May 2012 – #348

UNHOLY MAJESTY – “Age of Affliction” EP
With a distinct INTEGRITY/"Holy Terror" influence reflected in
chugging guitars and over-the-top lyrical posturing, UNHOLY MAJESTY
from the UK provide yet another entry in the hopelessly oversaturated
world of dark-ish hardcore that's really blown up in the last few
years. Unfortunately, good mixing and solid musicianship don't amount
to squat when the riffs amount to rehashed 80s thrash metal, only way
slower, like if you got too stoned and accidentally listened to a
MEGADETH 45 at 33 RPM. This is the kind of band that credits which
member performed each guitar solo, and yes, those solos are fucking
atrocious: predictable, noodling wankfests that sound like they were
lifted from every bad classic rock song you could possibly think of.
You almost have to love a band that could produce such cheezy shlock
while maintaining such a level of pretense as to self-identify in
their liner notes as “a psychological projection of your own
identity”…almost. (WB)
(A389)

HOST – “There’s Nothing Up There But Heavy Clouds” EP
New Hampshire's HOST offer up a short but brilliant dose of crushing,
pissed-off hardcore here, touching on the brutal, off-time fast/slow
of powerviolence without ever really getting blasty with it. Throwing
together fun-as-fuck mosh parts, galloping crust beats, and the
occasional gang vocal for good measure, HOST take their rightful place
alongside bands like DRAIZE, OILTANKER and VACCINE as part of the
vibrant New England hardcore scene currently destroying all posers.
Each song is wisely kept under under the two-minute mark, presumably
to keep the members from having a rage-induced aneurysm. (WB)
(Cricket Cemetery)

YOUNG AND IN THE WAY – “Amen/I Am Not What I Am” 2xLP
Baroque, harsh, and unabashedly esoteric shit, whoa. YAITW are from
North Carolina and produce black metal-laced crust with a solid
grounding in angry East Coast hardcore. This release is a compilation
of two albums, one on vinyl for the first time and the other
previously self-released by the band. First, 2010's Amen, which
oscillates between bludgeoning hardcore and slow, claustrophobic
breakdowns; the far-slower B-side of Amen, which plays out like an
extended dirge worthy of THOU, was actually my favorite part of the
record. Fast forward a year later to I Am Not What I Am and we find
YAITW upping both the speed and majesty factor exponentially, the
latter to the point of opening the album with several minutes of opera
singing sampled over creeping tremolo riffs, somewhat like a filthier
MORNE. The black metal influence goes beyond mere blast beats, with
horror movie keyboards and dreamy, symphonic passages constantly
cropping up to give the whole thing a delightfully demented feel. No
doubt, this is a project that aims high, but there's nothing better
than seeing something like this that's actual able to deliver on its
promises. Yeah, this is totally great. (WB)
(A389)

LE DEAD PROJET – “Keep on Living” LP
Epic screamo/neocrust by way of Paris, LE DEAD PROJET play an
atmospheric brand of hardcore that instantly reminded me of the German
powerhouse ZORN, with a focus on melody and vocal leads that's
decidedly post-something. Wailing guitars and a dynamic, at times
chaotic approach to songwriting puts this in the realm of Euro-crust
torchbearers ALPINIST, but with a slower, more deliberate feel that
fits the raw, heartfelt lyrical delivery well. There are times when
this record drags – an inevitability for me since the band never
really makes it out of mid-tempo – but LE DEAD PROJET manage to cover
a wide range of sonic territory while maintaining an overall coherence
that keeps things engaging. When the band does hit its mark, they
achieve some of the more compelling moments I've heard in this style.
(WB)
(Dingleberry)

HEXIS – “X" EP
Relentless, maddeningly bleak stuff. This mysterious outfit from
Copenhagen specializes in an incredibly dense form of black metal that
displays both avant-garde leanings and a decided hardcore/crust
influence. Like similarly-minded contemporaries ELITIST and THE
SECRET, HEXIS masterfully strike a balance between memorable riffs and
sheer sonic intensity, with jaw-dropping, almost industrial drum
blasts that blur together to create a massive, pummeling drone. The
one-sided seven-inch is quite possibly the most annoying (vinyl)
format in existence, but this band manages to pack more mood and
compositional wizardry into a few minutes than a lot of bands achieve
in entire LPs, so perhaps that can be forgiven here. The perfect
soundtrack for an anxiety attack, I fucking love this. (WB)
(IFB/Maximum Douglas/Orchid Scent/Parade of Spectres/Panda Banda)