I've been doing other things, so that's why the 24 hours limit put a word "stop" to my reviews & inties. Plus I've been listening to a lot of different stuff. From blues, to Joy Division, jazz and some psychedelic/prog rock & some reggae. That's why I didn't have much to write about.
And that's one of the questions regarding this blog: I don't know whether to open it to other genres or to let it "extreme" centered.
It's not because of a shifts of musical tastes, but more because I always wrote about the music I felt writing about would be interesting. So why not insert other kinds too?
So I think I might add my personal reccomendations of stuff I like, no matter what genre it is, passing from Pink Floyd to Jethro Tull to Black Sabbath to Dr.Know.
So more like a Chaotic Corner, than a Noisy one.
***H.R.A.- Self titled demo CD-R, self released, 2009Well, got the first exposure to this band thanks to Myspace. I discovered them because they share a member (Francisco, who was so kind to e-mail me this demo) with Hypo-Christians. They're from Texas, USA.
H.R.A. is an achronym for Heavy Roach Activity.
The band is growing and I can see they're pretty busy with live dates in the USA, and they've had some lineup changes. In this demo Francisco does all the instrumental work (bass, guitar and drums) and Robert Mena is doing the throat and artwork job. Now they added a drummer (Andy Chaos) and a bass player too (Billy Hinkle).
Back to the Demo, this one has 15 pieces of fast and ripping thrashcore, including a Septic Death's (Negative threat) cover. Influenced by the mighty old school gods, such as Septic Death, D.R.I., Negative Approach and the list can go on, these guys deliver us a fresh and raw wind of that sound that charachterized the 80s. The recording has a lovely DIY feeling that gives this a fucking awesome sound. The bass sounds like it was sampled off D.R.I.'s first LP, while the guitar results in something raw and distorted reminding of Heresy, with that fast, ripping riffs that chop your ears off, while the drums sometimes start some cool mid-tempos so you can realize you're totally being blown away. Vocals do their good angry job, though I didn't have the chance to read their lyrics. The tracks I liked more are: "Myself I hate", "I don't wanna work", "Kill Yerself", "The Racist" (the longest track on here) and "Bruise For a Bruise".
If you are looking for a dirty and rotten recording because you think you're heretic and septic, then this is a must for you. 15 tracks that will fulfill your 80s flavoured thrashcore needs.
H.R.A. Myspace page
***Fleischwald/Insomnia Isterica/Behind The Mirror 3 way split pro CD-R, Grind Ambush & L'é Tütt Folklor, 2008 (?)Attila sent me this cd-r along with a tons of others as a gift. So thanks again mistah Attila.
Now that I'm writing this Insomnia Isterica has already out a split 7'' EP with Compost (see demo review here).
The first band that appears on this cd-r (that is limited to 200 copies) is Fleischwald from Bolzano, Italy. It's a one-man band and I've never heard it before I got this.
On this cd he participates with 24 tracks of fast and sharp sounding straight to the point grindcore with some death metal hints. I usually don't like drum machines, but this one is well arrange, but it still has all the limits that a drum machine involves. If you like old school grindcore with lyrics about politics and war you won't dislike him, so give Fleischwald a try.
The second band on this cd is Insomnia Isterica from the depths of the Swiss' Canton Ticino. 5 guys playing groovy grindcore. Kind of a vibro grindcore mutants kommando, as their intro suggests. 7 tracks of grindcore that sounds groovy because of the slower parts and the bass riffs that reminds of gore/porn grind bands, while the piggy vocals and some guitar riffs are more brutal death oriented. "Ce l'hai il vibro?" is more like a teenage punk song with an intro by Laura Panerai, and the last song "Soci ad merda" is a cover of Asfissia. Good effort, though their next EP is better, be sure to check them out.
The third and last band is Behind The Mirror, from Canton Ticino too, they share a member with Insomnia Isterica.
I've never heard of them before and I would describe their 4 tracks as a mixture of late 90s hardcore with deathcore. I honestly never listened to this stuff, so I don't know what to write about it, except that I don't like it. They use an outro from the movie "The Crow".
Behind The Mirror Myspace page
L'è Tütt Folklor Myspace page
Grind Ambush
***Sexterminator 69- Purity in death CD-R, No Tomorrow Records 2010This is the harsh noise project of Andrea, Bukkake Violence Kommando's drummer.
He once told me he wanted to do some harsh noise and here he is. I am not at all an harsh noise maniac, so I will try to make a decent review of it.
This CD features 4 tracks, with titles about depression and psychic problems.
First track "Disturbo notturno" (Nocturnal disturb) is an 8 minute long dark and hellish wall of noise. The crackles in this song make me feel like I've been stuck somewhere in a filthy and narrow bathroom, in a delirious night in which you have fevers.
Next one "Degenerazione psicofisica" (Psycho-physical degeneration) has a little bit of space in it, in the sense it's not as "narrow" as the previous one. A wall of noise and several crackles with a constant low frequency running for like 31 minutes and degenerating in fiercer and harsher parts and with some low frequencies bumping out to strangle your guts. I guess it's a perfect soundtrack if you want to bang your head against a wall till your brains comes out from your ears.
"Autolesionismo giornaliero" (Daily Self-harm) seems like a freak accident with jack cable that refuses to work properly while "Rassegnazione E Lutto Interiore / Public Suicide" (Resignation and inner death) has fiercer assaults on a solid wall of distortion, and here the distortion seems to have grown even worse than at the beginning of this listen.
Certainly not an easy listen, but if you are in mood for psychic destruction, use this weapon.
Limited to 50 handnumbered copies, get this from No Tomorrow prods. or, say thanks to Sexterminator for this download link.
***Loser Life- Euro tour 7'', Yellow Dog & Thrashbastard, 2008This is one of the "releases you buy without knowing what you're buying".
I got it because I was kinda attracted by the cover, so I got it.
The guy who sold it to me was really generic when I asked him how it sounds. He said "It's an hardcore band". I didn't know it was a tour 7'' and that it's limited to 400 black vinyl copies and 100 red ones.
This 7'' contains just 2 songs "Burning fields" and "Hard to please".
I expected something fast and kinda crustish (because of the cover), while listening to this the guitars have melodic riffs, and the drums are not blasting. Songs tend to be slower hardcore, but they're focused on an emotional impact, sounding like a re-adaptation of the masterpiece "Everything falls apart" by Hüsker Dü, with some 90s hardcore influences too. Lyrics are about personal feelings and matters.
I haven't heard other stuff yet, but these 2 songs are good, so why not check out more stuff?
Yellow Dog
Thrashbastard Myspace page
***Bangsat/Dehumanized Earth split 7'', Rotten To The Core, 2009I long knew Dehumanized Earth for their split with Canadian crusters Global Holocaust, so I was kinda surprised when I saw they put out something new after quite some years, while Bangsat were already known for their split with Archagathus. This EP is limited to 550 copies, as stated in the inlay.
Bangsat are a trio from Jakarta, Indonesia. 4 tracks of death metal influenced crustgrind (there's a cover of Hellbastard's "Heading for internal darkness"). Downtuned guitars with metalish sound but punk riffs, pounding drums with the massive use of double bass and mid tempos, and guttural low vocals (which sometimes alternate with some high pitched screams) seems to be the other main ingredients of their sound. Song lyrics are all about socio-political problems. A solid side even though I can't say they are my favorite band.
Dehumanized Earth from Canada deliver 4 tracks of crust (including a State Of Fear's "Violation" cover). The recipe is the same of a lot of crust bands: mid tempos, discharge-like riffs, but this band has a real guttural voice over it (kida reminds Mesrine) and some real short melodic guitar parts. The recording is quite good, too bad drums are a bit too loud. Can't say anything about their lyrics (if they have).
Surely not a masterpiece, but these 2 bands show they can provide a good dose of brutality and energy.
Bangsat myspace
Rotten To The Core records
***xBräiniax- Hail fastcore CD, To Live A Lie & 625 Thrash, 2009Do they need an introduction? For those who missed them (where the fuck have you been?) these 4 guys are from Michigan,USA.
I've been expecting this discography CD since I only own their split 7'' with Su19b and No Comply. I felt that I was missing some incredible powerviolence so I got this one as soon as it came out. I wasn't wrong.
99 tracks for a schizophrenic massacre of your ears. Why schizophrenic? Listen to the continuous and rapid tempos change mixed with killer saw-sounding guitar riffs and a killer screaming throat, you'll turn crazy and feel like you've just been punched in the guts and then suddenly slapped on your face for 98 times (because the last track is a messy compilation of lo-fi recordings and joke songs). They kinda bring to my mind a mixture of No Comment and Charles Bronson perfectly blended together. The CD begins with their latest stuff (split 7" with Su19b) and goes back to the first stuff like "Lightspeed demo". It also includes their killer "Disgrace to the corpse of Eric Woods" 7", tracks from some compilations, such as a cover of "You Suffer" featured on a Napalm Death tribute, as well as 2 unreleased tracks, and No Comment ("Hacked to chunks"), Infest ("Mindless"), Lack Of Interest ("My life") and a Y ("Blank mitt") covers plus the recording of their first live show ever.
Too bad the booklet hasn't the lyrics to the songs, from what I read it seems like the lyrics are ironic and sarcastic criticisms on life and various aspects of it. The syringe pentacle graphic is fucking sick, thumbs up for it.
I can't wait to hear their new LP coming out on 625.
If you think powerviolence is a dead genre and you love the classics, then pick this up, you'll be hit by a refreshing breeze!
EAT PEOPLE FOR THEIR POWER.
To Live A Lie
625 Thrash
***Boxed In- 2001-2005 CD, Co-production, 2005Bought this cd 2nd hand for like 3€ in a shop in the city where I study.
I never expected to find something like that, so I picked it up with a happy feeling.
These guys are from England, and shared a member with the (should be) well known crust band Doom. I don't know many infos about them, the booklet wasn't helpful this time, all the infos I found are from discogs.com.
This CD contains all their recordings from 2001 to 2005, so you'll find the LP and the first 3 EPs on it plus 2 songs from compilations. 4 cover songs are present too: "Battlefields" by Iconoclast, "Children of love" by Kafka Prosess, "Ei/Oikeus valita" by Mellakka, "When the innocent die" by Anti-Cimex and "The blood runs red" by Discharge.
Raw guitars with a basic and crustish riffing, and full-throttle drum tempos and abrasive vocals they deliver 37 tracks (the longest is 1:58 minutes) of scandischargian hardcore that are sure to please your needs. The recordings were made at 1in12 Studio by Bri Doom. The CD comes with a nice booklet with all the lyrics to the songs and short commentaries to the lyrics. Lyrics are most of the times about this sick world we live in.
This CD is surely nothing groundbreaking but comes from a great band that is mostly unknown. Can't find any link to the band or the labels, but I see it's pretty easy to find.
*** Om- God is good CD, Drag City, 2009Bought this one when I saw them live in Milano, in January.
After such a performance (with Lichens playing with them too), I thought they deserve a review at least. Seeing them live is a really cool experience, and the volumes were not even loud!
This album introduces some new features in Om's sound, since the introduction of different musical instruments and percussions by Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe AKA Lichens. The 19 minutes long and epic Thebes opens the album. A synthesized sitar starts and then the groovy and 70 flavored bass lines by Cisneros start to grip your mind bringing you to a peaceful and kinda trippy voyage into the Greek polis. There's a cool part in which a ethnic string instrument appears, giving it something Oriental in its sound. And then comes the "hard" part, with a bass that start to pump a catchy riff that keeps your head floating. New drummer, Emil Amos, stands well in comparison with the old one, Haikus, making the departure of the ex-Sleep not a problem at all, with his slow tempos. The voice is as always mantra-like, and sometimes seems like it's almost whispered. Then you have "Meditation is the practice of death", trippy arabesque bass lines, and in the middle of this song a guitar too, even if I can't find this credited anywhere, and a beautiful and relaxing flute part. The other two songs "Cremation ghat I & II" close the album. The first one is fast and starts with a funky flavored bass riff, accompanied by a guitar part, and the ultra high-pitched vocals of Lichens remind of some Indian music, or a call to a prayer, and the prayer begins at the beginning of the second part, with a sitar and tambour part opening it while Cisneros provides a slower and meditative riff, and then violin and sitar create a part that makes you trip to the highest mountains of Hindu Kush, or looking for some buddhist monastery in the middle of Himalayas.
I liked this album very much, Om skills are developing in a Far Eastern melting with some stoner elements, and meditative feeling this album gives is interesting too. If you want to spend half an hour tripping all you have to do is: smoke, play it, find some pics of India, Himalaya, or such places and watch them as they go along with the music. You'll be At Giza.
Myspace
Om's page on Drag City records site
If you took the time to read this all you surely need to be rewarded.
And that's my reward:
lately I've been raising my interests on Rorschach. A criminally underrated band that every blog praises for its lyrics too. But where the fuck do I find the lyrics if I want to read them?
