Man, I am stoked that this new Corrosion of Conformity album is so good! They were one of the first hardcore punk bands that I discovered on my own, thanks to the recommendation of Bob Muldowney in the pages of his Kick Ass fanzine in 1984. When Animosity came out a year later it was blasting on my stereo pretty much non-stop and I even interviewed drummer Reed Mullin for my high school newspaper. It was also one of the first "hardcore" tapes my friends who were into Ozzy/Dio/Priest/Scorps could tolerate. Well, at least most of it. Side two was a bit much for them but I loved it. So when it was announced that C.O.C.'s ever changing line up was reverting back to the Animosity trio of bassist/vocalist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman and Mullin I was very excited. I missed their NY show on the first go round but heard they were great. When it was announced that they were going to do a new record I really didn't know what to expect. I think the last C.O.C. album I heard all the way through was Blind and that was about 20 years ago.
Album opener "Psychic Vampire" starts off with a heavy groove before switching up with a fast punk part before returning to the groove. A very nice Bad Brains via Mahvishnu Orchestra way to begin. "River Of Stone" and the instrumental "El Lamento de las Cabras" are slower and moodier and make a fast thrasher like "Leeches" sound even faster and heavier. "Leeches" (sung by Reed) is really the only song similar to their vintage thrash era. Unsurprisingly, "The Doom" is slow and heavy but has some fast parts, too. C.O.C. was heavily into the first 2 Trouble albums when they came out when at a time when most metal fans were not into them. I always thought it was funny how a hardcore band got a lot of metallers into bands like Trouble and Saint Vitus because they'd wear their t-shirts.
The rest of the album is just kick ass heavy rock. Not fully metal, not punk, not classic rock. These guys always liked to play in the "beyond category" vein and that's what I really like about this album. The production is great, too. Woody's guitar tone is hard n heavy and blends well with Mike's booming bass. Reed's drumming is top notch. He throws in a lot of cool Clive Burr drum fills mixed in with some Earl from Bad Brains high hat work. There's even some "Pay To Cum" style cowbell!
I hope this album finds an audience. I know a lot of their fans are skeptical because Pepper Keenan isn't in the band right now and they probably never liked early C.O.C. They lost many their original hardcore fans after the Technocracy EP and this album might not win them back if all they like is punk rock. Their loss is my gain, I guess. I got my ticket for the NYC show on March 1 and I can't wait to see these guys rage the stage again.
When Racer makes his way down to San Diego, there’s one thing that inevitably happens . . . wait. Make that two things that inevitably happen. First, we stop at a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant and load up on gut bombs in the form of carne asada burritos. The second is that we take our new found stink and astounding rotund-ness to one of several record stores in the greater San Diego area. Tuesday, March 29th was no different. After filling ourselves with the delectable flavors of savory beef served up in a zesty salsa and guacamole, all wrapped up neat in its flour tortilla skin, we were a misstep away from literally rolling into Taang! Records on 5th Street located in the heart of the Hillcrest area.
To walk into this store is like walking into a museum of not just punk rock greatness, but rock n’ roll greatness in all of its various forms. Plastering every vacant inch of wall space, one will find first print editions of Bad Brains, TSOL, Metallica, Sabbath, Dead Kennedys, Sticky Little Fingers, and on and on and on . . . every time that I turned around something new and exciting caught my eye, and then captivated my attention, which then led to long drawn out conversation of said item. Taang! Records isn’t merely a record store for the vinyl collector in your life . . . the place houses tons of CD’s from various genres, though punk and hardcore are the more popular genres littering the bins.
But coolest of all, this store is also the home of Taang! Records the label . . . home of such artists as Gang Green, Dropkick Murphys, Street Dogs, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Slapshot, Street Dogs, and the band that caught our ears as the tight riffing dissonance blasted from the stores PA system, Attitude Adjustment.
Folks, it’s rare that Racer and I will lift our heads from the random bins of music when we hear music playing over a sound system, but there was something different going on here. The music had such an immediacy to it that we both looked up from our Deep Purple, Black Flag, and CSN(Y) LP’s with wide eyes of amazement, mouthing the words, “Who the fuck is this?” So, not being shy . . . we asked, and found out that we were listening to the brand new recordings from Attitude Adjustment. The band was in Denmark recording their new, as of yet titled album during a few days of down time on their latest European tour. Mark it down as just one more of those super cool moments in our rock n’ roll lives . . . here we were looking for a Sub Society 7” from 1990 and instead were the first witnesses to brand new Attitude Adjustment songs. We are blessed. You should really get to know us better.
So, upon finding out that this crossover tinged hardcore audio assault was Attitude Adjustment, we figured we had to get our hands on some of their back catalog and get to know them a little better. What I found, with some regret, is that these guys have been around since the late 80’s and sound like the music I should have been listening to instead of a lot of the crap I had on my turntable at the time. 1989 . . . 1990 . . . those were the years when I was stupid crazy about the crossover hardcore soundings of Excel, D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, The Accused, Cryptic Slaughter, and somehow or another Attitude Adjustment never registered on my radar. After the racking torments of guilt washed over me, I again recognized that I am indeed human and prone to make mistakes . . . and have subsequently forgiven myself. Now . . . onto Attitude Adjustment.
The disc I picked up is actually their first three efforts compiled onto one release entitled The Collection. The disc features American Paranoia, No More Mr. Nice Guy, and Out of Hand and having the three albums running in chronological order gives me, the new listener, a greater understanding of the bands growth. The 16 tracks that make up American Paranoia are the thrashing tracks of my youth! The songs are short, but filled with the dynamics that characterized the genre . . . fast and up tempo passages that dissolve to mid tempo, riff-tastic portions packed with so much power that one can’t possibly sit still. So jarring in transition, these songs have the ability to lift the listener from the comfort of their chairs and hurl them into a high stepping mosh across the living room. Par for course in this era is the subject matter of the songs . . . ranging for social despondency, suicide, ravages of war, drug abuse, etc. and all of it sung to soundtrack of aggression that melded the worlds of punk rock and heavy metal. “Grey World”, “Dead Serious”, “Johnny”, “Attitude Adjustment”, and “Bombs” should have been the staples of my adolescent diet as they reflect the ideology of my youth.
Suddenly, No More Mr. Nice Guy explodes from the speakers and the first thing that becomes readily apparent is the production value has completely changed. This latest recording is jam packed with low end that wasn’t there for the first record, and though the overall sound is muddier, it’s no less intense. “To Be Different” is a blast from the darkest regions of the pit and the double bass drum flourishes are an unsuspected elbow into the temple. Count the birdies, kiddies! The musicianship is definitely tighter on this album, as well. Where American Paranoia was loose and full of youthful exuberance, No More Mr. Nice Guy is a tighter fair and focused to a razor sharpness, however, it never loses that punk rock haphazardness. Along with “To Be Different”, “No Explanation” (fuck . . . intense break on this one!), “Born To Lose”, and “Satan Is God” are the stunning achievements from this album. All have that absolute musical power, that classic mix of puck rock irreverence and radical idealism, while simply pummeling anyone in the way with a heavier metallic groove.
Finally, Out of Hand is the natural progression of the previous two albums combined. The oppressive low end of No More Mr. Nice Guy has been evened out and the mid range is more vibrant, yet the songs retain that tight metallic punch while walking hand in hand with the American Paranoia musical chaos. The songs have become longer, the structure a little more complex, the musicianship a step higher . . . like I said, a natural progression of musical growth. “Power of Control” captures all of these elements, even including a pretty impressive guitar solo, which I always thought was cool in hardcore. I never quite understood why it was frowned on by the hardcore scenes to play to one’s talents. “I Can’t Forgive”, the droning throb of “Sab Song”, “Bed of Nails”, and “Scarred For Life” are greater representatives of the, at the time, newer, more mature Attitude Adjustment.
If, like me, you are unfamiliar with Attitude Adjustment, then The Collection is the hands down best and most economical way of getting to know this stand out group of happy thrashers. The songs, all 41 of them are a snapshot of the crossover hardcore scene of the late 80’s/early 90’s and each album when played sequentially, shows a remarkable musical growth. Now, I sit waiting with baited breath for this brand new album and subsequent tour of the States so I turn the dial back to my more youthful self. Come to think of it . . . I might want to hit the gym a few more times to get into pit shape. Twenty plus years of hardcore thrashing debauchery for Attitude Adjustment? Wow . . . that was a lot of burritos ago.
This little gem has been lingering in my collection for a few years. In fact, in the summer of 2008, I had made a note that this album kicked much ass and needed to be written about. But alas, mere minutes later, I unwrapped Byzantine’sOblivion Beckons, threw that beast into the player, and Hirax became an unfortunate casualty of bad timing. Originally release in 2004, The New Age of Terror is a fierce and intense collection of thrashing metal ditties laced with a hardcore attitude and ethos; tight in metallic execution, but loose with punk rock emotion. The New Age of Terror is made up of the kind of music that gets a room full of metalheads spontaneously running in counter clockwise fashion, high stepping over the pile of bodies in their path, wielding their elbows like scythes in a wheat field, and then collapsing into a sweaty mass until the next song kicks in.
Back in the day, Hirax were lumped into the mass of 80’s crossover bands like Excel, D.R.I., and Cryptic Slaughter, however, they were always seemed to have a little more in common with metallic stalwarts like Metallica, Exodus, or Overkill. Those metallic sounds are readily apparent on The New Age of Terror as this disc is full on double bass drum, gritty and tight guitar riffs, ground shuddering bass tones, and air raid siren vocals. Always good with a lyric, vocalist and band main stay Katon W. De Pena regales us with tales of horrific warfare, the hopelessness of world destruction, human injustices, and social turmoil that only Katon, in his unique way, could phrase. And, the music! Phew! One great groove after another, propelled by thick and distorted guitars, shoves this album in the face of the listener, making it feel like the most immediate piece of music in existence.
“Kill Switch” kicks this beast of with a devastating riff that’s accented by sharp bass and cymbal explosions. Played at the proper volume . . . that would be loud, for those not in the know . . . those accents are all power and act like a jarring blow to the sternum. The song then rolls into a furious attack of sound, heavy and aggressive, fast and unrelenting, executing break neck stops and starts like Wayne Gretzky skating in his prime. Katon’s vocals, sounding like an air raid siren, work in contrast with the tight riffage and seem to soar above the music, driving home a warning of social destruction through death and terror. Before we’ve had the chance to see where the terror and killing is coming from, Hirax dive right into “Hostile Territory,” a tune fueled by a twin guitar attack that strains the forearms to the point of shutting down. Thunderous rhythms and screaming guitars drive this song to the breaking point, concluding in a smoldering, exhausted sigh.
Flat out kick ass, the title track is encompasses everything we thrash freaks loved about the metal movement of the late 80’s. “The New Age of Terror” is the kind of tune that makes one unconsciously bang their head in time with pummeling rhythms. The guitar grooves are fat, juicy, meaty morsels, executed with nifty triplets, alternate picking between sustained chords, and all done at break neck speed. This is one of those songs where the immediacy of the emotion is conveyed best; high powered vocals performed to the height of the Katon’s abilities, the aforementioned guitar attack, the drums exploding like small cannons . . . all of the emotion open palm slapping the listener in the face as if trying to knock some sense into a stubborn mind. One of those songs that has the sonic intensity to move an entire room of people in unison, “The New Age of Terror” is not only the reason y’all need to pick up this album, but the reason you need to catch the band live. Brutal!
“Suffer” continues along the same path as the rest of the album, ferocious and monstrous, the riffs do their job of pummeling the ear drums into oblivion. Upon closer inspection of the lyrics, which on the surface may simply appear to be vivid descriptions of warfare and bloodshed, one can hear the strains of fright within Katon’s own voice. It’s at this moment that you begin to understand that these aren’t just a bunch of gory words strung together for effect, but a reflection of the man’s fear of the world we all live in. The lyrics, as they always have been for Hirax, are an expression of the emotions of the man writing them. The vividness of the imagery grasps the listener’s attention and brings that immediacy back to the front, forcing us to cringe a little, gasp in our own shock and awe, and take stock of what we hold most dear in life.
“El Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)” shows the bands metallic musicianship. Slowed down, a bit softer in tone, but not less meaningful, this instrumental opens up the band’s sound and lets the album breathe. A little lush keyboard drone in the background as the cleaner tones guitarists pick out their arpeggios, given added texture with huge walls of distorted guitars . . . this two minute ditty is a welcome respite from the chaos and fury that Hirax display throughout the rest of the album. As to be expected, as “El Dia De Los Muertos” fades out, the ravaging soundscape of “El Diablo Negro” fades in, dropping one of the heavier riffs on the album on the shoulders of this welcoming listener. Again, Hirax explode into action, uber-fast guitar riffs and up tempo drums get this song moving in one direction and one direction only. Straight for your skull, like a laser guided projectile, “El Diablo Negro” is an efficient killing machine in itself.
Over the course of the past two years, The New Age of Terror has continually grown as one of my favorite albums. It’s one of those albums that I unconsciously reach for, or better yet, the album that I tend to think about listening to when I’m dissatisfied with everything else in my collection. Ironically enough, as many times as I’ve pulled this disc out and given it a spin, I never noticed that there was a second disc tucked behind the audio version. Yes folks, there’s a DVD filled with great live footage from Hirax’s tours of ’04 and ’05, which I’ve only had a few minutes to glance at, but looks amazing! Hirax has, and probably always will, have a special place in my heart mainly because of their work ethic and honesty. Take a few minutes and check out their history and notice how Katon W. De Pena, by sheer force of will, has kept this band rolling in the image that he’s wanted it. Independent releases, tireless touring and promotion, and a roots-y D.I.Y. attitude has gotta’ make even the most jaded music fan nod in appreciation for the work that he’s done. I’m off to buy pick up some more Hirax stuff . . . man, look at all that vinyl! - Pope JTE
The Pope has a new entry into his top ten list. Yeah, I know it’s only March as of the writing of this piece, but when an album punches you repeatedly in the face, kidney region, and groin area a hundred and sixty-two times before it’s made one complete revolution, then by default, said album has effectively muscled it’s way in. Lair of the Minotaur. Evil Power. Metal, metal, and more metal! Not since Skeletonwitch’s Breathing the Fire have I listened to an album that has felt so damned immediate, and folks, a lot of metal has etched it’s grooves into my desk in the past year. These guys bring the guts and the muscle and the violence and the imagery and all of those great classic metal elements that make testosterone amped lads act like escaped zoo animals. Their sound is raw and somewhat sludge-y, yet the sound grooves and is jam packed with riffs that will have you banging your head, crunching your abs, whipping yourself into a spastic frenzy, flipping over your desk with rage . . . a sound that is as unapologetic as it is honest. Metal not for the sake of being metal, but because this is simply who Lair of the Minotaur are.
For a quick comparison of sounds, let’s just say Lair of the Minotaur sounds closest to a mixture of Skeletonwitch, early Celtic Frost, and Mastodon . . . all injected with a gritty dose of hardcore punk and old school metal tension. Irreverent and blistering, Evil Power is the type of street metal or underground sound that accompanies destruction and ultra-violence. Brutally dense, but filled with great dynamic twists that are fueled by emotion rather than technical heroics, this album is a breath taking hell ride that strips the flesh from the muscle, the muscle from the bone, the bone from the marrow . . . leaving nothing but dust in its wake. I can only imagine that a live jam from these cats would leave more than a few bodies traumatically damaged beyond repair, and then, the psychological damage would be incalculable . . . glassy eyed zombies shambling their way through the city streets, mindlessly bumping into light posts, collapsing in spasm in gutters or on the hoods of parked cars after being assailed by the torment that only Lair of the Minotaur can bring.
Distributed through Southern Lord Records, this band has been labeled as doom . . . eh, okay. Let’s just call them metal coz’ really, they have all the elements. Just succumb to the chaos that is the opening track, “Attack the Gods,” and hear how the waves of pure, unadulterated metal pummels your body like the ocean waves to a distant seashore. Huge rumblings tones of bass amidst a flurry of guitar feedback and drums bludgeoning away, all put together to emphasize the sonic intensity of the music. Like that proverbial runaway train, this song barrels along, obliterating everything that stands in its way. The groove is powered by the guitar riff, but combined with the other instruments, in particular, the vocal attack this song becomes the ultimate chaotic metal masterpiece. The vocals, though gruff and brimming with aggression, aren’t so layered with guttural growls to become incomprehensible. I get it . . . we’re doing battle with the gods, and we’re probably going to die in the process, but damn it! What a party we’re gonna’ have during this conflict!
“Riders of Skullhammer, We Ride the Night” bursts from the speakers with that compelling old school guitar chug that I found so compelling with Skeletonwitch. Nasty and distorted, vital and immediate, I throw my fist in the air and wave it in defiance of your ways, oh society, oh evil being that has kept the man down! This song injects a massive dose of “bring it on, bitch!” as it fills this listener with a sense of omnipotence, an element of cockiness that would inevitably lead me to many a broken bone and internal injury. All of two minutes long, the song is the perfect anthem for those who prowl the night and lay waste to everything in sight, in that its short, concise, to the point and basically does everything a good song needs to do. Then check this out . . . as the title track follows this anthemic gem, listen to the outstanding break towards the end of the tune. Perfectly executed metal precision just played from a looser mind frame, a more emotions-worn-on-the-sleeve type of reactionary metal. Raw as hell and fucking awesome!
By the sixth song, Lair of the Minotaur bring absolute devastation with “Hunt and Devour.” What’s not to like about this beast? It’s heavy, and brutally raw, aggressive, all of the hatred is sparklingly brilliant as the musicians use the subtlety of nuclear explosion to convey their message . . . and they do it all in a minute and a half! I’ve never had that concise of a thought. Ever. The guitars are chugging heavy, the bass; a rumbling and ravenous beast, the drums shifting from hard driving to fairly intricate patterns as the sticks dance across the ride cymbal. And the vocals . . . the vocals are phrased perfectly in time with the music, the starts, the stops, the raw emotion of the music is reflected, and in many cases made more effective by the vocals.
Evil Power is amazing! Every song kicks ass . . . “Blood From the Witch’s Vein,” “ We Are Hades,” but it’s “Death March of the Conquerors” that has me brandishing my armor, sharpening my steel, donning my war paint, and every other manly man thing I can think about as I prepare to enter battle against all those who oppose me. The build-up intro to this song is epic, irreverent as all get out, but I get it. It’s a call to arms as we’re meant to stand up against oppression, to do battle with those who marched on our lands, raped our ideals, and this is where Lair of the Minotaur shows their unapologetic nature the best. The best line in their tirade is “These fucking cunts fight like women.” Now, I know what a lot of you are gonna’ say, these guys apparently never fought the women I know, but that’s not the point. It’s more of a verbal assault against a foe than an attack against feminism, it’s a string of words used to inspire the gathered force, and it’s irreverently eloquent. Hell, after listening to this song, I’m ready to storm any blood soaked hill to avenge my fallen brothers!
Evil Power is the be all, end all, rawest, most virulent slab of metal that I’ve heard in the past year. Lair of the Minotaur have combined all of the elements that I love most about metal and created an absolute gem, nay . . . a must have album. Evil Power is the album that all of your metal friends are going to be talking about, and Lair of the Minotaur is the band that will lead a new breed of raw, emotive metal from the musty depths of the underground. Sure, some of the lyrics are based on fantasy, but it’s the underlying message that’s important here. Supplant witches and gods with corporations and politicians and the whole message becomes that much more immediate and relevant for today. The album is a call to arms, though not as black and white as the punk rock of yester year, it’s still pretty clear as to the meaning of the belly fire. Yep. It’s a certainty. Evil Power is at the top of my favorite list for 2010 and has the strength to top many of my previously favorite albums from any decade. - Pope JTE
The following video is from an earlier Lair of the Minotaur album called Carnage, but it should give you a pretty good idea of what Pure Evil is all about. Hopefully, we'll be able to host some newer video material for you in the near future.
