Eye of Nix

From Seattle, whose water supply must be nightly tainted with goat's blood by some dark, hooded figure, comes yet another smashing addition to metal's grayest enclave. Eye of Nix is the sound of Empire crumbling: a lone woman's wailing is heard, awakening old despair.  The populace stirs to a mumble of discontent traveling mouth to ear, thrusting the gyres of dissent into motion; the throb and pulse mounts to a critical mass that the mechanisms of power can no longer contain.  Chanting and drumming dissolves to caterwauling and crashing; before long, all is dust and rubble, and the hazy promise of things to come.

Call it black metal, if you have to call it something. Cold, ambient, hypnotic, noisy-- the kind of band you'd want to have play at your next black mass, yet whose lyrics (that aren't in Latin) are refreshingly straight forward.  I came to know Eye of Nix because of their connection with other Seattle favorites, Same-Sex Dictator and Hellgrammite, whom I hope you'll check out too.  For a time, I'll post my tape rips of the Eye of Nix demo below, but I hope you'll go to their bandcamp page and support them if they appeal to you.

Eye of Nix demo, 2013

Live video of another EON track.

Re-uploads:
Counterblast EPs
Counterblast first LP
Counterblast second LP
Mine first 7"
Grinch/Lost Goat split LP

A Cold Gust of Wind

A little bitterness to offset life's sweetness is one thing, but then there's the need now and then to prepare for those inevitable bouts of despair-- stare down the barrel of a gun, glance over the edge of a precipice, or just listen to some metallic Polish hardcore.  Bands from that country have an intimidating tradition of flirting with utter bleakness; favorites of mine would be Lost, Silence, and Insuiciety (I know, technically based in Germany, but still comprised of Polish personnel).  Next Victim became an instant entry to the list with the outstanding From the Depths split LP, which I still regard as one of the best splits I've run across in quite some time.  On this one, Next Victim break up their doomy, hypnotic riffs and rhythms with more buoyant, almost groove laden picking, and one very haunting, melodic interlude.  Although confined to only a small section of wax, their three songs still succeed in capturing the expansive, epic quality of their approach.  But it's on their CD, "The Cold Gust of Wind," that the band was able to fully unroll the intricately realized map of pure hopelessness in sonic form.  The whole disk flutters in circles like our own stomach butterflies as we peer over the beams of a bridge that could be our last stop in life.  The frequent use of space in the songwriting offers moments of clarity, which are then abruptly suffocated by heavy chords and anguished screams. Then, occasionally, our buckled and hunched figure is raised up by Gosia's robust vocal melodies and some truly enervating guitar riffage.  Rarely before has a band succeeded in making the abyss so alluring.

I'm going to offer both records for download, but I hope you'll at least try to find the split or send the label or bands some money.  The split tracks are my own vinyl rips, by the way.  And, if you haven't heard From the Depths before, they are another incredible band, dark and powerful, with almost operatically sung lead vocals (they are also a Crimethinc joint, if that matters to you).  Finally, if Next Victim appeals to you, certainly check into Mind Pollution, a band which not only has NV members, but sounds rather similar too.  They offered much of the darkness and songwriting idiosyncrasies, while kicking up the speed at times and working in more dissonant chords, a la Silence.

Next Victim "A Cold Gust of Wind" CD (Sadness of Noise, 2009)

Next Victim/From the Depths split LP (Nikt Nic Nie Wie, Scream, and Zaraza, 2010)

Mind Pollution "Spalone Dusze" CD (Yama Dori and Sadness of Noise, 2005)

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"

Succeeding Where Celtic Frost Failed

Fast-forwarding 16 years from the last post, this split series continues with an outstanding pair-up from last year.  Side A is (I believe) the second outing from San Diego bros, Death Crisis.  From their name, you probably guessed one band members were in previously.  DC are hardcore for the fan of bullshit-free bands like Out Cold, but whose ADHD is lighter on the "AD" and heavy on the "H."  Tried, true, but still relevant themes of media brainwashing and apathy are strongly represented, as well as a new one: douches who bring their dogs to hardcore shows.  While I've never experienced this first hand, I can understand their irritation (but for the record: my dogs do/did like hardcore... still wouldn't bring them to shows though).  Death Crisis also have out a 7", and another split 7" with 80's San Diego D-beaters, Diatribe; a burgeoning website can be found here.

Side B brings perennial FE favorites, Same-Sex Dictator, in what might be their most primal form.  These two tracks were written and performed straight from the brain stem, and given the option of fight or flight, I'm thinking SS-D choose the former every time.  In describing the band's inimitable and incredible LP, Justin (drums) felt that his band was more caveman than the proggy descriptors I used.  If you've heard the "Descend to Syncope" tape then you know what he means, and on this outing the band has gone positively neolithic!  It's also possibly their most blackened offering, considering the faster speeds, atmosphere, and less-than-sparkling production values.  This time the lyrics take a blunt ivory implement to the skull of themes like system moochers ("I'm Not Paying for Your Failure") and the Orwellian/Kafka-esque world we drones inhabit ("Removed By Paperclips").  The split is still available in two formats, so I'm supplying my crappy vinyl rips for a limited time.  Yes, music is digitized, but real people are putting in real time and resources to make this all happen.  Please support them.

Buy the vinyl here
Death Crisis digital tracks here
SS-D digital tracks here (awesome Eyehategod and Joy Division bonus cover tracks available!)

Vinyl rips here.

Unsavory Secret Cloaked in Mystery

With tracks as long and complex as the life cycle of its namesake, Hellgrammite amble, trod, and ravage through mindscapes... well, unsavory, secret, and mysterious.  And, not unlike the fungus of the opening track's title, each of the four compositions on the "II" cassette are like deadly spores infecting the listener's brain, splitting sword-like through the cranium, revealing the tangled bramble-patch of the mind's sense of pleasure, euphoria, pain, and fear.  Black metal, doom, prog... these are all comfortable reference points, but like all art/music, it's not just what is present that matters, but the spaces between.  Whether those spaces take the form of bass-heavy drones, or echoey psychedelia, the violent times are all the more confusing and thrilling by contrast.  Hellgrammite is brought to you by one half of Same-Sex Dictator, and members of Forest Friends and ...Wind Swept Planes... The "II" tape is (possibly) available from End Theory Records, or contact the band.

Hellgrammite "II" Cassette (digital rips... 320)

** Special thanks to Justin for hooking up the tape and the WAV files (and for the awesome drumming)!

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

Amber Are These Days

Institute first blipped on my radar a few years ago during a random search for Damad, but this post can be credited to eastcobb for finally getting me to upload the goods. Institute materialized from the same vapors as Damad, Kylesa, Karst, etc., but opted for a more expansive sound. The same dark universe is seen tinted through colder, slightly industrial eyes, kindred spirits of which might include early Counterblast, In Nomine Christi, and Christdriver. The voice samples and noise effects add a nice layer to the mix, but for me it's the hypnotic rhythms and driving metal riffs that are the real flesh. I'm posting my own rips of the one vinyl piece I own by the band ("Two Shadows") and tracks from "The Piano Player" which I downloaded from the band back when they made available both records to the public.

Institute

"Two Shadows" LP (Yellow Dog Records, 2001?) ripped @ 320.

"The Piano Player" (@ 192)

A Burning Black Teardrop

Unpersons is perhaps best known for their collaboration with Baroness; but don't let that prejudice you. I first came to know this ensemble from Savannah from their Life is Abuse outing, and their noise rock meets hardcore is just the shit. I believe the 7" posted here is their first vinyl contribution, but don't let that fool you either. The four tracks on this beast are every bit as accomplished as their future releases, if not more so if you ask this warped blogger. The intersection of drugs and southern life never sounded so... satisfying. Members apparently also play in Pig Heart Transplant, Kylesa, and Black Tusk among other bands.

Unpersons 7" (I) (Fish Fur Records, 2000)

In the Wake of an Ethereal Nightmare

In collaboration with 15 Counts of Arson, Ire week comes to an early terminus. Head over there to download Ire's first LP and scroll down a little for the second and some early tracks. I predict some disagreement as to which of the band's releases showcases their best material; since I have the floor, I'll say that "What Seed, What Root?" is my favorite. It really is a matter of taste, but on "WSWR?" I love the way the band exchanged some of the emotive sentimentality and cold mathematics of their previous two phases for warmer, riff-centered song-writing, along with some crushingly repetitive, hypnotic sequences. The song lengths are a bit shorter than their first LP, but the entire project retains an expansive feel as each song flows into the next with a narrative fluidity. To allocate Ire to a genre at the end of their career is not easy, but they might have found a comfortable spot near Token Tantrum or Lost, yet I can see logically how some of the members would be involved in The Black Hand demo as their next project. For full enjoyment, play it loud, and play it when you're not too antsy or distracted.

"What Seed, What Root?" by Ire (Scorched Earth Policy Records, 1999)

Appreciating Darkness

Our exploration of Canada's contribution to nineties hardcore and metal continues with a fairly unique split LP between Seized and Ire. For most of its life on my turn table, I had only listened to the Seized side-- their sound being unlike anything else I was listening to at the time, yet the tracks were powerful and engaging. Perhaps I was seduced by each track's serene opening, each following an idyllic trail that slowly darkens into a forest of mysterious and sinister goings-on. To say that the tracks are bass-driven is a redundancy after we see in the notes that there are three bass players and no guitarist in the lineup. Seized also employed a violinist who knows her limitations and adds great ambiance, and a vocalist who might have listened to some Cathedral records at some point. If all of this sounds strange, it's because it is; but not in a bad way. Seized is a case where oddness enhances greatness. These would be the last tracks the band would record (and the best), but they also left behind two split 7"s and I believe a 7".
My avoidance of Ire would end with time and the inevitable opening-up of my musical tastes. I still have reservations over the "PC" spoken word portion at the end of "She," (not over its validity, but over its necessity/delivery) but now I just dismiss it as a product of the zeitgeist. At this point, the backbone of Ire's metal was ossified of the same stuff as Rorschach, but tending in the more "sentimental" direction (read: "EMOtive") of bands like Groundwork or Grievance. As the band worked out its ideas, it's easy to see that these guys were endowed with considerable skill and conviction which would continue...

... on their follow-up 7" also posted below. These three tracks see the band giving into their aggressive tendencies and abandoning some of the dissonant flourishes present in past tracks. As is perhaps predictable with musicians like these, the band would experiment a little more with their style on their ensuing two LPs, which I hope to post later this week.

Seized/Ire Split LP (Spineless/Fetus Records)

Ire 7" (Schema Records)

Quinientos Años

I've been putting this off for too long. This is a repost of the "In the Spirit of Total Resistance" 2X7"-- one of my all time favorite comps. Seven bands assembled to attack Man's inhumanity and celebrate the 500 years of resistance enacted by indigenous peoples of the west, from Canada to Puerto Rico. The brutality is amply provided by Crudos, Huasipungo, Man is the Bastard and One by One, while Jonestown, Pollution Circus, and Dogfight inject a balancing dosage of eclecticism. In true repost fashion, the tracks have been re-ripped at 320, and photos of the entire layout and 60 page book have been made available.

The Comp

The Book

The Redeadening

Same-Sex Dictator continue to document the escalation of the long-going interplanetary war the rest of us have been blind to as our attentions are affixed on expensive little bleeping toys and glowing screens. "From Beneath You It Devours" is the band's insanely brilliant first (hopefully not last) full length, which to untrained ears may sound not unlike both Yeti records mixed together at different intervals and at incorrect speeds. Further examination will find that these very original compositions are the score of a bipolar inner space opera, interpreting the role of a heretofore undiscovered, subterranean guerrilla force and their role in said conflict. Taken at face value or analyzed for subliminal content, these eight tracks are consistently and simultaneously engrossing, crushing, and ultimately not quite like anything else out there. I recommend this LP to anyone whose dendrites have remained reasonably intact even after all the deadening exposure to the aforementioned distraction instruments. Below I have provided the entire record for download, but I don't expect it to remain there long; there are forces out there beyond my control. Plus, I really want you to buy a copy (see links below).

Full link has been removed, but chew on these killer tracks and go buy a copy if you like 'em

Same-Sex Dictator (2 sample tracks)

Buy:

Robotic Empire

End Theory

Rumor has it, there will be a cassette release with a download code coming soon.

For a more accurate review of the band, see here.

Dead Songs to Hum to

Bear with me dear readers, for I know your prejudices concerning "screamy" hardcore. I have my own, after all, mainly based on the pretentiousness of many of these bands. Today, you'll just have to trust me, or move on. This post shines the spotlight on a short-lived band whose frigid guitar sound and stifling rhythm section smashed my own prejudices, not unlike the violent collaboration of liquid nitrogen and a rusty sledge hammer. Armed with talent, a quirky sense of sound manipulation, and a deep acceptance of human despair, Welcome The Plague Year bowled me over in 2004, and continue to do so to this day. If you have a stomach for bands like One-Eyed God Prophecy, Raein, early Envy, Gasp, Joshua Fit For Battle, Shikari, or the band's split mates, Funeral Diner, then definitely look into WTPY. I'm also including the bands split 7" and one-sided 7". There's one track missing that is on their CD, but you'll just have to seek that out elsewhere or shell out serious cash on ebay...










Welcome The Plague Year LP (vinyl rips... 320)

Welcome The Plague Year 1-sided 7" & Split with Funeral Diner (also 320 rips)

Another Day In The Void

You knew Grievance would have to make another appearance here, didn't you? Before throwing this one against the wall to see if it sticks, I recommend sampling the previous 7" posted below. The 7" at hand today, which I'm calling "Un Altro Giorno" after the first track, is a bit flawed. Let's begin with the positive-- the songwriting is amazing! The guitars are even more dissonant than their other material, and while the tempos aren't as varied and oddly placed, the riffs perform some pretty impressive time signature gymnasticism. Where this little record falls short is in the weak production (specifically on the drums), and in the absence of the usual vocalist. But seriously, the music destroys.

Whenever I can I like to add a little bonus track. The "Resistance Is futile... Assimilate" comp has another outstanding Grievance offering (with the other vocalist!). It reverts back to their other 7" with its whacked-out tempo progressions and emotive build-up. I was going to just add this track, but I figured you might also like the other material from Konstrukt, Stalingrad, and No Comply (they do a Spazz cover with pretty much a drum machine and bass!).

Grievance "Un Altro Giorno" and "Resistance Is Futile" Comp.

Song of the Week: "Homo Afflictus" (Charred Remains a.k.a. Man Is The Bastard)

Still vying for my favorite Man Is The Bastard track is "Homo Afflictus," for the usual intensity these musicians always brought to their music, as well as for its unpredictability of structure and overall weirdness! I've said it before and will continue to do so: MITB's recorded material pales in comparison to their live sets. When these guys plugged in, the brutality was real, not just an aspect of the genre they played. If you were fortunate enough to see them a couple of times, just close your eyes and crank up the volume; maybe some nifty flashback experience will visit your consciousness. For others, the advice concerning volume is still recommended.

"Homo Afflictus"

I've been putting off a re-post of the excellent comp from which this song was ripped. I'll continue to place it high on my list of priorities.

Ivich Part II

Ivich's one and only LP was a major discovery for me, right after another major discovery-- that of the Ebullition mail order list. Ivich was without a doubt hardcore, but not like I had heard it previously. In the DIY spirit, it proved to me that a band still didn't need a huge recording budget to create innovative and moving noise. It was also my first indication that the nineties experimentation in Europe was a lot heavier and less whiny than its American correlate-- two traits I still adore in these bands. "La Mort Heureuse" is noisy, messy, and unpredictable, but it's equally riveting, passionate and sincere.

You can also hear some of the band's earliest work in the 7" included below (thanks a million to the always awesome Fab!) and on the "Le Garage" comp posted a while back.

Ivich stuff is here

Ivich LP and 7"

I won't be posting the 10" as it is still available from Ebullition.

Ivich Part I

France's Ivich was my first glimpse of "modern" hardcore (specifically their LP which will be the subject of the Part II post); today's post concerns their two split 7"s (and I'm throwing in the "Illiterate" comp track). Whether any given Ivich track is blasting you with fast and fiery emotional HC, chunky mosh metal, or those odd, free-form undistorted pauses, you'll know who's doing it to you, as the band always sounds so very distinct. The two rippers on the E-150 split fit into the first category mostly-- fast and chaotic, and dripping with raw emotion. Their Spanish partners on side B take an even more straight forward, Chicagoan approach (MK-Ultra, Crudos, etc), except for the weird electronic track at the end. The music is tight, fast, and powerful, and ends before it could ever possibly get old.

The Ivich track on the Jasemine split is probably their least interesting one, and therefore this EP is posted for the sake of completism, as well as my mission to spread Jasemine's brilliance as far and wide as I can. I've already waxed hysterical over this post-Finger Print band's ugliness-meets-sublime beauty before, so just take my word for it-- Jasemine is essential listening, even if they only released four songs.

Ivich stuff is here

Ivich splits and a comp track

An Earwig's Guide To Traveling

I'll make this quick since most of you have this, and I've got to head to the mountains in about 5 minutes. Gasp was one of the most powerful and unique bands of the nineties and "An Earwig's Guide To Traveling" is the miscellanea that comprises the rest of their discography. I've been planning to post this for a while, and an e-mail from Mr. AD sealed the deal. Yes, the "Sore For Days Demo" is included in the collection. (Scans of the fold-out insert will be here when I get back).

"AEGTT" part I by Gasp (320 kbps... singles, comp tracks, demo)

"AEGTT" part II

Song of the Week: "Mlha" (Uz Jsme Doma)

Being on the mighty Nikt Nic Nie Wie label, I bought "Rybi Tuk" a couple of years ago thinking it would be some awesome crazy Polish punk. Uz Jsme Doma is neither Polish nor punk, but they were something incredible. What that something is, I still can't put into words. Passion and musical daring, it certainly exudes, and if genius was a musical genre, then there it would definitely fall. Tradition and innovation collide here in a voluptuous feeding frenzy to satisfy anyone's true Transylvanian hunger.

"Mlha" by Uz Jsme Doma

Song of the Week: "Only To Infinity" (Remains Of The Day)

Blame them for tainting the American well with a hemlock dram of "neo-crust" if you will, but I tend to credit Remains Of The Day with playing powerful and unique hardcore (yes, they were similar to Cwill, but still different enough). I think I heard somewhere that they had a member of Hellshock in their line up, but rather than stenchy crust, ROTD opted for dramatic narratives with fast and energetic tempos (mostly), dabbed with a few slow and somber interludes. If you follow the rule that crust should be simple and straight forward, this band is not for you. But if you like it when bands tunnel across boundaries and smuggle in musical contraban, maybe you already know this band, or should.

"Only To Infinity" (ripped from the vinyl version of "Hanging On Rebellion." Buy the full album at Crimes Against Humanity Recs.)

This post should be called "Remains of the Year," as the last week of school is finally here! Hopefully this means that posting will become more regular. I'll make that a goal, not a promise.