MooM - Plague Infested Urban Dump Of The Future

 

Now this is an interesting one. There's always been a strange alliance between sludge and powerviolence, and MooM have found a way to balance them in an apocalyptic and exciting way on their new record Plague Infested Urban Dump Of The Future. After eight years of gnarly demos and splits, this Tel Aviv group of ragers has gone above and beyond to crack skulls on their debut full length. (If we can call a 19 minute long record a full length.) It's high powered, chaotic and just a little bit evil - exactly the way you like it. The rawness works to the bands advantage to - the entire record feels like it might explode out of your speakers at any moment - what's not to love? 

There is something really to be said for the chaotic, unrelenting magic of this album. Something to be said for the bands ability to lean into the most distorted, feedbacking layers of sound and craft something that puts them in a league of their own. Plague Infested Urban Dump Of The Future is punishing, uncompromising and hell of a lot of fun. The vocal delivery is high pitched and intense, barely riding over the crashing waves of sound and giving the entire thing a sense of barely restrained madness that makes for incredibly compelling, unendingly exciting listening. Plague Infested Urban Dump Of The Future is the sound of the world coming apart - just as MooM prophecy. 

Unrelentingly DIY, stripped back and gloriously violent, MooM understand what it takes to craft a compelling fucking punk album. Plague Infested Urban Dump Of The Future is a record that refuses to slow down and takes the world by storm. It's heavy, uncompromosing and just a boat load of fun. Press play on this rager and get ready to lose yourself in a devastating well of volume. It's powerviolence done right, with sludge decorating the fringes and making for a sound that feels like one of my best underground discoveries in months.

Pre-order the album!

https://lixiviatrecords.com/store/vinyl/vinyl-12/moom-plague-infested-urban-dump-of-the-future/

Full Of Hell - Garden Of Burning Apparitions

Full Of Hell are back with another crushing full length, and they prove once more that they are miles ahead of their peers. Garden Of Burning Apparitions marks a significant step forward for the band, and the raging ferocity that defines this new record comes newly tinted with math and noise elements. The end result is a record that nicely adds to the Full Of Hell canon and serves as a reminder of exactly how good these guys are. There is no holding back the grind darlings, and the chaotic, off kilter magic of this offering can't help but to impress. 

When you have a band like Full Of Hell who have been crafting twisted, extreme music at scale for well over a decade now, it's easy to hit a creative wall. However, it seems like Full Of Hell are genuinely on track to be heirs to Napalm Death, taking their grind roots and then building on them in fresh and exciting ways. The willingness to experiment has always been a crucial part of Full Of Hell's sound, but now it's more clear than ever. The music presented on Garden Of Burning Apparitions is creatively daring and genuinely exciting. A statement to the neverending wellspring of exciting ideas this band has. 

Abrasive and terrifying, Full Of Hell is most certainly not for everyone. For those of us who are devout to this very particular breed of powerviolence though, Full Of Hell are a one of a kind treasure. I sit here five or six listens deep on the record more enamored with it than ever. Perhaps the bands strongest offering since their collaboration with Merzbow, Full Of Hell prove consistently that they are veritable monsters. This is a truly talented band operating at the top of their game. Get ready for the assault or suffer.   

Pre-order the album!

https://fullofhell.bandcamp.com/album/garden-of-burning-apparitions

Concede - Indoctrinate

 

I got to visit Perth last year when I spoke at WAMcon. It was a really cool event where I learned a lot. One of the things that struck me about the city though was the breadth and excellence of their punk scene. Concede are another great addition to this community. The powerviolence madness of their new record, Indoctrinate is simply masterful. There is a balls out assault here that captures the imagination and leaves me utterly in awe. Few bands can go for the throat, and continually execute as well as the guys in Concede routinely do. 

There is something devilish and magical about this record. The sheer hatred that they spouse on these songs is inherently thrilling and the super short song structures ensure that you're too busy getting beaten over the head to even think about being bored! This is a band who revel in rolling in the filth. The bile that they spit on a track like the lightning speed, 'Brainwash' is utterly stunning. As a general rule the production on this album is absolutely stellar for the genre. The drums sound perfect, the vocals sit in the ideal place in the mix and the guitar tone - fuck, it's been a while since I've heard powerviolence guitars get this heavy.

Concede are a band who I could quite easily see going on to be competitors with Nails. They are a band who writhe in the murk and perfectly build upon the classic tropes of the powerviolence genre. The raw energy of these songs and the glorious hatred within makes it the perfect soundtrack to the apocalypse that we are all experiencing. Indoctrinate is a masterful goddamn offering that will beat you over the head and leave you in awe. They are violent, aggressive and not afraid to hide it. If you're willing to dive into the pit you'll fall in love. 

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/concedehc/

Antichrist Demoncore - Satan Is King

OOGH - it's been far too long since we've had new Antichrist Demoncore - four years to be precise since their last EP desecrated our eardrums. Five years since we last had a full length. It's a weirdly reassuring thing in the midst of the coronavirus to have a new EP from these gods of powerviolence. Their music is wonderfully abrasive and has remained consistently upsetting for years now. The twisted magic of this record is addictive and it sees me eager to dive back into the bands truly excellent catalog.

Frequently when a group comes back after an extended studio hiatus like Antichrist Demoncore had we expect the band to have become worse. Most bands need to consistently be in and out of the studio if you expect them to get anywhere meaningful. Such is not the case with Satan Is King (And yes that is a Kanye West joke!) this is a record that sounds as fresh and reassuringly raw as anything the band has ever done. You can practically see the bodies flying as they careen into songs like 'Mouth Breather'. This has never been a band to pull their punches and Satan Is King sees them at their demented best.

Wonderfully intense, the record is made up of fifteen blasts of sound. The two longest of which don't even crack the two minute thirty second mark. Instead we find ourselves neck deep in a bitter assault. The band has always pursued their own brand of hyper aggressive and fucked up powerviolence. This record only sees them continuing on those ideas. It's a fun next step that will beat your head in and leave you gasping for air. And honestly - what more could you want from the one and only Antichrist Demoncore?

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

Bandit - Warsaw

If you were looking for a band who lived and died by the mantra "Play fast or die" then look no further. Bandit's new reocrd Warsaw is eight tracks of some of the most balls out oppressive and insane powerviolence that I have heard in a good long time. Regular readers know that Bandit is an old time favorite of the blog, a group who we have been supporting since my move to the USA in 2014 and who have seemingly only leap from peak to peak. I guess that's what happens when you share members with Waking The Cadaver.

The manic assault of the band starts with the opening track, the quick flame that is Lomza and seems to only grow from there. While this record is oppressive as ever with vocalist Gene Meyer continuing to punish listeners with his hyperspeed vocal assault, this is also a record that sees a fair bit more groove from the Philly grinders. Their particular brand of powerviolence has never been a kind one, but here it eels like they are allowing you to fall into a rhythm before bashing your skull in. It makes for a new and different kind of pure obscene musical hatred, that selfsame pure obscene hatred that we will never escape.

There is a sort of primitive satisfaction that I take in the down and dirty assault of Warsaw. It plays on a few different genre tropes but comes across as distinctly Bandit. The band has crafted a potent formula that feeds on raw anger and lyrics about the punishing realities of mental health. This is a band who are pissed off and want you to know it. This is not a record that plays by the rules or flows nicely, rather it is made up of spurts of vile blasphemy which leave you on the floor gasping for a breath of fresh air.

Find them on Facebook! 
https://www.facebook.com/Bandit-598271890207961/

Full Of Hell - Trumpeting Ecstasy

There are few bands who really capture my heart to the same degree as Full Of Hell. They have, in the past few years, proven themselves to be one of the most daring, forward thinking and professionally run heavy bands. They are miles ahead of any of their powerviolence or grind brethen, not only incorporating powerful avantgarde techniques and exciting noises, but also find a crushing brutality that their peers only wish they could touch on. The ball crushing wreck that is their latest offering Trumpeting Ecstasy is a masterpiece in every sense of the term.

Everything about this record is perfectly put together. The individual songs are crushing, capturing the sonic blasphemy that is Full Of Hell and pushing their music far further than many thought possible. The incorporation of more death metal into the sound has made the band significantly more versatile, and while you certainly have grindcore bangers, the guys have found ways to push beyond that. I think what really speaks to the power of this record is the pacing. The first eight songs last about as long as the last three. You get thrown into things quickly, and when the time comes for the final assault of At The Cauldron's Bottom, your body is ready for the final torment.

Full Of Hell have finally started to, on their own, meet the promise hinted at in their collaboration records splits and of course on their last EP. They have created a strangely addictive listen with tons of cool guest spots, devastating vocals and an all out assault that is at times just plain scary. Full Of Hell break all the rules and then they create some of their own. They tear out your throat and feast on the fetid flesh and then show you the way forward for an entire movement of bands, crossing genres with ease to prove themselves as kings of the underground.

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

Spazz - Sweatin' II: Deported Live Gorilla

Man, I love so many of these old school powerviolence and grindcore compilations that go out of their way to showcase a period of a bands career. In fact I like them more than the career spanning ones because it really give you a glimpse at what a group of musicians were trying to accomplish in a very specific time - which is the beauty of Sweatin' II - Deported Live Gorilla it provides a sort of insiders look into the world of Spazz, one of the foundational powerviolence bands and a band whose influence resonates across basements today.

Sweatin' II: Deported Live Gorilla is a strangely addictive piece of work. The balls out blast of songs like Death Rivals Of Shaolin, contrasted with the weird samples from Kung Fu movies and the sense of humor showcased throughout the record, and most notable during the live recordings it makes for a rather lighthearted listen. While normally being asked to listen to this much powerviolence on one release might sound like a chore, Spazz make it a fun experience. What's rad too is that, while many of these remasters seem to take away from the simplistic beauty of the record, here the mastering seems to augment what made Spazz's music so good in the first place.

This is a release that will probably only get repeat listens from grindcore and powerviolence enthusiasts, but for those select few there won't be many records that get the job done better than this one. Sweatin' II: Deported Live Gorilla is a release that seemingly can't help but to capture the imagination. It shows us the magic of punk rock, it raves and shatters its way across your eardrums. Spazz is a band who are not to be fucked with and this latest compilation is the perfect example as to why.

Wrist Deep

Wrist Deep is one of those gloriously heavy sludge bands that help to make the scene in my new home of Brooklyn so goddamn good. Incredibly heavy and wonderfully demented there is something strangely addictive about what Wrist Deep do. Mixing their unique brand of sludge metal with touches of powerviolence and hardcore Wrist Deep are able to relate to the common punk with music that keeps things wonderfully bleak. The inherent sense of nihilism that helps to define this band and gives their choruses that unique punch is incredible - it allows you to get into powerful grooves whilst simultaneously feasting on the flesh of a thousand impossibly heavy riffs.What I'm trying to say is that Wrist Deep have come up with some really concepts and have an artistic vision that could take them far. Their music is simply stunning and we're left trying to understand one of the darkest things to hit Brooklyn in a good long while. Wrist Deep have the potential to go far - the question is - can you take the plunge?

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

Lucid Terror, Mary Todd, Meek Is Murder and Antichrist Demoncore at the Acheron

Another night another show, and I sit here now in my living room watching my roommate play Bioshock while I chill out - enjoying the vibes of these precious last days of summer. I'm also gripped with the realization that if my mother found out I spent the evening hanging out with a band called Antichrist Demoncore she would be more disappointed than usual. The point being, tonight I got to see four bands - triumphant and bleak the lot of them giving me a shot to look out into the darkness and smile - full of the realization that as hard as life may be, at least I'm not the guy who I got to  the most.

First up was the almighty Lucid Terror a grinding two piece fully aware of the magic of their own brutality. Listening to them tear the crowd up in their short set was a pleasure and reflected all the magic of grind. With a dominating bottom end and dedicated to fucking shit up with a gleeful dedication to brutality this is the kind of skull crushing heavy music that forms the absolute basis for so many bands that we love. This is the way that extreme music guides us forward, with sounds so fucking dark that it ends up wholly cathartic and leaves you feeling strangely clean, free of the burden of the day to day.

Mary Todd were up next - a band I had heard my buddies at the show buzzing about beforehand. Minutes into their performance I could see why - these guys take grindcore to a whole new level bringing in sweep picking and tapping to create a sonic assault that is wholly unique. They, like Meek Is Murder are one of those bands that pushes the limits of what extreme music can be and help to make the genre so exciting. Watching them blast through a twenty minute set was mindboggling and truly inspiring - it was proof that truly potent things are happening right now in the underground and we would be remiss to forget that.

Probably my most hotly anticipated band of the night was Meek Is Murder, an act I had been listening to since my salad days in Paris. They utterly blew me away with a short set full of energy and interludes that featured the Titanic theme. There is something fun about this band despite how vicious they can be, you see, watching Meek Is Murder is a unique experience because at once you can feel your mind expanding but you also get the sense that at any moment somebody might come over and rip your throat out. They are simply that good, and that unique. This is truly metallic hardcore for the next generation - here to blast us into oblivion.

Finally the hour had arrived for the legendary Antichrist Demoncore - powerviolence gods who came all the way from Los Angeles to melt the faces off a handful of dedicated fans in the New York City underground. With a set that clocked in at just under half an hour the band played classics from throughout their discography and proved that they deserve their place among the masters of the genre. This is the kind of sublime darkness that makes the genre so goddamn worth it. Their wondrous sense of blasphemy and utter dedication to anarchy is fascinating to watch unfold on a live stage and proves the eternal might of a few loud guitars, fucked up vocals and ripping drums.

So the evening came to a close - I made my way home, and started to write yet another fucking review. And yet despite it all, or perhaps in spite of it I adore it. I'm watching a Bioshock cutscene and reflecting on the meaning of grind and loving every minute of it. These soirees, where you meet extreme metal dudes from all over the area and get to hang out with friends old and new are the type of evenings that prove this genre gives us a beautiful reason to live. So check out these bands, support the scene and prepare to feel the light through our daily struggle.

Find the bands on Facebook!

Lucid Terror: https://www.facebook.com/Lucid-Terror-770504652967301/timeline/

Mary Todd: https://www.facebook.com/marytoddtheband

Meek is Murder: https://www.facebook.com/meekismurder?fref=ts

Antichrist Demoncore: https://www.facebook.com/ACxDC

Bandit - Play Fast Or Die

Bandit are among one of the most potent groups of kids dedicated to powerviolence to ever have existed. Their live shows are explosive, their music grinding and iconoclastic, what more could you want? These Unholy Anarchy signees are freaks of the highest order and their sonic attack on their jaw dropping debut Play Fast Or Die will have die hard extreme music fans going nuts over their work. The fact of the matter is that Bandit have come very far in their short time as a band, and Play Fast Or Die suggests the best is yet to come.

Heavy on extremely short songs and with surprisingly few gang vocals Bandit have done a great job of crafting a distinct sound, largely based around the fact that they have three vocalists. Hell, on this record the majority of the vocal duties are handled by the fucking drummer, yet another way these dudes stand out. Beyond that, the stop-start attack of the riffs and the overall tightness of the record means that Play Fast Or Die is a highly enjoyable listen, it sees the band blazing forward at lightning speed and leaving you gasping for air before breaking into one of their far too rare slowed down and heavy as balls moments that bash your skull into the ground. The mix of hardcore, grindcore, powerviolence and even bits of heavy metal is endlessly delightful.

If you're discerning enough you'll find a wealth of exciting different ideas on Play Fast Or Die and it will certainly have you picking apart their demos. Though the doom freak in me would like to see more slowed down parts it's impossible to deny that Bandit have more than proven themselves on this record. Now as they get ready to go on tour and play more out of state shows than ever before you have to wonder, how much longer will it be until these freaks are ready for the big stages at This Is Hardcore and Maryland Deathfest? If they keep building on this, it's only a matter of time.

Find them on Facebook!

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

Hyena

So - regular readers know I fucking love Full of Hell, but I will admit - those guys definitely can get a bit cerebral at times. Hyena seem to acknowledge this and manage to invoke Full of Hell's balls out zany sound and reign it back with something a bit more... logical. There is a sense of sublime anger to Hyena's music, yet they remain fairly listenable and easy to groove too. Unafraid to acknowledge their Hardcore roots there are moments of true genius on their new record, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream. The use of distortion and the crushing riffs that give such vibrant and skull shattering flavor to songs like The Barnhouse Effect is stunning, it makes Hyena instantly memorable. The use of feedback is turned into an art form and it's hard to listen to Hyena and not want to wreck shit. After all, what more could you want? These guys are going places, and fast, hope on the bandwagon or get run over.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/hyenabandpa

We Our War, March to Victory, Lody Kong, and Cavalera Conspiracy at the Reverb

Some days I think about how much of my life has come to revolve around death metal and I start to feel a little sad - but oh well days like yesterday more than make up for it. With a couple great (and a few not so great) locals on a bill featuring two of my favorite acts - Cavalera Conspiracy and Lody Kong last night was one to be reckoned with, showcasing talented musicians and a surprisingly intimate set from Max and Iggor Cavalera. (Max also gave me a GREAT interview before the show too!) Standing in line as a heavily tattooed dude casually mentioned how he was on parole I had to smile - this sort of thing could only happen at a metal show.

The first band who I really got into was We Our War. From what I see these boys don't gig too much, but they were wonderfully tight delivering hard hitting death metal that captured the imagination from the first. The fact that they used two vocalists really caught my attention and gave a lot of flavor to the music. It allowed for We Our War to make use of a tasty little duality and create harmonic interest. The guitar harmonies provided a refreshing dose of intricacy after the absurd performances from some of the opening acts. Suffice to say - these guys get it and they are way too much fun to see tear up the stage live.

March to Victory were the only other local I really dug enough to watch the whole way through. They actually stunned me with flashy guitar lines and all sorts of high speed riffs that overwhelmed the listener. Their frontman, a impressive vocalist was able to catapult the band to the next level, taking the pumelling grooves and accenting them with a refreshing mix of vocal styles. The bands cover of Death's The Philosopher was a highlight of that evening -as some of you may remember I wrote an entire essay on that song when I was 17, so this was kind of a big deal. What I'm trying to say is that these local death dealers deserve their proud spot in the PA death metal scene.

I was really stoked to see my friend Igor Cavalera (Max's son) play with Lody Kong for the first time. I'd heard the new record and knew his vocals were sick, but I was curious what the live experience would hold. I was shocked at the bands ability to blast audiences away. Their stage presence is phenomenal - the product of years of touring. I felt that Igor and his brother, Zyon had been able to put together something special. The band has a lot of potential and I'm very excited to see how it evolves over the next few years. Remember - these guys are super young and very hungry to match their fathers success. With just a little tweaking these guys could grow into a veritable heavy metal force.

Suddenly it was the moment we had all been waiting for - the hour and a half of sonic destruction brought straight to our eardrums from the gods in Cavalera Conspiracy. Max and Iggor came onto the stage to a roar of applause - the sense of brotherly love was palatable - Max's enormous dreadlock flopped maniacally on his back while Iggor simply decimated the drums. Aided along by stellar performances from Mark Rizzo and Nate Newton these guys simply crushed my skull with their ungodly dedication to metal madness.

Though the band stormed through Cavalera Conspiracy classics and even a few Sepultura songs the highlight of the night came in the encore. Max and his brother got together to rip out the first few bars of Iron Man before playing a high energy rendition of Motorheads Orgasmatron. You got the sense that these men were somehow taken back to their roots (bloody roots mayhap?) playing in some shitty basement in Brazil. When the time came for them to tear the crowd apart with a final song, Roots Bloody Roots of course the crowd raged harder than ever proving the Cavalera family will always triumph.

At the end of the day this was a truly special show. I've never seen Max play to such a small crowd and the intimate nature of the show only made it more fun. Jail dude from earlier danced around taking cell phone video, young kids just getting into metal experienced their first mosh pit, and the older - more tattooed crowd stood back and smiled at the carnage. As I drove home with my friend Michael of Bandit (Who just so happens to be good friends with Full of Hell) I couldn't help but smile at the greatness of what had just happened and the magic that was to come.

Find the bands on Facebook!

We Our War: https://www.facebook.com/weourwar?__mref=message_bubble

March to Victory: https://m.facebook.com/MarchToVictoryPA

Lody Kong: https://www.facebook.com/lodykong7?fref=ts

Cavalera Conspiracy: https://www.facebook.com/cavaleraconspiracy?fref=ts

Manbeast, Raindance, Bandit and Triumph in Wilmington

Mornings like this one tell me I have a problem. I've barely been awake fifteen minutes and I'm writing a review of a show that took place in some kids garage. Yet, it's kind of beautiful. Last night I saw four great bands (I hoped to see more, but got lost on the way their) and had the kind of night you don't forget. After all, how many shows do you go to that have a bonfire going on just outside? The sort of quintessentially American show that I still haven't gotten quite used to, this sort of performance demonstrates the pure liberation found in this type of music.

Manbeast were the first band to go up (That I saw at least) and they had the kind of wonderfully insane energy that makes hardcore so enjoyable. Unfortunately, I could barely hear the vocals, but that didn't disguise how goddamn angry these guys are. While they're not necessarily old school punk some of the songs certainly have that vibe and it helps to create a sort of otherworldly experience that is in fact accentuated by taking place in a tiny garage out in the suburbs. They are speaking to the spirit of the American youth and that in and of itself is beautiful.

Raindance are the first band I remember clearly. Standing in the front row as they were about to kick off, I lean over to my friend Jack and ask "Do the guys suck?" and was pleased to say they did not. In fact they tore the roof off the place with a rather poignant sonic attack. Their bodies moving in unison they guided the crowd into a a strange new world, one marked by a sense of freedom from the oppression of a culture we have grown to hate. It sometimes takes a while for me to really start getting off at a show, and there was a clear transition for me during Raindance's set, somewhere along the line, I started to get off and go nuts.

Bandit were the third band I saw, this now being the fourth or fifth time I've seen them. As always, they delivered a wonderfully tight and brutal set. With no clear setlist in mind, they blazed through what they had prepared, their energetic stage antics keeping the crowd fully engaged. By the end of the set, they had won over everyone in the room and it seemed like things were going to explode. Ridiculously loud, Bandit understand how to win through a combination of songwriting skill and ungodly volume. When Jack left his guitar on an amp to feed back to close out the set and simply frontmanned I got the impression that perhaps the band might be even better with him just singing and another configuration of musicians behind him,,, As is though, Bandit were fun to watch, it's exciting to see this youth crew rising up to conquer the world!

Finally it was time for local melodic hardcore heroes Triumph to close out the night. Unafraid to embrace more stereotypically metal elements like guitarmonies these guys have a decisive energy guiding them forward. They manage to capture a lot of emotion in their live performance too. The break that featured only screams and acoustic guitars was especially touching. With their penultimate song, one that had a crowd singalong I got a sense for how much they meant for this scene. Their attitude of perpetual gratefulness was a pleasure to watch too. At the end of the day, they gave us a perfect closer, something the crowd could bond over, leaving us together, all friends.

This is the kind of evening that speaks to the perpetual magic and heart rending glory of hardcore and its related genres. As I sit here in bed, now a trifle more awake jamming Pentagram and wondering about what is to come I can't help but feel confident in my knowledge that, if nothing else, I will always have last nights stripped down DIY magic to guide me through the darkness. The four bandsd I saw allowed me to get into something greater, something deeper, and find a part of myself in some kids garage in Wilmington.

Find them on Facebook!

Manbeast: https://www.facebook.com/manbeasthc

Raindance: https://www.facebook.com/RaindanceHC

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

Triumph: https://www.facebook.com/triumphhc

Bandit, Afterparty, Good Times, Rollin' Loaded, Pillars of Villainy, Eternal Sleep, and Steel Nation at the West Chester VFW

It's rare that you go to the first show ever hosted at a new venue. Yet tonight was one such night, the West Chester VFW has recently consented to hosting shows, and this particular evening saw a killer lineup that I think few will forget. Proof of the eternal power of the underground, this was a show that got my heart racing and blood pumping, reminding me that the sounds of the underground are the sounds of freedom and if nothing else, this is what we can latch on too to find our way out of the darkness that haunts us all.

The first band up was Bandit, a group who I've seen twice before but who never fail to impress. Loud and destructive, they never fail to tear my face off and have proven to me multiple times that their own take on powerviolence has the power to take over the scene. One of the most exciting bands around right now, they managed to put on a tight and exciting set despite some technical difficulties. It's cool to see that they are really starting to reintegrate their bassist Michael, who had been forced to take time off from the band. These guys are going up fast, and you should catch on for the ride as soon as you can.

Afterparty played next and I have to say, while their brand of pop punk isn't really my thing, they certainly put on a tight show. They're a lot of fun to listen too and they clearly had a blast playing. Their rhythms are catchy and the vocal melodies well thought out. I really liked their growls, some of the heavier songs they did seemed to get an excellent reception and left me begging for more. They could easily do well as a full time hardcore band. As is though, these pop punk maniacs seem to have the potential to only grow their fanbase. As they get tighter and more cohesive I'm excited to see what they do!

Third to play was Good Times, and simply put, they know how to bring a good time. This band is one of those groups who you just have a blast watching live. They rock the stage and own every song they play. These tracks grind their way into your skull and the crunchy hardcore rhythms will get your body moving around the pit in no time. They have a clear sound that's easy to get in to and at times extremely reminiscent of Municipal Waste. Given my own personal predilections, that makes these guys pretty awesome. They were one of the most exciting bands to play the show, and I would love to see them again!

When Rollin' Loaded storms the stage you know you're going to have a good time. These guys put together a set that was a pleasure to watch. It's kind of surreal for me to see these guys because I've been listening to them for so long that the fact that they're essentially a local band for me is strange. They always bring a party and they have a huge West Chester fan base so dozens of fans sang along and danced to their glorious, victorious, and fun music. Though they were pretty different from the other bands on the bill, they still played with a ton of energy and proved that they have the ability to take their sound far beyond the confines of Southeast Pennsylvania.

I didn't expect to hear guitarmonies on this fine evening, but I was pleasantly surprised by Pillars of Villainy, a hardcore tinged death metal band who had technical riffs and all sorts of powerful vocal lines. When the guitarmonies kicked in I really started to get into it, it added a touch of technicality and fun that none of the other bands could grasp. Members of crucial local acts like Fisthammer mentioned to me after the show that these guys were truly great. One of my favorite bands of the night, I'm excited as to what this band will go on to do. Right now, they seem like another stellar addition to the burgeoning PA death metal scene.

The penultimate band was the ferocious Eternal Sleep. With long hair and big beards these guys got going right away kicking the audience in their collective teeth. Their hardcore attack is hardly one to be forgotten and when they burst out of the gate with crazed riffs and memorable grooves I knew I was in for a good time. Jammed in between a pair of top notch acts, they did a wonderful job of getting the crowd going, and by the end of their set it seemed like almost everybody was going nuts. This is a band who understand hardcore on a fundamental level and I get the sense they'll be able to go far with that.

Finally we had Steel Nation, members of the veritable hardcore old guard (Or at least compared to their peers on the show) Their sound was pretty interesting and certainly got the crowd into it. Though they kept it short they had a certain primal joy in the raw magic of hardcore. Cries like "Do your hardcore!" kept everyone involved and excited, proving that the years of experience these guys have is paying off. Their multi vocalist approach and penchant for Metallica style riffs was fun too. They deserve their place among the lords of the Pennsylvania Hardcore scene and I am glad that I got a chance to see them.

In brief, it looks like this new venue is here to stay. It has great sound, a nice space, and a friendly bartender. Though it may have been cold outside, we were all brought together and warmed by a mutual love of the music. These are the things that keep us sane, and though the night may be dark and filled with terrors, we can overcome them together. Let these songs ring through your heart and guide you when times are grim, because nights like these are what makes life worth living. Hailz to Casey Homa, a man who truly gets what the underground is all about!

Find the bands on Facebook!

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

Afterparty: https://www.facebook.com/afterpartypa

Good Times: https://www.facebook.com/goodtimessjhc

Rollin' Loaded: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rollin-Loaded/365209083537046

Pillars of Villainy: https://www.facebook.com/pillarsofvillainy

Eternal Sleep: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eternal-Sleep/220428501368410?fref=photo

Steel Nation: https://www.facebook.com/steelnationpa

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

Warhound-Next Level

Warhound are the kind of super aggressive and gloriously heavy hardcore band that make the genre so triumphantly destructive. These guys understand the spirit of the music and with their new record Next Level they stand up as masters of the genre, lords of a type of music dedicate to expanding minds and crushing skulls. There is a certain glorious humanity to the music on Next Level allowing Warhound to really connect with the fans, roaring high and proud above their peers with music that, while starting to become refined, stil screams of the street. 

I think a large part of what makes this record so interesting is the use of hip hop ideas to give the music a certain blasting glory that few of their peers can touch on. Their is a certain magical groove that makes tracks like Anger immensely palatable. In a way, Warhounds sound reminds me of .downset. They understand how to make music that catches you with its groove and then drives on home with a hole slab of harsh vocals. There is something demonic about the thrashy attack of the vocals, they come out of the vocalist as if torn from a demon, they fit in perfectly with the soaring crunch of the bottom end and the pit enticing rhythms that will never end.

In short, Warhound have put out the kind of hard hitting hardcore hatred that will grab you by the throat and then beat your head into the wall. These guys have brought the pit into my dorm room with their stomping riffs and dedication to distortion laden licks that can crush your fucking skull. Warhound don't give any fucks, and this makes them all the better. Spit out from a gutter Warhound are not going to stop until we're all dead. So prepare yourself for some of the most triumphantly angry and bone crushing hardcore that will keep you going until your bones are a pulp.

Find them on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/WARHOUNDOFFICIAL

Torture Chamber

Qayin, the new EP from East Bay Area's raw Black Metal outfit Torture Chamber, is not a hard pill to swallow. The band provides nothing completely new in terms of the value of each of its parts – however, the way that they put them together fuses two aspects of harsh noise that make Qayin more of an experience than a task. The album begins with a spacey, atmospheric track titled Defiling the Throne which welds together sounds reminiscent of the WATAIN of days past in conjunction with current Maryland grindcore ensemble Full of Hell. The transition between speedy, grinding violence and slow, rhythmic pounding provides a welcome contrast that suspends any chance to become bored while listening, which continues well into the second and third tracks. The Blood of Angels varies just enough in the right places to be both delightfully headbangy and wondrously evocative of a circle pit, containing a moody and desperate undertone that continues beneath the building tension and measured devolution into chaos. One Thousand Plagues continues to run with the theatrical elements introduced in the previous track, opening with a slow, clean, melancholy intro that abruptly transitions into more straightforward grinding violence. The reintroduction of the roomy atmosphere allows for this specific piece to blend the best elements of the first and second track into one succinct amalgamation that continues to engage through a surprising groovy break 1:15 in. Around 2:30, we are introduced to an ominous instrumental with a riff that continues through the “shreddier” parts of the song, building tension that ultimately leads nowhere into a brilliantly simple and abrupt final climax, which then falls into a slow and calculated regression. The final track, Drowning in the Blood of Vermin, opens with an unsettling (yet straightforward) intro. It heads into a groovy section, building violence and diving straight into a high stakes grinding black metal segment. Overall, this track is a bit dull in comparison to the others, offering only the consolation of a few interesting techniques (growls in combination with shrieks, a clean guitar break with a bit of cool ambient feedback, and the mood). However, this EP as a whole engages until the last moment, despite its misstep on the final track. It is definitely recognizable as a rawly recorded album, with recording clicks and tracks that continue one or two seconds past the end of the songs. This somewhat interrupts the feel of the release at times, but not so much that it diminishes its value. Torture Chamber is definitely a needle in a haystack, proving that their skill is currently beyond their assets.

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

Doperunner

Doperunner, first, by God is that a cool band name. Then, isn't this what grindcore is supposed to be about, loud tracks with a few slowed down passages for flavor? Unholy blasts torn from the crypt? The kind of heavy metal redemption that will give these bands the triumph they need and deserve. Doperunner prove that they understand the primitive brutality of a world that has failed them. Their is a wonderful primeval feel to the sound of Doperunners music, something that is really distilled on their new record xDOPERUNNERx. As they blare through highly ideological and oftentimes political tracks like Knuckledragger and Vegan For Status you realize that these guys truly understand what punk and by extension grindcore and powerviolence should be all about. With unholy vocals and a dedication to riffs that will knock your head off, Doperunner are showing no mercy, but merely turning it up louder, heavy metal to melt the soul, no redemption for rock and roll.

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

Brutal Truth/Bastard Noise-Axiom of Post Inhumanity

My brain, my brain! It is melting. Brutal Truth and Bastard Noise have joined forces to create a split record that will slowly, cruelly, decimate your soul. Power-electronic noise madness for the masses these guys have reached out and done something fresh, innovative, and simply incredible. One interesting thing to note about this release is that the CD and LP have completely different tracks on them, whereas the digital version (which is what I was given to review) has both. Completely out of left field at times yet still very listenable and deep, Axiom of Post Inhumanity is the kind of record that we will be talking about thirty years down the line.

I will be the first to admit. On first listen Axiom of Post Inhumanity is not neccesarily the most accessible. Yet if you're picking up a record by either of the two bands on this split you already know that. In fact, those of you who can get into it are truly among the rare and elite few. The treasures that are to be had from this record come after continued exposure and many a listen. There are some very cool and unique ideas to be found throughout this release and they hint at great things to come for both bands. One of my favorite aspects is actually the forty minutes plus of Brutal Truth remixes. (Well, only two songs are remixed, but still, thats a lot of music) It helps to give fans a nice little bonus, some tasty new stuff to keep us interested. meanwhile the Bastard Noise section of the split has some of their best tracks yet, my personal favorite being Frack Baby Frack.

In conclusion, there is a lot of good stuff on this record and it is very long for good reason. Every minute of music on this release is worth listening too, even the longwinded ambient bits. They create a general aura of power around the disc that is hard to compare to. Axiom of Post Inhumanity is truly a unique artistic statement, one that will stand the test of time in all of its power-electro madness. I think the future is bright for both of these legendary bands and I am excited to hear what they do next after the musical triumph that was this record.

Find Brutal Truth on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/brutaltruth?ref=ts&fref=ts

Find Bastard Noise on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/48129777694/

Weekend Nachos-Still

Weekend Nachos have long been viewed as one of the most explosive and destructive powerviolence with a sludgy side. This is the kind of music that brutalizes the listener with speed, grinding blasts, and simply vicious growls. The thing about this record is that the songs are short, powerful, and passionate, all signs of a great powerviolence record, and it has long been known, few people make better powerviolence than these guys. Suffice to say, their new record Still is a veritable artistic statement, showcasing all the magic of a music meant to smash the listener into a pulp.

The blasting attack of Still is just one aspect of the record though. After multiple listens you start to get a sense of something more, that Weekend Nachos are really starting to accomplish something with their music. The touches of sludge that have long inflected their music make themselves feel present here but they don't hold back the punishing powerviolence attack of many of the tracks. In other words, by fusing these diverse musical styles they obtain something which is more than a mere powerviolence record, but an album that reaches out and becomes part of the bigger picture. Still is the kind of record that could become embodied within the very psyche of the extreme music community.

In short, Weekend Nachos have never failed to impress, and each of their releases shows a different facet to their simply destructive nature. A fitting follow up to Worthless, Still is intelligent and glorious, the kind of release that people are going to talk about for years down the line. While it might be a bit to early to call this an iconic record I could easily see it achieving that point. Yet I still get the sense Weekend Nachos could go further, and take their sound to a whole new level. For years they have been gradually evolving and I think that soon they will reach a new peak, Still is just the prophet of things to come.

Find Weekend Nachos on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/weekendxnachos?fref=ts