Sulfuric Hatred - S/T

 

Sulfuric Hatred just dropped some of the most oppressive and striking warnoise that I have heard in a good long time. Their abrasive, unrelenting sounds are the epitome of gut wrenching grindviolence and makes for some deeply compelling, endlessly engaging stuff. Sure it's going to be alienating to those of us who aren't committed to the cause, but for those of us deep in the underground the unrelenting crush of Sulfuric Hatred is going to scratch a very specific itch. It may not be for everyone - but it certainly resonates with me. 

What mesmerizes me about this record is the sheer chaos the band harnesses. Songs like "Foul Poison Insatiable" feel like the auditory equivalent of being trapped in an avalanche - which is exactly what makes it so much fun. Sulfuric Hatred is evil in a way that few of the bands peers can ever really harness. It's death metal that leans into so many of the genres most punishing tropes and does so with a savage sense of glee. It's the selfsame bloodlust that made so much extreme metal so compelling in the first place. If you're looking for sounds of unrelenting desperation and savagery then you could do a lot worse than this. 

Noisy, heavy and unafraid to wear their influences on their sleeve, Sulfuric Hatred consistently showcases that this band is on another level. In some ways this is the platonic ideal of what noisy death metal is supposed to be, high powered and unforgiving. If you're not ready to let yourself get sucked up in the violence then you'd best not put your headphones on because this one takes no prisoners and only gets gnarlier with every passing spin. 

Pre-order the album!

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/album/sulfuric-hatred

Vessel Of Iniquity - The Path Unseen

 

Vessel of Iniquity are a group who fuse black metal, grindcore and harsh noise into a wonderfully blasphemous and fascinating whole. There is a twisted vision behind their music and a terrifying approach that I think fans of the underground will find themselves going in deep on as they attempt to understand the twisted ideologies and terrifying execution behind a record that is this aggressively esoteric and dense. The Path Unseen is a veritable masterwork, a sometimes hard to listen too masterwork, but a masterwork nonetheless. 

The Path Unseen is a potent step forward for Vessel Of Iniquity from their excellent 2021 release The Doorway, which itself was a step up from previous albums from this wonderfully prolific project. It sees the sound taken to massive new breadths and executed in a way that I think very few of the groups peers could even imagine. The execution of a track like "A Door Once Opened..." borders on the terrifying just with how huge it sounds. When Vessel Of Iniquity are at their best their music feels like it is unveiling the depths of space and you begin to realize just how insignificant and unimportant you are, and to be confronted by that with music is... it's a lot. 

This is another wonderful release from the always excellent Sentient Ruin. It very much ties into the labels ethos of releasing punishing, terrifying and incredibly heavy music. While this is certainly not a record for the uninitiated, for those of us who spend endless late nights in dive bars trying to experience some of the most intense music possible, it's a thrilling offering that rewards listeners for their dedication and perseverance. Vessel Of Iniquity have pushed themselves to new heights and leave listeners gawping in the face of a godless universe. You need The Path Unseen in your life. 

 Pre-order the album!

http://sentientruin.com/releases/vessel-of-iniquity-the-path-unseen

Subduer - Death Monolith

There is something to be said for music that makes my cat visibly nervous. Billed as 'lo fi terrorist death noise' the balls out demented sonic assault of Subuder is apocalyptic to say the least. With harsh noise frills accenting a sound that is bleak, unrelenting and purely twisted it's hard not to be mesmerized by the blazing and fierce assault of Death Monolith. The bands devotion to lo fi and grim scenarios only serves to make them all the more delectable and the twisted soundscapes they conjure up can't help but to fascinate.

The twisted burning wreckage that is Subduers music seems to get only more mind melting with every passing track. Death Monolith shows us a band committed to toiling in obscurity and loving every minute of it. The demented screams are only counterbalanced by strangely catchy grooves. Toss in a gnarly drum sound and you start to see why Subuder can't help but to catch my eye. They borrow from a vast variety of influences and at times this record almost feels like Metal Machine Music, intent on making the listener feels as uncomfortable as possible at all times. I kind of love it for that.

Absolutely and delightfully punishing Subduer are more than just another noisy death metal band. They take the concept of groups like Full Of Hell and push it to its logical extreme. They look at Flipper and think 'this isn't weird enough'. That is where Subduer are coming from with Death Monolith. Sure there's only four songs here but that serves to only make the vile desecrations of this band all the more fascinating. You can't help but to dig in to Death Monolith. It's bleak and bizarre. What's not to love?

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

Casas - S/T

Casas have just dropped one of the most intense and utterly fascinating records that Brooklyn has spat out in the last few years. This is an album that terrifies, it batters the listener and it pushes us into weird new sonic landscapes. It's a record that taps into the promise of Swans and also the years of magic from New York City's lauded experimental scene. As punishing as this record is, if you're someone who likes to take a walk on the wild side and experience a more fucked up reality, then I guarantee that you will fall in love. 

The punishing sonic assault of these tracks reminds us of why Casas managed to climb to the top of the grime heap in the first place. The visceral misery and endless crust of a song like Malignancy speaks volumes to the bands compositional ability. There is a certain appeal to music that makes your body physically hurt when listened too at high volume and Casas are able to invoke exactly that with this release. It chokes you out and makes it nigh on impossible for you to accept the bitter and broken realities painted within Within this darkness though there is something strangely comforting that you keep wanting to come back to.

Few bands properly fuse harsh electronics and doom metal. Not only do Casas execute with aplomb they do it with a unique lineup and a sense of torment that none of their peers can match. It's easy to get lost in this record, the twisted realities unfold before your eyes and push you into darker regions than you thought previously possible. Casas is a masterpiece and one I'm desperately curious to continue unpacking. Almost over the top in its sonic ugliness I can't help but listen in on these aural blasphemies again and again.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/casasasasasas/

The Austerity Program, Child Bite and KEN Mode at the Acheron

The Acheron is rapidly becomign one of my favorite places to see a show in New York City and not just because it's a ten minute walk away from my apartment. Nay - this runs deeper than that. The Acheron is one of those venues that reeks of the underground, with seedy posters lining the walls and a bar next door that serves some of the best food you can find in Williamsburg. The point being - it's the kind of place where we are meant to see extreme music, and with the three bands that played last night we were all left in awe.

First up was Austerity Program who played one of the most unique sets I've ever seen. Aided by a powerpoint they helped us identify which bands they ripped off. I kid you not. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen and a bizarre reflection of the oh-so-serious attitude that has come to define the underground music community in recent years. Musically these guys are pretty tight too - a wonderful fit to open for an act like KEN Mode. There sound is abrasive and intelligent - like a more extreme version of Swans. They were a joy to watch - and not just because of the silly presentation - truly a band for the whole family to get fucked up too!

Child Bite played a very impressive set as always. Their distinct brand of Mr Bungle driven punk and hardcore always captures my heart. They're one of the most fascinating bands on the world today and watching a maniac like Shawn Knight tear up the stage for each and every ode to violence, madness and the generally fucked up state of the world is just unreal. Is the barren mean more to the underground that I think even they realize they're sound is just perfect for this time and place of chaotic it's weird but it's also incredibly intelligent. And yet despite it all - these guys are a blast to listen too - maybe that's why Phil Anselmo likes them so much!

Finally the hour had come for KEN Mode. Relying predominantly on material from the new record - the stellar Success these guys simply blew me away. The other time I had seen them had been in a massive room in Texas so getting to watch a band this genre bending in such a small club was really fun. They destroyed the room - Jesse Matthewson's demented faces casting a strange pallor onto the audience. These guys feel it in every bone in their body and it's strangely unsettling to watch them perform. On their classic Never Was everyone in the audience seemed entranced, crying out nihilistic anthems for a new generation. KEN Mode are still pushing boundaries years into their career and it's kind of exciting to see that their brainiest and most extreme stuff is still to come.

I walked home on that beautiful October evening and felt content in what I had witness. I had met good dudes, reveled in the murk, and found myself drowning in volume - a great way to spend any night on the road. Child Bite and KEN Mode remain two of the most exciting bands in metal and watching them continue to destroy the globe is never going to get old. The scene is about to hit it's most exciting moments yet and bands like these are leading the charge, there aren't many more dates on this tour but if you get a chance - go see it, it's not one to be missed.

Find the bands on Facebook!

The Austerity Program: https://www.facebook.com/theausterityprogram?fref=ts

Child Bite: https://www.facebook.com/childbite?fref=ts

KEN Mode: https://www.facebook.com/kenmode?fref=ts

KEN mode - Success

KEN mode have somehow manage to remain one of the most exciting bands in heavy music over a deep and fascinating discography, yet many fans started to feel like with the last couple of records they were starting to hit roadblocks. Success proves that KEN mode still have a lot left in the tank They have unleashed some of the most exciting and penetrating heavy music I have heard in a good long while. Success has an extremely visceral sense of its own humanity and forces the listener into a ball, overwhelming them with glorious noise punk.

Their is a sense of KEN mode moving forward with Success. The way they have managed to craft and refine overwhelming anthems that have an almost Lou Reed-esque majesty is stunning. This is heavy music unlike any you have heard before, it seems like the logical goal for what has always been a rather experimental band. The sense of anger is more palatable than ever, years of touring and dealing with the frustration of the metal world has seemingly left KEN mode darker than ever, ready to reach out and fuck you over. Success strips back all that KEN mode do and makes them distinctly interesting.

The fact of the matter is that this band are proving that they are changing the very future of metal with their raw and beautiful anger. There is something incredibly human with what KEN mode have pulled apart with this latest record. The sense of desperation that defines this record and that dominates Matthewsons vocals helps to make it all the more fascinating. KEN mode understand what it means to play punk rock and to push the limits, and Success seems to be the bands absolute best and most innovative work to date.

Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/kenmode?fref=ts

Throatruiner Fest in Paris (@Glazart - 14/05/2015)

When I started writing for Two Guys Metal reviews, one of the main personal objectives I had set out for was to promote and expose the very best of France's hardcore and metal scene, a goldmine of talent severely lacking of the recognition it deserves. Moreover, it hurts me all the more to run into all too many French heavy music enthusiasts claiming that you can count all of the great French metal and hardcore acts on one hand. To these people I dedicate this following article, and to these people I proudly present to them 8 more bands for them to count.

Last Thursday at the Glazart, Paris celebrated the 5th anniversary of one of the country’s' most heavily armed record labels: Throatruiner records. 8 bands, 8 of France's most devastating acts lined up to delivers nearly 8 hours of sonic mayhem.

Right from the get-go, the show kicked off by jumping straight to business with the first of 8 loud, bleak and incredibly abrasive bands scheduled for the evening: Calvaiire. Fronted by none other than the head Throatruiner himself, Matthias Jungbluth, the  metallic hardcore act made for an explosive opening act with its noisy dissonant guitars delivering chaotic syncopated riffs over cataclysmic drum grooves, coupled with Matthias' inhuman vocals (a hybrid between Jacob Bannons' vocals and those of a pissed of humanoid insect from another planet).

Lined up next and ready to keep our blood pumping were the Bayonne-based hardcore act known as The Rodeo Idiot engine, ready to blast our ears with their 30 minute set of wailing guitar riffs and Gatling drums. With their solid half-hour setlist, the band successfully made all hell break loose with a well-articulated setlist showcasing influences from post-hardcore, sludge and black metal amongst others. Their energetic stage presence made for an all the more memorable show, with axes swinging, cymbals swaying and cables flying and dancing through the air. 

Local psychopathic hardcore act Comity stepped up next. Articulating their sound around a post-hardcore baseline, this eclectic and innovative band from Paris kept the show going with their dense, volatile compositions effortlessly tying together influences from mathcore, post-hardcore and noise rock within their ambitious lengthy songs. With a fine-tuned sense of bittersweet melody sprinkled on the bands' set, Comity led the show with a fine balance of winding riffs and crushing sludge-driven landscapes.

The fourth band of the evening, the Lorient-based ear-wreckers known as Death Engine were up next. Out of all of the bands scheduled to play this evening, this one were quite possibly the loudest and the noisiest. Take the climactic, long-winded compositions of a post-metal song, the crushing slow edge of Neurosis, the down pouring desperation of post-hardcore and add a bleak shoegaze-inspired wall of sound and some noise-rock grittiness and what you get is the uncompromising sound of Death Engine. Yet another brilliant show by a promising and original band brilliantly standing out from tonight’s' heavy lineup.

The second half of the evening started off with quite possibly one of the most pissed off bands of the night, the Holy Terror inspired hardcore act from Paris known as Cowards, here to promote their latest chapter in the bands' ruthless discography, titled "Rise to Infamy". The band started off their set slow and steady with a sludgy, massive, evil opener, setting the tone for the rest of the show before letting all hell break loose and unleashing their pitch-black brand of sonic savagery. More than a mere hardcore act, Cowards draws from the bleak, tortured realms of black metal and the groovy low end of sludge metal to deliver filthy, hellish vocals (inspired by bands such as Arkangel and Kickback) , guttural baselines and dissonant riffs, making for the perfect balance between cacophonous chaos and groove.

After the demise of one of Frances' most infamous hardcore bands, Cowards seem to make for a serious contender as one of france's most abrasive bands, with their incredibly abrasive sonic savagery and their great stage performances.

Next up on stage were the Toulouse-based four piece Plebeian Grandstand, ready open up a black hole with their impenetrably black, apocalyptic sonic wrath. With their great stage presence and incredibly dense sound delivered at maximum volume, the band managed to keep their audience present after five sets worth of relentless heaviness. Not unlike Death Engine, the audience was once more hit by a thick wall of sound, yet this time with a strong, distinct experimental black metal edge delivered with the intensity and aggression of a hardcore act. While this kind of music doesn't always work as well live as in the studio, Plebeian Grandstand did a great job when it came to taking both the atmospheric vibe and their ruthlessness to the stage.

 Deathwish Inc.'s very own French protégés were up next to hit the stage to play a set I, for one, had been waiting to see ever since having first heard their album. Birds In Row were finally back to kick some Parisian ass and were largely prepared to do so. The Laval based screamo-infused hardcore punk trio quite simply conquered the stage along with each and every square inch of the venue as soon as they unleashed their fiery energy. Each and every band member was at the top of their game, blasting away and fueled by an unmistakably genuine sense of passion. Seeing a band sing and play their hearts out like this was absolutely enthralling, to the point where their 35 minute seemed to have flown by in what seemed to be a mere 10 minutes.

Last but certainly not least on the bill for the evening, As We Draw were there to close off the show. For their headlining set, As We Draw had decided to make use of their 50 minute set by dedicating it to their latest album, the cosmic voyage that is "Mirages", allowing them to properly lay out their somber sonic textures and set up an atmosphere for the set. Their show made for a perfect balance between bursts of frenetic, heartfelt aggression and cathartic, floating sonicscapes with clear, spaced out instrumentations beautifully intertwining with one another to create a distinctive, introspective, raw and visceral live sound unlike any other.
By brilliantly combining the likes of heartgripping essence of Post-hardcore with the compositional ambition of post-metal, As We Draw will take to the moon and back and make for yet another prime example of an underrated display of brilliance deserving of more recognition in France and overseas.

And thus yet another great evening had come to a close. I walked out of the Glazart that night more confident than ever in the french heavy music scene. If this night was proof of anything, it would be of an incredible amount of talent and passion deserving more exposure. I can only urge you to look up these bands to hear this all for yourself and find out for yourself why this goldmine of a record label deserves our utmost support and attention. French readers out there will also be glad to hear that this might be the last Throatruiner fest, which give us all the more reason to make sure events like these happen more often.

Robin

Photos by Rémy Barbe

A Huge thank you goes out to all of the bands and especially to Matthias of Throatruiner for making both this live report and both interviews possible. Long live Throatruiner!

CALVAIIRE  (Noise/hardcore, Laval)
http://music.throatruinerrecords.com/album/forceps
http://facebook.com/calvaiire
THE RODEO IDIOT ENGINE  (Noise/hardcore, Bayonne)
http://music.throatruinerrecords.com/album/consequences
http://facebook.com/Therodeoidiotengine
COMITY (Noise/hardcore, Paris)
http://music.throatruinerrecords.com/album/the-journey-is-over-now
http://facebook.com/pages/Comity/351656149310
DEATH ENGINE  (Noise/hardcore, Lorient)
http://music.throatruinerrecords.com/album/mud
http://facebook.com/deathenginesound
COWARDS (Hardcore/sludge, Paris)
http://music.throatruinerrecords.com/album/rise-to-infamy
http://facebook.com/cowardsparis
PLEBEIAN GRANDSTAND (Black metal/hardcore, Toulouse)
http://music.throatruinerrecords.com/album/lowgazers
http://facebook.com/pages/PLEBEIAN-GRANDSTAND/160680714032
AS WE DRAW  (Post-metal, Laval)
http://music.throatruinerrecords.com/album/mirages
http://facebook.com/aswedraw
BIRDS IN ROW (Hardcore/punk, Laval)
http://music.throatruinerrecords.com/album/collected
http://facebook.com/birdsinrow

Witch of the Waste - Made Of Teeth

Witch of the Waste represent the perfect mix of noisy and blasty extreme metal with something greater, giving a sense of majesty to some incredibly lush, yet visceral sounding music. The slow build that introduces their new EP, the vitriolic Made Of Teeth suddenly cuts off, only to come back fiercer than ever before. Full of surprises, this is a band who seem unafraid to push the boundaries on extreme music. Witch of the Waste sound like what would happen if you took a chainsaw to a raw never, and it's fucking glorious. 

The crashing chords that define this record are only accentuated by harsh vocals that seem to be a natural extension of the singers very personality. There is a sense of total aural trauma that is found throughout the record and just beats the listener over the head with every passing minute. Over far too quickly Made Of Teeth leaves you wondering what the hell just happened to you. Witch of the Waste know exactly what it means to crush lungs and use their psyched out sound to instill the listener with a sense of terror. Blazing forward with an ungodly might, Made Of Teeth isn't the easiest listen, but if you can hold on to the bucking bronco that is this band by God is it worth it.

What Witch of the Waste do that really gets me though is how they unabashedly borrow from cutting edge hardcore. Songs like She Burst Into Snakes make it very easy to compare Witch of the Waste to a group like Full of Hell. Miles ahead of their debut, the still charming All Other Voices Witch of the Waste will kick your teeth in and drive your head into the dirt. This is violent and gut wrenching metal at its finest. Usually straightforward but unafraid to get cerebral, Witch of the Waste are doing something truly exciting.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/witchofthewaste

Black Sheep Wall - I'm Going To Kill Myself

When Black Sheep Wall released No Matter Where It Ends in 2012 I was 16, and wondering if I would ever be cool enough to understand this kind of music. Now three years later I'm on the brink of 19 and realizing that, holy shit, these guys might actually be insane, and that is glorious. I'm Going To Kill Myself is abrasive as fuck, and not going to leave you with pretty little thoughts. No, this is an album that guides you to a dark road, even to suicide, because like I said, the guys in Black Sheep Wall might actually be insane.

There's actually something really mesmerizing about this record, in particular the thirty minute plus epic that is Metallica (By god I would love to know the lyrics to that little ditty) See, Black Sheep Wall have tapped into a perverted and beautiful segment of the human psyche. They give us a chance to reflect on our inner darkness and brood on the primeval evil that rules just a little below the surface. I'm Going To Kill Myself makes us face our demons and come to terms with how screwed up we all can be. In the end, I'm Going To Kill Myself will actually make you smile, it gives us a great glimpse at how perverted this whole gosh darned human comedy is.

Black Sheep Wall have all the wherewithal of a ton of bricks coming down to smash your teeth in. This is not a band to be messed with, they are instead going to capture your imagination and drag it deep into some sort of perverse Sarlaac pit. These are songs that thud there way into your mind and force you to realize that Black Sheep Wall are more than just a band, they are a vibe, an ideology even, something that will force you to broaden your horizons and realize that darkness is all that we see.

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

Teeth

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like music that makes me feel scared. Teeth are the kind of band that go for primal human emotions and leave you not only scared but also a little bit scarred. There sound isn't as polished as it should be, but that kind of adds to the sense of terror. The fact that this ungodly abomination of a band can leave me with such a feeling of pure horror and invoke such base instincts in me proves that they are masters of their craft. These songs lurch forward like some sort of Lovecraftian beast, there is not rhyme or reason to the terror within, it's just something you have to deal with on the unsteady march forward. As you inexorably wind your way through this record you are forced to face brutal truths about yourself and reflect on a much more profound and frankly terrifying inner darkness. Teeth could very well shatter your sanity, and I have to say I like it that way.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/Teethofficial

Full of Hell - Full Of Hell & Merzbow

Today I'm excited to review what will certainly be remembered as one of the most interesting collaborative efforts this year.  In an effort to push the boundaries of aggression into unexplored territories, grindcore act Full of Hell have decided to mark their 3rd full length release with an unexpected guest from the other side of the globe: the legendary godfather of Harsh Noise Masami Akita aka Merzbow. Being a Grindcore fan and having been a first-hand witness of the inhumane sonic intensity displayed at a Merzbow show, I had been hopelessly waiting to hear what a confrontation between these two extreme forms of music would sound like. My excitement upon first hearing about this wish come true did of course come with a hint scepticism, as there are so many ways this kind of project turn into a catastrophe. So does the album hold up to its potential? Let's get right into it, shall we.

It should come to no surprise to anyone remotely familiar with Full of Hell or Merzbow (or even their respective genres) that this release, while relatively short, is not an easy listen. From the first song to the last, the album grabs the listener by the throat with its 11 outbursts of pitch black sonic mayhem. For those who are unfamiliar with Full of Hell, the band delivers a jaw-droppingly heavy and fast sound of grindcore, with a dark, chaotic atmosphere from the likes of Gaza or Amenra. We're served with noisy, crushing guitar sounds, blast beats, d-beats and shrieking vocals paired with low pitched grunts.
The featuring of Merzbow on this release brings a side dish of chaotic, shrieking industrial noises that we've come to expect from the Japanoise artist. I will stress the fact that this is mainly a Full of Hell album. For a good part of the album Merzbow takes a step back in the mix and mainly serves to add an extra dirty layer to the sound or transition into the next song. For a majority of these songs, his sounds are mixed very low and are barely distinguishable from the bands' sonic chaos. There are some occasions like on the track Guardian Knot where the electronic shrieks will pierce through the mix and be integrated into the foreground of the song, but they remain scarce. However, about halfway into the tracklist, the band steps aside for an interlude fully orchestrated by the maestro of hearing loss. With the track Raise thee, Great wall, Bloody and terrible, the vocals are drowned in an industrial soundscape of hissing feedback that pierce through your eardrums and engine noises.
While the first half of the tracklist consists of lightning fast, short songs, the album slowly makes way for slower, longer compositions. These songs give more space for the band to interact with the noise and build up a dense, profoundly oppressing atmosphere.
The song High fells marks the entrance of some grim trumpet sounds, making the song sound like a funeral march. Ludjet Av Gud, the longest track, slowly dives into a moment of tense silence before resurfacing to the sounds of war drums and electronic hisses that sound like the wind blowing through a field about to be paved in blood. Finally the last song picks up the fast grindcore pace one last time for the finale and incorporates all of the sounds beautifully: the noisy guitar riffs intertwine with the trumpets the shrieks to give the listener one final adrenaline rush.

To wrap things up, it's safe to say that this release from Full of Hell does indeed live up to its potential. Full of Hell have tamed the untamable and harnessed the power of the beast to create something truly unique, and it definitely pays off. I highly recommend this release to anyone looking for an intense dose of pure sonic aggression.

Robin

Full of Hell

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/fullofhell

Band Bandcamp
 https://fullofhell.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-the-dial

Profound Lore bandcamp
https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/full-of-hell-merzbow

Bandit/Thunder Muscle Split

I don't have a lot of space to discuss this particular release, but let me just start off by saying this is definitely worth checking out. Bandit and Thunder Muscle are two of Delawares most exciting grindy powerviolencey noise punky bands and they both are doing some extremely cool things with their sound. With each and every song on the split being literally seconds long, this is definitely music for an ADD rattled generation. Bandit start it off with some really cool high energy music that you're not going to soon forget. There are some great grooves on these tracks that are nicely contrasted by powerviolence derived blasts of evil. Meanwhile, Thunder Muscle are not afraid to do some extremely unique stuff. I mean really, how many noise punk bands out there only use drums and bass? They bend the confines of the genre and give us something to stage dive too. I'll leave you with this, when I played a few cuts of this record on my radio show my supervisor happened to be in the room. Over the apocalyptic noise of Bandit he yelled "Is this supposed to be music, or is the monitor broken?"

Enjoy it kids.

Find the bands on Facebook!

Bandit: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bandit/598271890207961

Thunder Muscle: https://www.facebook.com/thundermuscleband

Reviewing Full of Hell @ Jam 24/7: Rusty Lawnmower Edition

Delaware is the middle-of-fucking-nowhere.  I've lived here all of my life, and there is no better way to describe it.  There is, then, perhaps no better representation of Delaware than Jam 24/7.  A tiny-ass venue packed into the back of a garage unit, it is a small and homey place that allows for patrons and bands to mix and mingle, providing an atmosphere that likens more to a house show than a proper booking.  You'd never imagine that when you roll up and park in this dingy little storage complex with three of your best friends that you're going to be tossing a tennis ball with the vocalist of one of your favorite underground death metal bands.  After paying for our tickets, all that was left was to wait for the first band of the night to kick it off.

There are two types of local bands that open shows in Delaware: carbon copies, and hidden gems. Delaware grindcore outfit Wojtek, to my disdain, happened to fall in the category of the former.  Their set opened with unintelligible harsh vocals that interrupted the amorphous blob that was the shrieking of their guitars.  It likely was not any help for them (or any of the bands of the night, for that matter) that the sound system seemed unable to handle the strain of harsh noise.  Although I found them relatively uninteresting, their set tore off the lid of a relatively docile summer evening and threw the crowd (and the show promoter) into a frenzy.

Next up was the Baltimore, MD based powerviolence act Sleep Disorder.  Their set consisted of raw as hell, rampaging punk, which was notably accented by the band's aesthetic - specifically the absence of one of their guitarist's strings (and his choice to play his instrument with a beer bottle cap).  Interestingly enough, the band featured Tyler Carnes, who performs vocals for underground death metal act Noisem, and his brother Billy.  The placement of the band on this set only served to up the ante and unsettle the crowd, which was granted sporadic visits of pit violence that built the tension for the evening and led wonderfully into the next act.

At this point in the night, Ides was scheduled to play but had not yet arrived.  Tyler spoke to the show promoter and received the go-ahead to play durings Ides' set time.  Noisem were the first band of the night to feature a true punk-friendly environment, despite their genre classification.  Having seen Noisem only two weeks prior in Philadelphia, I knew what to expect.  However, the maneuverability of the venue allowed them to surprise me with their energetic, frenetic death metal glory all over again, with Tyler half performing, half running the pit (and jumping from a speaker on to my head about two times).  Their skin-shredding solos only served to fully shatter whatever calm had been left up until that point in the night and allow the tension to bubble to the surface with a fantastically violent pit, even if it was plagued on occasion by the drunken stupor of the show's promoter.

Next up was Ides, a thoroughly satisfying hardcore act hailing from New Jersey.  Let it be duly noted that this band is not to be fucked with - within ten minutes of arriving at the venue, their barely-five-foot female vocalist unloaded the contents of her stomach on my buddy Jack's shoes as she screamed, pushed, and shoved in the pit, and followed it up afterwards with an encore in the parking lot.  Their sound was very distinguishable from the other opening bands, with the steady, calculated riffing of an up-and-coming hardcore act planted like a flag amidst the sea of death metal and grindcore.  Their no-fucks-given attitude got the crowd jumping, swinging, and running, not pausing for a moment to allow breath to be drawn.  It was refreshing to see this sort of variety on the set, allowing for some good old-fashioned hardcore dancing and a short break from the  "shred-your-face-off" intensity that the rest of the bands had brought so far.

Following Ides was Artificial Brain, a death metal act representing the NYC.  I have to admit, up until now my musical taste has been primarily laser-focused on hardcore and drone metal, and though I had become immersed in the violent glory that is Noisem, few death metal acts have truly gripped me.  It was with mild interest that I dragged myself in to witness the first half of their set (while simultaneously attempting to navigate the five-person circle pit that had formed).  In all honesty, their musical prowess was undeniable.  The exhale growls their vocalist seemed to pride himself on were bone-chillingly inhuman, and had I discovered them before this set, I am sure that I would have been much more engaged.  However, the band was relatively a stagnant presence on a stage that had been, up until now, run by energetic front(wo)men, which dragged down the quality of their set a notch.

The final show for the night was Ocean City hardcore punk/grindcore quartet Full of Hell.  This band had captured my attention a few months ago with their 2012 split with Code Orange Kids, embodying the sheer bare-bones, grinding violence that is hardcore punk at its finest.  Vocalist Dylan Walker, one of the most mild-mannered and kind human beings, completely shifts gears as a performer.  Dropping into a stance akin to a human spider, he weaves back and forth with sheer hatred behind his penetrating gaze, challenging anybody to disrespect their surroundings.  The feedback-prevalent set served to provide a pervasive sense of discomfort that pushed anybody listening towards a slow descent into madness, which manifested itself with one of the most violent pits I have yet seen in my ten year history of show attendance.  With an abundance of headbanging, fist pounding, head-smashing glory, Full of Hell rained beautiful chaos.

There is not much that can be said that can summarize a night full of friends, beer, and violence.  To call it "fun" would be a disservice, reducing each individual aspect that made the bill great into one all encompassing and bland summation.  What can be said that provides closure for such a night?  I suppose the state of my body as I'm writing this would be a great testament to the energy of yesterday evening; I'm bruised, my neck is causing me a migraine, and my feet feel as if they've been run through a rusty fucking lawnmower.  Party on.

Find them on Facebook!

Sleep Disorder: https://www.facebook.com/sleepidisdis
Noisem: https://www.facebook.com/NoisemBaltimore
Artificial Brain: https://www.facebook.com/ArtificialBrainMusic
Full of Hell: https://www.facebook.com/fullofhell

Shadow of the Torturer-Dronestown

One of the things that I've always really valued about droney doom metal is its ability to genuinely terrify the listener. As I sit here listening to Dronestown, I realize that Shadow of the Torturer have truly done it, they've managed to craft a record that is distinctly disturbing and all the more powerful because of it. The colossal bottom end and frightening trudge of Dronestown makes it a record that is not meant to be taken lightly and in fact leaves you beaten and bloody. Make no mistake, this is heavy metal music to annihilate your soul.

As the bass provides its frankly frightening trudge at the beginning of Indianapolis-Ukiah you get a sense for the inhuman might of this band. There is a strange sense of orchestration on this record too, as evidenced by the melodic and powerful passages that help to keep the record exciting and unique. The guitar lines here are finely crafted, formed to give the listener a complete doom metal overdose. The growls are unholy and evil, they reek of the darkest pits of hell. Yet, perhaps the bands greatest triumph is the apocalyptic and soul wrenching epic, We Are Righteous People-Guyana which uses some very weird sound bites to create a 20 minute plus epic that leaves you questioning the role of religion in middle America.

Dronestown is an artsy record, yet that is part of what makes it so intensely interesting. These guys aren't following any of the traditional rules other than worshiping the riff. Somehow though, Dronestown finds a unique niche in the ever-growing doom scene. The chunkiness of these tracks is admirable and I think that as musicians the guys in Shadow of the Torturer have a great understanding of how to craft melodic content. This is the sort of record you find yourself immersed in and then suffocated by. Dronestown is oppressively heavy and it just might knock you out.

Find Shadow of the Torturer on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/Shadowofthetorturer

Burn Everything/Graven/Reckoner Split

A lot of hardcore splits that go three ways follow a common pattern, two good bands and one crappy one. The sad part is that this ruins a lot of split records, for me at least. Fortunately, this new split from Burn Everything, Graven, and Reckoner does not have that problem, instead, it has almost the opposite issue, there are three great bands here and none are give enough time to really develop. Exciting and powerful, Dullest Records have truly put out a split for the ages, one worth many a spin, showcasing some of the East Coasts best hardcore groups.

Here's the thing though, I say this is a hardcore split, but that hardly does it justice, none of these bands can fully be described by the term 'hardcore' each has their own unique take. Burn Everything bring in grind, death metal, and noise elements to their sound, making for something exciting and powerful. Graven have a policy of "No boundaries" which allows them to mix a variety of styles which engage the mind in a strange and exciting new way. Finally, Reckoner have a unique take on the genre, taking elements of Neurosis and Morbid Angel, among others to get an attack that is violent, sludgy and strangely intricate, it will capture your mind and take you on a exciting musical journey.

In conclusion, this is the kind of split you can listen too again and again, and, you know what, spin it again. At just under nineteen minutes long, this is a record you can easily spin at any time. Listening to it two or three times in a day is also pretty feasible, it shows the flexible and exciting nature of this release. Each of these three bands is exciting to delve into, and I certainly have burrowed into discovering these three groups. This is what hardcore is all about, young innovators bringing forth exciting elements from an extreme sound. Prepare to bang your head and stage dive, this is one of the best splits I've heard in months!

Find the bands on Facebook!

Burn Everything: https://www.facebook.com/burneverythingnow

Graven: https://www.facebook.com/GRAVENSOUND

Reckoner: https://www.facebook.com/reckonerisdead

Drug Honkey-Ghost in the Fire

Crushing, depressive, and most of all heavy. Inching along like an acid freak trying to find his way home play music that can only be described as a Uriah Heep album title Very 'eavy, Very 'umble. Their new record Ghost in the Fire is exactly that, destructively heavy music that is still pretty simple. So much so that it absolutely crushes the brains out of your skull, turning everything within to a paste. Meant to be listened too at maximum volume Drug Honkey is the kind of doom metal bands whose sinister and punishing riffs will haunt your sleep.

The shrieks on this record are a big part of what makes it so special. There is a sort of inhuman quality here that few can match. I don't know what it is exactly, but the way the vocals seem absolutely ripped out of vocalist Honkey Head is absolutely incredible. Another important aspect of the sound is the keyboard parts, sampling is not often used in doom metal, yet here it adds an undeniable crushing power. Drug Honkey know that Electronic Noise music is some of the heaviest in the world and unabashedly add it into their sound, increasing the sheer destructive power of the music. By  being unafraid to break boundaries and push things to a new level, Drug Honkey become even better.

So, to sum it up, this record is heavy, not just for its doom metal madness, but also all of the unholy little 'extras' the band mixes in. Be it growls torn from the blackest pits of hell or electrical samples that unsettle the listener and force them to look at their surroundings in strange uncomfortable ways.  Extreme, uncomfortable, and, if you have the right outlook on life, kind of incredible, Drug Honkey are a force to be reckoned with. Doom freaks come one, come all, there is a new doom metal master rising out of Chicago and they will crush your bones to dust.

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

Indian-From All Purity

Indian have long been one of the greatest bands in the small but dedicated blackened noise scene, their fifth full length release From All Purity is perhaps their best yet. This is six tracks of loud and unforgiving blackened noise madness. Their is something unholy and all powerful behind the music. The sheer volume and destruction of this release is incredible, their is no way that this band could ever have mainstream appeal, and through sheer rejection of all that is considered 'right' and 'normal' they have become great. From All Purity is the latest peak of Indian's evil.

One thing that really strikes me about this record is the way the sheer ugliness that much of the music has is allowed to shine through. This has long been a hallmark of Indian's music, this abrasive and doomy quality. From All Purity is just perhaps the epitome of that, distorted and strange chords built up with a killer guitar tone are allowed to shine out and capture the hearts of listeners across the globe. Furthermore, the abrasive shrieks and unholy yells are torn out of the earth as if from some sort of antediluvian crypt. Music from the hell planet. Do not mistake this for something kind or right ladies and gentlemen. There is nothing nice or acceptable about this band.

In short, not a lot of bands have this level of sheer ferocity, anger and destruction behind them. And of those, only a handful choose to express it in the way that Indian do, and none with as much deliberate hatred. From All Purity is exactly that, it takes everything that is pure and goes as far from it as possible. And somehow, it thus becomes more pure, reflecting all of our darkest desires, our innermost wants, hates and lusts. In its rejection of light Indian has found peace, and then put it into music. Sure Indian may never be huge, but for those who can sneak into the world of blackened noise From All Purity will reign triumphant.

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

Fake Asian Rolex

Fake Asian Rolex is a true grindcore band. Their new ep 74K34514NR013X EP is a solid grind record in the grand style of Napalm Death and ENT. The longest song on this record clocks in at 2:33 and most of the songs well under 1:30. Their are a lot of cool noise elements mixed into the traditional grind sound. I really like how they fit with the music and make the entire thing a bit more interesting than your standard grind record. This bands unrelenting attack is only abated by ridiculously noisy pauses that show that grind DOES indeed have somewhere to go. Fake Asian Rolex may very well have found a logical extension on what grind can be. Their song Pew Pew! I'm a Laser Gun is epic in its concept yet only 2:33. This is a band that can do more in a few seconds than most do on entire albums and I think they found a potential future for grind. You need to check this band out if you're at all interested in the genre, they will blow you away.

https://www.facebook.com/fakeasianrolex/app_204974879526524

The Fevered

The Fevered are a very noisy grindcore band with a sound that goes above and beyond what modern ears can understand. Their music is fast, brutal and perfectly executed. It would be easy to come out and compare them to Pig Destroyer. Yet they have something more, something many grind acts can not claim. Their extended songs help to create deeper and more interesting pieces of work that show off the grinders talents. Yet the songs do not feel long, they are still executed in a way that they maintain the good old grind ferocity. This is a band that knows what they want to do and how they are going to do it. Before I wrap up, I'd like to point out that The Fevered have some really good vocals that show some very mature songwriting skills. They really get you thinking, one of the best in this regard is Mediate. In conclusion, The Fevered could very well represent the future of what grindcore will be. I certainly hope that they are.

https://www.facebook.com/thefevered

Íweriú

Íweriú is a noise doom band that is at once terrifyingly strange as well as shockingly good. I must admit I am none to familiar with this genre but, by God is this intriguing. Their is some sort of twisted magic here that really escapes words. Yet I really really like it. With long songs (all are 10 minutes+) Íweriú really pulls you into their music and does not let you go. Their music is a pit, it draws you in and forces you to listen, and their is no escape. This sound is ugly and yet appealing, as I said before, in many ways this band reaches beyond words. The evil chugging guitars form some sort of twisted backdrop for the bizarre sounds that go on top. At times its barely music, yet it still appeals. It does my heart well to see a band this out there can actually survive in the modern climate. They need to be checked out by any and all, they will tear your mind apart. Do it, do it now.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/%C3%8Dweri%C3%BA/182510758457647