Punching Moses - Live Short And Suffer

 

Punching Moses are a delectable midwest punk band who have been grinding it out since 2013. Now with their second full length, the appropriately titled Live Short And Suffer the band has continued to evolve their sound into twisted new directions. There is something wonderfully gnarled about the Punching Moses sound and even though it is often stripped down to the bare bones, it's this very rawness that makes for such compelling listening. Live Short And Suffer is metallized punk rock done right, executed with a snarl and charming with its relentless riffing. 

While some of these songs definitely could be shorter, the overarching vibe that Punching Moses create is intense and unforgiving. It's punk rock done in a way that brings in a whole slew of other influences creatively and excitingly. It's hard not to be charmed by the slow burn of a track like "The Kill" or the rock and roll magic of "Gore Bazaar". Live Short And Suffer shines because of the commitment to the bands overarching vision of speed rock ferocity and introspective twists and turns to give you room to breathe. Fun, surprising and reflective of the scene from which they emerge, Punching Moses have always delivered on their core vision and this is just another compelling step in that journey.

Pre-order the album!

https://punchingmoses.bandcamp.com/album/live-short-and-suffer

Kauhu - Anomalia

Rough and tumble hardcore from Finland? Yes please. Finland has always been a country with a top notch punk scene, defined by acts like Pax Americana and Absurd Attitude. Anomalia is a nifty take on the genre, oftentimes very fun, but also marked with an Amebix-esque seriousness to much of its approach. It's a record that understands its rock and roll roots but also points to so much more going on for the band and reminds us repeatedly that this countries punk scene is truly unique and fascinating.

The hard hitting assault and wonderful 'Oogh' that helps to make album opener, 'Kuolleiden Sadonkorjuu; so special sets the tone for the full album. Though the final track, Korroosion Laki definitely does get a bit more trippy and transcendent, Anomalia makes its name on sped up rock and roll riffs. The danceable nature of these songs makes them addictive and a fitting reminder of all that punk can be. Don't mistake this for a lighthearted record though, this is an intense listen and one that will repeatedly beat you over the head. Kauhu are a lot of things, perhaps the most important of which is that they are clear in their vision.

There is a fascinating power of the blasting drums tattooing a rhythm on your skull in conjunction with the chainsaw guitars here.  The hectic guitar that closes out Paralyysi or the wide open guitar licks that define 'Ei syytä Paniikkiin' really serve to make Anomalia a special listen. The unforgiving approach and wide eyed madness make for a potent release. This is a record that builds on old tropes, and while it doesn't break out of any boxes it proves that Kauhu are capable of executing high voltage rock and roll at an extremely high level.

Grab it on Bandcamp!
https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/album/anomalia-2

The Black Black, The Unconditional Love, Bangladeafy, and Vulture Shit at the Tiger Lounge

There is something strangely satisfying about going to some fun little basement spot in Williamsburgh to celebrate the 64th birthday of a universally beloved rock star. Last night I got to see four great bands that showed me the power of the New York underground - a scene that I had missed out on in my excitement at being in the heart of the global metal scene. And so this DIY spot captured my heart last night as I spent time talking with all sorts of psyched out underground dudes and dudettes who were simply glad to be alive.

First up was The Black Black - one of those bands who simply get the fundamental power of stripped back and reliable rock and roll. With a surprisingly talented drummer and some rather distinct guitar work these guys carried on the grand tradition of basement rock. There music was potent with melodic lines leaping out and the twin vocalist approach being exploited in the grandest possible way. There is something strangely reassuring about what The Black Black do - perhaps in the way that it speaks to the fundamental power of rock and roll and reminds us that the music we love will never die. The Black Black get the glory of the genre and watching them tear it up was a wonderful start to the evening.

The Unconditional Love are one of those two pieces who you can never seem to find any information about on the internet but that you can't help but love. Sure the PA was fucking up on them and the mixing wasn't quite where it could have been - but in a weird way that didn't matter. Their modern grunge sound captured the perpetual strife of the millennial generation. There is a very real sadness to what they do that is strangely cleansing and hard to ignore. It's impossible to put into words what a band like The Unconditional Love do but I know I like it. Midway through their set the band members swapped instruments and then suddenly swapped back - I don't know what that has to say about the human condition and maybe I'm just hung over - but in a weird way I found that wonderfully poetic.

Finally the hour had come for the band I had come out to see - the triumphant Bangladeafy. This bass and drum two piece is redefining what it means to be a technical metal band and they are ridiculously inspiring to watch. The bands frontman Jon has a unique technical attack that emphasizes tapping and it gives his bass playing a wholly unique timbre. The playing scatters itself all over the place with weird time signatures defining the music and leaving listeners trying to scrape together the beautiful fragments of the music. Bangladeafy are the real deal and soon will become impossible to ignore. Their new material sounded even better than the two albums worth of classics they've already pounded out - simply put - this may be the most exciting band on the New York underground scene right now.

The evening closed out with Vulture Shit who have a surprising cult popularity that led to a great vibe in the wonderfully intimate Tiger Lounge. Forty-odd people crammed into a tiny ass room singing along to some deranged three piece punk band makes for some great rock and roll memories. Vulture Shit put together an admirable set with a powerful encore that left every screaming along. These guys are raw and wonderfully fun - their unique line up (bass, drum and vocals) giving them a distinct approach - nevertheless they weren't afraid to show the influence of older punk bands - leading to a set that had a nice mix of old and new - a perfect finale to an evening of madness.

Now I'm preparing myself to go see a highly exclusive classical music event and realizing that in some ways it's all the same - New York City punk and Beethoven is all part of the same Western canon and with the way things are going you best not forget it. These bands all speak to the fundamental nature of the nation - and while yeah - Sting wasn't there, he might as well have been. A rad soiree all around - this is not the kind of thing you can ignore, underground music might just be ready to boil over.

Find the bands on Facebook!  

The Black Black: https://www.facebook.com/theblackblack.nyc

Bangladeafy: https://www.facebook.com/Bangladeafy?fref=ts

Vulture Shit: https://www.facebook.com/vultureshit?fref=ts 

DRI, Gash and Dick Vomit at the Reading Reverb

So - another night - another show, this time to bring the mosh with almighty DRI and a couple cool touring bands who opened up for them on one of the best bills I've ever seen hit Readings quasi-legendary Reverb. With a couple of opening acts who seemed to be big on theatrics, a fitting counterpart to DRI's stripped down majesty, this evening was one to remember, the kind of show that reflects the simple beauty that this kind of music can have and reflects on the enduring power of thrash metal and punk.

First up were Dick Vomit, a band who are gleefully offensive, using blow up dolls and glitter canons to accentuate some over the top theatrics. There music - a take on Toxic Holocaust/Municipal Waste style retro thrash with a little grindcore thrown into the mix is a joy to listen too. It has a sort of blazing triumph that directly contradicts the bands grimy surroundings. Few bands understand the importance of a live show like Dick Vomit do, sure these guys probably will offend you and a lot of their banter and lyrics cross lines, but that's kind of the point. It's the sort of shit meant for fourteen year old boys, and when you're dealing with a metal crowd, that's a pretty good deal.

Gash were up next and their fairly distinctive brand of punk rock - fueled by a literal orgy in the pit was definitely a little shocking to say the least. There is a sense of punk rock madness in its purest form that is channeled with the music of Gash. These guys know what it means to feel discriminated against and torn down and their utterly oppressive stage show was a veritable fucked up saturnalia of punk rock glory. There is a strange charm to this band, vulgar as they are. They are tight - but there's a sense that they're about to fall apart - but you get the impression that with a band like Gash, that's just the way they like it.

Finally it was time for the almighty DRI to storm the stage. There is a sense of glory to this band that only comes through four decades worth of heavy touring in all corners of the earth. The way that they slam the audience with power  chord induced trauma and use punk rock tropes to create a sense of glorious nihilism is, in a word, beautiful. The setlist was most triumphant, I don't think I could have picked a better one myself. Special highlights were the three new songs (All hardcore derived) and closing on I Don't Need Society, that almighty cry of "Fuck You" served as a moment of jarring finality before an encore that featured tracks like Beneath The Wheel. A beautiful night if there ever was one.

What I'm trying to say is that this kind of music is perhaps all we have saving ourselves from utter extinction. DRI are a symbol of what it means to be punk rock and they have seen it all, changing the genre for all time and wearing battle jackets and (In Harald's case) tricked out basses to lead the charge. All three bands I saw last night reflected the inherent power of punk rock, and if you don't like it - fuck you. This is what we need to guide ourselves through the fire and the flames, and provide us, us stupid punks, the power to carry on.

Find the bands on Facebook:

Dick Vomit: https://www.facebook.com/dickvomit66642069?fref=ts

Gash: https://www.facebook.com/GASHOFFICIAL

DRI: https://www.facebook.com/pages/DRI/137263955229?fref=ts

Westboro Baptist Choir, Posers, Teenage Chainsaw and Infernal Stronghold at the Beaumont Warehouse

Showing up to the Beaumont Warehouse is always tricky. The bands tend to start late, which is fine and all, but I'm not cool enough to figure out how late it's sufficiently punk to show up. So inevitably I end up showing up early and looking like a fucking square. That being said, once things start to heat up at this Philly punk hot spot you know you're in for a good time. All the regulars come in, a few newbies just discovering the scene, along with a whole mess of old time friends. Tonight in particular was special as it was the fundraiser for the West Philly Waste, our very own punk softball team... I'm still not sure how that's a thing, but it makes me love America...

The point being, the first band up Westboro Baptist Choir delivered some straight up punk rock and roll anarchy. There is a sense of raw chaos to the bands music and their stripped down delivery was to the point. They played a short but tasty set, their energetic frontwoman a veritable dynamo of energy, delivering a crushing  mostly-shouted vocal attack that was way too much fun to watch unfold. These guys play a tight set and hint at a few cool rising trends in the Philly scene. Westboro Baptist Choir get what punk rock is all about and their tight, chunky riffs make sure you don't forget it.

I wasn't sure what to expect with the next band, I certainly didn't think that they would end up being the highlight of my night. Yet Posers blew me away, while they are as punk as it gets the band is not afraid to use pop sensibilities to get their point across. There is something very exciting to me about this band, the way the guitar lines actually have melody, and Jade's stellar vocals speak to the quality of the band. It's in some ways reminiscent of NOLA's Pears. Surprisingly professional Posers managed to capture the hearts of everyone inside the Beaumont delivering fun and intelligent music. These guys have great things in store for them and I hope to book them in the near future! Their instant classic "We Are Posers And So Are You" has the potential to become an epic that defines this scene.

Earlier in the night I had gotten to talk to the guys in Teenage Chainsaw, and I would have felt kind of bad if I ended up not liking their band. I was actually really impressed with the exciting sound that they purveyed. I loved how they passed the vocal line with each song. It created a sense of true egalitarianism and made things interesting. Their Ramones cover was a joy to watch and helped make the set memorable. What I'm trying to say is that Teenage Chainsaw are a band who know how to have fun and watching them tear up the stage will make you have a good time too. Powerful and fairly unique, Teenage Chainsaw are a blast to watch.

Finally it was time for the local legends, the immortal Infernal Stronghold. This is a band who are masters of crunching riffs and blazing drum assaults. Their unique brand of death metal is rife with all sorts of blackened sprinklies and is gloriously satanic making you raise your first in grim fury. The harsh vocals have a certain sense of gory glee to them, they tear at the listener and hold you in thrall. See, Infernal Stronghold's live set is a veritable ritual, people find themselves enslaved to the bands oppressive crush and that's what makes them so fascinating. This band will tear you apart and make you love it. What more do you need to know?

As I headed home taking Philly's gloriously hellish public transport I was left with plenty of time to revel in the terror and triumph of what I had just seen. It's important to remember that nights like these functions as veritable foundations of the scene. Sure maybe not everybody goes to them, but they make it possible for bigger shows to come into town and allow bands to become massive. So support your scene, however you can, and realize that bands like these are why we have this. And remember, Posers kick ass - so go listen to them.

Find the bands on Facebook or Bandcamp!

Westboro Baptist Choir: https://www.facebook.com/westborobaptistchoir

Posers: https://www.facebook.com/WeArePosers

Teenage Chainsaw: http://teenagechainsaw.bandcamp.com/releases

Infernal Stronghold: https://www.facebook.com/InfernalStronghold?fref=ts

Pears - Go To Prison

I don't think I've ever loved a new punk rock release like I loved Pears Go To Prison after just one listen. It's everything I wanted punk rock rock to be, fast, violent, fun, and politically charged. Here is a band who in between rants about the police and the wonderfully brutal closing track Grimespree find time to play a Ramones cover and reference Suicidal Tendencies. Really, what more could a guy want out of a punk band? Pears are smart, but also vicious, they give no quarter to posers, but are incredibly listenable.

Pears don't shy away from touches of melody to accent the brutal punk squawk that seems to define so much of their music. Even as the opener closes with a cry of "You're fucked" you realize that this album is only going to get better. There's a wonderful breadth of emotion captured here and it will stimulate the listener for many a spin. At the end of the day Go To Prison is inspiring and combines a wonderful diversity of punk rock sounds, from NOFX to the Germs and even touches of Napalm Death. There is something for everyone here and as it gets better as you go in. Wonderfully short and immaculate in its execution, this album is what punk rock is all about.

Simply put, Go To Prison captured my imagination because so much of it is strangely beautiful in the sense that only punk rock can really be brutal. With choruses you will occasionally sing along too and a sneering growl that has a very visceral sense of anger behind it, Pears are punk rock gods, fucked up and left in the gutter, but they like it that way. Dedicated to returning a true anger and sense of destruction to punk, Pears are the dose of reality the genre needed to go forward. So feel these unholy grooves and dive into the pit, Pears fucking get it, they don't need to use hardcore tropes to prove their point, and beyond that nothing else matters.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/PEARStheband?ref=br_tf

Death Monger, Haldol, Electro Insides and Cape of Bats at the Pariah in Philadelphia

A new punk house to explore is always an august occasion, especially one as cool as the Pariah on a night as exciting as this. Black metal rage coming together with punk rock chaos, this was a night to remember with a variety of powerful and oftentimes rather evil bands taking the stage (or at least 'performance area') to give the Philadelphia underground extreme music faithful a chance to see some of the most exciting acts going on right now. This is what the scene is all about, and by Thor is it good.

Death Monger where the first band to play, featuring Frank from Cape of Bats and my friend Matt who really knows how to thrash it up. Their sound was a blend of genres, but seemed to come off the most with a rich black metal vibe. The vocals were harsh and unforgiving, creating a vast well of sound which the musicians explored throughout the set. They were engaging to watch and had a wondrous vibe of destruction about them. If nothing else, they put on a fun show and are in many ways the perfect underground band. They're loose and vicious, and at this level, what more could you want?

Up next was Haldol who played some tight punk rock and their attack was rather destructive. Though the vocals were barely audible they were a truly engaging act. A bit of a pit broke out during their set and I rapidly fell in love with this trios incredible energy. Though they still seem to be starting out, they definitely have a sense of what they want to do, and their driving chords and ferocious rhythms certainly kept me engaged for the entire set. There is something mesmerizing about watching a punk band like Haldol in the basement of a punk house as good as the Pariah, its the perfect venue for this kind of music and I love it.

Coming all the way from Brooklyn, Electro Insides brought the girl power with three demonic weedwitches and a dude playing some hooky hardcore punk that got me bringing the mosh. There riffs are powerful and go straight for the throat, they understand what punk rock is about. Part of what made watching them so enjoyable for me was that they clearly looked like they were having a good time, jamming out to a room full of strangers in a tiny basement. There is a very distinct flavor to what Electro Insides do and they really impressed me. If they can keep building on this strong basis then their future could be very bright indeed.

The evening closed out with a memorable (if very short) performance from Cape of Bats. They brought the black metal rage and were at times almost mesmerizing. The punk rock energy that characterizes their sound though kept me on my toes and begging for more. When they finished I think everyone was a little disappointed, they clearly know what they're doing when they take the stage. With what is quite possibly their strongest lineup yet, they blazed through some really tight songs and got the entire crowd to fall in love with the bleak soundscapes they create. Sure they play by their own rules, but thats simply because they get what black metal is all about.

As the night came to an end and I helped with load out (and tried to deal with an upset stomach) I took a moment to reflect on how wonderfully cool this entire evening had been. Yes, the Cape himself has to go back to Ireland to reflect upon his sins for a while, and Electro Insides probably won't play Philly for a while, but this was still a night to remember. Connections were made, friendships forged, and a whole lot of music was blasted. Nights like this allow the underground to continue to exist, and so this evening will ring on in our hearts throughout the holiday season.

Find the bands online!

Haldol: https://www.facebook.com/haldolrx

Electro Insides: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Electro-Insides/322357861222266?ref=br_tf

Cape of Bats: https://capeofbats.bandcamp.com/

The Jury And The Saints - S/T

Last night I did something a little strange, even for me, I took my little sister out to see Modern Baseball, I was fairly impressed even though the music wasn't really for me. Perhaps the aftereffects of that show are still resonating within me, because I'm finding the powerful pop punk tinged vibes of The Jury And The Saints speaking to me in a wonderfully profound voice. Although often rather rough these songs have a wonderful and undeniable pop element to them that gets me bopping around as I jam to some of the most invigorating rock music I've heard all year. 

See, these guys know how to write a good song, and that is what really gets me off. The Jury And The Saints are, simply put, fun to listen too. They understand what the spirit of rock and roll is all about and they have none of the pretentious and oftentimes saccharine ideas that pollute so much of what rock and roll music has become these days. Sure this is only their sophomore release but they're doing some very exciting things and I'm definitely not going to complain if this is the direction that they choose to follow for the rest of their careers. These New Zealanders have an output that is, while not paradigm shifting, certainly enlightening.

Raw and unashamed of its own primitive glory, The Jury And The Saints are clear masters of their craft. Ranging from powerful arena rock to simple and beautiful punk nihilism The Jury And The Saints never fail to impress and I'm excited for what their future holds. This is the kind of band who speak to the human condition and I am never going to forget that. There is a true artistry to their music that goes beyond mere songwriting and into the very souls of the songs themselves, and that is what makes The Jury And The Saints worth listening too!

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/thejuryandthesaints

Interview with Igor Cavalera of Lody Kong!

Saturday night I got the chance to interview Igor Cavalera  of Lody Kong (Max's son, not brother) We got a great chat in and got to talk about his band, what it's like to be a Cavalera, and some of the evolution set to come. Lody Kong is one of my favorite up and coming bands, and if you dig crazy punk rock I'm sure you'll love them too!

If you haven't already, check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pimp.juice.28

Hows it been going with Lody Kong?
Everything's going really good actually. We're in New River, Arizona at the moment working on new material for our first LP that we will be recording on Monday. It's the first full length that we've done, we've only had an EP before and we're all really stoked about this upcoming recording. All of our new songs are good, heavy and strong, so we're pretty excited.

When you say you're recording Monday, will you only be in the studio for a day or what?
We'll be recording for I believe 5 days to do about 10-11 songs.

What will the run time be?
It will be 30-40 minutes, a couple of the songs are a little longer. Some of them are a little less punk rock and a little more straight up metal, those songs are about 5 minutes. It's going to be a nice album. It's not going to be too short it's not going to be like the old Slayer records that were 20 minutes long, it's going to be good and heavy, I hope it's enough for everyone, we've got a lot of fans who have been waiting. I hope that what we put out is going to be what everybody wants.

After recording what are your plans? When will it be out? 
Hopefully September or October, we're still talking to labels. We haven't actually signed to anyone yet. We're talking to a couple we're not sure who we're going to go with. Expected release date should be this fall, around then. We're going to go on tour again too.

Can you tell, us are the labels you looking at bigger, or independent ones?
A couple of them are independent, one or two of them are major labels that are looking at us which we're super stoked for. Either way we go whether it is with the major or the independent people are going to find the music either way. We're just excited to do the music really. (Laughs)

Are you going to be touring to support this record?
We're scheduling a tour in early August to September with Soulfly in the States. We're hoping to get some Europe dates either after that American tour or early next year. We're just keeping our fingers crossed hoping that once this albums out things start to pick up. It's been kind of slow for us, we haven't toured for a few months, we've just been dedicating all of our time to writing and preproduction. We're hoping that all of the work we put into this album will put us on tours later on.

This tour with Soulfly, will that be a Maximum Cavalera tour or what?
It will be somewhat like the Maximum Cavalera tour, the only difference will be that Ritchie's band Incite won't be on that tour. Soulfly is looking for some other bands to go on after us in that main support slot. It won't exactly be a Maximum Cavalera tour, but it will be close to the same thing.

Do you have other tours set up with non Cavalera bands?
We're trying to. I've been getting in touch with some younger bands that are more age appropriate to what Lody Kong is. We've been talking to some more underground bands. We're just trying to put as much work as we can into the album and broadening our views on who we're going to tour with and things like that.

I've interviewed Richie too, and he was saying that other bands don't want to tour with him because they're like, why don't you just tour with Soulfly. Do you get that problem with Lody Kong?
Definitely, a lot of people probably don't expect us to really do much without Soulfly there's a lot of criticism on the internet about how the sons of a famous musician in a band get unfair benefits. We love to tour with Soulfly, it's family, it's fun, it's a little easier than touring with another band. We really want to get out with more bands to broaden our fan base. Touring with Soulfly is great but Lody Kong is a little bit more experimental. We're trying to find some more bands that are a little more experimental. One of the reasons that we are a little more experimental because we don't want to be like Sepultura or Soulfly. Just because Max is me and my brothers dad, we're not trying to take advantage of the name but just want to make it. We definitely face trouble and we're always going to tour with Soulfly once in a while but we definitely want to branch out and do some other stuff. Hopping in the van and just hitting the road.

Do you ever feel like you're in your father shadow in a way?
Definitely. People expect that we're going to put out an album and it's going to sound exactly like Chaos AD or something or that we'll put out something as good as Roots. In reality we want to do something totally different from all of that. We all love that music but we don't want to rip it off, I want my own sound, Zyon does too. We just want to have our own sound asides from being Max's kids. I don't mind the criticism that much. Some of it can get under your skin sometimes, but it keeps the fire going inside of me. I want to prove these people wrong. All of this criticism, instead of getting bummed about it, I'm going to write something that will make people go "Wow!". That's basically where we are, the shadow of Max falls onto us once in a while, but I don't really mind it. I was born and bred into this. There are people that criticize Max and he doesn't let it get to him. It's just how we were raised. My parents always told me that if I wanted to be in a band I would have to deal with criticism and comparisons. I've learned to deal with it, it's always fun though to be in a band!

To what extent has Gloria been able to help you?
She's a great help. She is one of the most solid metal managers on the planet. People sometimes put her down, just for being a woman and a metal manager. They'll think she isn't as powerful or can't stand up for herself. She does tons man. She works harder than anyone I know from morning till night, with about five different bands, pretty much all the time. She never lets anything stop her or get her down, she does a lot for us. She invented the Maximum Cavalera tour out of thin air so we could have a chance to get some exposure. People will sometimes say things like "Lody Kong wouldn't go anywhere if it wasn't for them setting that tour" That's not true, we wouldn't go anywhere if we didn't have a good manager. All I can say about my mom is that she's a hard worker and she dedicates every single moment of her life to these bands.

When you're not with Lody Kong in the studio, what are you doing? Are you in college, do you have a job?
Some of our guys work when we have time off from tours. I don't go to school, I dropped out of high school when I was 16 to pursue my career in music. Since I left school I've done nothing but play guitar and try and work on my voice and write good songs.

How long ago was that?
I've played almost my whole life. I've played drums for about three years and guitar my whole life. I'm not into the whole shredding lead guitars or anything but I like to work on my riff writing, I think that's a lot more important than being able to shred, being able to write a good song.

Is that a driving factor behind the Lody Kong sound?
Absolutely. A lot of the Lody KLong stuff doesn't really have any lead guitar playing, it just has a lot of raw riffing and heavy drum beats. This new album is going to be interesting because we're starting to mess with leads and more complicated riffs and bass lines. I'm really excited to see how this turns out. We've been a band for almost three years now and this is our first full length so we're all kind of giddy with excitement.

What should the fans be ready to expect off the new record then? What evolution will we see?
A lot of people called us a kind of grungy metal band. If you listen to No Rules you'll hear a lot of Nirvana Bleach influence and Melvins and shit like that. If you listen to the new er stuff tath we're working on right now you'll hear more stuff like Nailbomb and old thrash metal like Nuclear Assault. There's more mosh parts. We've still got kind of our trippy grunge parts in it but for the most part it's really just simple straight to the point raw metal. We dropped down to B. All of our old stuff was recorded in E. B is really really low, I think people aregoing to notice we've kind of taken a step into a heavier direction as opposed to the trippy kind of grunge approach.

What motivated this evolution?
For a while I would only listen to 90s grunge and late 80s punk rock, so a lot of the new stuff came from that. But over the last year since we last recorded I've gotten into a lot more stuff that I listened to before I was in a band. Iv'e been listening to more death metal, grindcore and powerviolence. I've always been a a fan of death metal and stuff. Obviously with Max as a father he would show me stuff like Morbid Angel, Obituary and Napalm Death. But when I started writing music I wanted to do more of this trippy grunge stuff. Over the last year I've kind of fallen back into that heavier stuff. It all depends on what you listen too. You listen to one type of music that you really like and you're going to see that the influence impacts your own music. There's newer bands I've gotten into as well bands like Nails, Wormrot, Noisem and stuff, who are all really young guys doing death metal and grindcore. It's kind of pushed me to see how heavy we could go with Lody Kong without losing our style. It still has the style of Lody Kong but a lot heavier.

Finish this sentence for me "I've never told this story before and probably shouldn't but..."
That's a tough one right there! (Laughs) I probably really shouldn't be telling this because my moms going to hear this. There's this one time we were all fried out on acid when my parents were out of town and we threw this huge fucking party and everything got thrashed and the house was destroyed. The next morning we were all laughing because my parents had security cameras built around our house because we had a stalker once. So we were all at our house that one night, and everything we had done the entire night was captured on video that my parents can go back and look at whenever they want too. That was about a week before Lody Kongs very first tour, this is about 2 years ago, we wanted a party before we left. We threw this huge rager and found out everything we did was caught on camera.

What is it that you love so much about music?
The energy. There's so many different kinds of energy that you can produce with music. Like I said earlier, I listen to grunge and punk rock, but I also listen to completely different spectrums of music like death metal and stuff. I love the vibe that you can create through music. Stuff like Blind Melon which is really chill and has nice melodies, before a good metal show I 'll put on Napalm Death or Carcass to get me excited. The fact that one person can listen to fifteen different kinds of music that's really what I love about it. The fact that I can wake up in this mood and listen to this band, or wake up angry and listen to another band to deal with that.

That's the big thing with Lody Kong, we want to have almost every single song have a new vibe behind it. It's where a lot of the Lody Kong stuff comes from. Like Zyon, our drummer and my brother, he makes hip hop beats for sale, just for fun on the side because he likes old hip hop. Our guitar player John listens to the Pixies and Minor Threat and there's me into death metal and other types of grunge. You take 20 different kinds of energizing music to produce what you want and you get something totally new. The energy in music is just astounding.

Any last words of wisdom?
If you're in a small  band, keep going, keep writing, keep doing what you can, that's what Lody Kong will always do. Be on the lookout for us on tour later this year, keep your eyes peeled for the album coming out hopefully in September or October.

Heartless Folk

That's right folks, more punk rock. Today I bring you the insane and violent rockers from Heartless Folk, a punk band from the blasted lands of of Berkeley, California. With a vicious attack and a destructive delivery, Heartless Folk know how to bring a hefty dose of rock and roll anarchy to their music. Their songs are short and don't demand a lot of attention. Their blasting attack will capture the heart of anyone who loves punk rock in its purest form. There is nothing friendly or easy about Heartless Folk, no, you must prepare yourself for a heavy delivery of punk at maximum velocity. These guys do not mess around, they have a clear message and a harsh delivery and if you don't like it, too bad. So sure, the sound isn't polished, the vocals are shouted, the playing isn't always super tight, but that's the point! Heartless Folk crash out of the gate and rip your throat out before you even know what has happened to you. If you want refreshing and destructive punk that honors its musical ancestors then be sure to check out their new self titled EP!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/HeartlessFolk

Dick Venom & The Terrortones

Somewhere along the line, in that weird period that we collectively refer to as the 90s, rock and roll lost its raw hedonism, that adolescent and primal magic that made so much rock worth listening to. When that crazed youth vamoosed we were left in a vacuum only filled by shoegaze musicians. Now, while shoegaze is good, can it really match the madness of the MC5 or The Troggs? This is why we have Dick Venom and the Terrortones, they are here to restore our sense of rock and roll with fun and bombastic music that gets to your gut and reminds us what rock and roll should really be about. Their new single Invasion of the Spider Queen/Planet of the Honeyfuzz represents the filth and grime that need to accumulate to create something as glorious as these guys have made. An image heavy band who know exactly what they want to do Dick Venom & The Terrortones could very well lead a return to straight up rock and roll, and none of this vest metal stuff, but pure, unadulterated, unapologetic Iggy Pop inspired punk. Check them out!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/DickVenomandtheTerrortones

Nippercreep

Nippercreep is a solid punk band signed with Chabane's Records. Their vicious sound comes after a decade of honing their music to the fast and loose pile of punk glory that it is. These guys are rude, crude, and proud of it, not afraid to showcase the raw rebellion that makes true punk what it is. The riffs are pretty simple and straightforward, the songwriting basic at best but the ethos is completely perfect. Nippercreep 'get' punk, and they are not afraid to glorify the altar of punk gods like The Sex Pistols. Their music video for their track 2000 Bouzes (Oh yes, these guys are a French language band) perfectly demonstrates what the band is about with their small, furious crowds and their DIY philosophy. Suffice to say, if you're looking for a vicious punk band who really get what the genre is all about and who seek to keep the spirit of true punk alive now and forevermore then Nippercreep is the band for you. Intelligent and unapologetic I'm excited to see what the future holds for the musical force that is Nippercreep.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/nippercreep

Dokumentia

Dokumentia is one of the most recent bands to put out a record with France's Chabane's Records. Their new release Kakkonen is a Finnish language garage punk record with a rock edge that is fun to listen to and topped off with good vibes. The riffs here are overall very simple yet they are played with such a wonderful rock and roll joy that you have to love them. The harsh, semi shouted, semi sung vocals are very much in the garage punk vein and give a sort of Sex Pistols feel to tracks like Koiria. The songs tend to be rather short to, keeping things interesting and fresh with a constant battery of new ideas, there are plenty of things on this record that pay tribute to the gods and this band would fit right in with classic punk acts like The Plasmatics. Yet the rock and roll heart of the music gives it its own flavor and almost reminds me of groups like Valient Thorr, or my hometown favorites Rollin Loaded. In conclusion, if you're looking for a wonderful rock band who is a little different and who are not afraid to embrace their punk side then Dokumentia is the band for you.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/dokumentia

Interview with Valient Himself of Valient Thorr!

So today I had the huge honor of getting to interview Valient Himself of Valient Thorr, a true metal lord who is currently on tour in support of the bands new record Our Own Masters which will be released in a few days! (June 18^th) In the interview we talk about the ideas behind the album, the bands top secret new video (we get some secrets!) and the groups future!

Be sure to find Valient Thorr on Facebook HERE!

Find Valient Himself TOO!

Enjoy!

Our Own Masters comes out in less than a week! How are you feeling about the record?

I feel really good about it, I feel really excited about it! We worked so hard on it and it's all ready to go and everything. Yet there's more hurdles to jump through, trying to get the promotion and distribution done right. After you do all of your part, we could make the best record in the world, but if it's not out there for people to have it would be like it didn't exist. Story of a whole. That's what I'm frustrated about right now, we're having some issue with that. It's finished and ready to go but its like how many are pressed is it where it needs to be, is it ready to go? But we're fucking super psyched about it. We've been on tour the past two days and it was the first time we ever played the songs live. To reference the new record there's a lot of nervous energy going on. Its wild!

So the songs have gone down well live? How has the general buzz kind of been?

We've been playing it live and people have been excited. They sound different than they do in the studio and different than from the rehearsal space, we're still feeling them out. We did 8 the first night and 6 the next night and the reception so far has been good but we're only two shows in.

How do you feel the general buzz from the press has been?

There's been more buzz about this record than any other one we've had so far, maybe just because of the different teams we've had in Europe and in the US. I have no idea if its reaching more people or what. I don't even know how that stuff works. I've done like 4 times the interviews for this record than I normally do if that's any telltale sign.

What helps to make this record unique and different from the previous ones?

Well each part of this record was written by the band as a whole rather than a separate member writing a part and putting all of those parts together. I think we really considered each part of it. There were multiple parts written for each song riff wise, chorus wise and lyric wise. The arrangement too we really got into, we started that on the last record thinking about arrangement. This time we thought about the meanings of things. This time we really let everybody put a whole lot of input if this riff wasn't working we tried another, trying to find the best part. On the last record there were like 24 demos and on this record there were 85! And they were all completely different. We're talking about 15 songs and they're all completely different, each was done like 5-6 different ways.

So was it hard to determine what should become the final product? How did you pick and choose among the demos?

It was a combination of all the demos. It was tough, its harder to do it this way. You want your part in and other people want there part in and you really have to decide what the best part is. Eventually you start to go, “Maybe that part is best” in the beginning its frustrating but it gets easier as it goes along. In the end you have a much more cohesive record, its not just one guy standing up there playing the parts that he believes in, its the whole band behind something they all believe in.

So how did you come up with the lyrics for this album?

Well like I said, every person contributed. In the past I wrote maybe the first three records worth and took a couple of lines from the others on the fourth and fifth. But here there's a verse here a chorus there, everybody contributed and their stuff got in.

So you'd say that the greatest challenge on this record was making it all cohesive or was there another moment of great adversity?

That was probably it. Working out something we were all loving. We were all dealing with stuff we have never dealt with before. There's all sorts of stuff going on like births, deaths, marriages, family type shit. You have to take hold of it and do what you can. When life happens you have to make it congeal all together.

So did those life things impact the record?

They all impacted the record because we couldn't make them go away. I like to call them invisible obstacles because everybody's jumping these hurdles that you don't see. You don't know whats going on with every person. The way you treat people can help or hinder them in the stuff they're dealing with every day and so that's why I try to be positive otherwise I could make lives harder than they are. The longer life goes on and the more possibilities you have and the more things unravel and we've never dealt with some of these things so that's what a good portion of these songs are about.

Do you have a favorite song off this record?

I don't know. Usually when I have a favorite record from some other band I'll listen to the whole thing through and at some point or another almost every song on the record will be my favorite on the record. Take for example Frank Blacks Teenager of the Year, I think there's 21 songs on that record and at one point or another 15 or 16 of them have been my favorite on that record. I have no idea about my favorite song on this record though. I like the speed of Crowdpleaser but it's so hard to perform live, I like the feel of No Strings Attached its like nothing we've ever done before. I get chills when I'm listening to it in the car. We all live in different cities now so when I was driving to rehearse and I was like, this doesn't even sound like us, but we did it! At first I didn't like Torn Apart as much. It was supposed to start off as a kind of Animals type song and it eventually became what one of my buddies called a solo Ozzy type song and its become one of my favorite songs to play live right now because it sounds fully realized. All the parts are there and we're about to have a video come out for in about a week, I'm not exactly sure when. But that song is probably the most realized on the record.

So that video... Can you give us a hint as to what it will be about or is that top secret?

It's supposed to be top secret but its coming out in a week so I'll tell you. So It's like if you took Office Space and Apocalypse and put them together into the Wizard of Oz formula. It's pretty wild, you'll just have to watch the whole thing. That will make sense once you see the video.

Can you tell me what's going on in the cover art?

Like I said we had different things we had never dealt with before and Lucien the drummers father passed away last year and he was a big supporter of the band since the beginning and he painted that in 1975. And Lucien had it hanging in his living room while growing up. So one of his business partners down in Florida had it and we asked if we could use it and he was like 'Sure, ok!' We did it as a tribute to Lucien's father. It also had a lot of the themes we were writing about like going through hell and coming out the other side and using that as an analogy for the possibility of the end of the world and its 2013 and classical literature like Paradise Lost and Dantes Inferno shit like that. There was so much that united the whole record together like family and themes and inspiration and this painting was a big part of the record. And it looks like a record from 1975 because the art was done in 1975! It makes sense to us. Speaking personally a lot of my favorite stuff is from the 70s too so there's that.

In a couple places there were nods to older bands like The Who and Garage punk bands was that intentional?

I don't think any of that was completely intentional. We never go and say 'Oh lets make a song like Suicidal Tendencies' we don't do that. You can tell though when you're like oh that sounds like Black Flag! For me the song No Strings Attached doesn't sound like Thin Lizzy but it has that Thin Lizzy vibe for me. So those kind of things happen but they're definitely unintentional. But again I think we have such diverse influences, in the past you might have had two or three of those in one song. And on this record we tried to make the songs different. The record is more diverse than any of the other ones, the songs are diverse but we try to keep the parts to one song to keep it grounded in its space. Thats what we do with No Strings Attached and Crowdpleaser, one is like a Thin Lizzy type song and the other is like a fast Motorhead jam. We just start writing and that just comes out then after we look back and say, 'Oh that's were that probably came from'.

You've commented before that this is your most diverse record thus far, was that a goal going in or did that just happen?

It just happened. We just start writing. We probably tried to make it more cohesive than diverse. We all have such different influences that if we try to appease each other and make it the most cohesive record there's going to be a lot of different stuff in there because we all like to speak up.

So now I'm just wondering, how do you plan on developing Valient Thorr's sound in the future?

I have no idea! I know that we still have some ideas that we're working on for some new songs. Each time it gets to the point where it feels like its just has to get down it turns out different. It's all about where you are I don't know about were we'll be when we put it down in the future, that will factor into it.

So it's basically you're personal experiences that shape the music?

Exactly! We try to stay relevant and there's a lot of current events embedded in each action and a lot of it depends on where we're at. For example the two albums we recorded before this we did in Seattle and it's like a beautiful place and we have lots of friends so there's lots of distractions and I feel like that's tied into the albums. I feel like with this record we did in Athens Georgia and we didn't know anybody and I didn't have any money to have any fun so there weren't any distractions and we were really focused on the record the whole time. It wasn't like 'He's doing guitar so I can fuck off and watch movies all day' We were in their together the whole time critiquing and trying to figure out ways to make it the best it could be. That's a big part of it and if it goes forward that way it'll keep getting better and better.

What other exciting stuff do you have planned for this year?

We have the record coming out and tour in the US then three days later a tour in Europe then three weeks later a tour on the West Coast then another European tour after that. Then we want to go into territories we have never been in before like Russia, Mexico, South America, Japan... There's so many spots we haven't been too before. Once everything that needs taking care of is taken care of we're going to try to expand a little bit, go to new places and see if we can get influences from there.

So what do you love so much about music?

I don't think I can get around life without music. Every job I've ever had I've always been able to listen to music. Every time you're in a weird mood you can alter your mood by listening to music. You don't need drugs. I'm not advocating not to use drugs, I'm just saying for me personally if I'm down I use music. Maybe it's like women buying shoes or something like that but I'm always excited about discovering new music from different places and different times. I like the history of it too and connecting the dots with it. I nerd out about that like how other people nerd out about the Civil War.

Any last words of wisdom?

I don't know man, just don't piss into the wind!

Degeneration Fuzz

Degeneration Fuzz is a cool modern grunge band from Wigan. Their music is a heavy brand of the sound Nirvana pioneered with the same nasal and emotional vocals that gave Cobain so much success. Yet their is something more to be had here. While the exterior might scream 90s grunge there are some darker elements which suggest that at least one band member is a major Celtic Frost fan (A band which Cobain himself loved dearly), there are even touches of Earth Crisis here and there. In other words, Degeneration Fuzz present a slightly darker brand of grunge with all of the same ferocious energy and the grit that originally made the genre so good. I love the shouted vocals on songs like Alcohol, they give a really great vibe to the music. Things become a lot more enjoyable once you realize how much fun these garage rockers are having. Degeneration Fuzz is simply a blast to listen too because they embody so much of what rock and roll should be about. To finish, if you're looking for a grunge band who 'get it' then Degeneration Fuzz is definitely something you're going to want to check out!

Listen to this madness on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/degenerationfuzz/app_2405167945

The Final Fight

The Final Fight is a groovy hard rock band with a major bluesy influence. Since 2011 they have been belting out a devastating mix of blues, rock and metal. Their riffs are filled with a great crunchy tone that gives their sound an impressive meatiness. It really captures the magic of 70s era bluesy hard rock bands like Bachmann Turner Overdrive. The funk influence is also clearly apparent and helps the riffs to become a lot tastier. Meanwhile the solos have a bluesy might to them that is hard to find in the 21st century. The groove embodied by the band is great and the rhythmic element is obviously key to the band. The swagger of this power trio is also impressive. It allows the band to strut their stuff and portray themselves as the rock gods who they seek to be. Also, the garage rock feel of songs like Day By Day put the band in the realm of the  magic garage punk bands of the 70s and 80s. Its surprisingly addictive and a joy to listen to. In conclusion, if you want to find some old school heavy rock and roll with a big blues feel then The Final Fight might just be right for you!

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreTheFinalFight/app_2405167945