The Stooges - Ungano's 1970

More rare than a message in the comments box,

Stooges recordings from the '69-'70 era seem to

be non-existent or just snippets of songs. This is

the best you are gonna ever get, the Funhouse

album being played in its full glory, feel the

savagery and power as God intended.

While the sound quality is hardly "The Song Remains

The Same", anyone who has any live Stooge stuff

knows how shit most of it sounds and will be mightly

relived to know that although recorded by Danny

Fields on his portable recorder, it still pisses over the

turgid levels of "Metallic KO"!

Happy New Year fuckers.

Primal Scream - Sreamadelica

So it is Christmas Day - all the emotions are on

display - greed, happiness, loneliness, envy, gluttony,

family and suicide.

Chill out with this classic album from the Scream.

Oh, please do not think I spent today posting this

for you, I set it up weeks ago!

Killing Joke - Extremities, Dirt & Various Repressed Emotions (1990)

After the relatively mellow "Brighter Than A Thousand

Suns" and "Outside The Gates", Killing Joke returned

with this monster of an album.

Brutal industrial rhythms, distorted guitars banging

out relentless riffs, Coleman on fine form ranting so

much, you can almost feel the spittle coming out of

the speakers, this marked the beginning of the rich

form that would produce many more albums with

the aggression that many people thought had drifted away.

With the exception of two scheduled posts, this is it until

next year.

Cathedral- The Carnival Bizarre (1995)

This is the third album from Cathedral - even though

it is considered as not being as "important" as the

previous releases (forefathers of the doom resurgence etc)

for me, it has much better production, which means they

actually sound more powerful than before + it is the first

thing I heard by them which always seems to lodge into

the brain.

It is not just crushing doom, though - the vocals are varied

and you can hear metal and prog playing a part in the song

writing, making this a more varied, and ultimately more

satisfying experience.

Band Info

Website

The Reptilians - The Mentalist (2011)

Band request from Idaho, USA.

The Reptilians have released a 27 minute epic track

and if you want to know how to put together a concept

album with no waffle or lack of focus, look no further.

Soft tones and ambient drones start off with comedian

Doug Stanhope ripping into religion - a piano riff slowly

drifts in with picked guitar. This builds up very slowly

to clean vocals until thing start to get very heavy and

we are now into Isis post-metal power. More complex

riffs and rhythms unfold and now powerful guitar solos

are unleashed as the structure shifts into Mastodon

"Crack the Skye" aggression - I know that not everyone

was a fan of that album but I loved it, so me is happy -

shouted vocals are roaring and the climax is bone-shaking.

The production is crisp and clean and all the instruments

are mixed how I like 'em - in your face but without being

too muddy.

Genres are kicked into touch here - metal/prog/sludge?

suffice to say, it is a very accomplished release and I think

that as one of my last posts of this year, you should give it

a listen.

Free download with a bonus track and a very spectacular Artbook

Pdf as well - Here

Band Website

My Album Of The Year - Rational Animals (2011)

This has only been out for two months but "Bock Rock Parade"

by Rational Animals is such a killer release, it is my album of

the year.

With a hardcore sound that is influenced by the later Black Flag

sound and Greg Ginn guitar freakouts in particular, they also

avoid the standard verse/chorus by using AmRep type noise rock

song writing and melodic structures - all of which gets my head

pouding with excitement - it is not rooted in the past though, it

sounds fresh and aggressive and with a clarity that ensures that

every note and yelped vocal can be heard to great effect.

I cannot stop fucking playing it and would recommend you all

to do the same!

Buy record or free download

Soundtrack to my year - 2011

Towers - The Fields
Arabrot - Solar Anus
Rational Animals - Bock Rock Parade
Tom Blacklung & The Smokestacks - Curious Concoction
Cosmonauts Day - Paths Of The Restless
We'll Go Machete - Strong Drunk Hands
Earth - Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light
Rwake - Rest
A Storm Of Light - As The Valle Of Death Becomes Us
Dead Elephant - Thanatology
Enablers - Blown Realms & Stalled Explosions
Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
KEN mode - Venerable
Pneu - Highway To health
The United Sons Of Toil - When The Revolution Comes
Touche Amore - Parting The Sea Between You & me
Henryspenncer - To The Timeless Valley
Amebix - Sonic Mass
These were the albums that made me jump up and down

the most. There are no links in this post but a lot have been

featured on this blog and the rest are out there.

In the next couple of days, I will post which one became

my album of the year.

Rage Against The Machine - S/T (1992)

Just some guys who combined Zepp type metal

riffs with some shouty rap - people had tried before

and why should this of been any different?

You know the score - this album ripped up the

rule book and burned a new sound in music, this

still sounds fucking fantastic today - when was the

last time you played it?

Breach - It's Me God (1997)

Breach came from Sweden and started off as a hardcore

band with plenty of metal influence and as a result sounded

pretty generic.

But with this album they found their own identity, taking a

step away from the metal edge and producing a much more,

refined hardcore sound, a more organic song structure and

by slightly slowing things down, bringing a more brooding

menace to things whilst still keeping the aggression.

For fans of Shellac crossed with Unsane - although next year,

Refused would steal the crown with their ground breaking

"The Shape of Punk To Come", this definitely needs to be

listened to.

Band Info

Cara Neir - Stagnant Perceptions (2011)

Band request from Dallas, TX.

Cara Neir are a two-man project which is primarily

Black Metal, a genre I know very little about but this

seems to step beyond it's limitations and I can hear

Crust, Hardcore with lashings of heavy Sludge and

I can dig the almighty noise this delivers.

The guitars are gloriously distorted and totally mesh

with the vocals, which would not sound out of place

on a grindcore album.

There are some atmospheric passages which do not

diminish the power but add to the feeling of unease.

The faster tracks mix an epic feel with brutality and

as the sheer aggression washes over your senses, you

are suddenly aware of the fucking great guitar riffs

that are lurching out of the speakers.

If my limited knowledge in any way makes you feel

like checking them out, listen below.

They are also cool guys and have a pay-what-ya-want at Bandcamp

Facebook

Cosmonauts Day - Paths Of The Restless (2011)

Band request from Moscow.

I reviewed the Cosmonauts Day demo earlier in

the year and was impressed by the level of post-metal/

progressive sludge they had to offer but with this first

full length album, they have gone on to a whole different level.

In a genre that is in danger of becoming saturated with

sound-alike clones, this band - along with "Awake in Sleep"

and "Alaskan" - have forged their own identity and produced

a stunning album.

Hugely powerful post-metal riffs which have a throbbing sludge

feel to them assault your ears, while the atmospheric ambient

passages trick your brain into relaxing, making the thunderous

return to sonic heaviness really explode from the speakers.

Excellent production means that everything can be heard with

maximum impact - this is highly recommended.

And because they are good guys, you can pay what you like from Bandcamp

Free Monster Magnet ticket

I have some sort of virus and will be too fucked

to attend the Monster Magnet gig on Friday.

No one I know can make it, so if anyone lives in

the London area and fancies seeing them play at

Koko in Camden - 6.30 to 10.00pm - I know, very

strange kick off time - on Friday 25th, drop me an

email and I will send ticket.

It is an electronic scan ticket - all you need to do is

print out the PDF I will send and entry will be yours.

No charge - I would rather see it go to a good home!

First come, first served - I will need to know by Thursday 4.00pm

as I intend to be in bed all day Friday and will not be looking at Mac.

Radio Birdman - Living Eyes (1978)

Getting into the 1st album yesterday, I thought that

the theme could be continued with their 2nd album.

Not everyone knows about this - it was recorded in

1978 but due to record company indifference and the

band splitting up, it was only released years later.

While not quite as good as "Radios Appear", it still rocks

like a bastard and at least 4 of the tracks were used in the

"New Race" project with Ron Asheton.

Radio Birdman - Radios Appear (1978)

Radio Birdman were a band that introduced a whole section of

Australian underground listeners to a love of Detroit rock'n'roll.

Although the Stooges and MC5 are the obvious touchstones

here, there are strong pop hooks, jazz-tinged guitar licks,

keyboard flourishes and vocals that touch upon Morrison

as well as Iggy.

Infectious, essential listening to anyone with a love for guitars

and the smell of overloaded amps!

Band Info

Premonition 13 - 13 (2011)

Latest project from Wino.

Whadda need to know - doomy riffing, half spoken

vocals and fantastic lead work, nearer to The Hidden

Hand than St Vitus - just like the Shrinebuilder album,

there are two guitar players which give a much more

open sound.

Band website for merchandise and albums

Black Sabbath - S/T (1970)

This album changed the face of music.

Buzzcocks - Time's Up (1976)

Before the "Spiral Scratch" EP came out -

breaking the Buzzcocks onto the nations unsuspecting

ears and also beginning the DIY ethos by being

the first punk record to be self-released - they recorded

an albums worth of material in one afternoon - live

with no overdubs.

Howard Devoto did all the vocals and the result was

quite different from the Pete Shelley incarnation that

most people know. The pop edge is there but buried

underneath the urgent, frantic delivery of the band and

the infamous Devoto caustic vocals.

Oceana - Birth.Eater (2009)

This is some awesome melodic hardcore - of course,

if you don't like this sort of thing, your reaction could

well be different and you should leave now.

Vocals are delivered with a mixture of brutal screaming

and tuneful, powerful singing which suits the lyrics of

abandonment and desolation.

All the instruments mesh together to deliver a very

powerful sound with excellent use of time changes

to vary the songs.

This got a lot of shit when it came out because it

was on Rise records but regardless of who released it,

the music stands up to close inspection.

Band Info

Buy from Bandcamp

Dead and Divine - Antimacy (2011)

Dead & Divine play post-hardcore/metal and deliver

an album that has a huge, meaty sound to it.

Everything sounds BIG.

Drums and guitars are welded together to produce

heavy riffs with brutal effect and the vocals which

switch between clean/screamed never let up in intensity.

The songs do not rely on breakdowns and have a strong

melodic but aggressive feel to them.

"The Machines We Are" from 2009 kinda fell into the

dreaded, generic "metalcore" tag that seems to make

bands sound the same but this album takes them beyond

that - this is a thrilling, sonic assault that took me by surprise.

Buy from Bandcamp

Veins Dried Out

So, the "man" shut down the mighty "Veins

Dried Out" blog.

But never fear, dry your tears and stop

whimpering, they have emerged once more,

re-born and ready to do things - check them out

at Throat Burned Out where normal service will

be resumed.

I have been invited to contribute but until I have

upped my database of swear words and added a

few more tattoo's, I fear that all I can bring to the

table are handsome good looks and devilishly

excellent posts!

Doubledgescissor Record Label

The last post featured Cutthroat Convention which had

their album released on Doubledgescissor - looking at

their site, there is shit loads of weird and heavy stuff

on their roster.

All are available for free download and well worth

checking out for a taste of something different - but hey,

here is some more info from one of its founders, Damian.

Doubledgescissor >8< is a promoter/net label/blog, started by 2 members of Cutthroat Convention - Damian & Leon.
Doubledgescissor exists to release music we like & put on gigs with line-ups of interesting music we want to see, that is the main crux of operation.
All music we release is available to download free from our site & plastic discs available free at our nights.

We are not into one direction of music, we like many genres/non genres, we sometimes put on nights of variation - metal/afrobeat/noise/maths rock, or night of total electronica.........nothing is out of bounds.

We have released music by Cutthroat Convention, LowTRAMON - maths/jazz/noise rock, PsychicEyeClix - dubstep/circuit bent/electronica, Efemer - piano doom/goth/electronica, XwillfiX - metal/noise/electronica.

The next releases are on the cards for early next year - the 1st full album by Cutthroat Convention & PsychicEyeClix 3rd album of dubstep & bent circuits......

Our next Doubledgescissor night is on sat 12th nov at the Urban Bar, 176 Whitechapel rd.
Line-up - Archives - noise/electronica, PsychicEyeClix, Tecla - soundscapes/shamanism, Kayaka - noise/experimental, DJ Spudboy - dabke/UK bassline/afrobeat.

Night after that is december 3rd at the Urban bar.
line-up - One man team dance - circuit bent/disco, Cutthroat Convention, Ladyscraper - breakbeats/noise/electronica.

Linkage -
Label - www.doubledgescissor.co.cc
Blog - www.doubledgescissorblog.co.cc
FB - http://facebook.com/doubledgescissor

I think thats about the jist of what we're about!

Give these guys your support and check them out.

More Shutdowns

2 more shutdowns today - Veins Dried Out who

served up a tasty treat of all things dark and abrasive

with dashes of humour crossed with a shouty voice

+ Banana Approved Music where they showed me

all that was new in melodic hardcore.

RIP, my brothers.

I can only assume that at some point this will happen to me,

I will use the same title but with a number after it.

Cutthroat Convention - Peeling The Sea (2011)

Band request from London.

Cutthroat Convention come a cross like the bastard

son of Faust and Can crossed with post-hardcore.

Songs verge on the chaotic with a fuzzed violin

taking the place of guitars.

Electronic noise is merged with drums and bass

giving a feel like the most demented Cardiacs track.

Spoken/shouted vocals are spat out but quite low in the mix.

Different and bizarre, these sonic bursts of noise are strangely

addictive with powerful riffs using metal/jazz/punk and

electronica to confound the senses but never for the sake

of being clever.

This is the sound of a band trying to break free from

conventional song structures - this is not for the casual

listener but do not take my word for it - Listen

Free Download from Doubledgescissor Label

Poison Idea - Feel The Darkness (1990)

Been giving this a good blast today.

This is excellent punk/hardcore with a metal

egde mixed with some basic rock'n'roll grooviness

to give the tunes an infectious edge to them.

Vocals range from a snarl to tuneful shouting and

the sublime guitar playing reminds me of Social

Distortion "White Trash" era, with lead breaks

and thrashy riffs driving the songs.

Poison Idea never seemed to be as big as they should

of been but over the last 5 years they have been name

checked a lot more.

Great band, very good album.

Band Info

Daughters - Daughters (2010)

Daughters are a noise rock/mathcore band who play

a compelling mix of frenetic guitars, fast pounding

drums and a singer that sounds very David Yow-like.

The fast fretboard abuse is held together by a very

groove laden bass which is needed in this sonic

stew of abandonment - song structures are thrown

out the window but always manage to come together

before the chaos overwhelms.

This is fast, furious stuff with a whiff of experimentation -

these guys are making music that sounds like the sickness

I have in my mind. Don't take my word for it.

Band Info

Lou Reed & Metallica - Some Thoughts

Just played a web-rip of this album and feel strangely

compelled to put down my thoughts, safe in the knowledge

that because there is no actual album to download from

this post, only 3 people will actually bother to read this!

Reading all the gnashing of teeth and hair pulling over

this release, there appear to be three main points that are

coming up again and again:

1. Metallica have been shit since "Master of Puppets" came out.

I guess that is a matter of opinion but luckily for me this issue

has never caused me to lose any sleep. Hey, "Master" is pretty

good but in 1986 there were many more albums released that

seemed so much better or of more importance to me - and here

is my list:

Sonic Youth - EVOL

Scratch Acid - Just keep Eating

Big Black - Atomizer

Dead Kennedys - Bedtime for Democracy

The Scientists - Weird Love

Poison Idea - Kings of Punk

Butthole Surfers - Rembrant Pussy Horse

Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey

See what I mean?

2. Why are they doing this?

Dunno - take a guess? Bored, respect for each other,

need the cash, huge joke, trying something different?

Everyone will come to their own conclusion.

3. Lou Reed is just mumbling in a monotone voice!

Hah! - welcome to his vocal style of the last 15 years. This

seems to be a common complaint from rabid metal heads

who I can only suppose have never really followed Reed

closely ...... you did not think he would change just to please you?

On to the music itself - it spans 78 minutes which will really give

a casual listener a challenging time (which I am sure was their intention)!

It is what I expected really - Lou narrating over slabs of Metallica backing

music. There are no real solo wig-outs, just solid riffing and chord changes

but there are some suprising ambient passages with picked guitar and droned

strings.

If Lou Reed had released this, using a less famous backing band, he probably

would of been hailed as a "The Fearless Godfather of Punk - taking back heavy

rock'n'roll and giving it his own touch" - for make no mistake, this album is

very clearly a Lou Reed record - and his backing band happen to be Metallica.

If you are still hysterical that Metallica have not made the same album over and

over again for the last 25 years - you probably should not listen to it.

If you can accept that it is a collaboration and will not sound like either of

the participants normal body of work - think about giving it a go.

If you liked some of Reeds earlier works - "New York", the long tracks from

"Ecstacy", "The Raven" - give it a listen.

And so, dear reader, my story comes to its end and it is time for me to say

goodbye without giving my own opinion.

How annoying!

Glenn Branca- The Ascension (1981)

One of the pioneers of the New York art-rock

scene in the early eighties, this is Glenn Branca

using 4 guitar players, bass and drums to create

an album of drones, distorted soundscapes and

tracks that defy normal song structures but still

keep the listener engaged.

It is all very Sonic Youth and indeed, Lee Ronaldo

plays on this, and Thurston Moore had been drafted

in to perform live with Branca as well.

As with Sonic Youth, the songs seem to have their

own musical language that combine seemingly

random burst of noise with passages of beauty.

Band Info

Towers - The Fields (2011)

Band request from Portland, USA.

Towers play impressive Sludge/Stoner and everything

is LOUD! These 5 tracks were recorded live with no

overdubs and from the sound would be an awesome

band to see live.

Hearing the dense, heavy songs on display - if this is

the material they have having only formed last year,

I cannot wait for the next release.

The atmospherics and pacing of the songs are a

masterclass in how to create crushing heaviness

without retreading the genres cliches.

This reminds me of the Melvins at their most rifflicious

and savage best - give these guys a Listen

Below are links including free download from Bandcamp

Here is their press release:

We formed in 2010 in Portland Oregon, the band consists of Rick Duncan (Bass/Vocals) Max Rees (Guitar) Darryl Swan (Drums)
We just finished recording our first album "The Fields", our bassist owns Electro Motel (recording studio) in Portland Oregon. We recorded this live (no overdubs) all of it is analog on 1'' tape. Rick Duncan (our bassist/vocalist) recorded and mastered the entire album. We started playing live recently and have shows booked here in Portland in the coming months. We are on Reverbnation at http://www.reverbnation.com/towerspdx, facebook at www.facebook.com/towerspdx, and bandcamp at www.towerspdx.bandcamp.com

Kösmonaut - Emanations (2011)

Band request from Texas.

Kösmonaut is a one man project and his bandcamp

tags read: Berlin, Drone, Ambient Dance, Dark

Electronic.

This is pretty different to what I would normally

post but I like it and so will review but be warned -

(Sorry Patrick!), I know next to nothing to this genre

and so, can only use out of date references!

Rhythm is the touchstone to these tracks. Heavy use

of arpeggiators and sequencers in the tones and drums

give a trance like feel to the repeated motifs.

Like early Kraftwerk, the beats latch in your brain and

when the treated drones and rich textures float across

the songs, I am reminded of a faster Tangerine Dream.

Many years ago I used to listen to "Goa Trance" - there

was some interesting stuff released and this is not a

million miles away from it.

If you want a change from down-tuned guitars, give

this a listen.

Download free tracks & buy other albums from Bandcamp

Le Scrimmie - Dromomania (2011)

Band request from Italy.

Below is their press release:

The Italian duo "Le Scimmie" was born in the colorful

spring of 2007 in Vasto, a seaside town in central Italy.

The ideas of the project are: guitar, drums, minimal

power, raw sound.

In the winter of 2007 they recorded their first ep

that gets excellent support from the Italian press

called "L'Origine Ep"

2008: the band reached the final at one of major

Italian music festival called "Italia Wave" and remains

on tour for about a year.

After a year of silence, in January 2011, Le Scimmie

released their first album entitled "Dromomania".

In April 2011 also published the first official video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E3D_FMTnac

official myspace: www.myspace.com/lescimmie

I would class this as instrumental Stoner but pretty

much on the heavy side with some Doom overtones.

Plenty of down-tuned riffs with the guitar on full

blown distortion setting - those riffs just get powered

over and over bringing an almost unstoppable groove

to them.

There is some really good stuff here - I think their next

release will be even better.

Facebook page

The Gun Club - Fire Of Love (1981)

Swamp Blues.

Voodoo Sex Beat.

Heroin Rock'n'Roll.

Link removed by Mediafire - thanks!

Gaytheist - Pentagrams Are Super! (2011)

Band request from Portland, USA.

Gaytheist - good or bad band name? Hard for me

to judge as I used to be in Ruptured Dog but it made

me laugh and god knows that is hard these days!

The music far outweighs any preconceptions you

may have though.

There are rumbling bass lines that would not

sound out of place on a Jesus Lizard record,

adding depth to the abrasive guitar riffs that

put the rock into this heavy punk sound.

Tuneful but aggressive at the same time, the songs

are short sharp shocks that leave you wanting to

play them again.

The guitar playing dips in and out of math and noise rock

which meshes with the cleanish sarcastic vocals that are

perfect for the sardonic and slightly strange lyrics.

Going all old school for a second, some of the leads and

solos remind me of early Damned or Dead Kennedys -

which of course I love!

This is a highly recommended listen.

They are also good guys, the album and an EP

are available from Bandcamp for only $1.00 -Buy

Forks of Ivory - Forks of Ivory (2011)

A drummer and a guitar player - Black Keys meet

Lightning Bolt?

Not Forks of Ivory - this is a far different animal.

Powerful sludge mixed with post-metal on these

mainly instrumental tracks and the aggressively

distorted guitars veer into noise-rock volumes.

Taking the riffs of early Mastodon and the dense

sound of Neurosis, they mix up with awesome

results which bring to mind Generation of Vipers.

This is a very accomplished debut.

And being great guys, pay what you want from Bandcamp