Puro Desmadre Parte Dos

I was stoked enough to find a cheap, good copy of Gasp's "Sore For Days" demo, but on the B side another treasure lay hidden-- the 23 song Stapled Shut demo! If that wasn't enough excitement for the day, five of the SS songs I hadn't heard before. Those of you who know SS's brand of fuzzed out thrashcore can probably relate at least a little to my child-like glee. It turns out I was wrong about the sequence of SS's discography; the gnarly, fuzzed out stuff was their demo material. On the tape posted below, you can get the entire demo, which includes the tracks from the band's split with Lack of Interest, the (I think) unreleased tracks, the entire "World Of Noise" 7", and "Chavala" from the Reality #2 comp. If you just want the unreleased tracks, I've got that for you too, as well as links to previous Stapled Shut posts if you prefer vinyl rips of the rest of the demo instead. If anyone knows titles for the unnamed demo tracks, you know where to click.

** Update: Thanks to an anonymous commenter, we now have all the track titles, and the title of the demo as well ("LA Times"). The missing titles are as follows: 7. "Stapled Shut" 8. "Killer Breed" 9. "What The Fuck" 10. "Blazing" 11. "Resin Heaven". Thanks again for your help!

The entire Stapled Shut Demo HERE
Just the 5 unreleased tracks HERE
Go to the Stapled Shut/Lack Of Interest post HERE
Go to the Stapled Shut 7" + Comp Tracks post HERE

Song Of The Week: "Fun Fun Fun" (The Big Boys)

I'm off to the beach...

"Fun Fun Fun"

They Use A Lot Of Vowels

You probably have a folder full of a ton of late '80's-early 90's, crusty stuff, but Amen's "Paranemia" LP might be the missing classic you didn't know you wanted. Or maybe you have this LP, and know that it's more thrashy crustiness than most people can handle in one sitting. When you're about to reach for that Disrupt box set, give this a spin instead.

"Paranemia" (Spinefarm Records, 1991 @ 256 kbps).

No Charade

Bry(curious) informed me of this awesome band, No Parade, which consisted of some folks from From Ashes Rise. Chrisapproach of the mighty Mosh Eisley blog answered the call by posting No Parade's excellent LP. I can only join in the fanfare by posting this 7" by the band, and saying thanks to the both of you for your help. No Parade is/was a no nonsense hardcore band that cared deeply about what they said, and knocked out some raging tuneage. I have issues with the use of the word karma in the song "Backs As Ladders," but even so, this band rules hard.

Get the 7" Here

6 Trax Hated True Sounds

Bless me readers, for I have sinned. It has been 5 months since my last Out Cold post. There's just something about the real deal that never gets tiresome, and Out Cold are just that (the real deal... not tiresome). OC rages, and doesn't give a rat's what you think about it. I like 'em; but they couldn't care less about that either. It's the straight, old school hardcore done right, and for this round they've snagged their Japanese counterparts, No Side, to fill the B side. My only complaint is that it's too short, but I don't think these bands could give two fucks.

Here.

Song Of The Week: "Summertime" (Crimpshrine)

It's here! My favorite season of the year. Spring always tries to win me over, but it's the summer that holds the key to mine. Whether it's the part of world I live in, or my chosen profession, I can't say. I hope you'll humor me for the next few weeks as every Song of the Week will be lively and celebratory on account of this season of fun (quite a departure from the usual depressing shit I post!). What better way to start than listening to Jeff Ott pine away over his long-distance lady-friend, ending with his promise of a summertime reunion? "Summertime" is one of about 13 songs on the "Duct Tape Soup" collection that I could listen to every day of my life, and it would never lose its sentimental value. I told you Crimpshrine would make it to the SOTW again; such an important band to me couldn't stay away for too long. So go pick some flowers and grab a bottle of cheap wine; turn off the computer and get out and play!

If for whatever reason you haven't heard Crimpshrine's "Duct Tape Soup" or "Lame Gig Contest" LPs, (or "The Sound Of A New World Being Born" LP for that matter), I'm not sure how you go on living! Give 'em a chance...

"Summertime"

The Kindness Of Others

Finally! I've been looking for the missing link to my little collection of In/Humanity splits forever, and now I at least have it digitally. This is all thanks to Mike (& wife), who's one of the coolest guys I've never met! If you know these bands already, the '90's screaming madness supplied by both will surely make your day. Shit, just the track title, "Dork Side Of The Farce" made mine. As a bonus, Mike threw in In/Humanity's long lost "Intolerable" 7"; you know, the one the band disowned. It's pretty hilarious to contrast this to their later work... night and day! You can still get the other In/Humanity splits here, and the Bonescratch 12" here (although I plan to re-rip that sucka soon).


Big thanks again to Mike and Co.

Get both EPs here






And, while I'm using other people's rip donations, I'll go ahead and re-post the massive Mine LP ("Tetanus"). I've been meaning to re-rip my copy, but bass player, Christian, found the original post and sent us these nice clean rips before I had a chance. Thanks a million, Chris! If you like you're hardcore smart, metallic, and brutal, I highly recommend! In another related coincidence, the Pope recently posted Mine's 7".

Get "Tetanus" here.

Sorry For The Delay

During the teaching season, I have a chronic case of head-up-the-ass. Hence I've neglected to post some music sent to me by some good bands/nice people. This post marks my first, albeit tardy, attempt to rectify my ineptitude. First up is the Toronto band, The New Enemy. Either Clint chose this blog randomly for his submission, or else he noticed the repeated Leatherface and Jawbreaker worship throughout the site. Those bands are good starting point for a description, as would be comparing them to a more hardcore sounding Sainte Catherines. The songs are cleanly recorded, but the vocals and heavy guitars add plenty of grit. "Outsourced" is a solid six track EP, and the band is offering it for free!


Here



Next up is a Stoner Rock/Doom outfit from Portland that goes by the name, Salvador! The only thing I had to get used to were the grungy "clean" vocals present in most tracks... after that I could easily appreciate these guys' take on a genre I'm normally finicky about. The vocals get more aggressive at times, but it's the thundering drums and, perhaps most importantly, the meaty-ass bass density that keeps me coming back. I don't think the band wants their entire CD shared, so here's a nice sample of Salvador's rock. Then contact the band to get a copy of the disk, okay?



"Lycanthrope"




Finally, Mother Disobedience of Athens Greece just sent me their Lahar EP. There's little of what we used to call music on this 12 minute track. By default, they will inevitably be labeled noise rock or post punk, but the band has a definite DIY/hardcore ethic and aesthetic. If you are a total riff-monger or melody addict, MD might turn you away. But if you're in the mood for something different or you love guitar feedback, give this a chance. The back cover states, "So artless, our music sounds experimental." Whether they are being charmingly self-deprecating or serious, is up to you to decide.

Here

Satanic Jihad Music

This is easily my favorite Cattle Press record. How could it not be with such a profane miasma of sour, dense chords gushing from the amps, and screams shrill enough to shake you from your stale purgatory of a life. I'm not sure if this 7" is properly called "Cattle Press" or "Silence," but there it is above, and the track list is below...

1. Silence
2. Uprising Embodiment In Serenity
3. The Hole Is Home

Here (@ 320 kbps)

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

This split is about what you'd expect from Bovine Records, Cattle Press, and Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Cattle Press bring the evil slow and heavy, and include a reworked version of "Splint" (IabhorHer). Agoraphobic Nosebleed are in their prime and serve up 17 furious originals and a Voivod cover. Yeah, it's that friggin good!


Here. (@ 320 kbps)

Update: The files have been re-uploaded. If you couldn't download it before, here's "Information." Thanks Strangeranger!

I'm thinking I should post the Cattle Press 7" next...

Song Of The Week: "School's Out" (Bla'st!/Cooper)

It should be no mystery as to why I chose this song. The lines declaring that school's out for summer and forever don't quite apply to me. But for the next 5 weeks, it'll sure feel that way!

"School's Out"

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)

A World Badly Made

Amen makes its third appearance on this blog, this time covering Oi Polloi, and taking on subjects like nuclear fallout and raccoon-faced satanist posers. Their American tag-team partners are Short Hate Temper. You probably know these El Paso grinders from various power house splits with the likes of Slight Slappers, Scalplock, Quill, and Harsh. A fast EP for a week that cannot be over fast enough.

Here.

Gospelcore Attack

Amen is a band that should be mentioned along side Doom, Hiatus, and Disrupt during any conversation about nineties crust. Unfortunately, they aren't (at least not here in North America). The even sadder thing is that next to those bands, the Amen experience can often times be even more enjoyable. I'm lucky there's an entire cyber world between us, because some of you probably want to throw something heavy at me for my heresy. It's just an opinion, take it or leave it. The "Feikki" 7" was recorded in 1991 and released on Crash Mag Records. It's solid as fuck, from the art down to the riffs. If all goes well, I'll be posting a certain other Amen split sooner or later this week.

Feikki

Song Of The Week: "A Little Change Could Go A Long Ways" (City Of Caterpillar)

City Of Caterpillar was another Richmond band that shook my foundations upon first listen. The long song titles, long track lengths, and odd band name might strike you as pure pretentious bull-stein, but if you kick your patience into overdrive, you'll be rewarded with a sonic bildungsroman of magisterial proportions. The more developed and epic of their tracks lead the listener onto a winding, curving path of enchanting dream and jarring nightmare-- a slightly unnerving realm scored by hypnotic lullabies interspersed with suffocating layers of distorted mayhem. COC seriously destroyed all the boundaries created by labels with the sheer power of their songs, and brilliance of their playing. I won't go into who the members are or what bands they play(ed) in; COC did an impressive enough job making a name for themselves with a series of EPs and their mind-blowing LP. Give "A Little Change Could Go A Long Way" a chance when you're feeling patient. The build-up at the beginning is gradual as heck, but both the journey and the pay-off are well worth your time.

"A Little Change..." (128 kbps)

"A Little Change..." (320/Mediafire)

The Pimp Of Satan II

Satan's Pimp Records was the label equivalent of that kid at your school who liked to torch crickets with a maginifying glass. Case in point:













And why not?-- included below is a lesser Satan's Pimp comp, but it's got Gob and Noothgrush on it, which makes it automatically post-worthy.





D/L "Accidental Double Homicide" & "Accidental Decapitation Through Masturbation!"

God's Chosen People

Would anyone else like to join Strangeranger and me on a pensive amble down memory lane? My musical diet of the 1990's consisted of a weird Smörgåsbord of bay area pop punk, European crust, US powerviolence, and whacked out, screamy DIY bands like the ones on the "God's Chosen People" comp. In fact, "G'sCP" was one of the earliest bits of exposure I had to the avant nuttiness of the whole HeartattaCk-Old Glory-Gravity situation. I still love half the bands on this thing, and lucky for me, they're mainly the bands whose tracks were collected later in some form or another. Yep... lots of memories, and the love and abuse I've given to this comp over the years is evident in the condition of the vinyl. I cheated a little on a couple of tracks and just ripped them from discography CD's; but the whole imbroglio of naked, flailing bodies and disenfranchised, idealistic minds is still here, both in the tunes and within the pages of the stunning booklet.

Here

Bands & Tracks:

A Hardcore Mess

I picked up the "Japankore Omnibus Vol. 2" one-sided 12" comp mainly for the Sink track. But that's not the only reason I keep playing it. The Japankore imprint was the brainchild of Japanophile, Brian (of Drop Dead). For this installment, he had The Gaia assemble seven all-female bands from Japan (including themselves), and then tacked on a mix-gender upstart band called Melt Banana. Maybe you've heard of them. The result is quite a wonderful little mess.

Orfee, of Cephalochromoscope, was gracious enough to offer his scanning craftsmanship for the graphics. Some tech issues prevented him from re-ripping his copy, so I did my best to handle the audio. Thanks, brooooo! Be sure to go over to Cephscope and say Hi and download the Senseless Apocalypse CD.

The Omnibus

The Bands:

La Lucha Sigue

The "Zapata Vive - La Lucha Sigue" comp LP was a massive gem that got a lot of spin-time on my turntable in the mid to late '90's. Scan the track list, and you'll see a pretty impressive "who's who" period-piece of European crust and grindcore. The stand-outs for me are probably the tracks by Day By Day and Quarantine, as well as the live classics like "Up The Punks" and "Way Of Doom" (a duet with the Fleas and Lice singer!). "Reality," by Unhinged, would be a highlight if I wasn't already intimately familiar with it from "Win Our Freedom In Fire." There's tons more violent noise to be had, as well as an enormous book(let) dealing with the Zapatista movement which was all the rage at the time.


Bands & Tracks:







Listen

Read

Song Of The Week: "Eleventh Hour" (Iconoclast)

With this post, Compilation Week begins. I've got four or five comps that don't suck in the posting-pipeline, so this SOTW showcases yet another band I discovered through this polarizing medium: Iconoclast (the "Ebullition" band). I can't say exactly why "Eleventh Hour" stands out to me so much on a comp that boasts Rorschach, Born Against, Greyhouse, Merel, Native Nod... At the time of purchase it floored me, and that's all there is to it. I heard mention that the version that appears on the band's Ebullition CD was an improvement because of the cleaner production. I disagree. The murky and ominous heaviosity of this original was central to its power. It proved that modern forms of hardcore could be emotionally riveting without being... namby-pamby. Anyway, this song's a crusher. Awesome drumming, too.

Iconoclast - "Eleventh Hour" (from the "God's Chosen People" comp)

Update: The above track is now re-upped at mediafire. I'll go ahead and rip the rest of the comp later this week.

The Family Band Of The '90's

The phrase "melodic crust punk" might illicit a strange response in many of you. For some it might conjure an automatic negative one. When I say that the melody actually comes from the vocals, it might draw an indistinguishable gasp of puzzlement. Quarantine were a Scottish band that did this, and did it right. Catchy, political, and powerful, this band pulled off beautifully what few bands ever attempted. Disaffect meets Crimpshrine? Leatherface meets Pink Turds In Space? You decide. This band ruled, and you'll probably like them.

The "Automatic Negative Thoughts" LP (Nabat Recs.) has been posted elsewhere before, I think, but I ripped my copy at 320 in case you need it, as well as the excellent "Junction 10" 7" (Panoptic Vision, etc. Recs.)....

Both records and a comp track here.

If you like Quarantine, you'll also like their new band, Debris.

Tonight, I kick off compilation week-- a series of posts dedicated to the most unpopular format in the blog world. The comps were selected for maximum entertainment; they're all interesting an/or awesome in some way. The first, to be posted Monday night, will feature another great song by Quarantine, so look out for that.

Beware The Living

Feel the pretense and bullshit leech from your pores as Canada's finest flog you with 10 hulking, knuckle-dragging grind lashings. I'm not sure I should tell you that Saturation members also played in Born Dead Icons, Ire, The Black Hand, and Human Greed, but I just did. Sometimes finesse just doesn't do the trick, and you have to use the blunt end of things to get the message across.

Saturation 12"

(Note: This disk was released with, like, three different cover options, so the version you've seen may have had a black and white cover/another design).

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.

Chernobyl Cthulhu

I was pleasantly surprised to find out how many FE friends enjoy Wormwood as much as I do. So as not to keep you waiting too long for more from these sorcerers of despair, I offer you their limited split picture disk with fellow Northwestern Metal alchemists, Teen Cthulhu. To be honest, I'll pick up anything by Wormwood, as long as it isn't at some crazy collector price. It doesn't hurt that the track provided, "Released From Expectation," is quite possibly the band's most deeply penetrating song. Words will inevitably collapse in weak-kneed admiration if any attempt is made at describing its power. Three years later, it would grace the grooves of the Starvation" LP. Brilliant, no matter where it appears.

Teen Cthulhu have made friends and enemies with their synth-laden horror-death metal-violence. I thought their LP was pretty fuckin' solid, and the two tracks on this disk are right along those lines. After that LP cover, the art submitted on this thing is a little lacking (just a humble opinion). Their two tracks deliver the goods, though, and for additional spankings, be sure to grab the band's LP and split with Iron Lung here and here respectively.

The Wormwood/Teen Cthulhu split pic disk

Song Of The Week: "Vertigo Index" (Discordance Axis)

I'm re-reading The Crying Of Lot 49 right now. For some reason Oedipa's futile scraping for the truth and her association of the San Narciso landscape with a circuit board reminded me of "Vertigo Index." Now that I've re-read the lyrics, I want to watch Brazil again. And re-read Neuromancer. Is summer vacation here yet?

"Vertigo Index"

Alienation washes over me, downloading world apartment horror
Wheezing through tea stained lungs comes a voice piped in from a
vacuum

A tiled grove of telephone wires, rabbit ears and power lines
Insinuated in the residential disintegration that assassinates the sky

And now my being is networked
To be shared among us all.
And my world falls back into place
Or do I fall back into place In my world.

Time Of Payback

A couple of FE friends haven't gotten enough Finnish bass & drum ultra-violence from previous Harsh posts. So this Harsh 7" hat trick goes out to Grindfreek and Roman... thanks for your support! The folder below spans most of Harsh's stylistic evolution from their days as a full-on PV band (Six Weeks 7"), to their early foray into double bass brutal-fabulosity (split with German grind stalwarts, Crude BE), and finally to their low-end masterpiece, "Implants." If the idea of putting Man Is The Bastard and Lack Of Interest in a super-collider turns you on, go ahead and click below.

Harsh 7"s

Click the "Harsh" tag if you want their splits with Senseless Apocalypse, Control Mechanism, and Short Hate Temper/Quill.

Apeface.

Apeface are, so to speak, the missing link in the extensive catalogue of NorCal/Bay Area hardcore documented on this site. I don't know why it took so long to get this post up, but after a little nudge-nudge from Rygar and Mike, the compressed goods have finally arrived. Before the message-board punks shat out the term "neo-crust," bands like Apeface were ornamenting their hard-line political punk with the "emotive" tendencies of more modern bands they'd probably rather not acknowledge as influences. Expect no flaccid indie rock crossover here, though: this is furious hardcore but with fairly intricate interplay between the guitars and bass (nods to Econochrist are not subtle). I tried to gather everything the band released, but I'm not exactly sure how successful I was. Below you'll find links to their 12", their tracks from the Zero Hour split, the entire Lemming split 7", and an additional track they put on the "America In Decline" Comp. If you haven't downloaded the "Shit Gets Smashed" comp, there are a couple more Apeface tracks thereon, along with some other comtemporary Bay Area sweetness. Alright, enjoy; and if I've missed any songs, let me know.



The 12" and split LP tracks plus a bonus comp track

The Lemming/Apeface split 7"

"Shit Gets Smashed" post