On Holiday

Away doing some things.

Back in a week or so.

Maybe you'll stick around/maybe you won't.

We Had A Deal - Dialectics

Band request from Germany

After one LP and 2 EP's, We Had A Deal release their new

album which has a conceptual theme dealing with (as far

as I can make out) relationships, loss and loneliness.

The songs are split up into movements and broken up with

quieter passages that bring a stillness before the main tracks 

blast along. These are passionate songs, played 

with aggression and fuse post-hardcore with 90's screamo.

This album took me by surprise with its complexity and maturity - 

if you want your punk thrills with intelligence, look no further.

Spread the word with this one as it deserves a big audience.

Because they are good guys, download for free - 

Walking Is Still Honest Records

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Escape - La Hora de la Verdad

Band request from Cuba.

Escape play punishing metal/hardcore/industrial music

which sounds bleak, brutal and ugly with a simmering

anger that threatens to boil over into your speakers.

I honestly am not into this sort of music and therefore do not

judge myself competent enough to review this album.

Read their bio, listen to the music and make your own mind

up ....... from what I have read, Cuba is not the easiest place

in the world to make this sort of music, so show your support

and at least give it a listen!

"La Hora de la Verdad" by cuban metal act ESCAPE comes as free

download in different formats, download it with his booklet here:

http://escape.expaz.net

Help the cuban hardcore/metal scene grow: download and share it with

your friends/enemies, family, contacts, bands, labels and favourite

webzines !

Thanks,

Brutal Beatdown Records.

********************

About the album:

Harsh reality described through subversive and political lyrics,

corrosive and dynamic hardcore/metal music.

ESCAPE comes from Habana, Cuba. Not exactly the folk or touristic one

but from the boiling cuban underground metal scene.

Very well executed, the production is on top. The force of sound is

overwhelming and the great artwork filled with symbolic references.

BEST METAL BAND – Cuerda Viva 2012 Cuban TV Awards

BEST METAL ALBUM - International Music Fair Cubadisco 2012

"La Hora de la Verdad" is an album that will not let indifferent and

not pass unnoticed.

Without a doubt, a great year for ESCAPE.

*************************************

Album details:

Artist: Escape

Title: La Hora de la Verdad

Hometown: La Habana, Cuba

Genre: Hardcore | Metal | Industrial

Street Date: July 26, 2012

Label: Brutal Beatdown Records

Cat.#: brut-003

Packaging: CD Full colour Cardboard Sleeve

Free Digital Download: http://escape.expaz.net/

BEST METAL BAND – Cuerda Viva 2012 Cuban TV Awards

BEST METAL ALBUM - International Music Fair Cubadisco 2012

Produced by ESCAPE and DAVID CHAPET

Mixed and Mastered by Guy DUBUISSON at Expaz Miouzik (Montréal, Canada)

Artwork: ALEJANDRO DE LA TORRE

Track Listing:

01- Rompiendo el Silencio [05.33]

02- La Hora de la Verdad [04.55]

03- Peligro [05.00]

04- Símbolo de Libertad [03.58]

05- Decisiones [04.14]

06- Crisis de Fe [04.13]

07- Caos en Orden [04.38]

08- Cuba en Rebelión [03.57]

09- At Mountains (cover – original by Darkening) [05.02]

Brutal Beatdown Facebook

Feuerzeug - Dead Wahines and Tsunamis (2012)

Band request from Aurélien at Domino Media Group.

Feuerzeug are from Switzerland but have managed to transfer

their music to the dusty Desert Rock world, complete with fuzzed

out Stoner vibes.

13 songs and 71 minutes are often padded out with filler

but Feuerzeug make sure that each song has a killer groove

and riff that bounce along until your teeth rattle.

These tunes fucking rock and have the added bonus of having

song arrangements that give this album an almost theme driven

concept while at the same time creating memorable hooks that

stick in your head, demanding to be played again.

The production gives all the instruments a crisp, powerful sound

which gives a solid platform for the economical solos room to

really stand out. The vocals also need a mention - this guy can

really sing with feeling and power.

If you own any albums by Lowrider, Fu Manchu or early

QOTSA, this will sit nicely alongside them.

Order Here

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Choochooshoeshoot - Playland (2012)

Band request from France - thanks to Phillipe

for sending me album to review.

Choochooshoeshoot closely resemble the picture they have

used for the album cover - bare, minimal noise rock but not 

going down the Jesus Lizard route, rather they come from the

Shellac school of clinical and precise bursts of aggression.

The singer, Caroline, provides melodic but devastating

vocals over the guitars, which while recorded with quite

a clean tone, are pummelled and abused to deliver a squall

of abrasive tone and shade. The drums pound away but

do not overpower - in fact there are spaces in the arrangements

where less adventurous bands would feel obliged to fill up with

something - these guys know how to keep the song tensions

going to produce an unsettling mood. 

This is the good stuff.

Bio: CHOOCHOOSHOESHOOT were founded in November 2004 by Philippe (who formerly played guitar in the early-90s noise combo Pig Iron), Thomas (drums), and Gildas (Baritone guitar). Chrystelle (vocals) joined the band in 2006 and in September, they recorded their debut EP with Thomas Lecorre (Moller Plesset), playing a number of shows shortly after..

In August 2007, sound engineer Miguel Constantino (Fordamage, Passe Montagne, Papier Tigre - among others) recorded the first album: nine tracks, raw and live-sounding, to which Bob Weston (Chicago Mastering Service) added the finishing touches. Choose Your Own Romance was released in June 2008 in CD and LP format by the Nantes-based record label Kythibong. The band was then invited by Gentle Veincut to add their contribution to a CD compilation put out by Whosbrain, in September 2008..

It was also in 2008 that Chrystelle parted with the band, quickly replaced by Caroline. During the course of 2009, CHOOCHOOSHOESHOOT got to perform at the Fuckfest festival in Paris, along with several prominent French noise bands, before going on a tour in the West and the South of France, followed by a number of more sporadic gigs.

In 2010, the band began work on their second album, which was recorded live in December 2011, once again by Miguel Constantino, in Quimper. The eight-track record Playland was then both mixed and mastered by Constantino, and will be released in June 2012 by Kythibong, Rejuvenation and A Tant Rê:ver du Roi.

Order from Here

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Radio Garage - Ganbare! EP (2012)

Band request from Peru.

Radio Garage sing in their own language and sound like

Discharge crossed with Motorhead covering The Hellacopters! 

Primitive sounds erupt from the speakers, lodging in my brain

with punk rock'n'roll spirit, making me want to kick something

or drive very fast through a shopping centre. 

Bio:

Radio Garage presents its new EP produced by Cuaderno Roto 

producciones "Ganbare!", 4 basic, urgent and rabid songs.

Since 2005 playing in Lima, Perú a mix of punk, metal 

and rock n' roll, our new EP "Ganbare!" is available by 

Cuaderno Roto Producciones. Radio Garage is Kaminoisee on guitar and voice, 

Fernando acosta on bass, Oscar Soto on drums and Ricardo Barandiarán on guitar and voice.

CDR (full color printed cardboard sleeve and printed cd) available through cuadernorotohp@gmail.com

You can listen to it here:

http://soundcloud.com/radiogarageperu/sets/ganbare/

http://radiogaragepe.bandcamp.com/

www.facebook.com/radiogarageperu

https://www.facebook.com/cuadernorotoproducciones

FREE DOWNLOAD:

http://www.mediafire.com/?d81tf8ft8l1clnb

They also released an album last year that is slightly less

hardcore, with more dirty solos and riffs, which I

can recommend and is free from Bandcamp

The Barrens - S/T (2012)

Request from New York.

The Barrens play a beguiling mix of psych-rock pop that washes

over you in waves of warm melodies but also have a much

harder edge that prevents this album from becoming just another

ode to this genre.

Fuzzed out guitar comes to the fore just when you thought

the Fleet Foxes were making a guest appearance and the

dark sound that permeates through the songs give the tracks

a welcome identity.

The double male/female vocals are skilfully interwoven and

allow you to get caught up in this gem of an album.

Bio: Formed in upstate New York and then transplanted to New York City, The Barrens are currently blazing their way through the underground scene with a raw and powerful sound. Ranging from heavy, grungy rock to colorful, soaring psychedelia, The Barrens draw on a vast lexicon of addictive hooks and melodies to stun audiences at their explosive live shows. They have been featured on the Deli Magazine, Indie Darkroom, and Glide Magazine. In addition to being in rotation on over 30 college stations all over the US, they were also selected to play the CMJ Festival in New York City and NXNE Music Festival in Toronto.

Their 2008 EP "Worming" was engineered and recorded by Jim Bentley at the Fort Brooklyn and was the subject of a successful college radio campaign. Advanced Alternative Media described the success as "rare and exceptional for a self-released EP." Their first full-length album is available for digital download and 12" vinyl on http://thebarrens.bandcamp.com/

Dire - Dystopia (2012)

Band request from Dallas, Texas.

Dire like their music powerful, hard hitting and loud.

I would put the music in the black metal/sludge corner.

While not being an expert in all the black metal descriptions - 

and I have been wildly wrong before - this is raw and viseral

stuff. A barrage of distorted guitar overlays the senses and

sits on top of the frantic drumming. The vocalist spews out 

throat shredding dementia and the production gives everything

a heavy sludge feel. Dark and oppressive, this is not for the
fainthearted. The songs have more variation than I normally
expect from this genre which for me, makes this a more
interesting listen.

The tracks are streaming on Bandcamp

Hit them on Facebook for album release

Good To Die Records - Compilation

Good To Die records have released a compilation of

metal/punk/stoner/hardcore/noise bands from Seattle, Bellingham WA
and Portland. The common threads seem to be a filthy punk rock'n'roll vibe

with doses of extra angry shouting!

The mighty fine lineup includes Brokaw, Rabbits, Absolute

Monarchs, Deadkill and Gaytheist - all bands that I can

already recommend as being shit-hot.

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

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Broken Limbs Recordings - new releases

Request from Broken Limbs Recordings.

Peter & Bariann have from Broken Limbs have an

incredible amount of releases on their label which

lurks on the swampland of dark, black sounds which

revolve around crust/dark hardcore/black metal.

I am not the person to review these as I know fuck all

about the genres but I do know they made my head feel

as if spiders were eating my brain.

Instead, I recommended those of you into these sounds to

check these two bands at once and make your own mind up.

The first record is No God But The Wild by Hunter's Ground

This is bleak, punishing black metal.

Bio:
Hunter's Ground was established in 2009 as a raw, primitive expression of rage directed at modernity and to re-invent a North American mythos in order to develop a deeper relationship with the land itself through the ancient art of storytelling.
The album was recorded in continuous fashion over 23 grueling hours, using generator-powered equipment to allow the process to take place in the heart of the woods that Waggener resides in without power or running water. The band felt that recording in the same place that the concept of the band and album was conceived would maintain a continuity in the feel of the music and the ongoing narrative of the Hunter's Ground mythology.

The next release is Unsacred with their Three Sisters EP

This is pissed off dark hardcore with a vicious crust feel to things.
Listen to the tracks below to feel the pain!

Broken Limbs Recordings - Three Sisters - 02 Lethe by an_tiarna_dubh

Like I said, these and much more are available from Broken Limbs Recordings

Give them a visit

Art As Catharsis - Lachlan R Dale interview

Lachlan R Dale runs the label Art As Catharsis, which as everyone who reads this blog should know by now features the best underground Australian stoner, sludge, doom and drone bands.

Lachlan has kindly agreed to take time out from his frantic schedule to give this interview.

Just before we get onto Art As Catharsis, I have to talk about the bands you are involved in - 4 or 5 at my last count! The Serious Beak album "Huxwhukw" blew me away - I think it should be mentioned in the same breath as Intronaut - due to the incredible complexity of the music, how hard was it to replicate live?

Thanks for the kind words man, I really appreciate it. 

As you might guess, it's pretty difficult to actually play some of those songs or sections on"Huxwhukw", but yeah, we can definitely do it. It's been done in the past.

While we've got some good muscle memory going on for a lot of that album, the material still demands a lot of practice and rehearsal to be consistent. It's challenging stuff, and it takes a lot of time to stay on top of. There's always a constant tension for us between writing new material and rehearsing for shows. Our latest new song has been in production for over 12 months... it's pretty demanding music!

Name your price at Bandcamp

Your psychedelic drone/doom band, Adrift For Days came out last month and I don't think that I have seen any reviews that have been less than glowing, it will certainly be in my albums of the year list - have you been surprised by the reaction?

I guess. As a musician you're not really allowed to expect or anticipate a reaction from critics, but I'm glad they like the album. I like it too! It was really fun to put together. There isn't too much I'd change if I got another go at it.

Name your price at Bandcamp

Art As Catharsis has introduced me to so many new bands from down under - what is your criteria for collaboration with these artists?

Nothing, really, aside from that I have to like the band -- and I'd like to focus on Australian music that I feel doesn't really get the attention or praise it deserves.

Obviously they have to like what I do in terms of promotion, too. We've got to be pretty like-minded -- we're not about to start pissing gold and buying Benzo's or anything -- but maybe we can get your tunes to a few extra people.

Hydromedusa, In Trenches, Space Bong, No Anchor, Houdini are all bands I found on your compilation "Drone from the Underside of the Earth".... there is obviously a healthy underground scene in Australia, how important do you think your label and others like it are for these bands exposure - you make full use of Bandcamp, has this helped spread the music?

Well, I think all 'scenes' require support - not only from labels, but from bands, media and promoters.

The Australian stoner, doom and sludge isn't healthy because of me - that would be a ridiculous claim. It's because I'm able to build off the work of many immensely talented and dedicated individuals; bands who have worked their asses off building up their name, and all the promoters who really help that 'scene' thrive.

Nathan from 666 Entertainment has run the awesome Doomsday Festival series for many years. Skye did an awesome job with building up Devils Kitchen. Rob from Heathen Skulls is really taking the international tours to a new level. 

A 'scene' really can't thrive without all of those elements.

Name your price at Bandcamp

Fanzines and websites have embraced what you are doing - do you think the underground scene will ever filter into the mainstream? I personally think that a bigger public awareness is not going to happen ...... I selfishly like my hidden world of music and worry that the purity and spirit of "do what the fuck you want" would somehow get diluted with major record label involvement!

I don't even care man. I like the music that I play, and that I promote. It just totally isn't the goal at all!

I'm sure it will if it becomes cool enough -- just look at how grindcore and death metal has been distilled in metalcore and all this modern weird pop metal bullshit. Who cares though?

And finally ...... how the fuck do you find time to do all this!

You know, I play in 3 bands, do this label/promoter thing, work full time, study full time and live with my long term girlfriend -- it's definitely a balancing act to a degree, but I think the big secret is that I don't watch any TV. It's amazing how much time that gives you!

And I guess I'd rather be run off my feet (and broke) than bored (and slightly less broke).

Thanks again for your time Lachlan - I have just realised that like a 

fucking idiot I have neglected to ask what future plans you have 

lined up! ........ but worry not my faithful download monkeys, 

more new releases from Art As Catharsis are bound to be on here soon.

EndAnd - Adventures of Hi-Fi In Space EP (2012)

Band request from James at Independent Music Promotions.

EndAnd are a punk/alt rock trio from Brooklyn, NY and they

are not afraid of melody or tunes. Strong vocals and good use

of dynamic song arrangements remind me of the Lemonheads

"Hate Your Friends" era. Every now and then my ears need

a break from down-tuned, howling madness and this is the

sort of band to ease you along. Excellent cover as well. 

Bio: Disarmingly human and emotionally charged noise/garage rock from the heart of Brooklyn, New York, EndAnd have been gaining feverish word-of-mouth lately thanks to the release of the uncompromising "Adventures of Fi in Space", which saw the band getting recommended by publications such as Large Hearted Boy and Those Who Dig.

Starting in early 2011, Daniel Fern and Mike Morales played for months as a rock duo. Dan's versatile playing and writing style became an instant crowd pleaser, backing powerful, gut-wrenching vocals with solid guitar work. Dan had previously played the guitar, drums and bass on his early demos; in live performance he looped parts to overdub, while Mike held the groove with his intuitive percussive navigation.

As the duo gained steam, so, too, did their reputation, garnering increasing attention and respect at their rehearsal space, and home away from home, King Killer Studios (Gowanus, Brooklyn). After a show at Williamsburg?s Public Assembly, where they serendipitously shared the stage with fellow KK band Capita Clip, Dan and Mike, sparked by the low end emanating from Capita's sound, asked bassist Bill Fitzgerald if he'd sit in at their next practice. Fitzgerald gladly obliged.

Bill jumped on board during this first rehearsal, bringing the vision of a power trio into fruition and forming EndAnd. With impressive vocal capabilities and spine-bending bass lines, Bill turned the project into a band when "Adventures of Fi in Space" was performed at the album?s release show later that week.

Everyone, past and present, from the King Killer community is represented here: Ernest D'Amaso and Willie Chen of Generator Ohm; Dan Kramer of The Stink; and Robert Allan of We Are Augustines are among the many that contributed to Adventures. The album is comprised of Adventures of Hi Fi and Adventures of Lo Fi in Space, two EP's consisting of pristine studio recordings and a collection of DIY recordings, respectively.

With real rock music being on the return and the album being buzzed about, EndAnd are already planning tour dates and a new full-length album to be released in 2012.

They have this EP + another of earlier work as pay what you want from Bandcamp

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Dopelord- Magick Rites (2012)

Band request from Poland.

Dopelord have chosen a name heavy with imagery which
conjures up what sort of music they play - classic stoner doom.

And make no mistake, they worship at the bloodstained Altar
of the Riff.

Sparing use of old film samples set the tone before the warm,
thick fuzz guitars start to go into riff overload. Reverb drenched
vocals add to the overall tone while the solos are slow and epic.

The slower pace tracks get the head nodding and my volume
button keeps getting turned up.

If you have any interest in this genre, this is an album you need.

It is well worth the token $3.00 from Bandcamp

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Joe 4 - Enola Gay EP

Band request from Croatia.

Joe 4 play post-punk with both feet firmly planted into the noise
rock ethic.

 A filthy bass sound rumbles along with a dry, discordant guitar
over which vocals are barked out. The drums have a crisp feel to
them which help propel the song arrangements along. The tracks
are played with staccato precision that do not jarr but rather reinforce
the angular attack on show. This would be an ideal listen for anyone
needing a quick fix of AmRep tunage.

Pay what you want on Bandcamp for a Digital copy or buy the
CD/7" that has been released by Whosebrain Records.

Josip from Joe 4 says that they are recording a full length album
with Steve Albini which should be coming out in Sept/Oct later
on this year.

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Bio:

Joe 4’s music owes much to the creative epoch of the 90s
underground labeled “American noise rock”. Rage, sarcasm, and
cynicism are injected into highly structured, yet compact,
arrangements and wrapped around noise- and volume-filled songs.
Like their inspirations, Joe 4 lays out rebellious, quarrelsome, and
obscene images in their efficient and workman like assaults. RIYL:
Shellac, Tar, Janitor Joe, The Jesus Lizard, Johnboy...
Songs emphasize the percussion and rhythm while guitar and bass
lines are braided within and around the lock-step drumming and
tortured/drill-sergeant vocals are sardonically delivered over the
resulting melee. Lyrically, the songs deal with the impulsive nature
of the individual and are concisely worded as repetitive haiku poetry.
Year 2011 means for Joe 4 their first official release of their
first physical product as a 10” vinyl record put out on Whosbrain
Records. If you have a certain affinity for what we could term
“big ugly monster” rock music, Enola Gay, by Croatia’s Joe 4,
fits in with that. It’s big, ugly, nasty, fucked up and in all the
right ways.
Recorded in Zagreb, mixed in San Francisco and mastered
in Chicago.
Joe 4 are drum, bass, guitar, voice.

Available formats:

10” vinyl (+ poster,
download code, plastic
wrap and sticker)
CD (digipack package)
Catalogue number:
WHB-35

The Fucking Hotlights - New songs (2012)

Thanks to Ryan from The Fucking Hotlights for sending me
info about their new release.

Their new 7 song tape has been put out by a Buffalo, NY
label called Drug Party and is available to buy (can any of you
kids remember the thrill of playing cassettes?) or free digital
download Here. While you are there, check out the other Drug
Party bands, I am just listening now and there is some mighty
fine stuff to try.

Being bowled over by last years album High Society Torture Party,
how would these songs compare?

Needless to say, I have not been let down.

Chaotic rock'n'roll, noise rock with a swagger, AmRep sounds
crossed with sweaty punk attitude, aggression with control but
always with a looseness that demands your body be moved or
twitched to the beat, this is hardcore which has the freedom to
go in any direction it wants to - just as long as it sounds pissed
off and ready to knock you over into the gutter in its rush to get
to the next track.

Fucking good stuff - Get it!

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A Cheery Wave From Stranded Youngsters - Various (2012)

Flies Are Spies From Hell have released another excellent
compilation of bands featuring the best of the UK post-rock,
instrumental and math-rock underground.

The personal highlight for me is the track from What The
Blood Revealed but the whole album plays very well as a
complete listen - compilations sometimes tend to be a varied affair
but care has been taken with song choices and track order for
seamless playing.

With 10 bands to choose from, give this a go and discover
something new.

Pay what you want from Bandcamp

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I could not let this post go without telling you to visit the Flies Are Spies From Hell
bandcamp page, where,  among a host of releases, is their album Red Eyes
Unravelling which was responsible for opening my ears to a lot of other music.

Gladiators Eat Fire - Psychedelic Hogwash (2012)

Band request from Seattle, USA.

Gladiators Eat Fire bring a new dimension to hardcore with
elements of math and doses of heavy psychedelia mixed
together to produce an unholy, experimental noise explosion
but with big fuck-off-tunes and riffs that get heads banging.

Exploding the theory that hardcore is one dimensional, these
guys can go from a slow sludge riff thats twists and turns in
time patterns leading to a Black Flag "My War" ending with
acid drenched guitar echoing along with vocals that go from
bellowing to a whisper.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants some
heavy sounds to assault their ears with.

Bio:
Gladiators Eat Fire are an organic, psychedelic hardcore movement from the heart of Seattle, WA, on a sonic journey in the search for identity and freedom of self expression. This summer, the band will release the Psychedelic Hogwash EP, their newest and most ambitious material to date, and a culmination of half a decade of aural experimentation.

Ever since the release of their 2008 EP "Keep The Beat Alive", recorded by Chris Proff (Ravenna Woods, Strong Killings, Monogamy Party) and mastered by the late Tom Pfaeffle (Nirvana, Alice Cooper, B.B. King), Gladiators Eat Fire have been gaining attention for their intensely passionate live performances, drawing comparisons to bands such as The Mars Volta, Refused, and These Arms Are Snakes. After entering the studio with Proff again, their 2010 full length album, the aptly self-titled "Gladiators Eat Fire", was mastered by Chris Hanszek (The Melvins, Soundgarden, The Pleasureboaters) and marked a clear departure into deeper, uncharted musical territory. As the band experimented heavily with their sound, they drew praise from local press such as The Stranger for their "psychedelic guitars and eerie, echoing vocals that ring through songs like lost souls", while websites such as Punknews.org proclaimed it as "an acid-drenched dancepocalypse".

Over the years, the band has shared the stage with bands as diverse as Wild Orchid Children, Ravenna Woods, and Monogamy Party. They've toured up and down the west coast, and have performed at events such as the Seattle's Cannabis Freedom March and Chaospalooza, as well as Missoula's StaticFest, and Connell's Summer Rocks Festival. The band has also appeared live on Hollow Earth Radio, has received airplay on 90.3 FM KEXP and 99.9 FM KISW, and was chosen as Unsigned Band of the Month in High Times Magazine.

Now, having spent the past several months quietly waiting in the shadows, vocalist Mark Blazer and guitarist Brian Kim continue to carry the torch of their musical vision, aided by bass player James Erwin and drummer Joseph Braley. Recorded mostly live in their basement, the group's new Psychedelic Hogwash EP showcases four diverse songs which the Seattle Weekly boldly claims "[shred] nearly every preconception and stereotype about metal, hardcore, post-rock and math-rock". Without a doubt, Gladiators Eat Fire is ready to unleash their ferociously unique blend of hardcore and psychedelia upon the eyes and ears of the unsuspecting masses. There is no escape.
Because they are good guys, you can pay what you want from Bandcamp and have a CD and 7" coming out on August 14th.

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