if it weren't for a keen-eared commenter.  All he (she?) really had to say was it's Elenor's new band (from To What End?) and I was in pursuit.  Peacebastard is a fairly new band based in Germany who just put out their third release (a split with Dishonorable Discharge).  For free today are the band's first two EPs, which stay with the theme of resurrection but without the rehash.  Brought back are the fury and idealism of the early days of Profane Existence and Flat Earth, drawing gracefully from so many bands of those two rosters that it's futile to list.  I will say that Elenor's vocals this time around are more guttural and abrasive in the manner early Ebola and Unhinged-- a 10 megaton warhead on an already deadly rocket.

Peacebastard 7"s 

Heart First Records
Truemmer Pogo

Recent Re-uploads:
Life... But How to Live It
Zero Hour (EP and Apeface split)

In Piss We Crust

No type of noise has such an equal chance of being either super boring or super powerful as d-beat hardcore.  These days, I'm generally steered away from terms like raw punk, d-beat, kang, mangel, crasher crust, etc. due to the plague of overabundance.  But, there will always be bands than shine through the grey blur of two tone covers, and catch my waning attention.  Pisschrist is easily the shiniest for me.  These former members of Schifosi, Abc Weapons, and Far Left Limit mastered this style to such a degree I wouldn't be surprised if a hundred bands come out in the next decade with names starting with Piss-. With the small hope that you all don't already have all the band's splits, I've ripped them for whomever's interested.  The band assembled an impressive, international army of rawness to take the b-sides, enough to charge you hair without adhesives for a month at least.

Pisschrist (Australia) split 7"s with Appäratus (Malaysia), Framtid (Japan), and Kvoteringen (Sweden) (on Yellow Dog, H:G Fact, and Endless Blockades Records respectively)






Recent Re-ups:

Multi-Facet/Sheephead split 7"
Tonka 7" plus Tonka and Unherd related comps

The Darkness Revisited

In wading through the bone heap of dark and obscure hardcore that this blog has become over the years, it's hard not to stumble over a few relics that could use a bit more polishing, or which deserve some further exposure befitting their hallowed place (at least in my world).  The records you see above and below are getting the treatment today due to previous ripping issues, such as low bit rate (Zero Hour),  a turn table apparently on meth (Asebia- thanks Mikexxx for pointing it out), low volume (Nux Vomica), or a barely-attached needle (Ambulance).  Obviously, I felt they were worthy of doing this all over again, and I can't recommend these bands enough if they are new to you.  We begin with Zero Hour, who became one of my all time favorite bands on the strength of their 7" alone way back in 1995.  I still can't listen to these four songs without feeling like I've been nailed in the chest by a flying hobo sack of wisdom and emotion.  This is the EP's third and probably last appearance on this blog, the first being almost five years ago.

The folder also has re-ripped versions of the band's excellent tracks from the split LP with Apeface.

Zero Hour Tracks

Original Post

Asebia was incredible, dark, metallic Scandi-thrash from Denmark.

"Face of Civilization" LP

Previous Post





Nux Vomica have former members of Wake Up On Fire, and are now based in Portland.  Their fantastic debut always kills me.

The Uninspired 7"

Original Post

Ambulance didn't last long with this line-up, sadly, but they managed to put out one unrelenting, long-playing manifesto of Swedish gloom and despair.  This was the last record I ripped/played before my last needle broke off the cartridge.  I should have re-ripped this long ago...
                                                "The End of Our Time" LP

                                                            Original Post

Spiritually Cemented Dystopia

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

There's Always Someone Else

I could think of no better quickie-post for a Saturday than a Burning Kitchen 7"! I also can think of few punk bands with as much piss, sincerity and nonstop energy as this amazing Swedish band. The "Damn If You Do..." 10" is my favorite BK release, but "Consolidation" is now a close second. Give yourself plenty of space when you play this one, as insane, spastic dancing will surely ensue. More (all?) Burning Kitchen releases will be posted here as I find them...

Burning Kitchen "Consolidation" 7" (5 tracks, Communichaos Media/Bent Edge Records, 1999, 1000 pressed)

Bringing Out The Dead

I managed to rip this modern classic before my needle turned to total shit. The glorious Ambulance LP also marks the return of the sub-sub genre of music this blog specializes in: bleak scandi-crust! (and yes, female vocals... not that it matters... or does it?). Ambulance now has a new line-up, including a different vocalist, but as solid as they are, they have yet to match the brilliance of "The End Of Our Time." It's one of those records that's so dark you want to off yourself, but so awesome and powerful it gives you a reason once again to live. Make a playlist of this, Tragedy, Schifosi, and Jeniger, and you'll be in your own personal twilight bliss.

"The End Of Our Time" by Ambulance (ripped from vinyl @ 320 kbps)

See if you can get a copy from the band.

The Steps To Hell

Farcical was yet another virile offshoot of the G-Anx/Elderberry Records tree. Where they fit into the lineage is a little hazy, but based on the recording date of the split below, the band appears to be pre-Counterblast. The first label I wanted to throw onto the 7" pictured above was Counterblast-lite. This is unfair, however, because the songwriting is every bit as engaging, albeit a little less heavy and depressing. I daresay the undistorted picking forays are at times more beautiful than Counterblast's best.



This early Farcical split sees the band hopscotching between the depression and brutality of their early incarnation (G-Anx) and the more mind-bending psychedelia of their more
progressive work. Awesome tracks, but don't ask me to pick a favorite between these two 7"s. As for the B side, I didn't quite "get" their fellow country-folk, Fatal Females, the first time I spun this disk. By the second time, whatever there was to "get" was thoroughly gotten. FF use low-frequency hum and hypnotically steady rhythm to lull you into a pleasing half-slumber of distorted shoegaze noise (post) punk. So simple, yet so good.


Both EPs here.

Reality Hates Me

Just when you think you have Affray nailed, they start fucking with your head. From the first track , I thought they were really awesome modern crust-core. But then the anthemic, melodic vocals kick in. Then the keyboards... then in comes the folky intro and violins. Then, finally, there's the dub/reggae riddim. It becomes clear before long that Affray isn't meant to be figured out. They're meant to be marveled at, and rocked out to!

From their 10", Token Tantrum struck me as a group of smart people, constantly growing and evolving. The two tracks on this split LP confirm this. This time the band "warms up" their previously frigid sound with a more Southern sludge feel, falling somewhere between Cavity, Lost, and Neurosis. The experience could be even more taxing on your patience, but listen carefully, lock into the groove, and it's hard not to become fully engrossed in the narrative.

Such a diverse and awesome split is rare to come by. Make sure you get this on vinyl if you can:

Halvfabrikat

Active Rebellion

Ruination

D/L The Affray/Token Tantrum LP (256 Kbps)

The Cancer Of Life

Token Tantum is another extended member of the Elderberry Records family (headquarters of G-anx, Counterblast, etc.) that shatters the Swedish mould into jagged pieces, then rearranges them into a mosaic of oblique patterns, steeped in icy tones. The experience can be a bit challenging, and, at times, trying to one's patience. But, as with Counterblast's epic work, the journey can be a rewarding one to those with calloused enough feet. The only other band reference I feel obligated to make is one to Lost (Poland), whose dark ambiance and stark screams could easily shoe-horn you into the bleak dilemma that is Token Tantrum. If motivation permits, one day I'll post their split with Affray, but for now, here's the "Cancer Of Life" 10".

Here

PS- I think I divided the tracks correctly, but if you notice a problem, don't be shy.

The Stench Won't Blow Away

Counterblast's masterpiece-- the intricately composed death knell for the post-industrial nightmare. This is still available in places like this and this and you can find mp3s on Soulseek, but I really wanted some high bit rate rips (320, from a clean vinyl copy). Just thought I'd share. I imagine Skuld will repress this eventually, so the link won't be up forever...

"Balance of Pain" LP

Infectious Hypnosis

I said I would put up some more Counterblast, and I'm happy to finally make good on that. "Impassivity" is the band's second full length, made available by Putrid Filth Conspiracy on double LP. I found a cheap copy of the Malaysian CD version, so what you get tonight is the CD ripped at 320 along with photos of the vinyl graphics. If you don't know by now, Counterblast are a formidable post-G-ANX metal/hardcore band that mix spacious, at times cold, ambiance with crushingly heavy, slow riffs. A few song-lengths on "Impassivity" could easily have been shortened, which is why I favor "Balance Of Pain" (that album just had some tight fuckin' songwriting). But all in all, "Impassivity" has some truly sublime moments of stark beauty and heaviness, not to mention awesome production and enough fast parts to make the G-ANX fans teary-eyed with nostalgia. I hope to post "Balance Of Pain" very soon, but it all depends on whether or not I can make good rips from my LP, or find high quality rips of the CD. The ones floating around soulseek are ripped at 192, so if you have the CD, perhaps you could help out?

This is a massive record in many ways, so I divided it into two parts. Due to its wide availability, I may have to remove the link in a couple of days.

"Impassivity"

Pick up some Counterblast material here:
Active Rebellion
Puke'n Vomit
Halvfabrikat
Power-It-Up
Catchphraze
Crust Punks
No Way Out
Instigate
Adipocere

Song Of The Week: "Masshysteri" (The Vicious)

I like hardcore. I like it fast; I like it angry. But right now I'm on a more melodic kick, which is where The Vicious enter the picture. Now, from what I understand, punk is dead. It died around '84, and now we have no recourse but to listen to stale MTV acts and shop at the local Hot Topic. No need to start a band, or scream about tearing it all down. Punk was there for the privileged few who were born at the right time and were savvy enough to seek it out. Fine, but I'm still gonna listen to The Vicious, if that's alright. By the above reasoning, The Vicious is not a punk band, but they happen to draw on influences surrounding that "P" label, especially from certain bands from California during the '80's. What they add is a modern sheen that's a composite of fairly mature songwriting, and some artful "doomtown" despondency. "Masshysteri" is a brilliant example of what this band could do, and the emotions it was capable of invoking. As is often the case with me, I find this band after they've broken up! The good news is that the guitarist has started another similar-sounding and similarly brilliant band called, fittingly, Masshysteri! Proceed with caution, as The Vicious sound is incredibly contagious. The "Igen" 7" and "Alienated" LP have stuck a flag in my turntable and claimed it for Sweden... and they aren't leaving any time soon...

"Masshysteri"

Visit Feral Ward to buy all things Vicious and Masshysteri!

Scream While There's Still Room To Breathe

The punishment comes slow and heavy tonight, as it's finally time to post a long-time favorite-- Counterblast! From the still-twitching remains of Swedish greats, G-anx, Counterblast was pieced together to be a more brooding, atmospheric monster, while still retaining their predecessor's unrelenting heaviness. This post brings together the band's first and (so far) last vinyl outings. First, as pictured above, is the split they released with Grace Will Fall. Counterblast demonstrate with ease that they have not lost a bit of their power over the years with their one excellent track, "Failure," and GWF offer three blasts of their lightly distorted, bittersweet, "screamo" (for a serious lack of better terms). It's a really nice, yet odd pairing, on an unfortunately limited edition platter.


Just in case you don't have Counterblast's absolutely classic debut 7", I went ahead and included rips in the folder. The first track, "Prospects," stands up to this day as one of the band's all time best. In addition, they've released at least one comp track, and two powerhouse full-lengths, which are getting harder to find. I have them on vinyl, so if they stay hard to find I may have to post them soon.

Get these EPs

Song Of The Week: "Oilocracy"

I hope you'll humor me once more with this final celebratory send-off post for the Bushocracy. The occasion also gives me an excuse to post an excellent track by one of the best contemporary hardcore bands in the world: To What End?. It's as if this band read my mind about what kind of elements I like in my hardcore before they wrote their songs. Of course that's not the case, but I feel like these are the songs the band I don't have should have written a long time ago. If you like your hardcore simple and crude, you may have some difficulty with the guitar melody that seeps through at times, and the dissonance that sneaks up behind you now and again to tickle the hairs on your neck. But, really, I can't see how anyone could not like this band! Lyrically, these Swedes also put many American bands to shame with some pretty insightful and poignant rants in both Swedish and English. "Oilocracy" is my favorite case in point, exposing the nerves of one the most ghastly paradoxes of warfare (especially the modern strain):

What was that?
What do I know?
Maybe a smartbomb
Missing its target
Killing a tall man
At a wedding

Thicker than blood
Darker than night
The purpose beyond
A reason to kill

To war again
In boots and hats
a crusading clown
Throwing burgers to corpses
Hollywood war
Entertaining death

(repeat chorus)

Bye darling, I'm off
Another day at work
Dropping bombs somewhere
Watch TV have a beer
Kissing wife at night
Killing kids, raising kids
All in one day

To What End? have released two full lengths, a 7", and a split 7" with Witch Hunt. "The Purpose Beyond" is slightly the better of the LPs, but what "Concealed Below The Surface" lacks in songwriting is made up for in heaviness. Great band; support them if you have the means.

"Oilocracy"

Week Of Splits II: Acursed & Bonds Of Trust; Repost: Fallout/Acursed Split LP

Lots of stuff going on today... First off, we begin the second installment of the week of splits-- a chance to showcase some treats in one of my favorite vinyl formats: the split (especially 7 inches). It also helps me put the piles of records I want to post into some kind of order. When appropriate, I'm also going to sneak in some reposts since I have a little vacation time on my hands and I'm really not going anywhere special. So the first post for this week of splits and reposts showcases of one of my favorite contemporary Swedish bands, Acursed. These scandi-thrashers made some international noise finally with the release of their Prank Records LP, but today's split sees the band in their early years working out their stiflingly heavy and fast hardcore barrage. All four tracks are great, as is everything they've done. Bonds Of Trust are also from Sweden, but judging from the block letter logo, giant X's on the members' hands, finger pointing, and song entitled "Floorpunch," you'd think they were some thuggish band from NYC. The music absolves their posturing, though, with some more blistering Swedecore not unlike that delivered by their split-mates. There are no lyrics supplied, but I get the feeling that's probably a good thing. The music is great and meshes well with Acursed. Really good split!


Acursed/Bonds Of Trust Split

Repost Alert!!!

Act now, and you can get this re-ripped version of the amazing split between Acursed and Australia's Fallout. You should already know Acursed, and I promise their side will level you. I can promise the same for Fallout too, even though they have kept a low profile over the years. Just know that Fallout are one of the most underrated/under appreciated metallic "Powerviolence" bands out there, and mix adequate amounts of Siege/Infest aggression with a generous chaser of chunky/sludgy Dystopia heaviness. No bullshit... :

Fallout/Acursed Split (re-ripped loud @ 256 kbps)

Splitter Split

As the little blurb on the cover explains, the From The Ashes/Splitter split 7" is "1o tracks of devastating grindcore brutality!" While this is accurate, was it really necessary to print it on the cover?! Not a sticker, but the actual cover!? I think only 500 were pressed, and I don't think these bands really need such hype to sell their records. Rant over, on to the music... I discovered Splitter on the Lo-Res Viscera blog a while back, and immediately connected. They play intense modern grind like their fellow Swedes, Nasum, and completely shred at it! The four tracks included here are masterful examples of this style, and the fact that they were recorded live in the studio is even more impressive! Under different circumstances, I would be enthused about their fellow countrymen From The Ashes, but Splitter just wins me over big time. FTA play with less dissonance, but still nail their own bitter brand of grind six times over. The recording may be a factor in why these tracks have less of an impact, because the riffs at times are pretty solid. There's just something missing. A good band though, and they certainly round out this "devastating" slab of "brutality."

Devastating brutality!!!!!

You're Damned Either Way

Burning Kitchen was a catchy, energetic punk band with previous and current connections to The Spidercunts and Imperial Leather. I imagine them as a modern Avengers, but more obnoxious and more... Swedish. The "Damn If You Do Damn If You Don't" 10" was recorded in '99 and released by Alerta Antifascista and Funai Records. This little inferno showcases ten instant classics and ablsolutely nothing resembling a throw-away . It's now OOP, but check your favorite distros, and you may find a copy, drunkenly overstaying its welcome...

D/L