No Zodiac - Population Control

What a nice surprise this was.  No Zodiac are purveyors of Heavily Death Metal influnced Beatdown Hardcore.  The grooves run slow and thick as tar, with enough blastbeats and thrashy moments to keep tensions high.  The considerably seismic guitar tone (I'm guessing A-tuning?) will surely devastate any yuppies or hipsters within a 50 foot radius.  The vocals are a bit run-of-the-mill and could use more neanderthal fury, but they get the job done.  This is what I wish the Xibalba full-length sounded like.  Smash all your Bane and Comeback Kid cd's.  This is the real shit.

 

rigor mortis of the ass

Lotus Fucker - Forever My Fighting Spirit

A mix of olde tyme hardcore styles covered by a cloud of vicious distortion.  A fusion of familiar American hardcore with the D-Beat/Raw Punk battery of the Swedish and Japanese.  I hear some faint Nordic Black Metal influence, but maybe that's just coincidental.  Sometimes it's up-tempo, sometimes it's rigid and minimal, but always harsh and grimey as the DC/Baltimore streets that birthed it.

ride the snake

Putrevore - Macabre Kingdom

Jesus, I guess it's been nearly two weeks since my last post.  It's mainly because it's my final week at school and I really have to hit the shit for a few days.  But, there have been a few gold nuggets that I've found recently, and Putrevore's newest is one of them.  This is really regressive and simplistic Death Metal, just what you would expect from Death Metal "hit-master" Rogga Johansson.  Although Macabre Kingdom is a bit more dark and obscure than his more popular projects Revolting and Ribspreader (which is good).  Admittedly, I usually don't like Rogga's projects, but this really hits my proverbial spot.  The excellent atmosphere is a key ingredient to this otherwise "ho-hum" stew.  The murky tones add just enough obscurity to the overtly simple riffs, resulting in an album that's tastefully dark, decrepit, and brutal.  Not at all cheesy or slick like his other endeavors often are.  Recommended for any fan of early 90's Death Metal and even casual Death fans.

copious amounts of battery

Numb

Simple Grindcore goodness without any annoying "ringy" snare drums or belches.  Blackened riffs here and there add a nice touch.  If you liked that Male Misandria I posted a while ago, or that Cloud Rat from last year, you'll like this.

The Boston Strangler - Primitive

Some new Boston kids (Mind Eraser, No Tolerance) following in the footsteps of their ancestors (SSD, Negative Approach, Gang Green), and doing so quite well.  Olde Tyme Hardcore without any annoying new flavor.  If you're a macho jerk with a death wish, then this is for you.

dingle dangler  

I The Unlord

It's time for us to take a trip into the thick, cheesy depths of Münster (which is in Germany, in case you thought it was in Wisconsin or something).  What we have here is the finest example of Sludgecore that I've heard in months.  It's brutal, viscous, and plodding without ever becoming droney (a tag you'll never see on this blog).  I the Unlord  manage to be lethargic and violent simultaneously, which is a very fine line to walk.  The production works very nicely too, with the proper amount of sharpness and low-end without distorting your brain and speakers to oblivion.  If you're (like me) waiting for the new Xibalba full length, Praise the Most Dead should satiate your hunger for seismic musical catharsis.

I the Bunglord

Ursut - Dårarnas Paradis

Simple music deserves a simple review:  The best Crust/Core album in years.  D-Beat Apocalypse!!!

 

slamcamp

Armed for Apocalypse - Defeat

This is probably what The Acacia Strain would sound like if they were actually good.  The foundation here is build solidly on mid-paced grooves, but there's just enough fast parts to break it up.  The production works, it's pretty clean, but it could use more bottom-heaviness with the guitars and the overall mix.  Not much to say when you know what you're in for; belligerent, mosh-tastic Metalcore (without any lifestyle elitism or "thug" influence).  Interesting art too.

the demon who makes trophies of men

Undergang - Indhenet af Doden

Old-school Danish Slam?  Not exactly, but it may seem like that on paper.  These Danes create Death Metal in the old Finnish tradition; you know, like Swedish Death Metal's slower, uglier cousin?  except even slower and uglier.  These slow to mid-paced riffs could easily fit on a Slam or Mosh record, had the timing and production been adjusted.  This actually reminds me a lot of Murder Squad and older Funebrarum, but with hardly any of the fast parts.  It's sort of an exaggeration of the old sound, sort of hyper-real in that way.  This is just ultra sludgey, ultra bassy, and ultra simple Death Metal to get you "in the mood" (whatever that means to you).     

so easy, even a caveman can do it

Dead in the Dirt - Vold

I usually don't post super short EPs here, but these two are too good to keep to myself.  Dead in the Dirt are another band that play the killer modern fusion of Metallic Hardcore and Grind.  I suppose you could call it modern Powerviolence too, as it's not far removed from Weekend Nachos and Iron Lung.  Whatever you want to call it, it's still sweet brutal violence.  Both these EPs blur by in just a handful of minutes, so I suggest listening to them back-to-back.

straightedge

fo lyfe

Grave Desecrator - Sign of Doom

Do you like primitive 80's Death Metal like Master, Nunslaughter, or early Bolt Thrower?  Do you prefer Death Metal that has more spikes than braincells?  You'll definitely like this regressive band, if you answered "yes" to the above questions.  If Atheist are the Rush of Death Metal, these guys are the Nasty Savage.

feces of apocalyptic cattle

Harm's Way - Isolation

If you're like me, you often have to push really hard to motivate yourself to work out.  After a long day of work, you need all the help you can get to manage getting off the couch and exercising (more work).  This squeaky new album is just the remedy for such problem.  You can now look forward to your routine knowing you have the perfect soundtrack for muscle development.  

Harm's Way have been making waves in the hardcore/metalcore scene for a few years now; starting as a vaguely metallic Powerviolence band, and later as a typically "moshy" Metalcore band.  This most recent album continues in that path, but now, I hear a significant Godflesh influence.  There's even one song that uses a drum machine, very odd, but it doesn't suck.  Aside from that, this is pretty straight-forward slow to mid-paced heaviness.  The production here is great too; slick and punchy, reminding me of Dan Swano's work.  Overall, this is just a great album to do strength training to, or to beat people that don't meet your elitist ideology.

 yes, that's the singer, talk about tough-guy cred...

 music with broad shoulders

Elitist - Fear in a Handful of Dust

What, crusties doing Death Metal?  I know you've heard this before with Sanctum and Stormcrow, but these guys are actually good.  What I mean is that this band actually succeeds in playing Metal, something which is lost with most Crust/Metal or "Stenchcore" hybrids.  This record sounds just like it should, cavernous, dark and muddy; no solos or "technical" anything.  In addition to the Death Metal base of this smelly stew, you'll also hear "epic" Crust influences (ala His Hero is Gone) as well as some Sludge influence (ala Noothgrush).  At it's heart though is early-humanoid barbarism.  Seriously, this is the best band to come out Portland since Sleater-Kinney (just kidding, I'm pretty sure Portland had no good bands until now).  If you like your Death Metal oafish and moderately lethargic like Asphyx, early Incantation, or Witchrist, you should probably stop smoking so much pot... and then listen to this.

near a handful of bust

Torture Division - Evighetens Darar

You ever notice how "punky" early Swedish Death Metal sounds?  Well, these three handsome men are about to prove that point once again.  Although there are blastbeats to be heard, as well as the typical Swedish "buzzsaw" guitars, I can't help but notice the D-Beat influence.  Ok, so maybe I'm blowing the whole "punky" thing out of proportion, it's still for the most part old-school Swedish Death Metal with a modern production (handled by Dan Swano, by the way).  These aren't some young dickheads trying to be "retro" either, these guys have spent time in the seminal Grave, Entombed, and Vomitory.  They also played in The Project Hate, who nobody really liked.  Lyrically, the approach is also more stripped down and maybe juvenile?  That's ok though, you'd be a fool to listen to Death Metal for the lyrics anyway.  If you like to-the-point Death Metal without any gay stuff like melody or artwork, this is for you.

fast, smooth, handsome rock

Battletorn - Terminal Dawn

It's time to go stupid again.  Seriously though, it's pretty stupid how this album was being sold for only 2 dollars.  Oh well, bad for them, but good for me!  Battletorn are from the hipster stronghold of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but thankfully, they don't sound like it.  Delivered here is some mean, low-IQ Crusty Hardcore.  Like Iron Lung, they're also a power-duo, so they have a concise and lean sound perfect for cutting your head in half.  Musically, they sound pretty similar to late 80's/early 90's Crust like Antischism, if that band had Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer) on vocals.  Expect huge amounts of D-Beat, and never-ending distortion complimented by a clear, yet piercing production.  Sure, prog music is great how it's challenging and stimulates your intellect, but sometimes, you just wanna tweak on some simple brutality.

remember myspace?
tap the Rocky's

Murder Squad - Unsane, Insane and Mentally Deranged

Once again, it's time to look into the future...  All the way to the year 2001 (cue "La Bamba's" high-pitched voice).

Hey, have you ever wished Swedish Death Metal was even more muddy and sluggish, and then dumbed-down to an almost Mortician-level stupidity?  Members of Dismember and Entombed had united to make such a puke pool of music, and you probably slept through the whole thing because you suck.  Luckily for you, I'm not a poser and bought this album when it came out, and am ressurecting it so your pseudo-bohemian-hipster ears can hear what real brutality sounds like.

Of course, stupid music can still be good.  Just like Extreme Noise Terror, these guys do stupid right!  You're in for some lumbering masses of distortion and bass, without any advanced playing techniques to distract from the aural punishment.  If you like obese, neanderthal Death Metal like Autopsy, Cianide, Carnage, or Acephalix, you know what to do.

the "other" Murder Squad

Probe me

Xibalba - Madre Mia Gracias Por Los Dias

It's been too long since I posted some moshy shit, so I'm bringing out this bruiser.  I first saw this band opening for Final Fight's last show, and was definitely impressed.  They definitely bring the "fat" in more ways than one.  Sure, their music is sweaty and overweight, but they also tend to draw a fatter fanbase, as well as having two fat members in the band (think Crowbar).  I especially remember one guy at their show that was dancing pretty hard, despite being 350+ pounds.  What a nice break that was from being surrounded by puny, "more elitist than thou" vegans that I was used to.

Getting to the actual music, Xibalba sound like a more modern version of Disembodied:  just constant slow to mid-paced moshy Metalcore with a slight Death Metal influence.  For working out, or practicing the "helicopter" in front of your mirror at home, nothing beats this.  You might even hurt your rotator cuff by the time the album finishes.  Even if you have the demo version, you should still download this, as it's a properly mixed and mastered version.

music to gain weight to

Extreme Noise Terror - A Holocaust in Your Head

You're just going to have to forgive me for not always being able to find something really obscure to post about.  I'm not enough of a blog hound to be that consistent.  Today, I bring you my first foray into full-on Crust, Extreme Noise Terror's "A Holocaust in Your Head".  If you're unfamiliar with the genre, this beast of an album is the perfect place to start.  This classic came out in a really pivotal time in extreme music ('89), but at the same time, was totally oblivious to it.  While Black Metal, Death Metal, and Grindcore bands were getting tighter and more sophisticated, Crust bands like E.N.T. were totally content to caveman-bludgeon their instruments and write brutally simple songs.  Pure sonic violence is what you can expect; this is about as heavy as Punk got, prior to the advent of Powerviolence.  You'd still be hard-pressed to find something more guttural than this, without vocal effects and drum machines all over it.  It's true that E.N.T. eventually became an unremarkable Grind band, like a poor-man's Napalm Death, but this is when they were at their Stylistic peak, before the cheesiness and the poor fashion choices.  This is the essence of brutality.

it stinks in here...
(flac file)

Defecation - Purity Dilution

Man, I wish Grindcore bands still sounded like this.  Ultra-percussive brutality even in their slowest parts.  The Harris' really got it right, paying attention to all the instruments, making their tones and timing match perfectly.  Sure, the production is a bit harsh and somtimes "blurry", but hey, not everyone had the means to record at Sunlight.  Even with that, it still sounds way cleaner than Scum.  This nugget was created during the golden age of Grind without any cheap studio tricks, or gravity-blasts... just honest, brutal music to make your head hurt.  When you can't decide between your Terrorizer or Extreme Noise Terror album, reach for this: it's refreshing, like a good shit!

 

that "not so fresh" feeling