February 2014 – #369

Top Ten:

PETER GUTTERIDGE-Pure-LP

CØNDITIØN-EP / LIFE CHAIN-EP

LAKES-Blood of the Grove-LP

KOSZMAR-Jeniec Wojenny-LP 

RADIOACTIVITY-EP / 440-EP

ATTACK SS/FRENZY-split / MANATEES-45

SUFFERING MIND/SIXBREWBANTHA-split

AUTONOMY-lathe+split

KOROVA-lathe / WAU Y LOS ARRRGHS-LP

LAUDANUM/LOTUS FUCKER-live

LE KRAKEN – "Exalt" LP
Oh bands of this world, hear my cry: no more ISIS crust. There was a time not too long ago when incorporating the post-rock dynamics of bands like KINSKY, PAIK and, yes, GODSPEED, into heavy punk seemed like a great idea, pushing back on genre conformity and expanding the palette for a new generation of bands to the explore. Montreal's LE KRAKEN are one of these bands, raised on a steady diet of CULT OF LUNA (blech) and epic crust, but like many of their peers, they simply aren't bringing much that's noteworthy to the table. For a style that's so serious and self-consciously arty, too much of this feels like an excersize in cookie-cutter songwriting, from genre-standard throaty growls to the largely predictable chug>spacey>chug>breakdown song arcs. As is often the case for bands of this ilk, I actually just wish they would play to their strengths, ditching the metallic side of their sound and going for full-on po-ro. But what do I know, I don't even listen to NEUROSIS. (WB)
(L’Oeil du tigre)

440 – "Nailed Down" EP
Did you even wonder what that NERVESKADE 7" would sound like on 78, but can't afford a new turntable? Miami's 440 are here to help. Seriously, this might have the best/worst production in recent memory, an unapoligetically filthy affair that will probably burn holes in your soul if you aren't careful. Under all that hiss, these anxiety-inducing miscreants manage to conjure up some savagely chaotic grind/power violence that's sure the sate the blast freaks, and they just might win over a raw ponk or twelve in the process. Definitely a standout. (WB)
(Regurgitated Semen)

SWORDWIELDER – "Grim Visions of Battle" CD
And the dark Lord said, "Let there be Stench!" After a couple of demos, this is the debut full-length from these Gothenburg death dealers, and they've really outdone themselves here. This might as well be titled Hails to England for it's allegiance to the model carved out by 80s stalwarts like DEVIATED INSTINCT and AMEBIX, creeping chorus-drenched riffs and all, but SWORDWIELDER does an admirable job of modernizing their inherently retrograde approach without ending up sounding like a false. The guitar work is top-notch, inventive and peppered with just the right amount of gloomy clean bits, while the vocals are spot-on throughout. This album has grown on me with every listen, easily worth rallying the hordes near you and giving it a spin. (WB)
(Cubo de Sangre)

CONSPIRACY OF DENIAL – LP
Racing, expansive d-beat/crust with lyrics in Greek and English, CONSPIRACY OF DENIAL have cranked out an impressive debut here, incorporating melodic elements  and epic breakdowns without losing the driving pummel that makes for a great hardcore record. I'm admittedly a sucker for well-executed dual vocal crust, and this band knows just how to push my buttons in that regard, all the better when these are matched with articulate, introspective lyrics. Fifteen years into the 2000s, a lot of punks have understandably grown weary of melodic crust, but fans of bands like SCHIFOSI and FROM ASHES RISE would do well to hunt this out. (WB)
(Scarecrow/World's Appreciated Kitsch)

January 2014 – #368

Top Ten: 

HARD SKIN-live
LANDVERAAD-live
DESTRUKT-live
BACCHUS-live
VITRIOLIC RESPONSE-live
RUINED FAMILIES-live
CIORAN-live
INSTINCT OF SURVIVAL-live
WARPATH-live
DEAD RAMONES-live

BESTHÖVEN/FINAL SLUM WAR – split LP

In DISCHARGE worship as in life, some things never change. Thankfully, BESTHÖVEN is one of them. Twenty-three years into staking their claim as the world’s greatest (and most prolific) one-man D-beat band, this split finds Fofäo in top form, bringing us six new tracks—including a FORÇA MACABRA cover—of his huff 'n stumble brand of brilliantly inept noize. As usual, the production is paper-thin and bass-heavy, and of course there's nothing 'shredding' or 'technical'  about the guitar solos—they just fucking rip, ok? Those seeking a crash course in how to write anthemic shit-fi need look no further than 'This World is Dying'; seriously, I think I might never get that chorus out of my head. On the flip we have Barcelona's FINAL SLUM WAR playing some charging raw punk with an obvious debt to South American hardcore. While their songs tend to blur together a bit more, there's a buzzing metallic edge to the guitar tone that I really dug, and the vocals are satisfyingly dark with nice touch of cavernous 'verb. All in all, a great split, recommended without hesitation. (WB) (Rawmantic Disasters/Nuclear Fear/Imminent Destruction) 

FALTER – "Descent" EP

Angry, oft-chugging brutal hardcore from Milwaukee, FALTER cover a lot of ground in this ten-minute slab of bad feelings, hinting at a crusty atmosphere without actually going too far down that rabbit hole. While it’s mostly aggression and straight-up grime, the pretty, downtempo breakdowns were actually the highlight for me. Starting the second side of the 7” with one? Genius. Dark ‘core kids in the FULL OF HELL/SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP camp should definitely check this out, but to be honest I’ll probably just wait ‘til they start a doom band a few years from now. (WB) (Reality is a Cult)

GERANIÜM – LP

A repress of a record that was criminally overlooked (at least in the U.S.) in 2012, this is massive, sometimes gorgeous screamo/crust of the highest order. GERANIÜM hail from France and deliver a tense, deliberate take on the neocrust sound, coming off like a more fragile AGE OF COLLAPSE. Along with a plentiful trove of great crescendos and raging D-beat breaks, the vocals are a critical component, supremely raw and with a serious sense of passion and pain—worked for EKKAIA and it works here. Every time you think you’ve figured out what they’re up to, there’s a new element that’s just as gripping as what came before it, and the riffs feel instantly familiar in a way that let’s you know this is a record to remember. So many bands collapse under the weight of their ‘epic’ intentions, but GERANIÜM know how to make every note count, and there’s a immediacy throughout that few in this style are able to pull off. I need to get my hands on the split they just put out with FINISTERRE, damn. (WB) (Dingleberry/Dream Comes True/Up The Punx/Lubic/Contraszt!/Emergence/Tanker/Subversive Ways)

KRATZER/KVAZAR – split LP

A Greco-German collaboration twice over (one band and one label representing each country), fans of modern blasting hardcore should definitely give this one a shot. Thesaloniki's KVAZAR definitely own the split for me, solidly crusty grind that manages to sounds nasty while incorporating some melodic elements that give the songs a sense of depth and variety. KRATZER start on a similar note—though the focus here is more on dark hardcore than pure grind—and I definitely enjoyed the first few songs, but as their side progresses things go in a more shimmery post-metal direction that left me cold. Oh well. I guess this is KVAZAR's final release, apparently they've been broken up since 2010! Damn, guys, I hardly knew ye. (WB) (Blastbeat/7 Degrees) 

LAVATCH – "Mental Deterioration" CD

A lot of bad decisions went into this one, oof. This group of angst-ridden souls from Cologne waver between melodic hardcore and tuff metalcore breakdowns with way, waytoo many crab vibes, throwing in the occasional spacey part for good measure. A lot of the more upbeat sections are honestly just pop-punk with mismatched screams laid over them, and really the whole thing just feels too clean for it's own good. There's no denying the sincerity of LAVATCH's intentions, and every once in a while a riff will pop up that's pretty damn awesome, but the world of polished hXc this represents means nothing to me. (WB) (Mudcore)

V/A – "Monomaniac, Vol. 1" EP

The concept is simple: throw together a bunch of today’s illest fast bands and have them each contribute a song (or three) in the minute-ish range. There’s some serious heavy-hitters on this 7”—THEDOWNGOING (Australia), SETE STAR SEPT (Japan) and DETROIT (Canada, confusingly) give an idea of the international intention here—and whole thing feels coherent despite the wide range of grind and black/death metal sounds it encompasses. Never thought I’d see CLOUD RAT and DIOCLETIAN on the same record, that’s awesome. I’m generally pretty compilation-skeptical—especially in the oversaturated world of latter-day grindcore—but this is just a great record from start to finish, with zero throwaway material and more than a few new bands I’m stoked to have discovered. There’s more to come, apparently, so keep eyes peeled in the future. (Blastbeat)