Leucosis - III (2013)

It's no secret, I like Leucosis. I've posted everything they've released on this blog at some point. The self-titled release they put out this year is still up there as one of my favorites and I continue to overplay it fervently with a stupid fucking grin on my face. If the rock you have been living under is so big that you've missed out on it, check'r out here! Or not, whatever dude.

This EP is essentially just the one track spanning for 20 minutes of frigid doomy black metal with the typical plodding around Leucosis does so well. Few bands pull of this style as well as they do, so dig in. The closer is 8 minutes of ambient drone… That's cool, but most of the time I don't really care to listen to it.

Leucosis Bandcamp

Celeste - Animale(s) (2013)

What do you do with the dead? You fuckin bury them, or burn them, or eat them, or set them off to sea, or keep them in your wall, or even sometimes carry out a sexual relationship with the deceased. What do I do with the dead? Apparently I let it rot away for months on end. I've been getting some emails (like only two, that shit hurts man) asking me if this blog is dead…

It's not dead. My motivation is dead. Along with the copious hours I used to have reserved for unearthing the less heard tunes I set out to put on SHOM. My motivation isn't really dead though, it's still there, just a little buried under real life busyness. What a stupid fucking excuse you say. Yeah, you're right. I'm going to try to keep this little baby going.                                               

•  •  • 

Celeste man. Goddamn fucking Celeste. Here's a band that doesn't know the meaning of "sub-par", not a chance. Three years since these pristine basterds have put anything out, and it's a towering heap of crusty hardcore with both feet planted in a non-traditional style of black metal. The bulk of the sound is doused in negative energy, guitars whirr along sounding like the buzz of a pissed off hornets nest, the drums sound burly and tight all the way through with a basket full of shining moment. Every goddamn thing sounds good to me.

I really have to go, I'm sitting here in a Starbucks hating the dude in front of me an unreasonable amount. And this overpriced latte sucks. Beggars can't be choosers at this hour, but I'm choosing to go home. It was nice talking with y'all. Let's do this again okay? In the meantime download this sucker.

Try Animale(s)
Bandcamp

Ramlord - Crippled Minds, Sundered Wisdom (2013)

Crippled Minds, Sundered Wisdom is an album I have been reveling in quietly for a while now, and it's high fucking time I spread the good word about Ramlord. Blackened crust is something that has reared its ugly head like a goddamn contagion, and I'm not complaining, but in a sea of "heard this before" you should probably stand out. Ramlord DO standout. Fusing elements of blackened crust, powerviolence, grimy punk, doom and D-beat into a cohesive and formidable beast. The production is tight and gritty, retaining the raw and dissonant nature while omitting that plasticky bullshit.

This release really should reap a little more credit. It's released on a small, forward thinking, DIY type label and offered up for pay what you want. These are the types of things SHOM is (mostly) about. I know some of you reading this have your own music blogs (some far better than my own), if you like this please do throw it up on your own blog as well. If not, well… It at least feels good to try man.

(Released by Hypaethral Records, which is an upcoming label just down the street from me in Toronto)

Crippled Minds, Sundered Wisdom

Lycus - Tempest (2013)

Immensely crawling funeral doom with tempos slower than the short bus. I would get this and listen to it if I were you, but I'm not, so the decision is still yours. Doom on.

Tempest (Zippyshare)
Bandcamp

Label: 20 Buck Spin

A.M.S.G. - Anti Cosmic Tyranny (2013)

A.M.S.G. stands for "Ad Majorem Satanae Gloriam" which is Latin and means "For the Greater Glory of Satan", the only member is Angelfukk Witchhammer and he considers the music to fall under the appellation of “Holocaustik Canadian Terrorist Black Metal” and “Black Magik Terrorism”…

What the fvkk? I have my ears to the ground with anything put forth by Profound Lore Records, being a record label I trust to consistently release forward thinking metal, and A.M.S.G. are hardly an exception to this. 'Anti Cosmic Tyranny' is unique if not hard to digest, with its unabashed nature to satanism, the occult, and all that is true fucking darkness. It is to my understanding that this album was conceived when Mr. Angelfukk was serving a prison sentence for the possession and selling of guns and drugs. Black metal throughout its history was spawned from crime, so I suppose this should earn a respected head nod from within the genres puritans? Whatever, fuck all that.

I'm not even fully through this album yet as I post this, and I'm not fully certain what I've made out of it all, like I said, lots to take in and digest from this, but I can't deny the allure of the dark journey it seems to take you through… Dragging the listener into the yearning aphotic chasm of all that is unhallowed and bleak.

Anti Cosmic Tyranny
(Alternate Download Link)

Coltsblood - Beyond The Lake of Madness demo (2013)

Crushingly sluggish doom that drags on between two lo-fi tracks rife with feedback, crunchy tones and a vocal delivery that strikes me as unique to the particular genre, sometimes sounding more like powerviolence played at half speed inside a distant hollow. Unfortunately I can't get my hands on the demo, cassettes are sold out and I haven't a download link… So it goes, though if any member of Coltsblood stumbles upon this, get in touch, I'd like to give this a proper review.

If the band wishes it, I'll provide a download link for you scoundrels!

Coltsblood (bandcamp)

Stomach Earth - Stomach Earth (2013)

Funeral doom and death metal hold hands on this yawning morass from The Red Chord's founder and guitarist, Mike "Gunface" McKenzie. The album plays like a blood curdling hymn to the fetid, the vocal delivery sounds like it's coming from the throat of a phlegm infested, gurgling overseer belching out commands to the peons in the chasms of hell. Everything sounds thick and immensely heavy, which is only further demonstrated when played loud, like past the point of comfortable loud. The debut album has some shining moments, and earns credit for its exploration into the genre(s) further than down-tuning and guttural secretion… But both of those are still highly present.

Stomach Earth (Zippyshare)

Sielunvihollinen - Ruttokieli (2013) [demo]

 

I know what you're thinking, "Man, I really should have went to illustration school so I could draw infanticide and other various phallic imagery for black metal bands…" and you're right, you should have because the world sure as fuck doesn't need anymore nubby fingered, grease-ball accountants.

Raw black metal from Finland that showcases some evil riffing and cold, stripped to the bone sound.

Ruttokieli

Bandcamp

A Halifax Collect review: All Pigs Must Die - Nothing Violates This Nature (2013)

     Open up your heart and let All Pigs Must Die take a big greasy shit into your soul with their second full length 'Nothing Violates This Nature.' All Pigs Must Die are a supergroup hailing from Boston and basically share the same name as Virginia's Pig Destroyer… Think about it (but not for too long you'll strain yourself.)

… Continue Reading

Every once in a while my glacial riding Icelandic buddy Birkir pesters the fuck out of me to write review after review for his music blog Halifax Collect, sometimes I acquiesce the mans request and he proudly puts it up on his music blog (which is assuredly more up to date and informative than SHOM).

If you haven't yet heard this album, take a leave from the rock you've been living under and give it a go, It's far from groundbreaking, but if you want to stupidly bang around your head and hate people 'Nothing Violates This Nature' is a suitable vessel to do so.

Harm's Way - Blinded (2013)

Harm's Way seem eager to put forth tunes that are still filled with vitriol and barbarity with their lowbrow, heavier than thou take on hardcore, and they do… But time has seen Harm's Way explore uncharted territory, allowing songs to breathe and swell over lengthier tracks, further exaggerated tension with doomy and brooding sections that sometimes lend itself for experimentation. Well shit, pretty much every track on this EP harbors an example of this whether it be subtle or blatant; Towards the end of the opening track 'Frontal Lobe' sounds like one of those chieftain war cries that you would hear on a sludge record, 'Blinded' is an all instrumental half intro and buildup that results in the track ending with a subtle whirring example of a little sound experimentation, but the best example is on the closing track 'Live to Loathe' when the drums morph into an 8-bit drum beat.

 (Thanks to the blog "I Would Have Stolen You A Whole Orchestra" for letting me steal the Zippyshare link)

BLINDED

Mumakil - Flies Will Starve (2013)

Mumakil (moom-a-keel) consider their music "blastcore", which is as fitting as it is fucking stupid. Gravity blasts and blast beats don't cause for pioneering another genre, so fucking what. "Nintendo-core" was stupid then and is sure as shit stupid now. Anal Cunt didn't profile their music under the moniker of "banging out heroine, getting blowies and stealing riffs - core", even though they were fucking qualified… Come to think of it, "Anal Cunt - core" is probably fairly accurate anyway.

I digress, besides genre inventing I have nothing but good things to say about Flies Will Starve, just as I did about Behold The Failure. The formula is simple, fast fucking tunes surrounded by a barrage of blasts, buzz-saw guitar work and vocals that your dad would fucking hate.

Pick this up. I have a pretty hefty queue of new and exciting tunes to bring to this blog so stick around, or not, but stick around because this blog will be fresher than your grandma's freshly douched… Just stick around fellas.

Eat shit.

Sincerely,


Chris D'Alessandro

PS; Flies Will Starve (Zippyshare)

Take Over And Destroy - Endless Night (2013)

Here's what's going on – I downed a quarter bottle of this Jack Daniel's honey whiskey with a couple cups of coffee in record time, this was my only breakfast and now I'm starting to feel the affects of this creative lubricant… "It's high-time I cleaned out those fucking cobwebs on my music blog so the tens of thousands (?) of my followers (Or do you guys prefer disciples?) can revel in the excitement of tunes that I certify as good." said myself somewhere in the beguiled brain-space of mine. It was either that or make a couple batches of freshly baked Rice Krispie squares… This time, the guilt of abandoning my followers (disciples?) outweighed my hunger.


So here I sit, cup of whiskey sweating, teeth unbrushed, hair uncombed, still beautiful, cracking my knuckles in eager preparation to start the writing process I was once all too accustomed with (fuck, just spilled my cup of whiskey on my desk soaking the bottom half of my "Listen To This" book while at the same time receiving a text from my pal in the band Oxtongue saying "Tell me you can sing." – I can't sing.

Take Over And Destroy sound like sewage encrusted blackened church bells. No they don't, I was just trying to be clever in my description like those dudes over at Cvlt Nation, and immediately felt stupid for what I had wrote. What they really sound like is a well mixed blend of black n' roll, sludge, and doom with a healthy dose of some organ shit.

Endless Night (320, Zippyshare)
TOAD Bandcamp

Burialkult - A Call From Beyond The Grave (2013)

I'm really fucking digging this Canadian barbarity thing going on man, this shit sounds filthy and callow (in a good sense), everything you want bestial black metal to be. Over the top with its Luciferian worship and ardently callous and putrid in its atmosphere with a sound strongly rooted in the 80's. There is also a healthy dose of thrash woven throughout A Call From The Grave, arguably earning it blackened thrash, whatever let's not get nit-picky.

Burialkult is by no means an accident or fluke, these dudes know exactly what sound they are going for, and are fully cognizant of the scene around them, letting their influences seep into the music. I can't speak on behalf of members of the band but there are undeniable influences reminiscent to bands like; Sarcófago, Venom, Beherit, Teitanblood, Blasphemophagher, Vulture Lord, Blasphemy, etc.
The lo-fi production is muddy, but not so grim and murky that it's rendered unlistenable, rather it serves as a strong point to the album which only further accentuates the instrumentation and gives it that fuck you charm only welcomed in the sewers of the underground.


Give Burialkult a warm welcome, this is their debut into the realms of fetid scum. (It's worth noting that the drummer used to be in Black Lotus, Harvest of Seasons is still an album I play much too often.)

Burialkult (bandcamp)
A Call From Beyond The Grave (Zippyshare)

The Broderick - Free To Rot, Free Of Sin (2012)

Let's cut through the shit, you're not going to like this album if you don't like any form of hardcore. Not the, youth of today, x'ed up fists and sing-a-longs type hardcore, OR the crossed arms stance tough guy hardcore, BUT the kind of hardcore that doesn't fear coalescing and mingling with other genres.

Free To Rot, Free Of Sin adventures between a sludgy landscape ensconced in a furiously angry post-hardcore niche, hard hitting and dynamic! Here's an album that is deserving of more praise than it so far has received, it hasn't been under the scalpel so to speak, but I cut this fucker up, and all I could find is some emotionally charged fast and furious jams that are competent enough to be melodic and crushing in one fell swoop. 

The Broderick - Free To Rot, Free Of Sin (Zippyshare)

Verminous - The Unholy Communion (2013)

A full decade has passed since Verminous put out anything since their debut Impious Sacrilege (which fucks your mother… Don't worry, she loves it), but here we finally are roughly 3,650 days later with new material under the title The Unholy Communion.


Straight up death metal from Sweden, no gimmickry or cheap tricks to be found here, instead we have romping ass fucking riffs, drums that have more fills than a phone-book and a festering spew of vocals. Without scruples, this is one of the best traditional sounding death metal albums I've heard all year, it has all my laurels and admiration… And once I'm finished over playing Hordes - II I'll probably spin this quite a bit.

This album further augments my infatuation for graveyards, kinda like Misfits did back in the day.

Verminous - The Unholy Communion

Sun Worship - Surpass Eclipse (2013)

Sun Worship of Germany got in touch with me about a month or so ago, asking me if I would be interested in reviewing Surpass Eclipse for SHOM. They offered to send me their vinyl in the mail, which built up a significant amount of pre-cum because I knew this was an album that would sound incredible on vinyl. And it does…

Upon receiving the package in my mail, the first thing I noticed was a note attached thanking me for taking the time to listen to their record, really it was I who should be thanking them. The second thing I noticed was how rad the packaging was; The artwork is printed with metallic bronze ink on a thick textured cobalt grey card stock (Patrick Bateman would go off on this), and the 180g vinyl itself is adorned with a super sweet illustration silk screen on it! It's quite unique from all my other records, which for any type of collector or elitist dickhead alike, is appreciated.

Sun Worship sound like the end of days, playing a blend of ambient (post) black metal that has a few coats of noise drenched in the mix. Nothing is crystal clear, nothing is overly polished nor anything overly dominant in the mix. They have hit black metal equilibrium, they have put the proverbial nail in the coffin with this EP. Two tracks spanning for 15 minutes of aphoristic black metal; Beautifully spiraling riffs which sometimes hoist that 'nekro sound' and at other times that whirring ambient sound, and drums that are bulky which I find to be quite unique bit effective within their sound. Don't be surprised to hear riffs that would make Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Krallice turn a shade of red from blushing.

Surpass Eclipse comes highly recommended, support these dudes anyway you can. I'll throw up the Bandcamp with the awesome "name your price" option as well as the option to purchase the vinyl. If you do plan to get the vinyl, let me know, I'm more than sure the band would be willing to sign it in metallic ink along with maybe a scribbled penis or pentagram on it.

Download (Zippyshare)
Bandcamp ("name your price" + Vinyl purchase)

Eibon - II (2013)

Throatruiner is a label that has had my attention and respect, for they consistently put out filthy and engaging albums that are normally spread around for free download. Fucking right Matthias!

Eibon's II; sludgy, doom ladened black metal that crawls and festers between two lengthy tracks – The two colossal tracks dip and swell like a raging monsoon, dragging the listener uncomfortably under its blackened waters… Somehow you submerge, 43 minutes later, weakened and dreary, yet breathing and alive.

What a stupid fucking paragraph to describe an album, I'm not deleting it though, I spent at least 13 minutes writing that, occasionally distracted by my incessant tapping on my laptop and scarfing down roasted almonds… Look's like were both going to have to deal with that shit man.

Eibon's II seems to break the trend of free download though, so either pay your dues on the bands bandcamp or visit the scummery of Metalchesh

Leucosis - S/T (2013)

(Monthly Recap) Leucosis' self-titled album has been out for over a month now, hopefully you already have it, if not, that's why it's here. You would be missing out on one of the strongest releases this year (so far) – I'll repeat that, in bold caps – YOU WOULD BE MISSING OUT ON ONE OF THE STRONGEST RELEASES THIS YEAR CHUMP (I called you a chump because you made me repeat myself).

I thought Pulling Down The Sky was rad, and it was, but this sophomore release really shows the band progress and solidify a sound to call their own. The sound of the drums are my favourite part, they don't sound chunky, they sound fucking obese! The kick plods along with great force, driving a lot of strength and potency into the songs. The vocals aren't quite as suffocated in the mix, but fuck do they still sound ghastly. It definitely is less raw in sound, but still retains this organic element, and more visceral than ever.

I've found this album to sound even better through a good pair of headphones (I use a pair of Shure 425's). I'm not sure whether download links are out there for this, but if you can't afford the 5$ for this, email me (chris_dalessandro@hotmail.com) and I'd be willing to help you out.

Leucosis bandcamp


*In Lieu of total transparency, read what rhythm guitarist Isaac had to say about the S/T in the comment section (Remember, be cognizant that there is always two sides to a story… not to deject what Isaac has said)

Oxtongue - Where The Light Is Mute; Limited test press vinyl

First and foremost, you've really fucked the dog if you haven't heard this album yet. If you are a dweeb and need further convincing, read my original post about the album here.

Holy Mountain Printing recognized this morose cimmerian beast and decided to go ahead and press 300 vinyls of WTLIM! But until the final result, the limited test presses are in, and they are fucking beauty! (Only 5 were made available for sale) I wanted to post this here to give those of you whom I know really dig this release an oppurtunity to put your money where your mouth is… Oh, and there are only a couple left.

Here is the direct link to purchase the record!

Kokomo - S/T (2013)

I just drank two heaping cups of coffee, which for me is the equivalent to dropping three pints of raw ether and washing it down with a bottle of bourbon… Bear with me as I search my scattered brain to formulate cohesive sentences. Also, I saw the remake for Evil Dead last night so 80% of my body's blood flow is still directed straight into my raging erection. Again, bear with me fuckface.

This is what I had to say about Kokomo's "If Wolves" a couple months back, and it still applies;

"Kokomo make use of no words. They speak through instrumentation in a whirring blend of ambient post-rock, and boy do they speak LOUDLY. It's as if you are watching the world end from a birds eye view… It feels bigger than you, it's beautifully somber and bleak and you can't look away.

The bread and butter of If Wolves is the atmosphere, a dizzying hypnotic drone of palpable emotion, it all feels profound and you can't understand it, you just feel it. Maybe you don't, but maybe you're vanilla as fuck. Listen to it for yourself, if you don't once become entrenched in a series of thoughts, or feel the unsettling yet uplifting ambiance through your blood, check your pulse - you're dead."

•  •  •

The recipe seems the same this time around for Kokomo's 2013 self-titled release, only this time seemingly more focused on something more minimalist in sound. It is still evocative, expansive, forlorn and entrancing as it ever was… It's not physically released yet, but the digital download is up for a 'name your price' option on the bands bandcamp. I paid a measly $2, well worth it.

KOKOMO (bandcamp)

Abyssal - Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius (2013)

One would define the word Abyssal as; Unfathomable, or concerning the depths of the ocean floor. Both are appropriate when comparing them to the UK based death/black/doom band Abyssal… A band that will often be compared to the likes of Mitochondrion, Portal, Impetuous Ritual, Antediluvian and even Iceland's underground gem Svartidauði – And for good reason too, everyone of these bands possess similar qualities; A harrowing atmosphere, a whirring dizziness drone accompanied by a a dirge like plod saturated in a begrimed cavernous stench.

This album strongly hearkens back to the days when Mitochondrion released Parasignosis – They both are heavily laden with a distressing and dizzying tone that becomes more enjoyable when it's played at very loud volumes. "Fuck that you sadomasochist!" you will say… And I will simply nod, for I am fully cognizant that I truly enjoy the crushing nature that comes along with music of this ilk. It is almost emotionally draining, sitting through Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius entirety does not come easily for your nervous system, but its musical layers are a fucking joy to explore. It's dense, evocative, wearing and heavier than the ocean floor.

This is one of the stronger releases I have come across in 2013, I'm overwhelmed and captivated by its murk and mire… I bought it right away after hearing the second track. Download links may exist online, but I will not be posting one, it is available on their Bandcamp page for only 3$ as a digital download. This is self-released, and on a personal level I would feel like a malignant dickhole for even trying to scrape up a download link. Do as you will, but I'm only posting up the Bandcamp link… Don't throw me to the lions, thanks.

Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius (Bandcamp)

Zozobra - Savage Masters (2013)

What is 15 minutes long, sludgy, frantically paced and devoid of staleness? If you said your sex life, congratulations, you're a fucking idiot liar. Get your head out of your ass and into some Zozobra, because they have released Savage Monsters! Full of slimy sewer sludge and post-hardcore beat down, this short and furious album is mixed in a rather upfront "what you hear is what you get" type way, not a lot of trickery going on. Sure it's tiny in length (like your penis), but it packs a fucking punch (unlike your penis).


Savage Masters (Zippyshare)
Zozobra Bandcamp

Murmurs - Fædd Úr Eldi (2012)

If Murmurs had a spirit animal, it would be a rabid wolverine. A wolverine that was birthed in a pool of toxic sludge giving it a hideously mutated body… forever neglected and cast aside by the wild. Murmurs is definitely neglected, releasing 4 demos in the span of three years until a year later they unleashed their debut Fædd Úr Eldi, to which you never really hear about.
 
The album rages on through its entirety with no scruples or halt, blistering black metal that explores ample vocal techniques, all of which are pretty fucking bleak and harrowing! The snare, toms and kick need to have just a little bit more oomph to them, it almost becomes lost in the mix, even though I dig the cavernous chaos it beholds.

Fædd Úr Eldi (Zippyshare)

Hordes - II (2013)

II, is an EP offering from the dudes in Hordes… It is my first gateway into their sound and holy fuck does it make a good first impression. I suppose when I say "their sound" you'll want to know what I mean? It sounds like feral beasts eating each other alive, a visceral depiction of a desperate struggle to survive can be sought out in its crepuscular blend of sludge and black metal. It is primal to the bone and downright harrowing in its attack plan; tormented vocals perforate through the muck and mire amongst the raw tone of whirring guitars and bass. The drums like hammers, pounding and walloping in succession, sounding masterfully mixed in within the accompanying chasm of noise.

This EP is the miasma to your whimsy, ridden with bad vibes bearing qualities to rain down shit on your parade. Good music affects you, and this album rubs me the wrong way in all the best fucking ways possible – Think of bands like; The Body, Lunar Aurora, Guidelines, GGUW, Yellow Eyes, Leucosis, to name a few. You'd be wrong if you try to compare and reference the aforementioned bands direct sound to Hordes, but it makes sense when attributing evocative qualities shared.

This is not music you want to listen to when colouring in your Fraggle Rock colouring book, there would be no hues, just black… maybe a grey every now and then. I could provide you with a (lacking in quality) Zippyshare download, but why would I do that when the band offers it on their bandcamp for a name your price option? I received a free download, listened to it, then proceeded to the bandcamp page to toss them a few bucks. I can only hope you support them whatever way you see fit. I'm going to go wallow in a sea of shit and despair now.

II Download (Bandcamp)

UNRU - Demo MMXIII

I've been digging into UNRU's demo quite a bit since I got my mucky hands on it - My first thought was 'This shit is the shit!', my second thought was 'I'll definitely offer this up to the SHOM scum'… unfortunately my third thought must've been 'First I'll eat a full bag of Doritos watch No Country For Old Men and put off posting this for a couple weeks'. Now if you were smart, you would be following Forever Cursed (which is infinitely better than my blog anyway), and you could have had this sucker a week ago among a bunch of other releases I think are really good but never got around to posting.

Amidst the furious pummeling of curdled d-beat and raw black metal Demo MMXIII is caked in a glorious crust with plenty of bell rides, ambient interludes, buried howls, cave stench and some radical riffs that at times remind me of Yellow Eyes.

(Below you will find descriptive words intended to entice you into listening and supporting this fucking stellar demo up for 'name your price' on Bandcamp.)

Godzilla, rampart, lobotomy, morass, guano, barbarity, minotaur, C.H.U.D., feral,

MMXIII (Bandcamp download)

Gethsemane - S/T (2013)

Raw black metal from The Netherlands, I mean really raw, may as well be the sushi of black metal. 99.7% of the world's population would deem this noise and they wouldn't be too far off… A swirling chasm of blasting drums, floating guitars and anguished howls that just barely pierce through the ensuing maelstrom.

At times it reminds me of GGUW's 'Gegen Gravitation und Willensfreiheit', if not for it's archaic nature then for its untamed plod. Unequivocally not the same, as Gethsemane boasts a much more minimal stance to GGUW's antediluvian dynamism. I won't/can't praise this like I would GGUW (I fucking love that EP), but this demo is certainly worth your time.

Gethsemane (Zippyshare)

Full of Hell - Live; Full Set @ The Talent Farm

I know I have used snarling ravenous wolves as a metaphor before, and I'm not about to again as I have cleverly thought of a different one… I got to see Full of Hell a couple months ago when they played here in Toronto with Gaza and Code Orange Kids, and what a fucking show that was; All three of those bands killed it, loud and incredibly angry (in sound, nice dudes, all of em).

Full of Hell was first at bat, once the singer was done battling it out with the sound guy (who apparently was struggling hard with upping the reverb to over 11), the set started in a fit of ferocity, the singer jerked and flailed maniacally while he snarled into the microphone, it probably sounded like a threesome between honey badgers, or a family meal shared by wolverines. Either way, it sounded like shit was being ripped apart wildly. It really was memorable, I have an audio clip I took from the show that I may decide to up on here later because it's a good listen. (This video isn't capable of doing their set justice!)

Full of Hell had a t-shirt of Chris Farley dead with the words Full of Hell adorning the sad image… I should of bought it, but I sided with the roadkill shirt.

Oh and Code Orange Kids and Gaza nailed it as well, but this post isn't about them.

Full of Hell will forthcoming album is titled 'Rudiments of Mutilation' and is set to release May 31. Wait on it. It may even replace all the overplaying you have been doing with Nails' 'Abandon All Life'.

Jess And The Ancient Ones - Astral Sabbat (2013)

Jess And The Ancient Ones are fucking it man, I love this band, I loved their S/T release last year, and I sure as hell overplayed the shit out of the track Sulfur Giants from it… They are back with an EP, and their infectious blend of shamanistic psychedelic rock that hearkens back to the days of ether soaked bandanas surrounded in a haze of incense smoke reigns!

A throwback in sound to the days when computers didn't shit out everything, it drives that analogue vibe with a warm and fuzzy soul. Carrying an obvious and rather honest predilection for the occult they have this way of dragging you into a time or place that feels foreign yet familiar at the same time. I don't know what the fuck that means exactly, but it's how I feel and if you don't like it too bad so sad you idiot dummy.

Astral Sabbat (Zippyshare)
Support JATAO

Weapon - Embers and Revelations (2012)

Canadian death metal rules… So does death metal from New Zealand though. Well, death metal from all over rules - But what I think I really mean is Canadian death metal has a deluge of bands that are pushing the often vapid genre into some unique directions. 

Among them, Weapon, who last year unveiled their 3rd full-length 'Embers and Revelations'! Which sees itself separate from its more bestial and abyssal Canadian brothers with a production that isn't smothered in murk and filth. Well no fuck right, it's not like Weapon is treading the same soils that bands like Revenge or Antediluvian are.

Shawn Hache of Mitochondrion (more Canadian name dropping) actually turned me onto Weapon through an email, which is righteous enough, but what this really means is… You should listen to Weapon.

Weapon - Embers and Revelations (mediafire)

Iron Lung - White Glove Test (2013)

I've only fully listened through this album twice, so maybe my opinion is as useless as condoms to a priest but fuck it man, I just wanted to get this on here. Mainly because I think White Glove Test is an interesting release, which is a hearty accolade for a two-piece power violence/grind act, isn't it?

 Maybe I pulled the wool over your eyes when I used the word "interesting", what I really meant was this album will beat you down for the better half of 23 minutes, pick you up, and then beat you back down again with a 23 minute bonus track… Containing an amalgamation of odd sounds, the kind of sounds that would give you night terrors if you suddenly woke up to it playing loudly in your dark, monsters under the bed filled room. Grow up.

Noisy, fast, unpredictable, dizzying and raucous. Oh, and I think maybe something to do with an industrial tinge. Probably not at all.

Download? (Zippyshare) ((Somebody let me know if this version has the bonus tracks, I think it does))
BUY! (Bandcamp) (("DON'T BE SWINDLED BY INFERIOR BLOG DOWNLOAD VERSIONS!!"))

Iron Reagan - Worse Than Dead (2013)

If you aren't filling your ear holes with the new Iron Reagan you may as well be a Scientologist.

Here's a proper review from the dudes at Toxicbreed's Funhouse! (review)

I'm sending you over to the abysmal yet reliable depths of Metalchesh for the download link. (download)

Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Necrovation (2013)

Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, a name as serious as they come. I'm sure it means something. Describing a black metal album is a task that becomes as banal and moth-eaten as the watery placeholder terms and adjectives used to delineate them. Fuck it.

I usually relish the opportunity to spew hyperbole and smart-ass remarks, but tonight I'm about as interested in that as I am entering myself into a Bolivian fisting competition… I'm not that Interested in such things.

For real though dudes, this albums is a black motherfucker that bathes in moonlight and the blood of goats… And the blood of Jesus Christ, and the semen of Satan, and the tears of Mormons, and the hideous act of munging. In the name of the mother, moon, the unholy spirit, amen.

Necrovation

Harm's Way - Reality Approaches (2009)

Straight from the goddamn curtain call Harm's Way barrage you with their intro track making you want to mosh around like a neanderthal brandishing  50 pound dumbbells. The frisson you sense is that of barbarity, a lowbrow accompanied with a don't give a fuck nature makes Reality Approaches the soundtrack to punch mammals and bang your head stupidly.

The beast as a whole is handled like seasoned juggernauts of rancorous hardcore infused with thrash. I own this on vinyl and when I'm not too busy overplaying the shit out of Led Zeppelin Untitled IV I'll throw on some Reality Approaches to bang the head to. The only relent given is the pause between flipping sides… Dishes have been victimized in the ensuing chaos, and fuck it because fuck it.

Reality Approaches (Mediafire)

Defeated Sanity - Passages Into Deformity (2013)

God fucking damn shit mother of fuck. Defeated Sanity once again have man-handled their way into everyone's ear holes, sodomizing your ear canals with their pulverizing brutallus death metal! The technical accuracy of a wizard surgeon from the future, heavier than the weight of a dead son, filthier than your grandmothers bathtub and more devastating than child rape appears Passages Into Deformity.

It walks that fine edge of disgusting slop and musical mastery, beating you senseless, taking your lunch money and buying a pack of menthol's and 40oz of Olde English to wash it down. Wormed, fellow label mates are going to be a contender with Exodromos out in March, and if their EP Quasineutrality is anything to go by prepare to be slammed into cosmic oblivion.

I want to keep my blog so I won't be posting a download link… Though those Pirate Bay dudes are scummy enough to, I think, probably.

Bandcamp

NAILS - Abandon All Life (2013)

Fucking NAILS man… I'd say they nailed it, but that's a pun too bold for me. Abandon All Life does succeed in pummeling you senseless for the better part of 17 minutes though, and this time expect a more well-rounded cohesive sound while delving further into chunky doom elements. Many will sing their high praises from mountaintops this year, splooging an uncanny amount of love for Abandon All Life, most likely penning them in their top 5 for 2013 already.

It's good, really fucking good, but it's so simple in its attack plan; A torrential downpour of fast and furious vitriolic hardcore. If I'm going to stand on any mountaintops and shout my appraisal, it had better contain more breadth and I'd better be on fucking top of Patagonia.

Kurt Ballou's trademark sound is all over this beast, it sounds nice and crunchy, but will we ever tire of this sound? Maybe, maybe not. Howbeit, I'm sure Abandon All Life will receive my attention when I'm looking to punch shit.

Abandon All Hope Life (Zippyshare) LINK REMOVED due to complaint

Creative Adult - Dead Air 7" (2012)

Infectious hardcore that dredges up the good ol' days when you would go out and skate a week straight without showering, eating nothing but beef jerky, Munchos chips, pizza and big gulps. Alas, now we're adults (the bulk of us) and the no showering and skating is limited to maybe only 3 or 4 days… You never did this? Your life is probably boring you dummy idiot.

Some of us are even Creative Adults, others may be suits (sorry), and some of you may be the type that sit at home eating Cheerios out of a salad bowl whilst higher than giraffe pussy. Hey man, I won't judge, just grab this greasy album and listen to it. Gravelly vocals from Scott Phillips of Life Long Tragedy, a whole lot of guitar twang aligned with drumming devoid of staleness. It's catchier than syphilis, more potent than walrus snatch and surely more important than whatever the fuck it is you are doing right now. Let thy hand bang and say hell the fuck oh to the Bay area!

PS // sorry for the hate

sincerely,

go fuck yourself.

Creative Adult // Dead Air (Zippyshare)

War Wolf - Riding With Demons (2013)

Just enough piss in your morning coffee, throw this shit on, fuck up your day. 13 minutes of feral and slimy hardcore. Shit in your cereal.

Riding With Demons (zippyshare)

Martyrdöd - Paranoia (2012)

What the fuck man, are you wide-eyed and taken aback at the site of this 2012 gem being posted so late? You should be, this release encapsulates everything SHOM is about. Gnarly as shit, grittier than a 4th grade bully with a "Life Sucks" tattoo, more raw than a chainsaw and crustier than the built up smegma of a church bishop.

Blackened crust from Sweden. You're either in or you're out.

Paranoia

Oxtongue - Where The Light Is Mute (2013)

 

(artwork; Førtifem)

Oxtongue, a young 3-piece band from my hometown that has piqued my interest and full attention since guitarist and friend of mine sent me some sample tracks a while back, but the songs were rather hollowed out skeletons of what was to become a colossal bone-yard…


… Where The Light Is Mute is a chasmal and malodorous display of doom calcified in so much decay it almost crumbles beneath itself… But it fucking doesn't, because the inner foundation is hardened and burly. With a tempo that shares the same consistency as molasses, it trudges along unhurriedly like someone forced to dig their own grave, and their family's too. Each scoop of earth slowly swallowing away life, each passing chord giving way to anguished howls, each floor tom strike signaling the inevitably bleak end.

The lengthy tracks give room to become stale, yet neither of them do, exploring intriguing nuances such as the ethereal monk like chants in the songs Humanity: Born In The Way Of Eternal Grief, and Anguish: Abide With Suffering along with some chunky fucking hooks. The buildup in the intro track is something to behold actually, a sluggishly paced section that develops the tension adequately over the span of 5 minutes until a tidal-wave of fuzzy guitars and searching screams pierce through the droney veil. All while shitting all over your whimsy, chump.

These dudes are young man, like fucking young enough to be your children, or the children of your children, probably. This is of course hyperbole, but still young, floating around the ages of 19-21. Howbeit with the sound they conjure up you would think they were ancient bearded shamans reciting age-old funeral marches.

I'd be really interested to hear what you guys (the readers) think of this, if you download it (which you should), let's exercise the right to not be a self-righteous cunt and throw our opinions around. I already have, your turn. Don't pussyfoot, don't beat around the proverbial bushes, give these dudes some feedback.

Download WTLIM (Mediafire)
Bandcamp