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.
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)
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.
