REVIEW: Casting Curses - Dirt Road

I got my hands on a two-song digital promo that Panic Records released earlier today in anticipation of Casting Curses' new LP. In the wake of their acclaimed EP, Cold All Over Again, Casting Curses' have gone to work writing their follow-up record. The Dirt Road Single features the song Let's Ride which shows the band taking a more straight forward approach to songwriting, while still maintaining their usage of effects and sudden tempo changes. Cold All Over Again saw them playing a tune that some say was in the vein of 108 and Burn, and at times, their sound was even akin to bands like Hot Cross, but I get more of an early 2000's Louisville vibe with this new song, not unlike that of Black Cross but heavier. The second song is actually a cover. Sex Type Thing. I am actually a fan of STP, and I'd say this cover does the original some justice, if only lacking in the vocals department. It's interesting to hear Casting Curses put their spin on it, though. Overall, it's got me intrigued to see what they will put together for the LP. You can get the Dirt Road DEP through iTunes.

REVIEW: Street Sweeper - Shoe City EP

Massachusetts has been a hot bed for hardcore for a long time, but not all the bands get picked up on or get on the annual touring circuit right away. Street Sweeper has been playing their brand of heavy hardcore since 2007, but they just recently had a 7" EP released through Shoe City Records. You can read more about the band from this interview done by Some Will Never Know Webzine. As for the record itself, it's pretty solid NY-styled hardcore with good breaks and some nods to late-80's crossover. At times, I felt like the recording sounded rushed. Some parts could have been tighter, but it's not going to ruin this record. I've never seen them, but they sound like they would have a good live show. It's a solid first release, but I want to hear what they can do when they take their time in the studio. I did like the intro, Neighborhood Stomp, and the A-side of this record more than the flipside, but the bass break toward the end of Ten of Truths: Excellent. @BadMoodMorgado of WrongSide/Dumptruck lent his hand for the record's artwork which I am a fan of, but I think they should've kept the letters used on this shirt. Overall, it's worth picking up if you need some new music for the gym.

REVIEW: Zero Progress - Derailed EP

ZERO PROGRESS play "Furious Hardcore for the PUNKS! PUNKS! PUNKS!" Hailing from Northern California, ZP has been pretty ambitious in their ventures. They released their Derailed EP through their Piledriver Records label and are currently on their first full US Tour. I picked up the record from the band when they played the Broken Neck in East Austin with Vestiges a couple of weeks ago. They play very fast and very tight with some solid breaks thrown in for good measure. This 8 song EP clocks in at just under 9 minutes, but it has good replayability. Throughout, it gives me an early NY or Boston vibe with some of the faster parts reminding me of the first Suicidal Tendencies LP. The NY style break at the end of Out of Touch is excellent. I also liked the way Listen goes into We. Both are good songs, and they just compliment each other well. You can stream the whole record on their BandCamp page, and if you like what you hear, you should catch Zero Progress on the tail end of their US tour and pick up a copy the EP.

HARDCORE RULES IN 2011!

WRAP-UP: Chaos in Tejas [Part 2]

Chaos has swept the city. Austin felt the presence of some of underground music's finest. In its 6th year, Chaos in Tejas has continued to outdo itself in its magnitude. It is now over, and most of the people who traveled to Austin, TX from all parts of the world have already returned home. Only to await the announcement of next year's events which are sure to surpass expectations.

I spent most of Thursday night at the Mohawk for the UNBROKEN show. Met up with some old friends. I thought I was running late, but I got their just in time. Power Trip opened the show and got the crowd moving. Riffs for days. They never disappoint. Keep your eyes out for the new record. Free Spirit followed and straight killed it. This band is too good. If someone asks you what Hardcore sounds like, show them Free Spirit. DFJ was playing drums for them, so that should tell you something. I don't think the dude has done wrong, musically. He was also playing in Rival Mob and Mind Eraser, amongst others throughout the weekend. The singer of FS was also wearing one of my all-time favorite HC shirt designs. Ill. I watched Ceremony from afar, and mind you, I haven't seen or listened to them in years, but they were better than I thought they'd be. The crowd was eating it up. UNBROKEN was up next. You could see the crowd shift as some of the younger kids made their way to the back and the older heads stepped up. Their set was awesome. Besides Donger, I was probably the youngest dude moshing. No fucks given. xNoblex dusted off his mosh, as did other heads. Omegas started up on the inside stage, and shit got ignorant. There is no other way. I missed Universal Order of Armageddon, and actually, I headed home early that night due to working early the next day. I was bummed about missing Big Freedia, Katey Red and Double Negative.

Photos by Tyler Nutter. Find more on Flickr.

After work on Saturday, I thought I was good on time, so I went home and kicked it for a minute. Then I realized the show at Mohawk started at 7PM, so I bolted out the door headed for downtown. I made it to the venue just after Urban Blight. Shitty. I had been excited about their set. The day before I was talking to my boys from Cutting Losses, and it got brought up that a surprise Step Forward set would be unlikely. We were wrong. "What's up? We're Step Forward." The place went crazy and didn't slow down through the Rival Mob. Raw Life. Their set went hard. Unfortunately, Rampage didn't have as good of a reaction as I thought, but their set was awesome. I attributed it to them playing right before Youth of Today, which is an honor in and of itself.

Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for: YOUTH OF TODAY. The crowd filled the room. Fists were X'd up and the tension was building. I made my way up front as they took the stage. The crowd took flight from start to finish. There were non-stop stagedives throughout the set. Noble of One Against Many enacted a 3 stagedive minimum for anyone in attendance. He definitely met his quota. Being one of the bigger dudes up front, I was used as a launchpad by most people to get on stage, but I managed to even get one in. I feel bad for whoever I landed on. Oh wait, no I don't. They played most of the hits. A lot of stuff off of Break Down the Walls. They even played Disengage. There were a couple of songs I would've liked 'em to play. They even threw in covers of Minor Threat and 7 Seconds. All in all, one of the best shows I've ever been to.

FLAME STILL BURNS

Unfortunately, I was broke for most of the weekend which resulted in me missing a couple of excellent shows. The one I'm most bummed about was Iron Age's last show at Emo's. Dbag got in and said it was awesome, but I wouldn't know, personally, so here's a video for all those who also missed it:



"RIP! Iron Age is done. Thank you." -Chase Money
The past couple of days had me worn out, so I missed the free day show at Red7 after getting out of work, and I just headed to the Mohawk to catch Fucked Up and Dillinger Four. Fucked Up never disappoints. I've seen 'em many times over the years, and they still put on a great show. I haven't listened to them much after Hidden World, but the newer stuff they played sounded good. They even did a couple of older songs [Police and Baiting the Public]. Damian is always fun to watch. He's just all over the place. He spent most of their set in the crowd giving people hugs and even ended up on the balcony overlooking the stage and jumping in photos. I ran inside and talked NBA with Greg Wilmott while watching the final minutes of Game 3 of the Finals. Fuck the Heat. Found my boy James in the crowd and sang along to Dillinger Four. Their set was a solid mix of old and new. Lots of babes, too. That's always a plus about pop-punk shows: babes. D4 makes their set lively with a mix of humor and high-energy punk ballads. I missed the first 2 songs, but got their just in time to see them play Gainesville, which has to be one of my favorite songs of the past couple of years.

The Black Twilight Circle was having a showcase at Red7, but by this point I was beyond tired. I heard from a few notable heads that the show was real good, despite a weak turnout, but I just had to get some sleep.

With that, Chaos in Tejas was through. Friends headed back home. Locals went back to work. Downtown began to smell better.

Until next year...

WRAP-UP: Chaos in Tejas [Part 1]

Last night was the only night that I had no tickets for any shows, but I still managed to catch Hooded Menace, the Spits (partially), TRAGEDY and Origin of [M].

Got into downtown Austin around 8:30 after getting out of work. Missed Mammoth Grinder's set at Red7, so I spent a lot of the night meeting up with friends who had just gotten into town. Saw friends from Canada and a lot from San Antonio. Donger managed to slime his way into a lot of shows, so I'm jealous of him, but my night still went well. Hooded Menace was so fucking heavy. Excellent. Banged my head with Chase Money and spoke briefly with my boy, Ribz, about a certain piece of Type O Negative merch. Pretty sure I spotted DFJ getting down to the Menace, too.

I caught part of the Spits set before regrouping with D-Bag and heading East to the Broken Neck. Had to wait for him to get out of the Cro-Mags show at Emo's. Unfortunately, I didn't have $30 dollars to spare. Bummed. Listened from outside with some San Antonio homies and Big Country. Just after the Mags covered Bad Brains, I spotted Greg Willmott of Lockin Out fame getting kicked out for fighting, which didn't actually happen. Had a few words with him just before splitting to the Eastside.

CRO-MAGS at Emo's: Can you spot the Dustin?

There were tons of heads out at the Broken Neck by the time we rolled up. Once the joint was packed and all the other shows in DT were through, Origin of [M] did their thing. I was definitely feeling it. Some solid NY style riffs were being laid out. I support just about any Japanese HC bands. After a one song encore, Origin of [M] finished their set and within a few minutes, Tragedy was ready to rip through the crowd. I hadn't seen them since their appearance at Chaos in Tejas 2006, so it was great to finally get to see them again. The crowd was going insane. It was impossible not to be moving. The whole venue was packed, wall-to-wall, with punks from around the world, and they were eating it up. After ripping through a solid set, they called it a night due to technical difficulties [the drummer busted his snare drum.]


After finally making it out of the Broken Neck and saying bye to some friends, DonJuan and I made our way to the Super8, so he could get some of his stuff from the Canadians. Once we finally made it home, it was 5:00 AM. SLEEP.

Today is a new day. See everyone at Unbroken tonight. Make sure you get there early to catch POWER TRIP. Big Freedia at Red7. Ass Everywhere. Double Negative aftershow at the Broken Neck.

LET'S DO THE DAMN THING!

WRAP-UP: MoshFest - May 21st, 2011

Tyler, TX. It's a dead zone. Don't go there if you have T-Mobile and expect to have reception. Having said that, this show started out as an odd mix of hardcore and "crab"-core, but all of the latter bands dropped, so it ended up being just a solid Texas hardcore show. There were bands representing DFW, Austin, San Antonio and even Longview, TX, which was a pleasant surprise.

This was a sort of homecoming for our guitarist who grew up there and spent most of the 90's playing in bands [Eleventh Hour, 1066, etc] and putting on shows. Needless to say, this was not the Tyler he had left behind.

We rolled into town around 2:30PM and made our way to the venue, which turned out to be the hollowed out shell of a former strip club. Pulling up the show, we were asked to step out of the vehicle by the promoter of the show and handed "VIP" wristbands. Border Patrol tactics is not how you treat VIP's. We were scheduled to play at 5:00PM, but come to find out 5 bands had dropped, the set-times got shifted around.

Being that we didn't need to be there til later, we opted to leave Austin earlier in hopes of catching TRUTH. Due to the schedule changes, we arrived earlier then needed. Burden Me opened up the show, followed by Truth. Now Truth plays pretty straight forward Youth Crew styled hardcore. It's fast, positive and Straight Edge. They could use some fine tuning, but overall did a good job. They're new, so I forgive them. They just need to stick to it, and get their shit on lock. They did cover BOLD, so that scored them major points.



Prior to our set, Seth of Losing Grip asked me to speak to a group of misguided youths in neon clothing who were way too young to be smoking tobacco, so I obliged. After scolding them and pretending to call the cops on them, to which they freaked out, I told them to come watch the next band. They obliged. I think we were the only band they actually saw throughout the entire show. It was a fun set. People seemed into it, including one dude whose dad is younger then both our singer and guitarist.

I was kind of all over the place, so I can't remember which bands I saw, but a group of us did leave for a minute for a pizza buffet break before Losing Grip's set. After a short drive and 20 slices of pizza later, we got to the show and caught the latter half of Humanerror'shttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif set. Unfortunately, we missed End Times, but there was pizza pie in our eyes.

This was advertised as Losing Grip's last show, but I hope they consider doing at least one last show at home. Regardless, it was as solid a set as I've ever seen them play. The riffs were heavy and the mosh was ignorant. I was told after the fact that I smashed one of the dudes from Truth repeatedly in the face. Sorry, bud. Last show or not, I'm glad I was there to see them play.

Unfortunately, we had to dip before Power Trip played, but I heard it was good. I got word of chair mosh. I fully support chair mosh. YouTube user, sleeveywonder888 posted videos of Truth, Cosmic Rite, Black Body, Vaste Burai and Power Trip, so go check those out.

the Energy streams new album

Houston based punk rock band, the Energy is currently streaming their second album, Get Split, for free through their BandCamp page. Chock-full of a certain relentlessness, a certain restlessness. Upbeat and unforgiving, Get Split is a solid follow-up to The Energy's First Album, which I still listen to regularly. This is definitely a record for those who need some rock'n'roll in their life. Suitably lo-fi and wall-to-wall riffs with wailing leads that could skin a cat. I can't guarantee that this record won't drive you to the edge of madness, but at least the road to your demise will have a good soundtrack.

http://theenergy.bandcamp.com/

Dead Reprise - the Unveiling

Hailing from the cold north [Örebro, Sweden], Dead Reprise have just released their 2nd full-length record titled, the Unveiling. Recorded at the legendary The Abyss [Amon Amarth, Dark Funeral, Celtic Frost, etc.] and released in Europe on Monument Records with GTR Records handling the US release, the Unveiling is 11 songs of relentless, embittered hardcore which is a follow-up to their 2007 full-length, Day of Defiance [GSR]. The artwork was done by Dave Quiggle of No Innocent Victim who has had his work grace many album covers, t-shirts and pieces of flesh. The band just did a string of shows in August throughout Europe in support of the record which was released on July 24th.

From the beginning, the Unveiling hits hard at an unnerving pace with the aptly titled, Unleash the Havoc. A pace which Dead Reprise manages to maintain strongly throughout the entire record without its consistency becoming tired. They utilize tempo changes which would keep any hardcore kid moving, and roughly seven minutes into the record, they slow things down on Deliverance and show a bit of their metal influence with this short interlude that clocks in just under a minute. Immediately, the record gets back on track with Against the Tide. Even though their sound has a metallic edge to it, their songwriting remains true to their hardcore roots. Solid, straight forward riffs drive this record, down to some very crushing breaks. The aural assault does not end there. The Famine features guest vocals from one of the most vicious voices in hardcore. Clevo legend, Human Furnace assists in the madness. The Unveiling does not let up, not even up to its final moments on Wolves Disguised. This record is an all out attack of heavy hardcore. A must have for your lifting days and/or to intensify your road rage. This one is not for the weak.

http://www.deadreprise.com/
http://www.myspace.com/gtrrecords
https://www.monumenthq.se/

Album art taken from http://www.davequiggle.com/

No Harm Done/Offsides Split EP

Melodic hardcore has been on a downturn as of late, but from time to time a record comes along that is just so chock full of melody and hooks while maintaining that hardcore punk aggression, it makes you say, "Good times, full speed ahead." This is one of those records. A joint production from Seafoam Recordings and In My Heart Records, Florida's No Harm Done and Connecticut's Offsides find themselves on their own respective sides of this solid piece of wax. 6 songs of fast-paced, melodic hardcore. My old band played with No Harm Done down in Laredo, TX sometime in 2008, and some of the NHD dudes kept yelling for us to do a Buried Alive cover. Unfortunately, at the time, we didn't know any Buried Alive, but BA is def backed hard, and so No Harm Done is backed. haha. They play a good mix of fast pop-punk and hardcore. They have a real fun live show. Lots of energy. This is actually my first time hearing Offsides, but I always enjoy when bands have female vocalists. They also had an EP come out on Get Outta Town Records last summer. I still need to check that out, but these 3 songs made a good impression on me for this band. Solid aggressive melodic hardcore. Be sure to pick up this split 7" and catch both bands on tour together as they go across the US and Canada.

ffo: Kid Dynamite, Kill Your Idols, Hot Water Music, Good Riddance
notable tracks: Dangerous Years, Gone

No Harm Done:
1. Dangerous Years
2. Vs Vultures
3. GoodBye

Offsides:
1. Vacant Lots
2. Gone
3. With Great Honor

Where life ceases to exist...

I recently got my hands on the Mother Curse 7" EP from Austin, TX hardcore punk band, Streetcleaner, and I must say that this is one of the angriest and most spiteful records I've come across in recent times. Released by Give Praise Records, this record features 8 tracks of high intensity, bass heavy, powerviolence inspired hardcore. Filled with blastbeats and lingering feedback, Streetcleaner does not refrain from utilizing some heavier, mid-tempo breaks. Keeping it aggro: their lyrical assault hits upon several topics, including: cops, fake people, humanity's demise, etc. With each track coming and going in a blast of noisy rage, there's not much time to digest what just happened. This is a record that requires several spins on your turntable.

You can purchase this 7" EP through the following website or at various other online punk rock distros:
http://streetcleaner.bigcartel.com

A.C.A.B.

In other news, contrary to what was stated in a previous post [Streetcleaner - Spotlight], Streetcleaner will not be performing at this year's This is For You Fest in Florida due to some issues that arose with their travel plans. Albeit, be sure to check out some of the other Texas bands that will be traveling to Florida to play the fest: ANS, Mammoth Grinder, and Highlife.

Heavier than Heaven, Lonelier than God

I do not know exactly why I put off giving this record a solid listen for so long, but I just want to know why no one ever slapped me upside the head for such a travesty. This record is easily one of the best records to come out in recent memory. A modern classic detailing what made this band such a recognizable force within the realm of hardcore to begin with. This record shows the ongoing evolution of what is known as Blacklisted, as a band and as an idea.

This is Blacklisted.
George Hirsch is a man who has some problems. Problems that a lot of us, growing up in the hardcore scene, seem to deal with regularly, but there are few us with the ability to express such issues in so few words and in such a way that the lyrics move you more than the music at times. In such a way that all you can see is those words. All you can see is the image being portrayed. The image is of the rawest of emotions.

Musically, it's a sonic wrecking ball: churning out riff after riff of devastatingly urgent hardcore. At times, it gives me a bit of a Bars or Breather Resist vibe, which is a very, very good thing. They've utilized some Southern Rock styled guitar licks which work favorably with Hirsch's recent vocal style. They seem to have also embraced the power that comes with building up the ambiance. It helps place the focus. Circuit Breaker's outro is a good example, with its reiteration of the line, "I have nothing to prove," laid out over the droning pulse of the bass. It stains the mind with those words. It rings out in your head. Those words...

I have nothing to prove.

I Can't Stand All the Things I See

It's like a Bl'ast of Agression to your cerebral cortex, in this alternate universe in which Southern California is located in Austin, TX and Black Flag was named after a Bad Brains song. Coptic Times is their name and playing loud, angry punk rock is their game. The Temptation EP was released earlier this year [May 27, 2008] on Youngblood Records. I've posted about this band before. Actually, the first post I ever made on here was when they put out their demo tape on Next Level Records 2 years ago. Vocalist, Matt Jackson, had sent me the demo tracks over AIM, and I had just made the blog earlier that night, so I figured it was only right to post about it. Help get the word out, you know?

Anyway, the EP features five tracks of raging hardcore punk. One of which was rerecorded from the demo [Urban Decay became Wasteland]. I'd also like to point out that the cover artwork was done by the great Andrei Bouzikov, who has inked some awesome designs within the hardcore punk community for bands such as Municipal Waste, Deadfall, Violation, and Reproach.

Feedback....it builds...piercing the ears as it builds. What's to come? A steady beat breaks as an almost Sabbath-like riff brings you in over a grooving bass line. High Strung. Things seem to pick up only to drop back into that lull of a break. Droning...then you snap back. It picks the pace back up. They even throw in a short solo for good measure. Some tight start and stop going on in the chorus. I like that one. Through These Eyes comes in and keeps up the current pace of the record. Remaining upbeat, for the most part, throughout. Wasteland. Re-recorded and renamed, Wasteland features an anthemic style chorus; aggressively chanting, "I can't stand all the things I see." This world isn't meant for people like me. Pulsing and straight forward, this song is the battlecry for the disillusioned who seek, but find not, answers in this world. Self Destruction, similar to the track prior utlizes a 3/1 chorus [repeating the first line three times followed by the last line]. It's in my head! A fun song, overall, with its use of changing pace through the chorus and solos thrown in. The EP closes out with the title track. Temptation brings us back to a familiar sound. Feedback seeps into our ears. A snippet of a guitar lick comes in and out. Then it hits: the drums, upbeat, and guitars, unrelenting, take us for the longest ride seen on this record. It closes in, and we'll end it on that note.

This is definitely one of my favorite EPs of this year, from a great Texas band. The record is still available through the band, Youngblood Records, and various punk rock distros and record stores, so you should pick it up as soon as possible. Also, if you're gonna be in the area, go catch Coptic Times at this year's This Is For You Fest along with fellow Texan ragers Lie and Wait, ANS, Highlife, Streetcleaner, and Mammoth Grinder!

Find a path in the darkness...

...out of this purgatory.

Texas' hardest return in 2008 with their self-titled 7" EP on Malfunction/Deathwish. It features 3 brand new tracks of devastating hardcore. One of which, Purgatory, having been previously released on the Deathwish Summer Sampler 2k8 to mixed reviews. It must have been hard to go back into the studio after the release of their highly acclaimed full-length, Climate of Fear, but it just seems to come natural for Bitter End to bust out some of today's best hardcore.

One thing a lot of listeners will notice about this record is that the band opted to go with longer songs that are a lot more polished and technically tight, as opposed to being shorter and more raw as with their first EP. With each release, songs seem to have gotten longer and more dynamic. If you looked at the numbers, Mind in Chains averaged 2 minutes/song and Climate of Fear hit 3 min/song. This new EP may only be 3 tracks, but it'll take you 11.4 minutes to get through listening. That being, if you can handle hardcore of this magnitude. Texas doesn't fuck around.

The EP kicks off in the Introduction with a pulsing, almost hypnotic groove into some heavy riffage. It closes out with everything coming together over a pounding beat with double bass to spare and leads you right into the next track. Purgatory hits going full speed ahead with raging riffs, and Daniel's signature vocal assault takes you in as he contemplates life, existence, purpose and consequence. They seem to have drawn a lot more from the thrash metal bands of the 80's which, for me, is a great thing! Not to mention we get to hear guitarist, Griff, do more vocal work throughout this track. Dude really needs to front a band. Yo Griff, what's up with Circle of Pain?! Anyway, back to Purgatory. After all the raging has been said and done, it closes out with a monstrous break which falls right into Power Struggle. Using more melody, similar to the Introduction, than the previous track, this song sounds straight outta 1987. That's not to say Bitter End is a total throwback with no originality. Far from it, actually. They simply chose some great influences and made it their own. Churning out riff after riff, these dudes bring you some viciously intense hardcore. This EP sounds like outtakes from Climate of Fear, just heavier. It's definitely going to be one of the top EPs of this year.

The pre-orders have already shipped from the Malfunction/Deathwish camp, and people have already started to recieve them in the mail. If you missed pre-orders, be sure to go in to your nearest record store/distro and pick it up. You can also head on over to the Deathwish eStore to get it.

Now feel the wrath of those you burned.

Demolition Hammer - Skull Fracturing Nightmare Demo (1988)

By request, I upped this gem of east coast thrash/death metal. Skull Fracturing Nightmare was the first demo from Bronx thrashers, Demolition Hammer. Recorded in 1988, this demo featured drummer, John Salerno, who was replaced shortly after by Vinny Daze. With the addition of Daze and second guitarist, Derek Sykes, the band recorded a second demo tape, Necrology, in 1989. Personally, I love when thrash bands play as trios because the music will tend to be more raw and an overall assault on your eardrums. No extra rhythms; no whack solos; just fast and pissed off. Not saying a trio of thrashers can't do some mad innovative jams (Coroner's R.I.P. is one of my all-time favorite thrash metal records), but I much prefer my thrash to be straight forward and angry as hell.

Skull Fracturing Nightmare is 4 tracks of raging thrash metal. With lyrics about violence, death, and environmental disaster, how could you go wrong?

Demolition Hammer - Skull Fracturing Nightmare Demo (1988)

Enuf's 1988 Demo

After reading the first part to an interview with Ajay, singer of the short lived New Jersey hardcore band, Enuf, on Double Cross, I spent the following week scouring the net for mp3s of their '88 Demo. Finally, I found someone on SLSK who had it available in their files, and so, I bring it you.

Enuf - 1988 Demo

This shit is mad stance. I was surprised with Ajay's tone and overall vocal execution in the best way possible. Dude went off on this recording. With the first couple of listens, I tried transcribing some of the lyrics, but there's still some lines that I can't make out. I sorta caught one (I think, haha) that I really dug in the second track, Face the Music:

"The Edge was never part of your life, when you had said it was!"*

I'm probably hearing it wrong, but I'd like to think it's something along those lines. hah. I really wanna get my hands on the full set of lyrics to this demo. Musically, these recordings are raw but mad jams, nonetheless. This shit seems to have definitely been overlooked over the years. Respect where it's due.

*Editor's Note:
Thanks to Tim and Gordo at DCXX for posting up scans of the demo insert with these lyrics. I finally got to correct 'em here. I wasn't too far off. hah!

Living the Storm

1. Get it Off
2. Fiery Father
3. Deadweight
4. the Cage
5. the Furnace
6. Live the Storm
7. Testament
8. In Exodus
9. Maps of War
10. Phantom

This-charge and Dis-that. D-beat has always been viewed as simply being a bunch of crazy punks worshiping Discharge while wearing jackets with far too many studs and charging up their hair, but i beg to differ. They're very caring and responsible members of today's society...

Aww, who am I kidding? You just can't fake this type of love for Dismotörchargehead, and lucky for us, these dudes do it just right. Starting off 2008 at full speed, Disfear returns with Live the Storm, the follow-up to their 2003 Relapse debut, Misanthropic Generation. Live the Storm was recorded with Kurt Ballou of Converge at his God City Studios in Salem, MA. From start to finish, this is 10 tracks of some of the angriest, darkest and most epic D-beat I've heard to date. This is Disfear's 2nd full-length release with lead vocalist, Tomas Lindberg [At the Gates; Skitsystem; the Great Deciever], second guitarist, Uffe Cederlund [Entombed] and drummer, Marcus Andersson; while maintaining the band's core members: Björn Peterson (guitar) and Henke Frykman (bass).

From the moment Live the Storm begins, Disfear gets your blood & fists pumping with Get it Off, as its raging riffage makes you want to get into your car and forcibly drive others off the road. [WARNING: Do not listen to this album while driving due to possible road rage...Ok, fine, listen to this while you drive. Have fun!] This was the first song I heard off the, then unreleased, album, as it, and the Cage, were both featured on their MySpace prior to the album's January release. These tracks were also available for download on the band's website, Disfear.com, which I have linked on the tracklist. Lindberg's vocals are an awesome mix of raw aggressiveness and straight forward delivery, and they accompany the music perfectly.

Now, don't get to thinking that all the songs are just short, fast, raging anthems to Armageddon. Albeit, there is nothing wrong with that... at all, but they happen to have several songs over the 3 minute mark such as: The Cage (4:00); The Furnace (4:12); In Exodus (3:32). Not to mention, Phantom, a true D-beat epic clocking in at a staggering 7 minutes and 12 seconds. The intro to this closing track is reminiscent of Warcollapse's Crust as Fuck Existence 7" (with its 4 tracks in just under 22 minutes), as it gives off a doom-filled aura with it's driving drum beat. Almost like a call to arms, this song is the soundtrack to what would be the world's final battle.

"And remember, “Live The Storm” is no different from the hurricanes laying waste to civilisation. Just bow your head and accept it!"

-Disfear

Can You Feel This Energy?

Energy is amazing. Wow. No bullshit, I have not been this genuinely excited about a band in awhile. Energy released their debut EP, Punch the Clock, earlier in the year on Rock Vegas Records. Hailing from Boston, MA, Energy is not your typical hardcore punk band. More on the upbeat, melodic side than your usual dose of tough as nails, gritty hardcore, Energy utilizes a sound not unlike that of a younger AFI. Think All Hallow's EP/The Art of Drowning era AFI, with a bit more of a modern melodic hardcore sound, and you've got Energy. Hell, even their album cover is reminiscent of the covers of the 2 AFI albums I mentioned.

Energy's Punch the Clock CDEP

AFI's All Hallow's EP
AFI's The Art of Drowning

Not saying they're a complete AFI rip-off because they're not, but they do have their similarities. Maybe it's just me...

I enjoyed hearing a band's vocalist belt out more clear vocals, and the "whoooo-oooooo" sing-a-long style choruses sealed the deal. Most of the songs manage to be very energetic, I suppose living up to their namesake, even at varying lengths (Lost and Found at 0:37 & Bushwhacked at 2:04). The last track on the EP is a cover, and needless to say, I thought it would've been an AFI cover, but I was pleasantly surprised as I heard Energy dishing out their rendition of Everlong from the Foo Fighters.

I'm not sure why I slept on this band, but I do regret it as they have already toured in my area and I missed 'em, but I won't let that happen again.

Notable tracks: Streetlights & Bushwhacked

We Are Walking Disease

Yo, Niko here.

"Progression" can mean a lot of things in music. In hardcore, most of the time it means turning nu-metal or making your sound softer and more marketable (often accompanied by a contract with Victory Records). In the case of Sacramento hardcore punk band Trash Talk, it's always meant serious improvement. From the first demo tape to the most recent release, Walking Disease, each release improves upon its predecessor. The longest Trash Talk album to date, Walking Disease is eleven songs of pure fucking rage. A quick look at their influences, including Negative Approach, Shark Attack, and Spazz, should give you a pretty good idea of what they sound like. It's loud, it's hard, and it's fucking fast. With only one track passing the 1:30 mark, each song is like a shotgun blast to the face, aural fucking assault. Lee's vocals and lyrics are also at the best they've ever been. Each word belted with genuine rage, each lyric penned by a desperate madman.

The live show is something to behold as well. Spencer (bass) and Lee seem to feed off each other as they destroy everything in range, including themselves. And you're all in luck, a full US tour is coming in May.

Walking Disease is available now from Rumble Records. While you're at it, pick up the Trash Talk/Steel Trap split from Spiderghost Pressgang, and the first 7" from Sell Our Souls Records. Their first full length drops sometime this year on Malfunction Records.

Losing sleep, wasting time
Killing myself til the day I die
I am what?
I am pure fucking evil

http://www.myspace.com/trashtalkfu
http://www.rumblerecords.net
http://www.spiderghost.net
http://www.selloursouls.com
http://www.malfunctionrecords.com

Judas Lives...

Greetings Earthling scum, Niko here.

The hardcore bands of today are for the most part lacking in two categories: talent, and influence from bands before the year 2000. Judas has both. Drawing influence from seminal powerviolence outfit Crossed Out, Cleveland metallic hardcore group Ringworm, and classic stoner rock bands Eyehategod and Electric Wizard, Judas uses blasting drum beats and vocals reminiscent of a barbarians battle cry. Oh, and did I mention the guitarist fucking rips? Sick riffs abound, the stoner rock influence shines through the most in the guitar, particularly in the final track, a 7 minute jam with no title. Interesting to note as well is the theme of the Crusades in the lyrics. Each side (Christians and Muslims) has a song from their viewpoint. The subject of hell and evil is also touched upon more than once.

Your chances of seeing this band anytime soon are probably pretty slim, unless you live in Southern California. Maybe if you all buy their record they'll have enough money to tour, and I can party hard with Sami, the best (brownest) dude in the world. The record drops in a few weeks on 16oh records.

Judas
16oh

I am here
From the depths of hell
City streets I dwell
Control this world I shall
Judas lives…

Kanagawa Impact, New Writer

Hello everybody, I'm Niko. I'll be helping J out with the blog every once in a while. A bit about me...just a kid from Northern California who likes hardcore a whole lot. I like 90's metalcore (Integrity, Ascension, Deadguy, stuff like that), MMA, and reading stuff that is far too complex for my understanding. But enough about me, let's talk about some bomb ass hardcore punk.

Let's face it, Japan does it better. Better movies, better women, better MMA organizations, and better music. For lack of a better word, Japanese hardcore feels more, well, pure. It's as if they never bothered to look past the early days of punk and hardcore for influence. Fast, raw, and aggressive are words that come to mind when I think of Japanese hardcore. Which brings me to the stellar hardcore punk compilation from the Kanagawa prefecture of Japan. Full of ripping guitar riffs, snotty vocals, and driving drum beats, each band on this CD would fit quite nicely playing alongside Black Flag or Discharge. Finding this gem may prove to be difficult, as it is limited to 1000 CD copies. It was available for a time at Painkiller Records, but it seems to have sold out or been taken down for some other reason. If you can find it, I can't reccomend it's purchase any higher. It even comes in a silkscreened fabric pouch with a cool insert.

Featured bands: Anarchy Condoms, Arms, Brain Eaters, El Camino 53, Final Youth, Flame, Go, Hectics, Holeless, Ignorance, One Way Down, Rawride, Seven to Three

Anarchy Condoms - Fuck Escape
Brain Eaters - Soul Dimention
Final Youth - Warriors Heart
Seven to Three - F.F.N.S.

Anyway, that's it for now. If J doesn't decide I suck too bad then you should see more of me in the future.

Be excellent to each other