Grind World Wide: Hail to Japanese Grindcore!

Sorry for the delay in getting this thing underway, my recent trip to the land that hath ye olde capital city known as Amsterdam, has hampered my access and availability to the internet.

So here we have it; the first instalment of the much anticipated (well by me in any case) fortnightly Grind World Wide series. Starting this week with Japan, a country who we can all agree has defined some of the more distinctive aspects of Grindcore, both endemically and internationally. So lets get our Grindcore Geek Grinding the cerebral cogs once again and releasing all manner of intellectual abuse as to how the person above you opinions are totally wrong, and through Socratic Method and internet bullying, you feel a  sense of having a morale high ground, thus satisfying the internet prone superiority complex.

S.O.B.

To not know Savage Organised Barbarian's influence on Grindcore, will trivialise the genre into a trans-atlantic state of play, and disregard some of its key stones. Playing an upbeat Japanese Punk with more aggression and attitude, these guys offer a lively punk filled assault worthy of attention and recognition.

Unholy Grave

The Japanese have their own answer to Europes Agathocles, but wrapping a serious message of punk ideals with far more fun and youthful vitality then their counterparts. Sometimes bordering on the realms of Noise, and at other times lacking technacility, they make up for it in with catchy riffs and insane vocal work, that is sure to leave a smile on your face.

Morbid Axe

Although I must confess I have only heard one song, and a number of youtube videos, talent shines of this ragtag collection of Iwate Grinders, mixing absurd word combinations and layered guitarwork, with creative blasting to offer a fresh face to a pure grindcore noise attack. Seriously check these guys out.

Bathtub Shitter

These guys are probably are the epitome of what one may call a mental take on Grind, despite their obsession with defecation, excrement alongside their anal stance on copyright (see what I did there!), they do offer a warped take on the genre, playing lively and catchy as hell tunes in a bouncy thrashing stance of repulsionesque loose guitar strings.

Flagitious Idiosyncrasy in the Dilapidation

With a morbid asphyxiation on violence and death, these kawaii josei  don't play on the stereotypes of the feminine mindset or habits, offering a no holds barred fast and ferocious audio attack in a manner akin to a Bolt Thrower collision with early Insect Warfare.

Butcher ABC

Entering the realms of Gore-grind,the owners of Obliteration Records are in a band of their own namely Butcher ABC, they spice up the Carcassian blueprint offering a early European death metal contortion to its already grizzly blood laden face.

Deathstorm

Offering a fast and drowning noise attack of Cyber Grind and sheer noise, I am certain that this would be the perfect sound to describe the bleak industrial noir of the horrific mind games of Rubber's Lover (Now I definatley have your attention Andrew!), if someone was to record the audio tapes of Unit 731 and pass them through a faulty dial up modem that constantly makes noises, then I think generally you would be able to recreate the intense electric screeching these guys put out.

C.S.S.O

"CSSO produce the kind of incongruous marriage of ideas you only get from somewhere else. Somewhere not where you are from. Somewhere good."

Cheers Luke for that one! But Yes CSSO are mental (as are most Japanese Grindcore bands to say the least) 

I think perhaps that if one were to take acid, coffee, coke, watch hundreds of z-list gore films, and listen to mental music, one might have a shot at understanding the method behind the obscure genius these guys offer.

Gore Beyond Necropsy

Even such a name doesn't reek of putrefactive gore, then I don't know what does. Pretty much a no brainier, these guys play gore with a sickening sense of humour, but to separate themselves from the goregrinding riff raff, they prong in slabs of rock to dice up their guttural musical secretion.

Mortalized

"they sound like fucking awesome distilled into auditory form." I can certainly vouch this is a accurate description, but for those who want to know more. Mortalized are a fantastical Grindcore band who warp their blasting fury with a thick overcoat of metal, and great fucking metal at that. 


SWARRRM

Crazy, Crazy, and even more Crazy, imagine going to your local mental hospital and feeding random pills to all the inmates, and forcing them to play instruments, then record the results, and hey presto you are 15% of the way of imitating what these guys achieve.


Melt Banana

Strictly speaking, these guys are by no means a Grind band, but through a strong musical integration of post-modernism and absurdism, Melt Banana are damn well crazy and noisy enough to be bunched together amongst the Grindcore crowd, hell they even did a split with D.A.!

Read more >>

The Rules of the Game

Sorry for the delay in the Grind World Wide series however my recent trip to the Netherlands has prevented me from writing it up, and accessing the internet, so without further ado lets get this thing in gear!


Just before I go around listing all the bands here is a brief overview of how the system works.

• You do not just vote for which you feel is your favourite band, that would be too easy no, no, no, I am going to get you guys to think long and hard, YOU WILL HAVE TO LIST THE BANDS IN ORDER OF LIKEABILITY, 1 being the highest , and whatever number of bands there are being the lowest!!! See this competition will get intense.
• All the numbers would be added up then applied to an algorithim of weighted averages (it makes the results more fair and realistic, trust me) and then the artist with the lowest score will be the winner, and the one with the highest score will be the "loser"
• You can only vote once, and the way you do so is in the comment section you list the order with the number so 1-awesome grindcore band 2 -slightly less than awesome grindcore band etc etc.
• Although the commenting system allows for anonymous posting, if people try to cheat the system, remember I can see your IP address so if more than one result comes from the same address then I will disregard all the results from that IP, and also ban your IP from commenting further on the site.
• I am currently thinking the tournament should last a fortnight, so you have 2 weeks to vote, let your friends know to vote etc, it should be quite fun. Please let your friends know, the bands deserve true statistical representation of popularity!
• If you wish to change your votes let me know by email unless you sign up for an Intense Debate account where you can yourself edit your results (be sure to put edited on the top so I know it has been)
• You must order all the results even if you don't know the bands check them out, incomplete lists will not be included as they will screw the algorithm.
• Feel free to argue to the end of hell with someone you don't agree with.
• Feel free to suggest to me bands that are for the upcoming tournaments, they will be revealed every other week via the grinders digest column, starting the week after each tournament has started.
• Any problems just email me.

Ok so thats the rules, quite a few of them, but fairly logical and straightforward, so onward with the Grind Wars! (Sorry to any bands I left out!) (Next Post, to be posted 15 mins after this)

Read more >>

Defeater, and when hardcore goes acoustic.

A couple of weeks ago, my fellow hardcore blogger, Paulina, re-blogged a Defeater song on Tumblr. The song was off of their new EP, “Dear Father”. The song was “I don’t mind”. The song is acoustic, and it blew my mind. Not only is it really, really hard for me to like anything acoustic, but I usually don’t find good acoustic songs by hardcore bands either. Dear Father is a two song EP, with their typical Defeateresque hardcore track, and the one acoustic track. I immediately went and bought the 7”. The EP’s cover art is collaborates with the upcoming full length album “Empty Days & Sleepless Nights”, which releases on March 8th. Personally, I’m stoked for the release.

Read more >>

Grinders Digest

>> RIP Phil Vane. The ENT veteran passed away recently, as confirmend by the band.

>>Candelight Records have posted up sounds and information related to Anaal Nathrakh here.

>>Clinical goremongers Haemorrhage have new album 'Hospital Carnage' up for pre-order at Relapse Records.

>>New Abbadon Incarnate / Phobia split from Underground Movement.

>>Deathy Doomy champs Coffins have just signed to Relapse Records. Expect a new album soon.

>>GrindcoreKaraoke have yet more free music available: Surachai's 'Plague Diagram' is a Godflesh type beast, featuring breakcore badass Otto Van Shirach. Check it out here.

The promised 'Grindcore World War series' didn't happen this week for various reasons, it's now slated for Monday so you have all been warned!

Luke

Read more >>

Off the Hook (Butcher ABC, Butchered feast of being)

When I was a child there was a dark and dingy steam not far from where I lived.

Us local kids would spend a lot of time constructing dangerously unsafe fortresses in the slimy trees that sprouted over the stream from it's ochre banks.

But there was this one tree.

Must have been dead straight going up the trunk for about 20 feet and then the tree suddenly fanned out, and sat there in that bristled crown was the shack of the Hippy Man.

Us local kids were very scared of the Hippy Man: a shadowy figure for whom it was alleged clothing held no interest. The Hippy man: beleaguered mental shambles taken flight from an asylum. The Hippy Man: he who had shown his willy to a young Timmy down the road, who was ever since a mute.

I never saw the Hippy Man, and being scared of heights never made to climb up that tree in order that I might observe his rotten shack.

Although one particularly strange summer I began to see him in my dreams. All us local kids did.

Many years later I would hear the sludgey, gorey deathgrind of Japanese brutalist BUTCHER ABC, and this would lead me to dramatically betray my readership by admitting the these two events have no relation whatsoever.

ABOVE: well it looks like the guy from that documentary, so fuck it.

BUTCHER ABC makes Satanically groovy filth, often with a wee tot of 'grindrock' thrown in as well for good measure (singer 'analtoshit' also handles/d vocals is my faves CSSO). On this particular release almost every track has a meaty riff to stab into your carcass (it's a butcher joke, get it? GET IT?) often paired with especially glottal throatings that may or may not be pitch-shifted at various points, when the tempo picks up the vocals take on more of a Japanese hardcore flavour.

It is formulaic but successful; following this pleasing pattern to produce proven output.

And like a lot of Japanese extremity BABC is infused with a lively sense of fun throughout, very much seasoned in character and left to mature for 21 days (yeah, getting tenuous now). In fact often I am reminded of Coffins only more upbeat (there's probably some kind if relation between these two groups, they were both in that same documentary I mentioned in the caption) and with a less bass-heavy sound that focuses more on the vocal and drum dynamic.

For me the slightly different cultural references found in JapBrutal music like BABC produce a somewhat incongruous effect: it all seems slightly fresher due to being that little bit different to the hundreds of euro goregrind groups, I don't immediately understand where they are coming from and exactly where they are going so the music still has the ability to surprise and entertain me.

Butcher ABC are just on the edge of this world and in being so remain interesting due to being forever out of reach.

Just like the Hippy Man.

Perhaps there is a relationship after all.

Have a LINKS

Read more >>

Architects of Death (The Famine, The Architects of Guilt, 2011)

Texan Death Metallers "The Famine" are here with there debut album The Architects
of Guilt. The album starts with an agressive triplet feel riff that reminds
me of early Lamb of God. This band have a no comprimise, blasting death metal
sound with groove laden tight musicianship. It's clear listening to the album
that the band have a mix of influences new and old taking a mix of old school
Europeon Death metal and new age Death metal which is currently thriving in
the U.S and adding there southern stylings to create there sound. For me Track 5
"Bigger Cages, Longer Chains!" Is a stand out track with a blistering intro with
unrelenting drumming from Mark Garza breaking into riffs reminesent of Devourment and the
southern metal stylings can be heard also showing these Texans are in touch with
there roots! Unfortunatly as the album went on I found the screaming vocals becoming
monotomas and the album failed to grab my attension with its lack of vocal variation.
The album has a lot of overtones of thrash also which would attract fans of such bands
as Carnal Forge making this music very accessable with a lot of variation in the riffs
from song to song, the only problem this creates for me is I find it hard to find the bands
main direction, and for me makes the album less memorable. The production on the album is
great, everything you would come to expect from a modern death metal acts.

This album will appeal to a wide range of death metal/ Deathcore fans and should be checked out!

Myspace

Josh McMorran

Read more >>

I'd rather drink than fuck (Agoraphobic Nosebleed/ANS Split Tribute to Gang Green)

I don't think I transitioned correctly or even at all from the usual music reviewed on here to hardcore. Well how about this: a fucking great grindcore band and an ace punk band covering a fucking amazing and legendary hardcore band? Agoraphobic Nosebleed and ANS joined together last year to pay tribute to Gang Green. Three tracks total are found on this 5" split E.P. Agoraphobic Nosebleed opens up this E.P with "Alcohol." ANS follows with "Let's Drink Some Beer". The third track on this E.P is an ANS original, which I fucking loved, "Blazing Saddles." They printed 100 copies on "coke white" vinyl, 300 on "gin clear" and 600 on "beer/piss yellow." If you are not familiar with one or any of these bands (shame on you if you're not familiar with at least one of these bands. What the fuck are you doing? Where the hell have you been? Get to downloading!)I suggest you check all of them out as soon as you can. Personally, I need to get myself a copy of the beer/piss yellow print, since the rest are already all gone.

Read more >>

Led to the Metal! (Guilty as Sin, Led to the Slaughter,2009)

Churning out a fine blend of old school death metal minatory and killer thrash metal stampeding, Guilty as Sin conjure up a dynamic that balances well both its rhythmic and virulent faces. Consistently upbeat throughout you will find yourself nodding your head in approval, in synch with  Zak's percussive militant boom's, rolling kick drums and pronto snare bashing. Amongst the full bodied drumming, is a nice blend of riffs, that ambient the pre-dominant styles of a thrashing build up and power trip of death metal back and forth, in an ever oscillating cycle.
The first song Carniverous Intent is a true homage to early 90's death and thrash scene in a moshing violent tone and rhythm of disgruntled long haired youth, bouncing around in a pit of denim, sweat and booze. However as the album progresses it takes the listener on a journey, journeying less into the realms of death metal, stepping up the old school thrash in the style of a creative clash of Kreator meets 80's Slayer. The final track itself is a juxtaposition to all their old school extreme metal fashioning and enter an Ancient Egypt/Oriental themed mellow session, and not in style of Nile either, but that of a flute and a Dumbeg (I had to google that one!) accompaniment of writhing guitar work and snake charming wood wind.
No vocals are present are on the album, but the rare sample is, putting a verbal edge on the mood it creates, and that mood is ever changing, from the buzzing hum drum of the start, to the relaxing sophistications of oriental imagery inducing serenades.
As a man whose love of music was born of metal, Guilty as Sin certainly offer a metal laden collective throwback of the glory days of metal, executing it well and with a few unique twists and turns along the way.

(Honesty Policy: Guilty as Sin sent me a copy)

Myspace

SNAKE!

Guilty as Sin | Myspace Music Videos

Read more >>

Fuck the Comics 1

As promised, here is the first segment on the highly absurdist fortnightly comics from Topon Das of Fuck the Facts, to enlarge the image, merely click on it.

It turns out that this is a parody of his former room mate, who plays in the death metal act Deamon, check them out! Not to mention he used to play bass for them also!

Read more >>

Grinders Digest

• Grindcore Super Band Primate have released their new EP over here.
• Ryan Page is now selling Maine is the Bastard Shirts over at Name Like His Master.
• Letter B Mixtape of the Grindcore Alphabet Series: here.
• A nice segment on IO on the importance of the art of lyrics, here.
• Rotten Sound have a total of three videos for the upcoming Cursed EP, watch all three here.
• Gridlinks second release is now available for pre-order via hydrahead over here.
• Grindcore Karaoke are now offering a free Stoner Rock release from Romero, over here.
• A Beautiful Lotus is offering a pay what you want service for their catalogue over here.
• I believe Maruta have dropped their latest album, although currently am unable to access the Willowtip site, if anyone is able to can you send me the link?
• One of the largest Music firms, Warner Music, is set to go under the hammer, and in an even stranger twist, Warner may possibly buy off EMI. (here)
• Apple are set to unleash something revolutionary in the realm of music causing much speculation as to what it is. (here)
• Total Fucking Destruction have released a new album called Hater, available via Bones Brigade.
• Sony have unleashed a new streaming service in the U.S. only, predicted to be a market share fight back against other streaming services like Spotify, Last Fm (here)
• Wormrot also announce a UK, and continental Europe, between the 1st of September and the 17th of October, no known venues yet, and more specific dates. This time round I will see them!
• I have decided to add a new Random Fact to each of these Digestium's to increase our general knowledge base so: To escape the grip of a crocodile's jaws, push your thumbs into its eyeballs. It will let you go instantly. If that ends up saving you, you know who to thank!

Ok people next week we will have the Grindcore World War Series, starting with Japan, I don't want to know already who you are going to vote for, but I want you to let me know if I miss out any bands from the tournament.

S.O.B., Morbid Axe, Flagitious Idiosynacricy in the Dilapidation, Butcher ABC, Deathstorm, Bathtub Shitter,  Unholy Grave, C.S.S.O and Gore Beyond Necropsy.

Alex

Read more >>

Maine is the Bastard!

For those of you who liked Robocop then you will be pleased to know that the post millennial prince of punk himself has now offers a t-shirt quoting the infamous tag line "Maine is the Bastard" from his beast of a release Robocop II over at Grindcore Karaoke (reviewed here).

To quote his own words:

" My friend Luke Physioc suggested a while back an idea for a Maine is The Bastard shirt. I thought it was fun, but also felt a bit of concern as my jokey lyrics sometimes over-ride the real concerns embedded in them. That, and with a band called "Robocop", I'm often on the wrong side of dumb.
That said, I respect Luke's art (his recent Kaliya album cover is excellent), and he went way out of his way to make something cool for my band. He also emailed Eric Wood for permission and received it, so hopefully my karma's clear on this one.

I should also mention that he made this over the past week while on a tour of duty in Afghanistan. I don't know the situation he's in right now, but I imagine it couldn't have been easy to finish this and send it to me. So this was much appreciated.

Ok, enough preamble. I have two versions of his painted work that I cleaned up in photoshop. I think I'll use the black and white one for the first round of shirts."
Up now at Name Like His Master

Read more >>

Alternews: Rotten Sound - Cursed Video Collection

Heres three reasons in flash form why we all know that Rotten Sound upcoming release has a fighting chance of beating Gridlink back for the Grindcore crown, War of the Roses style!. Loving the riffs and general sharp nature of to it all, enjoy!

Pre-Order

Pre-Order with Shirt

Read more >>

I've Got Two Words For You And They Are(n't) Happy Birthday

Today is our one year anniversary of being operational conducting half assed reviews and false application of intellect to give the illusion of knowing, which has now drawn a certain number of you to frequent this site. And it is to you visitors (especially commenter's) and artists who contact me I would like to dedicate a special word of thanks to you, for being the constant drive that has allowed me to keep a constant and ever increasing interest or love in what we do here.

Generally such anniversary posts are there to reminisce on what has happened, the funny moments blah blah blah, I will be honest aside from learning shit loads about Grind, and meeting plenty of fantastic people, albeit on the internet, the only practical skill  to be gained from this is better spelling and as you can probably pick up, I am still shit at it, just that little bit less shit though, well there is team managment also I guess, ohh and coding in various languages, maybe this thing hasn't totally been a blackhole of time in my schedule (note to self include on curriculum vitae). And Kudos to my co-authors who accept my autocratic blogging regime, although lets hope in light of recent events they don't get any ideas....

Now for those of you reading this from your rss reader, or blogger dashboard, I highly recommend you mosy on up on to the actual site, for there is a treat waiting for you......

Yes thats right we have a new design, a generally very clutter free design, much thanks to my co-author Luke Oram for helping me greatly in coding the site, only for me to often discard the suggestions I badgered him into implementing, when I decided that I no longer wanted them. Not to mention he has designed our fabulous early Napalm Death style logo which is approximately 812 times better then my slack-jawed Luddite attempt at a Parlamentarisk Sodomi styled one. 

Although generally I think the community will be divided on the fact that we changed the layout, background and original logo, therefore forfeiting a imposing general malevolent clutter, the new layout looks both more professional and user friendly, so no matter how much any of you kick up a fuss its a permanent change. Also thanks to my good friend Paul who helped me out code some of the shortcomings of the site.

Ok so now let me list the general changes which will hopefully have a far greater degree of permanency than all my other plans.

• New Site Layout (No Shit Sherlock)
• Regular posting columns.
• A new fortnightly comic series, similar to Cyanide and Happiness , but far more disturbing, and from legendary veteran Grinder Topon Das of Fuck the Facts!
• A number of upcoming exclusive tour diaries from bands, including a guide to touring, for all you novices.
• Weekly Grinders Digest which has already started over here.
• A fortnightly battle of the bands, where you vote on which band is the best Grindcore band in the given country. Starting with Japan, so get your argumentative and intellectual hat on!
• Live footage and interviews.

Sounds pretty cool doesn't it? Well it should do if it doesn't. However the new site layout has caused a number of problems.

• Displays 0 comments on all posts all the time, even when comments are actually present.
• For some reason some text in the post is white, but highlighted in black, no idea.
• For some reason our blog roll has vanished, if your site was orginally on the list, or you know of a site I had on the list let me know.
• If there are any other problems let me know! 

Read more >>

America Es Una Dictadura (Crimenes De Guerra, Sangre Rebelde, 2004)

Most Punx tend to worship the Scandinavian and Japanese Punk scenes but fail to comprehend the strength and aggression played in the most intense Punk scene in the world, the Latin American scene. By saying this I entitle Mexico, every country in South America and of course the homeland of Spain. Japanese Punk being as wicked and insane as it is, it does not top the Spanish speaking bands and to this day I still could not give you a definite answer as to why, until now.



Crimenes De Guerra are an Anarchopunk band from Mexico City, Mexico that in my opinion released one of the greatest Anarcho-based records of the previous decade. The album is entitled Sangre Rebelde and is a little over 25 minutes long, just the perfect length for this type of record. I originally stumbled across this looking on a news forum that did not pertain to music at all, instead focusing on the light of inhuman crimes and beheadings for a research paper when I found this awesome record for download. Didn't know what to expect but once I heard the first track "La Resistencia", I knew I was in for a good ride. Sick production and vocals very much so in the style of Latin Anarchopunk, being that they are shouted at insanely fast speeds proclaiming the evils and wrongs of man and its corrupt and vile legal system. I enjoyed the guitar quite a bit, being that is was tuned perfectly to what I think Punk should be, any lower and it would be muddy and just irritating. Drums are great, consistently pounding out roundhouse fills and d-beats just the way I like it. Probably the coolest thing about this album is the title itself, making a major reference to the old Mexican rebels that fought against its harsh and cruel government that persecuted its own country and essentially crumbled because it was so vile and despicable. I believe history will repeat itself, civil war is approaching and anarchism is now a possibility in Mexico, liberation and solidarity being their only weapon this is what the album focuses on primarily and I really dug the deep approach rather then just the generic "fight the man" bullshit we've been hearing since we were 13. If you haven't heard of this band definitely worth a listen, but if Anarchism, Human and Animal Liberation and overall Protest isn't your thing, or you just hate Punk, then this will not be anything new. Fuck taxes.

Myspace
Last.FM

Read more >>

Review of "To Hell With God" by Deicide

Deicide is back, and the Satanic serpents from Tampa, Florida have unleashed their most brutal release to date, To Hell with God. Although this may sound like a large claim, a proper listen to this album will be enough to suffice the confidence I hold that you shall feel the same way. This speed picks up quickly with the title track To Hell with God. This song is fast as fuck, and the chorus is catchy with the right hint of erratic melody. There is no way to hold back from screaming your bloody balls off when listening to the “TO HELL WITH GOD” chant towards the end of this track. A few songs in comes the epic track Angels in Hell. This track opens up with an assertive catchy riff that is always replaying over and over again after a listen. The shred in this song is fantastic and reminds me of earlier Deicide shred from perhaps the Legion era.

The track directly after Angels of Hell has one of the best titles I believe Deicide has created. This track being entitled Hang in Agony Until You’re Dead. This title almost seems to be a direct stab at a popular topic in Deicide literature, the crucifixion of Christ. This shall set the tone for more of an anti-Christian lyrical theme, which is something Deicide and Glenn Benton (Bassist and Singer of Deicide and Vital Remains) have strived for and excelled in throughout Deicide's metal career. I’m sure that the albums lyrics are going to be pleasing to the mind and to the dark hearts that some of us embrace. When the album is released and if you are fan of the mighty Deicide, I personally suggest you give it some of those, oh so very important pieces of green paper you may hold so dear to your heart.

-Jordan Barsamian

Read more >>

Grinders Digest

Ohhh what is this Grinders Digest Post?  I hear you say, well it will be a weekly column where I share the happening ons and news from stuff that should be relevant to you readers regarding the music industry and the state of affairs of the scene. Feel free to make additions of what I have left out in the comments section, and feel free to let me know about anything that I should include in the next instalments of .

• Our Favourite Dystopian Punk Ryan Page, has released his film to be purchased here alongside his other material, or can be viewed here.
• Grind & Punishment is now doing a very interesting mixtape series, to happen every Friday covering a different letter of the alphabet, the first post being here.
• Maruta will be dropping their contribution to the Grind Wars on the 22nd of this month, available on pre order via Willowtip. Of the three preview songs I have heard here, here and over here, they go heavy on the tech death metal moments. You can listen to all their previous material for free  via their bandcamp.
• Orphan will be up for preorder tomorrow at 3pm Eastern Time, via Hydrahead. Links to the preorder are here, and the source being here.
• To those who prefer physical over digital, a new physical zine will be entering town this April, details here.(No Affiliation)
• Our favourite Record Label Grindcore Karaoke offers 2 new releases from Self Deconstruction and Maruosa
• The Irish Times write an article on the deluge of myspace and the rise of Soundcloud.
• Fukpig release a new video and an interview, alongside a new EP with a video of its own
• Not entirely relevant, but still an insight to the state of the music industry, Activision have axed Guitar Hero (source)
• Napalm Death appear on British TV show Skins (over here)
• Once again not entirely relevant, but the Arabic World is still making stands against its cleptocratic and autocratic regimes, still pending on the revolutionary punk outburst.
• An interesting post over at Extreme Responses regarding Belarus.
• Visual Representation with data showing the state of affairs regarding streaming over here.
• Here is a little sneak peek at what the upcoming 1 year anniversary of the site entails. 

Read more >>

OBSEEN EXSTREAM (Maruosa, Exstream 2011)

You know what riles my blood?

Poser chumps who claim to like violent sounds but actually are just following fashion.

Now Steve, I hear you say, surely all music has a fashion aspect to it? Even grind?

My response would be; of course it does, and don't call me Shirley. Or Steve.

However attractive a gateway to a scene, following something purely because you like wot the people wot like it like to look like makes you a glib effort vampire adorning yourself with the chance aesthetics of someone's genuine passion. Moreover it makes you into a soulless hipster (aside: if that upsets you it's because you are already a soulless hipster, sorry) and I suggest you direct your browser away from this fine blog henceforth.

Years of being this much of a cantankerous sod has made me seek some kind of voight-kampff test to determine which of my many, many, many acquaintances is a real human who likes music and

which are replicants.

The best method so so far discovered is to take SUBJECT A: grind fan claimant and make them listen to something like MARUOSA.

You see, this kind of abusive electronic music is the same as grindcore, but arriving from of different place altogether.

Freshly dropped from the consistently awesome GRINDCORE KARAOKE is the rather descriptively titled EXSTREAM, latest release from Japanese speaker-botherer MARUOSA.

It's brutanic, a hyper-confusing melange of digital blasts, aggro-style ranting and guitar slams and despite the overall 'digital feel' it's very song-oriented. In fact it's catchy! A lot of the tracks have a upbeat (as well as up tempo) feel, taken the terrorising nature of the music as a given you can tell it's maker is having an absolute whale of a time with this, which for me it totally refreshing.

Too much earbashing audio takes the easy route of covering itself with obvious samples in a tired attempt at attaining an oppressive sense of anguish (as recently covered HERE). The only thing oppressive about EXSTREAM is the square-waved 808 kick pounding you in the ossicles.

ABOVE: fuck you, y'know?

As far as this reviewer is concerned cutting up sampled beats and sounds is just as valid an expression of true grinding freakery as learning to play guitars (which we all know are for old men anyway) so before you all give me one billion comments about laptops aren't grindcore I invite you all to re-read my opening glop and take a long hard look in the shower.

And if that hasn't convinced you to give this a go then my name isn't Austin Derbyshire*

HAVE A LINKS:

MYSPACE

GRINDCORE KARAOKE

*it isn't

Read more >>

That Crack is Some Bad Shit (Marion Barry, Black Power Violence, 2011)

I first heard this sometime last year when the band posted it up as a one-song demo to download on their MySpace. Recorded in 2008 only now getting a proper (re)release free to download (at the moment) from J Randells excellent Grindcore Karaoke label.

With mostly unintelligible vocals ranging from high pitched almost Japanische Kampfhörspiele style rants to the standard PV Grumpy Granddad Grunt and sounding like its been recorded in a dustbin, if you hate Power Violence this isn’t about to convert you.

Luckily I love Power Violence. This isn’t your everyday PV either, they seem a lot more playful than your average Man is the Bastard clone, not just with the obligatory silly song titles and samples. They often throw a curveball from the fast/slow (that they do very well) with the odd two-second lounge music breakdown and mid song laughing. If you heard them on last years ‘This Comp Kills Fascists Vol 2’ you’ll know what to expect.

I'll be honest, this release hasn't changed my life but they nail pretty much everything I love about this sort of music. Big meaty riffs come and go and all the all out blasting any fasthead could want. Songs are nicely wrapped up in under a minute and the rawness of the recording even adds to the experience, listen to ‘Counter Establishment’ and dare to disagree. Stick these guys in Foel Studios and I think you’ll lose the manic energy and spontaneous vocal sounds they come out with, I swear there must be more than two members.

Finally I’ve got to say the bands moniker is amazing! The possibility for stupid song titles based on Marion Barry quotes alone is almost limitless. Actually, here’s a few I just made up…'Bitch Set Me Up', 'Gravity is Racist' and 'It Was Not a Strip Bar, It Was an Erotic Club'. You can have those lads, on the house, no need to thank me.

This release includes the ‘Smoke You Out’ nine-track demo. FREE! You spoilt little blighters.

DOWNLOAD

WEBSITE

Read more >>

A blast from the past: a small taste of Boston Hardcore

“You guys didn’t invent this stuff”. If I had a dollar for every time I heard my parents say that when I did something oh-so rebellious, I’d be able to quit my day job.

But no, really. You guys didn’t invent this shit. Though it may seem that California is the grandfather of all hardcore, its not.

People think “hardcore” and tend to lump punk-sounding bands like Ceremony and Cruel Hand, and base the origins on the popular 70’s and 80’s punk bands Black Flag and Minor Threat.

But while these bands were making history on the west coast, something else was going on in the Northeast. Boston, MA, to be exact.

Nowadays Boston is known for their lively hardcore scene, and many claim that Gang Green is to thank.

Gang Green formed in the early 80’s, with Chris Doherty, Mike Dean, and Bill Manley who were all only 15 years old. The band was on-and-off for the next two decades, but released a handful of pro-alcohol albums. The band-mates followed suit; throughout the years, band mates left and were quickly replaced.

But with the always changing musicians in the band, their theory stayed the same: beer, skateboarding, and sex makes for a good life. Their albums all channeled this rockstar lifestyle, with most of the albums titles including a brew-themed pun: Older… Budweiser (1989), Another Case of Brutality (1997).

Between 1986 and 1989, the band released four full-length albums, two with Taang! Records, and two with Roadrunner Records.

The music has a good mix of current punk-hardcore, and the sweet sound of 80’s rock and roll. The songs are short, and fast paced, and chock-full of gang vocals.

“I’d rather drink than fuck”- Gang Green in a nutshell.

Read more >>

A Collection of Disgust

So i'm gonna talk some about a few things that have caught my ear recently, some controversial in grind circles (maybe).

Firstly, INxDISGUST. These San Jose 'True Grind Fucks' have been totally slaying

my delicate ear-canals for a good week now, I can't believe this band aren't more well

known. They play storming, bass-heavy grindcore in the vein of Assuck and Excruciating Terror, with production values on par with 'World Extermination' era Insect Warfare. Short songs, infinite blastbeats and awesome thrash riffs, with a total west coast Cholo HxCx flavour! The 'San Jose Oldies Vol.1' compilation released

through Torture Garden Picture Company covers most of their material, although their most recent (final?) release, a split e.p. with Texan warlords PLF, is not included and is certainly worth your coin, if you can find it (was at one time on the Relapse webstore).

I finally heard the Low Threat Profile l.p.

Mindblowing.

If you caught my previous post on this band and checked em out, I strongly urge you to follow up your

investigations and get your hands on this, however you can. A slight step up in production has clarified LTP's sound, bringing Andy's vocals to the forefront. The guy sounds like Tom Araya! Lyrically, the record has some stand-out moments. 'My One And Only' is unbelievably up-beat, a love song to the punk lifestyle and playing music, and 'The Product #2' is scathing rhetoric seemingly directed at DeepSix.

Both Low Threat Profile records have been absolutely blinding, I couldn't recommend more.

Finally, OddFuture and GrindcoreKaraoke.

I think we are seeing the beginnings of true change in the music industry, and both these sites

exemplify this in my mind. I'm sure many of you have already heard of GrindcoreKaraoke, and i'm sure many have downloaded one of the 6 quality grindcore releases on offer.

I will be posting reviews on a few of these releases later this week.

I'm also sure that many of you dislike Hip Hop (although I could be wrong?), but to me

OddFuture is just as awesome and worthy of your attention: quality releases, free to download, pushing the envelope in their respective genres. OddFuture isn't your typical radio-friendly beats, this shit is dark, violent, criminal, funny and certainly not P.C. If your feeling curious, dip your toe and try the water. If you smoke pot, I would doubly recommend you get on this. Don't like it? It's ok, go listen to some nice, safe Death Metal and calm yourself down.

When the best beats, be they blast or otherwise, are being released for free by free thinkers, masterminding their own artwork, videos and 'records', I hope the record companies realise their polishing the brass on the Titanic. And we know where that story ends.

OFWGKTA.

Read more >>

Texan Chop Shop (Hatred Surge, Deconstruct, 2009)

Last night I had a dream that I was standing in the middle of a massive industrial factory. Machines were working tediously all around me while I could hear the grinding of steel and heavy rumble of pumps and levers. The room stretched far as the eye could see and looked as if the walls, floor, and ceiling were made of copper. As I stood there, looking around, a beautiful pale woman appeared from behind the cogwheels wearing only a thorny rose stem used to tie her hair in a loose knot. Her voice then became that of Faiza Kracheni, vocalist of Hatred Surge, but it wasn’t her. Her eyes were closed the whole time as if they were sealed shut and the expression of intense agony on her face was apparent. She explained to me the Deconstruction of the mind, the body, the soul, society, the world, and ultimately, all life. I froze in awe of the sheer force in her tone.

“The world is Out of Balance, Maladjusted to corrupt ways. Harvest until the earth below your feet becomes no more than Dark Circles upon the horizon. Keep believing what you want, but your efforts prove Weightless. Feeding of the gluttonous leaves them with a Big Smile, and causes The Slithering of the rest."


I replied, “I Hate as well as you do, does it make us any different?” I then pleaded with her to spare the lives of humans. She finally agreed to spare humanity on one condition. I was to inform the world of her message through the music of Hatred Surge’s Deconstruct... to spread realization of our true nature through noisy, sludgy, powerviolence. The powerful drumming, catchy guitar and bass work, and male and female vocals (Alex and Faiza) compliment each other in just the right way to make people violently nod their heads in agreement with the primal message of humanity’s eternal destruction and hate. Many seem to think of this band as Insect Warfare's little sister but HS certainly stand on their own and outshine IW in a few aspects. What makes this such a great album is the noisey as fuck production value, which if recorded cleaner would sound less chaotic and powerful. If you want fast Grindy Powerviolence, look no further. Male + Female vocal combinations almost always work out well in PV and Grind and this is no exception, give this record a spin today. “How will I remember this dream?”, I asked the strange naked woman. She replied, “I am the Sleep Terrorizer, this memory will be forever burned into a Skull Cell deep within your head. Keep my message until Infinity.”

Myspace
Buy it

Read more >>

Spreading the Dis-Ease: Noisear, Subvert the Dominant Paradigm, 2011

Noisear - Subvert The Dominant Paradigm by lambgoat

I am digging this release quite a bit, sort of reminds me of the Inalienable Dreamless crossed with Extreme Conditions Demand Extreme Responses, with a bit of an oriental twist and that should be a good sign in any ones books. Review will be up one day soon. Ohh btw not only is this stolen of Lambgoat, but also the last track is done by none other than our favourite new label head honcho J.Randall.

Read more >>

The Copenhagen Experiment (Chaos Surge, Kusari Gama Kill, 2011)

Having called the wonderful Eustachian the Euramerican joint answer to Japan's blazing Cyber Noise Act Deathstorm, I have greatly neglected to acknowledge Deathstorm's even more electrifying  Danish doppelgänger Kusari Gama Kill who flamboyantly dish out a terrifying blend of industrialised Grindcore warped by an ambivalent psychosis of egregious electronica and naiant noise, in a manner akin to entering the plot of hellraiser via the matrix.

Brace yourself for a 22 minute synthetic assault of epilepsy inducing crash course into the realms of noise and electronics. Heavy use of stop and start shell shock tactics emulate an aural crash course into a digital battle of noise as a continous stream of an insane quantity of beats hammer away at your cranial cortex. Almost paralysing in nature it will proceed across a splatter of 32 tracks to offer to kick your nerves into overdrive as it proceeds to shock your system at speeds and forces that were meant more for torture than for leisure. The only other comparison is detonating a dozen copies of pre Agorapocalypse era ANb through a black hole, recording the result and then playing it backwards via dial up tones.
Vocals are a sickening electronic bastardisation of a deep wrenching scream and coupled with the omnipresent white noise that relentless twitches, we get a filthy machination of heavy and scary of a thundering blitzkrieg of electronic cacophony.
As your local doctor I recommend some electroshock therapy in the form of Chaos Surge, collect it at your local Grindcore Karaoke pharmacist.

Download Now!

Myspace

Kusari Gama Kill Blog

   

Read more >>

Dystopian Punk (Robocop II, Robocop, 2011)

Punk has never been my forte, nor will it ever be despite my constant amateur dabblings in it, but even I appreciate a fine douse of Punk when I hear one, and Ryan and Co certainly deserve a thumbs and a pat on the back from my metal laden tastes.

Robocop's second instalment is one part Boston Hardcore, one part S.O.B and a healthy dose of Powerviolence, which all combine to unleash a storm of grim punk bordering and occasionally crossing  into the realms of Grindcore.  Robocop offer a relentless churning punk attack of attitude and music in a wittier than thou ethos of both words and chords. Featuring jibes left right and centre of both humour and wit in a self indulging genre mockery best seen in titles such as Feminism  Über Alles and Maine is the Bastard, yet somehow Ryan Page manages, to layer such lyrics and titles to at face value juxtapose each other, so what may have a funny title, is in fact lyrically a tirade of intellectual rhetoric or contemporary observation of issues clouding the scene. (check out the lyrics here)

Although never attaining supersonic levels of speed, they often click back a few gears and offer a nice cruising punk vibe build up, before letting all hell loose where they end throwing in chords here, riffs there all topped by a screams splattering forth arguments to and fro in a true homage to powerviolence. As the songs progress as well, mechanical machinations seem to get stronger and stronger, taking form and offering a dystopian alternative to the already grizzly guitar work and gritty feel to the rest.

Overall this has to be one of my favourite punk releases of all time, it has everything from humour, intellectualism, attitude, killer musicianship and best of all its free to download! Although I hardly feel my rushed review does it justice, come to your own conclusion and download it over at Grindcore Karaoke.

Download Now!

Ryan Page's Blog

Read more >>