May 2014 – #372

Top Ten:

BELLICOSE MINDS-The Buzz and Howl Sessions-10”
FUNERAL PARADE-LP
HEXIS-LP/RITUAL CONTROL-EP
KOMPLOTT-Sei Vivo, Sei Moro A Nessuno Importa-12”
DERROTA-LP/SUICIDAS-EP
SIMPLY SAUCER-45/THE SLIZZ-EP
SECRET PROSTITUTES-LP/ALERTA!-EP
RED MONKEY-How We Learned To Live Like a Bomb-LP
VASTUM/THE BODY/NEGATIVLAND-live
NOMAD/1984/STILLSUIT-live

HAYMAKER – "Let Them Rot" EP
A nasty little slice of hXc attack, Hamilton’s HAYMAKER bark and slam their way through four burly songs in about as many minutes on this, their umpteenth 7”. With personnel from CHOKEHOLD and LEFT FOR DEAD, you know this is going to be dark and aggressive, but everything here is honestly kinda generic compared to either of those pioneering acts. Lyrics about copdeath, poverty and hatred for fuckin’ society, man, round out a totally solid package that should impress fans of this label and new school hardcore in general. (WB)
(A389)

CONFLICT – "Live in London 2013" LP
For better or worse, this pretty much embodies every cliché for a live punk record: totally solid on its own terms, yet inessential for all but the most dedicated (or perhaps geographically isolated) fans of the militant anarcho-staple that is CONFLICT. The mix here is actually quite excellent, with great guitar tone, and the band was definitely on their game the night this was recorded, but even with all that I still can’t imagine ever wanting to put this on over the classic studio recordings. For a live set, there’s actually not much by way of banter, and aside from an introduction by Steve from LOST CHERREES, the only supplementary material we get is a CD reproduction of the LP. Make no mistake, CONFLICT is still a sight to see live—they ruled when I caught them in Hollywood in 2007, too bad RUBELLA BALLET had to cancel day of!—and anyone who caught Colin Jerwood’s comments on that police chopper that crashed in Glasgow last year knows they can still stir up a controversy with the best of them. Wait a sec, is that dude playing a five-string bass on the cover? Mind = blown. (WB)
(Antisociety)

CATHARSIS – "Light From A Dead Star I" 2xLP
Probably long-since sold out by the time you'll be reading this review, this is the first half of the four-LP discography reissue for the seminal ’90s anarchist hardcore band, representing their self-titled EP and the ever-so-epic first full-length Samsara. Having totally missed them in their heyday and never really having felt a connection to the music, I feel oddly positioned to review a band that means so much to so many. Personal taste aside, it’s obvious that CATHARSIS occupy a critical space in the lineage of modern hardcore punk, anticipating the emotive, melodic neocrust of the new millennium while retaining the East Coast metallic tuffness of their Holy Terror brethren INTEGRITY and RINGWORM. It's impossible to talk about CATHARSIS without mentioning its relationship to Crimethinc., of course, but I don't feel the need to dedicate any more ink to that often self-parodic organization/label/tendency/fun club, so I leave the reader to make what they will of said connection. Returning to the record at hand, the sheer abundance of monumental riffs on Samsara elevates things to whole other level from the first 7"—the lead that closes out 'Choose Your Heaven' stands out for me—but there’s also a good bit of filler to wade through on the way, and the more-than-occasional nod to Tom Morello grounds everything firmly in the late 90s (not necessarily a bad thing). With what feels like a thousand and one literary and philosophical allusions, haunted by the dual figures of St. Paul and Nietzsche's Zarathustra, this is bombastic anti-Christian agit-prop, with evocative lyrics and some truly stellar artwork that set it apart from the herd of imitators that followed. Following on their recent reunion, this reissue will be a godsend (get it?!?) for the dumpster-diving masses and anarcho-collecting élite alike…at least if you got your pre-order in on time. (WB)
(Crimethinc/Refuse)

HEXIS – Abalam" LP
I've been loving these Copenhagen-based black metal mindfucks ever since I reviewed their X 7" in these pages a few years back, so when I got my reviewer copy I decided to do this proper, waiting until sundown and lighting some Jesus candles to set the proper mood. As their first full-length, Abalam represents the pinnacle of the avant-meets-hardcore approach they've been honing for the past couple of years, an exhausting drag through twisted industrial dronescapes that never loses focus or a foreboding sense of nausea. Think somewhere between PORTAL, INFERNAL STRONGHOLD, and, I dunno, ORANSSI PAZUZU, yet nothing like any of them. As the perfect distillation of their earlier material, Abalam is a totally satisfying experience, but what I’m really curious to see is where they’re going to go from here. Speculation aside, I’m definitely excited to witness these demoniacs when they hit the U.S. this fall with PRIMITIVE MAN. (WB)
(Halo of Flies/Music Fear Satan)