FOREIGN BODIES

Light research tells me that Hard Stripes are from Richmond and they feature members of Hounds Of Hate and Fire & Ice (and probably some other bands). This is their debut 7" pressed on white wax by Vinyl Conflict. The name says it all, this is HARDcore that references all kinds of east coast stuff from the early-mid 80's. Most things I've read place a lineage back to the early Boston hardcore scene, and that's certainly not far from the mark, though an obvious NYHC tone rears it's head here and there with the thick recording. Attribute most of this to the slightly larger budget the band probably had for this recording. Certainly a minor progression from the bands previous demo, and a welcome one.

SUBMISSION REIGNS

Washington DC seems to be on quite the creative streak at the moment. Something like four or five excellent hardcore demos dropped within about two months at the end of last year, as well as the ridiculous demo tape from new Death Metal band Genocide Pact. This is the vinyl pressing of that demo, committed by Flophouse Records And Tapes and Malokul Records.
Various members of other well known bands comprise Genocide Pact, most notably I suppose being Abuse., Triac and Disciples Of Christ. Vastly different from most of the recent wave of DC punk though, this is filthy, stinkin' Death riding the Autopsy/Death Strike/Terrorizer vibe.

BLOOD WILL TELL

Mutilation Rites seem to have been a little quiet for some time now. Though with that said, it's not like I follow every move the band makes. Maybe they've broken up? The last release was in 2012. Maybe they're just in the process of putting together new material. I don't know. This is their MLP from that year, "I Am Legion" put out by Gilead Media. As with most of their output, this is slick American Black Metal. Very much similar to their LP that I wrote about previously. Not something I was overly desperate to get my hands on, but certainly worth the cash when I stumbled across it in All Ages Records. Nice, tidy layout as you'd expect from Gilead with a one sided, etched platter.

RADIATION SICKNESS

I probably didn't need to buy this Nihilist demo discog LP seeing as how I grabbed the Southern Lord version two and a half years ago, but I couldn't really help myself when I stumbled across this 2005 version pressed by Three Man Recordings. A simply package; the bands three officially released demos plus the tracks from the two 'unreleased' sessions, along with the Entombed demo on offer, all on the one LP. Good stuff.

OVERBRED

Not entirely sure of the finite release details of this excellent s/t EP from Koward. I bought it at the end of last year when a large number of them seemed to be circulating around in various places online. Before the end of November it wasn't a record that was too common to come by, though I do know that it was originally released mid 2012 in some sort of limited run. Discogs states only the one 2012 pressing however, so maybe responsible label Total Fucker was holding on to them until November for whatever reason? I don't know.
I do know that it's ripping Scando influenced hardcore punk from Boston. Perhaps the most common footnote that's been following this 7" around is the fact that this group features members of various established bands from the nu scene, most notable in my mind being Scapegoat. Mark Barone, singer of that band plays bass here, and while such differing rolls probably shouldn't have much of a similar influence on the final product, it's remarkable how parallel Koward and later Scapegoat seem to sound. Recording qualities here are massively similar to that of the Scapegoat LP, as is the guitar tone and drum sound. Jesse Cunningham's vocals even echo of Mark's. The biggest difference is the obvious fact that Koward don't utilise blast beats or dirge bits at all like Scapegoat do. Shredding EP, hopefully there's more to come.

SIMULTANEOUS ASSASSINATION

The latest release in a lengthy schedule of EP's, splits, LP's and the like since around '99, this is the most recent full length from Houston's own PLF (otherwise known as Pretty Little Flower), "Devious Persecution And Wholesale Slaughter", thanks to Six Weeks Records. A record that I would have more than likely acquired well before now if it wasn't for postage rates from the US, this was another recent pick up on my trip to All Ages Records in London.
One of the better current grind bands in the US, I suppose similarities could be drawn to fellow Texans Insect Warfare, and that bands more well recorded stuff. Similar tones in the guitar and drums, and a similar clarity in some of the recording qualities. These guys seem to have always incorporated a little more of a Death and Thrash Metal approach into their sound though, where IW, while utilising some very obvious Death Metal elements, were much more a band for grind purists. This is probably my favourite recorded material by PLF at this point. There is some solid riffing and ideas going on here for a band that's been around for such a length of time.

DOWN FOR THE COUNT

Another in a steady line of reissues and compilation LP's from bands of the 80's with this new reissue of Breakdown's previously cassette only demo, "Runnin' Scared". Sharing the work this time are two formidable US forces, Boston's Painkiller Records and 540 Records from Texas. Along for the ride are two previously unreleased Breakdown tracks as well as a WNYU live set from 1989.
I think anyone familiar with the band will have heard the releases namesake;  a knuckle dragging, heavy hardcore classic; typical NYHC of the time that's been floating around online in one form or another for years. The extras aren't far off the mark either. Just unrelenting, ham fisted stuff. Sold out for now, though I suspect the labels intend on repressing it at some point.

THE DEMON

Turned onto this band a few weeks back by a friend, when the opp came up to get my hands on this tape, "Sick Salvation" from Richmond's Obsessor, I guess I couldn't say no. Well executed cross over thrash released with the help of Tank Crimes. Two tracks in around six minutes. This being their debut, a handful of releases follow this including EP's and a collection LP. Worth it.

CAUSE OF DEATH

The popularity that this S/T LP from Abuse. received amongst the powerviolence set late last year was definitely noticeable. Regularly this burly brand of hardcore is right up my alley, with many of the bands that have attempted this style over the years getting some sort of attention from me on this blog. And while the music here is certainly an entertaining listen, and one worthy of repeated plays from myself over the last few weeks, it's not quite hitting the same nerve that similar stuff has recently. Captured here are all the right ideas and elements; frantic, hasty blasts offset with slow, plodding dirge, distorted, choppy vocals, and a heavy, murky guitar tone, but the pure cleanliness, almost sterility of the recording is a little off putting at times. Such is the style that sometimes during the slower bits I am reminded of certain moshy B9 style acts, though I doubt for the most part that other fans would get that vibe, or that the band had intended it at all. I can't ignore it though.
On a positive note, the singer sounds heaps like Mickey from Perth group Suffer. Split black and brown press on To Live A Lie Records.

RESURRECTION OF THE WOLF

Reasonable hype has surrounded the release of this new No Warning 7", "Resurrection Of The Wolf". 500 copies pressed by the singers label Bad Actors on black vinyl, all of which sold out in a couple of days. The basic premise of this EP is that it was pressed to raise funds for the family of the bands previous part time bass player Zach who is currently serving time in prison. As such one new song was written and recorded, the title track- quite the expected NW stomper, as well as "Bloodsucker" a number originally by fellow 2000's Canuck hardcore bruisers Violent Minds. Some people seemed confused as to why NW chose to cover such a song by such a reasonably recent band, but it's because Zach fronted the group as vocalist for it's entirety. They've slightly altered a riff and a time signature with their interpretation, though only just.
Well worth it if you're a big fan of either NW or VM, though both songs are available online, so maybe it's not that essential if you're not a fiend. It's been made known that no shows will accompany this record, nor any further recordings. I heard rumours once of new Violent Minds material. Would anyone out there know anything about this?

INTO THE GREY

Seems fitting I guess that another record I grabbed on my recent trip to the UK would be the shredding LP from Nottingham fiends, "Face Up To It!". Certainly a foundation band of the 80's English hardcore scene, and arguably on of the bands that had some sort of influence on the early grindcore sound. A record that I've wanted to get my hands on for a few years now, this is a 2012 reissue on red wax by Boss Tuneage. Originally released in 1998 by In Your Face Records, it's been reissued a number of times over the years.

CRIMINAL BANNER

The amount of positive attention Boston's Chain Rank have received over the last two or three months can't really be over stated. A powerful debut in this demo tape, "The Grip" oozes Boston attitude. Despite the artwork massively reminiscent of the work of K. Crowley and NYHC forefathers, The Abused, the lineage that this band would lay strongest claim to is without a doubt Boston '82 ala Negative FX and SSD. All boxes ticked with this tape.

UNDER A SERPENT SKY

It was an album that spawned a few years of wholly plagiaristic and uninspired 'melodeathcore' in the 2000's, but "Slaughter Of The Soul" from Gothenburg's finest, At The Gates has always been an LP of upmost importance to me. During a recent trip to the UK with my girlfriend, this record, along with a small grip of others was a pick up at the excellent All Ages Records in Camden, London.
On my want list for several years now, every copy that has surfaced either on Discogs or eBay since around 2010 hasn't been listed for a price under $50-$60, a figure that coupled with usually exorbitant international postage rates, put's it out of my 'willing to pay for' range. Lucky for me All Ages were selling this off the shelf for the equivalent of $26 Ostralian dollars, a very reasonable and fair price. I snapped it up. Pressed a few times over the years, including bootlegs, this is the 2002 version of the record on black wax. A far more limited orange version was pressed at the same time.

KILLING FIELDS

Another Slayer reissue, this time the new American Recordings pressing of "Divine Intervention". Stumbled across this one at my local store this week. Essential thrash. Even without Lombardo.

BLACK CLAD RIDER

The brand of epic power metal that bands like Stone Dagger and Eternal Champion play is a largely vague field to me. The established older bands that would lend most influence to these younger groups would also be of a wholely unexplored variety. With the imminent release of the vinyl version of the Eternal Champion demo and now the issuing of this demo tape, "The Siege Of Jerusalem" from Boston's Stone Dagger, I'll have to admit that it's certainly a genre that I need pay more attention, because both of the aforementioned releases are strong examples of a finite and precise exercise in plain old Heavy Metal.
Stone Dagger consist of various members of the masterful Boston hardcore scene. Most notable amongst the rank to most would probably be that of the bands vocalist (and central writer) B. Radigan and his now almost completely identifiable vocal traits. I would assume that regular readers of this blog would be familiar with the guys multiples forms of output in bands like Rival Mob and Magic Circle. Following the latter, it probably shouldn't be of any surprise then that he would choose to front a band of such nature. Any doubts of his proper singing abilities would probably be squashed with these two tracks. Sold out in as little as three days, a vinyl version of this release approaches a release date in February.