A389 7th Bash

As I impatiently wait for a handful of packages, this monster of a show is right around the corner. I can't wait to meet old friends, experience Seven Sisters Of Sleep, and finally see Integrity. Not too stoked about flying but it's a small price to pay.

While I may be a lazy contributor lately, there are plenty of great articles to read.

A389

Soon

Expect a mega-post in the next week or so regarding the newest A389 pre-order and some other goodies. Meanwhile, Halifax Collect has some awesome Top 10 lists - including my picks - and some very gnarly records have surfaced: No Comment represses and the newest Low Profile LP.

I'll be playing with some new layouts, so bare with me if there are any issues. Thanks for your patience.

Goddamn The Twentieth Century

A while back, rumors began to swirl about a split between the Infamous Gehenna and Germany's underrated juggernaut VV.egas. It was always going to be extremely limited with out of this world art. Time passed and the rumor grew stronger and stronger until it was revealed Vedavu was handling it. Even more time passed and I wondered if it was ever going to appear. A special edition, limited to a mere 13 copies appeared for the 7.17 show - it was a glimpse of hope. During September - when I was on leave from work - I remember wishing it was coming out until I had enough money. Then official word came down and it went back to a waiting game. Vedavu placed the pre-orders up at midnight (PST; 3 AM EST).



Make no mistake about it, this is a piece of art. Vedavu release records by collectors for collectors. An elaborate sleeve houses this slab of wax. As you can tell from the pictures, there was a lot of detail put into the appearance; the morbid yet vibrant cover is wrapped with a black obi-strip that has album's artwork on it (It's black on black, giving it a really cool effect). Opening the double fold sleeve reveals even more artwork in the same vein as the other pieces. Two inserts, one for each band, contain the lyrics. For grim, melancholic music, the packaging is absolutely beautiful.



Gehenna start things off with "Within The Peyote Cult", a thrashy, psychedelic number. After the first listen, I got a feeling of deja vu. The riffs were familiar and immediately I knew why: "I'll Always Say Forever". The sample-heavy piece has the same, making me believe that "Within The Peyote Cult" was recorded before 7.17. In any case, the track fits in with the more recent "Psychedelic Screwed Thrash Punk" trend. It's not as surreal as the Blind To Faith split, but it's definitely not your standard hardcore. The contribution gets me ecstatic about the new full-length.



VV.egas' "Original Sin" continues down the same path as their other material - Integrity influenced hardcore with tinges of neo-folk. This particular track features Matt Shack of the criminally over-looked Pale Creation. It's a heavy track, one that gets me hopeful for new VV.egas material in the future. I really dug "Verklingen", but in the end it was a cover. A damn good cover, but nothing beats an original, all new track.

Vedavu has a handful of new releases planned, including bands such as DEVIL, Arm And Sword Of A Bastard God, and Hot Pursuit. When I see and eventually hold records like the Gehenna/VV.egas split, it reminds me why I love collecting. Pictures don't do it justice. You have to see it to fully grasp just show crazy the whole package is. This came in a bundle that included the vinyl and an exclusive t-shirt.

This is limited to a hundred copies and is sold out (It sold out in a matter of days) but apparently there are rumors of a possible repress. Keep an eye on Vedavu - they've got some amazing stuff in the pipeline.

MMXI is just days old and I already deem this a top three pick.

Get Fucked Up

Two of California's most vile team up for a two song split that both melts faces and crushes skulls. This is an absolute win-win situation; Gehenna brings a solid, thrashy number to the table whilst California Love has a two minute power-violence attack. The band's truly compliment each other - both playing a style of negative, misanthropic hardcore with Black/Death Metal influences.

The Infamous Gehenna contribute "Get Fucked Up", a savage track that is probably the band's biggest thrasher. Compared to their most recent tracks - the Blind To Faith split and the 7.17 comp - this is the polar opposite. While the last three tracks have a psychedelic witch-house feel, this would easily fit in on "Negotium Parambulans In Tenebris" LP. Even with the driving, repetitious guitar, "Get Fucked Up" is oddly catchy - not in the sense of bubblegum pop or anything but I've caught myself humming it a couple times at work. It's like I said about their 7.17 track "I'll Always Say Forever": If this is the material on the upcoming LP, it's going to slay.

On the flip-side, California Love gives the world "Feurersturm" (The German word for "Fire Storm"), a two minute epic that sounds like it was recorded in a paper bag. It's long for a C/L but completely fits in with their other material. "Feurersturm" still has that infamous "power-violence" sound yet in this recording, there is an undeniable early Death Metal sound that is refreshing. Lyrically it's the same: humanity is the devil and shall be exterminated. Even when they're at their most simplest, California Love head and shoulders above 97% of hardcore. "Feurersturm" is from the same gnarly session as the "Post Mortem Emanations" - it doesn't feel like a b-side but an act of psy-warfare. That opening is just fucking intense and reminds me of an old Bad Brains track, "The Big Takeover". It builds and builds and builds then just explodes.

A389 released this in 2010 (It seems weird not to say earlier this year) in two different variations: red vinyl - this was limited to the pre-order package that included the excellent "Hope Guzzo Bootleg" - and black vinyl - the common version. The covers and inside pages are plain, something that I like; I compare it to something like the Caulfield LP or Gehenna's "Lands Of Sodom" EP where all the attention is directed to the slab of vinyl instead of a flashy insert or artwork. From what I've gathered, this record took a while to finally see the light. Apparently, Relapse was going to release it but in the end things didn't fall through. Fast-forward a bit and A389 unleashes something vile and heinous.

I was able to score the test press via A389's wallet-destroying 24hr Test Press sale on Halloween. The cover is much more morbid and would seem right at home with the bands' other releases. Truth be told, I prefer it to the regular version.

This is still available from many distros. Do your self a favor and pick it up. One of the best releases in 2010 without a doubt.

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Check out my review of Ironwood's new album "Storm Over Sea" over at Halifax Collect. While you're there, take a glance at the Top Ten lists. Some great tunes involved.

Deathlust

You either love or hate Kickback. There is no middle ground. Hailing from France, the band has been spreading its message of violence, decay, and Marquis De Sade themes since the early nineties and "No Surrender" is their latest full-length. Ignoring Kickback's controversial history for a moment, this effort is what negative hardcore should be: aggressive and out for blood.

Whereas bands like California Love and Gehenna prefer short, misanthropic assaults, Kickback puts out jams that can range past the five minute mark. Musically, this is like a continuation of "Les 150 Passions Meurtrieres", meaning it has a little more of a Black Metal tinge rather than NYHC. I read an interview that explained the change - the new guitarist has a history with BM (To be clear though, BM has always been an influence on the material, at least to my ears). The assaults may be longer, but they still pack the same punch as C/L does. Even with the longer numbers, there isn't that usual repetitious feel; they keep the listener engaged and uncomfortable.

"No Surrender" powers through eleven tracks in thirty-seven minutes but I cannot help but want more. There's a new full length on the horizon - a two year gap is much better than ten for sure. In the mean time, revisit the band's catalog for some serious metallic hardcore with hate and perversion.

I never really checked out the band until I heard the guest vocals on the Blind To Faith split and for a while I couldn't get past them. They were screechy and at first seemed out of place with the rest of the band. After a couple of listens to "Forever War", I was completely swayed and have never looked back.

The new material is going to slay. As a side note, this was - to my knowledge - only released on CD, which is a momentary bummer. GSR still has this in stock along with some gnarly shirts and hoodies. Support a good band.

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.