Destroyer Of Towns!

Lana Dagales may be best known for their ferocious split LP with Iron Lung, but their debut EP is a real instant reputation builder too (Sounds of Betrayal, 1999 (pre-Putrid Filth Conspiracy ?)). That reputation would be the ability to play brutal as fuck grindcore/"powerviolence" with an assassin's precision. My only complaint? It's too short. The first time you play this mofo, you'll probably loop it three times in a row to make sure what you just heard was as intense as the initial impression it leaves. I did, and I'm a believer. One of the two members is in Brainoil, but Lana Dagales is more for the Hatred Surge and Iron Lung junkies. And, if you're at all turned off by their name, read this interview and it may change your tune. This 7" fucking shreds!!!

Get your new arsehole HERE

Song of the Week: "Burden Of Hope"

From now on, (just about) every Sunday night will be song-of-the-week night. Each post will be a chance for me to throw out a single track (usually) that has been either meaningful to me over the years, or it may be a new standout that perks up my ears whenever it come out of the ol' speakers. I may once in a while take a bit of license in the type of music posted, so you never know what you might find here...

The first SOTW is the title track to Grail's album, "The Burden of Hope." The reason for posting?: It's absolutely gorgeous! Grails is known for blending ingredients from classic rock, "post rock," and different types of folk from around the world into a very ambient, unpredictable, and unique sonic delicacy. In "Burden of Hope," the band drops much of its usual subtlety and performs a heart wrenching, crescendoing drama that could be the story of lost soul overcoming despair, the first blades of grass rising through the thawing earth, or simply our daily battle of getting out of bed in the morning (if you can get your alarm clock to play this, imagine how triumphant your mornings would be!). All the musicians are awesome, but it's hard not to follow the drummer as he leads the composition with a bubbling sense of angst below the song's surface, then crashing violently to the climactic point, and finally lulling us into a transcendent calm. All this is done in a mere four minutes. I've experienced these four minutes countless times now, and each listen is as chilling and mind-blowing as the first.

Listen

Blinded By Your Vision

The Aversionline Blog just reposted Christdriver's monstrosity of a CD, so here's a companion piece-- the band's two song 7" (Profane Existence, 1995?). Armed with a frighteningly heavy, metallic guitar sound and a penchant for movie samples, these ex-Subvert players wail out a bleak and detached form of metal that takes its influence from doom metal and industrial music, but is neither. Having less room on this EP, the band keeps it fairly straight to the point, although the doomier, hypnotic "Sight" almost reaches the six minute mark. If you can handle the slow and heavy stuff, this band is crushingly good, but I recommend listening to the album first.

The 7" (320 kbps) You might be able to buy a copy here!

In update news, if you enjoy Enewetak and Burning Kitchen, go to the comment boxes for those posts to find some more free goodies!

Curious Guy is also a Generous Guy

We can thank Curious Guy of the prolific and compelling Phoenix Hairpins and System//Sabotage//Chaos blogs for ripping today's featured split between Japan's Deride and Singapore's Minus (Underground Warder Productions, 2000). Even with two blogs to manage, he still found the time to send this gem our way. What a guy!

On to the music: this time, Deride's tracks have a more burning spirits feel to them, but there's a bit less of that seizure-inducing punch and power evident on their Mangrove EP and the recent LP. No matter, though, because Deride completely kills, and anything they do is worth repeat listens on a loud volume setting. As far as Minus is concerned, this is my only exposure to them thus far, and possibly to any hardcore/crust band from Singapore. Minus's sound is (all-caps) RAW in it's crusty power and simplicity. There may be nothing new or dynamic about the band's approach, but there's a feeling of authenticity and genuine conviction that leaves an impact for sure.

Thanks again to Curious Guy (who ripped this disk at 256 kbps!). You're a real class-act in this hectic and congested blogotropolis!

HERE

"You can get out of here, if you haven't killed anybody..."

In case you don't have these six crushers, here's Enewetak's "Easy Rider Sessions Vol. 1" EP, revealing the band at its most "southern" (California?). Think Sleep's "Volume One"-era material, but more evil (ie. Eyehategod & Noothgrush!). The band's sound morphed at about three different points in its life, but the members seem very at home with these dirty sludge riffs. Lyrically, it's the usual topics: death, destruction, violence, and exploitation. One exception would be "It's A Small World After All," which, in no uncertain terms, bashes the idea of compensating descendants of slaves for the injustices against their ancestors. Oooo, controversy! I see their point, but I'm curious what spurred them to make a song about it. Anywho, this is a nice component to the sludge cannon, and for those who want more, check out Tafkata, another burly sludge beast formed by Enewetak personnel.

Here

"To the west... the orange glow"

In 1995, I talked myself out of going to a show alone after my friend cut out on me. The show's line-up: Crudos, Man Is The Bastard, Gehenna, and Enewetak. Man, I suck. It was one of those decisions for which the regret has never subsided...

Of all the bands at that show, Enewetak are the probably the least recognizable, making them a great choice for a post. Enewetak must have seeped out of the same Godless chasm from which arose Rorschach, Gehenna, and Unruh. Are they metal? Hardcore? Metalcore? Who gives a fuck!? They completely destroyed! On their last full length, "Onward To Valhalla," (Crawlspace Records, 1997), Enewetak's songwriting reflects their disinterest in settling into comfortable genre expectations. Alternating between intricate, chunky metal picking, gargantuan sludge riffage, and occasional fits of blast-beat grind, the band never lets the listener lock into any particular groove for too long. A true edge-of-your-seat experience here, from one of the only great things to come out of Orange County, California.

Members of Enewetak went on to be in/are still in The Accident, Tafkata, The Touching Game, and Run. Dash. Sprint. "Onward" seems to be out of print, so here it is ripped at 320...

Onward

Crazy Fucked Up Daily Live

The words "live" and "bootleg" don't foreshadow much in the way of sound quality. However, the difficulty in finding any release by elusive thrash punks, CFDL, makes this live one-sided 12" quite a catch. Recorded on December 13, 1993, the 12 tracks herein reveal a young CFDL playing their guts out with only moments of massive feedback as reprieves from the raw thrashing turmoil. Some of their classics appear, including "Tofu Song" and "Religion Make Unhappy," a few of which were not yet released at the time of this recording (I assume... and yes, they play their version of Siege's "Conform"!). This is cool piece of CFDL history, which I hope someone else out there will enjoy.

Click

"Make Sure The Machine Is On When God Is Calling"

Every once in a while I seek comfort in a little melody, and this would be one of those days. Today's reason for singing is a split LP between Goatboy and Drunk. Ontario, Canada's GB start it off with a heaping 13 tracks of impassioned idealism in the form of melodic hardcore. Present on each track is a nice mix of snottiness and sincerity, which tends to remind me of fellow Northerners I Spy and Propaghandi, as well as other similar and obscure bands like The Krupted Peasant Farmerz and Quadiliacha. I didn't realize how long Goatboy has been around, but their discography cites their first sign of recorded life at 1990. I couldn't really say at this point if they're still active...

I dig Goatboy, but to be honest I bought this split because of Drunk-- a Norwegian rock-punk band of considerable brilliance, whose lineage branches off from such God-like entities as So Much Hate and Life...But How To Live It?. Sounding nothing like their forefather bands, Drunk's modus is a more refined form of rock, but the punk pulse cannot be subdued. Sometimes it remains below the surface, driving the slower tracks with a tense energy; but at other times ("Ransom"; "Murder") it runs the show, pushing the tempo into a punk rock frenzy, and arresting the listener with a crescendo of clean, driving guitars, salient vocal melodies, and poignantly perplexing lyrics. Being so used to rougher forms of rock, it took a while for me to adjust to the Drunk's medium. I'm glad I didn't give up, because it's pure genius! The band's exquisite (and sole) full length, "Company Tie," is widely available-- hopefully you will/have pick(ed) it up. And, if you haven't heard So Much Hate or Life... But How To Live It?, I don't know what else to say, but get thee hence and hence immediately! (You can also hear Drunk cover Leatherface's "Razorblades and Aspirin" here).

I wanted this LP to be ripped at 320 kbps, so I did, but it was ever so slightly too big. Therefore:

Goatboy Side

Drunk Side

Alive With Doubt

Labels and comparisons become pointless with bands like Niigata City's Deride. The energy on their F.T.L.E 7" (Mangrove Label, 1999) is explosive enough to blast away all hardcore barriers. I can imagine X-ed out youth crew kids, bestudded crusties, and all those between and around going ape-shit over this. Deride is hardcore, plain and simple, in all its glorious raw power. Years after the release of this 7", the band issued forth a mighty LP that continues the legacy. I'm not sure what else they've recorded, but I'd sure like to find out.

The F.T.L.E. 7"

Barrel-Aged Hardcore

The supposed death of hardcore doesn't seem to phase some folks. Take, for example, Violent Arrest, whose members, in the form of Ripcord, slammed the tomb door on the Reagan-Thatcher era with their own violent US-influence (but still uniquely UK) thrash. Their new band is certainly not some defeated, sad bastard ensemble either; it is, fortunately, a continuation of the Ripcord sound (minus some speed)-- straight-forward, defiant, infectious hardcore! These thrashers have been and still are the real thing. If you haven't heard Violent Arrest yet, this ten track 7" (Deranged Records) is as good a place to start as any. The tracks below were ripped from my copy of the EP, but if you go to the label site, you can order VA's CD containing everything they've released so far (including the EP), and/or pick up the vinyl of their excellent 12", or go to VA's Myspace page to get higher quality mp3s.

Link has been removed. This was a limited-time-only download. Check the links above and support the bands! (There's also a couple of tracks in the singingbox).

Menses, Murderer, Animal, Give Head, Puke

Since getting the "Fucking Noise Terror" comp. many years ago, I'd been wanting to hear more material from manic Japanese thrash punk unit, Jack With Killer. I was successful in tracking down this "Counterattack From An Obscure H.C." EP (Six Weeks Records), but could use some help in finding more. Meanwhile, I'm happy to chew on these six sloppy, noisy punk jams, which occasionally break out into blast beat conniptions. Do I enjoy the little studio trick used to "enhance" many of the tracks? Not particularly. But it doesn't detract from the listening pleasure provided by a band that didn't forget to include FUN in the hardcore equation. For fans of Quill, The Fasts, Slight Slappers, Romantic Gorilla...

Give it a try

Back Cover

The Apocalypse Will Not Be Televised

Argeniz requested more grindcore, and even though the above cover looks a little fruity, this is grind! Senseless Apocalypse gave me one of my favorite live experiences, so I'm proud to present their first CD, "Senseless Stereotyped Idea" (H:G Fact, 1999). Here you'll receive 25 spankings of spazzed-out, multi-vocaled grind that never seems to get old. Well-played, with well-placed tempo shifts... this is how it should be done! After nine years, the band has finally issued another full length, and although I haven't heard it yet, I can safely assume that it cranks!

D/L "SSI"

Jesus Hates Out Cold

I've already sung my praises for the integrity of Massachutsetts hardcore mainstays, Out Cold, so I'll make this brief. In their 20 years, these guys have been consistent as heck in releasing record after badass record of old school, Negative Approach/Negative FX-influenced hardcore with very little recognition (considering the quality and quantity). Every time I let myself "absorb" one of their releases, it becomes my favorite; this time it's "Warped Sense Of Right And Wrong" (Kangaroo Records, 1997. I think it's out of print, but you may find a straggler here). It has great riffs, tight playing, varied and angry vocal ejaculations, and even decent production. The only thing not awesome about this record is the cover design (but maybe you already noticed that). As a bonus, we get to hear vocalist, Sheehan, yell "retard" repeatedly in his "Masshole" accent! I'm not usually one to pass judgment on people, but if you can't respect Out Cold, you may very well be a poser.



Listen

Groincore

So this is what I've been listening to in past weeks when I'm feeling pissed. It isn't happy music that provides the therapy; it's the violent, hateful stuff. This prescription combines two kilograms of brutal intercontinental grindcore from Groinchurn and Wojczech (South Africa and Germany respectively). Granted, one of Groinchurn's offerings is a "joke" track, but you wouldn't know it from the music. Both bands display a youthful crudity on these early outings, so if you like your grind raw but still well played, you know the drill...

Get it.

You're Damned Either Way

Burning Kitchen was a catchy, energetic punk band with previous and current connections to The Spidercunts and Imperial Leather. I imagine them as a modern Avengers, but more obnoxious and more... Swedish. The "Damn If You Do Damn If You Don't" 10" was recorded in '99 and released by Alerta Antifascista and Funai Records. This little inferno showcases ten instant classics and ablsolutely nothing resembling a throw-away . It's now OOP, but check your favorite distros, and you may find a copy, drunkenly overstaying its welcome...

D/L

"NOT the pussy-ass pop-punk band..."

This blog is becoming GOB-central, but you're just gonna have to deal with it. There are several GOBular treats on this blog, just click here to see them all. This time we have an early split 7" they released on Bovine Records with obscure Swiss noise punk band, Designer. GOB's tracks are slightly different in the vocals department, but otherwise it's still the dreary, down-tuned, pulsating, heretical noise-sludge I've come to need in my life. The copy from whence these tracks were ripped was a little mistreated in its life, but these bands are noisy enough to the point that it doesn't matter. Neither band thought it necessary to supply song titles, but there's five of 'em-- two by GOB, three by Designer.

Enjoy

Last Call For Saké

Thanks to a kind, anonymous commenter (you rock!), I was finally let in on the last piece (?) to the Saké puzzle: "Unnatural Disasters" a.k.a. the Saké/Submission Hold split LP. Saké was a talented and awesome band, so if you're unfamiliar, click here for all Saké posts on this site...

These final five Saké tracks display the band at its most mature and contemplative (although I'm still a bit partial to their 10"). Expect the usual hard rockin' riffs, dual male/female screaming, violin melodies, and personal/political lyrics. The songwriting this time, however, is less "in your face," and tends to stay with slower, moodier themes longer, which contributes a more atmospheric dimension to their sound. To add further to this, Saké's track list is punctuated with a nice instrumental acoustic piece ("Myesis")-- a lovely swan song for a sadly under-appreciated band.

Now, Submission Hold is a band that I've been putting off exploring for some time. One thing can be said about them: within the hardcore pantheon, they are certainly one of the most innovative bands. SH combine the cacophonous, jarring chaos of the Ebullition sound, with the further unpredictability of avant-jazz and indie/progressive rock/post-hardcore. Within each track, you're sure to experience the confrontational quality of Spitboy, as well as the quiet-before-the-storm aspect of Indian Summer or Maximilian Colby (with the occasional flute trilling to accent the whole experience). While not the easiest music experience to "get into," it is admirable for its originality and its intermittent brilliance. You can view the band's discography here if you're interested in ordering their available releases.

D/L "Unnatural Disasters" HERE

Living In (pause) Suburban Wasteland...

When I first heard the "Flex Your Head" Comp, I was instantly on a mission to find more Void and Artificial Peace stuff. At the time, the Void/Faith split was an easy find. Artificial Peace was a different situation. I was lucky enough to stumble a few years later upon this disc put out by Lost & Found "Records." As you can easily see, it collects every studio recording by Artificial Peace, as well as the entire "Double Image" LP by Marginal Man (the (punk) rock band members would form later). So the math works out like this: 11 tracks by Marginal Man; 37 (!) tracks by Artificial Peace; 48 tracks total; 100 MBs. AP really didn't write much material, so many of the tracks are repeats. It's still great to hear them all, as Artificial Peace are one of my favorite early DC hardcore bands, and Marginal Man is pretty catchy too. Incidentally, if you like Marginal Man, they have just reissued a newly remastered version of "Double Image" with a huge booklet and live videos. They are selling it for super cheap right now, so go here for more info.

Check It Out

"Red! Red! I'm Seein' Red!"

This post concerns two split 10 inchers involving veteran post-Lärm Dutch thrashers and socialist propaganda machine, Seein' Red. It would seem that these gents have been putting out the same record for years, but in no way is that bad. It's completely inspirational to see and hear a band that can stick to their principles and maintain their aggression consistently for so long. Not to mention, after hearing a few Seein' Red songs, I'm so amped I wanna pick up some red flags and start a general strike! Seriously, I totally respect this band's convictions, and split 10's are the best way to enjoy their noise-- if you're missing either of these records, download away!. First up is their split with Catweazle. On this one Seein' Red offer eleven whopping tracks of the fast as hell, feedback infused hardcore you can't help but love. There's a bit more variation than usual on these tracks, making this possibly my favorite Seein' Red release. Their fellow countrymen, Catweazle offer a different kind of punk: metallic, cleanly played, mid-paced hardcore. Lots of energy and talent from all the musicians in this band, some of whom played in an array of other Dutch bands, including Fleas and Lice.


Download HERE (256 Kbps)

Up next is the Seein' Red's split with yet another very different Dutch band, Shikari. Seein' Red offer eight originals and a cover of "Myth Of Freedom" by Manliftingbanner (the "other" post-Lärm band). The band's reliability comes through again- all the tracks are fast, angry, and noisy! So throw on your Ché beret, start a pit, then start a revolution!

Shikari are fairly "popular" in various hardcore circles, but in case you're not familiar, they played a heavy version of the screamy hardcore that broke out in the nineties. Stylistic similarities point to such bands as (Union of) Uranus, One Eyed God Prophecy, and perhaps mid-period Envy (Japan). Tons of emotional despondency on these four tracks, which are also available on the band's discography CD.

Get it HERE (256 Kbps)

Get a real copy HERE

Fortress North America

This post is my own farewell to a great modern punk band, Ballast. It seems that after two great EPs and two excellent LPs, the band members have moved on (some to a new band called Preying Hands). Ballast has been compared to many other bands, but in my opinion, the two most accurate would be Lost World and Bread and Water. This band had it all: angst, energy, melody, emotion, sincerity... They are already missed, and will be for a long while (at least by this blogger...).

As for the free music, today you get Ballast's two 7 inches. The first, "Numb Again" was self-released and consists of four demo tracks (I believe). The second was released on (and may or may not be available still from) Stonehenge Records, and consists of four tracks recorded the same year as the first. Both records are great, but Ballast's full-lengths are where it's at. Check with Profane Existence, Trujaca Fala, or Inimical Records to get a copy of "Sound Asleep" and "Fuse" (both are awesome!).

Get both EPs HERE

"Urge For Going" (To The Beach)

The weather right now is too nice to remain sequestered in my cave-like room blogging, so I'll make this short. DPPS is a crazed Japanese band that plays fast hardcore/grind. You may remember them from their split with Nailed Down. On this "Urge for Going" 7" (NAT Records, 1997) they aren't as fast, but they are much noisier (the production is fairly terrible...). One thing's for sure, some of the most vicious dual vocal assaults can be found on this little six-banger. For fans of Dropdead, Disclose, etc...

(PS: Whether the song title "Illtelligence" is a mistake or not, it's brilliant!)

Get some "Mental Pollusion" (sic) HERE

Ugly Packaging For Ugly Music

Deer Healer Records may decide to repress this recent Hatred Surge 7" if "demand is high enough." It sold out by the first day of release. I think that indicates a pretty hefty demand...

Until its reissue, I'll be glad to supply you with some homemade rips. Hatred Surge, as many know, is one the the most genuinely brutal grind/fastcore bands around. When I found out about this two song EP ("Servant" b/w "Bestial"), I expected one of the shortest records of all time (seeing as how most HS tracks last 30 seconds on average). Instead, the band uses this opportunity to expand their sound with two slow, deliberate, and heavy tracks that experiment with off-kilter time signatures and noise (combined with the usual heavy distortion/volume). This isn't the usual rectal splitting grind we are used to, but after a few listens I found it to be equally awesome!

This time around, Hatred Surge consists of Alex (vocals, and everything else) and Faiza (vocals) (same as their last couple of releases). On "Servant," Breathing Problem provides some noise embellishments. The packaging, as you can see, is not so much ugly, as it is minimal as hell (which is okay by me... lyrics are provided at least).

Link has been removed- Dear Healer Records has made this 7" available again!

Strictly For The Completists...

Have you ever listened to "Rock For Light" and wondered what it would sound like if the mixing was... different? Good, same here. Lucky for me, and the two of you out there who hear me, I stumbled across this 12" consisting of four tracks that would end up on "Rock For Light," but, as insinuated above, are mixed differently (better in my opinion). The main aspect that excites me is the fact that the bass can actually be heard in the hardcore songs (and on the one reggae song, "I & I Survive," the bass is almost overbearingly upfront, but that's okay with me)! But I think the overall improvement lies in the reduction in the saturation of treble that seemed like an annoyingly shiny layer of cellophane over the album recordings (the guitar tone on these versions is meaner, and HR doesn't sound like he'd been huffing helium along with his spliff (at least not as much)). Anyway, much like my experience with the "Omega Sessions," it's incredibly refreshing to hear these songs in a new/old light.

Although this post is more for the obsessive Bad Brains fans, I bet this would make a great introduction for any newcomer to the hardcore situation. If you haven't checked out Bad Brains' material from the early eighties, I can't urge you enough to do so. As mentioned in the last Bad Brains post, it is no longer worth discussing the fundamentalism and bigotry of (a) certain band member(s). So, on that note, this post is dedicated to all the queers and heathens!

Tracks:
1. "Coptic Times"
2. " Destroy Babylon"
3. "Joshua's Song"
4. "I & I Survive"

Hear it HERE

Back Cover

For Those Bitter About Life In General

Judging from the download stats, the visitors who happen upon this site like their music with plenty of speed. I haven't neglected to notice this, and to prove it, here's a fast one for you. This LP, "Trapped Inside" is, I believe, the first full length by LA "powerviolence" heroes, Lack of Interest (Slap-A-Ham Recs, not sure about the date, but it's SAH 52). This record sees the band at its most raw, pummeling you with 24 tracks (only four of which break the one minute mark, and even then only barely) of unbridled spite delivered with surgical precision. The terse vocals are most definitely influenced by fellow Burbankers, Infest. The Denunzio intonation is hard not to notice, but on these recordings I also detect some of that guttural barking of Paul Bearer (Sheer Terror). Either way, this outing is fierce as hell, and there's even a few LOI classics that (would) appear(ed) elsewhere in different form, such as "What's Up" and "My Life." LOI's album "Take Another Step" is easy to find in some distros and ebay stores, but you can find their split EP with Stapled Shut and various comp. tracks here, their split with Spazz here, and their unreleased LP with a different singer here.


Download "Trapped Inside" HERE


Back Cover

Baba Yaga, Squawk, Zap, Rum-ti-Tum...

No, the above image is not of E.T. undergoing a gynecological exam. It is, however, an icon used often in the cover and label art of UK band, Witchknot (I'm not an anthropologist, so if you have any info about this icon...). So what about the music? Well, since you've forced me to describe it: pagan-feminist-dada-post-punk. Maybe not. Witchknot is not easy to label, and to do so may not be very fair to begin with. So what's the bottom line regarding the listening experience? It's fuckin' brilliant! The driving force of the band's music starts with the bass and drums, which almost always combine to create amazingly infectious rhythms (and there's plenty of cowbell for you CB fans out there!). The melodies are provided by the violin and cello parts, which are simple but incredibly effective, and by, of course, the powerful vocals which alternate between beautiful singing, impassioned yelling and grunting, haunting harmonies, and quirky chants and incantations. The guitar may not be the driving force, but the cacophonous chords and wildly picked rhythms add a definite signature to an already unique sound. Some of you may want to accuse the band of trying too hard to be "artsy" or different, but even YOU might find, after listening, that all these parts combine and move seamlessly and organically. As off-kilter as Witchknot's sound appears at first, there's universal pop appeal that will surely enchant you and hold you spellbound if you let your guard down long enough.

What's also curious about most of Witchknot's releases, is that they were put out by Flat Earth Records (RIP), the hardcore label responsible for putting out records by Sedition, Ebola, etc. The download link below contains the "Squawk" LP, the "Suck" EP (both on Flat Earth), and some comp. tracks I found on a certain P2P site. Witchknot will not be for everybody, but if you're musically malleable enough to enjoy Guts Pie Earshot, Red Monkey, Spitboy, and/or The Horny Mormons, this band may change your life...





Listen


Also, check out three of the members' new band, Baba Yaga.

Crow

The longevity and integrity of Japanese bands is truly to be marveled at. Bands of the past are rising again, left and right, often just as good or better than their previous incarnations. Crow is one of the best examples, and I think we can agree that anything they put their name on is worth having or at least downloading. The offering for today is a tour 7" put out by Prank in 2005. I believe only 500 of these were released. The material can be either looked upon as two tracks using very similar themes (musically and lyrically), or perhaps one continuous track in two parts. Side A starts the repetitive hypnotic riffing at an upbeat (punk) tempo, overlaid with unstructured lead guitar meanderings and repetitive, echoed vocals (by the way, I friggin' love the new Crow vocals!). Side AA (B) continues this format, but at a more frantic, paranoid, galloping pace. Although not the most dynamic songwriting, this disc is an interesting exercise, and worth a listen. (Note: Not surprisingly, members of Crow are in a weird Psyche band called Death Comes Along).

Destroy the Miserable Dominant HERE

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

Javier is The Man! & Logical Nonsense Rules!

We have The Man, Javier O., to thank for both Logical Nonsense related records posted here. Javier was good enough to upload some rips of the rare "Deadtime" LP a while back. Then after informing me about LN's split with 23 More Minutes, he uploaded those tracks too! I usually like to post records I actually own, but these two are so remarkable and rare, I've got to do a post anyway (actually, I just found a test press of the 23 More Minutes split for dirt cheap on a certain auction site...). I'm sure Javier is cool with it, since as he mentioned before, the more people who hear this stuff, the better!

First up is Logical Nonsense's "Deadtime" LP, of which only 835 copies were ever pressed (in 1993, Very Small Records). On this debut full length, LN begins to work out their dark, vicious hardore that would evolve some on their split with Grimple, and further on their two Alternative Tentacles albums. Much of the material on this one is in line with the sound on the Grimple split, but with melodically sung (!) vocals off and on. I've grown to really love this slab....

Going further back, the 23 More Minutes/Logical Nonsense split was released in a single pressing of 1136 (in 1991, Very Small Records). Prior to hearing these rips, I only knew 23 More Min. from their ode to debonaire, humanitarian game show host, Bob Barker, on the "Vinyl Retentive" Comp. On the split here, they offer seven tracks of their quirky punk/hard rock. If you like Samiam, Rites of Spring, etc, you may (or may not) like these guys. Now, as far as Logical Nonsense's tracks go, the band is surprisingly "upbeat" and melodic. Maybe it's just surprising to me because I have been listening to all their other material for so long. The twelve LN songs are good, but I mainly love them for their historical value, as sort of embryonic artifacts of the Logical Nonsense discography.

D/L Logical Nonsense's "Deadtime" LP Here

D/L The 23 More Minutes/Logical Nonsense Split LP

Here

Scrotum Grinder

Half the population will cringe at Scrotum Grinder's name, but once you're over that, I think you'll find the experience rather pleasing. SG is yet another southern band that plays to the colder, darker side of the human experience, conjuring the atmosphere of Karst and Damad, but approaching it by way of the aggressive, discordant route of Initial State, Chronicle A/D, Anti-Product, etc. The tempos on this debut 7" (Burrito Records, 1997) are unpredictable, which I love, and the vocals are some more of that harsh female fire like that of the above bands, or Ojorojo. This is a quick little record, but it packs some serious heat! Some trivia: The bass player, Steve Kosiba was in In/Humanity and played bass in Assück for about five years. Scrotum Grinder also released a split 7" with Combatwoundedveteran and an LP/CD on Prank Records (the latter of which is fairly easy to find).

Back Cover










Get SG's "Geld" EP here