Friday 28 September 2012

Vintage Cucumber - Tom mit de Bon Style

Band request from Germany.

Vintage Cucumber is one mans journey that he describes as 
"pure brain fogging". I won't argue with that - electronica
mixed with some guitar normally leaves me cold or just
thinking of The Orb but this had been done very well.


Floating space rock is very much evident here - skillful use
of samples do not intrude upon your voyage into blissed out
listening, the ambient passages blend seamlessly into what seems
to be random noises but which are just the beginning of faster songs.

There is a trippy vibe that ranges from gentle pastoral sounds to
an unhinged "everything-at-once" mosaic of music that ebbs and
flows to take you on a mainly electronic psychedelic journey.

You can get this and 2 other albums as name your price downloads
from Bandcamp

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Joe 4 Tour and Album release

Here is the latest news from the excellent Joe 4.


Njegov Sin LP release/out October 10th
We're gonna keep it short. If you ever downloaded or bought or reviewed our first EPEnola Gay you are on this list and we're giving you our LP in digital format for free. If you know anyone who would be interested in hearing it, you can just forward the link in your message to her/him/it. All the info about the record you can listen and read in the link bellow:





EU tour 2012 Joe 4 are striking out for other shores this fall, along with our good friends The Gary from USA! From 9/28 until 10/10 the two bands will be road dogging their way through Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. Specific dates bellow:


28.09.2012. Friday Škofja Loka Rdeča Ostriga
29.09.2012. Saturday Slovenia/Austria still need help
30.09.2012. Sunday Graz Sub
01.10.2012. Monday Brno Boro
02.10.2012. Tuesday Geneve Usine
03.10.2012. Wednesday Montpellier Up & Down
04.10.2012. Thursday Lyon Lec Capucinas
05.10.2012. Friday Hamburg Komet
06.10.2012. Saturday Paris Rigoletto
07.10.2012. Sunday France/Germany still need help
08.10.2012. Monday Drive Home
09.10.2012. Tuesday Zagreb KSET




Thursday 27 September 2012

The Gary - Remains

Band request from Texas.

The Gary have a stripped back, brittle punk aura that sounds
like Albini has been recording them. He did, in fact engineer
last years El Camino EP but with this album, they have
gone down their own path - the music is down to its bare
bones which allows the melodic passages to shine through.
The track order makes everything flow along, giving you
the vibe of the Pixies covering Gun Club songs using
a recording studio deep in the heart of the desert.


The vocals have a world weary atmosphere which reinforces
the lyrical content. 

They are on tour in October and will be hitting Europe with Joe 4 - 
who I am currently interviewing!



Bio: 2012 marks the fourth release by Austin , TX trio The Gary, an LP titled Remains, the follow-up to last year’s Albini-recorded El Camino EP. This also marks their first full-length since 2010’s acclaimed Logan. 

The Gary began in 2008 as an informal gathering three friends with instruments, with no more ambition than to get together and break up the monotony of the workweek. Somewhere, between the discussions of music, family, favorite beer, and job-related woe, songs began to form, resulting in the Chub EP, a 7 song document of “blue-collar angst and disillusion” released in 2009. Upon an outpouring of regional interest, The Gary quickly established themselves among the burgeoning Austin music scene, and their debut EP began to receive accolades from both local and national press, much to The Gary’s surprise. 


Songs continued to accumulate, and an LP materialized- 2010’s Logan. The album was well-received, and The Gary began taking their act on the road. While in Chicago, they checked into Electrical Audio studios and recorded a session with Steve Albini. This was released in early 2011 as El Camino. Shortly after the release of El Camino, the band was invited to tour with Martha’s Vineyard Ferries, a “summer fun band” featuring Bob Weston (Shellac, Mission of Burma) and Chris Brokaw (Come, Codeine). 

The Gary did two recording sessions- one in August 2011, the other in March 2012- in Denton TX at the Echo Lab with Matthew Barnhart of Tre Orsi behind the console. Both of these sessions make up their new LP Remains, out September 2012 on Sick Room Records LTD. They will be touring Europe in Autumn 2012, along with a few U.S. dates.

Listen to album at Bandcamp

Details on when release date is at Facebook


Zeppheroin track on Radio Show!

Continuing the shameless promotion of my band Zeppheroin,
one of my tracks was featured on Radio Panik, Brussels!
The playlist contains snippets of conversations, radio static etc mixed
over jazz/ambient/post-rock songs, making my track very jarring
indeed - nice one guys! Link at bottom of page.

Wednesday 26 September 2012

We Had A Deal - Interview

Last month I posted a review of the new album
by We Had A Deal - Here and was blown away by the
passionate songs which were played with aggression and
fused post-hardcore with 90's screamo.

I am pleased to say that the band have taken time out from
their busy schedules to give me an interview.  


Who is in the band and how did you get together? 

We Had A Deal is Uli on guitar, Serkan on bass, Sascha on drums and me, Micha doing the vocals. Basically the band was founded by our first drummer. We both had been friends for years before that. He asked a guy he knew from school and me to form this band together. After the line-up was completed a crappy first demo was recorded, new songs were written, a second (hopefully better) demo/EP was recorded and so on. The name “We Had A Deal” was chosen referring to an Onelinedrawing-song on a Jade-Tree-Records-Compilation we used to listen to in our first rehearsal room. Unfortunately I can’t tell you more about the Spinal-Tap-moments we had (and there were plenty of them) because there’s this contract we signed, and you know how the Secret Service works. 



Is there a big hardcore/screamo scene in Germany or is it pretty underground? 

To be honest: We couldn’t say. There seems to be a growing attention but we don’t feel capable to speak for the whole complex or “scene”. It’s impossible to speak in general terms (only seeing the places we play or attend shows at). So far, we played in great places with awesome bands and we like the involved people a lot. What we experienced is that on the one hand there are lots of amazing people who put a lot of effort, time and (as cliché as it may sound) passion into setting up DIY-shows. On the other hand at other places there is a business-like attitude and reproduction of market structures we don’t feel comfortable with. Same goes with releasing records. So you could say it’s a bit of both. 


Do you have to put on your own gigs or are there plenty of places to play? 

Unfortunately we don’t put on our own gigs besides tiny shows in our rehearsal room which we’ll try to do more often. The number of places to play really depends on the region. All in all there’s a certain amount of places to play in Germany but we lack the experience to compare this situation to other countries. Unfortunately there seem to be not many house-shows and alike here. Or at least we haven’t played any, yet. So if you’re reading this and want us to play in your living-room, backyard, attic or whatever, please contact us! 



What has the general reaction been to “Dialectics” - I have seen some really good reviews on the web, Has this album helped in getting people along to see you play and getting gigs? 

Most reviews and reactions are extremely positive so far and we’re thankful that people spend time and energy in reviewing this album. We’re pretty amazed up to this point. A lot of the songs were part of our live-set way before we recorded them so no one knew them then. But now there are people actually knowing the words and singing along, which is awesome and always gives me shivers down my spine. So yes, it seems the record allured people to come to shows and we couldn’t be happier about that.

 


The production really captures the power of the songs and sounds pretty live - any secrets to recording your sound? 

“Dialectics” was recorded by Daniel Wied in his room at the basement of his parent’s house with the main idea of making it sound as much as a live-recording as possible and to use as little digital-soundboost-tools as possible. He and Daniel Steinwedel, who mastered the songs, put a lot of effort in this project and we’re really grateful for that. I guess, they never told me the real “secrets”. But they sure did spend a lot of time with every single instrument, fiddling around with different set-ups and improving the sound.…..and it worked. 


Your album is pay what you want - do you find places like Bandcamp are able to get your music out to a much wider audience than just gigs and friends? 

We favor the idea of making our songs easily accessible to everyone. Online-streaming-sites are very helpful in this crusade and since the giant evil octopus a.k.a. internet has a wider reach than we have it’s also a friend in need. 

The labels, which helped to release “Dialectics”, were all idealistic enough to let us give away the record for free and digitalkunstrasen.net made a stable free download possible (http://www.digitalkunstrasen.net/Homepage/DKA114.html). Many thanks to all of them. So if someone decides to let us play or to come to a show or to buy the 12inch or she/he discovers one of the labels through streaming/downloading the album or donates some money via bandcamp because she/he likes our songs that’s all we could ask for. Perhaps free downloads can be idealistically seen as a promotion that’ll eventually get people to buy records, come to shows and support labels/bands. Others might see it as the root of all evil. We chose the hippyesque point of view.
 


Are there any bands in Germany that other readers may not of heard of before that we should check out?

Yes, there are and we take this chance to advertise the following (in no particular order): 

The Tidal Sleep (http://de-de.facebook.com/thetidalsleep)
Kosslowski (http://kosslowski.tumblr.com/)
Continents (http://de-de.facebook.com/wearecontinents)
I Refuse (http://irefuse.jimdo.com/)
Willy Fog (http://www.facebook.com/Willyfogband) 

Cannon For Cordoba (http://www.facebook.com/cannonforcordoba) 

MNMNTS (http://www.facebook.com/mnmntspunk) 

An Early Cascade (http://www.facebook.com/anearlycascade) 
Ende/Aus (http://www.facebook.com/pages/EndeAus/256283142178) 

Patsy O’Hara (http://patsyoharapunks.tumblr.com/) 

Hell&Back (http://www.facebook.com/hellandbackpunkrock) 

Reznik Syndrom (http://www.rezniksyndrom.de/) 

Mahlstrom (http://www.facebook.com/mahlstrommusik) 

There’re a lot more I forgot to mention here. 

And another advertisement: If you like the “Dialectics”-artwork you’ll probably be interested in visiting http://schwarzerrand.tumblr.com/ and in downloading this zine: http://www.mediafire.com/?2ksbieviey66u3d 

What does the future hold for you? 

There will be a further release in 2013 and some shows until then. But while I’m writing this there’s this cold hand on my shoulder and a deep voice telling me: “Thou shall not spread uncertain things to come before everything’s ready”. An order I have to follow….. 


Thanks for your support and for this interview. 

WE HAD A DEAL 

wehadadeal@gmx.de 




Thanks to Micha and the boys for putting up with my rambling questions!




Monday 24 September 2012

Pig Destroyer vs Miles Davis

With anticipation high for the new Pig Destroyer coming
out soon, what better time than now to re-present this
classic soundclash between two unique and diverse artists.

This was first posted on the sadly missed Throat Burned Out
- the blog run by noise terrorists ZoZo))) and Claypool who
invited me to contribute now and then.

Below is my original text + the track in all its glory - listen or
download in the comfort of your own hovel.


Looking through the Pig Destroyer releases, I was interested by "Natasha" - a 35 minute track of slow doom, laden with atmospherics, sounding more like Godflesh or early Melvins rather than the grind they are known for. Hearing voices and music in my head constantly might make my mental breakdowns a strain on my life but this time it has worked to my advantage - I could hear that the Miles Davis track "Gondwana" was at the right speed to overdub in places on top of the Pig Destroyer track.


I give you one epic track of grindjazz.

Experimental? ....... Maybe.
Easy listening? ....... I hope not.


Thursday 20 September 2012

Direwolves - Me From Myself, to Banish

The latest release from the always impressive Throatruiner
Records are the Direwolves. 6 tracks of heavy hardcore crossed
with crust and screamo make this a ferocious beast that wants to
track you down and tear your face off.

Fantastic production makes sure that every riff and scream comes
out crystal clear but still captures the awesome power of the music.

I have being playing this non-stop today and have come to the
conclusion that this could be one of my favourite hardcore
records of the year so far.

Highly recommended!



Bio: "Hailing from Lorient (western France), DIREWOLVES merge modern hardcore, crust and screamo on their debut EP "Me From Myself, To Banish". Recorded by producer/sound engineer Amaury Sauvé at La Senelle, these six songs find the perfect balance between emotion and heaviness, reminding of bands such as Alpinist, Lewd Acts or Killing The Dream. After a self-released demo last year, the Wolves confirm their huge potential - don't sleep on them!" 

released 15 October 2012 
• Recorded by Amaury Sauvé ~ amaurysauve.tumblr.com
• Mastered by Sylvain Biguet 
• Artwork by Fortifem ~ fortifem.fr
• 12"EP limited to 500 copies on clear vinyl

Name your price at Bandcamp

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Wednesday 19 September 2012

Hark - Mythopoeia

Just found this on Bandcamp - there should be fanfares
and parades on the streets - maybe a public holiday?

Jimbob Isaac has returned from the ashes of Taint with his
new band Hark.


Bio from Bandcamp:
Ex. Taint frontman Jimbob Isaac returns with his new unit Hark. Their debut seven inch 'Mythopoeia' is released on July 30th, through the Destructure/SuperFi labels. 

The Welsh progressive-power-sludge trio carry Taint's torch forward, passed on from their legacy that began in 1994. With fresh chops and almighty riff power, Hark continue to fuse punk attack with Sabbathian dirge, and decorate post-whatever angularities with classic rock flourish. While Isaac's vocals expand on his tried and tested palette, his lyrics continue to shatter prose with bleak metaphor and acerbic spittle. Former Whyteleaf rhythm section Nikolai Ribnikov and Simon Bonwick, the Hark engine, bring an OCD approach to song craft, and endlessly creative pummel. Their dynamic chops, and blood lust for riffs meld with Isaac's honed and equally determined musical vision. 

'Mythopoeia' is strictly limited to 300 copies. Each sleeve is lovingly hand screened, and numbered by Jimbob, who is also the creator of the suitably crushing artwork. 

With plans for recording their debut full length at the end of the year, Hark will be making every effort in 2013 to make a mark as slab-like as their logo. 

Available from: 

Artist links: 

Painful Genitals Are Funny.

As regular readers will know, I have no sense of humour
and do not think that "laughter is the best medicine" but is
in fact a distraction from the black hole of despair and 
pointlessness that is my life.

However, this article has been doing the rounds and it did
cause a flicker of amusement on my part. 

There is a product called Veet Hair Removal for men and
people have been leaving reviews on the Amazon page.
Far from being truthful, it is just an excuse for wild tales
about damage being inflicted on genitals - which much to my
surprise found quite entertaining. You can find the original
page Here

Here is the review that seems quite popular:

Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel Creme 200 ml (Personal Care)

After having been told my danglies looked like an elderly rastafarian I decided to take the plunge and buy some of this as previous shaving attempts had only been mildly succesful and I nearly put my back out trying to reach the more difficult bits.
  Being a bit of a romantic I thought I would do the deed on the missus's birthday as a bit of a treat.
I ordered it well in advance and working in the North Sea I considered myself a bit above some of the characters writing the previous reviews and wrote them off as soft office types...oh my fellow sufferers how wrong I was.

I waited until the other half was tucked up in bed and after giving some vague hints about a special surprise I went down to the bathroom.
Initially all went well and I applied the gel and stood waiting for something to happen. I didn't have long to wait.
At first there was a gentle warmth which in a matter of seconds was replaced by an intense burning and a feeling I can only describe as like being given a barbed wire wedgie by two people intent on hitting the ceiling with my head.
  Religion hadn't featured much in my life until that night but I suddenly became willing to convert to any religion to stop the violent burning around the turd tunnel and what seemed like the destruction of the meat and two veg.
Struggling to not bite through my bottom lip I tried to wash the gel off in the sink and only succeeded in blocking the plughole with a mat of hair.
Through the haze of tears I struggled out of the bathroom across the hall into the kitchen..
by this time walking was not really possible and I crawled the final yard to the fridge in the hope of some form of cold relief.
I yanked the freezer drawer out and found a tub of ice cream, tore the lid off and positioned it under me. The relief was fantastic but only temporary as it melted fairly quickly and the fiery stabbing soon returned .
Due to the shape of the ice cream tub I hadn't managed to give the starfish any treatment and I groped around in the drawer for something else as I was sure my vision was going to fail fairly soon.
I grabbed a bag of what I later found out was frozen sprouts and tore it open trying to be quiet as I did so.
I took a handful of them and tried in vain to clench some between the cheeks of my arse.
This was not doing the trick as some of the gel had found it's way up the chutney channel and it felt like the space shuttle was running it's engines behind me.

This was probably and hopefully the only time in my life I was going to wish there was a gay snowman in the kitchen which should give you some idea of the depths I was willing to sink to in order to ease the pain.
  The only solution my pain crazed mind could come up with was to gently ease one of the sprouts where no veg had gone before.
Unfortunately, alerted by the strange moans and grunts coming from the kitchen the other half chose that moment to come and investigate and was greeted by the sight of me, arse in the air, strawberry ice cream dripping from my bell end pushing a sprout up my arse while muttering..." Ooooh that feels good ".
Understandably this was a shock to her and she let out a scream and as I hadn't heard her come in it caused an involutary spasm of shock in myself which resulted in the sprout being ejected at quite some speed in her direction.
 
I can understand that having a sprout farted against your leg at 11 at night in the kitchen probably wasn't the special surprise she was expecting and having to explain to the kids the next day what the strange hollow in the ice cream was didn't improve my status...so to sum it up Veet removes hair, dignity and self respect...:)
 



Tuesday 18 September 2012

Sack Lunch - Music To Your Fears (2005)

One you might of missed.

Sack Lunch played punk rock, pure and simple. SoCal 
was their sound - they kept it clean and to the point - no
metal or hardcore influences - just some guys into Screeching
Weasel & SNGU ...... maybe Leftover Crack, playing music that 
was fast and heavy.


I cannot find much info on them, they seem to have split up around
2010 but decided to put all their releases on bandcamp.

Info I found from Interpunk.com - it is from 2003 but gives you 
some relevant facts.
"Forming in the summer of 2001, Sack Lunch set out to play sraight ahead punk rock focusing on 3 essential points; to play fast, aggressive, and loud. Their style is simple, nothing fancy. The sound resembles SoCal skatepunk (Face To Face, Ten Foot Pole) with a more raw, tougher edge (F Minus, Union 13). No solos, just pure punk rock. Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, they quickly began playing shows with their short, tight, and to the point live set. Within their first year, Sack Lunch have already opened for such notable bands like; Leftover Crack, The Forgotten, and The Casualties. Keeping the D.I.Y. attitude alive, they book all of their shows, and everything else a band has to do, is done by themselves. In July of of 2002, Sack Lunch entered the studio and came out with a 6 song, live off the floor, debut CD-EP in only 8 hours. "This Music is Not For You" is a perfect representation of their sound, style and attitude. The band's current plans include writing new songs, playing more shows, and drawing interest from independent labels."



Name your price at Bandcamp


Friday 14 September 2012

Protestant - Reclamation EP

Band request from Black Birch PR.

Protestant play an unholy mix of crusty hardcore that makes
sure that you are paying attention. The strong song writing
lifts the tunes above the generic stew that can muddy this genre -  
this is powerful stuff that demands to be heard.


The guitars set up a barrage of riffs over which hoarse vocals
deliver heartfelt lyrics. There are slower tracks that have a
sludge like depth to them which are balanced out with the more
speedy hardcore cuts. The anger simmers through this EP - I
thought 5 songs were not enough for me - being a greedy bastard,
I like a full album to listen to but having played this all day, in fact
the track selection is just right and the length seems just right
to contain these agressive blasts of anger.

Bio: Milwaukee’s crust-infused hardcore outfit Protestant will release a limited run of its newest LP, Reclamation, on September 21 via Halo of Flies (US) and Chaos Rurale (Canada). Only 500 records will be pressed, 100 on white and 400 on black. A hometown record release show that same day will be followed by a mini North American tour with dates in both the US and Canada. 

Formed in 2004 but playing together since 1999, Protestant has strongly supported DIY ventures of all kinds, releasing a number of demos, splits, and three LPs through several independent labels. Reclamation was recorded at Howl Street Studios with Shane Hochstetler.


Thursday 13 September 2012

Hydra Head Records are no more!

The sad news emerged yesterday that Hydra Head Records
have had to close down. This label introduced me to Botch,
These Arms Are Snakes, Isis, Cave In, Converge, Keelhaul,
Cult Of Luna and many more.

The following text is from the Hydra Head blog in which
Aaron Turner gives an honest and dignified account of
what is going on.


Hydra Head Records has never been a smooth-running operation. We've spent the majority of our existence excitedly scrambling from one thing to the next, taking on more than we could ever possibly hope to achieve, and never quite finding solid footing in the midst of our self-induced whirlwind of chaos. Though not every second of doing this label has been enjoyable, it has been a very rewarding and meaningful project for me, and I hope for many of the other lives to which it has been directly connected. The fact that it has lasted close to two decades at this point is astonishing, and much has changed during that time - the lives of those directly involved with running the label, the bands and artists we've worked with, and the nature of the music industry itself. Though many of these changes have been positive, or at least illuminating, the impact of our history and current industry circumstances are culminating into a slow and somewhat painful death for the label. It certainly isn't an entirely unforeseen event, but we didn't think it would come quite so abruptly, or (perhaps naively) ever.

The decision to pull the plug has not been an easy one, and in some ways is a not a choice at all. The simple fact of the matter is we've been running on empty for a while now and cannot afford to keep our doors open for much longer. Years of imbalance between creative ideals and financial realities, personal problems amongst the label operators, an unwillingness to compromise our aesthetic standards, a tendency towards releasing challenging (i.e. unmarketable) artists, and the steady decline of the music industry in general, are amongst the chief reasons for our inability to continue. It is a harsh but undeniable reality, and one which we are attempting to confront with as much integrity and grace as is afforded by the circumstances.

For the short term we will continue to operate as we have been, effecting our first step into shutdown this December, at which point we are cutting off new releases from the label. Thereafter, we will be remain operational only in the interest of maintaining our back catalog, with the ultimate aim of repaying our rather sizable debts. Grim though this prospect is, in the midst of it all I still feel an extreme gratitude for everything that has happened and for all the wonderful people with which we've been involved over the years. We've been lucky enough to work with some of the most unique and provocative artists of the last two decades, many of which have made indelible impressions in the underground, and by extension the larger world of music in general. We've also been fortunate to have had the support of a small but loyal following, who've constituted the very essence of our life force. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and love to each and every person who contributed to making this label what it is - all the artists who entrusted us as the custodians of their work, all the people that bought or listened to our releases, and all the people who performed the various label duties at various offices (and houses) across the continent.

...and this brings us to the present moment, where in all honesty we are in need of financial assistance from anyone and everyone who's willing to throw us a rope. Though it is highly unlikely we'll be able to resuscitate the label, we do wish to follow through on the final round of releases to which we're committed and pay off our debts to our artists and manufacturers. In order to do this we are initiating a massive sell-off of everything we can dig up and produce for the next 6-12 months. This will include discounted bundles of CDs/LPs/posters/etc, represses of certain titles for which we still have parts, test pressings, and whatever worthwhile items we can pull together. For anyone that is able and willing to fund our funereal arrangements please visit our direct mailorder or webstore and pick up whatever you can. Any and all support is greatly appreciated by our remaining team, and will be put to the best use possible.

There is no way to sum up nearly 20 years of incredibly important music, experiences, and evolution other than to say a big heart felt "thank you", and that we hope this closing will provide an opening into other even more positive and rewarding experiences for all of us and all of you who have been a part of our shared experience. For now we bid you all a very fond farewell....

-Aaron Turner
09/10/12

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Tongue - Who Fired The Workers Of Happiness Factory EP

Band request from Serbia.

Alt rock, grunge and stoner are mixed together with rather
pleasing results. Hugely melodic riffs propel these 3 tracks
along which barrel down the highway of dirty rock'n'roll
with more swagger than a monkey with a hard on.

A great production job showcases the tight-as-fuck tunes while
the vocals showcase how clean singing can still rock if backed
with the right music. Check 'em out if you are into early QOTSA
or Gluecifer. 


Bio: The band started as a Bizic Vladimir (Ripkid) solo project after the demise of his long-running hardcorepunk band Lets Grow.Tongue has major influences from the genres of hardcorepunk, stoner rock, hardrock, classic rock and metal music but is open for experimenting.The band are set to record a trilogy EP series called "A Night You'll Never Remember" \m/

Because they are good guys, you can download from free at Bandcamp

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Process Of Guilt - FÆMIN

Band request from Portugal.

Process Of Guilt have produced a dark, hypnotic slab
of heaviness that uses post-metal templates to overlay
with hugely atmospheric and vicious sludge sounding
instrumentation. 

Droning riffs are played at mid pace which create a tension
over which the guttural vocals are spewed out.


The guitars are massive sounding and are driven along by the
superb tribal drumming, creating walls of noise that seem to
overpower with their deluge but you quickly realise that subtle
changes within the riffs are opening up different levels within
the passages. There is excellent interplay with clean, echo driven
guitar and the distorted, ferocious chords that explode out from
these tunes.

This should be the album that propels Process Of Guilt onto
bigger things - if you are tired of waiting for the Neurosis
release date to be finalised, give this a listen.

Buy from Bandcamp

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Monday 10 September 2012

Ape! - 1991

Band request from Philadelphia.

Ape! are back with their new album which comes at you
with a grunge/stoner vibe. Skuzzy riffs make their way into
your cortex and the wonderful distorted solos sound like J
Mascis has stayed awake long enough to complete a song!

The tracks have no other purpose but to rock. Melodic and
powerful, this is dirty rock'n'roll but with a heavy feel that
does not crush you but gets you jumping up and down.
Like Turbonegro at their most tuneful, this kicks ass but
in a really enjoyable way that demands to be played
over and over.


Bio: "APE! are time-travelers. This is not a marketing ploy 
or a lie or a miscommunication on anyone's part. 
In 1991 this elite group escaped a detention center only to be 
swiftly apprehended by NASA and forced into an experimental 
dimensional travel program. Stripped of their clothes and morals, 
armed only with a Stooges record of questionable quality, and 
disoriented from fate's apparent disregard for the time/space 
continuum, they inexplicably landed in Newark, DE. Louis 
(soldier of fortune), Gink (martial and marital arts) and Sean 
(percussi-bot) neither can nor will be stopped. 
If you aren't with them, you're against them. "

Because they are good guys - name your price from Bandcamp

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Friday 7 September 2012

Into The Storm - Captains

Band request from Seattle.

Into The Storm play experimental metal very, very loud!

The fast, complex riffs and brutal vocals steer them over into death metal
but the songs are fast and raw sounding with intricate passages that
is kinda like post-metal meets Botch in a headlong collision
which does not take any prisoners and brings a more varied feel
to the tracks.


There is some good interplay between harsh and melodic vocals
but the emphasis is always on the aggression and power.

This is not normally the sort of thing I play much  but because of the
very strong song arrangements, I am going back to play again and
indulge in making my ears feel funny!

Because they are good guys, download free from Bandcamp

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Thursday 6 September 2012

Beastwars - S/T

Band request from New Zealand.

Beastwars play music that sounds like ..... Beastwars!

Heavy riffs, solid song writing, pounding tunes and an
excellent vocalist who can do clean/gruff without sounding
forced all combine to make a really good listen.

The first thing that grabs your attention is the production -
fuck me, this sounds like a huge band on their 3rd album
with unlimited studio time - it is powerful, clean and sounds massive.

You cannot pin down one genre to pigeonhole these guys - some
of the riffs are classic Kyuss desert stoner grooves which evolve
into recent Mastodon territory. Low tuned guitars chugg like
steamrollers, dipping into sludge tones, giving the songs a
heavy feel that drives the arrangements along.

The track order runs like a well oiled machine, giving you
an album that you will play end to end. Beastwars want to
ROCK and anyone with an interest in alt rock/metal
will enjoy this.

My only concern would be that people into the sub metal genres
are fanatically loyal to their particular brand of aural abuse....
Would Soundgarden fans find this too heavy? Mastodon followers
think not heavy enough? Hopefully people will not get bogged
down in genre fascism and give this a listen.




Bio: Hailing from Wellington, New Zealand, BEASTWARS have exploded to become New Zealand's most talked about metal band of the moment. Like a mongrel mix of Kyuss, Neurosis and the mighty Godflesh, bring together pummeling intensity, beautiful brutality and sonic paranoia to create a sound all their own.


BEASTWARS is excited to announce the release of their debut full length, which will be available for the first time outside of New Zealand. In North America, the self-titled effort will hit stores on September 11, while it will be avialable one day earlier in the rest of the world. 

The most impressive video you will see all year is for Beastwars' album's closing track "Empire". The epic was directed by Harmish and crafted by the same team responsible for the 'Lord of the Rings' films. Visit the link below to check out the devastating clip!


In their native New Zealand, BEASTWARS is being heralded as one of their best new bands. Already receiving a nomination at the NZ Music Awards for "Best Rock Album", BEASTWARS have set their sites on the rest of the globe and will be touring heavily worldwide in support of the album's release.

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Zeppheroin - Naked Lunch

This is my new album - 7 songs of lo-fi punk/hardcore and
noise rock. No electronica used this time, just drums, bass,
stupidly distorted guitars and shouting.

Please download/steal/pirate/publish in any way you feel like doing - 
send to enemies, un-loved ones, random music blogs etc.


Give it a fucking go - it is free from Bandcamp




Look at you, squirming on that filthy throne, defecating.
It makes me sick.
Think of what society has done for you. And do you show an ounce of respect 
for your environment, your country? 
No.
You’re quite happy to sit back and produce gush after gush of steaming excrement.
Go ahead, flush it away.
Your friends know what you’ve done. they can see it in your eyes - 
and on your hands. 
Disgusting.
When you’re in the street, don’t be surprised if people glance at you and 
then avert their eyes in revulsion. They know your deed.
Once you’ve opened this door and made your surreptitious return to properly 
sanitised society, remeber what you did here.
The guilt may never leave you. 
You may find yourself scrubbing your body over and over and over 
again for eternity as a result of your depraved act.


But do not despair - regular playing of 
Zeppheroin could help suppress the gnawing fear of exposure.

Cara Neir - Sublimation Therapy EP

Band request from Dallas, TX.

I reviewed Cara Neir last year when they released
"Stagnant Percecptions" - read here - and it was primarily
black metal with crust and sludge leanings.

This EP is a different beast. Seventeen tracks in 22 minutes
give you an idea of the short shocks that await you.

The harsh vocals and powerful sound are still on show but
have now been channeled into a collection of grindcore head
fuckers. If Napalm Death had flirted with the aesthetics of black
metal, this could be the result.


Much to my surprise, even though most songs clock up at just
over a minute, there are variations within the song structures
that also throw up elements of hardcore, sludge and crust
among the grindcore madness. But hey, I know virtually fuck all
about this genre, so as always, check it out yourselves.

Becasue they are good guys, you can name your price at Bandcamp

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Failed - A Series Of Setbacks

Band request from RDG records.

Oooof! Failed like their music heavy and pounding. They
bring together elements of punk, hardcore and sludge to
produce raw and angry slabs of aggression that deliver
a devastating sound that would sit in your collection next
to Big Fiction or Kiss It Goodbye.


There are some really nice guitar flourishes that help to give the
songs an individual style but the driving force is the very solid
foundation that the instruments lay down - there is a slight dip into
various sub metal genres that steer them now and then into KEN mode
territory - that suits me fine!




Tuesday 4 September 2012

Dead River Runs Dry - S/T

Band request from Australia.

As all my faithful download monkeys know, my knowledge
of black metal is scare - I will do my best but urge you to listen
for yourself and make your own mind up.

The image that Dead River Runs Dry have used for the cover
sums up the music for me. Desolate, ruined, unloved and scarred
by the landscape. 


This is raw and heavy, with the vocals spewing out bile over 
a thunderous rhythm section that pound out a relentless barrage
of apocalyptic noise. There are some varied song structures but
I have no idea if this is the norm. Have a listen and see for
yourself. Because they are good guys, they have kindly given
me a link for the download Here

or free from Bandcamp

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Shit The Cow - volume/cow

Band request from Sweden.

Shit The Cow (don't change that name ..... I was in Ruptured Dog
and did not bow to people telling me the name was holding us back!)
play an infectious blend of alt rock and bouncy punk to get your
feet stomping. 

They say that their inspiration comes from early Queens Of The 
Stoneage, disco era Kiss, PJ Harvey and the dirty old truck 
in Steven Spielbergs Duel!


How can you argue with that combination?
There is a real groove to the songs with are backed up with
a desert stoner vibe. The production is clean and polished
which really suits this music. Check 'em out.

Buy for a pittance at Bandcamp

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Avalanche - Thanatos 7"

Band request from Austria.

Avalanche make no apologies for their music - this is stoner/doom
with a hardcore feel to things. Heavy riffs inspired by Sleep & 
Sabbath? - yep. Vocals like Matt Pike finding out there is no more
beer left? - oh yes. Heavy production making all instruments sound
like the universe collapsing into your brain? - Fuck yeah!

With all the above, what's not to like - get it now.


Bio: we are avalanche from vienna, austria. we play hardcore with a strong tendency towards stoner and doom metal. our main influences are (besides some hardcore bands) black sabbath, sleep, pentagram etc. we are a band since 2010.
in april 2010, we released our "among beasts demo" by ourselves and in june this year, our debut 7'' called "thanatos" has been released on green menace records from sweden and worship records from germany.

Because they are good guys, you can download for free from Bandcamp

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Monday 3 September 2012

Kabul Golf Club - Le Bal Du Rat Mort

Band request from Belgium.
(Many thanks to Jan for CD)

Kabul Golf Club are here to assault your ears with some
post-harcore and noise rock. Discordant timings and abrasive
guitar riffs litter the songs with a reckless abandon, you can almost
hear the strings breaking under the duress they are receiving.

The 5 tracks here are wonderfully chaotic but do not lose
any aggression in the process. Filthy basslines throb in tandem
with the drums, giving the guitar a platform to wail, feedback
and groan like a mutant Hendrix raised on noise rock. 

The despairing vocals add another layer with yells, screams
and general gibbering craziness. This is a killer EP that I highly
fucking recommend! This will be a hard one to beat.


If you are interested in ATDI, Botch, Jesus Lizard etc, check this
out - Buy Here

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Transmontane - Staring Back At You

Request from Sick Room Records.

Transmontane is the solo project from Ryan Duncan.
Vocals and clean electric guitar give a melancholy feel to these
slow paced songs but this is no Dylan folk fest ..... these are strong
songs with a clean modern feel to them. The chord progressions
would really kick out with a full band behind them but in this stripped
down setting still retain depth and tension.


Bio: Transmontane is a mystery. It points to the other side, across the mountains. Our breath, visible. Our soul escapes in the mist. We follow behind. Through peaks and valleys, ascent after decline, our muscles twitch with pain and exhaustion. We still endure. We must go on. We have no other choice. The songs on this record do speak with an air of desperation, of longing, feeling lost, but then the echoes return. These tiny gems roll around in your head, and a sense of hope emerges. New energy resounds. The response is overwhelming. One voice becomes a chorus of thousands, and amid so many different reflections, the same emotions that once isolated us are revealed as universal.

For his second solo record, Ryan Duncan, co-founder and owner of Chicago’s Sick Room Records LTD, turned to masterful engineer Luke Tweedy at Flat Black Studios in Iowa City, IA. Luke has worked with the likes of William Elliott Whitmore, Peaking Lights, STNNNG, and many other fine midwestern bands. The result is an excellent 11-song album available in a limited edition of 300 colored LPs w/CD. Musically, friends and others have kindly compared his work to Dean Wareham(Galaxie 500), Smog, Peter Jefferies and even Neil Young.

Buy from Bandcamp

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Buzzmutt - Static In The Minds Eye Chpt 1.

Band request from San Francisco.

Buzzmutt play an interesting mix of psych/punk/experimental
music which holds your attention in an ever changing collage
of sounds. They have taken a garage psychedelic template
and expanded it to include lengthy, slow songs of thoughtful 
instrumental passages going into raw proto-punk blasts of
noisy garage rock which would not sound out of place on a
"Nuggets" album.

Buzzmutt are not living in the past though, this is psych music
for now and deserves your attention.


Bio: As active members of San Francisco's music community, Scott Franklin, Jesse Olswang, Eric Alonzo, and Chaz Anton found in each other an instant musical connection, recording their first song together the first time the four ever found themselves in a room together. Like a chemical reaction each member a catalyst for the others creative drive. Logging in hours and hours of recordings over 2011, they have selected a batch of songs for a record to be called Static in the Minds Eye, chapter 1. 

Static in the Mind's Eye, Chapter 1 is the first full length album from SF's experiemental noise rock band Buzzmutt. Lyrically, The songs in this album unfold from one into the next as a cryptic tale, a modern, urban Hero's Journey. Musically, the album itself is also experienced as a journey, complete with dark and winding paths, a few thunder storms, strange characters, some pleasant surprises....and at least one or two alien beings. 
The journey begins from a place of shedding the past and moving forward. Themes of newness and higher awareness take us further into the story as things get more complicated; exploring ideas of language and dreams, until we are delivered at the end of the sonic adventure- perhaps, seeing and hearing things just a little differently than before. 


Reflected in the album, as well as in Buzzmutt's live performances, Franklin's Vocals call out to us from the ocean of sounds, offering fragments of poetry to guide the journey. Jesse and Eric's intricate and pounding rhythm section allows scott and chaz to explore the elements of feedback; noise; and chaos, employing circuit bent electronics and exploring the elements of feedback all weaved within and around buzzmutt's unique style of tightly structured songs. 

Most of this album was recorded in early April 2011 in Emerville, CA by Varun Kerjiwal. The rest of the album was recorded by Jesse Olswang at Off Deep End Studios in San Francisco, where the band pieced together and meticulously layered the richly textured sounds of the album over an 8 month period.

Because they are good guys, you can name your price at Bandcamp

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