Tuesday 31 January 2012

Princess - Grim Energy



Coming across like a stomp-heavy Dead & Divine, this
EP by Princess has some great sludge/stoner grooves
pounding out the speakers. The overall feel is hardcore
with a metallic feel to the guitars and the vocalist hits
the mark with some fine bellowing that slips in the odd
clean refrain.

The rhythm section are low slung and rumbling, with
a frantic delivery that is on the right side of brutal.

The riffs are powerful and have a sense of melody that
is sometimes lacking in this genre.

This is an accomplished first release that had me jumping
up and down.

Free download from Bandcamp

Monday 30 January 2012

Equal Minds Theory - S/T



Band request from Russia.

Not sure what they are putting in the water over there
but it sure makes the music heavy!

Here is their press release:
Equal Minds Theory - face melting/bone crushing mathcore
band from Russia - five-headed fire-breathing beast, consisting
of the most frostbitten and psychopathic representatives of Norilsk,
Domodedovo, Moscow and Troitsk. Together they make music
that forces even the most evil demons of hell to hide in a corner
and beg for mercy. But no quarter will be - it's known for everyone
who has ever watched the EMT live: the band is famous for the most
dynamic, entertaining and insanely intense live shows on Russian
heavy scene. EMT also gave countless concerts over Russia and
beyond and shared a stage with such bands like Cephalic Carnage,
Burst, Psyopus and Ion Dissonance.

This translates to some chaotic experimental hardcore with prog-metal
flourishes that has riffs that stomp over you. With throat shredding vocals,
this album would please anyone who was into Norma jean and their ilk.

Complex song writing ensures that your attention is always held and some
varied ambients effects drift in and out among all the aggression. for good measure.

Free download from Bandcamp

Friday 27 January 2012

Hollow Leg - Instinct



This duo come from Jacksonville, Florida and like
Black Cobra, make up for any other band members by
playing everything LOUD!

This has a good, heavy sound and is a mix of sludge and
doom with stoner influences in the song arrangements that
make sure that there is a definite groove to some of the riffs.

The vocals are spat out with hardcore venom to really make
the tracks bite. Proving once again that one guitar can make
one fuck of a noise, this is a pounding beast that rocks as well.

Free download from Bandcamp


Thursday 26 January 2012

Flightless - The Descent



Here is some Hardcore/Sludge/Crust noise from
Australia.

Heavy and intense, Flightless unleash a Converge
type barrage of sound which has a very raw sound
to it. There is some nice metallic riffing going on
here and a dense, solid feel to things.

The vocals are up in the mix a bit too much for
my taste but if ya want some aggressive tunes in
your face, give this a listen.

Free download from Bandcamp


Wednesday 25 January 2012

End of Transmission



Well, it does not really come as surprise to any of us but Mediafire have
removed all my links.

After the mindnumbing time I had when Rapidshare lost all my files
at the beginning of this blog and I replaced them all, I am not going to
spend all my time re-upping the links again.

Some blogs are shutting down because of this but for me, it has never
been about just having a link of a new album for DL purposes.

I started this to write about the music that made me jump up and down -
a brand new release or something from many years ago, the only criteria
was that it sounded fucking great.

So my faithful download monkeys, what happens next?

I will still continue to review albums but there will be no DL links .........
goodbye to most of my followers then!

I will still continue to review bands that send me albums - and if they
want or provide links, these of course will be upped.

I will still continue to review bands that have free downloads on Bandcamp -
shit loads of good stuff out there.

I will still rant about things with no regard for your feelings or beliefs!

Interesting times ahead - this purge may die down after a while but I will
still be here telling you that you are wrong and I am right!

Friday 20 January 2012

Gong - Camembert Electrique (1971)



This was going to be about Gong, and this, the
first album in the "Radio Gnome" trilogy but with
the closure of Megaupload I feel a few words are
in order to placate my faithful download monkeys.

Seeing some blogs with all links on MU having to
re-up or in some cases start again, all mine are on
Mediafire - can that be far behind?

I have already been fucked over by Rapidshare when
they lost my files and do not really fancy going down that
route again. Music blogs will surely be among the up
coming shit storm.

If I get taken down, I will stick with the same title - in
whatever format it will be in, look for Black Insect Laughter V2.

Anyway, the Gong album is one of their best, jazz-space rock
with the Canterbury vibe going on.

Thursday 19 January 2012

Buildings - Melt, Cry, Sleep (2012)



Request from Record Label.

doubleplusgood Records have a new release on Feb 21st
from the band "Buildings" and it is definitely something
you should check out.

Buildings play aggressive math/hardcore but tempered
with a noise rock vibe.

The songs are as tight as fuck and the production makes
sure that all the instruments are clearly heard so the
arrangements can really kick you in the face.

The guitar riffs intertwine with the bass which has its own
fair share of riffage - the yelped vocals sit nicely in the mix.

Yes, the AmRep sound is here but it is not just a mindless copy.

Video they have made Here

Order "Buildings" and other bands Here

Monday 16 January 2012

Zechs Marquise - Getting Paid (2011)



With three brothers in this band all sharing
the surname of Rodriguez-Lopez, you might
feel you have some idea of what this album
will sound like.

Although having the same impressive technical
chops evident in ATDI & The Mars Volta, this
is a much airier, lighter affair. As winter drags
on here in the UK, Zechs Marquise is the sound
of the summer - prog-funk anyone? The guitar
sound that we love from the magic hands of Omar
is here but played with a more delicate touch.

Horns, latin rhythms and a fluid composition style
help meld this mix of prog/psych, Parliament funk
madness into a streamlined album that is a lot of fun.

If you are after something to help throw off the shackles
of winter and you are not expecting to violently headbang
all the way through, get a copy.

Buy from Bandcamp Here

Friday 13 January 2012

Revok - Grief Is My New Moniker (2011)



Some post-hardcore/noise rock from France for you.

Revok play fast and hard but with a restraint that
stops it being utter chaos. Tautly wound and intense,
the songs deliver with style and atmosphere, the
twin guitars judder and snake around the riffs - it's
a heavy mix but thankfully, the noise rock sensibilities
mean that the band know that there is so much more
than just screaming and playing fast.

Because they are good guys, free download Here

Thursday 12 January 2012

Without God - Lambs To The Slaughter (2011)



Here is some Russian stoner/sludge/doom for you.

The first thing that hits you is how thick all the
tones are - no tinny or fizzy instruments - everything
sounds massive and powerful, for me this is exactly
how stoner doom should sound.

These guys have taken Sleep, Electric Wizard and
of course Sabbath and added their own melting
pot of fuzzed, hypnotic riffs - reverb drenched vocals
and huge sounding wah-wah leads that just sound great.

While Without God have not re-invented the wheel, what
they do offer is a superb album of songs that I have found
myself playing again and again.



Wednesday 11 January 2012

Tad - God's Balls (1989)



Produced by Jack Endino, his stripped down recording
techniques brought out the raw sound that made Tad
a beast to be feared.

Tribal drumbeats mixed with 70's heavy guitar with
Sabbath type riffs put them apart from the other emerging
Seattle bands who had a sound rooted more in blues or punk.

This is their first album which was released on Sub Pop.

Commercial sales never matched the critical acclaim and
despite later albums getting more airplay, they were always
overshadowed by those "other" bands.

Feel the heaviness.

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Friday 6 January 2012

Aethyr - Nihil Grail EP (2011)



Band request from Moscow, Russia.

Another BM band sending me stuff to review. I still
know next to nothing about this genre but will do my
best. This is not the corpse painted vomiting of the BM
mainstays (if it were, I would politely decline to review)
but has many elements of drone, dark ambient,
atmospheric passages which die-hards may sneer at -
but fear not, the sound is still de-tuned, distorted guitars
and crushing drum elements with the bass sounding like
a bulldozer digging out your frontal lobes.

There are only two tracks but as each one is almost 9
minutes long, it gives the songs plenty of time to build
up to menacing climaxes - I would of liked maybe another
track to really get my teeth into though.

If your tastes stretch to Wolves In the Throne Room or
The Atlas Moth, give this a Listen.

Download for free + some other releases at Bandcamp

Thursday 5 January 2012

The Icarus Line - Mono (2001)


Some riff driven, punk rock'n'roll coming atcha!

Raw and agressive throughout, The Icarus Line
still retain an ear for melody which cause the hook
lines to sink into your ears. Hard-hitting songs
with arrangements that twist and turn, this album
races along, delivering healthy doses of noise-rock
which propel the music into hardcore territory.

With a great raw sound and urgency sometimes
missing from music, give this a play.

Wednesday 4 January 2012

Jethrine - Wildlife EP



Band request from Portland, USA.

Jethrine are taking a hiatus but on the strength
of this EP, should get back and do some more
recordings!

This is prime punk/noise rock which gleefully
takes the AmRep template and runs amok. The
rhythm section have the technical chops to pull
off the dizzying time tempos and staccato song
structures that make this sort of thing so thrilling
but still have a looseness that sounds like a band
playing on the edge of chaos.

Vocals get yelped in the best Yow/Mackaye style
which suit the strangely bizarre/imaginative lyrics.

There is also a tasty Roky Erickson cover.

Abrasive and energetic, Jethrine join the ranks of
newer bands like United Sons Of Toil, White Drugs
and We'll Go Machete who are doing their own take
on this genre.


Because they are good guys, there is a free download from Bandcamp