Time to get low with LOW PLACES

Do you like your Hardcore rough and out of control? Do you like Sludge as well and do you have an affinity for raw and unpolished Metal? But after all you'd say you listen to Punk? If your answer to at least one of these questions is yes, you should keep an eye open for the new A389 signing LOW PLACES.

Just like their now-labelmates in Full Of Hell LOW PLACES combine wildly everything fucked up and heavy there is and spit it towards you with so much hate and anger you're running the risk of wetting yourself. I've had the chance to listen to a roughmix of their new output Spiritual Treatment and I'm super stoked about it. Imagine Neanderthal having sex with Eyehategod and early Napalm Death is watching the mating through the keyhole. Got the picture? This is how LOW PLACES sounds like.

This is some heavy, mean and aggressive shit, I know you'll love it. And I'm really glad LOW PLACES changed their logo. Just sayin'.

lowplaces.bandcamp.com



PS: This is my 100th post. Wow.

A new dawn rising: six new bands

When you're in a band that plays shows on a quite regular basis it's probably unavoidable that you get to know loads of new bands. Most of the time local ones that are opening, and more often than not those bands aren't that great - probably the reason why most of them never leave ther "local band" status. However, sometimes it happens that those new bands leave a good impression, may it be because they are totally rad people or the music and performance is really inspiring. Within the last few months we played with a couple of new/young bands that appealed to me in a way or another - so I decided to feature six new bands on this blog. The rules are easy: six bands, the same five questions to each band. Enjoy this and support the bands!

The bands are:
Lightbearer
Juggernaut
Infected
Coldburn
Mind Trap
Soultrader

Lightbearer are from Essen, Ruhrpott, Germany. We played their first show with them, and as far as I remember it was the best first show I've ever seen. In addition, their bass player Ansgar is one of the raddest persons I know.


When have you startet the band and what is your motivation?
Our drummer Marcel and I (bass) started the band almost one year ago. It took us a few months to find a singer and the guitarplayers. We started the band because we wanted to play heavy music that fits our taste and we needed an excuse to have some beers during normal weekdays.

Name three bands that influenced your music and/or attitude...
Speaking for the whole band I would say that Pantera is definitely number one. Next is Down and at the moment The Sword for one half of the band and High on Fire for the other half.

...and now tell what makes you unique.
We have really nothing that makes us unique. We are just a bunch of guys who like to play heavy music and drinking beer.

Your lyrics usually deal with...
Anger, Frustration, Destruction, and Death... keep it metal... haha. But I think we´re going in for Satan next time... hahahaha

Your next plans as a band?
Honestly speaking, there is no real plan at the moment. We just want to play some good shows and hang out with friends. Hopefully, we´ll find a label soon and have a 7" produced. We are also talking to some friends to have a split 7" in a few month and if we are lucky we can play a tour next year and have enough money to hit the studio again.

Download "Ready To Fall" by Lightbearer via mediafire
Lightbearer on myspace

A wild band from Vienna, Austria. Hard partying whiskey drinkers and hell raisers with the heart in the right place. Love 'em.


When have you startet the band and what is your motivation?
I think our first practice was some time around December 2008. We never had a certain goal in mind or anything, we just wanted to write some songs, have some kinda outlet, you know.. and yeah, that's still what it's about.

Name three bands that influenced your music and/or attitude...
I hate such questions, they're always pretty hard to answer as there are usually a billion of influences and they change on a daily basis. However, there are of course some constants, recently including mainly Cleveland/Holy Terror style bands, and a lot of Thrash and Death Metal classics, such as Kreator or Bolt Thrower.

...and now tell what makes you unique.
Well, we're still trying to find what you could call our own sound. As we develop as human beings throughout the years, so do our creations, and the more music we write and play, the more distinct our ideas become. In the last time, we tried to break out of that generic hardcore song structure our demo songs still had. I don't know if that makes us unique, but we actually just want to create music that we ourselves like at the very moment, the song comes into existence. Everything else would be kinda strange anyway, I think.

Your lyrics usually deal with...
The usual stuff: feeling confused, disoriented and misplaced in this world. This is of course very generalized but sums up everything quite well, haha.

Your next plans as a band?
As mentioned before, we're still working on finding a unique sound. Something that doesn't feel like the music we write actually came from someone else. This is our music, so we want it to sound that way. Of course we also want to do everything every band wants to do like releasing a lot of records, getting rich and never having to work again.

Download "Néant" by Juggernaut via mediafire
Juggernaut on myspace

Infected are from Saxony, Germany. We shared the stage twice. They instantly got my attention with their super heavy, no bullshit attitude. There are many bands doing the super-fast-meets-super-slow-thing right now, but Infected are able to scare you


When have you startet the band and what is your motivation?
We startet in fall 2007 as a side project, with honestly no expectations, but in early 2009 Infected became our main band. The only motivation was just to hang out, having a great time together and creating a beast that contains powerviolence, doom, metal and punk.

Name three bands that influenced your music and/or attitude...
Eyehategod, Mind Eraser and some 80's stuff like Depeche Mode, Phill Collins etc.

...and now tell what makes you unique.
Uhhh, hard question, don't know, we're just a band playing the music we like. The people who listen to our shit should decide if we're unique or not. We don't care.

Your lyrics usually deal with...
Disbelief & SATAN!

Your next plans as a band?
Artwork and master for the split with Mind Trap are finally done. Hopefully it will be released in November. Also in November or December we will recording a few new songs for another split with our mates from Dresden in Equality, if you're into Botch or Converge, check them out. And of course, playing shows as often as we can.

Download "Glamour and Gloom" by Infected via mediafire
Infected on myspace

To be honest, we've never played with Coldburn so far. A fact that sucks, because they're great. As easy as that. I know Christian, one of their guitarists, when we were touring together with his old band The Realness. If Coldburn can get their shit together, they could get big.


When have you startet the band and what is your motivation?
We started the band in autumn 2009 and our motivation was to play hardcore music the way we like it. I guess theres nothing more to say about it.

Name three bands that influenced your music and/or attitude...
Terror, HopeCon and Biohazard.

...and now tell what makes you unique.
I think its hard to say what makes a band unique in times, when there are so many bands around. Were definitely doing our own thing, but were also influenced a lot by music we‘ve heard, shows we‘ve seen and the lives we‘ve lived. We dont know if we are really unique and in the end its up to the listeners and show-visitors to decide if we are.

Your lyrics usually deal with...
Situations and experiences we had, made and learned from. Since most of the stuff which had huge impact on us were feelings like anger, letdown and hard times we shout out about that. However, we dont like to be considered as a negative hardcore band cause in the end were all pretty nice guys and our message definitely has a positive outlook. But to sing about being in love and partying wouldn‘t fit the musical idea.

Your next plans as a band?
We recorded songs for a 7inch which is coming out this winter on Worship Records. Apart from that we wanna play as many shows as possible, meet more great people on the road and hopefully go on our first tour next year.

Download "Catcher in the Rye" by Coldburn via mediafire
Coldburn on myspace

In a review of their demo I wrote that they remind me of a glue sniffing version of Infest. Well, they still do. Playing with them is always cool, and just like their friends of Juggernaut they like to have a nip of liquor now and then.


When have you startet the band and what is your motivation?
We started with Mind Trap in early 2009! Our motivation? It’s the best feeling when we see people going nuts and singalong to our music.

Name three bands that influenced your music and/or attitude...
Infest, Neanderthal and Mind Eraser.

...and now tell what makes you unique.
Well, each of us has a stunning, beautiful, cute and intelligent girlfriend. Be jealous!

Your lyrics usually deal with...
This fucked up place we call earth and these fucked up things we call humanity and religion.

Your next plans as a band?
At the moment we are playing a game. It’s called “Who in the band can be the laziest?”. But in the next few weeks a split 7” with Infected from Germany will come to life on Power Trip Records. Our plans for the next year are simple, release the first LP and play as much shows as we can. Thanks for your support. All of you should listen to Avalanche!

Download "20080509" by Mind Trap via mediafire
Mind Trap on myspace

My first impression of Soultrader, when we played with them a few months ago, was: "Damn, their intro sounds kinda like SOD." All in all, Souldtrader doesn't sound like SOD, but they're a good band anyway haha. They recently released a 7" called "Inner Universe", so check that out!

First of all we have to say that it's difficult to entirely answer these questions without neglecting some personal aspects because subordinating five individuals in one group never engenders an unmitigated result. Nevertheless, here we go...

When have you startet the band and what is your motivation?
We started around May 2009 after different other projects with the intention to create a personal escape out of reality and just beeing creativ. As a band and as five individuals we try to slip through the daily torture while making music and writing lyrics which just reflects the liaison of all of us.

Name three bands that influenced your music and/or attitude...
Hard to choose only three from tons of stunning bands out of over 30 years “hardcore/punk history”. We would say that we are influenced by many different genres which are mainly based in the hardcore/punk/metal movement. Especially the 90s took our fancy. Naming only three bands would cause a misrepresentation, so this has to be enough.

...and now tell what makes you unique.
Listen to our records and tell us.

Your lyrics usually deal with...
...personal emotions, problems, experiences and/or politics; both packed up in a garment out of metaphers and destined to make you think.

Your next plans as a band?
We try to play as many shows as possible. Furthermore SOULTRADER will write and record some new songs for a planned 10”. Therefore we search for supplementary labels (next to Demon Spawn Records). So hit us up.

Download "Inner Universe I" by Soultrader via mediafire
Soultrader on myspace

Back to interview list

Starkweather - This Sheltering Night (Review)

Most of the time you pick up a record, listen to it two or three times, and maybe like it. You remember every song after the first listening, have your favourite ones after the second time, maybe already know some of the words. You understand the song structures, the riffs, the composition, if you like the record it gives you a good feeling. But sometimes you listen to a record that's very different - the music that beats down on you is so complex it's hard to follow the songs, with a shitload of riffs is packed into every single song, when you listen to the record for the first time you turn it off after three tracks because you can't handle it. If you knew Starkweather before their latest record on Deathwish (they're already around since 1989), you know what kind of record "This Sheltering Night" is: a complex, harsh, uncomfortable one. By the way, props go out to Deathwish for releasing awesome records like this and not only mediocre crap like Killing The Dream. So I think in a way Starkweather translated 70ies Prog-Rock à la King Crimson into (Post-)Metal, with all its weird riffs, chords, time signatures and guitar leads, all very heavy and very, very dark. The most outstanding thing about Starkweather is (and always were) the vocals though. It is simply unbelievable how one person can come up with so many different voices (and not sounding like someone who tries to fake them). From sung vocals to nearly guttural ones, screaming, whispering, it's all there and all good. As good as it is, I have to make clear that "This Sheltering Night" is definetely a record that demands a lot of time. I listened to it for quite some time now and still discover new aspects, new layers of guitar underneath the riff-storm on top or new sick breaks I haven't perceived before. So if you like to spend a lot of time with one and the same record, and wish not to get bored after two days, check out "This Sheltering Night", if you're looking for your rather generic Hardcore or Metal record, better stay away from this one.

Starkweather on myspace

Pulling Teeth/Shin To Shin split 7" (Review)

When I read the news that Aaron Melnick of Integrity/In Cold Blood fame would release a split 7" with his new band Shin To Shin and Pulling Teeth on the flipside I was so amazed I couldn't sleep for three days. Aaron Melnick is definetely in the 5 of the most influental guitarists for me - I stopped counting the riffs I stole from him. As you might guess after this introduction, I really expected A LOT from Shin To Shin. But when I listened to one of the tracks online as soon as possible, I was quite disappointed. On the one hand I probably expected to much, on the other hand I didn't really know what kind of sound to expect. Of course I ordered the 7" anyway, and after it took a few spins on my record player I had to reconsider my opinion. I think what turned me off the first time was the fact that Shin To Shin's riffs aren't in the fashion of Melnicks "early works". The music hasn't too much to do with the classic Clevo-Hardcore sound, but, in my opinion, a whole lot with first wave Black Metal, think of bands like Hellhammer, early Celtic Frost and, most of all, early Venom. This, a little bit of Motörhead'ish rock and Discharge's wall-of-sound brutality is what Shin To Shin sound like, well, at least in my ears. And the more often I listen to it, the better I like it. It's different, it's not very Hardcore'ish, but it's hard, and that's the important thing isn't it?

On the flipside, like I mentioned before, Pulling Teeth. This song was already avaible online for quite some time, sounds like Slayer meets Integrity and is awesome, like all of their stuff. Nothing more to say. Oh well, one more thing: the artwork sucks, what's the matter with a bunch of bugs? I don't get it.

Shin To Shin on last.fm

Pulling Teeth's website

A389 Records

Agalloch - Wooden Box 7xLP

I've waited quite a long time for this. But after I saw the massive box, I knew it was worth it. What more can I say, check out the pictures, and if you haven't yet, check out Agalloch, especially their latest record, "Ashes against the grain".

The box

Logo detail

The open box

Booklet (contains all lyrics) detail

Booklet detail

Slipmat

The four records (three of them are double LPs)

Box detail

Call me a nerd, I think it's beautiful and totally worth its price. 

The box is exclusively available through the Viva Hate Records webstore.

www.agalloch.org

www.vivahaterecords.com

Morning Again reunion

You've probably heard about that: Morning Again will reunite for a bunch of shows in the US and Europe. I probably won't go haha, but it would quite rad to see them playing songs like "God framed me" or "Martyr"


Info found on xStuck in the pastx.

Blind To Faith - The Seven Fat Years Are Over (Review)

Although I'm not a big fan of "featuring members of...", in Blind To Faith's cause it's somehow justified, since we have here dudes of Rise & Fall, Amen Ra, Reproach and Insult, so you know that these guys know how to play Hardcore. Uh, I forgot, in an interview I read that BTF don't like Hardcore (...), so, they know how to play Punk Metal. And in fact they really do.
This 12" was released on Holy Terror Records, comes with sick looking artwork and is played from the inside, which may cause trouble on certain record players. At least the needle doesn't fall off at the end of each side (which it does for example on the first Dropdead LP haha).
The music could be best described as the bastard child of early Ringworm and Eyehategod - mean riffs, the speed varying from super fast blast beats to super slow sludgy rhythms, venomous vocals, a heavy, raw and dirty production - this is certainly the ugly face of Hardcore that has nothing in common with 99% of what is labeled as such, in so far it's really more Punk Metal that Hardcore. After 16 minutes it's all over and I know you'll flip over the record once again to repeat this nightmare.

Blind To Faith on myspace.com
Holy Terror Records

Acrid - Bombs Of Death Split 7"

Just in case that you brush you teeth with a steel brush, and stick large nails up your nose because you "somehow like" the feeling, this is for you.
Acrid should be known; their musical output is the meanest and ugliest way to play Hardcore, in a way they are to Hardcore what early Mayhem were to Metal: a punch in the face. The production's super raw, you barely hear any riffs or anything remarkable, most of time you just feel like getting hit by a train. The songs on this split 7" are not any different; before you realize what's happening to you, it's over. Your daily dose of "poisonfree powerviolence". IMO more interesting, due to the fact that those two are the only songs they've ever recorded: Bombs Of Death. BOD are basically Spazz, Assück and Struggle members, kicking out super heavy, mean Thrashmetal-Hardcore-Crossover, musically not unlike current bands like SSS or Municipal Waste, but without the "fun" content. Everything's about heaviness, darkness and brutality. It's really a bummer that those two songs (clocking in at 3:10 minutes) are everything this band ever recorded. I'd love to have at least a full EP of that.


Info about this split on the No Idea records site

Damnation A.D. - st EP

I guess I have mentioned often enough how much I love Damnation A.D. So no more talk about that. What I've uploaded here is Damnation's self titled 7" (at least I think it's self titled, since the cover only says "3:59/3:54", which are the durations of the two songs). This 7" was recorded in September/October 97, so I guess it was probably released in late 97/early 98, and that means in between the Misericordia 10" and the Kingdom of Lost Souls full length.
What's god about this 7": the little picture on the cover of Hillel playing his Flying V and wearing a gasmask (click on the picture to get the full resolution), the two songs ("The Mortal" and "Hasn't happened yet"), which are nearly as rough as the ones on Misericordia, but bringing up the heaviness of the "Kingdom" material, and the pessimistic lyrics. What sucks about this 7": Like of most releases on Victory records at that time, the artwork of this one's a fucking joke. Besides the picture of Hillel. 

Ok, the lyrics:

Interview with A389 Records

If there's one label at the moment, where I could buy blindly nearly every release, knowing that it will be good, it's A389 Records from Baltimore. The label's basically done by Dom, who's probably best known for his guitar playing in Pulling Teeth. I wanted to do an interview, and the first thing that came on my mind was A389, so I asked, and here it is. Enjoy. 

To start, could you please tell me a little bit about the beginnings of A389 Records? I came across the label shortly after the release of the first Pulling Teeth 10", was that the first release? What was your basic idea behind the label at the beginning?

The label started in 2004 as an avenue to put out records I liked by my friend's bands.  My band at the time Slumlords was playing a lot, and it was a good way to introduce people to a lot of bands from home that didn't get to make it out as much. Our first release was by a 7" by a baltimore band called Bring It On.  Kinda sounds like Sheer Terror/Breakdown type stuff.  I remember the artwork on that one being pretty cool.

Are you doing everything completely on your own or are there other persons involved in A389?

I handle the majority of everything label related while a revolving door of people pop in and out to help whenever they can with mailorder, assembly, PR work, whatever.  The longest standing other person involved with the label would be Dwid.  He's been involved on the design end of the records pretty much since the beginning and is still a huge help with every release.

Ok, jack-ass question: where does the name A389 come from? What does it mean?

Once again going back to the time I was playing in Slumlords, we all used to work for this eviction company which is how the idea for the band first came about.  When performing an eviction in Baltimore, if you are securing an abandoned property with a padlock, they keycode we had to use at the time was A389.  I always thought that sounded cool, and was a funny nod to all the people I worked with by day.

How hard is it to manage playing in an busy band like Pulling Teeth, doing a well running label and doing a "real" job besides that? (I assume you have to do so?) Do you even have any time left for anything else?

Days go by really quickly that's for sure. 2009 went by in the blink of an eye.  I pick up random p/t jobs when things are slow, but feel like I'm wasting time.  I could be doing so much more.  So right now I'm just doing the label and bands f/t.  It gives me time to spend with my girlfriend and my cats...aaaaaaand work on side projects.

So are there any side projects you want the world to know about or is it more like top secret?

Virgin Witch has a record out on Free Cake.  Hatewaves just recorded it's 'Taste The Beast' Demo, a few others with no names yet ...

Could there be an A389 Records without Pulling Teeth and reverse?

There was an A389 before PT was even a band, and there will probably be one after PT is done.  But PT is definitely the flagship band on A389.  I like to think they go hand in hand to an extent though.  I love the way all the first press PT records turned out.

Are there any labels that are role models for A389?

I always admired Back Ta Basics records growing up.  The records were nothing fancy but you got to check out a bunch of cool bands that Rick would come across on tour.  I loved that it was so barebones and all that mattered was the music, not the layout.  On the other side of the coin, I admire labels like Deathwish and Robotic Empire for stepping up and doing the exact opposite and presenting more of a complete package with artwork and music.  Throw in the mysterious nature of the Dark Empire Record Co. and you've got a recipe for awesome.

Would you say that music and artwork are equally important? Or what counts more in your opinion?

I'd say music more than artwork, obvious if you're in a situation where someone is playing you a song or you're listening to an MP3, you can focus on the song and nothing else.  But if you have a physical record in your hand and it looks bad, it kinda cheapens the experience.

What do you expect from a band you release? Is there a typical "A389 deal"?

It's always nice when a band takes initiative and plays shows and hustles records on their own. Touring or at least being an active band doesn't hurt either.  The two newest bands I've picked up Seraphim (from MS) and The Love Below (from CA) are both really enthusiastic new bands and I'm stoked to be working with them.  As far as a typical A389 deal there really isn't one, it varies on the project.

Besides releasing records by new(er) bands A389 also rereleases records that have been long out of print or never had a release on vinyl, I wonder how that happens? I mean for example the Gehenna or Ringworm 12"s, did the bands come to you and asked if it would be possible and so on or did you ask the bands? Have there ever been any problems with the labels that released those records in the first place?

I usually approach the bands in situations like that.  There hasn't been any licensing issues with any of that stuff.  I do my best to make sure no one is being left out.

So far A389 only released vinyl, do you think that there'll be CD releases in the future as well?

Probably not.  I think the Gut Instinct discog will be our only CD release.  Maybe the Day of Mourning discog if I ever get around to it.

You've released a lot of records by bands that are/were somehow linked to the Holy Terror/Clevo Hardcore thing, what's your connection to that scene and what makes that music so fascinating in your opinion? Do you see any chance to rerelease records by the more obscure bands of that era like Pale Creation, Asphalt or Mayday?

It's been my favorite style of hardcore for as long as I can remember.  Hearing Systems Overload for the first time in my life when I was just out of high school was a life changing experience for me.  I grew up listening and going to see those bands as often as possible and just became friends with a lot of them.  I would love to do a Mayday discography.  I've tried a few times but had a hard time getting it together.  PT was going to cover Staplegun at one point, but that never ended up happening.  That Asphalt CD was pretty neat from what I remember, it's been years.  And Pale Creation is so much more than a band.

What's exactly the problem with the Mayday discography, is it just hard to get the master tapes?

Pretty much yes.  Last time I tried it was just too hard to pull together, but you never know what can happen...

If you could choose whatever band you'd like to release on A389, which one would it be and why?

An unreleased Haymaker record would be the ultimate for me.  

Most bands on A389 are located between Hardcore and Metal, could you imagine to release records by, lets say a post-punk or indie band for example?

Sure.  I just put out whatever I think is cool.  I think there is somewhat of a typical A389 sound, but  there have been some random offshoots in the catalog that may not make sense against most of the releases (Supreme Commander, Pala etc).  I like those bands and those records so whatever.  We're doing a Roses Never Fade LP next year and they're like a neo-folk group.  Good music is good music.

Which A389 release makes you proud the most and why?

Well the PT 'Paranoid Delusions' 12" was definitely the coolest looking record I've ever been involved with.  Getting a 12x12 lenticular hologram cover made is as big of a pain as it sounds.  I love all every release for different reasons.  The Everyday Dollars pre-order 7" that came with a 3-D cover and glasses was pretty rad....The invisible ink on the Rot In Hell LP....I guess just getting to release records by my favorite bands of all time still blows my mind.  Integrity, Ringworm, Gehenna...Bottom line is I'm stoked.  Across the board.

What are the future plans for A389 Records?

Seraphim from MS.  They sound like Mastodon/Baroness and are awesome.  Love Below from California sound like Left For Dead/Haymaker.  That lost Millennial Reign recording will finally see the light of day.  Roses Never Fade.  New Integrity + Pulling Teeth jams.  Oh and more Gehenna.

Thank you!

A389 Records

A389 Records on myspace.com

Back to interview list

Lightbringer - Inhumation 7" (Review)

Wow, first post in quite some time, I'm sorry I was a bit lazy the last weeks. But there are a lot of uploads planned, plus the first interview I did for over a year or so. Blablabla.

Flashback: April 2009, after nearly three weeks of touring Europe, and a few let downs here and there, we're playing Brighton with a new band called Lightbringer. Guitar leads, the singer screams into the PA-cabinets, In Cold Blood cover. Fuck yeah. Now: what I got in the mail yesterday was the preorder of Lightbringer's debut 7", and this is probably the best 7" by a new band I've listened to this year. Lightbringer are more or less from Brighton, England, and some of its members played in a band called The Break-In, and if you know their "Unbowed" album you could probably guess what direction Lightbringer is taking. I mean, the musical influences are so obvious, just take your favourite Clevo-style bands, put in even some more hard-as-nails moshparts, and there you are. But I don't want to lessen Lightbringer's musicanship, they are definetly able to put their very own stamp on this style of metallic Hardcore. The singer's voice sounds like spitten out by the throats of hell, the songwriting overall is excellent, just take the title track: Inhumation is nearly 6 minutes long, with quite a lot of different parts, but they're all melted together as if they would have been thrown into the lava of Mount Doom. Damn I should get a life... One last thing I have to mention is the awesomeness of the lead guitar. Seriously, everytime a solo is being thrown in (and there a plenty of them), I start to play air guitar immediately. Although I know how fucked up that is.

Some words about the artwork: it was put together by Richard Shiner (who plays guitar in Lightbringer), who may be best known for his artwork for the Pulling Teeth/Frightener split 7". And imo the artwork looks pretty neat, not your typical Dürer woodcut or something. Oh and the 7" comes in a real gatefold, which isn't that common as well, so it's cool.

The lyrics are dealing with misanthrophy, hate, death and so on: "I've been down for years, since I was born of this cold, I've walked a crooked mile, and life stripped me of a soul". Nothing you would write in a loveletter, so to say.

F.f.o.: Integrity, Ringworm, Mayday, In Cold Blood. This band gave me back some hope that there are still pissed off, dark, dirty and heavy Hardcore bands whose members don't look like fucking, douche baggish American Apparel models with a completely studied choreography. 

Shiner Design on myspace.com

Lightbringer on myspace.com

Eyehategod - Southern Discomfort

October may not be the perfect time for listening to Eyehategod, I mean it's way to cold outside for that. I always think of a dirty, hot, huge city with traffic jams, motorcycle-gangs and drugs when I listen to EHG, not of Münster full of students, bikes, and a nice October sun. Anyway, this morning, around 7:45 AM I was on my way to work (!) on my bike (!!) and it was about 10° C max.(!!!), which is not the situation where I would choose to listen to Sludgecore kings EHG. It's like listening to old Darkthrone while lying on the beach. But today I had my Ipod on shuffle mode, and suddenly Dopesick Jam, a 15 minute monster of a song got pumped into my head, and that gave me such an intense feeling I decided to upload that record. 

Basically "Southern Discomfort" is a collection of rare songs; Tracks 1-6 are demos from the "Take As Needed For Pain" (which is probably my favourite full length by EHG) era that ended up on "Ruptured Heart Theory" 7" and on the two split 7"s with 13. The tracks 7-9 were preserved on tape during the "Dopesick" sessions. Although it's a collection, it's a really good album to listen to, the sound's not very different from track to track, and you get some of EHG's best songs like Depress, Ruptured Heart Theory or the mentioned Dopesick Jam. I guess I don't have to tell anybody how EHG sounds like. If you're into sick, dirty, drug and alcohol fueled, Sabbath-worshipping Sludgecore, you can't go wrong with EHG. Together with Buzzoven and Grief they basically invented that genre. Dopesick.

The Swarm a.k.a. Knee Deep In The Dead

The easiest way to identify a true Hardcore kid: ask what's his/her favourite "Chris Colohan band" is. If the answer is "who is Chris Colohan" the conversations over before it even begun. If the answer is Cursed, chances are good you're talking to someone who bought a Cursed CD because he/she saw it at the Deathwish e-store. I mean, not the worst person on the planet, but you know, if the answer is Ruination or Left For Dead, the person is REALLY cool and worth your time, and most probably true to the bone. But if the answer is even The Swarm, you've found a dead true Hardcore kid with a great taste in music. To be honest, this is quite subjective, but I can't think of any other 90ies Hardcore band being that influental for me, besides Unbroken of course. But there're even two things The Swarm and Unbroken have in common: Slayer riffs and the straight edge. Well, now I'd go for the Slayer riffs haha. So it all makes sense. Take the heaviest breakdowns, the most brutal speed, the meanest Thrashmetal parts, the most insane vocals, and you may be able to picture out how The Swarm sounds like. I've uploaded everything I could get my hands on in the internet, since I do not have the equipment to rip vinyl myself. I know that there is some stuff missing, for example there is a track by The Swarm on a 7" compilation called "Prevent This Tragedy - Skate-Core Compilation Vol. 1", which was released on Element Records from Cleveland by the end of the 90ies. But like I said, I cant't rip it. And then there may be compilation tracks, or demos I don't know nothing of. So if you know (or even have) some tracks that aren't uploaded here, please let me know. Please click on the pictures to get them biiiiiiiiig. 

Please note: I deleted all the downloads a while ago, but if you know how to use Google you should be able to find everything quite easy.

So here we go:

Old Blue Eyes Is Dead
Arguably my favourite record by The Swarm. Sick production, insane packaging (you have to flip the head on the frontcover away do get the inner sleeve out and fancy stuff like that) and top song writing.A killer record everybody should have.




Parasitic Skies
I guess this 10" is nearly as perfect as the OBEID 7". Only "nearly" because the packaging isn't that insane, and I think the songs on the 7" are a little bit more to the point. But still an awesome record for damn sure. We even paid an homage to the cover with the cover of our first full length on vinyl.




Split 7" with Mörser
This split 7" was released on Per Koro Records from Germany, and symolizes the clash of Canadian brutality and Bremen's insanity. Both bands deliver something completly unique, The Swarm their known fast Hardcore meets Slayer meets darkness madness, Mörser their Grindcore meets Bremen Hardcore. Mörser features members of 90ies bands like Systral; imagine their music mixed up with Terrorizer to get the picture. Although not the best songs both bands ever recorded, definetly above the average other bands have set. Great artwork as well, so this is definitely an item to get your hands on if you get the chance.



Split 7" with Force Fed Glass
Well, to be honest this is weakest release of The Swarm I know. In general the songs are a little less metallic and lack the sick ideas of others. The Black Flag cover (Revenge) is pretty cool anyway. Force Fed Glass are ok, but there were (and are) better bands imo.

Compilation tracks:
This track called Lament was released on a compilation called "The Sound And The Fury" on a label called Redstar records (that has nothing to do with the New York based label Red Star), that features also songs by Chokehold and Another Victim plus a lot more of bands I've never heard of, most of them playing some kind of metallic Hardcore. I've decided to upload only the track by The Swarm anyway, which is actually really good and could've been released on the OBEID as well, so it's definitely worth a listen. On the same compilation is a hidden track also by the Swarm, just a few seconds, just for fun haha.

Another exclusive compilation track can be found on the Prevent This Tragedy Vol 1 Compilation (like I mentionend above). The song itself is rather simple, only 40 seconds long, and the lyrics deal about the Ollie impossible. Yeah.