Pre-Grind, Proto If You Will

I keep seeing all these awesome posts about grindcore's fore-bearers; Napalm Death, Siege, Carcass, Deep Wound, Repulsion. These outline the bases of grind's lyrical outlook, vocal style, and guitar and drum patterns (the fucking blast beat for one, thank you Mitch Harris). And a band I think gets overlooked way too much is Cryptic Slaughter. I first heard "Convicted" a couple of years ago and I was mind fucked. It had all the rage and energy of hardcore with very political lyrics and it's played at hyperspeed, even for today's standards. These are some of the fastest 4/4 beats you'll ever hear, and then the blasting. Oh the blasting. It's the kind of 1/1, snare/high-hat blasts Dave "Grave" plays. I guess most people would say they're not real blasts, but it's still fast as shit drumming that's produced just the right way to get the most impact out of them. In fact the whole rhythm section is up front in the mix and I'm glad because these bass riffs are sick. Then it's all topped off with snarling, snotty punkish vocals and a sleek guitar sound make these songs true ragers, worthy of the one man circle pit.
The stand outs here to me are "M.A.D.", "Sudden Death", "Lowlife", and "Rage to Kill" with most having anthemic chants followed by frantic thrashing. The Slaughter also put out three more LP's, "Money Talks" being the only one I've heard. The Wiki says a lot of people like that record better, but fuck them. It's a somewhat slower more groove filled sound and I'm partial to the exuberant first LP.
It's rather interesting to think about crossover influencing grind as well as thrash. Or at least the Leeway/D.R.I. version of a mid-paced hardcore/metal hybrid with long songs and more personal social conscious lyrics. Municipal Waste and Crucial Unit are probably the best example of a contemporary Cryptic Slaughter influence but taking the thrash lyrics and ideology, as well as a healthy dose of AWK i.e. getting fucking wasted and other fun goofy shit like that. Being name checked (in covers) by Napalm Death and Spazz should help support that idea.

Random Slaughter Fact: Bass player Rob Nicholson played as Mr. Blasko for Rob Zombie and replaced Rob Trujillo for Ozzy Osbourne. Is it ironic one crossover legend replaced the other when he left to play for a band influenced by Cryptic Slaughter and the thrash scene they helped spawn?



"Children of today of the killers of tomorrow, nothing in the future except for pain and sorrow!"

Oh Shi....

I made a banner. What does everyone think?

Throatstab

This is the second EP Backstabbers Inc. put out. This came out on Trash Art! in 2000/20001 and is only available in CDEP form unfortunately. If anyone runs a label repressing good records on vinyl, this is one for you to convert to wax. This seven song EP is more mega-raging, pissed off hardcore that has a crusty feel and amazing vocals that are raw and full of energy. There are some moments of just ludicrous album filler on here that I admit to hating, and it's not really sludgy, heavy riffs. It's boring album filler. But beyond that each song still has parts that stand out to make them memorable, and when these guys get going they are indeed a force to be trifled with. This album is more upbeat hardcore with bouncing bass, lots of snappy snare and dissonant guitars with agonizingly honest, virulent and hateful lyrics. Once again these guys have moments of total aural cacophony when everyone is going full speed, but within the ugliness of being bludgeoned in the head with a block of concrete you find moments of clarity.
There's really nothing new or overtly innovative with this album, but it's worth a listen to get a feel for the BSI sound and what will become the Trap Them sound. Both "Kamikaze Missions" and the next EP they put out are fantastic albums and I still feel Backstabbers Inc. is a better band than Trap Them.

Spare me your 'drama' spare me your 'friendship' because both can be filed under fiction. You're still the same (a politician) every word you've said to me (filed under fiction)

From Soft to Hard

After hearing the xBrainiax/No Comply split I was interested in hearing more No Comply even after the aural destruction that xBrainiax cause. Lucky for me I found this 7" at a local record store and I like it even more than their side of the split. They have a real gnarly surf/skate punk vibe in the lyrics as well the music, which is some awesome Georgian hardcore to begin with. I'd liken them to faster version of Ceremony with less Motorhead and a more punky Discharge meets Blood for Blood feel.
The packaging for the vinyl itself is two colors(Orange and black) silk screened onto thin cardboard. I found that there are 75 that were printed on clear vinyl but mine is black and I have no info on pressing numbers for it. Inside the sleeve is a lyric sheet and a digital download coupon where you can download MP3s of your new 7". That's what I did and now I'm passing on the savings to you!


Grinding and grinding and grinding!
My fist into the earth!

A Hidden Hand...of Love

I just found this dude's Twitter and I'm so stoked. Andrew W.K. is by far THE greatest artist of any generation. Granted the only record he made that's any good is "I Get Wet", it's absolute gold. I saw the video for "Party Hard" when I was a freshman and immediately fell in love. Everything from the nuances of the video to his album packing when I bought it later that week. Especially the album cover! Just as brutal as Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power" except AWK hit himself in the face with a brick until he bled instead of paying some dude to get jacked in the fact with a meaty fist. Then he started blowing up and his other videos got lots of air time. "She Is Beautiful" showed AWK playing all the instruments and running through a house just rocking out. And his best video, "We Want Fun", is all out mayhem with the Jackass cast and fucking Butterbean. There's a scene where AWK is walking around with Butterbean on his shoulders. Now that's fucking metal. This song and video are the epitome of his style and message. Yes he wants everyone to party 'til they puke, but he's about more than that. He also embodies the ideas of self-affirmation and unnerving positivity in the face of any and all adversity. Seeing him live was a great way to experience this. I've only seen him twice. Once in IN for free and at the final US Hellfest in New Jersey. The Hellfest performance was one of the best things I've ever seen. Three thousand hardcore kids going absolutely batshit. There were two circle pits going, one clockwise the other counter-clock wise and everyone had someone on their shoulders giving high fives. The stage was full of people the entire time dancing, stage diving, grabbing for the mic, taking pictures, throwing beach balls, and then there was the inflatable party dolphin of death. Fucking Boston Beatdown tough guys were grabbing it and crowd surfing or "riding the bull" around the floor where everyone was dancing, two-stepping, HB strutting, taking their pants off and just generally loving life. I've never seen so much enthusiasm from so many people all focused one thing until that night. And all 3,000 people were focused on one thing: having fun. When was the last time any of you saw that? I also have to mention that AWK headlined that day's performances and direct support on the bill for him was Mest. Those poor pop-punk poser pussies. I, as well as 20-30 other people were throwing water/soda bottles at them (some full, some empty) their whole set beckoning them to fucking go home so we could see AWK. If there were more than ten people (i.e. pubescent girls and their boyfriends) there actually enjoying the set I'd have felt bad, but of course no one felt any remorse.
What does this have to do with anything? Well it's getting to be the time of year for holidays and parties. And with AWK being a mainstay for Halloween costumes and New Year's soundtracks I'm posting his best work for everyone to really start their parties raging. I've uploaded 90 percent of "I Get Wet" (the two or three filler songs I don't like have been omitted), the original version of "We Want Fun" from the Girls Own Juice EP, the first two tracks off his second full-length "The Wolf" (Victory Strikes Again and Long Live the Party) which both sound like they belong more on his first album and finally his contribution to the Aqua Teen movie soundtrack "Party, Party, Party" which is also in a hilarious Aqua Teen episode with a montage and a raging animated Andrew himself.
I've also just found out he did an entire cover album of the original Gundam soundtrack for it's 30th year anniversary, which is fucking balls. The first few incarnations of the Gundam series are classic slices of no only anime but good t.v. in general. Speaking of which I'd love to point out his DVD "Who Knows" is fantastic. It covers his performances from like two years of him touring. He spliced together all kinds of fan recorded footage of his worldwide tours including right when "The Wolf" came out and he broke his foot on stage on night and then finished that tour cycle in a wheelchair! And it has some amazing footage of his Furnace Fest performance, which I imagine would have been amazing if I could have went. Fucking HUM reunion for christ's sake.

This is where the link usually goes but the internet connection I'm using right now is worse than a fermented offal discharge, so when everything finishes you'll be able to party hardy.

From Soft to Hard

I bought this slice of hardcore gold when I was a sophomore in high school from Used Kids and I downloaded it from here. And the first thing I have to say is everyone should go to the 7inchpunk link and read the story about how this was recorded, it's good shit. It also might be one of the most DIY things ever done outside of Black Flag pushing the school bus they took on tour. As for the music, you get two songs of 90's style youth crew hardcore. The band name is from a DYS song and there are a couple of dudes from Chain of Strength in this band so you know at least this isn't a mediocre band wasting wax. There are all kinds of little things I dig about these song, but they're all standard hardcore cliches, like the gnarly gang vocals for instance. But a lot of the things that make this music simple and standardized are the thing I enjoy the most about it. And in all honesty, a little energy can go a long way and these guys have that shit amped up to 11.


"I won't fucking turn away!"

From Soft to Hard

This is going to be a new regular "feature". When I buy an album on vinyl(maybe a CD (less likely) or a cassette) of something I already have digitally I will post it on here and take it off of my iPod. This is significant for me as I'll be able to fully enjoy those songs the way they are intended. I'm also going to post a bunch of stuff I have both vinyl and digital copies of just for fun.

I ordered the Krallice LP three weeks ago and was finally able to pay for and bring home today. If this was a CD I would have probably worn it out at work and in transit to and from. I've already posted a song by these guys and here's another one. It's a way faster song with all kinds of peaks throughout instead of a huge build up at the end like "Forgiveness In Rot". No matter what I'm doing, riding my bike, cleaning the house, or stabbing people in the chest this songs rising and falling crescendos never fails to pump me up. No fan of extreme metal will be able to resist head bobs and/or foot tapping. The vinyl copy of this sounds so raw which sort of clashes with the upbeat, shredding and severely epic songs on it. But this juxtaposition is very pleasing to me, the dichotomy of ugly and beautiful and there are so many happening in this track. The aggressive but melodic guitars; the smooth bass carving out grooves of bestial low end destruction.
On a related note I get to see Dysrhythmia Sunday night. I think I'm going to talk Colin Marston's head off about this band (maybe an interview?) and then I'll try to be that awesome guy to feed the band and let them stay at my house. Regardless, I'm stoked to see that dude doing what he loves with a rad band. I saw him in Behold...the Arctopus with Mouth of the Architect and Intronaut last year, and needless to say, that was sweet.

Krallice also has a new album coming out 11/10. I'm not going to do all the details, the internet press has them already. I'm sure it will be worth all the hype.

"Black as in evil and darkness."

Songs to Break TVs To

As the title says, here are some songs guaranteed to make you want to punch your mom right in the fucking face with a tv.
This is some older Ringworm. Fucking classic Cleveland hardcore from the 90's. These guys shared members with Integrity, so there's a good reference point to start at. It's metallic, thrashing hardcore full of vehemence and spite. Human Furnace has really distinct vocals that really lets his abhorrence at humanity seethe out in the lyrics. This is hateful music by mean dudes. They've been "banned" in various clubs for the insane antics at their shows. When I was in high school they played with Terror and Full Blown Chaos for free at a shithole called Bernie's in Columbus where 2x4's were being taken out of ceiling and used as a mosh prop, to scary results. So it's obvious that Ringworm fans are raging alcoholic meatheads. Tough guy hardcore at it's finest. In fact Frank 3 Gun is the guitar player for hatebreed now, so these guys are on the back burner which I find totally disappointing. I know he makes way more money now, but just in a band that hasn't been good since "Perseverance" came out, and that's being nice. These guys also have been fucked by the long Victory Records dick. Tony Brummel has one of the best bands his label ever signed still on his label but he won't do anything with them. The press for their last two albums was fucking pitiful and their American tours were small. I can only hope some miracle happens and these guys gain their rightful place in the hardcore "limelight".


Birth is fucking PAIN!

I saw Bane on Wednesday with Foundation and a couple of local bands. It was fucking awesome. Hopefully I'll have a post about it soon.

Keep It Mean

I've been having a shitty couple of days mentally. I can barely pay rent, I eat once a day if I'm lucky, I have no heat/cold air in my apartment during this season change etc. Am I being a whiny bitch about the whole situation? Maybe. But all this sulking has made me full of hate right now so I've been combing through some Cd's (yeah, I own a few) and I found this gem. I bought this at the only show I ever saw the Cursed play, and it was the first time I'd ever heard of them. I saw them play after Daughters and before Most Precious Blood (who never showed, van problems) and American Nightmare (GUtG). By far the most intense set of the night was from Cursed. No one moved, everyone just stared. I think partially because most people had never heard these four Canadians before. It was just so intense. They played every song on the CD with ferocity and energy. And somehow they managed to have fun, every band member was smiling and just rocking the fuck out.
I'm sure everyone already knows who Chris Calohan and two other Cursed members from The Swarm or possibly Ruination and Left For Dead. But apparently someone from Haymaker was in this band too, which I didn't know. But it helps explain the rancor and acrimony pouring out of this album. This kind of picks up where The Swarm left off, or another good comparison is His Hero Is Gone. There's a fair share of droning instrumentals but this is mostly crusty hardcore album and less of a spiteful hardcore record like previously. I feel like previous bands were a much more youthful and hate filled version of something like Sheer Terror while Cursed had grown into it's own entity (Disclaimer: I heard Cursed before the other 9 bands these guys were in) of seething, pounding fucking rocking hardcore.
I should also point out that "Guilt Parade" is a Swarm cover, so you get 9 originals, a cover and an instrumental track.

Turn the dollar, dig the hole deeper, regret as you get another year older...."But tomorrow's another day", that's what the hopeless say.

Tuesday Song to Bong Rips To

Edit: I was a little bit TOO high when I wrote this and I will either delete it or re-write it at some point.

I've posted a Krallice song before, and here's another one. This is the second track off their self-titled LP from last year. This is a lot more straight forward than "Forgiveness In Rot". "Cnestorial" is fast. It has tempo shifts and full outright changes all the time. This song is filled with build ups and then peaking with epic, soaring passages. Listen to this first 70 seconds and you'll see what I mean. I could re-write my whole last post about just this song. It's upbeat, there's shredding, the vocals ache out the speakers and into my psyche. It's fast become my favourite song on here. I find it the most upbeat and energetic. I listen to this song every day when I ride my bike because it's perfect for such an activity. You get into a lull of peddling and them BAM you're rotating your legs like there's a pack wild Ettin chasing you down and you have no other choice than to move away as fast as fucking possible before the angry militia of two-headed monsters devours you alive.
So yeah, before I start getting repetitive, just download and enjoy. If it warrants, I'll also post the new song they have for the records coming out in November this year. I can't wait.


The lesser gods have taken their withered placement back from man.

EDIT: "Hacked to Chunks" is a No Comment song, both bands are covering No Comment. Sorry everyone. I suck.
Mr. Childers did some posts involving power-violence and fastcore so I've been ravaging my music collection trying to figure out some of the caveats and I found a killer 9" split of Hummingbird of Death and Chainsaw to the Face. I listened to it, it ruled. Then I found a 2005 demo I have of Hummingbird of Death and fuck my ass there's a XBrainiax cover (Hacked to Chunks) on it, so here's the whole demo with a super sick cover. If this stuff is power-violence, fucking sign me up.

Seriously, pass the effing popcorn!

Hey guys, sorry so long no see. My (ex-)girlfriend and I broke up a couple of weeks ago and I just now bought an external hard drive and got all my stuff off her computer. Expect sporadic, but righteous posts.

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Now playing: Brutal Truth - Lord Of This World
via FoxyTunes

Saturday Song to Do Bong Rips To

Since I have no interest in the either the 4th of July or it's fireworks here's something to actually get excited about.
I am very admittedly not a big fan of black metal. There's not much to it that's appealing beyond the fantastic monikers those guys use. A lot of the nuances that people love about it are the things that agitate my ears. Separately a lot of the single characteristics are things underground music fans strive to keep pure in their respective music selection; hyper fast blastbeats, tremelo picking, harsh or rough production from little to no budget, vast and epic atmosphere, etc. But when combined it makes for an auditory rectal hemorrhage and I just can't get into that. But somehow Krallice seem to pull it all off without being tedious. All the songs on their album are long, averaging ten minutes long, with the last being fifteen and half minutes. The little I know about most black metal tells me these guys should be playing atmospheric/symphonic black metal with copious amounts of samples and keyboards. And there should be like six guys in the band. However Krallice was recorded by the Bloody Panda drummer, and the guys from Orthelm and Behold...the Arctopus/Dysthermia on guitar and bass respectively so you know these guys are not fucking around with some pussy metal. This is soaring, vast, epic black metal with a good amount of old fashioned shredding, moving cymbal crashes and a very strange upbeat rhythm that will keep you moving your head or finger tapping until the music stops. For being a desolate and bleak form of music, this shit is very uplifting. It reminds me of a fast Mouth of the Architect from two states east or a distant cousin of Wolves In the Throne Room despite how many comparisons I see to early Burzum and Ulver. You can hear the New York element permeate from these guys. This isn't super techy/prog instrumental metal that you're used to hearing from these guys, it's the concrete jungle oozing out of wailed vocals and the airy cacophony that is their wall of sound. For every thousand band whose sound is razor thin, these guys have a full, rocking sound.



Solar winds breed laceration.

Saturday Song to Do Bong Rips To

Metalsucks did a good job today, but my girlfriend is gone for the weekend so here is another song to get ripped to.
We all know and love Sepultura with or without Derek Green and I celebrate the majority of the Sepultura discography. I got into them when I was a young teenager and was absolutely floored by what I heard (and saw, the artwork for early Sepultura is AMAZING) on the Beneath the Remains and Arise albums. Max Cavalera used to be one angry, abrasive mother fucker. His lyrics dripped with vehement candor from the shrapnel of his aching, throaty vocals while the music itself is a hash of proto-every extreme metal genre. There is sloppy filler here and there, but that's allows live shows to shine. Sepultura originally broke up in 96 when I was only 8 so I never got to see them, but I did buy a copy of Under A Pale Grey Sky and got mind fucked again. It's a two disc CD containing the last show they ever played with Max in December, 16 1996 in London. Strife played with them, and that would be awesome to see, but I digress. This album has songs from their entire catalogue (up to that point), but every song is done better than on the record. It's always faster, more aggressive and has a better effect. My personal favourite is the Arise/Dead Embryonic Cells medley. I also put the Cro-Mags cover for the sweet pit call out and the Beneath the Remains/Mass Hypnosis medley on here too (in no order).


Hate throughout the arteries, Mass Hypnosis. Believers kneeling over their sins. Inhuman instinct of cowardly leaders make the world go their own way. Tens of thousands hypnotized trying to find a reason why.

Thursday Song To Do Bong Rips To

Metalsucks is lacking again, so here we go.
I once again can't remember where I downloaded this 7" at but it's really fucking good. 324 are a Japanese grind band and have put out two EPs and 2 LPs as well as this. I've yet to listen to their other stuff but if it's like this seven minute 7" then I'll shit myself in glee. These dudes play their grind with lots of contrast between blasting and mid-paced grinding. The singer is has a Barney Greenway feel to him, but I'm okay with that as the music isn't very Napalm Death. It kind of has a crusty hardcore feel in the guitar and bass with the blasting and vocals. I've really gotten into this since I downloaded it, so should everyone else. It's hard to pick a favourite but "Idealize" or "Waterdrop" get my vote.
I'd love to look at some lyrics, so if anyone has some let me know.



Waterdrop!

Thursday Song To Do Bong Rips To

Despite it being Thursday which is before the weekend, I'm gonna do one of these because Metalsucks has been putting up boring songs again.
Anyone that's ever heard a few Strapping Young Lad songs knows it's metal for stoners. Devin Townsend only recently having stopped smoking cannabis himself.
Everyone in this band is in at least three other bands, so there's not a lot of room for mediocrity. A lot of the SYL I like is pretty thrashy, and they have some weird dense stuff I'm not fond of. But these guys can write some really intersting mid-paced songs too, like "Monument". It carves out this groove with a marching snare with some pick scraping odd riffing. It's just fast enough to be up-beat and keep something on you moving. Finger drumming, head bobbing, the works. There are some other good songs on "The New Black" but this is by far one of the best.
The lyrics below are not from this song, they're from "Relentless" off of the "SYL" album. 


Bombs away, bombs away, everything is in it's place!

I really can't remember where I got this from on the internet, but it rules. It's fast hardcore with the loud talking/yelling style of vocals with lots of gang vocals. The music (and singer for that matter) really remind me of Bane a lot which is good for Life's Halt because Bane is one of my favourite bands of all time. There a lots of flashy, crunchy power chords, fast snare rolls and an awesome bass sound that's bouncy and chunky. No chugging open-D chords here bitches. No frilly melodic passages, no singing, no pop-punk horse shit. Just fast, honest hardcore. The way I like it.
I uploaded the whole 9 track CD because I don't want to pick and choose what to upload. I'm in the process of tracking down a copy for myself. This album is entitled "We Sold Our Souls For Hardcore" and I know they have a 7" split with What Happens Next?, as well as some cool footage on Youtube of their 2001 tour.


Make it right, and make it fucking last!

I totally admit being way too into vinyl and I buy stuff whenever I can. For instance Deathwish has been doing auctions every year on eBay and I buy stuff from them. But some people definitely go too far. Here are some examples:
Converge Test Press
Another Converge Test Press
Shipwreck AD Test Press
Pulling Teeth Test Press

I know of those are test presses, but fucking seriously. I also need to point out that Wes Eisold's book sold for 180 dollars. Fuck me.