Time is tight so new posts either this weekend or next week. Check out Halifax Collect in the mean time.

This World Is A Shithole

A quick glance at this blog will reveal my love for Gehenna. For my money, there is no heavier, hyper-aggressive band in the world. This cassette tape was the start and features some of the band's best material. I absolutely love the look of the tape; it is housed in a thin manila envelope with a morbid cover and Gehenna written in the corner. It's not flashy nor busy but simple and to the point. Inside, there are a handful of booklets, including one that features the lyrics while others are ads for long gone distros and bands - Fall Silent. The imagery is stark and the simple fact that its black and white simply adds to the grim style. Continuing with the aesthetics, the demo's look reminds me more of a d-beat/crust band rather than hardcore, which is refreshing.

As soon as the first track, "83%", begins, a whirlwind of hatred and violence washes over the listener. The feedback crescendos into crushing guitars and savage drumming. Mike Cheese's demonic growls and apocalyptic lyrics sets the band apart from the usual formula. For example, the first words uttered on this recording are: "Human debris covers the Earth." It truly is negative hardcore. "83%" chugs along, complete with breakdown moments and snarling vocals. This is probably one of my favorite songs but as much as I enjoy it on the demo, the song is so much more intense with the most current line-up (Having members of Reno metal outfit Violent Ruler only adds to the speed and thrash). This is showcased during the live set on Erratic Radio this past summer.

Immediately after the first track, "Woodmaker" continues what "83%" started. As harsh as Mike Cheese's vocals get, they still are almost clean giving the music a much more powerful edge - the reason I say that is that the vocals could very easily be cookie-cutter grindcore nonsense and the lyrics would be lost in cheesy growls. One cannot help but sing along to the chorus of "We Must Obey".

The final track is "The Bottom Line", an abstract number revolving around pain and revenge. One of the biggest things that attracted me to Gehenna's music was the level of sophistication and thought that went into the lyrics. Portraits are clearly painted for the listener in the span of two to three minutes, portraits that are both vivid and often violent. To close things out is one of the more interesting lyrics: "Straight Edge, I Win Again". It's interesting to see how the band matured since the demo. It doesn't take too much to see how much more psychedelic/trippy/drugged out Gehenna became in their latest full length and especially the Blind To Faith split.

This version of the demo - cassette tape in the envelope - is long out of print and very hard to find. Luckily I scored one on eBay (Just the tape at first but then one with the envelope and insert) for a great price. For those that want to hear the numbers without tracking down the tape, they were gathered for the excellent "The War Of The Sons Of Light And The Suns Of Darkness" semi-discography CD and later on the LP. Like the tape, the original CD, which was released by CrimethInc, is out of print; A389 released the LP a couple of years back and still has copies of both the first and second press. The three tracks might some of my favorite but I prefer the various versions on live records (83% on the aforementioned Erratic Radio session and on the Catharsis split) a bit more.

It's a great starting point if you're new to Gehenna. You're given a ten minute assault on humanity, an assault that is merciless and stark. All hail the Seven Crowns.

Onward To Destruction

Live records can be either good or bad - there is no middle ground. Gehenna is a clear example of doing it well (The Catharsis Split and The Hope Guzzo Bootleg respectively) while other recordings sound like complete dog shit. Reproach sounds immaculate on this LP, bringing energy and attitude to the table.

Reproach is a band that automatically makes me want to thrash. They aren't ground breaking or genre busting but they put out record after record of solid skate thrash in the vein of Infest and A.N.S. - whom the band did a split with. Their tracks are catchy yet savage and they mix just the right amount of aggression and good times. Between the lyrics about skateboarding and hating the police, the band could be seen almost as a parody but a quick listen to the music proves that insight wrong. What is clear: Reproach loves skating, drinking, and causing chaos.

This is a live cut from 2008 and features material spanning their discography. I cannot comment on the between the song banter since I don't speak Belgian but it certainly seems like it was a good time. Each song is presented nice and clear with Stijn's recognizable vocals (The same Stijn of Blind Of Faith). With a lot of live recordings, things seem muddled but I really like the production; the intensity is still there but it's well mixed. Reproach blow through a good twenty-one tracks in the span of seventeen minutes. Besides the usual skate anthems, the band covers GG Allin and Black Flag. "Drink, Fight, Fuck" is a great cover as is "Gimme Gimme Gimme" and both go with the other material (Like live recordings, covers are usually hit and miss. Either the band does the song justice or just butchers it to the point of ridicule). Since this is a live album, there are no lyrics since they can easily be found in the other records - which are for the most part still easily found in myriad distros around the world. Everything is tied together nicely with a cool, collage sleeve. It gathers various flyers for both bands - Sunpower and Reproach; the end result is easy on the eye rather than messy and unorganized.

Sunpower was a band that caught me off guard. I had heard tracks here and there but never really sat down and gave the band a solid listen. I will also admit that I bought this album solely for Reproach's contribution (The simple fact that it was a mere $5 was another determining factor). That being said, it was foolish to blindly bypass Sunpower. The band powers through fifteen tracks of fast hardcore. Is it as good as the Reproach side? No, but it is better than 85% of the other 'hardcore' bands out there. Sunpower has a handful of other releases including an LP titled 'Bondage' has been on my buy list for a while. After hearing their side of the split a couple times, I cannot help but make a connection to the Dead Kennedys, especially the guitar work. Check out the band for sure.

With any split, the winner must be picked and in this case it is clearly Reproach. I only wish I saw them when they came through the States a couple years back since Belgium is quite the road trip. This split is from a press of 1000 copies - 800 black, 100 blue, and 100 red. Reproach is probably one of my favorite bands going and I've heard rumors of a brand new LP sometime in 2011. Thrash punk at its finest.

A quick note, if you check out the band's YouTube page, you can find a couple of animated videos that correspond with the tracks "Onward To Destruction" and "Rat Race". Completely gnarly art that reminds me of Super Jail - especially the over-the-top violence and gore.

+Orrchida

The 7.17 compilation brings together such juggernauts as Integrity and Gehenna in honor of the show in Anaheim earlier this year. It's a great slab of vinyl that came in a handful of variations, ranging from the standard mail-order sleeve to personalized band copies. In addition to the three* standard copies, there's a fourth - almost a special edition of a special edition - that features a picture of Charles Manson in military garb. This was released by the wonderful Hellfish, who recently put up a gnarly pre-order of VVegas vinyl. More on that band in a moment. To my knowledge, this is sold out in almost all forms.

German powerhouse VVegas starts off the record with a killer rendition of Integrity's "Fading Away". It almost feels like it's actually Integrity rather than VVegas. In any case, it's a great starting point. It's violent and savage and acts as a perfect prelude to Gehenna's absolute mind-fuck of a track. "I'll Always Say Forever" is like the bastard child of the band's previous thrashy punk style and sinister witch house. Driving guitar work is accompanied by the Manson girls' sing songy voices; Manson then becomes the forefront with a long sample that features such words as "I'm not your leader" and "If you want to ride, we'll ride." The tracks feels very experimental and a nice companion piece to the Blind To Faith split A389 released. I've always enjoyed how Gehenna took bits and pieces of other genres and created something new - in this case a sample heavy almost instrumental number. It's not 83% with the fat mosh parts and demonic vocals, but it's interesting. Gehenna is in the midst of putting together their third full length and if it contains material like "I'll Always Say Forever", the record is going to slay.

On the flip side, Unreal City's "Oath" continues what the first two bands started. I had originally slept on the band but after hearing their excellent full length "Ephemeral Subsistence", I suddenly checked out their other material - even if it was a mere cassette tape. What you get is a band very influenced by Integrity. From the vocals to the guitar, it's clear what kind of bands help shape Unreal City. This is far from a bad thing as "Oath" is a highly likable track. It's one of the more faster tracks and contains a good level of melody and aggression. In the end, these three numbers - including Gehenna's - are mere appetizers to the compilation's final piece, "+Orrchida".

A lot of bands try and copy GISM and often you get horrid abominations; Integrity's "+Orrchida" is a goddamn masterpiece. Guitarist Rob Orr channels Randy Uchida's spirit to create a minute and half epic solo fest that cannot do anything but brighten one's day. The first solo reminds me of Chelsea of Death Side/Paintbox fame but that second one... There's no mistaking it. For the band's show in November, they performed this number live and it still retained the magic. People knock Integrity for their various line-ups, but 2010 has been a great year. "VVe Are The End", a 7" put out by Magic Bullet, might be the band's best material post-Humanity Is The Devil. And from what I've heard, the Rot In Hell split is no snoozer either. I cannot wait to hear more Integrity and Orr's guitar work.

This is one of my favorite records - not just because I have a personalized copy from VVegas. There is a perfect blend of eccentricity, originality, and it contains tracks from Gehenna and Integrity. Beyond the music, the art is simple yet morbid and busy. With every new look, I see something different.

Like most Integrity material, their contribution is available to download via Holy Terror.

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The next post, which will be sometime next week, will feature a brand new look that'll take out the usual post a boring album cover and random scribbles. Hopefully, that is; I just need my camera to work. Thanks for reading.

If You Go Away

After hearing the haunting Battle Of Mice album "Day Of Nights", I was a complete Julie Christmas fan. The way she can go from soft-hum to full on scream is absolutely untouchable. "The Bad Wife" is her first solo album and came out a month or so ago. At times it has the same metal punch as Made Out Of Babies but there is a completely new layer that simply makes this stand out.

She screams, she pouts, and spins tales of love in a poetic shape-shifting voice. The album starts off with "July 31st", a slow starting song. Julie Christmas whispers until things come to a crashing stop and the tempo kicks up a few notches - almost to a Made Out Of Babies level. It's alternative yes, but there's a heavy hard-rock/metal edge.

"If You Go Away" continues in this fashion. Even when she sounds innocent, her words are ominous and barbed with pain. "Bow" is one of my favorite tracks. It's violent and the guitar work really blends everything in quite well. If anything, "Bow" almost feels like a preview for new MOOB material.

One of my favorite aspects of Julie Christmas' material is her ability to paint a picture with her words. Everything is clear and visible - a trait not many have.

The album continues powering through a handful of tracks, including the mostly instrumental "Secrets All Men Keep" and and the heavy "Six Pairs Of Feet And One Pair Of Legs".

The most interesting track to me is "A Wigmaker's Widow", one of the final songs. There's a nice rock feel with tinges of cabaret and horns. Her words are just like a whirlwind that keeps your attention for the full four and a half minutes.

"When Everything Is Green" closes things out with another blend of rock/metal. The words sound optimistic one moment and completely horrifying the next. The switch would be jarring 98% of the time, but this is seamless and completely works with the music and general tone.

"The Bad Wife" doesn't have any bad tracks nor does it have filler, just nine tracks of aggressive, emotional alternative music from one of my favorite artists around, Julie Christmas. It's original and sounds like nothing out there. This is easily my pick for non-HC release of the year.

Rising Pulse put this record out, in two different variations - an ugly smudgy looking color mix and a solid, whitish/pink. Honestly, don't sleep on this record; "The Bad Wife" will blow you away in almost every category.

War Demon

Violent Ruler's debut "Swelling The Morgue" is finally seeing the light of day via Rock Cocaine Records. Record release show is on 12/18 - check out the band's Facebook for further information.

Regular posting will continue this week since work has been taking up all my time. Expect material from Gehenna, Judas, and a couple of surprises.

1070

Hordes is just one of many bands from California that've made it into the daily play-list. The band hasn't released any vinyl - yet - but have put their demo up for download. You get seven tracks of aggressive hardcore that fans of Judas, Infest, and Extortion shouldn't sleep on.

The demo's opening track "Alucarda" starts with a healthy amount of feedback before venturing into a heavy instrumental track. Things are turned up to eleven as "Solace" begins. Harsh vocals dominate a majority of the number but it has a nice rhythm and some catchy - but not out of place - guitar work. I really like the conglomeration of near power-violence and hardcore. Hordes isn't afraid to stray from the thirty second song blue-print, which is a good thing in my book. Make no mistake, these aren't Caulfield long tracks.

Hordes powers through another five tracks, including personal favorites "Pitiful Existence" and "Essence Of Stone". I really dig this demo; I find the band reminds me of Judas, especially with the mix of grooves and audio violence. There is no five-minute jam session on this demo though.

You should be able to score a hard copy of this demo directly from the band but if digital tunes is your thing, check out their site or bandcamp and download this beast free of charge. While you're on the site, there's a great video of the band's first show. Hopefully I'll be able to hear this band on vinyl soon.

There are a handful of upcoming shows, including gigs with The Love Below, Seven Sisters Of Sleep, and Vaccine. Definitely check them out.

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As a quick side note, I will be doing reviews for the excellent Halifax Collect. Check it out if you dig good tunes. The first article is up on the site now - Sargeist's "Let The Devil In". Bookmark it.