Of Flexis And Democracy

I like the idea of posting a 7" on a Saturday morning; it doesn't take up too much of your or my time on this leisurely day of the week (and if you have to work today, well then, sucks to be you :(. To supplement your cartoon watching capers, hang-over nursings, and post soccer game r'n r, I have for you a flexi from two out of control hardcore bands: Amen (Finland) and Damnable Excite Zombies (Japan... obviously). Amen are irreverent and crusty and produced a bunch of 7"s over the years (mostly in the early nineties). Most of their releases are pretty rare, and if my copy isn't in too horrible shape, I may post their 7" with the cover depicting an inflatable Catholic sex nun doll (!). DEZ had a similar career, but play super energetic hardcore like their country-mates, Deride. They also win my personal award for my favorite refrigerator magnet poetry/Japanese Engr/lish band name (leave a comment if you have a favorite). They produce some awesome tunes, as well, and you can go here for further punishment.

Warning: there's a slight bump on my copy, creating a "flange" experience; but what do you expect from the vinyl equivalent of a Nerf Frisbee? Just don't listen to it with headphones on, and it'll be alright.

Here

So, in my attempt to include you in my postings, I'd like to get a request thing going. Below are some bands I will eventually do posts on. Help me choose what to post next by leaving a comment!

Gloom (Japan)

Dawnbreed

Drunk

Enewetak

Iabhorher

Cattle Press

Inward

Apeface

Books Lie

Swarrrm

Simbiose

Sin Dios

Crude BE

Harsh

El Nudo

Huasipungo

Quarantine

Khatarina

Human Greed

Ananda

Sacrilege (UK)

Siekiera

Takaru

A Light In The Attic

Revolt (Japan)

Saturation (Canada)

Grinch

Terminal Youth

DFA

Kisses And Hugs

Gus (Florida)

The Neighbors (San Diego!)

Dead Wrong (UK)

Vanilla

Ambulance

Glycine Max

Out Cold

Edora (Singapore)

Forced Expression

Vivisick

Farcical

Protess

Wormwood

Cursed

Rice

Magrudergrind

Harum Scarum

Abigail

Token Tantrum

Pisschrist

Senseless Apocalypse/Slight Slappers

Stapled Shut

Deride

Shikabane...

Potential Reposts:

Asebia

"In The Spirit Of Total Rebellion..." Comp

Terminal Youth

Bonescratch 12"

Daymare 7"

Complacency Comp.

Okay, let me know if you want to see any of these or anything else posted soon. Bye.

Plutophobia- The Repost!

After a delay, a bit of plutocrastination if you will, I found some time to re-rip the live split LP between NorCal and SoCal violence purveyors, Plutocracy and Phobia. Both sets have pretty great sound quality, and this time the rips are at 320 with photos included. Grind your fucking head in...

...over here.

Dead And Gone

After finally hearing the Dead And Gone/Gaia split, I was ready to look into some early stuff by D&G. Total dumbass that I am, I had their first 7" in my crates! I really need to stop getting records, 'cause this is getting ridiculous. I bought this little future piece of history back when it was released (probably from Vacuum Distro), so exhumation time is way over due. D&G's debut supplies some refreshingly in-your-face hardcore jams that pick up right where Econochrist and early Logical Nonsense left Off. Sinister and smart hardcore for and by sinister, smart people...

D&G EP (On Vinyl Communications, Chula Vista... yeah!)

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"

Tragedy's Uncle

I tend to dote on the "Nightmares" LP by ...From Ashes Rise, so I've kind of neglected their earlier work. You know what? These guys were pretty awesome from the start! Take this first 7" for example, "Fragments Of A Fallen Sky." It may not be as Swedish or "Memphis" sounding as their 12"s, but the brooding atmosphere and crushing guitar thunder foretold of a band whose name would be used to describe hundreds of imitators in coming years. Hear how it all began...

"FOAFS" by FAR

The Stench Won't Blow Away

Counterblast's masterpiece-- the intricately composed death knell for the post-industrial nightmare. This is still available in places like this and this and you can find mp3s on Soulseek, but I really wanted some high bit rate rips (320, from a clean vinyl copy). Just thought I'd share. I imagine Skuld will repress this eventually, so the link won't be up forever...

"Balance of Pain" LP

O Thrower Of Feces

Muckspreader, also known as that band Spider was in after Zygote & Amebix, was a short-lived crust band and its output shows it. Besides the four songs on the 10" posted here, they released a 7" and did a Subhumans cover on a tribute comp. Other than that, I'm unaware of any other output (please comment if you're of a more enlightened bent). The band stays out of the rut of crust redundancy by absorbing and interpreting the styles of all the great UK bands of their recent past: Axegrinder, Deviated Instinct, Spine Wrench, Filthkick, Zygote, Amebix... maybe a little Bad Influence (?...I know, they're Belgian). The 10" compiles a pretty wide array of sounds: a slow chunky crust dirge ("Muckspreader"), a mid-paced punk ditty ("Browner"), a galloping thrash attack ("Original Sin"), and a sludgy throw-back rocker ("No Stranger To The Knives"). Quite an interesting ride...

The 10" (This EP is in pretty bad shape, so sorry about the noise...)

Song Of The Week: "Man Is Blind" (Extinction Of Mankind)

Man, I've been on one hell of a crust kick these past weeks. I think when things get stressful I revert to the rawest form of music I know. Things are starting to slow down, so expect a little more variety in coming weeks. But for now, the tide brings all things crusty! Outsiders must think the crust aesthetic silly with its black and white images of war and hyperbolic lyrics and song titles about extinction and wastelands. Since first hearing Nausea and Amebix, though, the allure hasn't weakened for me, sustained perhaps by that psychic residue of '80's cold war paranoid that marked the time of my upbringing (maybe it's been reduced to a more subliminal level now?). Whenever crust started to get tired out, I would always find some band or record that would rekindle the fire; the Extinction Of Mankind/Doom split 7" was one of these. I played that thing over and over during the mid '90's, but it was "Man Is Blind" that I was wanting and waiting to hear. This song has almost more of crust's most active ingredient, power, than it can contain. It's sloppy, metallic, noisy, pissed... it's crust as fuck, and I love it!

"Man Is Blind"

Little Big City Of Dead Dreams

This one goes out to The Pope for posting all the awesome Vae Victis (Reno) records. I've had them on vinyl for a while, and I've got to say that as a fan of dark hardcore this band ranks way up there! Here's the final, vinyl piece of their discography, the "Reno (Where Dreams Come To Die)" LP compilation. 10 Reno acts gather here, ranging in style from old school hardcore, to grindcore, death metal, emotive DC rock, and pirate punk! Of course, Vae Victis show up for two total ass-rapers, and there's another double appearance by that Merck Manuel of hardcore and grind, Iron Lung. Those two bands are definitely the highlights, but Redrum and Headgrenade come out of this as favorites too. Check it out.

Here.

The bands: Redrum, Headgrenade, Vae Victis, This Computer Kills, The Livid, The Shookups, Bloody Victim, Iron Lung, All Opposed To The Freedom You Have To Buy, The Scurvy Bastards.

Get Your Laws Off My Body

There's music you have to be "in the mood for," and then there's Harum Scarum. This band's records could make me want to build a pipe bomb, poop on a Hummer, throw a manhole cover through a Starbucks window, adopt a dog, ride a bike, and crochet organic hemp mittens all before the stylus reaches the end of side A. HS may very well be the perfect punk band for me. They've packed a bipolar survival kit for the modern world teeming with enchanting yet abrasive melodies, informed by a sense of hope fueled by bitterness. Yep. Love 'em. Oh yeah, this is Harum Scarum's 7". It's got a couple of rough cuts of songs that would appear on "Mental Health" and a couple of tracks that I think only appeared on their demo. Scans, 320 Kbps and all that; my copy has endured some wear and tear, so keep that in mind. Since I've been feeling generous lately, the link below also has...


...the Harum Scarum/Stupor split 7". If you have "Suppose We Try" then the HS tracks will sound familiar (rough versions once again). Stupor are from Poland (I believe) and are another example of how raw crust-core never stops being powerful as long as it doesn't neglect the flow of good ol' piss and vinegar! If you like the vocals of Unhinged and Ojorojo, then there's another reason to...


download both 7"s

Song Of The Week: "The Mad Dog" (Judgement)

There are hundreds of hardcore songs that get my blood boiling, but "The Mad Dog" is way up there on the list. Just the thought of members of Bastard and Death Side joining forces will heat things up, but the actual output?... totally delivers! I love "The Mad Dog" especially because it showcases the hints of despondent melody the band would throw in once in a while to set them apart from all the other Burning Spirits greats. I don't own anything by Judgement, mainly because I simply can't afford the prices people are asking. But I've got all the material from the 3 or 4 EPs they released on mp3, and I go back to those tracks as often as I do Bastard's stuff (and that's pretty damned often!). Tons of blogs probably have the Judgement EPs, so start searching... you won't regret it!

"The Mad Dog"

I figured this band came and went long ago considering the rarity of their vinyl, but according to this flyer I got a couple of days ago... well, look below the Amebix logo...

Great Big Shit Sandwich

As prophesied, I've got some more dirty noise for you from the Bay Area's notorious band of marauding crust-metal bandits, Depressor. Today you get their EP (Caustic Records) containing five originals and a stomping cover of "Largactyl," and their split with Agathocles (Dental Records) with 3+ tracks from each band: Depressor at its most evil, and Agatho at its minciest. If you still want more Depressor, check out their split with Unholy Grave here or here, and their glorious "Book Of The Dead" 2x7" here. For more Agathocles, check everywhere.

The EPs

Deformed Excrement

The crust bonanza continues with a nineties classic: The Deformed Conscience/Excrement Of War split LP. This thing is so crusty I had to scrape barnacles off of it before I could rip it for you! I feel like this has been posted elsewhere, but the bustling blogotropolis can only benefit from more rip-choices. DC played kinetic crust that sometimes bordered on grindcore, and was backed by a hyper-active drummer who knew how to spice things up. They have/had a discography double LP available from Unrest Records, and members went on to form another raging band called Hail Of Rage (discography also available from Unrest). Now, as far as I know, EOW's material is not as easy to find. Their take on the Doom/Hiatus style of UK raw-punk/crust is pretty damned scathing, although I miss "Cathode Ray Coma" which I foolishly sold long ago. The tracks on this split are pretty straight forward and this time feature Mags doing the vocal work by herself. Don't forget to stop by 7 Inch Crust and Am I Mean? to pick up a couple of EOW splits.

The LP

Song Of The Week: "Springtime" (Leatherface)

They say that SoCal has no seasons, but it does. The changes are just subtle. Being a kind-of-outdoors man, I feel a little more in tune with these changes. One thing's for sure, no matter where you are, spring is pretty friggin' magical time (yeah, the bugs can suck... but whatever). I had all kinds of grandiose plans for the blog during my Spring Break, but I'd much rather be on a mountain somewhere, which is exactly what's about to happen. No new posts for a few days, but I leave you with the cheeriest of my favorite Leatherface tracks (of which there are many), "Springtime." Joyful as it may seem, like all good art it's tinged with that necessary bit of sorrow, and a nostalgia and praise of youthful naivete reminiscent of the Romantic English poets. This isn't the first Leatherface SOTW, and it won't be the last.

"Springtime"

There's a little bit of springtime in the back of my mind
Remembers when there was a time when we danced
And we laughed spent some time drinking wine
And somewhere in there there's a little child without a thought
Without a doubt that every cloud is silver lined
He is warm and everything is new and everything is clean
And everything is free and there were still so many things to see
So many things so many things left to be very small drop in the
Middle of the big sea of high and mighty things
Your fascination for larger than life your brand new appetite
As though we'd invented it and we danced
There's a little bit of springtime in the back of my mind
Remembers things perhaps as they should have been
Rather than the lies rather that the cruelty
That sometimes we were guilty of as everybody knows
We were only young and really couldn't have known
We were very young and though it's nice to know there's a place to go
There's still so many things left to see
Little drop in the middle of the big sea of high and mighty things
Your fascination for larger than life your brand new appetite
And there's springtime in my mind and I'd rather be alive
As though we'd invented it and we danced
It could have been the longest time and I'll remember it
You don't know what's in store when we laugh

Dragged To Hell By Angels

I feel almost guilty disseminating Depressor's arcane "Book Of The Dead." But, hey, it's too amazing to be secretly fondled by the mere 666 of us who managed to get our nerdy mitts on a copy. This double 7" easily has the most astoundingly awesome packaging of any record or CD I own. From the black and silver type and drawings of the main sleeve and inner sleeves, to the burnt pages (some of which are parchment) emblazoned with creepy pencil sketches, this thing just blows the mind! I almost forgot to play the records when I first got it, which was a serious blunder on my part. The eight tracks herein are the most "mature" of the band's output, alternating between galloping crusty metal and straight death metal. It's still rough and dirty, but there's a refinement on these songs that wasn't there before. The dark artwork of The Book complements some of the most evil and heavy metal you'll ever have the displeasure of enjoying. Ignore the itchy sensations you'll feel on your head and ass while playing this-- it's just the tail and horns you're growing.


All Depressor EP's and splits here


Some of my favorite pages from The Book (a reproduction is in the link above):











If you need some more Depressor, I'll be doing a post soon on their EP and split with Agathocles!

Keep It In Your Pants

Bands that release one good 7" and then break up... is it better to just forget about them? It's such a tease, you know? Since obscurity often fuels (and enshrouds) this blog, I'm gonna keep the rarities and one-hit-wonders coming. Tonight's post is the only release by Aphasia, who changed their name to Die Screaming and recording a demo under that name (hey, if I rotated the cover art the wrong way up there, let me know...). If your tastes are anything like mine, these four tracks would have you combing the web for whatever splits or comp tracks you could find. Sorry, no dice. This is it. So what is it? Super-charged nineties-style crusty hardcore with vocals that sound like a more pissed off Ashley from Signal Lost! Chani's vocal chutzpah really turns this good band into a great one; you know, one whose LPs you'd be more than willing to throw down some dough for (damn it!). Chani and Aaron started Icon Gallery, which sounds equally promising (but in a different sort of way), so support the hell out of them!

Aphasia 7"

Axis Of Stupidity

I'm feeling a little crusty tonight, but I bet the two bands on this split feel crusty all the damn time! What we have here are two of the finest examples of European battle axe-wielding crust-core sharing a split. Guided Cradle are one of the heaviest and meanest I've heard in the genre, and if you like Disrupt, you can't go wrong with these Czechs. Instinct of Survival are a little bit harder to nail these days, but I definitely hear a ton of old-fashioned grind and some heavy crust metal (the Napalm Death meets Sanctum comparison is too tempting not to use...). Supposedly this little nugget is going to be repressed by Yellow Dog Records, but until that happens...

D/L

Song Of The Week: "Closing In" (Kerosene 454)

My relationship with Kerosene 454 has always been cursory: a song here, an EP there. When I found "Came By To Kill Me" on vinyl recently, I figured it would be my chance to finally digest them in full. Turns out, this LP was a rip-roaring choice! Along with some of the releases on the side bar over there, this one has been on non-stop rotation for the last month. Much of the Dischord stuff from the mid nineties was a bit... 'dainty' for my liking, and it seems fitting that this LP was a split release. It's as if the band was some bastard child not quite worthy of full inheritance. To my tastes, it's brilliant. Ethereal guitar chords, good cop-bad cop vocals, and drumming that must have been provided by a disgruntled blacksmith... everything adds up to a pretty unique rock experience, yet the aesthetic ties to heavy indie acts like Fugazi, Drive Like Jehu, and Last Of The Juanitas make it all rather sweetly familiar.

The album is pretty stellar all the way through, but I chose "Closing In" for the usual reasons: it's one of my favorites, and it tightly epitomizes this most captivating moment in 454's lifetime. Check it out.

(Filepub's been kinda ghetto lately, so I put a back up link down below too.)

"Closing In"

"Closing In" (Mediafire)

Welcome to Hell

Sorry if the Jeniger LP has been posted elsewhere, but really it was just a matter of time before it appeared on this blog. Around the time of the demise of His Hero Is Gone, the plague of morbid brutality had already spread out of control globally. Every band and their little sister was overcome with the need to play their hardcore dark and heavy, and to work that chilling thread of melody into the barrage of pure destruction. Predictably, some of these second wavers were fairly incredible, Germany's Jeniger being one of the sneakier and deadlier examples of this elite strain. There's an overall sense of bleak minimalism dominating the songwriting, which is perfect because a sound informed by such raw emotion shouldn't try too hard to dazzle or distract from its own impact. The aptly named opening track, "Point Of No Return," should be enough to lure you into the band's desperate world, if not from the throbbing, distorted opening bass riff, then certainly from the mesmerizing drum march that follows. After that, there really is no turning back.

D/L

Infectious Hypnosis

I said I would put up some more Counterblast, and I'm happy to finally make good on that. "Impassivity" is the band's second full length, made available by Putrid Filth Conspiracy on double LP. I found a cheap copy of the Malaysian CD version, so what you get tonight is the CD ripped at 320 along with photos of the vinyl graphics. If you don't know by now, Counterblast are a formidable post-G-ANX metal/hardcore band that mix spacious, at times cold, ambiance with crushingly heavy, slow riffs. A few song-lengths on "Impassivity" could easily have been shortened, which is why I favor "Balance Of Pain" (that album just had some tight fuckin' songwriting). But all in all, "Impassivity" has some truly sublime moments of stark beauty and heaviness, not to mention awesome production and enough fast parts to make the G-ANX fans teary-eyed with nostalgia. I hope to post "Balance Of Pain" very soon, but it all depends on whether or not I can make good rips from my LP, or find high quality rips of the CD. The ones floating around soulseek are ripped at 192, so if you have the CD, perhaps you could help out?

This is a massive record in many ways, so I divided it into two parts. Due to its wide availability, I may have to remove the link in a couple of days.

"Impassivity"

Pick up some Counterblast material here:
Active Rebellion
Puke'n Vomit
Halvfabrikat
Power-It-Up
Catchphraze
Crust Punks
No Way Out
Instigate
Adipocere

Song Of The Week: "Easter Island" (Cull)

I know, I just posted Cull's "Erosion" CD not too long ago. But another post is in order because I'm still excited about it, Cull is on tour, and Jacqui was generous enough to send me an extremely limited and awesome version of the CD! The art and layout for this thing is handmade and it turned out amazing (see sample below), so try and get one from the band before they run out (they only made a hundred, so hurry!). They're playing Seattle tonight, and Oakland tomorrow, by the way, and these few dates may be your only chance. If you need a description, go to the original Cull post , or just check out my favorite track of theirs (this week) below... "Easter Island." Definitely beware and be aware of this incredible band!



"Easter Island"

A Wealth Of Ignorance

Mange's releases will make you re-assess what you used to consider "heavy." Oozing from the tar pits of SoCal, Mange lumbered like a zombie brontosaurus carcass on its own version of a feeding frenzy. This Phobia side project didn't drop too many releases in their long history; the first line-up put out the "Junkie" demo tape (1997) posted here, and the "Disillusioned" CD which I recommend you purchase here. Certain members of Dystopia and Anubis Rising joined up, and another demo was released way later (2005); you can listen to those tracks here. The "Junkie" demo doesn't have any exclusive tracks or anything, but below you can enjoy the authentic demo tape experience, complete with inconsistent volumes and lovely tape hiss. I enjoy it as the precursor to one of the heaviest records I've ever heard.

Junkie

I Found It

I'm playing hooky today, and the day wouldn't feel complete without doing something naughty, like doing a post when I'm too "sick" to work. This naughty little post also signals the end of a year and a half long search for Multi Facet's split 7" (with Sheephead, I found out...). When I posted the Zero Hour 7" two summers ago, a kind commenter mentioned this mysterious platter. I've since posted the band's other output, but it's time to bookend this mofo! Multi Facet were a mere blip of flatulence in the mid-nineties Bay Area hardcore "scene," but they were a loud and well placed one! Their approach was fairly straight forward, but accented with the playful of bass doodling and dark ambiance of Econochrist and the "post- Econochrist" bands in their neighborhood. And, with Jenean (Ojorojo) on vocals, this band could have been unstoppable; unfortunately the eight tracks posted on this site are all they released on vinyl. A belated RIP to an awesome band... enjoy the legacy (link below).

Sheephead, on the other side, played poppy punk like Crimpshrine or Fifteen, but with high fructose corn syrup added. It's catchy and fun, but they aren't much different than much of the pop hordes coming out of that time and place. Think of it as the Prozac to battle the depression Multi Facet will leave you with.

The split

Song Of The Week: "Masshysteri" (The Vicious)

I like hardcore. I like it fast; I like it angry. But right now I'm on a more melodic kick, which is where The Vicious enter the picture. Now, from what I understand, punk is dead. It died around '84, and now we have no recourse but to listen to stale MTV acts and shop at the local Hot Topic. No need to start a band, or scream about tearing it all down. Punk was there for the privileged few who were born at the right time and were savvy enough to seek it out. Fine, but I'm still gonna listen to The Vicious, if that's alright. By the above reasoning, The Vicious is not a punk band, but they happen to draw on influences surrounding that "P" label, especially from certain bands from California during the '80's. What they add is a modern sheen that's a composite of fairly mature songwriting, and some artful "doomtown" despondency. "Masshysteri" is a brilliant example of what this band could do, and the emotions it was capable of invoking. As is often the case with me, I find this band after they've broken up! The good news is that the guitarist has started another similar-sounding and similarly brilliant band called, fittingly, Masshysteri! Proceed with caution, as The Vicious sound is incredibly contagious. The "Igen" 7" and "Alienated" LP have stuck a flag in my turntable and claimed it for Sweden... and they aren't leaving any time soon...

"Masshysteri"

Visit Feral Ward to buy all things Vicious and Masshysteri!

Keep On Keeping On...

It's time to speed things up again. You may know Tokyo's incendiary ensemble, NK6, from their Yellow Beauty" 7" or their split with Dudman. If you do, then you also know that the Gauze influence is not subtle (they aren't shy about announcing Fugu's role in producing their records), nor is the blazing fast hardcore they produce or the terse lyrics they disgorge. The "Keep On Keeping On" 12" is a fantastic piece of thrashing mad Japanese hardcore that I can't recommend enough to the speed freaks out there. The North American version (Deranged Records) is pictured and ripped here, but there's another version here with different cover art. Thanks a ton to Punk Dinner blog for posting Kanji song titles for so many great Japanese bands! His/her/their work made tagging the violent and noisy little masterpiece below a lot easier. So if you don't have NK6's Bloodsucker Records 7", it's in the folder too (at 320... etc.).

Get 'em here

Worth A Thousand Dark Words

Something to sweeten your palate here after the bitter pill of the last post. Calvary was total Rites Of Spring worship brought to you by Matt Weeks (and others), perhaps recognizable as the man behind Council Records and co-conspirator in Ottawa, Nema, Current, and Dearborn SS. From that intro, you should already know whether you'd be interested in Calvary or not. "Outnumbered Is Outflanked" surfaced when Council Records grew new roots in Chicago in the early 2000's, and stands as the band's only full length. The tempos are upbeat, but the guitar lines never get too dramatic and the melodies never get past the courting stage with pop. Just 12 tracks of the good late eighties style DC rock, but with its own distinctive character.

And, since there's room, why not throw in Calvary's follow-up 7"? At least two of the three tracks rock, especially the title track, which comes complete with a melodica intro! These two waxen slabs are all I've come across from the band, so if you know of more, don't hold out on me.


Both records here

World Of Hurt

All four of the "Cry Now, Cry Later" comps have been compiled on CD, but with a line up and layout like this, I felt an urgent need to add volume one to the FE catalogue. The "Cry Now" collection is akin to the Deep Six "Reality" comps in that they gather as many kick-ass bands from every extremity of speed and heaviness that they can find. Installment #1 wasted no time in establishing Pessimer Record's superb ear for the sonic manifestations of violence, depression, and psychosis. This is the part of metal and hardcore history the documentarians will always try to keep secret. (I guess I'm supposed to warn people that Meat Shits' graphics are, well, graphic. So ask your mom's permission before you download and stuff).

The Troops:











The Comp

Song Of The Week: "Time Bomb" (Titanarum)

Since I'm stuck here, I might as well focus on the good things in my little coastal habitat (especially since this whole economic crap is making me a little skittish about moving...). So other than Bümbklaatt, I really could think of no other current San Diego bands that get me going; that is, until I discovered Titanarum! This band is fairly unique, but draws upon the tradition of raging thrash and old school hardcore (that must be the "Spastis" part of their motto) as well as the jarring start-stop dynamic of more "mathy" bands (hence the "Progressivus" portion). If you're at all familiar with The Neighbors, one of SD's all time finest, then you may meet the machinegun-speed screaming and conversational lyrics like a long-lost friend (same vocalist). Several tracks on the "Spastis Progressivus Aggressiorum" 7" concern themselves with the speaker staying a misfit for life-- "Time Bomb" being one of these. It also runs the gamut of all the band is capable of in the music department as well. This is one hell of a talented and sincere band, and I only hope they'll stick around long enough for me to finally get up off my ass and see them! San Diego may never be known as a "hardcore city," but as long as bands like Titanarum pop up every once in a while, I can feel at least a little less embarrassed about coming from here.



"Time Bomb"


Buy this 7"

Nothing Can Save You

I've only got the time and motivation to post a quickie today (that is, an EP). I thought Oroku only released a 7" and their "Living Through The End Time" LP. Apparently they also released this split 7" with The Gammits Make War. Oroku was an incredibly promising, mid-paced crusty hardcore band from Seattle who, like many up there, didn't last too long as a band. I believe the three early tracks on this one were left off the CD version of the LP, but they're just as good as the band's other output (except that the recording was done in 30 minutes in exchange for a 12 pack, and it shows!). I posted Oroku's EP last summer, but it was remastered and tacked onto the CD, so contact Inimical Recs to get a piece of that.

I don't know too much about The Gammits Make War except that they're from New York City and they play snotty, melodic hardcore with lots of punch. Sometimes they have a more modern Econochrist thing going on, but at more sing-along moments I hear a bit of Drunk (the Norwegian band). It's quite a change from the mournful Oroku tracks, but they play the style well, and I'll be glad if I find more from these guys in the future.

The split

Scream While There's Still Room To Breathe

The punishment comes slow and heavy tonight, as it's finally time to post a long-time favorite-- Counterblast! From the still-twitching remains of Swedish greats, G-anx, Counterblast was pieced together to be a more brooding, atmospheric monster, while still retaining their predecessor's unrelenting heaviness. This post brings together the band's first and (so far) last vinyl outings. First, as pictured above, is the split they released with Grace Will Fall. Counterblast demonstrate with ease that they have not lost a bit of their power over the years with their one excellent track, "Failure," and GWF offer three blasts of their lightly distorted, bittersweet, "screamo" (for a serious lack of better terms). It's a really nice, yet odd pairing, on an unfortunately limited edition platter.


Just in case you don't have Counterblast's absolutely classic debut 7", I went ahead and included rips in the folder. The first track, "Prospects," stands up to this day as one of the band's all time best. In addition, they've released at least one comp track, and two powerhouse full-lengths, which are getting harder to find. I have them on vinyl, so if they stay hard to find I may have to post them soon.

Get these EPs

Song Of The Week: "Kiss The Bottle" (Jawbreaker)

I was going to post this song closer to Valentine's Day, but it's simply too sad. One of the greatest songs about alcohol abuse (among other things), "Kiss The Bottle" tells the fragmented tale of two unfortunates that end up as only one unfortunate, drowning his/her regret in the almighty bottle. It's too beautiful for an atonal synopsis, so I'll let Schwarzenbach and company tell the rest...

"Kiss The Bottle"

It gets loneliest at night.
Down at the liquor store.
Beneath the neon sky.
Our moonlight.
Six A.M., the floor comes alive with lice.
The pan's dried up so tight.
With hardened beans.
We're hungry.

So I lean on you sometimes.
Just to see you're still there.
Your feet can't take the weight of one.
Much less two.
We hit concrete.

How were we born into this mess?
I know I painted you a prettier picture, baby.
But we were run out on a rail.
Fell from the wagon to the night train.

I kissed the bottle.
I should've been kissing you.
You wake up to an empty night.
With tears for two.

Cigarettes they fill the gaps.
In our empty days.
In our broken teeth.
We're jonesing.
Say mister, can you spare a dime?
Some change could make a change.
Could buy some time.
Some freedom.
Or an ear to hear my story.
It's all I've got.
My fictionbeats the hell out of my truth.
A palm upturned burnt blue.
Don't call it sunburn.

You've been shaking on the job.
Just one drink ahead of your past.
There's a white light coming up.
You draw the blinds hoping it'll pass.

I kissed the bottle.
I should've been kissing you.
You wake up to an empty night.
With tears for two.

I kissed the bottle.
I should've been kissing you.
You wake up to an empty night.
With tears for two.

I kissed the bottle.
I should've been kissing you.
You wake up to an empty night.
With tears for two.

Sign Language

I've got another artifact here from the time when extreme idealism was prerequisite for starting a hardcore band or label. "Sign Language" was a triple 7" box set compilation Allied Recordings put out in the early '90's. According to his blurb, Yates liked the result but hated the process of assembling this thing. Like many contemporaneous comps, it includes a ton of graphics and writing, and fairly diverse selection of music (for similar comps, go here and here). Most of the standout bands' material would be compiled elsewhere in later years, but this is a pretty awesome line-up in an equally awesome package. (Note: the records were mastered at a really low volume, so you'll have to crank up your stereo for this one).

Bands & Tracks:
1. Scarecrow- "Walls Of Vacaville"
2. Sawhorse- "Twice Removed"
3. Seein' Red- "Man-Trap"
4. Political Asylum- "Sentenced"
5. Spitboy- "Motivated By Fear"
6. 411- "Life Minus Me"
7. Christ On A Crutch- "Fish People"
8. Suckerpunch- "Pain Never Dies"
9. The Fixtures- "Support The Troops?"
10. Sleep- "Numb"
11. Econochrist- "18 And Free"
12. Jawbox- "Dreamless"

Sign Language