Top Ten:
SLAG-Mindslave-EP
XYMOX-Subsequent Pleasures-LP
BLOOD ROBOTS-LP
DEPARTURE KIDS-On The Go-LP
EXECUTIVE SLACKS-12"
PROTES BENGT-Påskstämning-EP
INSTITUTE-45/WIPERS-45
KNARK/KRÜGER-split EP
OVENS-EP/FRAU-EP
POIKKEUS/SBSM-live
SLAG – "Mindslave" EP
This is just so fucking on point. Proudly waving the banner of San Jose Supremacy, this first 7" launches SLAG straight into the pantheon of South Bay powerviolence alongside IN DISGUST (an obvious touchstone), GODSTOMPER, DEADPRESSURE, and T.A.D.R.O.E.V. Endlessly heavy with relentless blasting and some expertly blown-out production, this record emphasizes the best elements of crust-tinted grind with not a moment of filler. Great high and low vocals too; the only bummer worth noting is the lack of a lyric sheet. Tut tut, I could have at least used that to help set a cop car on fire. Fans of new-school grindviolence from ARCHAGATHUS to YOUR ENEMY: this is your new favorite shit. (WB)
(Regurgitated Semen)
VÅLDSAMT MOTSTÅND – “Gamla Goda Värderingar” EP
Swedish crust that bounces between death metal-infused chugging and
driving D-beat, complimented at times by an odd sense of melody. The
first song opens up with the death metal equivalent of a cheat beat,
but gets more bearable once the tempo kicks up, and the more hardcore
songs in the middle of the record are quite solid if you appreciate
epic vibes in this style. Unfortunately the band slows down again for
the plodding "Snake People", which has sick lyrics ('There will be no
burial for you in the lotus garden') but no real drive, ultimately
resolving into a mega-breakdown that’s about three sizes too tuff for me.
The two halves of their sound, which are never satisfyingly integrated, make this feel like a band that’s trying to pull from a smattering of influences, but still finding its own voice(s). (WB)
(Högre Tempo!)
RORT – “Warpath” LP
Manically riffy death-flavored grind from Melbourne, Australia, the fourteen tracks of RORT’s debut LP blur relentlessly into one another, making for an exhausting, almost nauseating listen (in this genre, not at all a bad thing). Precision drumming and brilliant tremolo leads win the day here—these guys know how to mine the noodle-y glory of ye old school death metal to perfection, and it makes the whole affair miles more fun than your run-o’-the-mill blastfest. There’s a more anthemic hXc element that occasionally comes to the fore, with some of the vocal hooks bringing a slightly moshy feel. Wrathful lyrics take on societal disgust as well as individualized hatred, a bit metal/hardcore word salad for my taste but it matches the music rather perfectly. Modern grind heads and hardcore kids who yearn for the glory days of MORBID ANGEL should not hesitate to pull the trigger on this one, and I can only imagine that these guys slay live. (WB)
(Regurgitated Semen)
IRON HAND – "Injected Fear" 12"
Seven tracks of tense d-beat hardcore from one of the best bands to come out of Connecticut in recent memory, this is IRON HAND's first full-length following two 7"s and an absolutely unreal demo tape from back in 2008. Three years have passed since their last release, but the basic M.O. is more or less unchanged: driving crust of the latter-day America-goes-Scandi variety, offset by forays into anthemic hardcore in the vein of RAW NERVES. Powerful stuff! I used to live in the same town as some of these dudes back when they still played in the underappreciated THEY AND THE CHILDREN, one of the first "modern" hardcore to resonate with me, and both bands share a lyrical and musical intelligence that easily sets them apart from the pack. Sadly, I moved across the country a few months before they played their first shows… still kicking myself for never catching the chaos live. (WB)
(Safety Meeting)
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