Coming off the heels of one of if not the best grindcore album of 2011, End Time; the men in Brutal Truth are at it again. This time giving us a small taste of what’s to come in 2012 with their digital EP, Walking Corpse 2112.
This two song EP is brutal as fuck! It makes you yearn for more. Some may remember the song “Walking Corpse” from Brutal Truth’s debut album, Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses. “Walking Corpses 2112” is a re-recording of that very song….go figure. After listening to the 2112 version I had to go back into the Cicatriz vault of music and take another listen to the original. My only question is, “How the fuck did these guys make this song even more brutal?”. The answer is easy. Like a fine wine these guys get better with age.
“preconditioned. Accepting your role Robbed of life and stripped of soul Fall into the same routine Of drab existence, what does it Mean Are you satisfied with the way that You exist? Every single day just like the one Before Don’t you feel the need to express The way you feel? Wake your sleeping brain, there’s So much more”
The final track on this EP is the song, “You Should Know Better”. This song is an exclusive digital release that can also be found on the compilation, This Comp Kills Fascist Vol. 1. This song wastes no time kicking the jams into high gear. Fast as all hell drum, brutal vocals and blistering riffs makes this one a winner.
They say, “good things come in small packages”. This is definitely the case for Brutal Truth’s Walking Corpse 2112. Fans of Brutal Truth and grindcore need to this one…now!
Brutal Truth goes good with: Assuck, Napalm Death, Carcass, Anal Cunt, Slayer, Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Liberteer, Lapse, Eddie Brock
This'll be in my top 3 records of 2011. I really dig it-- much more than I expected to, actually.
I was initially put off by the band's name-- profanity in a name usually means someone's trying too hard and can't deliver on the implicit promise of awesomeness, like Hellyeah or The Fucking Wrath.
Die Miserable is a surprisingly, despite its nomenclature, life-affirming album of progressive/ "experimental" grindcore. Ottowa's Fuck the Facts have released a Hades of a record....
Track one, "Drift"-- a rumbling, shaking jalopy of a sound... Bernard Herrmann's Psycho score recast as grindcore...
This is Fun House Mirror metal--
Unwieldy, lumbering progressive-or-just-precious sludgesque grindcore... impish/pixie-ish yet also dangerous and threatening (unlike, say, Wormrot or Cephalic Carnage)....
It's freeing, this music, full of potential, like anything can happen-- a sax solo wouldn't seem incongruous.
For extreme music, it's memorable, very nearly catchy in spots-- these are (mostly) distinct, discrete songs, not just a wall of noise (which is fine sometimes, too, just sayin')....
"Lifeless" comes off like a thrashy Ministry-- it lurches forward nimbly like an Audi 18-wheeler that can also stop on a dime, "Census Blank" has an industrial-strength stoner intro, then gets Isis-ish and at 5:00 drops into a great jangly riff.
And it never sounds like they're trying to "Kitchen Sink" the whole thing, just throwing shit in everywhere-- it sounds like the same car that's just switching gears.
"Alone" is maudlin and melodic, gets grindy then proggy then proggy and Candlemassy at the same time, while "A Coward's Existence" grinds in non-Euclidian keys and at 2:15 delivers a beautiful morneful melody....
Closer "95" is fast as fuck , as much Extreme Noise Terror as grind. At 2:00 a haunting instrumental melody emerges to comp behind the solo.
In Die Miserable there's a furious drive on display to connect to and manifest sheer creativity that pretty much makes comparisons useless. What's left to say? It's furious, it goes where it wants when it wants--
I got my hands on this split just a few days ago. I am glad I did. Both of these bands come from the Baltimore area and place wickedly fast hardcore. Both of these bands are killer. Killer riffs, the vocals kill and killer fast beats make this under eight minute split awesome….err killer!!
The first half of this slit belongs to the boys in Lapse. They start things off with the track, “Bonehead”. About a minute long, this songs starts off with an intro about aliens and then immediately kicks you in the balls…or lady parts, with such ferocity it feels like they are in your chest. This is one intense minute.
“Fall asleep. Sink subside. So much to do, such little time. Work is shit. Still I grind Fall apart - overtime.”
Flip that son bitch around and it’s Eddie Brock’s time to shine. First of all, let me just say I love Spider-Man and fucking Venom is my favorite character in the series. I love when bands have awesome names. Anyway the music, it’s as fucking as awesome as the name. “Pointer Thumb Pinky” starts off their side but I really think the song “Absol” is the song that shines. Brutal, fast and angry. I’m in love.
“Why am I still here because I fear nothing Negative thoughts plague my mind born Fucked up life is dry so tell me what your Life is like when the wall around you burn And everything you had mixes with the dirt I do not know what to feel no I do not know What to say I have never held to faith when My life is in disarray I know pain I die I’ve Danced with the devil bit I’ve never seen God It makes it hard to believe when negativity Is all you got”
Get on the internet…well stay on the internet and point your mouse to the link below and get this split. Support independent and DIY bands. It’s $4, no excuses!!!
Lapse and Eddie Brock go good with: Infest, ACxDC, Crossed Out, Torn Off, Weekend Nachos, Wicans, Retox, Full Of Hell, Mind Eraser
Lately it seems my musical tastes have been changing. Almost to the extreme of changing on a daily basis. Sunday: bands like The Smiths, Elliot Smith or City and Colour. Monday: bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Converge or The Faceless. Thursday: Heartsounds, OperationIvy, Big D and The Kids Table. You get the idea. On this day all I have been listening to is hardcore bands. At the forefront of my day has been the band No Turning Back and their album Take Control. This is one of the best hardcore albums I have hear in quite sometime.
Take Control sets things off with the instantly in your face track, “In Your Maze”. This is a song about the heartbreak you feel when someone you think you have known for a long time changes on you in the blink of an eye. Instead of being sad about the situation, No Turning Back goes the opposite and get fucking pissed! This is defiantly something I an relate to and a song that I probably something similar to what I would of written myself.
“There you go walking by, turn your hair
I just sigh
Purity in your eyes, messing up my lines
I still can’t believe how it turned out to be
All the changes lost so relentlessly
In retrospect I must regret
Losing the Life I could have had
Recollections of better days
When you trapped me in your maze
In your maze
To those who know what it’s like
When feelings can’t be denied
And when you’re trying to hide
Get betrayed by your pride”
My favorite and third track on the album is the song “Remain”. A brutally intense song about selling out.
“Here I go again losing everything
Fucked up game called life let the hate begin
What I had, what I stole, feeling left nothing out all alone
Time to realize, bitter fucking end
Bitter end
The faces change
But it’s still the same
Forget your name
Who I am
I am
You see
Is what you see
Troubled soul insanity
See you standing there, bow your head in shame
Did it all for the money, for your name
Nothing changes, give in to destiny
Instead of crying on your knees
On your knees”
Another great track is the extremely positive, “Take The World”. One of my favorite things about the hardcore scene is positive hardcore songs. It goes to show you it’s not all about “hey fuck you!”, it’s also about coming together and being positive.
“Destiny a state of mind
Check yourself, are you all right?
Destiny a state of mind
Check yourself, are you all right
Is this who you want to be
Do you think you’re really free
In times of trouble and distress
Head up high, don’t settle for less
Follow the path that you have chosen
Tell yourself you can’t be broken
Gotta do what you gotta do
Believe in yourself
Make it through
Take control
Take a stand
Take the world
In your hand”
No Turning Back is set up to be one of the leaders in the ever changing hardcore scene. Gang vocals, positive and harsh lyrical content make them stand out. If you’re a fan of hardcore pick up this album.
No Turning Back goes good with: End Times, Power Trip, Death Before Dishonor, Cruel Hand, Hoods, Guns Up, Grave Maker, Madball
Lately I have been blessed with some awesome music to listen to and possibly review. Although, I must say I have had a bit of writer's block so I decided to write about an EP I have listened to over 1,000 times. This week Waveriders, I bring you alexisonfire's final EP: Dog's Blood.
alexisonfire have been one of my favorite bands, if not my favorite band of the last 10 years. I mean I got their logo tattooed me after only a few listens to their self-titled debut album. When I heard that record I instantly fell in love with aof. Dog's Blood was set to be an almost brand new direction for the band. Latent with their now classic clean/scream singing style they added new elements of an almost horror punk sound. Dog's Blood is one of those EPs you wish was longer, oh if only it wasn't just a taste of what could of been.
This four song EP starts of with the title track "Dog's Blood". This track starts off with a punky fast drum beat and leads into George Pettit screaming his head of in a brutal way that was missed on their last record. This track could easily be a song off the album Watch Out!. Dallas Green's amazing voice rounds out the triple team vocals. Dallas' vocals on this song are very dark and moody giving it a haunting feel.
"Endless brush fires scorch the plains Dogs blood falls to the Earth like rain Choke the rivers flood the streets, caught in a hail of K9 teeth A new kind of soldier, born of scars Consuming the scum and the blood of dogs Faced by their own campaign of fear In times of drought they drink their own tears
Howls heard for miles around (We will all drown, we will all drown) In dogs blood we will all drown (We will all drown, we will all drown) New landscape emerging through the lurid sound We'll all bathe in the blood of hounds
They will hunt then to the last, time of the mongrel is doomed to the past Sun will rise to a new scene And all the hordes will wake from their endless dream On offensive the alpha will fall By tail and ear, muzzle and paw Man will strike with the hand of god Mark the end of the era of dog "
alexisonfire is hardcore band at it's core. This is most heard on the track "Grey". This is what a melodic hardcore song should sound like. The added tones of Dallas Green's guitar adds an almost bluesy feel to this track. The use of ambient harmonics make this one a standout.
"Big black wolf, clawing at your door Dead mans hand, is crawling 'cross the floor Witch on the horizon is brewing up a vex Everyone in town is wondering who is next Toothless tramp, is crawling through the mud Turned in to the {living} dead, by puffer fish blood The God of the sea, is swinging his trident We stoke our, fires with the bones of tyrants
The city trudges on Under a sky as Grey as the mayors heart
Meanest man alive, lives for a hundred years Town pedophile, bathes in little girls tears Ghosts of old love, are blowing through the pines Nicotine babies being born with no spines Gather up the children, and lead them to the cliffs The anchor has been cut, and we are all adrift New plague is rolling, through the slums of old town And the roaches move in, as the rats have all drown
The city trudges on Under a sky as Grey as the mayors heart
As grey as prison bars As grey as a border fence As grey as a chain As grey as the mayors heart As grey as prison bars As grey as a border fence As grey as a chain"
In August of 2011 the alexisonfire community was given some hard news to swallow, as aof decided to call it quits. To me this was as sad as the day I heard At The Drive-In broke up. Fear not as singer/guitarist Dallas Green is doing very successful with his folk/acoustic/rock project City and Colour and singer/guitarist Wade MacNeil has now taken over the helm as singer for the band Gallows. As for the rest of the alexisonfire crew, only time will tell where they will end up but fear not, it will be amazing.
alexisonfire goes good with: Underoath, Thrice, City and Colour, Black Lungs, Cancer Bats, Funeral For A Friend, Gallows, Billy Talent, Comeback Kid
Ahhh!! October, one of my favorite months in the year. Why you ask? Well first off, I live in Texas. When October hits, it means the weather if finally getting colder and I can finally wear hoodies again. I love hoodies. The second awesome thing about October is Halloween. Who the fuck doesn't like Halloween? Also, it's October so that means it's time to crack open another Cicatriz' Six Pack.
We start this month off with Ordstro and their Summer 2011 Tape. As expected this is one solid, almost 11 minute track. It runs much like a tape would, not skipping tracks. I'm guessing these San Fran natives released this Demo in tape format. This single track appears to be seven , one to two minute tracks of some awesome powerviolence. This shit is fucking brutal, my ears are happy and it makes me wish I had the tape format of these tracks and not just the lame digital. I get me a tape player! I'm sure a lot of you youngens are asking what the hell a tape is. Back in my day, we didn't have Cds, we had tapes. We didn't burn a disk full of track we loved, we made things like mix-tapes. Most of my mix-tapes consisted of recording underground and indie music off the college and independent radio. It looks like tapes are the new throwback music media.
Ordstro goes good with: The Locust, Retox, Cattle Decapitation, His Hero Is Gone, Weekend Nachos, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Charles Bronson
Our second band this month is Bear Awareness and their album Pillage and Burn. First off, I must say this is an awesome name for a band. These guys are a good mixture of fast core, grind core and powerviolence out of Los Angeles. Two stand out tracks on this album are: "The Jewish, Pig Destroyer" and "Fear of Bacon". The quality on these tracks are not the best but do give you an idea of where this band is going musical direction wise. A solid release with a garagey diy ethic. You are now aware of Bear Awareness.
Bear Awareness goes good with: Retox, The Locust, Despise You, Lack of Interest, Stapled Shut.
Third up this month is Glasgow, Scotland Natives Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair (yes, that is 4 Wheelchair) with their debut EP, Bald and Dead. This is a really good debut. I'm glad to see some good ole' fashioned powerviolence coming from the other side of the pond. My favorite track is "Your Cancer, My Cock". Unfortunately the band has taken down the free download for this album at the time of my write up. If you ask me real nice I might just email you a copy.
Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair goes good with; Despise You, Retox, Assuck, His Hero Is Gone, Man Is The Bastard, Wiccans
Check out Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair Wheelchair here: http://www.myspace.com/4wheelchairs
Next up is Pittsburgh 3 piece, Torn Off with their 67 track (7 proper tracks) disc Snake Breathe. When I first downloaded this album I was astonished by the number of tracks on it. 67 is a bit intimidating. Quickly, I learned that it was only seven tracks. Needles to say I was had but at least I was entertained. The boys in Torn Off offer up a great mix of a doom laden, crusty hardcore. Everything about this band is great. Musically they are tight. The vocals a screamed and fit really well with the music. I also really enjoyed all the soundbites before the songs. "Give Up" and "Ghost Blood" are my two favorite tracks. If you like really good hardcore with serious breakdowns check these doods out.
Torn Off goes good with: Weekend Nachos, The Acacia Strain, His Hero Is Gone, Tragedy, Trap Them
What do Jean Claude Van Damne, Rob Van Damn and this next band have in common? Well besides the sir name Vandamme, they both kick ass! Vandamme is powerviolence band out of Italy. Who knew the Italians could be so damn violent. They offer up their EP 6 Songs, 3 Minutes. Extreme brutality and pretty cool lyrics make this band awesome....you know besides the cool name. Best track on the album is the opener, "Veggie Food Is Not For Preppies"
"we don't give a fuck about rich preppies menus we don't care about a juicy gourmet our war is an everyday fight an everyday massacre"
Vandamme goes good with: Retox, The Locust, Some Girls, Converge
Oh no!!! We're down to our last of this months Six Pack. Better make it good. Waveriders, I give you End Times and their latest demo: Demo 2011. End Times is hardcore band with metal tendencies outta Dallas. As you may of inferred from past write ups, I am a Dallas/Fort Worth native. So, I am always a little partial to give the local boys some space on my write ups. The only way to build a good scene is for people to know their is one and to have awesome bands that want to play awesome jams in that scene. End Times definitely give the DFW area something to be proud of. My favorite track is the brutal "Pestilence". Awesome guitar work and a punky d-beat drum make this one special. Lyrically this song makes me want to jump in the pit, fight my way up to the stage so I can sing along and sing proud.
"The end begins, the fire will come to boil their greed, bound by shackles, forced to see, suffering.
Taking their homes, taking their lives, punish their souls for all of their lies. the dawn of the new world begins, as the old world ends.
Ashes filling the sky leaving our mark on their world Their blackened souls will rot, undying pestilence.
Burn it down, their blackened souls will rot.
Burn it down, their souls will rot... "
End Times goes good with: Unit 21, Black Flag, Ragging Boner, Trapped Under Ice, His Hero Is Gone, Weekend Nachos, Earth Crisis, Integrity
So we have polished off another Six Pack. Join me next month for more bandcamp.com bands you need to know about. If you are in a band or know one that you would like to see on Cicatriz Six Pack: shoot me an email @ cicatrizrip@gmail.com or find me on facebook.
I’ve been in quite the musical drought lately. Everything I’ve listened to recently hasn’t caught my ear quite the way I would want it to. That isn’t to say none of it is good, I’ve just struggled to find anything Ripple-worthy in a couple months. This lead to my decision to review one of my favorite punk albums ever, Milo Goes To College by The Descendents. When making my Top 5 albums, this is one that just missed the cut, and I have been listening to it very frequently as of late, so I figured why not write about it?
The Descendents are a melodic hardcore punk band from California, birthed during the great hardcore period of 1981-1985. Their debut album, Milo Goes To College, was released in 1982, and is chock full of that classic California punk sound. There are 15 tracks in a succinct 22 minutes, assaulting you with classic tracks like “Myage”, “I’m Not A Loser”, “Suburban Home”, “Hope”, and pretty much every other track on the album.
The album launches off with "Myage, a track, like many others on this album, that is a song about Milo liking a girl, but there is no reciprocation. However, what the Descendents manage to bring to the table besides Milo’s awesome vocals are very humorous lyrics to shout along with. A perfect example is Milo’s intro to "Suburban Home", where he cheekily and lackadaisically announces, “I want to be stereotyped. I want to be classified.” The lyrics for the rest of the track are as follows:
I wanna be stereotyped, I wanna be classified I wanna be a clone, I want a suburban home Suburban home Suburban home Suburban home I wanna be masochistic, I wanna be a statistic I wanna be a clone, I want a suburban home Suburban home Suburban home Suburban home I don't want no hippie pad, I want a house just like mom and dad I wanna be stereotyped I wanna be classified I wanna be masochistic I wanna be a statistic I wanna be a clone I want a suburban home Suburban home Suburban home Suburban home Lyrics like this are a constant recurring theme with the Descendents, with the main subjects being girls, rejection, girls, adolescence, girls, parents, and…well, girls.
The other thing that is not to be understated with the Descendents is the original line-ups technical proficiency with their instruments, specifically Tony Lombardo with his bass. He provides the intro to most of the songs, and all throughout you can hear his riffs shredding up the background of all the tracks on the album. Also, Milo has one of the most unique voices ever to hit the hardcore punk scene, flowing along perfectly with the instrumentation.
Unfortunately, after this album, Milo did indeed go to college in 1983, thus ending the Descendents reign in California until 1987 when he graduated. However, things were never the same after he came back, and none of their albums can really come close to what Milo Goes To College achieved. However, Milo Aukerman went on to get a Ph.D. in biochemistry from UC San Diego, so at least some good came out of his departure.
Earlier this year I told you about a band called Retox and a man named Justin Pearson. In that review of their selftitled e.p., I mentioned how bad ass they are and how you needed to pick up the e.p. and bask in pure powerviolence bliss. Then I told you how Retox was soon to be releasing a new album. Guess what kids, it's out and boy howdy, does it fucking rock!!
Retox's new album is called Ugly Animals. Ugly is an understatement as these eleven tracks are fucking filthy. In a good way of course. Not like dirty whore on the side of the road filthy. More like Fight Club filthy. Violent, bloody and full of heart. Something I think is lacking in the hardcore scene. Just as you would expect from the boys in Retox, Ugly Animals clocks in at under 15 minutes which of course makes you yearn for more.
I have always been a fan of Justin Pearson's lyrical content. Here are some of my personal standouts.
"The World Is Ending and It's About Time"
"In dog years we are so dead and we smell just like jail. In dog years we are so dead and sing of misanthropy. We have no problems singing songs that are not nice at all. This is why we bite when beat, why we sing our bite to a beat! No need to shit and wish because we already know bite makes right."
"Boredom is Counter-Revolutionary"
"All my life I've acted very wrong and it worked out very well, almost too well. I sparkled like a diamond stuck in a goat's ass. Those who are bored are boring. So I act very wrong. I hear others sing mute to the normal blues. Oh yeah, they sure do sing. So I act very wrong."
"Ten Pounds of Shit In a Five Pound Bag"
"He translated the truth and he tossed around his jock but tripped over my cock. That's my story, I'm sticking to it. Eventually he threw his house out the window an never knew what he was doing until done. The man made cheese more binding. So thanks but no thanks."
In my opinion Retox seems to follow a few simple rules:
Retox goes good with: Attractive and Popular, Melt Banana, Cattle Decapitation, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, The Locust, Andrew WK, Head Wound City, Swing Kids, any Justin Pearson project (just Wikipedia him and listen to everything he has been a part of)
It's been a long time since a split CD has really caught my attention and made me want to continue to listen to it over and over. Back in the day some of my favorite splits were: At The Drive-In / Sunshine, Alkaline Trio / Hot Water Music, Pig Destroyer / Gnob, Napalm Death / S.O.B. and Agoraphobic Nosebleed / Kill The Client, just to name a few. So, it has really been a good number of years that I have heard a good split album. This year I have found a split worth worthy of a review and it is the Despise You / Agoraphobic Nosebleed split entitled And On And On....
For those who have read my past reviews, you know I love Powerviolence bands. Love 'em! Despise You are one of the most legendary bands in that scene. With this release, it marks the first new material from the band in 10 years! Needles to say I was super stoked to hear some new stuff. Despise You kickoff this 25 track split with the song “Berefet”. This song reminds me of old hardcore pioneers, Black Flag. This song clocks in at under just 40 seconds.
Despise You do a pretty amazing cover of Fear's “I Don't Care About You”, which on the album is just titled “Fear's Song”. Despise You make this song even angrier than the original and if my ears don't deceive me, it's a bit faster as well. This is a perfect cover. It holds true to it's early Hardcore roots but ads a twist of Powerviloence's anger. This song is still relevant after all these years. With lyrics such as:
“I see man rollin' drunks, bodies the streets. Some man was sleepin' in puke and a man with no legs crawling down 5th street trying to get something to eat!
I don't care about you! Oh noooooo!! I don't care about you! Fuck you! I don't care about you! Hey! Hey! I don't care about you!”
Despise You knock out their 18 tracks in under 17 minutes. Is it good? Fuck yeah, it's good.
Agoraphobic Nosebleed are one of the premier Grindcore bands out there. They have been ahead of the Grindcore curve since the early 90's. Wow I just made myself feel old thinking that I have been listening to this bands since around 1998. Time flies by when you're listening to brutally fast Grindcore.
Agoraphobic Nosebleed keep the party going for the last 7 tracks. They start things off with the track, “Half Dead”. This is one of the longer tracks on the album clocking in at an astounding 4:39. This track begins where Despise You left off. With a sludgy and dirty sounding guitar. Vocally this track is epic. Lots of yelling and doomish vocals.
“No fit to live anywhere With anyone I'd have any desire Make a career out of apology For a maid's wage, same day hire
The commute is hell, the coffee cold If you worked here you'd already be home Half man, half dead, half asleep at the wheel Fuckin' as good as dead, drunk behind the wheel”
“Possession” is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It's played super fast and fells punk laden. The Punk aspects I'm talking about are the way you are able to understand the lyrics fairly clearly. The lyrics of this song speak of prostitution, I can't wait to go to a show and scream these vocals with Jay Randall.
“Shit breath Meth tooth Tweeker Snitch
Playing it loose with the truth Trying to crawl out of some shit you just stepped in
The demon possessed charged with possession Bag of shards and a stem Trying to loosen the noose and save your neck From the shit you stepped in
Full blown AIDS Fuck of death Talking down another prostitute in poor health
Stick your dick in a casket and close it Should of only paid her to blow you
The shit you just stepped in is on you 'till death” And On And On... is an awesome split. Hopefully I get a chance to see either one of them live this year. If you love brutal music as much as I do pick up this split. Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Despise You are bands you need to know about.
This split goes good with: Pig Destroyer, Anal Cunt, Black Flag, Fear, Terrorizer, Cattle Decapitation and The Locust.
Hey, Waiveriders! It's your old pal Cicatriz. Today I bring you another awesomely hard hitting Hardcore album. Today we speak of Harm's Way. Harm's Way is a Metallic Hardcore outfit out of the Windy City, Chicago, Illinois. They bring us their new album Isolation.
Harm 's Way kicks things off with the track, “Scrambled”. This is a great opener. It starts off as an intro with a simple drum beat, casually adding in guitars that and at the 1:31 mark it's on. Full of down tempo guitars and bass. Classic hardcore ethics here. Drums on this track are the stand out in my opinion. They are a nice mixture of classic hardcore drums, with a little d-beat and metallic double bass thrown in. Vocally this song is angry as all hell. The lyrics are spit it you in a manner where you don't feel like you're being yelled it. They flow with the song perfectly.
The title track “Isolation” is the third track on this eight track hardcore masterpiece. Much of the same going on here. Hard hitting drums, crunchy guitar work and one angry sounding vocalist. For fans of riff heavy hardcore this is the jam to check out. Some of the lyrical content I was able to make out clearly were, in no particular order: “bitter wasteland...separate myself,.. separate my soul..there's a place for me”.
“Pretender” is the final and longest track off Isolation. Clocking in at epic 7:28, “Pretender” wraps things up nicely. (Well angrily but you know what I mean.) This is a very cool track. Seems almost spacey to an extent as if these straight-edgers accidentally hit the bong before recording. The track starts off like any other hardcore song but at around the 3:30 mark you are hit with a clean guitar sound spoken words. Soon after the drums kick back accompanied by some spacey sounding guitars and Isolation comes to a close.
All things said it's an awesome album. I can only imagine a bunch of “hardcore kids” karate chopping, throwing elbows and “picking up change” in the pit at a Harm's Way show. Harm's Way may be a new name to some Hardcore listeners but are well on their way to becoming a household name to metal and hardcore listeners alike.
Harm's Way goes good with band such as: Weekend Nachos, Bitter End, Mind Eraser, Trapped Under Ice, Pulling Teeth.
By now everyone is aware or should be aware of a man named Justin Pearson. It seems as though he is part of every important new and past noise rock, powerviolence or grindcore band. Most notably known for being in the bands: The Locust, Holy Molar, Swing Kids, All Leather and Some Girls. Justin's new project is Retox and this is the Retox EP.
Retox hits you straight in the face with the first track “Ready to Spit” Classic noise and powerviolence wrapped in a 41 second song. Lyrically Justin gets me, he speaks of people being handed stuff there whole life and being ungrateful. “Don‟t worry you jerks, we each have a day job among peasants. Our folks don't have to pay off our college tuition for a career. You have received a notice to quit your pointless bitching.”
“I Rub the Wrong Way” is the second track off this 8 track EP. Blistering fast drums and Justin's relentless vocals make this song about hating people for no reason great. “Because God told you to work retail at Wal-Mart. Because God told you to hate fags and foreigners. Because God told you to sell old gold to treat beat meat. Because God told you to live in goat town where gold turns brown. And if I'd agree with you, we would both be wrong.”
“Piss Elegant” is the final track on the album. This is the longest track on the album at just under 2 minutes. It speaks of laziness and dead beats. Two things I hate....which again makes this song right up my alley. “Beats are so dead, we hear a dead beat. We pee between our high heals, and the beat still goes on. Pass around an arm for the kids to get real beat. We hear dead beats, and dumb fucks looks dumb. We see slash hear cons with good luck charms and post-existed conditions lick like two tongues in a cheek. Cons piss up and down life‟s back till we‟re around. Go get adopted and let the beat go on…Beats are so dead, we hear a dead beat and a dumb fuck looks dumb.”
Retox's new EP is a violent album that speaks about the relationship between society and the music it creates Music can tell many stories. Whether it is a story of love, hate or something in between. Retox is the violent answer to the society around us. It is a giant “Fuck You” in the face of hatred and shitty ideals.
“Oh my God, this is fast as fuck!!”, these are the words are screamed the first time a caught a listen to Weekend Nachos new album, Worthless. Hailing from Dekalb, IL, Weekend Nachos aims to be the light at the end of my dimly lit hardcore tunnel.
Leading off Worthless is the heavy guitar laden, breakdown consumed track “Hometown Hero." An in your face, punch your grandma in the kisser, power violence ferocious track…done in about a minute flat. “Obituary”, the second track is much of the same. Power violence at it’s finest.
Another stand out track on the album is, the title track “Worthless”. An instrumental track that starts off with lots of pa feedback that leads into doom style guitar riffs at about the 2 minute mark. “Worthless” is used as a lead in to the track “Friendship”. Which is 35 seconds of pure violent bliss.
Power Violence is a funny genre. Funny that, you either despise it or you love it. It’s not for the weak at heart and neither is Weekend Nachos. They are a high-intensity in your face band. If you are into fast music in the vei of Tragedy, Behind Enemy Lines, Infest, Mind Eraser or The Locust then Weekend Nachos’Worthless is right up your ally.
With a roster that includes such Boston street punk bands as The Dropkick Murphys and Streetdogs, it only seems fitting that Taang! should have The Business kicking around their digs also. So as we wind up our weeklong look into the depths of the Taang! roster, it's time to feed Saturdays Heroes into the player, grab a pint, round up the mates, and head out looking for trouble.
For those who don't know, The Business first raised hell on the streets of South London way back in 1979. With a career that has gone on to span 30 years, these streetwise punkers never slowed down and this 1996 release finds the blokes in fine form. Sweat-soaked, beer stained, pint-in-the-air scream-along anthems is what The Business specializes in and you'll find more than your requisite handful here. And just as importantly, the band show no signs of slowing down as they moved from young upstarts to elder statemens of working-class punk. It's no wonder bands like The Dropkick Murphys look toward The Business as inspiration.
One look at the photos and you'd be hard pressed to predict what mayhem is to follow in the grooves of the disc. Singer Mickey Fitz possesses a truly guttural set of vocal chords that spits out socially conscious rebellions with a heavy-handed cockney accent. And all that venom is lost behind the more-than-boyish cherub of a face, polo shirt, and arms that look like they couldn't threaten a girl scout. Likewise, Guitarist Steve whale, bassist/chief songwriter Mark Brennan, and drummer Mick Fairbarn each play with spit-soaked abandon but look like they're crawling off the cover of preppie Gentlemen's Quarterly not ready for a hardcore frenzy.
Don't let looks deceive you.
Like that kid in school who looked so calm and shy but really ran a meth lab in his basement, the gents of The Business may not focus so much on their image. But they sure do on their music. "Spanish Jails" kicks this frenzy off in high-tension velocity. A true fist-pounder in the classic style of some of the best of the Clash's early punk. Guitars buzz and chug and churn. The bass thuds and punishes and the skins get pounded harder than a pool hustler trying to cheat the Hell's Angels. You gotta visualize a pub for this one. Full of working class stiffs, rowdy-ing up for a football match or a gang fight. Fists are pumping. Ale is sailing through the air. Testosterone is rising. It's good. It's all good.
But the fist-pumping street punk doesn't stop there. "All Out Tonight" "Never Be Taken" and Shout it Out" are all rousing anthems of working class discontent and fury. Rocking, riffing hardcore with sneer, anger, and cynicism. Again, forget the boys appearance. One listen to the soaring chorus of "All Out Tonight" and I know I wouldn't ever want to get on these cats bad side. "You're all just hypocrites/got money on your minds/I know your name and I know your game." This is a call to class warfare of the nth degree and you better believe that each of the Oi! punks listening will be packing brass knuckles, chains, and tire irons. Stay off the streets when the Business comes to town.
"Never Be Taken" is chugging, hardcore riffery at its finest, motoring along like some cockey Ramones outtake and Sham 69 venom. "Hold your heads up high" Fitz wails above the dissonant buzzsaw guitar riffs. With it's message of pride it's clear that with The Business, the working class battles on with dignity, intelligence, anger and wit. Inspirational in it's intent and execution. If I'd been a working class yob in London, this song would've rallied me to storm the palace.
In addition to the original album, licensed from Link Music, Taang! throws 5 bonus cuts into the mix including the revved up cockney gang fight "Hurry Up Harry", the moderately sedate, melodic neighborhood observation of "Get Out of My House", the gunfight in a bottle "Outlaw" and the original version of "All Out Tonight." Plenty of Oi! for your money.
While never as popular as the Sex Pistols, the Clash, or Sham 69, The Business do what they do amazingly well and just may be one of the most overlooked punk bands of the Oi! movement.
Continuing on with our journey through Taang! week, we find this delicious, belly-satisfying smorgasbord of back-in-the-da,y East Bay pun- thrash courtesy of the Part-Time Christians.
Fast and furious? Check. Anger spat out in a spleen venting eruption? Yep. Gut-wrenching, grinding guitar riffs? Oh, yes. An absolutely bizarre fixation with . . . bowling? Uh, yeah. We got that too. Forget skate punk. The Part-Time Christians may just be the world's founders (if not the only members) of the Bowling Punk genre. Yeah, maybe you hadn't heard of it before now. But you should, because the P.T.C.'s are killer at what they do.
I gotta admit, I took to this CD a bit more rapidly than I may have otherwise once I read the liner notes where bassist-cum-lead screamer Cosmo lays out a tale that hit real close to home. And I mean that literally. While I'd never heard these guys before, it seems they formed back in my days, right in my backyard. In those notes Cosmo reveals how he left his evil step-dad's home in Iowa and moved west to Modesto and then Concord, California. Knowing that Concord was just a stone's throw from SF and having just seen his first Dead Kennedys show, he envisioned himself knee-deep in an alternative culture where punk kids ruled society, hardcore was the national anthem, and piercings and punk attire was the Gucci couture. Big mistake. Back in the early '80's, as Cosmo soon discovered, Concord, California was "quite possibly the most outwardly racist, heavy metal hell" he'd ever set foot in. And it was. I know this. I nearly got my ass kicked several times growing up outside of Concord. And I was a metal head! But the difference was I didn't wear my AC/DC allegiance on my sleeve, drive a pick-up, and spout out like a lunk-headed, jock jackass. I was into Maiden and Saxon and Motorhead back when Concord didn't know they existed. In their one-neuron-shared mind, I was just as weird as the punks were. So I got on well with the punk kids. I wasn't one of them, but I was just as much an outsider by musical proxy as they were. The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all that rubbish.
Despite this wall of hatred around them, Cosmo managed to field together a band, get East Bay Ray from The Dead Kennedys to listen, produce their initial stuff and release some 7"'s on Alternative Tentacles Records. After a blitzkrieg career that found the East Bay band playing alongside such acts as the Dead Kennedy's, Suicidal Tendencies, T.S.O.L., Exodus, Social Distortion, Butthole Surfers, Faith No More, Death Angel, and the Lords of the New Church, the band broke up. Now, 22 years later, P.T.C. has reformed and this Taang! release compiles 21 songs into a must have retrospective and current snapshot of the underground legends.
First up, we get the whole 8 song Rock and Roll is Disco EP originally released in 1984 and appearing here on CD for the first time. And there it is. Everything that made the band tick. A vicious low rumble of bass, a maniacal smashing of cymbals and drum, a larynx shredding vocal attack of pure, unadulterated punk. "Religion on a Stick" just attacks out of the speakers with a huge middle finger raised to the religious hypocrites who "church on Sunday, sin on Monday." Probably just as powerful now as it was back in the day. But the boys don't just vent. There's a pounding to the guitars and bass that captivates. There's some chord progressions that definitely take this out of the ordinary. Dynamic changes. Structure. Nearly a singable chorus. It's pure hardcore of the first order, and possesses that little something extra. "Bonique" follows and again it become apparent that these guys may have been full-on punk, but that doesn't mean they were instrument bashers. They knew how to play, how to write some songs, mash in some heavy metal elements to the punk assault. Truly, they were a hybrid crossover between punk and metal long before that term ever existed. And suddenly, the times they played with Faith No More, Exodus and Death Angel begin to make sense.
Then there's that other thing. The bowling obsession. And when I say obsession, I mean OBSESSION. How do the song titles "Strength Through Bowling", " Bowling Pin Massacre," "Orthopedic Bowling Shoes"," and "Gutterball" grab you? But don't worry, these weren't novelty attacks by the band. "Strength" is a hardcore frenzy of staccato vocals and buzzsaw guitars. "Bowling Pin Massacre" is a very early punk/funk/rap fusion that actually is more fun (and more funky) than you might expect. "Orthopedic" almost qualifies as post-punk with it's chiming guitar lines, while "Gutterball" is anger and venom, just as it should be when your "life is a gutterball."
But one thing that makes this release so cool is the hint of what the future holds for PTC. From their 2008 reunion we get four songs in the form of the P.T.C. Lives EP. With a revamped, but familiar line-up P.T.C. come raging back sounding just a vital as ever. "Chrome (Got What it Takes)" is pure hardcore/metal melding energy. Rampant bass and roughshod guitars buzz under Cosmo's barely contained vocals. This is seriously heavy, seriously intense, and seriously good. It reminds me of the latest Leatherface offering, and if that band hit's your musical G-spot then you really should check P.T.C. out. Compared to back-in-the-day, the songs may be a touch slower, but if anything, they're a bit meaner. A more metallic edge has been ramrodded into the mix. "Electric Fence" almost sounds like a cross between Sabbath and the DK's. Which, if you think about it, is pretty f-ing cool. "Bionic Cop," keeps the crossover heat rising with pure thrash riffery and hardcore gang-vocal choruses. Finally, "One Dead Bee" expands the metal-punk reformation to the epic with its 6:44 assault to the frontal lobe.
Adding to the cool factor of the whole thing is the final section. 8 song demo versions recorded in 1983. Raw, crude. An attitude more than an actual band here, the song's are fun for filling in the history line of the band. But truthfully, with the rough sound quality, these are probably more of interest to committed P.T.C. fans rather than new acquaintances. Still, some of the cuts that never made it onto the Rock and Roll is Disco EP are pretty fricking fun, like "Sex in a Sub-Compact" and the gothic/punk horrorscapade of "Cemetery" leading the pack.
Funny, how I had to wait 27 years and needed the assistance of a Boston-formed punk rock label to introduce me to guys that fought the same battles I fought back in high school, right in my own backyard. But there it is. I'll be looking for the next P.T.C show in the Concord area and be sure to be there moshing to welcome back the boys.
As I continue down this path of punk rock discovery, one thing that is readily apparent is that, like most if not all other musical genres, there is wide range of styles. We have all this great crossover stuff, the early British punk, the New York hardcore, the O.C. stuff, and then there’s this Boston punk scene that I’ve always known about, but never paid much attention to. That is, until Racer turned me on to Street Dogs and then it was like someone turned on a light in very dark and cluttered room. I could suddenly see the brilliance of said cluttered room, and I now had the opportunity to really dissect the intricacies of the pieces of clutter littering the room.
Part of the now infamous Pope and Racer Taang! trip, is a band called Everybody Out! They’re a Boston punk outfit made up of Rick Barton, who played guitar in Dropkick Murphy’s, and The Dead Pets/Lost City Angels frontman, Sweeney Todd, and these guys play a most captivating brand of hardcore that I’ve never experienced anything quite like it. Sure . . . there are probably a ton of folks sitting around who know their Boston scene, and that’s fine, I’m not necessarily talking to you. I don’t need to . . . you’re already in the know! I’m trying to reach out to the masses of folk who are stuck in some underground bunker or . . . Alaska . . . those folks who are unknowingly screaming for a style of music that will have them bouncing around their domiciles, bobbing their heads in time with upbeat swagger, and ultimately singing along as if their voices belonged in some choir for the ages. These are the people who need to be spinning Everybody Out!’s self-titled debut record . . .yes, record. Sure, the CD is fine, but there are tracks on the LP that don’t make it on the CD and they are must have’s!
Everybody Out! is one of those records that you can’t listen to just once . . . it won’t let you. It’s too powerful of a force, and way too compelling and fun to go on to anything else. Opening with “Wide Awake”, the quick count off and the eruption of Sex Pistols-esque punk rock overwhelms the senses. Upbeat and sung with a defiant sneer, and then suddenly launches to a stratospheric raucous tirade, and man! I love every second of this! The chorus, the backing vocals, the immediacy of the face paced tempo, and in classic punk rock fashion, the breakdown with gang vocals sells me on this one way ticket to the Boston underground. Without a pause between tracks, “Everybody Out!” drops in and the living room bounce-a-thon continues. Another up tempo rocker and I dare you to knock sing at the top of your lungs . . . “Everybody out! Everybody out!” . . . it’s simply the most contagious song on the album. The best part for me is when the guys break the song down and hand clap the rhythm while chanting the chorus. The timing of the break is perfect . . . it could have come across as cheesy, but in this case, simply perfect. It totally captures the essence of this recording.
The sing-a-longs continue through “Ghettoblaster” and by the time we get to “Jack The Lad”, filled with its Mighty Mighty Bosstone ska inflections, our singing voices should be in top form to accompany the boys through the back half of the first side of this platter. This song caught me off guard a bit because I wasn’t expecting the horn section, especially the jazz tinged mid portion, but I’ll be damned if this isn’t one of the coolest songs on the record. Seriously . . . this album is getting better and better as it goes along! Everybody Out! shows a great amount of musical diversity throughout, incorporating horns in one song, pianos on the next, straight up guitar, bass, and drums on the next . . . just keep me guessing, lads!
Putting the wraps on side 1 is the song that forced me and Racer to pick this beast up. “Billy Cole” was playing over the P.A. system at Taang! and there was nothing more we could do. We simply had to purchase the record. Without question, one of the finest purchases of the day! Sung with a very Irish cadence, almost in poetic form, “Billy Cole” is the punk rock equivalent of folk music. The boys tell a tale of a couple of people, one being a cat named Billy Cole, who lead completely different lives and probably die completely different deaths, but ultimately are just two people trying to eke their ways through life. Acoustic guitars strum a heavy rhythm and the vocals convey the lyric message that pulls on the heart strings. Then when they introduce Mike, the music turns darker and heavier, more imposing, and fuck! Just buy the record and spin this song over and over again . . . it’s that fucking awesome!
If you still have the energy to flip the platter over and attack side 2, go on ya’! You’ll find yourself bouncing along with more of that upbeat Boston punk sound, complete with even more sing-alongs. But what you’ll get with the vinyl edition that you won’t get from the CD edition is songs like “Boy” and the show stopper, “Home”. “Boy” is another acoustic guitar strummin’ folk-y epic that injects a ton of distorted heaviness and maybe even more raw emotion. “Home” is one of those songs that Racer and would categorize as a patriotic song calling for our troops to get home to the families that love them. Perfectly penned in a lyrical fashion and the music conveys the immediacy for action. It’s enough to make the strongest punker get a little weepy. And, my God . . . the chorus is one that will have you standing on your rooftops, leaning out your high rise windows, shaking your fist and singing along!
If I had heard this album back in 2008 when it was originally released, it would have been sitting comfortably at the top of that year’s Best of List. Truth is, it’s probably even better than I think it is. Everybody Out!’s self-titled album is one of those albums that I don’t want to stop listening to. I’ll be cruising around doing my day to day activities and I’ll be thinking about listening to this record. I’ve actually listened to a couple of other records and couldn’t wait for them to end so I could put this one back on. Upbeat, positive, emotionally raw, solid song craft, good story telling . . . all elements that are included in this album, and it downright rocks! This one is highly recommended regardless of what style of music you gravitate towards. This is a genre crosser and it needs to be on your playlist.
After our whole Taang! experience, and listening to the Attitude Adjustment CD, The Collection, I got to thinking . . . and mind you, it wasn’t the type of stop everything, I need to sequester myself to an abandoned shed for forty days and forty nights type of thinking. This was more of the casual thinking as I sit in a drive-thru waiting for my latest order of gut bomb in a bag to be handed to me. The thought racing around my noodle (mmm, noodles) was, what makes good punk rock? I’m sure everybody reading this will have their opinion as to what makes good punk rock, and it was more of a rhetorical thought than an actual forum question anyway.
After listening to Poison Idea’s Kings of Punk, I feel that I’m that much closer to satisfying a portion of that burning drive-thru question. Kings of Punk is a blistering anti-everything tirade that got me blood boiling, my fists pumping, and my body shaking. The album is high intensity, fast paced, and irreverent as all good punk, in my mind, should be. But here’s the wrinkle, folks . . . and yes, it gets better . . . these guys don’t seemingly just bash their instruments into submission and scream nonsensical obscenities, they create massively moving punk rock epics filled with dynamic shifts in tempo and mood. I would hate to insult the Poison Idea guys by calling this progressive punk, because there isn’t that flighty, soaring silliness that inherent in a lot of prog. But what these do bring is a sense of song craft that’s more challenging that the standard fair of punk rock. I’ve always wondered why if punk rock is supposed to be so intelligent in subject matter that it had to be so 4/4 and standardized to the point that it takes absolutely no conscious effort to listen to it. Poison Idea, thankfully, solved this conundrum for me.
“Lifestyles” kicks off the album in full on classic punk rock fashion. High speed drumming and a wall of distorted guitar chaos, all given an exclamation point with the snotty sneering vocal attack of Jerry A, this is an attention getter from the opening minute. That primal assault on the senses does the job for certain, appealing to that dark and despondent streak that can run through me on the best and worst of days, but then . . . then, these guys pull the figurative E-brake and skid this bitch around a corner so fast that if you were in a pursuit car, you’d be shredding your tires trying to break yourself. Just a hair over a minute into the song, they drop the tempo way down, play distorted arpeggios and give the notes space to breath a bit. Powerful shit! There’s a great deal of stellar musicianship in this track, from the out-of-the-box bass lines to the mournful guitar passages, this song is a spotlight on headiness that hardcore can have.
“Ugly American” is a more mid-tempo crusher and the song is packed with more musical moments of brilliance. Again, great bass licks, heavy guitar riffs, but tastefully played, and the vocals are impassioned and venomous. And, it features one of the elements that’s always made punk rock so cool to me, a strong lyrical message. In the case of “Ugly American” the band launches an all out assault on the neo-Nazi movement and their views of racial inequality. A song with focused rage, though maybe not the most politically correct or tactfully diplomatic, it doesn’t need to be. The point is made that injustice won’t be tolerated and those who have intolerant viewpoints will be looked down upon. All of three minutes long and I feel like I’ve been rocked for an hour.
Throughout Kings of Punk, I’ve found myself gravitating towards the songs that have the richest dynamics, such as “Lifestyles”, ”Death Wish Kids”, and “Tormented Imp”. I dig the change of pace . . . there’s only so much of the hopped up rock n’ roll and massive volume and insane speed that I can handle, so the tempo changes that Poison Idea inject into their songs is welcomed with open ears. “Made To Be Broken” is one of my favorites with its quai-Boston punk intro and bombastic assault on the senses . . . I mean, this screams punk rock in every classic sense of the word. Then as I found myself just about to collapse into a ball of battered flesh and bones, the band changes things up . . . slows the tempo down a bit, but without losing any of the earlier power from the song, and they return to the opening guitar line with punk-y melodic Celtic thing going on. That, my friends, is simply bitchin’ work!
“Tormented Imp” is a cataclysmic grinder full of subtle nuance that took me by complete surprise. Mostly performed in mid-tempo, the intensity on this track is damn near overwhelming. I love the vocal approach, building with intensity and rage from the first to the second . . . and then as we swing from the left to the right, fuck! And the slight breaks that the band place in this one makes the song one of the most compelling and interesting moments on the disc. The metalhead in me is disappointed that the song doesn’t continue longer while the punk rock in me thinks it over stays its welcome. I love it. Excuse me a sec . . . I need to play it again.
Originally released in 1986, while I was jerkin’ myself wild over the musical spectacle that was Metallica’s Master of Puppets, Kings of Punk could easily have been the most important punk rock/hardcore album of the time. It has everything one could want from a punk rock disc . . . high energy, uncompromising, intelligent, and completely unique from any other hardcore from this era. Recommended by the good folks at Taang! Records, I’m thrilled stupid that I paid enough attention and had the good sense to listen to someone other than the voices in my head. I grew up hearing the name Poison Idea in my various circles of friends, but no one ever had the balls to enlighten me to their sound. Now I’ve heard them and now I love them. I suspect my bank account will become more and more empty due to Poison Idea. I suppose I could do worse. A lot worse.
Few bands in this world combine punk, hardcore and metal…and do it well. Canadian punk rock metalers, Cancer Bats are one of those that do. The Cancer Bats are influenced by the likes of Black Flag, Refused, and yes even Led Zeppelin. Based out of Toronto, Canada they have been rocking since 2004 and have released three l.ps and five e.ps in their short seven year span.
Birthing the Giant is the first full length album they released. This record is fucking non stop. I’m pretty sure I broke a sweat just listening to it. The lead off track “Golden Tanks” embodies the ferocity of the band. Singer Liam Cormier’s vocals are in your face though he is not screaming. Another amazing track, “Pneumonia Hawk” is done in similar fashion but with the addition of alexisonfire screamer George Pettit, for some dueling vocal action.
Hail Destroyer is the Cancer Bats second full length album. Much like Birthing the Giant, Hail Destroyer starts and ends in pure unbridled intensity. Keeping the trend alive with “borrowing” a second voice, many of Canada’s top band singers are also present on this album. Namely Tim McIlrath of Rise Against on "Harem of Scorpions”, Wade MacNeil of alexisonfire on "Deathsmarch" Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent on "Smiling Politely". The title track starts off with the a gritty guitar worthy of any southern metal band that leads into Cormier shouting “Tear us down!”, instantly making you want to grab the nearest authority figure and punch him in the mouth. They keep up this pace for the next 11 tracks, without missing a beat. If you are lucky enough to pick up this album with bonus tracks, you are in for a treat. The bonus cd contains three covers, including my personal favorite cover of The Murder City Devils’ “I want a Lot Now”
Their most recent release Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones was released in 2009. This album is exhausting..in a good way. There is a lot going on in this record. Multi-layered is understatement. Punk, hardcore, sludge: this album does it all. The opening track “Sleep This Away” is a sludgy mix of hardcore metal. The Cancer Bats also do a pretty nifty cover of the Beastie Boys “Sabotage”. The cover holds true the Beastie’s original but Cormier’s gruff vocals and the bands squealing guitars, make it their own.
Bottom line, the Cancer Bats have a bright future in today’s hardcore and metal scenes. They are defiantly one of the bands that is a “must see”. The bands overall stage presents is overwhelming and keeps you entertained.
Dew-Scented have been cruising around the heavy metal underground for a damn long time. This German institution released their first demo in 1994 and have consistently produced kick ass metal that always gets the horns waving, but I can’t ever remember anyone actually stating that this band was worthy of greater attention. Damn shame, really. Dew-Scented are about as tight and technical a thrash band I’ve ever heard, and just as greasy, grimy, and caked with gopher guts as any underground metal band should be. But, to simply refer to these guys as another thrash metal unit would be next to criminal coz’ they’re not retro, they’re not doing something that sounds like anybody else, and they obviously aren’t doing it for a paycheck.
The very first thing that I notice when giving Invocation its initial it’s-time-to-get-to-know-you spin on the ole player was that the band have an incredible sense of mood. The opening instrumental intro of “Downfall” is perfectly composed to create a momentary glimmer of hope and then turns dark about 40 seconds into the track. Very rarely is so much said in so little. The guitar production is crystal clear, the notes shimmering with a lilting melody, and then the guys shift to these minor chords and the entire tone of the song becomes ominous . . . like being at sea on a relatively pleasant day, and then out of nowhere, the squalls start picking up as the sky darkens. Amazing composition and a tune that made me eager to hear what these guys were going to do next . . . where were they going to take the music?
With a seamless transition, Dew-Scented kick into “Arise From Decay” and the up tempo, full on thrash movement kicks into overdrive. Heavy alternate picked guitar lines accompanied by flurries of double bass drum and another ominous guitar melody clear the debris for the steamroller action of this tune to have an unobstructed path for devastation. The vocals, though not a style I typically gravitate towards, work extremely well in the context of the speeding frenzy of notes and ultra-violence. The band utilize a lot of open E, er . . . D, er . . . whatever note they’ve dropped their rigs to, creating passage after passage of chugging riffs and the slyly sliding half measures of sustain to break up the cacophony. By doing so, they create a truly intense listening experience. If I had to compare this song to the sound of any other band, I would have to lean towards Sound of White Noise-era Anthrax, but much more intense and produced to peel your skin from your face.
Dew-Scented incorporate more than an adequate amount of hardcore into their sound. To my ears, this gives their sound more of a knee jerk reaction of intensity, more organic if you will, yet they don’t compromise any of their musical chops in the process of creating this intensity. “Have No Mercy On Us” is an example of how they’ve melded the hardcore and thrash ethos together. One moment, emotions worn on the sleeve and the ultra-violence is swirling in complete chaos, then mere moments later, they shift to technical time changes and searing guitar leads that would make the six string gods blush. Then they hit us with “Artificial Life,” and pummel us stupid. Again, they mix that great thrash guitar work with the tempo and vocals that seem more at home in the back alleyways of a greater metropolitan area than in the polished confines of an arena or recording studio. The bridges used throughout this song are epic, full of raw emotion and power, fueled by rage and conveyed with the kind of conviction has changed the minds of the most stubborn minded. I absolutely love the outro portion of the song as the band drops into another chugging riff and we hear the drummer chiming away at the ride . . . man, that’s some good shit!
It’s rare to hear a band sound so tight in their execution, yet remain so infinitely raw in aggression. “Condemnation” is a sterling example as Dew-Scented litter the song with more starts and stops than a crash scene during rush hour. When they do get this song back up to speed, it’s a white knuckle ride as we grip any part of the vehicle for dear life. Or, if you don’t like that analogy, liken it to being on the Space Shuttle during reentry . . . and the pilot is suffering from cardiac arrest. Still, I find it amazing how they work such tight and dynamic shifts smack dab in the middle of some the bitchin’est riffs since that really bitchin’ album with all of those bitchin’ riffs! It’s like listening to the early thrash gods back in the late 80’s as if it were all happening again! Don’t believe me . . . fast forward to “A Critical Mass.” In-fucking-sane!
Invocation is a virtual clinic on riff work. Throw in some guitar virtuosity, not just in the solo work but also in the rhythm work, and mix that with the vocal intensity and Dew-Scented have hand delivered one of the most vicious records of the year. If you like your metal with a lot of movement, then this is the album that is screaming for your attention. Once it has your attention, it will be undivided as you’ll find yourself getting sucked into every time change and dynamic tempo shift, and by the time the record is done spinning . . . well, you won’t be. You’ll have lathered up a nice and even layer of sweat . . . you’ll have to peel the clothes from your body . . . that’s when you’ll find a few abrasions from unconsciously thrashing out to the grooves of Invocation. No . . . really. It’s that good! - Pope JTE
have hand delivered one of the most vicious records of the year. If you like your metal with a lot of movement, then this is the album that is screaming for your attention. Once it has your attention, it will be undivided as you’ll find yourself getting sucked into every time change and dynamic tempo shift, and by the time the record is done spinning . . . well, you won’t be. You’ll have lathered up a nice and even layer of sweat . . . you’ll have to peel the clothes from your body . . . that’s when you’ll find a few abrasions from unconsciously thrashing out to the grooves of Invocation. No . . . really. It’s that good! - Pope JTE