September 2014 – #376

Top Ten:

KLAXON-EP
ALERTA ROJA-Algo Esta Cambiando…… Y Muy Violentamente-LP
NAPRED U PROŠLOST-Komunizam-EP
CONTORTURE/AHNA-split EP
DEGENERATE-Destreation-CD
ELECTRIC FUNERAL-2xLP/SUFFER THE STORM-side of split
NIGHTFELL-CD
BLOODSTAINS ACROSS BUFFALO-comp
EU’S ARSE-EP + split/KONTAMINAT-EP
KRUEL/BLAZING EYE/ARGENTAVIS-live

CONTORTURE/AHNA – split EP
Handle with care, this is fuggin’ deadly. Göteborg’s CONTORTURE goes straight for the jugular with their raging feminist käng, expertly toeing the raw/melodic line that has come to define Swedish crust in the last decade. Lyrics revisit familiar themes of autonomy, rape culture, and watching those around you age out of punk, but with a personalistic approach, and the lead vocals remind me of Kate from SCHIFOSI in all the best ways. On the flip, leading Canadian powerviolence freex AHNA lays out two more doses of their noisey blackened filth, sounding yet again like they’ve managed to record in one of the lesser pits of hell. This is actually a lot less blast-centric than their older material, with crusty rhythms offsetting the murky metalloid gloom, and the opening sludge of “Living in Fear” channels the headbanging glory of BOLT THROWER to perfection. Already a serious contender for my favorite split of 2014, this is nothing short of mandatory for all you metalpunx. (WB)
(Neanderthal.Stench/What Is Making Us Sick/Active Rebellion/Into the Abyss)

DEGENERATE – "Destreation" CD
Now this one is a blast. Thirteen years and a few comp tracks into
their existence, Osaka's DEGENERATE have dropped this fifteen-song
mindbomb, a dazzling collection of Burning Spirits HC with seriously
old-school vibrations. Somewhere between a stripped-down PAINTBOX and
the rock-n-roll flair of TETSU ARRAY, this is about as close as I'd
ever want to get to calling a hardcore record uplifting, but there's
definitely a infectiously soaring quality to the whole thing. You
better believe that there's some sizzlingly wankadelic leads in there,
but you know what? They fucking pull it off. Really though, that
guitar player is a goddamned ace, and thankfully he chose punk over
the ZEPPELIN-esque hard rock band he was probably destined to play in.
Don't pose, DEGENERATE is the real deal in 2014!! (WB)
(Bronze Fist)

SON OF MAN – "Call of the Morning Star" EP
Alright people, you asked for more chugging "Holy Terror"-style
hardcore, and here's another dose, with a pretty neat black metal edge
to sweeten the deal. The latter definitely helps to avoid the monotony
that plagues so many bands in this niche, and lot of the more punk-y
riffs almost sound like 80s UK crust, but I still didn't find a ton to
get excited about here. The prettier and/or catchier guitar parts
definitely had me excited a couple of times, but they always seem to
resolve into the same bo-o-ring cheaty drum part. And I'm sorry, but I
can't get behind any hardcore band that's never played a live show.
Seriously, why? (WB)
(King of the Monsters)

SUFFERING MIND/GUANTANAMO PARTY PROGRAM – split EP
The ol' slow vs. fast band split trick: does it ever get old? Poland's
reigning grind heroes SUFFERING MIND tear their way through three
burners, touching on power violence, crust, ripping black metal and
good ol' fashioned hardcore crush, preserving the lineage of greats
like MASSGRAVE and ASSÜCK. Some of the best material that I've heard
from 'em, these guys really hit a groove a few years back and seem to
be more or less unstoppable at this point. GUANTANAMO PARTY PROGRAM
offer up their take on the whole TRAGEDY meets NEUROSIS thang, and
while that's generally one of my least-favorite microniches, they do a
better job than most, reminding me of a less indulgent LIGHTBEARER.
Could the split seven-inch be the saving grace of the whole post-metal
trend? A girl can dream… (WB)
(Back on Track/Caramba/Halo of Flies)

TORCH RUNNER - "Committed to the Ground" LP
A repress of the 2012 full-length from these North Carolina crushers,
Committed to the Ground stands near the apex of a certain type of
blasty dark hardcore. In all honesty, it makes perfect sense that
they've made the move to Southern Lord alongside DEAD IN THE DIRT et
al, and the kids who go nuts for FULL OF HELL will eat this right up.
While TORCH RUNNER still finds its center in ugly, ripping grind, they
expand that core to include some crusty chugs and more than a couple
forays into SABBATH-worthy sludge, making up for what they sometimes
lack in dynamics with a well-honed sense of rage. Relentless touring
has given this band a degree of precision and focus that really
carries over here, and fans of modern heavy hardcore are definitely
starting to take note. (WB)
(Southern Lord)

VIVISEKTIO – "Mausoleumi/Noitavaino" 45

Definitely a cool story here: after lingering in relative obscurity
since their 80s heyday, Finnish vets VIVISEKTIO reunited and went
right back at it, releasing the 1984 LP a few years ago and now this
new single. The sound here is mid-tempo, latter-day anarcho with
rolling drums, but it's a bass-heavy, meatier-than-average
interpretation with just a hint of Italian hardcore in the vocal
department. While "Mausoleumi" takes a plodding pace and could stand
to benefit from a bona fide hook, the b-side here is the real gem,
following a similar formula but adding cool guitar harmonics and
powerful, shouted dual vocals on the chorus. It's worth noting the
excellent cover art, which puts a new twist on the classic psychedelic
watercolor/Wicker Man/nuclear reactor formula. At the end of the day,
this is a damn fine record, and it's always rad to see a band pick up
after twenty-plus years without losing any of their energy or
creativity. (WB)
(Kämäset Levyt)