BACK OF MY HAND

More Violent Arrest stuff, this time their 2011 LP, "Tooth And Nail". Again, no excuse why I've ignored this band for as long as I have. Somehow they just managed to get lost amongst the hundreds of groups that I've been jamming over the last 12 months I guess. This record was a joint pressing between Boss Tuneage, Farewell Records and Tadpole Records. 500 copies on black vinyl.
Though this was the first VA stuff that I heard, I'm not as into this record quite as much as last night's post subject. Musically it runs a relatively similar course to that of their debut album; fast, three chord hardcore, but the recording is just a little too refined and hence looses a good chunk of the raw power that was so prominent on that LP. The band also manage to slow the manic tempo down a bit a couple of times here. The songs in question are fun and really hooky, but I've found with this band that they excite me the most when they're going at a million miles an hour. This album is still very fucking good though, just not quite as strong as earlier music of theirs.

BORN ON YOUR KNEES

I wouldn't blame you for arguing that it's been pretty bad form for me to have ignored the UK's Violent Arrest for as long as I have. A unit since around the mid noughties or so, the stuff they play could be described pretty accurately as the kind of hardcore that I generally find the most interest in; simple, fast, gruff, three chord punk. Coupled with the fact that I'm pretty smitten with a heap of new upcoming UK groups as of late, and this bands strong links to 80's UK powerhouse speed freaks, Ripcord, you could down right label me as ignorant to this bands quality. Until the last few weeks that is.
This is their first s/t LP from 2006 pressed by Deranged Records. Mine's on black vinyl. Unsure of any further pressing details, though I'm assuming that there must be a pretty wide press, as I picked this up on Discogs for a song. Of the material of the bands that I have managed to hear so far (around half of it), this is my favourite. Just relentless, angry hardcore that takes strong influence from a handful of the 80's US east coast stalwarts. A Jerry's Kids cover goes along way to solidify that vibe. The recording here is the best; not overdone, though not sounding like shit. And all the elements seem to be mixed perfectly. Nothing's drowned, and nothing's too far in front. The singer's stark UK accent also gives the band a bit of a UK Oi! vibe, though the band rarely slows to any kind of tempo that could be considered fitting of that style of punk.
Coincidently the band have just released a new 12" single via Boss Tuneage. Maybe I need to investigate that one.

KEEP YOUR MONEY

I don't know much about Barge other than the fact that they are from Richmond and they play raging, powerful, fast hardcore. Following a demo tape from last year, this is their debut 7", "No Gain". Pressed by Vinyl Conflict. Before this record was released I had never heard of the band and that surprises me a little because this is the kind of stuff that's right up my alley usually. I've seen in a few places in the last fortnight or so people more or less labelling them as a half PV half more traditional kind of hardcore band and I guess that description isn't hugely off the mark. The immediate impression I got when I first spun this thing was of that more modern, fast hardcore thing ala Coke Bust and the like. I think you could attribute that one down to the LOUD recording and the mosh driven breakdowns. The frantic tempos, fitful song structures and Denunzio impressions though, really make this record more of a PV geared release, and the great release that it is.

GRAVE REAPER

I touched on Funebrarum from New Jersey around a year ago when I blogged about their split 7" with Undergang from Copenhagen. Since that record they've been a little quiet, though I've heard rumour of work on a new LP going on. Maybe we'll see something next year? Something a little relevant to the nature of this blog perhaps; Daryl from Citizens Arrest, Assück, Disma, etc fronts this band for those not in the know.
This is their second LP from 2009, "The Sleep Of Morbid Dreams". Until the end of last year, for newcomers like me, coming across affordable copies of this record was virtually impossible. That was until Cyclone Empire decided to repress it on black vinyl. What you get here is just searing, barbaric American Death Metal. The recording is clear and heavy and Daryl hits low notes only hinted at with his work in Assück. Pretty much some of the best stuff coming out of the East Coast of the USA.

JUST ANOTHER VICTIM

Finally managed to pick up a copy of this fantastic LP in the last few weeks, the second and last album, "Divided We Fall" from Californian grind legends Excruciating Terror. As I'm trying to scratch together enough money to buy a house at the moment I'm using discogs.com a heap more to secure my goods as it's a lot more stable (all BIN stuff, no auctions). I have used it a few times over the last few years, but lately I've been using it almost exclusively. One of the first LP's I decided to pick when I first started taking it more seriously was this amazing slab.
I'd argue that this band would be equally as responsible for the way modern grindcore sounds as Napalm Death, certainly the no frills, zero gimmick, all up tempo stuff that I listen to anyway. The majority of their songs were just fast 1-2-1-2 or d-beat numbers, peppered everywhere with intense blasts. Vocals were of the typical guttural growls offset by the high end shriek style. Exactly the kind of stuff I like, no experimental shit, no stupid noodley guitar bits, just fast fast fast three chord numbers. Active for around eight years in the 90's, they released a handful of stuff, but I'd have to say that this album of theirs is my favourite. The album that preceded this only saw a vinyl release in 2010 (originally released as CD only in 1996), and I'll be blogging about that in the next few weeks I think. They broke up soon after the release of this album and members went on to form other bands, most notably the group Bloody Phoenix. I've paid a small amount of attention to that band over the years, and they're okay, but they don't come anywhere near this bands recorded output. It may also be worth noting that Dino Cazares of Fear Factory had his startings in an early incarnation of this band, but he left before they started to get really good. Top shelf American grindcore.

ENTERRADAS EN EL JARDIN

I like to think that I'm somewhat switched on when it comes to good music. There are times though  when I don't register any interest with bands until a bigger record label takes notice. Generally I find it only happens with metal bands. Japan's Coffins are one of these examples with their recent evolvement with Relapse Records, as are Entrails from Sweden with their new LP on Metal Blade. Machetazo from Spain are another. Now here is a band that I have known about for many years. Their history within destructive death/gore grind is lengthy and revered by many people and heaps of the bands that I listen to rate them as heavily influence. Yet I've never really bothered checking them out. It even goes as far as a friend of mine sending me an earlier EP of theirs years ago, only for me to spin it once and pass it off. I don't think I even bothered blogging about it as a result (I may need to rectify that soon).
Within the last few weeks Doomentia Records, a label that I'm obviously rather fond of has released Machetazo's new album "Ruin". It's taken me a single clip from that LP on the labels bandcamp to actually generate enough interest to bother diving into the bands discography and give it a thorough inspection. It's lengthy at best, and I'd hardly argue that I'm even a third of the way through it yet, but the handful of earlier LP's that the band would be responsible for have grabbed my interest, most importantly this one, their second album from 2002, "Trono De Huesos" (translated "Throne Of Bones"). Originally released by Throne Records in 2002, this copy that I'm blogging about today is a reissue committed by Doomentia last year. Top shelf quality presentation from Doomentia as always, check out the HIGH gloss sleeve.
If the one aforementioned clip from the bands new album is anything to go by, the band are still certainly progressing further along the heavy doom path that they've been nudging at gradually over the years. Their earlier stuff though possesses a pretty stark purist grindcore feel to it, most evident in their early demos and first two albums. The LP before this one "Carne De Cementerio" from 2000 is the best example of this, but the recording is quite minimalist and as a result I can't get into it a huge amount. With this album, the recording is vastly improved while still holding the level of roughness that I enjoy in proper grindcore. The 14 tracks presented here run in at a little over half an hour, and the entirety of them are purely acidic, head splitting, grind assaults, bar the Motörhead and Carnage covers (both of which they do a great job with). I'll be posting about the new album in the next few weeks hopefully.

ABOMINABLE NUCLEAR PENETRATION

Italy's Blasphemophagher may be on indefinite hiatus, or broken up or whatever, but I've more or less only taken notice of them in the last six months. Their entire released catalogue is relatively extensive, ranging across various formats; 7" EP's, splits, live releases and three LP's. This is the last LP they did, "The III Command Of The Absolute Chaos". Black vinyl, pressed by Nuclear War Now! Musically speaking, this thing is more or less exactly what you'd expect from NWN! Extreme Nuclear Death Metal in terms of recording and general sound, with harsh black metal undercurrents. Most of the nine tracks here revolve around a similar theme; apokalyptic visions of worldwide nuclear destruction along with stories detailing the actions of the dark overlord. Standard stuff I guess? The guitars are tuned heavy and the vokills are brutal and deep, while the length of most of the songs are riffed in the tremolo style, layered over a simplistic blasting beat. More traditional Death Metal riffs and breaks are utilised now and then to split it all up. Masterfully detailed, apocalyptic artwork handled by the one and only Paolo Girardi, I have to admit that a big reason for me wanting to buy this LP originally was for his work alone. I think I will be tracking down more stuff that he's been involved with in the future.

SHORT FUSE (1000 POSTS)

Here's an album that was in much need of a reissue. Bridge 9 have finally gone to the trouble to repress the classy "Ill Blood" LP by the excellent No Warning. This press coincides with ten year anniversary of the albums original release. This time around the label have pressed it as a double LP with a gatefold sleeve, the second disc containing the bands demo and first 7" as bonus tracks on the C side, while the D side is etched with a picture drawn by Damien from Fucked Up. Pressing details included three variations if memory serves, the most limited being 'blood and piss' (red and yellow) of 300 copies, which I missed out on, this edition of 'half blood half shit' of 700 copies and 'blood and shit' (one completely red disc and one completely brown disc) of 1000 copies. To be honest I am glad I secured this version as it most closely resembles the original limited press of blood and shit that fetches silly amounts on places like eBay and the like.
To try and convey the influence that this record has had on the modern B9 and assosiated hardcore scene would be a quite the task in itself. They certainly ripped off the blueprint of many moshy NYHC bands from the late 80's and early 90's, most note worthy "Demonstrating My Style" era Madball, but they managed to bring a pretty modern sound to it, and in doing so bring it to the more popular side of hardcore. Countless bands have followed with this sound in the last 6-7 years, but I can't think of a single one that has done it this well. When the needle drops on that intro riff on "Behind These Walls" all I wanna do is dance. I would have loved to have seen this band live during this period of their existence.

Like that Cryptopsy record that I thought I had blogged about but it turns out I never did, I've had a copy of the original press of this LP on black vinyl for many years and never blogged about it on here. Maybe it's got something to do with records by Canadian bands. I certainly thought I had until a search proved otherwise. It's likely with this one that I've had it for longer than I've been actively posting about actual vinyl records. I secured this on eBay many years ago for a relatively modest sum. As mentioned earlier, blood and shit variations of this record from this pressing fetch idiotic prices and I could never muster the courage to fork over that kind of dough. Black vinyl was always the cheaper option whenever it came up on eBay, but I think I still ended up handing over something like $30 for this plus international postage. See the below photos, this new pressing doesn't differ hugely at all from the original. No gatefold sleeve and the single disc are the biggest differences obviously.

1000 posts done and dusted. Thanks for reading so far. Here's to (maybe) 1000 more.

SYNTHETIC WASTE

I actively avoided Chicago's Water Torture for a year based solely off the hype they've been getting since their inception and a 20 second clip that I heard somewhere online. At this point I don't even remember what the clip was and I don't really know what it was that I didn't like about it. This is their 7" EP from last year "Shellfire!" and I have to admit that it's pretty great relentless drum and bass powerviolence hardcore. Pressed by the growingly powerful Diseased Audio Records, my copy is on black wax from the first press of 500 copies. A second press of 300 copies on grey vinyl also exists.
I think a massive part of my reasons for initially avoiding this band were also because of the drum and bass thing. It certainly seems that most people who are fond of this Crossed Out styled brand of PV love the drum and bass sound, but I have to admit that I'm pretty obsessed with the good razor sharp treble that a heavy guitar tone brings to any type of aggressive music. Primary case in point: Iron Lung and the Insect Warfare LP. I've been able to find a massive amount of enjoyment in these eleven songs though. By nature it's pretty depressing stuff, Matt's bass tone is drenched in filth and I'd assume that the noise tracks that he contributes would also go a long way to alienate the majority of those not indebted heavily to purist stop start powervionece like this.
An additional nine or ten WT releases exist in addition to this 7", all of which tread a relatively similar path. They've just released a split with Sixbrewbantha that actually utilises guitars, and those songs sound shredding, but the band have stated that the six string will not become a permanent fixture within their compositions. I'd argue that this EP is their best stuff, but the guitar track stuff should also be on top of the list for any newcomer looking to explore the discography.

OLD ROPE

Second demo tape from Perth's Flesh Police. More Powerviolence mayhem from what I've recently read a certain American blog label as the PV capital of this country. Probably. Though, it's hardly like they're  firing out of that city these days, and Extortion haven't been based out of there in years. Anyway, back to it, the recording on this thing is ten fold better that that of the bands first demo tape. Still rough as hell as it should be for this style of music, but the blown out approach comes from the actual instruments this time, not the crappy recording. What's to say? Anything I'd talk about concerning this band at the moment I've likely already said about numerous acts recently on here. Don't interpret that as a bad point though, I know the last thing I want when it comes to this kind of music is something unpredictable. This is just good, solid, abrasive punk for freaks and losers. Fans of the obvious Australian stalwarts take note.

WHITE WORMS

And the follow up to Saturday's post, my copy of Cryptopsy's landmark third LP "Whisper Supremacy". Pressed once in 1998 by Displeased Records with rights from Century Media, this was the earliest stuff I ever heard from the band. As a young fellow listening to the late night local metal radio show, this album had just come out and for around two months or so it received heavy weekly rotation. It was also some of the earliest genuine Death Metal I remember being quite fond of. Up until that point my tastes in metal had revolved around more accessible bands like Pantera and Machine Head. Following the departure of original growler Lord Worm, Boston's Mike DiSalvo made his vocal debut on this album. To me at the time his voice was the most brutal and ghastly thing I had ever heard, and realistically it still holds up very very well within the modern metal climate. Compared to the chords of Worm, Mikes style certainly showed signs of a more accessible style though, abandoning a lot of those real inaudible gurgles that Worm was well known for. You could certainly argue that this album is the one where the band started to travel in a more 'metalcore' direction thanks largely to Mikes style. It was 1998 though, that style of music wasn't quite on the radar yet and he left the band well before they staked any claims in it.

GOD KING

Vinyl version of the new EP, "Skin In The Game" from Montreal's Vile Intent. Split pressing on black wax between Diseased Audio Records and Choking Hazard Records. One of my favourite bands. More info can be found here.