Culture Abuse - The Day Dreams Of Nothing

'The Day Dreams Of Nothing'
Culture Abuse
2013

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Noise Punk
For Fans Of: Gutter Gods, Cottaging, Dreamdecay, Cuntz

This is some spaced out shit, I'm talking full on UFO vibes here.  This EP is some true weirdo noise rock that sounds as if it stepped out of a bad scifi movie where you can see the strings on the cardboard space ship and the aliens wear tin foil suits.

The band describes themselves as "dudes from San Francisco and Santa Rosa getting drunk and doing drugs, and then also writing riffs and playing shows." That's definitely what it sounds like; Culture Abuse really gives off a no fucks given attitude and that apathy fuels their deranged sonic bursts.  I shouldn't really have to say anything more, honestly you should've been sold when I said "UFO."

Tracklisting:

1. Happy Ending
2. Take It Out On Yourself
3. My Only Sunshine
4. Clean Skin
5. Sing To Me
6. Wet Lashes

BANDCAMP

FUCKED BY NEWCASTLE: Crab Smasher - Discography

'Discography'
Crab Smasher

2002-ongoing

Genre/s: Psychedelic, Experimental, Noise Rock, Noise Pop

For fans of: Boredoms, Violent Onsen Geisha, Mogwai, Pharaoh Sanders, Oval

Review by Jerry Kahale

Continuing with my series on our Novocastrian artists in "Fucked By Newcastle," when it comes to home brewed noise, Crab Smasher are perhaps one of the most fascinating acts to ever come out of the Steel City. I only have a small grasp of their history but I'll try to explain it as best I can. Crab Smasher started as a duo in 2002, with Grant Hunter (Polyfox And The Union Of Most Ghosts, Anal Discharge) and Nicholas French (Polyfox…, Obat Batuk, The Farting Arses).

Although guest artists would frequently appear on their releases, it was the album Serie Un Di Collaborazione that would cement Crab Smasher as the musical collective of Nicholas and Grant, with a revolving door of many different artists joining – including Nick Senger (Castings), Sarah Humphreys, Chris Hearn (Alps), Mike Foxall (Nancy Vandal), James Kritzler (Slug Guts, White Hex), Nathan N. Martin (Anal Discharge, Sweet Teeth, HANNAHBAND, Burlap) and a lot more. In around 2008, Marnie Vaughan (Sweet Teeth, HANNAHBAND), who had already appeared on a few Crab Smasher recordings – was starting to appear on all their subsequent recordings, thus making Crab Smasher a trio. Twelve years on, they are still making music to this day, with their most recent piece, Scum Puzzle, released this year in May.

So, what kind of music do they make? Well, anything and everything, really. Their musical journeys know no boundaries; almost every single release is completely different from the last and are usually always improvised. Take Scum Puzzle for example – an electronic and mostly instrumental album completely driven by coarse and abstract bit-crushed synths gone mad and erratic drumming, with a relatable pop rhythm that falls in tandem of a listenable and uncomfortable experience – but go back one album, to Earth Buddies, and we have a live radio session of the first ever "carbon neutral noise band" which has all the members switch out their synths and drums to get their crazy hands on thumb keyboards, glockenspiels, recorders, percussion, acoustic guitars, zither, battery powered toys and just about anything that isn't connected to a power outlet, creating an aurally destructive but environmentally friendly symphony.

They go from the avant-garde noise pop of the Blue Album to dreamy ambient post rock on The Doctor Is In…Over His Head. Most of their earlier releases are more focused on noise soundscapes like Todd McFarlane Crushes The Tyranny Of Corporate America. Sometimes a single release can have styles and genres all over the shop like Thick Mosquito Sky and Bones Are Stronger Than Concrete.

If I had to choose a favourite release however, it would easily be Impossible Monsters, which is probably because it was my first foray into discovering Crab Smasher (I forgot how), and at a time when I was forsaking a lot of mainstream music and was hungry for something different, this release came along and really left a big impression on me. I haven't heard many albums that can transcend from rumbling drones and short bursts of static attacks crashing in through some extremely harsh noise, before doing a reverse on the mood and presenting the listener with a manic, thick layered and melodically adventurous theme song for some non-existent cartoon. Impossible Monsters continues to flip moods again, to dark and eerie lounge music, and eventually ambient noise flowing from the melancholic to the euphoric. The last song is what makes the entire album for me, as it serves to be a final, cathartic point of how far they can strip down the layers, until we have a minute long song of lone keyboards and bit-crushed drums with the only vocals on the entire release. It makes for an oddly emotional experience as the band bends the rules of consistency to make their own. Some other notable releases for me include DOOM+DOOM=OMG, Serie Un Collaborazione and Forever!.

You can get their entire discography from their bandcamp, with everything free to download. I won't provide a track listing because there are too many releases to put up. As for where to start, well I reckon you should explore for yourself, but otherwise you can go back over the review and try out the albums I mentioned.

Bandcamp

Editing by Simon Dawes
dawes1986@gmail.com

Meth Drinker - Discography (So Far)

DISCOGRAPHY
Meth Drinker
2011 - 2013

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Sludge
For Fans Of: Noothgrush, Eyehategod, Drug Problem, Moloch, Corrupted, Grief

Meth Drinker are a bunch of downtrodden, miserable fucks hailing from Wellington, New Zealand who've been sharing their particular brand of musical nihilism since 2010.
While not at all dissimilar with sludge's other hopeless and bleak stalwarts (see list of above), Meth Drinker's output is much rawer, heavier and confronting than the aforementioned artists. Even Eyehategod, who turned sludge into the primary form of conveying one's agony musically in a post blues world have a bit to learn from these guys. Essentially Meth Drinker have worn their influences on their collective sleeves and taken them to a much darker, primal place.
Communicated through pounding doom riffs strung together by fuzzed out bass and throaty screamed vocals, Meth Drinker's music is a tour through the syringe ridden gutters of a world consumed by drugs, violence and mental illness. There's no reprieve, just crushing heaviness and bitter negativity.
Here you'll find all of Meth Drinker's current releases - an EP, two splits and their full length. I should also note that they've got a brand spankin' new LP due out next month, which I may or may not post here (hush hush). For now content yourself with these releases and prepare to enter a severely malnourished world of strung out, drug fucked sludge bliss.

TRACKLISTING:

Meth Drinker LP
1. Deprivation
2. Incurable Illness
3. Ganja Mutt
4. Combat Shock
5. Skull Smashing Concrete
6. The Shining (main title)
7. Serrated Corridor
8. Narco Sub
9. Broken Down and Used Up
Download

Split With Open Tomb
1. Open Tomb - Off with His Hands
2. Open Tomb - Hostile Womb
3. Meth Drinker - Dehumanize
4. Meth Drinker - Beyond the Grate
5. Meth Drinker - 731
Download

Split With Moloch
1. Meth Drinker - Spleen Splitting Pavement
2. Meth Drinker - 731 (Reprise)
3. Meth Drinker - Test Subject
4. Meth Drinker - 2 Minutes Hate
5. Moloch - Vomit Phobia
6. Moloch - Hunchback
Download

Meth Drinker EP
1. Desperation
2. Loss
Download

Anonymous - Snake Attack / Corporate Food

'Snake Attack / Corporate Food'
Anonymous
1980

Review by Joey

Genre(s): Noise, Industrial, Art Punk
For Fans Of: Throbbing Gristle, Geza X, The Residents, Outer Circle

It's always weird to think I knew about industrial/noise artists in high school before I was even into noise.  Anonymous was one of those artists.  I first heard them on Alternative Tentacles's "Let Them Eat Jellybeans!" compilation LP which was released in 1981 to expose people around the world to what they called "America's darker side," which according to the LP's jacket, was not as well known outside of North America.  The A-side of the compilation features American 80s hardcore punk staples such as Flipper, Bad Brains, Feederz, Really Red, Dead Kennedys, and a handful of others; but the B-side is where things got weird (although I guess it was pretty weird from the start since Flipper is the opening band).  On the B-side of this compilation, the unsuspecting punk is assaulted by noise, industrial, avant-garde, and experimental artists, the most notable being Half Japanese, Geza X, and Anonymous.

And that brings us to this release.  This is a very good sample of early industrial and electronic noise. The two songs, however, differ greatly from each other.  While the first is an amalgamation of samples, electronic noise, and synth which feels very much like the The Residents and Throbbing Gristle, the second is much more in the vein of Geza X and Outer Circle (who didn't release their LP until two years after this), in that it leans more towards bizarre art punk which has been heavily influenced by the emerging industrial, no-wave, and noise scenes.

Of course, this isn't nearly as intense as what would come later from industrial/noise artists such as Deathpile and Maconympha, but as previously stated, it's definitely representative of some of the early forays into industrial/noise music.

Tracklisting:

1. Snake Attack
2. Corporate Food

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Propergol - Cleanshaven

'Cleanshaven'
Propergol
1998

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Noise, Industrial, Power Electronics, Death Industrial
For Fans Of: Deathpile, IRM, Brighter Death Now, The Grey Wolves

Do you see the album cover? That's what this sounds like.  It's absolute brutality and not in a slam death metal nerd sense, but in the sense that this album is relentless, ruthless, and heavy.

It's weird to describe electronic noise as heavy, but this album really feels as if it's weighing down on you and pummeling you with an inhuman force.  There is also a mix of the erratic and droning which seem to alternate back and forth over the course of the album in a way that feels incredibly natural.  My favorite track on the album (and one of my favorite industrial tracks in general), "La Petite Fille Au Bout Du Chemin," sways back and forth from walls of harsh, screeching noise to an (almost) relaxing pulse.

The buried vocals, along with the use of samples, make this release even more eerie.  I want to liken it to watching a horror film, but with the soundtrack turned way up and the dialogue turned way down. You can only faintly hear the screams of pain and cries for help over the deafening noise assaulting your senses.

Tracklisting:

1. ...Prologue
2. La Petite Fille Au Bout Du Chemin
3. Dans Les Veines...
4. Cleanshaven
5. Hotel Earle 'A Day Or A Lifetime'
6. Wood Trash. (Survival Version)
7. Signal H
8. Joshua's Day
9. Epilogue...

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Big Zit - Electric Zit Vol. 1

'Electric Zit Vol. 1'
Big Zit
2014

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Hardcore Punk
For Fans Of: Bad Brains, NASA Space Universe, Umbilical Cord, Brown Sugar

Yes, it's Big Zit, that band with the singer who sounds uncannily like H.R. from Bad Brains. They floored me with their 2013 demo and it's good to see that they, unlike other bands who disappointed me this year, made it to the 7" stage without losing any of their energy.

This EP is a total ripper.  It's unpredictable, weird, and short.  The five songs clock in at 4:26, giving just enough but leaving you wanting more.  It seems to have come out under the radar, I haven't heard anybody talk about it yet which surprises me considering the amount of attention Big Zit has been getting lately.

It's weird how Big Zit clearly wear their influences on their sleeves, but at the same time manage to sound totally refreshing. Okay, I'm done talking, I should be doing research but instead I left the library early so I could post this because I'm excited about it. Just download it and listen for yourself.

Tracklisting:

Lotree Tik’t

Big Zit

Suhbuhb’n Varmun

Goin’ Blind

Skoolyahd

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NASA Space Universe - EGM

'EGM'
NASA Space Universe
2014

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Hardcore Punk, Noise Punk
For Fans Of:  Die Kreuzen, Broken Prayer, Das Oath, Koro

If you've been paying attention to the contemporary hardcore punk scene, you've probably heard of NASA Space Universe (or NSU as I'll refer to them for the rest of this post).  I first heard them described as a Die Kreuzen knock off which made me feel disappointed as I hate bands who are cheap imitations; but it also intrigued me because I thought there was no way somebody could even come close to touching Die Kreuzen, who are, let's face it, one of the greatest hardcore punk bands of all time.

I'm going to come out and say that this evaluation of NSU as being a Die Kreuzen clone couldn't be farther from the truth.  While the screeching vocals and high speed, off kilter instrumentation can be likened to Die Kreuzen's eponymous 1984 LP, NSU is much more.  They have made their own, strange breed of hardcore punk that, while giving many nods to the contributions of seminal bands such as Koro and Articles Of Faith, is still very forward thinking.

Combining spaced out, noisy riffs with influence from some of the weirder classics has yielded some of the most refreshing hardcore punk you'll hear this year.  And don't forget the monologue which appears in the closing track recounting a sexual encounter with an alien priestess.  This is probably NSU's most focused and ferocious release to date.  I was lucky enough to see them do a midnight show under a bridge while on tour with OFF! (who I was not going to go support for various reasons and who did not play the midnight bridge show) and they (being NSU not OFF!) were phenomenal; I was totally floored. Do not sleep on this band.

Tracklisting:

1. E.G.M.
2. P.Y.O.P.
3. Darkisdark
4. $
5. Paper Tiger
6. S.H.O.

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Thug - Discography

'(Partial) Discography'
Thug
1993-1997

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Sludge, Hardcore Punk
For Fans Of: Eyehategod, Neanderthal, Cavity, Drunks With Guns

A friend of mine turned me onto this band by asking if I knew anything about them, to which I had to admit that I didn't.  Neither of us could really find anything about them or even much of their music (I believe only 2 songs are on youtube), so Thug remained a mystery for a little while.

Fast forward a year or two, I finally tracked down (most of) their discography and I definitely want to share it with people because this band is not just highly underrated, but they're exceptionally good and deserve much more attention than they seem to get.  They started in '92 or '93 and released only three 7"s, two of which were splits, along with a few songs on compilations which I still need to get my hands on.  Their sound is pretty hard to pigeonhole, they  mostly combine elements of noise rock similar to bands such as Unsane and Drunks With Guns, and sludge akin to that of Eyehategod and Cavity; although on their final 7" they come dangerously close to powerviolence in the vein of Neanderthal and Peter Mangalore.

So, what should you expect from Thug?  Brace yourself for disgusting tones and crushing riffs, feedback, pounding drums, and totally pissed off vocals.  Oh, and they did a split with powerviolence legends Apartment 213, who also appear on the Loud & Ugly Vol. 2 compilation along with Floor, Despise You, and Eyehategod.  This shit is good and if you like any of the bands I've compared them to or with whom they appeared alongside, I highly recommend checking this out.

Releases:

• Thug (1993)
• Apartment 213 / Thug (1995)
• Loud & Ugly Vol. 2 (1995)
• Thug / Greenmachine (1997)

Missing compilations are:

• Loud N' Ugly Vol. 1 (1993)
• Start A Riot (1995)
• The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1998) which I have but didn't include because the Thug track is the same one which appears on Loud & Ugly Vol. 2

I'll update this when I get the remaining two compilations.

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Degreaser - Bottom Feeder

'Bottom Feeder'
Degreaser
2012

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Garage Rock, No Wave
For Fans Of: Bird Blobs, Gravel Samwidge, Kitchen's Floor, Cured Pink, Slug Guts

See that album art there? That hideously off putting, slapdash drawing that looks like it was created by someone who lives in a house full of discarded hypodermic syringes? It might surprise you to know that it's extremely indicative of the music contained within.
Degreaser definitely embody the 1970s, East Village scum fuck aesthetic, choosing to play the most downtrodden, dissolute version of punk in the most sloppiest, effortless way possible. The Brooklyn band feature an Australian ex pat, and do sound a heckuva a lot like some of the least accessible Australian post punk/noise rock acts of yore - especially with the treble-y, delay heavy angular guitar lines, shambling rhythm section and forced out vocal delivery.
Desperation and depression are things you seldom go looking for, but when it's channeled into noisy, nihilistic punk dirges it's always welcome. Please abandon your current tasks, listen to this and prepare to sink down a few levels. It's not that bad here in the gutter.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Teeth in Mouth
2. Like A Ball
3. On the Throne
4. Snake Dick Blues
5. Caveman's Lament
6. Human Postcard
7. Treat You Right
8. These are the Blues

Bandcamp
Download

Burlap - Demo

'Demo'
Burlap
2014

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Post Hardcore
For Fans Of: Dreamdecay, Pissed Jeans, Fight Amp, A Place To Bury Strangers, Earth

I recently headed down to Sydney/Newcastle to play some shows, and whilst I was down there I had the pleasure of catching Burlap live. I'd initially heard their demo when it dropped earlier this year, and was impressed by it - but for whatever reason I promptly forgot about it and moved onto something else. Cue me catching them live (one of the best sets I caught in Newcastle by a long shot) and remembering that I should totally do up a blog post for them. So here we are.
Burlap is a four piece band from Sydney, Australia featuring members of Jxckxlz, Ted Danson With Wolves and HANNAHBAND (to name a few) who play a much more mellowed out offshoot of noise rock.  With no bass, the two guitarists use a multitude of effects to create low end, and it's here where a few drone and shoegaze influences creep in. When they're not in drone mode, Burlap's music takes a slightly more aggressive tone via hoarse screamed vocals and punk flavoured guitar riffs. The two styles work well together, often mingling together throughout the coarse of a song to create a slightly disorienting yet mellow listen.
It'd be an understatement to say I'm excited to hear a full length or EP from these guys - but for now I'm going to content myself with this here demo. You should to. It's good.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Sicko
2. Pussy Whipped
3. Knuckles
4. U4EA

Bandcamp

Iron Lung Mystery Product

'Iron Lung Mystery Product'
Unknown Artist (Iron Lung Records)
2013

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Hardcore Punk, Noise Rock, Noise Punk
For Fans Of: White Wards, Cult Ritual, Society Nurse, Walls

"It's a mystery you dummy."

That's all Iron Lung Records has to say about this anonymous, unmarked cassette.  It came out under the radar last year in an unknown quantity and with no information on the artist released.  It has been speculated that this is the unreleased LP of Mentally Challenged, a band featuring members of Mind Eraser and others, but the label has neither confirmed nor denied this claim.

What I can tell you, however, is that this tape is amazing.  From the very first ringing of feedback to the last drum hit, this release is a wild ride.  There's something in here for everyone: stompy punk, off kilter hardcore, deathrocky dirges, and even strange noise/ambient interludes.  The only artists I can really compare it to are primarily other Iron Lung Records bands such as White Wards and Walls, both of which deliver weird and noise drenched hardcore punk.

I ripped this and split the tracks myself, so I cannot actually say for certain that the track listing is 100% accurate, but the tracks were divided at what I saw as logical stopping points in the music.  I doubt you'll ever see this surface unless somebody is selling it on discogs or ebay, so I highly recommend checking this out.

Track Listing:

1.  
2.  
3.  
4.  
5.  
6.  
7.  
8.  
9.  
10.  
11.  
12.   

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Bone Awl - Discography

'Discography'
Bone Awl
2002-2011

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Raw Black Metal, Blackened Punk
For Fans Of: Ildjarn, Rudimentary Peni, Garrotte, Black Boot

You’ve probably heard the name Bone Awl or at least seen some of their artwork floating around the internet.  Let’s face it, their artwork is pretty cool. But their music is just as awesome.  

He Who Gnashes Teeth (guitars/vocals) and He Who Crushes Teeth (drums) are the masterminds behind this raw black metal punk assault. They started in 2002 and take heavy influence from bands such as Ildjarn and Rudimentary Peni so you can guess what they sound like.  If you’d like a proper description, their sound is drenched in fuzz and feedback, underneath which can be found simplistic, dark riffing and driving, primitive drumming. These guys helped pave the way for modern raw black metal/punk bands such as Black Boot, Sewer Drainer, and Garrotte.  

Both members have gone on to form new projects. He Who Gnashes Teeth put out a tape as Galloping Shadow; He Who Crushes Teeth sings for Raspberry Bulbs.  I’m not entirely sure if Bone Awl is officially over, but to my knowledge they’ve been inactive for a couple years at this point.  

So, onto what you’re getting (because that’s what you’re here for, right?).  The link below contains a download for Bone Awl’s entire studio discography. It does not include instrumental/rehearsal recordings or compilations of their recordings; these are all the original releases. 

Here we go:

• Magnetism Of War (2002)
• Night Is Indifferent (2003)
• Bog Bodies (2003)
• By Ropes Through Dirt (2003)
• Up To Something (2004)
• Volkurah / Bone Awl / Hammer / Vordr (2005)
• Not For Our Feet (2005)
• …So I Must Take From The Earth And Make It My Own (2006)
• Furdidurke / Bone Awl (2006)
• The Rita / Bone Awl (2006)
• At The Eclipse’s Arc (2006)
• Meaningless Leaning Mess (2007)
• Undying Glare (2007)
• Almost Dead Man (2007)
• Night’s Middle (2009)
• Bowing Heads (2010)
• Ashdautas / Bone Awl (2011)
  

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