Trapping The Taker, Turning The Tables

The first tremor comes and goes, and in an endorphin haze, you stand grasping the doorknob for escape. Giddy with brain chemicals and the absurd thought of your naked and aborted evacuation, you return to bed. When the calmness of the night finally returns, a jolt of paralyzing proportions throws you bodily. The bedpost seems your only anchor to solid ground, to which you cling with primate imbecility. It's only when the gentle, rolling quakes come that you can relax your grasp. But your blind faith is rewarded only by a convulsion three times the intensity of the last. Thankful the floor was still there to break your fall, you dust the ceiling cakes from your eyes and scramble for the darkest spot you can find; some subdormatory where you might pass the night... This is the sonic Hell of Inept, but instead of begging for it to end, you'll wish it never to stop. Like a string of aftershocks, it's more terrifying for its apparent randomness of interval, and its complete disregard for your cries for mercy.

If you're dying for classification, Inept played some kind of bastard fusion of modern hardcore and grindcore. The bass-heavy gloom of One-Eyed God Prophecy and Welcome The Plague Year stands out to me, along with the slow-meets-fast mindfuckery of Systral and the like. Maybe throw in the outsider nuttiness of Kisses & Hugs and Three Studies For A Crucifixion, and you're getting even closer. The lyric sheet is like a catalog of all topics the Ebullition school obsessed over, but upon reading it seems these guys were pretty sincere about it all. If you disagree, at least you have the insane musical delivery, which I think will smooth over any hang-ups.

A big thanks to Geno for introducing me to Inept's LP, which I ripped below...

"Images of Betrayal"

Indescribable Megahertz

15 years ago, Three Studies for a Crucifixion and Coleman recorded a groundbreaking split LP; Since then I have inextricably linked the two bands. As you already know or will find out, this isn't really fair--each being two very different entities. But then they shared a comp together too, and now for me, they are inseparable. This post is both bands' discographies as I know them. Any other comp tracks, EPs, or their demos would be much appreciated if you have any. First we have arguably the pinnacle of both band's recording careers, the LP. I used to think Three Studies strutted along the dam that keeps music from falling into chaos, but upon repeated revisits I'm convinced they crossed over and returned with news of how beautiful the union of the two could be. Or ugly, if that appeals to you more. You're welcome to dismiss it as chaos, but if you are so inclined, I urge you to give the band a few chances. The intensity of these tracks is undeniable, and I defy anyone to place these guys into any cozy category.

Maybe it was due to my infatuation with Three Studies that I at first regarded Coleman as a pretty cool band. My revisit to Coleman's world a few years ago was an epiphany: this band may have been one of best things to happen to the 1990s. The enthralling cacophony of the guitar and tantrum-esque vocals seem to anticipate a future Boston quartet, The Conversions, and on top of that, the drumming is incredible. The live feel of the recording adds to the raw, DIY feel, although the sound is a lot better than on the glorious EP below (not sure if the cover is rotated right).

In the other folder at the bottom of this post is a collection of both bands' additional tracks that I was able to dig up; once again, I'm not sure if it's a complete collection, but it's a pretty substantial start. Included is the Coleman 7" which, considering it's rawness, songwriting and hilarious sound samples, is one hell of an entertaining listen, if not one of the more perfect artifacts of nineties hardcore. Like most of the tracks, they reveal the condition of the vinyl they were ripped from (ie. in "much loved" shape). The other tracks were ripped from the Education Comp, the Amnesia Comp, and Three Studies for a Crucifixion's splits with Melt-Banana and Harriet The Spy.

The Split LP

The Comp Tracks, Coleman 7", and Three Studies split tracks

Enjoy, or don't. Man, I've been plagued with obstacles here at FE headquarters. I fixed the camera situation, but last night I broke my needle. Then this week's hectic schedule left me no room to breathe. Next week will hopefully be more productive-- I'll probably post CDs and a mega-links post of all the cool shit people have sent me to "review." Anyway thanks for your support, patience, etc...

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)!

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"

Song Of The Week: "Dragstrip Riot" (New Bomb Turks)

Let's take a three and a half minute break from the crust, shall we? Some rock'n roll I think is in order, but tonight it's the kind that lets you catch up to it just long enough to give you the finger, and then leave you with a mouthful of exhaust! This is the highest octane of rock delivered by four smart (ass) Ohio dudes whose engine was fueled by equal parts punk, rock'n roll, and buzz-saw noise rock. The New Bomb Turks have the distinction of being the only band I've fallen hard for after hearing them as "set change music." Is it just me and my area or is it a requirement that set-change music has to blow? Anyway the song was "Dragstrip Riot," and since that moment I have been a NBT fan (although I stopped following them after "Drunk On Cock"). "Destroy Oh-Boy!" remains one of my all time favorite albums of any kind! That raunchy guitar distortion, those random ecstatic shouts... so much fire, sweat and angst! Hopefully you already love this band (or this record at least), and if you don't, give 'em a shot. Oh, and... if you can recommend any other records of theirs that rock at least half as hard, do share.

"Dragstrip Riot"

The New Normal

I've been listening to some Damad, Karst, and Institute lately, but the Kylesa stuff had been sitting dormant in my collection for quite some time. It's time for a little revisit. I started with an earlier release, back when they were at their heaviest-- their split with Memento Mori (Hyperrealist, 2002). Darn it, I still like Kylesa! "The New Normal" certainly lays waste to their newer material in the heaviosity department, although their last two albums excel in diversity of song writing. I'm busting out their first LP next...

Commenter Aboynamedstew reminded me of the awesomeness of Memento Mori a while back. This thrash-metal-hardcore band featured Michelle of Scrotum Grinder "fame" and were quite a force (albeit a short-lived one). MM start things off with an interesting and off-kilter instrumental acoustic track, and then rip you apart with a thrasher called "Dirt Roads And Howls Of Wolves." Damad's evilness comes to mind, as does the speed and further evil of Sacrilege (UK). A bit more bass in the mix would have really increased this band's menace, but they do fine with what they have.

These rips came out nice and loud, so...

Crank it!

Budget Nihilism

What we have here is a 3" CD collecting the two seven inches by pre-Nine Shocks Terror outfit, H100s. The EPs compiled were originally available through Burrito Records and Havoc Records respectively, but not anymore. The CD version posted here was released by short-lived PE offshoot, Profane Existence Far East (and it appears that PE "Near West" is ceasing operations as a label as well). If you've been heretofore deprived of the H100s experience, you're in for a nine track shock treatment of nutty Japanese influenced thrash/punk with over the top vocals and "fuck the world" lyrics. Two of the tracks are covers of Systematic Death and Gag Reflex songs (!) so you know this little disc rocks!

Get a "knife in your fucking ass!" here

Back Cover

And The Horns Will Be Drowned Out By Bells...

Friday is National Ride Your Bike to Work Day, which, like Earth Day, is a chance for Americans to expunge their liberal guilt and, for 24 hours, feel that they are making a difference. All cynicism aside, the underlying intentions of The Day are admirable. But for many of us, it's just another day of saddling up the aluminum steed (or carbon, or steel), and declaring guerrilla war against the bustling and cranky tide of (sub)urban assault vehicles (at least in our fantasies). That's right, cycling is not just for the spandexed yuppies, but for the punks and revolutionaries too. If you look at the number of profiteers making money off our auto-addiction, riding a bike is one big "fuck you" to the insurance companies, rip-off mechanics, oil companies, DMV, Jiffy-Lubes, parking garages, cops, tire companies, car washes, and car manufacturers who have us in their clutches once we make that one big purchase. I am slowly weening myself off my addiction, driving only about one day a week to work. The ride there is a rough one through three different low income areas with several hills (8-9 miles each way), but like everything, it gets easier after a time. A handful of individuals won't change the world with a simple change of lifestyle, but examples can be set, and the personal benefits are numerous, as well.

So what will I be listening to on the way to work tomorrow? Among other things, the Awakening/Virginia Black Lung Split 7". This EP was one of the Sea of Steel series releases that Ed Walters Records put out, celebrating the political implications and pragmatism of cycling. You may know The Awakening from the 7 Inch Crust post a little while back, or from their excellent discography LP, "Eternal Blizzard". This Ohio trio merges the form and content with two tracks about cycling: "Front Wheel" and "Back Wheel." Awakening's musical delivery is an invigorating blend of cleanly played, dark scandi-thrash, with a hint of thrash metal. The vocals are refreshingly coherent, but full of conviction. This band came and went, but they really deserve our attention regardless of their flash-in-the-pan existence. Riding tandem is Philadelphia's Virginia Black Lung. I don't know much about these chaos-mongers, but they impress the heck out of me here. It's tough to pin-point their sound, but I hear some Econochrist, and perhaps a bit of the more chaotic hardcore of bands like La Quiete or Orchid. VBL are much more political and sinister than the last two bands (that's a compliment), and discharge four ragers, and a direct yet stirring spoken word piece (about oil wars, of course). This disc is great, but if you can't find it, I can't recommend The Awakening's discography enough.

Download this split

More 7" Comps That Don't Suck Vol.5: "Disoppress"

To satisfy your Saturday afternoon noise hunger, here's another out-of-control, non-sucky comp. "Disoppress" was released around 1997 on Disoppress records, a label I am not familiar with. There are some good unknown bands on this one (for me at least) and a couple of long-time heroes (see back cover). The styles are all either straight forward political hardcore, or total ear-assaulting grind/noise. The one exception, and a real highlight on the record, is Depressor, who play metallic industrial crust. Depressor now plays with a drummer, and their releases (if you can find them) are definitely ones to look out for. First, the disclaimer: the production isn't great and my copy's a little warped... sorry about the (extra) noise. Second, the actual noise... Download