Song Of The Week: "Forgetable Fire" (Harriet The Spy)

For years I've been listening to the Harriet The Spy singles collection thinking it was a discography. Discovering that the glorious "Unfuckwithable" LP was exclusive was quite the rejoiceable moment. No, this is not crusty hardcore; it's not even screamy nineties chaos. It's just spacey, rackety rock that's deceptively complex, wonderfully dark, ghoulishly sarcastic, and subtly tinged with hardcore sensibilities (very subtle). They did a split 7" with 3 Studies for a Crucifixion, and I believe are related to Party of Helicopters. HTS are not for everyone who comes here, but they are definitely for me.

"Forgetable Fire"

You can get a CD copy of "Unfuckwithable" here. The above is a homemade vinyl rip.

I've got a little vacation time, so I'm gonna be posting like crazy. First some requests-- tonight... One by One EPs, then some Out Cold!

Soon... I'll be posting tons of links of stuff people have sent for review, etc.

Eventually... I want to do some mega posts on bands like 3 Studies for a Crucifixion, Bonescratch, Ivich, etc.

Intermittently... I want to post a ton of other stuff. Now would be a good time for requests (of course, no guarantees that I have it, but it doesn't hurt to ask)!

One By Sedition

This is a pretty odd ball 7", but that only makes it doubly worth a post! One way to look at this is to call it a One By One/Sedition split 7". A more precise description would be a One By One live 7" with a (badly) studio(?) recorded Sedition track. It was a 40th birthday gift for "Le Vieux" (depicted above); Sedition was supposed to play at this gig and be a more substantial part of the final output, but ended up breaking up too early. The good news is that the One By One tracks sound pretty damn intense (Keep in mind this is coming from a HUGE One By One fan who is not much of a live recording fan) and the Sedition track rules like all of their stuff did/does, even with the muddy recording. Let's see, what am I forgetting?... The 1b1 set was recorded in a farmhouse near Tours, France and includes a cover of "Police Bastard."

Download

Here's a photo of One By One at the same show, graciously offered by Fab(rice):

SOTW: "Middelalder" (La Casa Fantom)

I've been listening to a lot of La Casa Fantom lately. Almost daily. After you wear out a record, revisits are inevitable, but I've been playing their self-titled LP like it's brand new. It just doesn't get old for me, and fewer bands can nail such schizoid tempo and genre shifts so seamlessly, especially considering there are only two instruments. Grindcore one second; spacey rock the next. This one's pretty much an instrumental, so the member's chops are all there is to rely on. Guitars? Who needs 'em!?

"Middelalder" by La Casa Fantom

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

Song of the Week: "Slaves" (The Holy Mountain)

Maybe I'm wrong, but I get the impression The Holy Mountain don't get the love they deserved. One reason may be that they operated at time when every other crusty hardcore band was being given the FAR/Tragedy treatment in reviews. At first it was complimentary; then it became code for trendy bandwagoners; then it got to be a ridiculous deterrent. It sucks that probably a lot of bands and records lay as casualties in mass musical graves because of this. So this is my one song tribute to one powerful band that played dark, crusty, Japanese and Swedish influenced hardcore, and did a rip-roaring job of it. If you like them, go to No Idea records and pick up a bunch of their stuff for super cheap, then check out the band ABC Weapons (Australia) for a similar sound. If you already know this band, you've done the above already. "Slaves" comes from the "Entrails" LP, and it rules. Feel free to share your favorite HM song, or a post-Tragedy/HHIG band that deserves mention.

"Slaves" by The Holy Mountain

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)

Song Of The Week: "Discipline" (The Rosie Jones Band/Leatherface)

Yeah, I know, tribute comps suck. Most of the songs, as decent as they might be, just make you want to throw on the originals. Rubber Factory's "Leatherface Tribute" isn't very exceptional in this respect. Of the forty or so renditions hereon, about eight warrant repeat listens. The one I celebrate today always kills me though: a western version of "Discipline" (western as in country and western)!?! On paper, it sounds hokey and ridiculous, but in the capable hands of The Rosie Jones Band, we are given one beautiful piece of work. The band's rootsy approach luckily predates the trash the industry passes off as "country" these days, and the skillful use of acoustic string instruments and the nice vocals delicately harness the urgency and somberness that make Leatherface an eternal favorite. A good cover should bring something new to the table while still keeping the integrity of the song's mood and power intact. This one does it, and while doing so, completely rips apart my genre prejudices. A lot of you are gonna hate this, so proceed only if you're feeling a little adventurous.


"Discipline" (Leatherface) performed by The Rosie Jones Band

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"

For All You Media Parasites

This'll probably be the last Decrepit post on this site, but it's a real humdinger. Be sure to track down their CD released in Poland which collects all their work. On tonight's featured disk they team up with Seattle grinders, Cephlatripe. Decrepit are a great example of a band that broke no new ground, but made excellent use of the land they roamed. Those vocals are most certainly Decrepit's badge of distinction- like a Tasmanian devil hooked up to a car battery. They're in rare form on their side, and fire out a Disrupt cover to seal the deal. Now, as mentioned before, Cephlatripe play grindcore. You should know what that sounds like. It comes with all the usual trimmings of heavy, metallic guitars, dual vocals, blast beats, etc, but with nice start/stop precision and lots of intensity. If you really need a reference point I'll go ahead and throw out the Assück comparison, or maybe an obscure one like to their fellow Northwesterners, Blight. More info about this band would be nice to come along. Meantime, enjoy the noise...

Decrepit/Cephlatripe Split 7" (Extortion Records)

Song Of The Week: "Écarté du Lucre" (Amanda Woodward)

With all this nostalgic talk and posting of French bands, it's about time I posted a more recent favorite from this little niche. Amanda Woodward is a band that would potentially lose points with me at the outset: their music is neither fast nor heavy, and their band name is a person's full name (Charles Bronson is an exception. Maybe Bruce Campbell...). But in songs like "Écarté du Lucre," redemption comes by way of the ornate mating dance of the dueling guitars that build into those jarring yet somber chord bursts this band seems to revel in. Really it's the dueling guitars that make many of AW's songs memorable, and the gorgeousness of those present in this track set it apart from most of the bands own discography. Whether you're comfortable calling it hardcore or not, it's still beautiful and angry stuff, not to be missed by those of you with a fairly liquid definition of the genre. I saw them once live, and they seemed like very humble and good people (and of course, great musicians. Too bad the crowd was a bunch of unappreciative wet rags). Many of the members are in Aussitot Mort now, but I'm not sure if AW is still playing music.

"Écarté Du Lucre" by Amanda Woodward (from the "Pleine de Grace" 7")

No More Shit Society

I've at last reunited with this nineties treasure after parting with it years ago. I probably sold it during a brief deluded state where I was convinced I had "outgrown" crust. While not much into CDs, the need to atone for my arrogance has brought "Cathode Ray Coma" back into my collection and perhaps the main contents of it right into yours. Much of what made Discharge and ENT great is lovingly retrofitted into this blazing fast crust odyssey. The advent of Leigh's vocals and more varied and interesting song writing make "CRC" a noticeably more exhilarating listening experience than say, the material from the split LP. "Extensive Slaughter" and "Shit Society" are total classics in my personal cannon if you need a place to start. In addition, this CD version has the tracks from the "The Waste and the Greed" 7" as well as the EOW side of their split with Dischange.

Excrement of War "Cathode Ray Coma" CD (Finn Records, ripped @ 256 kbps)

Song Of The Week: "Love Manifesto" (The Mr. T Experience)

Valentine's Day: cheap, manufactured, on-demand romance. Everybody knows it's lame, and no I'm not just bitter because I couldn't find a date or something. As a statement of rebellion, I post this SOTW the day after (okay, I was just the worst combination of busy and lazy) and I've chosen a comical love song. I was thinking about posting some crust song about biological warfare and such, but this song got stuck in my head as it often does. Now I pass this plague of a chorus onto you like that car blasting "Material Girl" that passes you by and ruins your mind for the rest of the day. The only thing Mr. T Experience was more self-conscious about beside their sappy-ness was their humor. Maybe their catchy-ness too which was like a chocolate dipped crack-rock wrapped in a flu virus.

"We'll make a date just to smash the state, just you and me..."

"Love Manifesto"

Riot In Your Ass

h100s is the musical equivalent of the explosive diarrhea brought on by a blurry night of cider and ramen binging in a city adoze from its own mediocrity. Too much cider and not enough ramen most likely. That, the raging riffs, and insane vocals should be enough to render the rest of this post unnecessary. But, just so you know, members were also in 9 Shocks Terror and Gordon Solie Motherfuckers; h100s also released two even more insane 7"s; this record is out of print after being released 3 times on 3 different labels (I think). If you find any copies of their releases, do yourself a favor and pick 'em up.

h100s "Dismantle" 12"

Phoque Aime All

I was on a whole French '90's hardcore kick, then it was brought to my attention that the "Le Garage" comp link was not working... perfect time for a French double (re)post. Sea Shepherd's vocals remind me a bit of Ivich and Vanilla, but musically we're looking at more straight forward and fast hardcore. In fact, until you see the layout of the booklet, there's not much more to connect these guys to the emotive cadre encircling their particular time and place (other than maybe the dolphin (?) voices between tracks). Rough and fast one moment, a bit groovy the next. Very cool band that probably only released comp tracks in addition to these six (hopefully I'm wrong and some nice commenter can help out). Speaking of comps...


... I posted this "Le Garage" comp what seems like years ago. It was pretty important to me back in the day as it had very early tracks from Finger Print and Ivich, who became favorites and continue to be such. There's also an early version of a Sea Shepherd track that's on the 7", a rager from Abolition, and 2 tracks from Human Alert that leave me a bit ambivalent. If you're a Finger Print fan and haven't heard "Docility," you may be in for a bit of a surprise.

The Sea Shepherd 7"

 "Le Garage 7" (re-ripped @ 320) HERE

SOTW: "The Game" (Shotmaker)

That's one tasty looking piece of asparagus. It's also the iconic cover of one of my all time favorite splits. Many great splits result in stalemates, but I have no problem saying that Shotmaker win this and then some. I am biased however... I own everything they ever released. But take note of that persistent and stubborn rolling thunder of a bass trying so hard to establish dominance over the grating nails-upon-chalkboard assault of the guitars, and see how both come out together in a unified hand-gesture of total defiance to categories. This is not a vegetable phallus, but a big middle finger to genres, preconceptions, and all potential and forthcoming judgment.

"The Game" by Shotmaker (from their split LP with Maximillan Colby)

A Punx Picnic On Industrie Strasse

This week has been a real pirate whore. Next week and this weekend, I'll shoot for diligence, but no guarantees there. After such a shit week, it's time for a couple of fun comps. Shit, the "Industrie Str. 23 96-97" comp has an exclusive Quarantine track, for fucksake! Throw in a possibly exclusive La Fraction number and a bunch of other nice Euro punk/crust/grind of the late nineties, and you have instant party! Lots of variety; seldom a dull moment...

"Industrie Str. 23" Comp.

And, I need your help with this one. Below is a silly 7" comp from a festival in Biel showcasing a cover song contest. I picked it up because of Lost and Skew Whiff, but my brain isn't working right this week. Do you recognize any of these covers?

"Schrott Bar" Comp

Song Of The Week: "In The Red" (Zygote)

"In The Red" is a ghoulishly bouncy number by a band I can honestly say I cannot live without. But what else can one expect from 3/4 of the Amebix line up and the bass player of The Smartpils, Bad Influence, and (later) Cross Stitched Eyes? The "89-91" collection was my first exposure, but when I picked up "A Wind of Knives," track three seemed to coat the inside of my veins with a dark nepenthe of post-crust phantasmagoria. Infectious and strangely familiar, but ultimately in a class of its own, Zygote's work has been a bit polarizing to some potential fans. Many nay-sayers will still insist on comparing them to their previous band, but they really are two very different animals. I won't spend too much time trying to convince the unimpressed; Zygoted seems to be one of those "gut instinct"-type bands.

"In The Red" by Zygote from the "A Wind Of Knives" CD

Words Hidden Between the Words

Lost is either a doomy crust metal band from Poland with ex-members of Homomilitia, or civilization's last hope impaled on a rusty barb somewhere on an undiscovered tract of tundra. The word bleak doesn't even cut it. If you find yourself in too perky a mood... seriously, check this band out. Then if you like, listen to their musical legacy scratching its way through the distorted hell of bands like Insuiciety and Token Tantrum. Perhaps you'll also enjoy their 7" which hopefully you can still get here. For now, get these 9 originals and a 13 cover below.

Lost "Strach" (Fear) LP (320 kbps vinyl rips)

It's My Choice to be on the Piss

Just because you have a favorite beer, is that going to keep you from trying other brands? It certainly doesn't stop me (Green Flash's Hop Head Red Ale is my current obsession in this department..). Neither does the fact that The Obliterated didn't exactly revolutionize hardcore punk stop me from liking their stab at the crusty obnoxiousness exhibited in today's featured disks. Do I hear some Vice Squad, Dirt, Mankind?, and Smarpils in these tracks? Or do my ears just want to hear them? Whatever the case, this is The Obliterated, and they rock hard.

When Brandon H. mentioned this band, I didn't hesitate to jump on them since he's the man who introduced me to Whipped, which I'm still jazzed about. Today you can get the "Insanity" 7" and..

... their split with UK d-beaters, Haywire. The vinyl for both recs. are in pretty "used" condition, but this is crusty punk, not Relapse rock so it shouldn't matter!

Both 7"s HERE

SOTW: "Busy" (Jawbreaker)

I guess this song first attracted me this week because of the title. My single friends and I are always bitching about our married friends and how "busy" they are. We spend most of our adult lives working and sleeping; then add familial "obligations" into the mix and the extra things that must be done to handle the extra expenses of the little ones (extra work, going back to school...) and, yeah, I can understand being busy; my sympathy and patience goes out to those folks! But then there are the others, married or otherwise, who clutter their lives with so much... intent on living "better" through a concentration and saturation of busy activity. Whatever happened to smelling the roses... reading a book? Maybe I've been reading a little too much Proust lately (yes, I will read the whole fucking thing this time), but ride your bike during rush hour and you'll see that everyone seems to be in a hyper-tense rush to get to the next phase of their day, psychotically and with a disregard sometimes for others' lives. Everything must be canned and packaged for easy and fast preparation, even our information and news. We watch our world from the window of a high-speed train, and wonder how we got to the age we're at so quickly. This folly becomes painfully apparent at times like these, when I realize I've become one of those people. Then I complain of my victimization by life, by my boss, but how much of that stress is self-imposed? Lots to figure out here, but I digress. How about some more Jawbreaker?!

Blake, or at least the persona of "Busy," will always find the time to help you when you're in need. Especially when you're on the brink of suicide. Comforting, eh? I've always thought so. Not to mention, the "Busy" 7" was the first piece of vinyl I ever owned by this, one of my favorite, bands. It's a brilliant early track with many of the Jawbreaker hallmarks present and accounted for: blurry but catchy melody, a special wit with language, and a hint of the sardonic. Turn off the TV, maybe even turn off the lights, and drink it in, my friends...

"Busy" by Jawbreaker (ripped from the 7" on Shredder Records)



Lyrics:

The Tear That Shines In Your Eye

The prescription of the day is... you need to get more in touch with your EMOtions. I'd like to think there's an emo-wuss in most of us, perhaps yours just needs to be uncloseted. I'm not talking about the pretty-boy Hot Topic bands of a few years ago; I'm talking about the disjointed, DIY, small town bands from the '90's with their wardrobe of thrift store clothes and hand-made 7"s for sale at $2 a pop. More specifically, I'm focusing today on how the French mastered and continue to rule over this style. Ignore the band name (as you may have had to do with Jasemine), ignore even the lyrics in some cases, and Vanilla will treat you to some elegantly-wrought hardcore painted in broad strokes of speed and angst, edged subtly with shadings of sad, clean guitars, beautifully in-tune with the feelings you sublimate daily with your regiment of Insect Warfare and Weekend Nachos records (maybe that's just me). As with the cousin-bands of Vanilla (Ivich, Jasemine, Finger Print...), speed is not completely sacrificed, nor are harsh vocals or energetic drumming. What results is this first LP by Vanilla, which succeeds in merging "true" hardcore and that 90's experimentation so seamlessly, that it may one of the more perfectly realized records to come out of that exciting fiasco of a decade.

Act now and you can also get the above early Vanilla 7" which sees the band working out their method to very pleasing effect.

I've been planning on posting these records for quite some time. The process was sped up by these great posts here and here. Thanks to the two of you for unknowingly putting the cattle prod in my back!

Vanilla 7" and LP

Song of the Week: "Pressure Bomb" (Rash of Beatings)

All of Rash of Beating's songs do what grindcore tracks should: cut straight for the viscera and quickly move to the next one, leaving an imprint of psychic mutilation for life. Track one of the band's 7" was all it took for me back in the late '90's when I picked it up. Recently, I was pleased to find other bloggers out there who treasure their ROB scars, but now it's time for me to pass the aural maiming on to you.

"Pressure Bomb" by Rash of Beatings (s/t? 7" on Sensual Underground Ministries)

Metal-Grinding-Voices-Screaming

Among the many jewels in the Satan's Pimp crown is today's offering, the Ruinacre LP. The band also brings us back to Arizona, but this time we venture to the highlands (Flagstaff) and this time we step completely out of mid-paced metallic hardcore territory. The terrain occupied by Ruinacre is an alien one where otherworldly entities resembling tech-metal and others vaguely reminiscent of nineties hardcore battle for dominance. In our own dimension, they might be a temporary peace pact between later Abc Diabolo and Creation Is Crucifixion, and in our language we would be made to use adjectival phrases like fast as fuck and perplexing as bloody Hell.

Ruinacre LP

Because Man Will Always Be Man

Mindless is (was?) one hell of a crusher of a hardcore band with Faiza of Faithealer and Hatred Surge on vocals. Aside from some idiosyncratic flourishes here and there, the band stays true to the lull you with slow, heavy riffs, then crack you over the head with a cudgel of blast beats method of hardcore. Crossed Out did it, Extortion does it, and I'm blessed with a wooden ear that never gets tired of hearing it!

The Mindless 6 track demo tape

It's doubtful (limited to 100 copies), but you may still be able to get a copy here.

Song of the Week: "Rainforest Downfall"

I believe I've sung the praises for the scratchy vocal stylings of Tati* before on this blog. In an unintentional scrape with irony, the SOTW is an instrumental track from the most prolific of her bands, Lost World; that's right, I'm posting a Tati band, sans the Tati. It seems unfathomable, but "Rainforest Downfall" is one of those rare things: a truly affecting hardcore punk instrumental. I'll follow the band's lead and cut the verbage already.

"Rainforest Downfall" by Lost World from the "Tot Aber Haltbar" LP

* Tati handled vocals for Day By Day, Lost World, Endrophobia, His Iro Is Gone, Animal Bondage, Apocalypstix...

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"

Scathed & Decrepit

Ah yes, the return of Decrepit to FE-- easily one of the most vicious crust-core bands ever to exist! In a mere three tracks on this split, the band minces no words as they take on ageism, elitism, pacifism, militarism, homophobia, and the God myth. After these four and half minutes I think you'll be left still holding the mouse and wondering what the fuck just happened. Click again; it will only do you good.

Scathed festered in the same damp corner of the country as their split-mates, and played similar "music" although tainted with a bit more noise and youthful sloppiness. What charges this band into the 'memorable' enclave are the harsh vocals which saw through the noise and lacerate the mind. The lyrics to "Buffy (the Clown)" earn Scathed some bonus points too. Knowing (at least vicariously) the Seattle situation, I wouldn't be surprised if the members played in other bands. But I'll leave that blank up to you to fill in.

The Decrepit/Scathed Split (199?) on Un-Yelliman Records

Note: The copy I ripped was in fairly sorry shape... I did what I could to clean it up. The Decrepit tracks are supposedly on a CD that I've seen around the web. Another Decrepit split may be forthcoming, but not for a long while...

Songs of the Past Few Months

It's been a damned long time since I've done a Song of the Week post. Having given myself a chance to catch up on recent releases, I'm bubbling over with songs to where the SOTW format just won't cut it. That's right, it's mixtape time! This is NOT a best of 2009 mix. It's merely a sampling of some records I picked up last year and which refuse to stay in their sleeves. Hell, some of them may be as old as 2007. I also made an effort to choose LPs that have NOT been posted either as a SOTW or complete download here in the past. The genres showcased tend less toward the violent grinding ensembles this time, and lean decidedly toward the heavy and gloomy, as well as the melodic. I can't say why-- that's just the way it happened. I'm super stoked on all the records represented below, so if you're not familiar, give 'em shot!

All the tracks were ripped from vinyl (@256) so there may be some minor editing issues. As usual, if you like what you hear and have the cash, support the bands, labels, etc.

1. Never Healed- "Where The Crosses Grow" from the s/t 12"
2. Battle Of Mice- "The Bishop" from the split 12" with Jesu
3. Extortion- "Losing Battle" from the "Sick" LP
4. Preying Hands- "Preying Hands" from the "Through The Dark" LP
5. Insuiciety- "Left For Dead" from the s/t LP
6. Contrast Attitude- "Life" from the "Apocalyptic Raw Assault" 12"
7. Agrimonia- "The Decay" from the s/t LP
8. Organism- "Hell" from the "Hope" LP
9. Morne- "Untold Wait" from the "Untold Wait" LP
10. Assassinators- "A For Anarki" from the "Sigt Efter Hjertet" LP
11. Aussitot Mort- "On A Qu'à Se Dire Que L'on S'en Fout" from the "Montuenga" LP
12. Grails- "Reincarnation Blues" from the "Doomsdayer's Holiday" LP
13. Masshysteri- "Istiden" from the "Vår Del Av Stan" LP


Download The Mix

As Poetic As a Sunset

It seems ages since Jake (I believe) requested this here Absinthe 7". All these months with peeled back eyelids paid off, and tonight I offer rips of one incredible record! Absinthe was a band forged from the same blazing furnace as Unruh, Wellington, Jeremin, Suicide Nation, etc., and fashioned themselves as a similar metallic implement, albeit one with a bit more groove from the rhythm section. They manage to be alternately rough, tight, chaotic, gritty, clean, and unabashedly modern, but without seeming the slightest bit contrived. Really impressive!

The band also produced a follow-up 10" which I went ahead and included in the folder...

Absinthe (7" & 10")

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.

Hiatus (Not the Band)

It's time to take a little vacation from blogging. With all the things going on right now, I would hate for this blog to become a chore. If it isn't fun anymore, why keep at it? I think you see my point. After two or four weeks, I hope to be re-energized and back to finding hidden musical treasures under unassuming rocks and ripping the shit out of them! Meantime, I look forward to getting caught up on a ton of other stuff and listening to music for no other reason than the sheer pleasure of it! I've recently received a flurry of e-mails; some from nice people sharing music or saying thanks, as well as those hoping for a review/post. To the former, I say thanks! and to the latter... I haven't forgotten about you-- please be patient. If any old links are down, let me know; I'll be checking comments here and there.



To send you on your way properly, I present the Half Man/Kisses & Hugs split 7". Roman, a long time/sporadic FE visitor/friend, was blown away by the small-town angst and violence of Kisses & Hugs' 12" and suggested I post this mean little split. This one's for him and anyone else who dug that piece (all of whom are probably laid up with a sore asshole from the experience). X's & O's were definitely a singular monster, and what Half Man might lack in originality and insanity, is made up for by their sincerity and power on the two tracks here. Made up of ex-members of Campaign and future members of Countdown to Putsch, HM took old school grit and "modern" smarts (I'm look at you Born Against) and made plain, good hardcore punk! They released a couple of EPs, some comp tracks and an LP that sounded like a completely different band. Check with the Mountain Collective for related bands and straggling artifacts.

The Half Man/Kisses & Hugs Split 7"

Thoughts In Stereo

You may have just experienced a reflex arc to click away from this page after seeing the above cover. Just know that Germany's Kurt knew how to bring the rock; namely one of the few kinds of rock that doesn't render me instantly comatose: that style brought by such bands as Kerosene 454, Last of the Juanitas and the like. Heavy drumming and shouted vocals conspire eagerly with sour but at times strangely soothing discordant guitars. Today's free download, the "Schesaplana" LP, hearkens to the heydays of San Diego and DC rock, without any derivative copy-cattery.

Kurt, like their country-folk Dawnbreed, started as a screamy hardcore band, but then "refined" themselves into an awesome heavy rock band. The packaging on "Schesaplana" is fairly unique in that the 10 inserts came in a sealed envelope (one for each track plus one extra). A reproduction lies in the folder below.

"Schesaplana" by Kurt (X-Mist Records, 1998; ripped at 320 kbps)

The Trigger Isn't Hard To Pull

It had to happen. Pretty much every other Enewetak record has been posted here; it was just a matter of time before "And the Beat Goes On..." should make its appearance. I had some mediocre rips I had downloaded, and which seem to be consistently downloaded from me on soulseek. When I recently came across a mint copy of the wax, I knew I needed to step up. If I do say so myself, these rips came out pretty nice, and this record deserves the treatment. I think anyone into any kind of heavy music can get down with these nine crushing tracks of metalicious Rorschachery, and if you can't, well this is where we depart. As with the "Guns" LP, it just has to be heard, as descriptions will inevitably fall flaccid. And, as with all Enewetak LPs, it's my favorite until I throw on another one. But really I think this one might seriously be my favorite.

"And The Beat Goes On..." by Enewetak (Revolutionary Power Tools Records, 1996; ripped at 320 kbps).

You're Next

A favorite song, from a favorite record, Void's "Time to Die" is a sweet ditty to compliment all the "slasher" films you've been watching lately. I always thought the lyrics to this one would be some frightening shit to hear for the first time; but I can't remember: it's been such a long time for me since its first spin.

"Time to Die" (Void)