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)

October 2013 – #365

Top Ten:

BASTARD-Wind of Pain-LP
KUUDES SILMÄ-LP
VIOLENT PARTY-Poison Mixers-LP
HERO DISHONEST-LP/DEFEKTNO EFEKTNI-EP
KATA SARKA/BODDICKER-split
CONTRAST ATTITUDE-You’re Not Free !!!-EP
RULE OF THIRDS-EP/YADOKAI-EP
CRIMINAL DAMAGE-Call of Death-LP
E.A.T.E.R.-all EPs/SELFISH-LP
BITTER FRUIT/ALTAR DE FEY-live

KATA SARKA/BODDICKER – split EP

A recently report from the Ministry of Information shows that ironic corpsepaint is at an all-time high in the past couple years, so I must admit that my eyebrows were raised before putting this on—I shit you not, this is named the The David Lee Gorgoroth EP. Lucky for everyone, what's within is beyond legit, hands-down one of the finest splits I've heard in a long, long time. Indianapolis’ KATA SARKA take an uptempo crust approach and shred it with aggressive-yet-heady black metal from the same infernal depths as ASHDAUTAS and DIAMETREGON…in other words, I need to get my hands on everything they've recorded. There's more blackened d-beat to be had on BODDICKER’s side, but the pace is more deliberate, and the ‘core factor is turned way the fuck up. Two words: ritual moshing. More than worthy of your limited time on this foul earth. (WB)
(Reality is a Cult)

WE LIVE IN TRENCHES– "Out of the Dark" 45

Dark-but-not-too-dark stylings from Gothenburg, Sweden, WE LIVE IN TRENCHES fit in somewhere between hi-fi modern punk and the lurching noise-rock of MOUNT SHASTA. "Swagger" is definitely not something I look for in punk made after, say, 1981, and that's a big part of why this doesn't really work for me: even with some cool atmospherics, the guitars have a rockin' edge that I can't forgive, and the gruff vocals feel, well, kind of forced. The flip is a SAMHAIN cover ("In My Grip"), and I'm sad to say it's a lot better than the song they wrote, bringing out a gnarly post-punk influence only hinted at on the A-side. (WB)
(La Familia)

FATUM – "Time Passes to the Dark" CD

Some ultra-brief research tells me that there are at least three active bands in Russia named FATUM. This FATUM is from Moscow and stand proudly within the stenchcore tradition, stomping their way through a chuggy tribute to 80s UK crust. There's a lot of filler here, largely due to the extreme length of most of the songs here—the first two alone are almost fourteen minutes long—but they convey the spirit of the style well enough to please the heads who favor it. When they aim for some melody it's pretty fucking awesome, adding some dynamics to an otherwise flat journey through the wasteland. This could have been edited down to a pretty killer 7", but I just don't have the patience to sit through the whole thing at once. (WB)
(Drunk With Power)

SWELLS – "Refraction//Incarnation" LP

Come on, guys! As someone who finds myself defending screamo on a semi-regular basis, you're really not making it easier for any of us. Replete with lyrics that mash up the cutesy with some goofball metaphysical pondering—the first song is titled "If A Toucan You Can!" and involves wormholes, ugh—SWELLS offer a mathish take on what passes for post-hardcore in the year 2013. Even setting aside a couple of parts that could easily find a home on an alt rock album, most of what's here comes off as riff salad, and the playing is pretty damn loose for my taste. Comes inside some fucking stellar artwork—I love dodecahedrons and tessellation as much as the next hXc hippie—but looks can be deceiving. Yep, I'm done here. (WB)
(self-released)

D.I.S. – "Becoming Wrath" LP

Took me a while to unravel this but this band's full name is DESTROYED IN SECONDS, not sure if they changed it or what but it's D.I.S. all over this release. The computer-demon cover art had me expecting either NWOBHM revival or some kind of terrible IN FLAMES worship, but the touchstone here is the metallic end of late 90s/early 2000s Scandi d-beat/crust, paired with vocals that bridge the gap between WOLFBRIGADE and anthemic US bands like AUS ROTTEN. All in all, this is a pretty mixed bag: the moshy tough vibes that pop up occasionally were a pretty big turnoff for me, and a lot of it feels by the numbers even while it sprawls across a few different styles. When they get locked into their groove, though, D.I.S. are more than capable of dialing the sounds of some of the greats, even if they're not bringing much innovation to the table. If I had one piece of advice for this band it would be to develop more of the gloomy forays into metal, which were definitely the best part of this album. (WB)
(Deep Six)

VIOLENT PARTY – "Poison Mixers" LP

Completely blistering from top to bottom, this is A++ noize made by and for maladjusted punk miscreants. Occupying a space not too far from the toompa dementia that is LIFEFORM, VIOLENT PARTY have really outdone themselves with this one, not least in the creepy, paranoid lyrics and artwork. In a microgenre fundamentally based around celebrating stupidity, they manage to write a ton of memorable material that stands out from lately-oversatured cult of wannabe raw dudes. This refusal to bow to lazy songwriting is what makes Poison Mixers a record I'll come back to over and over, the slow pogo equivalent of what D-CLONE does for sheer chaotic speed, and the dark, seedy aura they conjure here is one of the best I've heard in a while. The record ends with a deliciously ominous drawn-out dirge, and I'm left wishing I did more drugs. Between this, the CONTRAST ATTITUDE EP and their label omnibus, Konton Crasher hit a trifecta this month. Props. (WB)
(Konton Crasher/Imminent Destruction)

MEN AS WITCHES – "Wheel" EP

Twisted nightmare noises conjured with a bass and some drums, this is where good feelings go to die. While MEN AS WITCHES use the skeleton of power violence as a jump-off, there's a cavernous atonality to the proceedings that puts them in the same league as ultrableak latter-day revisionists like Buffalo's WATER TORTURE. These are the sounds of a generation for whom noise-not-music refers to KHANATE as much as it does to bands like DESPITE YOU and NO COMMENT, and that genealogical alchemy yields some truly powerful results. Doomy beardos who got over hardcore five years ago would probably dig it; for me, it's a complete no-brainer: this rules. (WB)
(Self-released)

Year-End Top Ten for 2012

MAUSER – "Isolation" EP (La Vida Es Un Mus / Vinyl Rites)

MAUSER are one of those bands where every release manages to outshine the one that came before it, and the latest 12" only cements their spot at the top of the current U.S. raw punk dogpile. Crossed paths with these dudes on tour in New Orleans, where they tore the roof off the tiny cafe space we were playing, and they had hands-down one of the best sets at Chaos in Tejas. Their drummer is a fucking beast (Hi Mike!), and "Deterioration" is a serious contender for my favorite mid-tempo hardcore song ever. That upcoming tour with FOLKEIIS and MUNDO MUERTO is definitely one of the more exciting things I'm looking forward to in 2013.

PERMANENT RUIN – Demo (Self-Released) + "Hell is Real" EP (Adelante Discos)

There's no question in my mind, PERMANENT RUIN was the Bay Area hardcore band of 2012, playing about a million shows and blowing away every single crowd with their blistering, faster-than-thou anthems of smash. What's not to love? All three of their releases from last year (a bulk of the demo was released as a flexi by Radical Punks Never Die) are shining examples of what DIY can aspire to, with brillantly searing artwork and lyrics and absolutely killer recordings. Some of the best noise not music made by some of the raddest people in punk. Never sleep.

RØSENKØPF – LP (Weird)

Far and away the most-played new record in my house last year. The eau d'goth was certainly in the air in 2012, but no one can accuse RØSENKØPF of being trend-followers or retro knockoffs, if for no other reason than there's simply no one else making sounds out there quite like this (if you put a gun to my head I guess I'd describe it as psychedelic anarcho-industrial darkwave?). Their live set was something else, employing a whole mess of fun toys to realize those throbbing, trance-inducing beats by any and all means necessary. We played with them on a show in El Paso (watching Soren discover his first night out that he'd accidentally bought a four-foot-long kids sleeping bag was definitely up there for most adorable moment of tour) and when I caught them two weeks later at Oakland's Terminal they were even more mind-bogglingly seamless.

CLOUD RAT –  splits with REPUBLIC OF DREAMS (IFB / Moment Of Collapse / React With Protest / 50 Year Storm) and XTRA VOMIT (IFB)

CLOUD RAT have been around for a few years, but like many folks I came across them only recently, having been instantly converted upon hearing their split with XTRA VOMIT a few months ago. CLOUD RAT are indeed a grind band, but one whose lineage has as much to with (fucking great) screamo and the dreamy, esoteric margins of black metal as it does with ASSÜCK (don't worry, these kids probably totally love ASSÜCK too). "Emotive" is a descriptor that would make a lot of trve grind fans gag, but fuck 'em, because CLOUD RAT are putting out some of the best loudfastshit in the world right now. Their LP "Moksha" is coming out any day now and I will be shocked if it's not one of the best records of 2013.

ZYANOSE – "Noise Philia 2005-2011" LP (540 / Todo Destruido) + "Isolation" EP (Distort Reality)

Japan's most glorious crasher crust disaster, ZYANOSE have recognized that bringing the chaos is a practice best informed by being totally wasted, and this is an ethos which obviously permeates everything that they do as a band. There were so many memorable sets at Chaos in Tejas (still can't get over how good WINTER was) but ZYANOSE was easily the most boisterous and fun, and their ability to produce absolutely paint-peeling noize punk shriek with two basses and no guitars still has me scratching my head six months later. The discography roundup is totally essential for anyone who recognizes that inner ear canals are extremely overrated, while the new EP shows off a band at the top of their game, doing what they do best and clearly having way too much fun. "Aaaaaaaaaargh" never sounded so sweet.

ALARIC/ATRIARCH – split LP (20 Buck Spin)

Another record that I know I'll be listening to for many years to come, this split was the logical conclusion of a long-time affinity between the two bands, who have toured together more than once and who I've personally seen play together more times than I can count. ALARIC are one of the few modern acts whose effects-laden sound I'd consider worthy of comparison to THE CHAMELEONS (my favorite post-punk band), and I continue to be amazed by their ability to stay true to their early 80s source material within an utterly modern recording aesthetic. "So Far Down" is one of most memorable tracks in their repertoire but the closer "Weep" is the real standout here, an absolutely devastating riff that builds out into an wistful, expansive dirge; I'm not exaggerating when I say ranks up there as one of my favorite goth/post-punk songs of all time. ATRIARCH continue to refine their CHRISTIAN DEATH-meets-blackened doom approach to great effect, and I think the material here is their finest, most coherent to date.

WATER TORTURE – "Shellfire!" EP (Diseased Audio) + splits w/ SEA OF SHIT (Diseased Audio) and THEDOWNGOING (Nerve Altar)

We have seen the future and it is fucking horrid. Mutants of all stripes will find refuge in the demented sounds of WATER TORTURE, where fist-crushing powerviolence merges with all manner of bleep-blorping electronic goodness to bring the MAN IS THE BASTARD trajectory into the 24th century. Splits with some of the best punky blasters out there right now only seal the deal: WATER TORTURE are one of the most exciting bands I got into last year, and probably the most fun I've had listening to a grind record since that crazy PSUDOKU rewired my consciousness in late 2011.

HEXIS – "Seputus/Fatum" 45 (Black Lake / Skaven / Monotonstudio / Enjoyment / Gardens / Braincrushing) + "X" EP (IFB/Maximum Douglas/Orchid Scent/Parade of Spectres/Panda Banda)

Nightmare music of the highest order. In a year that saw so many mediocre (not to mention sketchy) fusions of black metal and dark hardcore, HEXIS from Copenhagen were one of the few that did it right, integrating European heaviness a la BLACK FREIGHTER into a deliciously nauseating mindfuck that bears an avant-garde kinship with bands like PORTAL and EHNAHRE. No matter how many times I listen to these songs, HEXIS always seems to trigger the same sense of anxiety and impending doom. Then again, I keep putting it back on…

BELGRADO – "Panopticon/Vicious Circle" 45 (La Vida Es Un Mus)

It would have been easy for BELGRADO to stumble or stall after releasing their landmark self-titled LP, but if their newest material is any indication, the creative well has far from run dry. Lucky for the rest of us! As we all know by now, it's easy enough to throw on some reverb and recreate that sound, but BELGRADO set themselves apart from so many post-punk revivalists by writing great fucking songs, and the two at hand are no exception. The vocals—and oh, that guitar tone!—retain an instant familiarity, but with a strangely timeless quality, and there's no denying their mastery when it comes to painting paranoid landscapes with an almost cinematic precision. I don't want to say that their set at 1-2-3-4 Go! was a revelation—that's way too corny—but I think I just did.

COMMUNION OF THIEVES – "To Serve Man" Demo (Self-Released)

At the risk of gushing, COMMUNION OF THIEVES are basically in 'dream band' territory for me, tempering their epic d-beat crust foundation with a dose of gorgeously atmospheric black metal to produce some of the most incredible songs I've heard in the decade or so that I've been listening to punk. Lyrics in Spanish and English explore feminism, religion and the soul-crushing realities of industrial civilization with a first-hand focus on the experiences of immigrants on the U.S./Mexico border, and Alison's perfectly caustic vocals add a whole other dimension to the music. The first time I came through El Paso on tour COMMUNION OF THIEVES was supposed to play but had to drop at the last minute, being replaced by their awesome death metal/crust side project NUCLEAR SCORN. Needless to say, I was thrilled when we got booked with COMMUNION and RØSENKØPF this time around, and it would be an understatement to say they exceeded all of my expectations; seriously, some of the most inspired drum work I've ever had the pleasure of seeing live. Real talk, there is no band in the world right now whose first full-length I want to hear more.

Reissues

DISCHARGE – All EPs (Havoc)
WARRIOR KIDS – "Les Enfants De L'Espoir" LP (Katorga Works)
KNOTS – "Action/Heartbreaker" 45 (Last Laugh)
VARUKERS – "Another Religion, Another War" LP  (Havoc)
CURRICULUM MORTIS – "Sentencia de Muerte" LP (Ultra Sonido)
PICTURE FRAME SEDUCTION – "Hand of the Rider" LP (Queer Pills)
THE DICKS – "Hate The Police" EP (1-2-3-4 Go!)
MAN IS THE BASTARD / AUNT MARY – split (Six Weeks)
ABUSE – "Manifest: 1994-2004 Discography" CD (Haunted Hotel)
ABADDON – "Wet Za Wet" LP (Warsaw Pact)



More records that ruled it: D-CLONE LP, PUTREFACTION LP, REIVERS LP, PASSIV DÖDSHJÄLP EP, NO STATIK EPs + LP, HAMMERS 10", CONDITION EP, NEW FLESH DEMO, DAWN OF HUMANS EP, CRIMINAL CODE LP + EPs, AGE OF COLLAPSE LP, HUNTING PARTY EP, LOTUS FUCKER LP, SYSTEMATIK DEMO, FORWARD LP, SICK/TIRED EP, TEMPEST EP, TRAGEDY LP, T.A.D.R.O.E.V. DEMO, VACCINE/COKE BUST SPLIT, RAPE REVENGE EP, VUEVE S.S. EP + SPLIT, HUMANXWASTE DEMO, HOST EP, NEON PISS LP, DNF EP, JUNGBLUTH DEMO, KROMOSOM EP, TO THE POINT EP, ORDSTRO DEMO, CRIMSON SCARLET 45, YADOKAI EP, SIX BREW BANTHA LP, ANASAZI DEMO, ARCHAGATHUS/PIZZA HI-FIVE SPLIT, YADOKAI EP, REPLICA DEMO, GHASTLY SPATS EP

September 2012 – #352

Top Ten:

MAUSER-EP+live
PASSIV DÖDSHJÄLP-Skit På Repeat-EP
ZYANOSE-LP+live
THE DICKS-Hate the Police-EP
AXEMAN-Arrive-LP
OEDE-One Man's Trash-EP
KROMOSOM-Paranoid-EP
V/A-More World, Less Bank Pt. 3-EP
WHITEHORSE-live
SIXBREWBANTHA-live


THE KILLER – OBEY NO ONE EP

This band is from Chicago and plays plodding, misanthropic hate mosh that fans of NAILS should eat right up. Some folks go goofy for the well-orchestrated hardcore call-out, but these guys pretty much lost me when the chugs cut out for a screamed “I am the champion!” halfway through side A. Still, nothing could prepare me for the same trick two minutes later, only this time offering “a toast/For those who hated life the most”. Yeah, that just happened. It's pretty hard to take seriously a record that spends this much time telling you how tough and dark it is, but the basic appeal of bands like NEGLECT and INTEGRITY is there for sure. Whatever, I’m spin-kicking my way out of this pit. At least they say they hate cops. (WB)

(Organized Crime)



AXEMAN – ARRIVE LP

Sprawling, idiosyncratic black/death metal insanity from LA's mind-numbingly prolific BLACK TWILIGHT CIRCLE, this is a vinyl repress of a tape originally released in 2010. Composed and performed almost entirely by VOLAHN (whose eponymous project is probably my personal favorite of the BTC bands), this is by far the most punk-sounding release to come out of the collective besides MATA MATA. Intended as unabashed early crust worship (most obviously of AMEBIX) and also drawing heavily from first-wave black metal like VENOM, AXEMAN melds the classic battle-crust aesthetic with the revolutionary, mystical use of Mesoamerican indigenous mythology that is central to the BLACK TWILIGHT program. The result is a thrashy take on the basic BTC style, with reverb-soaked production and washed-out guitars giving way to meaty mid-tempo parts and cosmic leads that can only be described as bonkers. It's a lot to take in, and those less inclined towards fuckin' metal might get lost when things get shreddy. Too bad, because the connoisseurs will tell that BLACK TWILIGHT (along with the related RHINOCERVS label) is making some of the best and most original black metal out there, and AXEMAN is no exception. Metalloid punkers and open-minded crusties will definitely want to get their hands on this. (WB)

(Darkest Heavy)



ROTE HEXE – RED WITCH LP

Doom metal is one of those genres that seems hopelessly overpopulated these days, but ROTE HEXE manage to carve out their own niche by mixing the southern sludge of bands like BUZZOV*EN with a distinctly post-NEUROSIS approach to doom. Even though they play wildly different genres of metal, the whole thing has a very BLACK BREATH vibe to it, with a spooky and sacrilegious tone throughout, and this band definitely sounds like they're aching to put something out on Southern Lord in the near future. Unfortunately, in the end this is an album with lots of hooks but not too many riffs, and it left me feeling a bit underwhelmed until the end, where the tempo picks up into some WEEDEATER territory that's a bit more fun than the slow stuff. The LP comes with a bonus flex, so that's pretty damn cool. (WB)

(Cricket Cemetery)



THE NAKED HEROES – DEMON THE WHISKEY DOWN LP

Ugh, why the fuck do people still make music like this? Lest the "sexy", retro-futuristic cleavage-bots on the cover confuse you, THE NAKED HEROES are nothing more than another tired 70s cock-rock clone, lacking even the slightest hint of originality or taste. The opening song – in which the singer enlightens us to the fact that he "don't want no ugly woman" – seems like it was written to gross people like me out, but having to hear the same goddamn song nine more times after that is what's truly offensive here. Even the comic book that comes with this record sucks. Ouch. (WB)

(Drug Front)



OEDE – ONE MAN’S TRASH EP

Some music is timeless, while other stuff is simply too weird to be of any particular era or scene. I really don’t know what to say here: delta blues, raw black metal and pulsing electronic soundscapes all figure into the bizarre concoction that is OEDE, and it fucking works. This is apparently a one-man act from Norway, but the record plays out like a bad acid trip through the Deep South that rivals THE GUN CLUB if only in sheer darkness. One might compare this to the "Crossroads" LP by France's brilliant DIAMETREGON, but OEDE have a style all their own, right down to the altered photographs of corpse painted and Baphomet-headed bluesmen on the cover art. I can only imagine where this band is going from here, but I want to follow. (WB)

(Holy Terror)

PASSIV DÖDSHJÄLP – SKIT PÅ REPEAT EP

Sick and brvtal metallic käng, this shit rips from the first note and never lets off. Not to be confused with AKTIV DÖDSHJÄLP (dödshjälp, in case you were wondering, means euthanasia in Swedish), PASSIV DÖDSHJÄLP provide a textbook demonstration of how to do modern d-beat/crust right, with dissonant, melancholic guitar work and vocals that project a powerful sense of desperation and foreboding. The driving drums and melodic, emotionally-charged songwriting can’t help but invite comparisons to the mature works of MARTYRDÖD, offset somewhat by the straight-ahead hardcore spirit of a band like TOTALITÄR. A must-listen for fans of the Swedish upper crust. (WB)

(Halvfabrikat / Total Punk)



NO MASTER – “BURNING SPIRIT” EP

The label on this seven-inch says "PLAY LOUDER", so I did. Good call. Kansas City's NO MASTER dish out quick blasts of raw, bass-heavy noise punk, sort of like what MAUSER might sound like if they'd turn down that damn treble knob. The tone and overall sinister feel are perfectly dialed in, of course, as are the nails-in-the-throat vocals, but what really takes this record to the next level is the insane abundance of hooks, which flow seamlessly into one another and make repeat listening a true pleasure. Breakdowns are few and far between, but always manage to add to the atmosphere, especially when they hint at the crust-metal vibe of bands like ACEPHALIX. For those of you who like your d-beat thick and oppressive, NO MASTER is sure to satisfy the craving. (WB)

(Self-released)

SUCKED DRY – EP

SUCKED DRY from Kansas City play a grimey form of USHC with a familiar progression of fast punk, blast beats and claustrophobic breakdowns along with several excellent opportunities for the well-refined floor punch. There's also a notable influence from classic powerviolence, with the utterly pissed off ghost of CROSSED OUT looming over the whole gnarly mess. The requisite smattering of tempo changes manages to keep things interesting, and the vocals give off a compelling sense of wierdo frustration throughout. Damned good stuff. (WB)

SHAVED WOMEN – S/T + LIVE @ APOP CD

A CD reissue of their extremely limited-run LP from 2011 along with a recent live cassette release, this release shows SHAVED WOMEN to be one of the more interesting bands in contemporary American hardcore. Very much in line with the art-kid NYHC revival currently being led by bands like HOAX, SHAVED WOMEN rely on killer vocals and inventive, varied guitar work to stand out from the crowd. The record kind of hangs out at a slow, deliberate pace, which just serves to make the uptempo cover of DIE KREUZEN's "Think Of Me" at the end of the LP feel that much more cathartic when it hits. Top this of with better-than-average lyrics and some truly fantastic original artwork and we're looking at a rad total package. I generally don't get the appeal of live recordings, especially for punk bands, but the utterly blown out sound on the second half of the CD helps to bring out the noizier tendencies implied on the studio tracks and actually made me want to come back again instead of skipping over them like I usually would. (WB)

(Ektro)