Hymns of Despair

Tony Maim of the great black insect laughter blog made a compilation of his musical highlights from last year.  The tracks are a mixture of hardcore, sludge noise and stoner rock.   Permission was obtained from the bands and labels involved.   The great final result is available in digital for with a downloadable bookelt with band info and reviews from this bandcamp page.

The New Enemy - Darkness, She Was The Universe

This Canadian hardcore bunch who go by the handle of  The New Enemy have a metallic sound that harks back to a time before every band that mixed metal with hardcore wanted to be Pantera. For the most part, no one's going to accuse these guys of being groundbreaking unless you count the fact that the band are from Toronto but have a New York hardcore type sound and often fall somewhere between Gorilla Biscuits and early Biohazard.  A lot of this is largely due to the vocals being of the gravelly variety.

"Keratine"is one of those tough guy hardcore songs that would be rap if it wasn't for the band laying down the metallic jams.  "Lives on The Run" has a crunchy rap feel but the threatening mood is ruined with melodic backing vocals.  The usual hardcore sing or shout alongs are present in "Change in The Weather" and it's easy to imagine a crowd joining in with the chants.   The melodic backing vocals ruin "Dead Eyes" as the band reveal a closet fantasy to be Evanescence or Nightwish with a metalcore type up the front.  Experimentation is all good when it works but here it doesn't.  Those sickening sweet backing vocals come into play way too quickly on the album close, "The Muck", which will have people running away but it won't be due to any menacing fist in the factor but the fact that song has a symphonic type ending. There are people out there that want candy after being smacked around but don't count me among them.  A shame really because that this album ends like this because the rest of the songs are quite enjoyable.

3/5

This album is available from the band's bandcamp site for a name your price option and all money raised will go towards Youth without Shelter, a Toronto Shelter for abused and homeless youth.

Iron Fist magazine issue 2

Iron Fist is a UK Metal mag and proclaims to be the ultimate underground bible on the cover. The second issue features a cover story on Motorhead. There are interviews with old-time death metallers Sadistic Intent, also other old timers like Incantation, Sarcofagus, Thor, Doro and NWOBM band, Jaguar, Australian black metallers Ruins plus Vektor and a lot more. The ads aren't that noticeable and there's none for phone sex lines unlike some other British metal and rock mags.

The reviews are at the honest stage and aren't the horseshit that are lot of reviewers spout so that they'll get more product from the same record label or band because despite the band or album being shit, the prices that they fetch on ebay or in a trade are great. Advertisers bands aren't automatically granted a great review, which is how it should be. While I'm not that moved to check out any of the albums reviewed that I wouldn't normally, the writing does focus on the music and its easy to know what a record will sound like just by reading. There is an editing mistake in the review section though as a Graveyard review is headed up as Deathspell Omega.

The best part of the mag was an interview with Brian Slagel, the founder of Metal Blade records(weren't the Goo Goo Dolls once on this label?). The article is more about the Metal Massacre compilations then anything else and it makes for interesting reading. Reading the staff list I see that there is both a kiwi connection and a connection with the glossy punk mag, The Big Cheese as former member of Christchurch punk band Desperate Measures is involved in the publishing.  Iron Fist are offering subscriptions which is a bold move for a mag that is only on its second issue.


Iron Fist mag

Top 10 of 2012

2012 was an interesting year for me personally.  The blog took a backseat as real life became busier.  I quit a part-time that I really held for too long to return to Asia and take a job that I first had eleven years ago.  My stone deaf and Alzheimer riddled grandmother was moved into a home and her house sold. 

I really didn't get to many shows at all during the year.  I made it to a New Year's Eve gig in Taipei featuring a number of bands but back in New Zealand, I only really remember making it to Razorywyre, Beastwars and Methdrinker, The Subhumans(UK), Boris and Dead Meadow.  Highlights were Beastwars, Methdrinker, Boris and The Subhumans. 

Here's my top 10 album list for 2012 after the year has ended and not in October or as early as this guy posted his list.

10)  Testament - "Dark Roots of The Earth"

Chuck Billy and company are back and sounding exactly how they sounded over twenty years ago with a vengeance and have a heartwarming melodic thrash metal sound that provides refuge from bumble bee metal guitars, frog belching and cookie monster vocals.  The cover songs might suck but we're not counting them as part of the album.

9)Buzzmutt - "Static in The Mind's Eye chapter 1"

Jangly psychedelic pop from San Francisco with more than a touch of the Velvet Underground.

8) Brokaw "Interiors"

This is one of those albums that almost didn't get a look in, which isn't quality related but due to the fact that it's January release meant it was likely to get lost due to the sheer amount of albums that came out in 2012 .   This a retro album from a Seattle band that has a 90's sound without grunge.  There are elements of Am rep bands and funk metal plus the odd industrial twist.



7)The Living Deadbeats - "The Living Deadbeats"

I'm a sucker for female vocals in 70's style punk and this debut album from a Canadian punk band has that in spades and boy, is it catchy.

6th equal) The Memorials "Delirium" -

I never really paid much attention to The Mars Volta although I heard a tune or two here and there but they never grabbed me. However this album featuring ex-Mars Volta drummer does grab me largely due to the talented vocals of Vivecia Hawkins which carry this album as she and the band move seemingly effortlessly from soul, jazz to hard rock often within a single song.


6th) Kowloon Walled City "Container Ships"

- If Fugazi ever made a sludge album it'd sound like this unless Quicksand made a Fugazi album.


5) Arc of Ascent - " The Higher Key"

 Psychedelic doom metal that actually gets the doom part correct as Candlemass is clearly as much of influence as Black Sabbath and Kyuss.

4) Beastwars - "Beastwars"

 - It may be cheating including this as it came out in my homeland of New Zealand before this year but it was released internationally this year and if that Soundgarden reunion album bummed you out then you should look into this as its early Soundgarden worship with Mastodon and High on Fire influences and the Nick Keller artwork kills.

3) The Hip Priests "Full Tilt Bullshit"

 - Sleazy garage punk 'n' roll from the UK. An album that begs you to have another drink and then another and then......

2). Dot Dash "Winter Garden Light"

   English sounding post-punk or should that just be 80's alternative pop? What ever it should be this album made by veteran DC musicians is highly addictive listening material.

1) Electric Shepherd "Imitation Garden"   Retro sounding psychedia with a modern feel.  There are touches of various 70's bands, such as Zep and Floyd but this album is still somehow a product of its time.


There's a lot that I didn't get around to listening to but intend to such as the Turbonegro and Killing Joke albums.  Honorable mentions go to Danko Jones, Absolute Monarchs, Hosoi Bros, Rabbits, Off!, Deadkill and Dog Shredder.  Favorite new record label has to be Good to Die as Nik has great taste in the bands he's chosen and released a lot of killer tunage in a short time.

This year there have also been a number of albums I found disappointing such as the offerings from High on Fire, Sigh, Enslaved and the electronic portion of Mark Lanegan's "Blues Funeral"  sounds like it was ripped off U2's "Pop" album.

Well, that's my list out of the way.  A couple of reviews are in the works and should be up later in the month.

Devils Elbow - Broken Record Syndrome

 I've been aware of Devils Elbow for quite some time.  In fact, they first sent me an email about three or four years ago and I listened to their songs on their myspace player and the country tinged tunes did zero for me so it was easier to ignore them than write about them.   When I saw them live, I just considered them an annoyance simply by being the second support band before Grant Hart.

The line-up has since changed since I saw them live with the addition of Ben Lee on bass and bacing vocas.  There's been a change of drummer too.  Although none of that really matters because Alex Withers is the only constant Devils Elbow musician on this release of eight songs from 2011 and 2012.  Both release opener "Broken Record Syndrome" and "Trouble" contain harmonica and  possess a catchy melody reminicent of the mid-80's hits by the likes of The Hooters and John Mellencamp. Alec Withers sings and plays all the instruments in  "The Big Smoke" which is country tinged with a beefy guitar sound.  "Endless Dedication" is punk rock tinged country.  This is how Social Distortion would sound if they plyed their hands at country music.  Checked shirt wearing Country music traditionalists are likely to enjoy "Like A Flash" and find something more than those that just want to rock out because the harmonica and female backing vocals convince that song was written to be played at a hay covered barndance.  The instrumental "Bones Below" is heavily reliant on the swing of the rhythm section and  has a nice and sleazy feel ala The Stranglers.

The refined blend of country, punk and rock works well on this release.  This is one  that is likely to convert non-believers and skeptics.  See y'all at Mass.  The 8 song EP can ber downloaded at their bandcamp site for a limited time.

3.5/5

Devils Elbow on facebook




Small Takeover on facebook

Asilo - Geografias

 

Asilo are a four piece band from Argentina.  The band describe their music as crust doom. Asilo have opted out of the traditional four on the floor sound by eliminating the guitar and instead utilize two basses.   Their latest single "Geografias" is a taster for an upcoming album.    "Geografias" crawls slowly out from the gutter as sludgy crust with troll vocals then when the song hits about the  halfway point oppressive discordant drone beats the listener into submission and the comes out of a cocoon as doom with haunting spoken vocals.  The lyrics to the song are all in the band's native language.

What really piqued my interest in this release was the cover of "Wardance" because it is one of my favorite Killing Joke songs.  As with all cover versions, there is the fear that the band completely ruin the song or by simply playing it straight add absolutely nothing but Asilo add a dense layer of mouldy crust to the tune.  This would be my pick out of the two tracks however it's not going to end up on their upcoming album.  The band's music reminds me of those old ads that were used to advertise death metal that stated, "Some music was meant to stay underground".   This isn't music for the faint-hearted.   However if you're looking for a combination of crust, doom and sludge, this release is well worth a look but don't just take my word for it, play the single for yourself at their Bandcamp page.

  The fact that they have a picture of Edith Piaf on their band shirt is a little confusing.

3/5


Small takeover on facebook

RIP Luger Douche

I loved the fact that you contacted me via youtube to film your band because you like the Uk Subs clips that you saw I had uploaded. it's a shame that I never ended up filming your band.

However I enjoyed the comment you made when I reviewed your band here.

Just found out the way it happened. This is horrible news.

There's more info in an article from a London paper along with a photo of Mr Steve Andrews aka Luger Douche with a certain Mick Jones Read here.