Psychic Limb - Queens

'Queens'
Psychic Limb
2011

Genre: Chaotic hardcore, metalcore, powerviolence, grindcore
For Fans Of: Column of Heaven, Converge, Full of Hell, Torch Runner

I really don't see enough stuff about these guys on the web, which is shame considering the top-quality music they've put out. Queens is a twelve track punch to head that'll floor you with it's combination of chaotic metalcore, grindcore and powerviolence.  There's noisy moments here that recall early 2000s Converge, cool, distorted effects laden vocals  and an intensity and speed that just doesn't let up. Literally, the only downside to this release is the fact that the songs are all untitled, so all the more reason to snag this and let it pummel you into the ground.

Queens

Marcel Duchamp - Contra Nosotros Mismos

'Contra Nosotros Mismos'
Marcel Duchamp
2006

'Pure punk energy'

Not to be confused with the French artist, Marcel Duchamp are a hardcore punk band from Chile. This here is 28 tracks of catchy, thrashy riffing with plenty of shout-alongs, with some great, urgent vocals to carry things along (think Dennis from Refused). While the band stick to some pretty formulaic stuff in terms, there's the occasional odd riff or guitar solo thrown in for good measure.

Rio Negro

Peste Noire - L'Ordure à l'état Pur

'L'Ordure à l'état Pur'

Peste Noire

2012

Genre/s: Black Metal, Folk Metal, NSBM?
For Fans Of: Taake, Valfunde, Autarcie

Right, Peste Noire are a bit of a a grey area to me. One one hand they make some great, innovative black metal - on the other hand they're rumored to be racist, and they do claim to be a nationalist band.

Politics aside, this album is an absolute must listen. Post-punk, folk, death metal, thrash metal and traditional black metal all blend together to create the soundtrack to some sort of corpse paint dominated carnival. There are so many odd little twists and turns on this album - folky breakdowns, singers imitating roosters, samples of wagons trundling along and a constant mish-mash of styles. While this is not a straight forward BM release, it does still bear the trademarks of one; the raw production and raspy shrieks and howls are an interesting contrast to the experimental elements on this album. This is one of the first black metal albums I listened to, and while it confused me a little, it also blew my mind with it's diversity and disregard  for genre norms. Highly recommended.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Casse, pêches, fractures et traditions
2. Cochon carotte et les sœurs crotte
3. J'avais rêvé du nord
4. Sale Famine von Valfoutre
5. La condi hu

Download

Burmese - A Mere Shadow And Reminiscence Of Humanity

'A Mere Shadow And Reminiscence Of Humanity'
Burmese
2003

'Filthy, filthy noise'

Burmese sound like they've just crawled out of the most dirty, filth encrusted sewer in hell. The bass heavy (and only) band mix some highly volatile noise rock/noisecore with doom riffs and menace to create an ungodly racket. With some odd vocals (grunts, growls, spoken word, manic warbling etc) and some pretty scary song titles,  Burmese have molded evil into an art form.

Broken Legs, Broken Face

Melvins - Lysol

'Lysol'

Melvins 

1992

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Doom, Drone Metal, Sludge Metal, Stoner Metal
For Fans Of: Earth, Sunn O))), Electric Wizard, Eyehategod

Album number 2 in (the) Melvins' golden three (the other two being Bullhead and Houdini), Lysol is an epic sonic trip into the realms of doom, sludge and drone metal. An unbroken 30 minute track, consisting of 6 different songs. The two highlights on Lysol are probably 'Hung Bunny' and 'Roman Bird Dog'. Hung Bunny could very well be one of the first drone metal songs ever created (same riff for about ten minutes, very, very slow) while Roman Bird Dog is actually the best doom metal song in existence (suck it Electric Wizard). Additionally you get two Alice Cooper covers, an excellent cover of Flipper's 'Sacrifice' and another Melvins' original. If you consider yourself a doom fan, or if you think Dopethrone is the best doom album out there, you need to sit right down and give Lysol a listen. Now.

TRACKLISTING:
Contained within the one track are:
1. Hung Bunny
2. Roman Bird Dog
3. Sacrifice (Flipper)
4. Second Coming (Alice Cooper)
5. The Ballad of Dwight Fry (Alice Cooper)
6. With Teeth

Download

Triac - Dead House Dreaming

'Dead House Dreaming'
Triac
2005

'Grindcore, with metalcore brawn'

After only hearing to Triac's later releases (i.e In The Blue Room, Always Meant to Hurt You etc etc), Dead House Dreaming was a very different listen. On this release (their first, and only full length to date), Triac come off as more of a chaotic metalcore band, with very slight nods to mathcore (think Ed Gein or Burnt By The Son). So while you still get the pure brute force of a grindcore release, you also have the energy of hardcore running through its veins . With some interesting stop/start and slow/fast dynamics, and a Bauhaus cover to boot, this is a worthy prequel to the raw, noisy grind chaos to come from these guys.

Footprint Of A Fire

HEALTH - Self Titled

'HEALTH'
HEALTH
2006

'Angular oddities in jarring bursts of noise'

The best way I could describe this band would be if Naked City, Animal Collective, Boredoms and Battles had some sort of hip, immaculately dressed baby who hung out in cafes and art galleries. Take that as you will and download this album. HEALTH blur the lines between structure and chaos, noise and music, listenable indie rock and full blown sound experimentation. Here lies within 11 tracks, spanning from twinkly melodies, electronica, Jesus Lizard-esque guitar riffing and atonal noise attacks. If you feel like being lured into a false sense of security, only to be ambushed by a sudden change of genre or direction, repeatedly, this is the album for you.

//M\\

IDYLLS - Farewell All Joy

'Farewell All Joy'
IDYLLS
2012

'Abrasive math-y goodness'

IDYLLS are another local band, and my favourite one at that. These guys combine mathcore, noise rock, screamo and grindcore into one odd little package. There's some amazing musicianship on Farewell All Joy, and you'll have a very hard time keeping up with all the weird tempo changes, stops and starts and crazy riffing. Vocally you'll be treated to screams and mid level hardcore shouts, which combined with the ever changing nature of the music makes for some interesting dynamics. The coolest thing about this album would probably have to be the awesome guitar tone - tinny, metallic and crisp, it's almost as if Steve Albini started a mathcore band. It'd be great to see these guys get some more recognition, so give it a listen and go check out their bandcamp.

Funerals In Queensland
Bandcamp

Stalaggh - Projekt Terrror

'Projekt Terrror'
Stalaggh
2007

Genre/s: Blackened Noise, Harsh Noise, Industrial
For Fans Of: Diagnose: Lebensgefahr, Gnaw Their Tongues, Throbbing Gristle, Затухание

Hey kids! Do you want to hear something that's positively fucked up? Do you want to murder your ears and/or soul?
Well, look no further than this release right here. Stalaggh are a group of unidentified black metal musicians who've basically managed to create the musical (I use that term very loosely) version of a nightmare. Imagine a 30 minute long track comprised harsh noise, some very raw (almost unrecognizable) black metal instrumentation, coupled with the screams of mental asylum patients. Yep, Stalaggh have found the key to unleashing the most terrifying music imaginable, and by having some truly anguished, damaged individuals doing the vocals, there's an air of authenticity to this album that makes it so much more compelling and disturbing. It almost feels like you shouldn't be listening to this, like somehow you're breaking a law or doing something natural or immoral - and if an album can provoke that sort of response, you know it's worth listening too.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Projekt Terror

Download

Corax - Self Titled

'Corax'
Corax
2012

'Hopelessness, dread and despair incarnate'

I have a love/hate relationship with doom. On one hand I enjoy the slowness and repetition off the riffs and the crushing heaviness of the music in general  and on the other the other, most doom bores me very, very quickly. While repetitious and drawn out,  Corax, have just the right amount of variation. With vocals alternating between deep, hoarse growls and high, black metal shrieks and dense, murky guitar tone, the two piece band from South Africa have a winning doom formula. If you're a fan of Dystopia's brand of nihilistic crusty sludge or if 40 minutes of utter despair in aural form sounds like your kind of thing, by all means, listen to this.

Invoke Them
Bandcamp

Brown Sugar - ...Sings Of Birds And Racism

'...Sings Of Birds And Racism'
Brown Sugar
2011

'Raucous punk for the masses'

 There's been quite a recent influx of bands playing minimal, 80s influenced hardcore, some good, some bad and some overwhelmingly mediocre. Brown Sugar are one such band that has taken to this style, and while they wear their influences on their sleeve, they've also made their own slight adjustments. Brown Sugar have an oh-so-slight rock and roll influence (the name says it all), and it's this added element of energy (and fun) that makes this release that much more interesting than the other 80s clones out there. Additionally, the band have thrown in some interesting experimental elements (there's a saxaphone on more than one occasion), as well as noisy, feedback drenched sections to add an abrasive edge to their energetic punk.

Funk Land

Burned Up, Bled Dry - Cloned Slaves...For Slaves

'Cloned Slaves...For Slaves'

Burned Up, Bled Dry

1998

'Criminally underrated'

From what I can tell, Burned Up, Bled Dry were (and still are) a widely overlooked band. These guys cranked out some awesome powerviolence, that was definitely influenced by neocrust/crust (think His Hero Is Gone's faster moments). There's a perfect balance of pure hardcore energy and grindcore fury, with just enough melody seeping in to keep things interesting (see Count On Yourself).

Broken Heart, Broken Mind

Slices - Still Cruising

'Still Cruising'
Slices
2012

'Feedback drenched aggression'

Slices play some nifty punk tunes with a very strong 80s influence, albeit with a slight twist. Taking the speed and ferocity of the faster 80s hardcore bands, and adding in the weirdness of latter era Black Flag and Flipper, Slices deliver some fried noise-rock gold.This is an Iron Lung Records release, so you know to expect some brilliant stuff.

Mustard

Pig Heart Transplant/The Endless Blockade - Split

'Split 7 Inch'
Pig Heart Transplant/The Endless Blockade
2011

'Dense, menacing industrial experimentation'

This is what splits should be - two bands, different enough to keep things interesting and varied, but similar enough to be able to share a record with each other. On one hand you have Pig Heart Transplant, an experimental noise/industrial band from the mind of Jon Kortland (Iron Lung's guitarist). On the other you have The Endless Blockade (RIP), a powerviolence band that were known to include sludgy and experimental songs in amongst their releases. Pig Heart Transplant's side is oppressively slow, drawn out and heavy industrial tinged doom, along with two more noise-oriented pieces. The Endless Blockade on the other hand bring the ruckus with a powerviolence/sludge rager and an industrial/power electronics track. This is a perfect release for those of you into The Endless Blockade's experimental stuff or any Iron Lung related side projects.

Your Curse

Manhunt - FYPM Demo

'FYPM Demo'
Manhunt
2013

'Angry music for angry people from Brisvegas'

Manhunt are a five piece hardcore band from Brisbane (Hey that's where I live), Australia. While it's nothing new or special, their slightly metallic, powerviolence influenced brand of hardcore is a lot of fun, and will have you bedroom moshing for sure.  Music aside, the fucking album cover is that dog holding the 'Fuck You Pay Me' sign, so you know this is the real deal.

Choke
Bandcamp

Parlamentarisk Sodomi - De Anarkistiske An(n)aler

'De Anarkistiske An(n)aler'
Parlamentarisk Sodomi
2012

Parlametarisk Sodomi is a one man political grindcore band, though you'll have a hard time believing that one guy can produce music of this calibre. There's some beautifully frantic guitar work here - verging on technical grindcore, and the drums are everything you'd expect on a grindcore, and more - every snare hit is pure bliss. Topped off with some clear, crisp production, there's basically nothing wrong with this top-notch grindcore release, except the crippling sense of inadequacy you'll get every time you remember that this is just one dude. Fuck.

Grind Your Mind

My Disco - Paradise

'Paradise'
My Disco
2008

'Angular and hypnotic'

Hailing from Australia, My Disco have opted to take a very minimal approach to music, with an emphasis on repetition. Blending math rock, post rock/punk and noise rock with a hint of experimentation to tie it all together, the three piece have developed a winning combination. Your typical My Disco will feature a simple bass line and drum beat, building up until the arrival of the wonderfully atonal, noisy blasts of guitar, as well as vocals that border on spoken word. If you're in the mood for some strange, hypnotic experimental rock, then this is the album for you.

Pair of Pear

Vvlad - Demo

'Demo'
Vvlad
2013

Genre/s: Raw Black Metal, Blackened Blues, Atmospheric Black Metal, Blackened Noise
For Fans Of: ????

According to their facebook, Vvlad are a 'One man cigarboxguitar black blues metal' band, and that seems to be a fairly fitting moniker. While they do dabble in blues (there is an amazing cover of 'Where Did You Sleep Last Night?'), Vvlad taverse the realms of blackened noise, atmospheric black metal and dark ambient. The lo-fi recording, coupled with the unique choice of instrumentation lend itself to a really dark, murky atmosphere that just sort of wafts in and out of your head with the greatest of ease. This demo, among heaps of other weird, cigarbox black metal curiosities are available for free on the Negromancy bandcamp.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Side A
2. Side B

Bandcamp

G.I.S.M - Detestation

'Detestation'
G.I.S.M
1984

'Punks is Hippies'

G.I.S.M are basically the go-to band for most people when you mention Japanese punk or hardcore. For a bunch of dudes who dressed like Motley Crue rejects, they played some really cool, mid-tempo hardcore tunes. On later releases they would start to experiment more with industrial and thrash metal, and you can start to see some of the metal influences creeping in on this one. The unique guitar tone, and hilariously gruff vocals on Detestation make for a slightly humorous listen, though it's anyone's guess as to whether it was intentional or not.

Endless Blockades For The Pussy Footer

Pastafasta - Self Titled

'PASTAFASTA'
Pastafasta
2010

'Chaotic hardcore at its best'

 Pastafasta are a Japanese mathcore/hardcore/grindcore/powerviolence/fastcore band, and boy do they churn out some chaotic, original and occasionally catchy tunes. Complete with enough noise experimentation and guitar wankery to make your brain implode, Pastafasta's self titled is a must-listen. There's a good chance you'll have no idea what's going on for at least 88% of the time, but just roll with it, because it's more than worth it.

Satanic

Burial Hex - Book Of Delusions

'Book Of Delusions'
Burial Hex
2011

'Not-so-chilled-out ambient'

Clay Ruby's one man project. Burial Hex, has a mind boggling amount of releases under his belt, so naturally it was tricky to know where to begin. Luckily, I picked up 'Book Of Delusions' first and found myself listening to one of the more haunting albums I've ever heard.

Synths, grandiose pianos, heart wrenching, screamed vocals and eerie samples are all at work here, and at times, it seems like this could almost be the soundtrack to a silent horror film from the 1920s. If I could only use one word to describe it would definitely have to have to be gloomy. Go give this a listen and be sad and scared and stuff.

Urlicht

Bastard Noise - Throne Is Melting

'Throne is Melting'

Bastard Noise

2001

'Intelligent power electronics'

For the uninitiated, Bastard Noise began as a side project to Man Is The Bastard in 1991, and over the  years has flourished into one of the most unique bands in the modern noise scene. While they've begun to embrace a sludgier, more structured sound (a la MiTB) on their recent releases, 'Throne is Melting' remains a shining example of Bastard Noise's experimental noise era.

Thanks to their amazing array of homemade instruments, synthesizers and equipment (seriously, go look it up), Bastard Noise achieve some very unique sounds on this album. From ominous industrial ambiance to low frequency power electronic blasts, Bastard Noise keep things interesting with their wide array of aural delights. The vocals, when there are any, range from deep growls, harsh shouts and even subdued female vocals (see Virmana over Punglai). 

If you're looking for a well rounded, diverse and interesting harsh noise album that doesn't resort to misogynistic/violent lyrics for shock value - look no further.

Throne Is Melting 

Me And Him Call It Us - Loss

'Loss'

Me An Him Call It Us

2007

'Angsty and angry'

I am fully aware of the fact emo-violence is a somewhat dubious term that was invented as a joke - though it tends to be surprisingly relevant , especially in regards to bands such as Me And Him Call It Us (If I have to type their full name again I am going to punch the computer, MACHIU from now on okay). 

Loss is a very violent, and very emotional album. Crazy tempo shifts, odd chords, angular riffs and big heavy breakdowns reign supreme here, along with some throat tearing screams with just enough sass and emotion to keep things interesting. MACHIU obviously attended the school of 'Very Long and/or Specific Song Titles', but like many other mathy-y grind bands, this compliments the sporadic and semi sarcastic nature of the music. In amongst all the chaos, Loss is punctuated by eerie ambient tracks that are just as unsettling, if not more, than their loud counterparts. This is ugly, angry skinny-jean-wearing-math-grind-emo-violence at its best.

Innocent Bystanders Watched In Horror As Peter Jennings Drew His Murder Weapon

The Locust - Double Post

!DOUBLE POST TIME!

'The Locust' and 'Plague Soundscapes'
The Locust
1998 and 2003

'Weird'

I've tried, on more than one occasion, to classify The Locust's music into one, easy to understandable genre. So far I've come up with math-infused-dance-grind, and even then that doesn't really seem to do it justice. Basically, The Locust have created their own, silly little niche genre, and holy shit do I love it.

The Locust essentially started out as a Man Is The Bastard clone back in 1994, and while their self titled album is still clearly influenced by the 1990s grind/powerviolence scene, it also shows the beginnings of their trademark weirdness. The synths in 'Moth Eaten Deer Head', or the groovy little breakdown in 'The Perils Of Believing In Round Squares' are little nods to the madness to come, while tracks such as 'Cattle Mutilation'  are pure grindcore ragers.

I'm not going to lie, Plague Soundscapes is probably one of my favourite albums ever, hands down. This album is crazy in every department: lyrically, musically and thematically - hell you can take one look at the album art and see that something's not right. The synths have a stronger presence on this album, so not only do you have very violent and unpredictable album - you have a violent and unpredictable album that is surprisingly easy to dance to. The Locust's unique, three vocalist approach is at its best on this album too, everything from screaming, mid ranged hardcore shouts and Justin Pearson's sassy delivery (can he do anything other than sassy??) to batter your eardrums senseless.

If you've come this far in your musically journey, and you have not listened to the Locust, you are doing something wrong. I recommend you download these albums now, and listen to them repeatedly as you'll need multiple listens to be able to wrap your head around the sheer lunacy that is The Locust.

Kill Rodger Hedgecock
Live From The Russian Compound

Swinelord - I Feel Fucked

'I Feel Fucked'
Swinelord
2011

'Heavy as fuck'

Swinelord are an English band, and as you can probably tell by the title of this release, are not what you'd call 'high brow'.
Rather, Swinelord deal in crushingly heavy crustcore, with nods to d-beat and doom metal. With guttural vocals and some very meaty breakdowns thrown in for good measure, this should appeal fans of metal and hardcore alike.

Welcome To You're Doom
Bandcamp

The Faith and Void - Split

'The Faith/Void Split LP'

The Faith and Void

1982

'Two bands from DC that aren't Minor Threat'

While I'm not going to claim I know much about 80s hardcore (because I really don't), I can claim that this probably up there as one of the greatest 80s hardcore releases - mostly thanks to Void. While The Faith certainly aren't a bad band by any means, it's Void's side of this LP that really steals the show.

Faith's side is an enjoyable listen - think mid tempo, repetitive hardcore in the style of Discharge. Interestingly enough, The Faith's lead singer was Alec Mckaye, Ian Mackaye's brother (and that dude on Minor Threat's self titled EP). While there's nothing wrong with this side of the LP, it is rather forgettable and pales in comparison to Void's material.

On their side, Void basically take hardcore to the extreme; you'll be hard pressed to find a more chaotic release from that era. Void utilized feedback before it was cool, played thrash metal guitar solos before thrash metal was a thing and were just really, really fast and angry. Void were one of the first bands to enter crossover territory, and the fact that Pig Destroyer covered 'Who Are You' is a real testament to this band's influence.

Explode

Masonna - Shock Rock

'Shock Rock'

Masonna

2002

'Chrshshhhshhhhhh vssspppplllzzzzzz AHHHHHH!!'

Do yourself a favour and go look up some videos of Masonna (aka Yamazaki Maso) performing before you keep reading.

Done? Good. 

Know that this album is just as crazy and unpredictable as his live performances. 'Shock Rock' is certainly a fitting title for this release - 31 untitled tracks of the most volatile, extreme harsh noise you'll ever hear, this side of a sheet metal factory. I highly recommend listening to this in a dark room, very, very loudly.

                                                                               Shock Rock

                                                                                 

Iron Lung & Agents Of Abhorrence - Silent Decay

'Silent Decay'
Agents of Abhorrence and Iron Lung
2006

'Claustrophobic grind 'n violence'

Iron Lung and Agents Of Abhorrence are two bands that create some of the best music in the respective genres. Iron Lung have really made modern powerviolence their own, dabbling in everything from noise rock to industrial, while Australia's Agents of Abhorrence have created an angular, mathcore infused mutation of grindcore that is both intelligent and pummeling.

Chut Up

Death Toll 80K - Harsh Realities

'Harsh Realities'
Death Toll 80K
2011

'Grind-est of the core'

URGHHHHHH
Godamn, Death Toll 80k know how to get you pumped. This is 23 tracks of unrelenting grindcore courtesy of Finland, that is guaranteed to get you headbanging and/or fist pumping. Listen to it loud and then go beat up children with their own shoes.

Harsh Realities 

Broken Prayer - Self Titled

'Broken Prayer'
Broken Prayer
2013

'Weirdo hardcore punk'

I like Broken Prayer because they actually seem to realise that like most other things on this planet, punk needs to evolve. Rather than playing bastardized 80s riffs or trying to ape the 'bro-tastic' 90s hardcore scene, these guys are pushing the boundaries of modern punk.

Broken Prayer are a weird, sarcastic concoction of noise rock, experimental rock and straight up hardcore, but that won't stop them from throwing in a post punk tune, or the crazy-ass synth heavy track that is 'Proud'. Every song on this album is produced excellently, with just the right balance of music, noise, aggression and expressiveness.

Basically these guys sound like they're having the time of their lives, playing whatever the fuck they want, irregardless of how strange the end product is.

Seriously, what more could you want from a punk band?

Wow!

Bandcamp

Peter Mangalore - Decay Of The Iron Man

'Decay Of The Iron Man'

Peter Mangalore

1998

'Fast and weird'

I hate when bands are good, but they break up after releasing like ten songs (looking at you Neanderthal). Peter Mangalore are one such band, and as far as I can tell, this is the only release they put out before calling it quits. Decay Of The Iron Man is a ferocious barrage of classic 90s powerviolence that keeps things fast and strange. With 8 tracks, all under a minute long, this will be over before you know it.

Disqualified As A Human Being

Pharmakon - Abandon

'Abandon'
Pharmakon
2013

'Dark, dense and unsettling'

The brainchild of Margaret Chardiet, Pharmakon is a nightmarish ride that traverses the realm of power electronics, death industrial and dark ambient. Punctuated by industrial percussion and Chardiet's harrowing screams, Abandon presents some of the more chilling and unsettling soundscapes I've heard in a noise release.

Crawling On Bruised Knees

House Of Apparition - Spectre Tape

'Spectre Tape'
House Of Apparition
2012

'An ungodly miasma of noise'

I'm fairly new to this whole Black Metal thing, and while I'm still trying make sense of the vast catalogue  of BM releases out there, I've found some pretty neat stuff.
Enter House Of Apparition's 'Spectre Tape'.
This bad boy was limited to 100 copies (according to Discogs) and is a fine example on how to make 'listenable' raw black metal. These guys play USBM with slight punk leanings that is both primitive and gloomy. House Of Apparition don't spend a great amount of time creating intricate soundscapes or atmospheres, rather they let the horrendous cacophony of their instruments produce a hazy, distortion ridden racket. If you're new to black metal, like me, I'd give this a listen as it's a good introduction to the rawer side of the genre. If not, I'd recommend it anyway, the band really do live up to their name in terms of the ghostly, dark music they create.

Download

Grazhdanskaya Oborona- Necrophilia

'Necrophilia'
Grazhdanskaya Oborona
1987

'In Soviet Russia, punk rocks you...'

Admittedly, the only reason I gave Grazhdanskaya Oborona (or GrOb for short) a listen was because they were a Soviet era punk band, and I thought that was pretty cool. Lead singer Yegor Letov (RIP) was strongly opposed to Russia's politics at the time which made him a target for the KGB and subsequently led him to being committed to a mental ward.

Interesting back stories aside, I was very glad I did give them a listen. GrOb's music is eclectic, sometime's bleak, sometimes uplifting but consistently energetic. Taking cues from post-punk, psychedelia and Russian folk musk, GrOb were certainly an original band and I can only imagine how refreshing their music would've been to their fellow countrymen back in the day.

As far as I can tell, all of Grazhdanskaya Oborona's music was recorded in Yegor Letov's apartment with no specialised equipment, so expect some fairly lo-fi stuff here.

Fuck

Midori (ミドリ) - Hello Everyone, Nice To Meet You, We Are Midori

'Hello Everyone, Nice To Meet You, We Are Midori'
ミドリ(Midori)
2008

'Uhhh....'

You may be wondering why there is a sexy anime girl next to the text here. The reason for that would be Midori, a jazz punk fusion band from Osaka, Japan.

This is not an easy listen, I'll say that right off the bat. Throughout the course of this album's run time, you'll be dragged through noise rock/hardcore punk madness, sugary J-pop piano numbers and grandiose jazz numbers often within one song. Singer Goto Mariko's animated vocals and diverse range keep up with the hectic and ever changing pace of the music and are definitely a highlight of the album. Instrumentally, the guitar, upright bass, keyboard and drum combination deliver some wonderfully strange and chaotic music.

This album really isn't for everyone, but if you're up for a bit of a challenge or if you just like really fucking weird music, this is the album for you.

Jazz For Your Soul

KAOS SS - LIFE-ILL

'LIFE-ILL'

KAOS SS

2012

'Brutal, heavy crustcore'

NO I'M NOT SHouting, this band just has a thing for capital letters evidently.

LIFE-ILL is KAOS SS's debut ep, and while the Norwegian band clearly wears its Scandinavian crust/hardcore influences on its sleeves, they keep things fresh by adding in a few nods to extreme metal (deep guttural vocals and massive sounding down tuned guitars). This is five tracks of heavy fucking punk, and you'd be wise not to pass this one up.

I Am Mandrill!

Idol Punch - Black Diamond

'Black Diamond'
Idol Punch
2007

'Cute hardcore'

Okay, so anyone who knows me or follows my other blog probably knows I have a serious musical boner for anything out of Japan, especially their thrashcore bands. I chose to start off with Idol Punch simply because you'll be very hard pressed to find a working download link for these guys on the web and I just happen to some of their stuff on my computer.

Thrashcore is a pretty straightforward genre, I think. All you have to do is play some sort of variation of a DRI riff, add in a mosh-y breakdown and you're basically done.
And Idol Punch do this...
...But they also have a kitschy sense of humour and will not hesitate to throw in a hook laden pop punk melody to throw you off. Tracks like 'Harkone-Riot' or 'La Mesa Vistosa' are straight up thrash assaults, while 'Fruit Shop Cessna' sounds like something the Descendants could have written. It's this kind of variation that keeps you on your feet, unsure of what strange direction the next song will take, and to me, that is the sign of a great album.

If goofy, fast paced thrashy hardcore sounds like your kind of thang, download this album, by all means.
If you're unsure, download it anyway, it's a hell of a lot of fun and it's free.

Harkone-Riot!

Discordance Axis - The Inalienable Dreamless

'The Inalienable Dreamless'

Discordance Axis

2000

Eva worship at its finest...

There's not much to be said about this album that hasn't already been said already, but I'm going to say it anyway. 

The Inalienable Dreamless is a modern grindcore masterpiece. 

It is a precise, concise shot of adrenaline in audible form and it'll achieve way more in twenty minutes than what a normal album will achieve in an hour. 

The biggest point I can make about The Inalienable Dreamless is that is a beautiful album, and while that may be the strangest thing you've ever heard in relation to grindcore, it is true. Jon Chang manages to inject so much emotion into his music and lyrics, and that, coupled with the utter urgency of the drums and guitar make it much more compelling than your average 'play fast or die' grind band. In fact you could call this 'The Thinking Man's Grind Band'; Chang's lyrics explore anxiety, depression, love, fear and attachment and are strongly influenced by various works of fiction (including Neon Genesis Evangelion).

Musically, The Inalienable Dreamless reflects its themes excellently. Equally dissonant and claustrophobic,  songs go from pure grindcore ferocity to sudden moments of melodic clarity (i.e the album's title track or Jigsaw). Much like the characters of Neon Genesis Evangelion, the music has a damaged, schizophrenic quality that lends itself exceedingly well to the overall feel of the album.

While I intend to be a little less formal with my reviews in the future, I thought I'd do this album justice with a comprehensive review. There's so much more I could say about this album, but I'll just shut up now and give you the link. Enjoy, or don't.

Pattern Blue