COLD FACE

Another recent pick up from Life Lair Regret Records, this compilation cassette of all of the output from Melbourne powerhouse, Frozen Over. This tape consists of the bands original demo (with same artwork I think?) and their songs from their split tape with Search And Destroy. I posted about that split tape back in 2010, but I was never quick enough to grab a copy of the demo. Finely executed, hateful hardcore in the vein of Think I Care and similar acts. Very good stuff. I think the band are playing shows again, but I can't confirm.

LOUD AND CLEAR

One of the most desired records on my want list is, and has been for years now The Abused "Loud And Clear" EP. Obviously it's a similar story for many other collectors otherwise I probably would have been able to obtain it a long time ago. Radio Raheem Records, a collaborative effort between one half of Painkiller Records and Parts Unknown Records has gone about reissuing the massively influential EP in the form of this new gatefold collab LP. Also included is the bands earlier previously unreleased (but widely spread) demo recording, a live track, a 24 page glossy booklet with various fliers, photos and liner notes, and a sticker sheet. Very clean, very tidy, and at this point very sold out.

VECTOR OF DISEASE

Another excellent split 7" featuring Sewercide, this time their split with Philadelphia's Casket. Pressed by Holy Anarchy Records. Wider press of black wax. Again, Sewercide rip it up with their take on nasty Death Thrash, possibly their best song at this point. Riffs. They have a new split with Presumed Dead available for order now. Google will show you the way.
On the back of an EP and a demo, Casket play a similar style of Metal, utilising somewhat less Thrash riffs though in favour of some real rough late 80's Floridan style Death. Certainly a good intro to the band for me.

WAR ENSEMBLE

And the other Slayer LP I wanted, "Seasons In The Abyss". Again, random issuing of red and black vinyl. I scored another black record. American Recordings.

MANDATORY SUICIDE

American Recordings has just gone about reissuing some early Slayer stuff, including two of their albums that I had really been trying to get my hands on for a reasonable price. This is the repress of "South Of Heaven" on black vinyl. Apparently the pressing consists totally of randomly issued variants of red and black wax. Unsure of the numbers. Everything this band does is excellent (like that really needs a mention), this album is no different.

SAY GOODBYE TO TOMMY

Public Execution were a largely forgotten punk band that existed in Brisbane in the early 80's. They released a number of recordings in shorter formats over the period of around 2 years and then called it quits. Clint at Short Fuse Records decided to release a discography LP comprising all of the bands stuff, and this is it. Sound wise it's a little tricky to put a finger right on it, as is the story with the bulk of Australian hardcore punk that was recorded during his period. I've heard comparisons to Black Flag and early UK stuff and that's probably the closest you'd get, though I don't think that the band had any specific idea of what they wanted to sound like at the time. A little different to the music I normally find interest in, but this compilation is excellent.

SALT THE EARTH

Newish demo tape from this newish Melbourne hardcore band, Higher Power. Issued by Life Lair Regret Records. The singer from 50 Lions (and possibly other members of that band, and probably guys rom other established bands) playing some sort of metallic mosh hardcore stuff. It sounds to me like a mesh of All Out War and Most Precious Blood, and more riff heavy stuff like that with an updated and polished recording. Australian bands like this aren't normally my taste, but the songs here are pretty cool.

MUTATION SHUFFLE

I know relatively nothing about Deaf Mutations other than the fact that they play noisy, fanatic hardcore. I first heard this "Crash The Clubs" single of theirs probably around two years ago at a friends house. It was a record I wanted to get my hands on at the time, but somewhere along the line I kind of lost interest in the hard copy. Stumbled across it in the last month at a local store, so grabbing it was a a bit of a no brainer. Static Shock Records does it again.

LEFT TO ROT

Well Dustin just made an identical post, and I spoke about the original tape version of this EP a couple of months ago, but here's the vinyl 7" version of the Caged Grave demo. Break neck hardcore. Great music played by some solid guys. Self released by the band.

PAY TO CUM

Another pick up that wasn't really a heavy want, the "Pay To Cum" live 7" pressed on limited yellow wax by Caroline Records in 1990. Obviously, two live songs here, both taken from "The Youth Are Getting Restless" Live LP pressed  by the same label around the same time. I doubt that this would be a big want from anyone but the most devoted BB fan, but since I was grabbing a handful of other stuff at the same time, I figured I'd throw this in too.

LOUIE LOUIE

A recent pick up at a local record store, I doubt I need to go into detail. Original pressing of the "Louie Louie" single from Black Flag pressed by Posh Boy Records. Not a record that I ever really chased, though it's a good addition to my early 'Flag singles collection.

NO EXIT

Rats Blood from Dublin are a band who's excellence didn't fully dawn on me until more recently. Following a brilliant demo tape from last year that I ignored somewhat up until the last month or so, they've unleashed this debut EP, "Punks Is Mutants" on Imminent Destruction, DistroY, and Donnez Moi Du Feu. That demo was relentless, rough, distorted hardcore drawing equally on elements of Scandi punk groups like Mob 47, and Japanese stuff like Bastard. This new 7" is more or less along the same lines with a massively updated, cleaner recording. Six tracks in total, though the Jap element is far less obvious here mostly due to the singers vocals having virtually zero reverb effect, opposed to the demo where they were soaked in it. A very powerful band.

BROTHER DEATH

The bulk of Brisbane's Zodiac is comprised of members of the excellent d-beat group, Last Chaos. Far flung from that style of hardcore punk though, what the band present here is like a splice of something like Manilla Road and early 'Sabbath. Three songs in around 25 minutes, all of which never really move beyond a slow plod. Thick recording captures a smooth, heavy guitar tone and a wailing singer. I'm certainly no authority on this kind of thing, but I'm sure fans of traditional heavy metal will find interest in this.

SEWER SLAM

Dumb name aside, this demo from Scab Eater, "Abject Flesh" is another pretty good example of shitty, noisy hardcore punk from Melbourne. This kind of stuff can be so hit and miss, but this band seems to have got pretty lucky with a good, reverb drenched recording and muddy sound in general.