We Can Do Anything!

Ah, the sound of children's voices, so green, carefree, and heart-warming, especially when shouted over grinding fast hardcore punk!  It's thanks to another blog visitor that I was pointed in the direction of a record virtually unseen on these shores.  The "Making Children's Songs a Threat Again" comp might suggest a themed collection, and that is indeed the case.  The tracks, writings, and interview responses are all concerned with either growing up, or the ongoing conundrum punk/anti-authoritarian parents face as they struggle to reconcile their ideals with the choices they make for/with their children.  Some documentaries have been made on this subject, but the interviewees and bands on this one are not as mainstream as the ones in those flicks.  In addition to fantastic music and discussion, this comp was put together with that ingredient foodies love to allude to-- I'm talking about the "L" word here, people.  There's a hand-bound smaller booklet with lyrics, a comic book clipping, and even some handwritten messages.  The larger booklet is less involved, but nicely and simply laid-out, and contains interview responses from some members of contributing bands, members of other hardcore bands, and some label proprietors (Deep Six, Profane Existence...).  And, just look at the international line-up:

This is an incredible comp; something I seldom ever say.

Some other things you may want to know about it:

• It starts off with a long spoken word in French by the singer of 20 Minutes de Chaos.  But that is the only track of its kind.
• Yes, a couple of tracks do actually have band members' kids on vocals.
• Some European distros still have copies of this, such as here. This one is worth owning just for the packaging alone!
• Many of the tracks are exclusive to this record
•  There are some between-tracks sound bites and music; I often wasn't sure where to cut them off.  Sorry if I goofed.  However, this comp seems designed to be heard all the way through, no interruptions. 

"Making Children's Songs a Threat Again" LP (scans of all booklets included), (Guerrilla Shooting Records, 2005)

Recent Re-ups:
Servitude/Ebola split 7"
Servitude 7"
Multi-Facet/Sheephead split 7"
Token Tantrum 10"
Assassinators early EPs/Demo CD

Okay, next up, we return to the Swedish series...

Disport Illusion

This Idora CD is for all those times when you can't decide if you're in the mood for Japanese hardcore or some psychedelic kookiness.  You know, all those times.  The CD format really gave these previously terse and abrupt rockers more room to spread their sound out, for better or for worse.  At times, I'll admit, I itch a little for the punk rock, two minutes-or less-rule (except on the appropriately titled "Absent Time," which takes up a whopping 9 minutes and still kicks ass!).  There are more shining moments than dull ones, so check this one out, scroll down for their split with Angst, and stay tuned for a couple of their early 7"-ers.

Idora CD (Rebelabel and Bloodsucker Records, 2000)

Recent re-up request:
Lack of Interest/Stapled Shut Split 7"

Half Japanese

I have neither sad story nor heroic epic to account for the lack of posts.  I've just been finding other things to do with my time.  To make up for said "lost" time, I offer a resurrected idea, the "grab bag o' splits."  Four splits had to be chosen from my teeming bins; the international theme was not enough to quell the chaos.  Japan would have to come to the rescue!  Each EP in the bag has one Japanese band featured-- beyond that, quality counts, style doesn't; obscurity is a plus.

This first split sees Norway's Angst wrestling with Idora for the last scrap of whale meat.  Figuratively speaking, I hope.  Both bands represent their respective countries as well as the time period (early '90's) smashingly-- Angst discharging an arctic blast of thrashed-out Norse-core with modern flourish, and Idora doing what their country has mastered for ages, but with an exceptionally scathing guitar sound.

If a bit of South American brutal primitivism is your thing, Venezuela's @patia No deliver it, Machetes in hand.  Their three tracks also appear on the collection LP they put out on Alerta Antifascista/Skuld, but here they are, in their original place of nativity, next to Japan's Jabara.  These guys are probably best known on this coast for the 12" they put out on Prank, and these two Death Side-esque rippers ended up on that one too.

It's Germany and Japan, reunited once again, this time not for world domination, but for intricately wrought ass-brutalization.  Deutschland's Atka provide the fractal grindcore geometry combined with repetitive autistic mind-melting guitar loops, while Swarrrm are up to their usual tricks, escaping the psych-ward long enough to smear their rambling manifesto in feces all over the infrastructure of our decaying civilization.  Ecocentric Records was having a hard time keeping their online store online, and I had a problem downloading my digital version, so my own rips are provided, and I hope you'll contact the label to get a real copy if you can.

  The last goody in the bag is a double creature feature of dirty, metallic sludge.  Hellchild's chugga-chunkiness has graced many a split, and here they are again, busting out Wesley Pipes with Tennessee's very own cannabis crematorium, Bongzilla.  H:G Fact never lets us down, even when the bands are not the label's usual fare.


Get all four splits in this bag.

Recently Re-upped: Mine "Tetanus" LP + Dawnbreed Split 7"

Coming Up: the fulfillment of a request!

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

Are You Bonescratch?

The month of May almost beat this blog(ger) to death, and June has thus far been a time of recovery.  The rest of this and next month should be much more productive, but as usual, no promises.  For this comeback post I have a handful of releases from a displaced spirit, or a response perhaps to an Ebullition/Old Glory/Gravity Records catalog sent in a bottle across the Pacific.  Bonescratch is one of the few proofs that that style of hardcore crept its way to Japan before the end of the decade that spawned it.  If you're thinking Merel, Angel Hair, Assfactor 4, and End of the Line, then we are speaking the same language.  If not, prepare your ears for their first sputtered morphemes from the lexicon of nineties entropy: frustration and angst in both form and content, followed to their logical end-- complete dissolution.  To my knowledge, the folder linked below has all of band's releases, minus comp. appearances.

Bonescratch 
"Last Words Gone" 12" (Bloodsucker Records, 1998)
Sawpit/Bonescratch split 7" (Vernacular Records, 1998)
Bonescratch/In/humanity split 7" (H:G Fact, 199?)
"Diaglam" CD (H:G Fact, 1996)

Peace, Love, and Soy

I'm not sure where the last two weeks went. It was like a time warp brought on by my over-scheduled life, or perhaps my head was stuck in a wormhole or some other hole. This problem and an incident involving these three EPs here, a hyper-active dog's tail, and a glass of homebrewed IPA delayed the end of my random Japanese 7" week. After some cursing and cleaning, I'm ready to finish this thing. Let's start with Breed. I've been waiting for their 7" to go out of print from TVG Records for some time, because it rocks hard and I wanted to post it. These guys played fast hardcore and, as the artwork might suggest, some occasional rock'n roll and metal inspired rhythms and riffs. All the tracks are solid as fuck, including the Minor Threat cover.

The second 7" in the folder is from Isolation and was released on the UK's Destroy Records. This band is more of a peace punk/crust core band, complete with noisy guitars and dual-gender vocal trade offs. The simple riffage is catchy and a bit thrashy on the first track. Definitely a good band to know if you're a fan of Nausea, Mankind?, etc.

Finally, we have Claysea whom I imagine have been blogged about before. The band pumps out an abusive cacophony of grinding and crusty noise punk. The deep bass offsets the over the top distortion, while the grunting vocals and galloping d-beats try to push their way through the miasma. Eternal Agony, indeed.

Get all 3 7"s here.

Scream

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

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)

Uña de Gato...

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.

Bizarre and Fantasy

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"

Japanese Title

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"

Killed By Fast

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

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

What About Glass Smashed And Shattered?

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!

Song of the Week:"Left Hand" (Envy)

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")

Sapporo City Hardcore Vol. III

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

Dogs, Cats, and the Grievousness of Actuality

I never know when that hankering for Japanese punk will come up slithering between the feet. Well, it came this morning, and bit me right on the ol' keester. It didn't take long rolodexing through my "to be posted box" of seven inches (yes, I have one...) to find a perfect pair of EPs as antidote. Reality Crisis are one of contemporary Japan's best along with Clown, Blowback, Slang, etc. (although Slang's been around for over 20 years now!). Like most 7"s on MCR Japan, "Deformed Society" is pretty rare. So if you missed out, here's your chance to enjoy RC in one of their most raw forms. The vocals, like a strange mix of early Hiatus and Paul Bearer (Sheer Terror) had me marveling at how Daisuke could go five tracks without giving himself a hernia. Lyrically the band follows the Shikabane path, penning various ways of dealing with our inevitable despair, but then finishing with a rant against irresponsible pet owners (!). The lower-end, chunky metallic guitars compliment all this to form a truly crust-tacular experience.


I know I've seen the "Who Is Your Messiah" 7" posted elsewhere, but I figured I'd offer my rips anyway. Here the band pokes its head out of the gloomier mire of the previous EP, and lets fly a more energetic flurry of riffs. To enliven their sound further, they've added a vocalist, credited as providing "Insane Vocals." Indeed. If you like this one, you'll find similar goods on the band's two LPs.

"Deformed Society" and "Who Is Your Messiah"

The Losable Way I Should Go

Well, I managed to get over a few humps in life in order to return here today, and also managed to allay a nagging, subcutaneous desire to stop the blogging biz. Toward the end, actually, I really started looking forward to posting again. I wouldn't call it a blogging addiction, but if it was, it would be like a coffee habit. When you stop, there's no heavy withdrawals (for me), there's even a sense of relief after a while; but then there's a definite feeling that something's missing; then the smell arouses the old monster again, and it's back to business as usual. Or maybe I just really like sharing music with the few of you out there who like this shit too. Either way, I'm back, and today we ease into the resurrection with a small but satisfying gem.

It was with their split with Signal Lost that I first encountered Protess, but it's still their track on the Noise Pollution split that holds the key to the band's brilliance. Their two track 7", "Positiveness" is no sloucher either, harnessing the dark and scathing crustiness of latter mentioned split, with only a hint of the rock chord-age of the former. Fans of Unhinged and Daymare (such as myself) will do backflips over this stuff, and then'll go searching Ebay for the LP that the band unfortunately will probably never record.

A big thanks to blog-meister and all around stand-up dude, Chairmaker for sending me rips of this 7" to hold me over. After scouring the bins, I found a hard copy and ripped it for us all.

"Positiveness" 7" by Protess

Just like coming back to school or the office after a long break, I realize... I've got a lot to do here. An update on what I've been listening to should come soon (as if anyone cares), as well as posts I've been meaning to do on bands like Absinthe, The Neighbors, The Obliterated, etc. Thanks to everyone for sticking with, and for all the great blogs for doing great work and hopefully loving it! Mass visitations are forthcoming.

Can't Find Any Hope Out In Tomorrow

You might know Protess from their split with Signal Lost. Those songs were good, but weren't enough to prepare me for the bleak epic that is "The End Of The Day." It brought back fond, giddy teen memories of first discovering Initial State or Zero Hour. They also released a 7" which I need to get ahold of, and if they ever release a LP I can die a little bit happier.

The name Noise Pollution may strike one as generic, and I'm sorry to say that this Irish band's sortie into raw political hardcore fits that description too. Their hearts are in the right place, and if they continue to be a band, I hope they write material that does better justice to the spirit of the band and its members. Not bad, but not great.

The Split.

I've been posting a ton of crust lately, mainly because that's what I've been listening to and apparently it's what people want to hear. Next week I'll shoot for a little variety; possible posts from Same Sex Dictator (if my copy will ever arrive!), Walls, Guts Pie Earshot, The Neighbors, Kurt...

Saints From Hell

Open Revölt's 6 song LP, and you're greeted by the band member's photos. Here they pose in a forest, the Drummer and Bass player donning some serious metal spikes and panda-faces collectively, and chainmail and bullet sashes respectively. Oh yeah, they both brandish sabers too. Then there's the guitar/vocals guy standing on the shore of the lake, but looking like he just got back from a Battle of Disarm show. At first you might think these guys are not yet sure what they want to be, until you hear the first riff. Then it becomes clear: we're in old-school, stench-ass crust territory! The tempos crawl and the guitar chugs along at a nightmarishly hypnotic pace, and if it weren't for those simple yet kick-ass riffs, I'd say the songs were a bit too long and undynamic. They pull it off damn well, though, especially on side A, and certainly with help of the double bass drums which bring a bubbling-under-the-surface intensity to the tracks. Check it out if you're a fan of Axegrinder, later Amebix, or Coffins. Only 500 of these were pressed on Awesome Moshpower Records (the Japanese have such a way with words!). The label also points out (correctly) that there were a lot of pops/clicks on this pressing. I deleted as many as I could, but could only do so much.

"Gate Of Holocaust"

You might be able to get a CD-r with live and demo stuff here.