Thursday 1 September 2016

THE LONG LOST SPIKE IN VAIN TAPE

Jesus Was Born In A Mobile Home
Spike In Vain
1984-85 (?)

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Deathrock, Noise Rock, Post-Punk, Hardcore Punk
For Fans Of: No Trend, The Scam, Tar Babies, Saccharine Trust

Spike In Vain is easily one of the coolest, most underrated punk bands ever. Their iconic Disease Is Relative LP, sits in the nightmarish crossroads where Christian Death, No Trend, and Rudimentary Peni meet, feasting on corpses in rapturous, sardonic glee. Their second full length Jesus Was Born In A Mobile Home was released on cassette; and probably would've been lost to time...but thanks to the internet, knowledge of this elusive band and their material was exhumed, and given another life to wreak havoc once again.

Jesus Was Born In A Mobile Home picks up right where its predecessor left off, but has a somewhat different overall feel to it. The material is more cohesive, as though they took what they did on Disease Is Relative, and whittled it into a deadly point. Take that how you will, but I think this tape is just as good as the LP. Some of the tracks are live and demo recordings, however that doesn't take any of the bite out of this release. The music on here is truly deranged in a unique way, and it's honestly difficult to compare Spike In Vain to any other band(s)*, because none that I can think of -- before or since -- have matched their terrifying fusion of the caustic and macabre. In their own words: ugly and damaged.

Spike In Vain should be considered essential deathrock, up there with Part 1, Theatre Of Ice, Rudimentary Peni, etc.

Tracklist:
1. Little Voice That Betrays
2. Rejected By Number Twelve
3. Ugly And Damaged
4. Glass Doorknob
5. A Grave Left Behind
6. You're Gonna Watch Me
7. Real Cool Time
8. Seconds
9. Lullabye Nocturno
10. Helga At The Square Dance
11. Deathstyle
12. Love Isn't Hollow

DOWNLOAD

*aside from The Dark, which was essentially Spike In Vain with the members playing different instruments

I can't find credit for this rip anywhere, but to the hero who did this...fucking thank you.

Sunday 21 August 2016

UNBOUND

"Flesh Burns" Demo 2016  
Unbound
2016

Review By Jerry

Genre/s: Death Metal, Punk, 90's Metal
For Fans Of: Christbait, Beanflipper, Mangacide, Massappeal, Misery (Aus)

New bands revitalizing classic sounds and styles of a particular era of extreme music is nothing new but rarely does a band come along and have their influences sorted out with such an acute precision of a long gone and obscure style that chances are you may not even know any of the bands listed in the "For Fans Of" section (guilty of this myself).

Coming from a rich pedigree of old and new bands (Where's The Pope?, Ripped Off, The Submissivies, Pissed On, Sick People), Unbound are manic time travelers adventuring back into the long forgotten times of 90's punk-metal. Ripping into it from the get go they traverse back to a  realm of heavy music in an era that is seldom traveled. From the start they dive down into a time-frozen zone of death metal/thrash and return with specimens like "Morbid Freaks" before they go back again into an alt-metal dimension on "Births Eulogy" before finally their obsessive endeavors catch up to them causing a time rift with worlds colliding together in a spiraling frenzy of heavily effected madness which is documented in "Epitaphic
Confines" and "Only Dead".  Sparing nothing from their methodical styles and grooves the same can be said for the tight and very un-demo like production. Slick and dense guitar and bass tones combating against rugged and plummeting drums whilst they all carry the vocalist around howling in the language of insanity into a flanged-out void.

Unbound has done a top notch job exhuming this peculiar style of 90's Australian punk-metal out from the ground. While at first this may sound like its an acquired taste it only seems that way because Unbound proudly wear their influences on their sleeves when no one else wanted them.


TRACKLISTING
1. Flesh Burns
2. Momentary
3. Morbid Freaks
4. Births Eulogy
5.
Epitaphic Confines
6. Only Dead

BANDCAMP

Sunday 7 August 2016

BRAINBOMBS - SOUVENIRS

Souvenirs
Brainbombs
2016

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Post-Punk, Psych
For Fans Of: The Stooges, Blank Veins, Paul Chain, Drunks With Guns

Ummmmmm...so I'm sure many of you heard earlier this year about a new Brainbombs LP...and it's finally here! I'm kinda flipping out over it, because they somehow are still consistently churning out some of the most haunting, filthy, and memorable tracks of any noise rock band ever, despite having been a band for a little over 30 years at this point. Granted, it's generally one riff per song, but goddamn are they great. However, this LP sees Sweden's Meanest taking a direction they haven't played with this much since their Genius And Brutality...Taste And Power LP; that's right, they're pulling out the psych.

Those familiar with Brainbombs' output shouldn't be too surprised with what they're doing on Souvenirs. They've always had heavy psych leanings, but what sets the material on this LP apart from the rest of their work is that  a lot of the tracks are driven more by creating frightening moods and atmospheres rather than every riff being big and bad. That's not to say this LP doesn't have big, bad riffs, because it really does. But the feelings of emotional detachment and emptiness are more at the forefront of it all; and it feels unnerving in a way most of their output doesn't (aside from the Genius And Brutality...Taste And Power LP). It really is incredible that Brainbombs have found ways to keep their output from getting stale, while still maintaining their overall aesthetic. Plus, at least now I have this killer to listen to while I cry over not being able to see them in LA.

Blah, blah it's Brainbombs doing what they do best. You know what you're getting into.

Tracklist:
1. A Darker Shade Of Pain
2. In Danger
3. Beyond Darkness
4. Let Me Kill
5. Satisfied
6. Having Fun
7. Souvenirs
8. Darkness

DOWNLOAD

Wednesday 27 July 2016

MOTH SLASHER

Moth Slasher
Moth Slasher
2016

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Post-Punk, Industrial
For Fans Of: Slices, Locust (before the The), Happy Flowers, Walls

Dude, I gotta say...I love when friends' bands are good. That seems like such an obvious statement, but one of the worst feelings in the world is when a friend sends you their band (or worse asks you in person how you felt after just watching a set) and you don't like it, and gotta figure out if you should dance around things or just flat out tell them the hard truth. Well, in the case of Moth Slasher, the hard truth is that they are fucking disgustingly great.

Moth Slasher is kinda hard to pigeonhole, which is something that's always refreshing. My first impression was that they reminded me of The Locust's earliest recordings (splits with Jenny Piccolo and Man Is The Bastard/Noise) sans blast beats, but keeping the industrial/electronics, mixed with Slices. So basically it's totally blown out, filthy, crushingly heavy, and unpredictable; but dirging and rhythmic. But wait, there's more. Moth Slasher manages to make nods to one of my all time favorites, Happy Flowers. There are parts which just completely fall apart -- seemingly forgoing all structure, and embracing pure musical decomposition -- while still relying on traditional punk instruments as the means for producing sonic mayhem. And what glorious mayhem it is.

So hold onto your hat and watch the valuables...it's going to be a bumpy ride.*

Tracklisting:
1. I Don't Know Him
2. Flowers Dead
3. Mecha Parasite Brain
4. Zero Return
5. Watch You Die
6. Free Wi-Fi

DOWNLOAD

*read in Mark Hamill's Joker voice

Sunday 17 July 2016

NO BALLS / BLANK VEINS

No Balls / Blank Veins
No Balls / Blank Veins
2016

(Band Submission)

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Psych, Post-Punk
For Fans Of: Brainbombs, DNA, Twin Stumps, No Form

If you're familiar with this blog, I'm sure you know how much we (I?) love both Blank Veins and No Balls. And really, what's not to love? Both bands have fantastic outputs and play with the repetitive noise rock formula in distinctive, instantly recognizable ways. I've known this split was in the works for a while from correspondence with Blank Veins, and I gotta say it's everything I hoped for.

I guess I should start with No Balls since they're the band on side A. No Balls is essentially half of Brainbombs, and while similarities can be drawn between the two, No Balls puts more emphasis on the hypnotic nature of their music, generally without as much focus on vocals, often ditching them in favor of instrumentals -- the latter of which is the case on this split. But don't worry sports fans, because the atonal trumpet we all know and love fills in the gaps. These guys have an uncanny ability to consistently churn out hit after hit, and I have no idea how they do it.

Fewer people know about Blank Veins (a shame considering how good they are), but hopefully this split gets them the attention they deserve. Hailing from Greece, Blank Veins have carved out a niche for themselves dishing out what can best be described as a terrifying mixture of Brainbombs and DNA. And they also use trumpet. Honestly, they're one of the coolest noise rock bands to come out in the past five years, and despite a relatively small output, have a total mastery of their craft. I know they have future releases planned (one being a split 7" that needs a label...wink, wink) and you should all keep an eye on them (not related to the "wink, wink" comment), because I can guarantee it's all gonna be great.

Short version for short people: big bad riffs and trumpets.
EDIT: Blank Veins use a sax. But it still works to a similar effect.

Tracklist:
1. No Balls - Bright Eyes
2. No Balls - Total Eclipse
3. No Balls - Back On The SNRI
4. Blank Veins - Till It Subsides
5. Blank Veins -  The Next Time
6. Blank Veins - Most Of The Fabric

DOWNLOAD

Saturday 2 July 2016

ANXIETY

Anxiety
Anxiety
2016

Review by Joey (is anyone else even doing this anymore or am I all alone in this cruel world?)

Genre/s: Hardcore Punk, Post-Punk, Art Punk, Industrial, Power Electronics, Noise
For Fans Of: Feederz, SPK, Minimal Man, GRRR

I don't even know where the fuck to start with this LP. It is, without a doubt, one of the coolest things to come out this year. Or really in recent memory, honestly. When I clicked play on LVEUM's bandcamp, I was not prepared at all, and I don't think anything I say in this review can fully prepare any of you. It's not only that it's really that out there, but it's also that fucking good.

Anxiety is a new band out of the UK -- no surprise based on how much truly interesting shit (No Form, Perspex Flesh, Frau, etc) has been coming out of there in recent years -- who feature members of The Lowest Form (another favorite) and others. But I'm not sure that really has any significance in terms of how this sounds. Anxiety sounds like...well...anxiety -- yea yea, I know it's corny. Their unique blend of all those various genres I listed above is an unstoppable force of nervous energy; like a sonic panic attack. Everything about what Anxiety does has a touch of madness; even the more straightforward (relatively speaking) hardcore punk leaning tracks reek of influence from oddball bands like Feederz and Saccharine Trust. Add in the early SPK and Monte Cazazza-style electronics, The Ex and GRRR-style art punk, dark and ominous textures, and confusing progressions...and you still probably can't imagine what this sounds like. The best way I can even semi-accurately describe Anxiety is that they sound like a hardcore punk Minimal Man. And how fucking sick is that?

I listened to this ten times in a row the day I heard it. And I'm still playing it over and over and over. If you don't download this immediately, that's a moral decision you'll have to live with for the rest of your life.

Tracklist:
1. Dark And Wet
2. Fool In The Shower
3. The Worst
4. Addicted To Punishment
5. Human Hell
6. Delayed
7. Trapped Shut
8. Sewer In My Mind
9. VMD

DOWNLOAD

EDIT: The parenthetical is a joke referring to how I'm the only one doing reviews on FBN anymore, not a cry of desperation.

Sunday 26 June 2016

The Elusive SKELETON Flexi

Skeleton Flexi
Skeleton
2016

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Hardcore Punk, Blackened Punk
For Fans Of: Chlorine, Desgraciados, Oaf, Sewer Drainer

I've been seeing good things about this flexi all over, but somehow there isn't a single rip of it out there. Well, I got my hands on one after going to see Skeleton with Blank Spell; unfortunately no one else (aside from a couple friends, one of whom had flown in for Philly Shreds) showed up. And after spinning this flexi, I'm even more let down that the gig fell through, because this material kills.

Skeleton plays some gnarly riff driven hardcore punk; a style which I love, but also a style which is becoming harder and harder to pull off due to the total oversaturation of bands who are trying to sound like Rudimentary Peni. Fortunately, bands like this one exist to get it right. The serpentine riffs feel as if they're too long as they wind their way through the mix, but instead of progressions which are seemingly all over the place, Skeleton strips things down; and it's this primal simplicity which puts them way ahead of many of their peers. Combine that with abrupt tempo shifts, crushingly brutal and heavy atmospheres and production, and snarled one-line lyrics -- and you've got yourself a winner of an EP.

They said they'd be coming back around later this year, so I'm really looking forward to actually getting to see them. But until then, I'll just be replaying these nasty numbers again and again.

Tracklist:
1. Locked Up
2. Change Me
3. Torture

DOWNLOAD

Tuesday 7 June 2016

FBN 2016 MIDYEAR ROUNDUP MEGAPOST

I know, I know, there hasn't been much posting on FBN in 2016 thus far. So, to make up for it, here is a megapost comprised of 45 of my favorite releases from 2016 (15 LPs, 15 EPs, 15 demos), each with a short review and download link (the titles are the links). Oh and this is the only place you'll be able to find some of these with split tracks. Fucked By Noise doesn't fuck around. Don't say I never gave you anything.

Disclaimer: no download links were stolen from other blogs, because that's just tacky (you know who you are). If I found it on another blog, the original post is linked rather than a direct link to the download on a filesharing site, unless multiple blogs posted the exact same link and then I figured fuck it. Bandcamps with free downloads are also linked. For downloading from VK, I recommend getting the VK music downloader extension/add-on, although I'm sure there are other extensions/add-ons which will work just fine.

But enough small talk, let's get to it.

- LP -



Hez Hez
I've been sitting on this since last year, but I think it's safe to post it since it's officially out. Hez takes all of the best elements of hyper aggro hardcore punk and twisted dark punk, and smashes them together with a bestial ferocity. On top of it all, instead of typical guitar solos/breaks, they utilize rudimentary guitar-based pedal electronics which only adds an extra level of filth and menace.

FFO: No, Muerte



Behavior 375 Images Of Angels
Behavior made their debut a couple years back as a noisy hardcore punk powerhouse with subtle post-punk leanings, but on their LP they have shed away their hardcore shell and reemerged as a truly interesting post-punk/art punk outfit. While many contemporary post-punk groups try way too hard to sound like their 80s inspirations, Behavior stands out as a true spiritual successor to the original boundary pushing art punk bands. 

FFO: Wire, This Heat



Column Of Heaven / Suffering Luna split
This link leads to a review I previously published on FBN, but in summation: Column Of Heaven delivers a crushing black/death/grind and industrial/power electronics hybrid which sends them off with a bang. Suffering Luna is still Suffering Luna, so expect trippy, fucked up, sample-laden sludge. This has split tracks.

FFO: Knelt Rote, Gasp

Skáphe Skáphe²
Skáphe's demo was one of my favorite releases in 2014 and this LP picks up right where they left off. One of the tags on their bandcamp (the above link) is "asphyxiating," and honestly that describes their music perfectly; it's akin to what I'd imagine it would feel like to suffocate in the deep void of space. Skáphe's material is truly haunting.

FFO: Arizmenda, Lantern


Genocide Organ Obituary Of The Americas
If you know Genocide Organ, then you already have an idea of what this will sound like. If you don't, then brace yourself for waves of pulsing death industrial and heavy electronics, accompanied by military samples and distorted, threatening vocals. It's always nice to see older artists haven't lost their touch.

FFO: Brighter Death Now, Propergol


NASA Space Universe 70 A.D.
This link leads to a review I previously published on FBN, but in summation: NSU goes down kicking and screaming, dragging us into the void with them. This is by far their most aggressive and raw release, but maintains all of the weirdness that they've been well known and loved for. They've claimed their place among the stars. 

FFO: Die Kreuzen, Mecht Mensch


Billy Bao Lagos Sessions
I reviewed this for Cvlt Nation, but here's a summary: Billy Bao is back and pushing their sonic experiments ever further than ever on their newest and most audacious release. A jarring, yet unbelievably engaging hour long sound collage over four 15 minute tracks takes you on a journey through Lagos, giving you a taste of what the experience might be like. Buckle up.

FFO: Nurse With Wound, Cosmonauts Hail Satan

No Negative The Good Never Comes
So, I'm not sure if this was released early this year or very, very late last year, but as far as I can tell it wasn't officially released until January (I could be wrong, though). Whatever, anyway, this is total psych'd out noise rock that really is equal parts wigged out psych and scummy, repetative noise rock. It's a must-hear (then again, so is everything else here). 

FFO: Destruction Unit, Brainbombs

Vordr In The Shadow Of The Wolf
I honestly didn't even know Vordr was still active until I saw this LP in the related videos when I was looking for their 2009 s/t 12" to show someone. On their newest output, as with past material, Vordr leads the charge for a punky raw black metal assault. This one is a ripper fersure. 

FFO: Karmic Void, Arnaut Pavle

The Body & Full Of Hell One Day You Will Ache Like I Ache
The Body and Full Of Hell are bands who get shit for being popular from the ~2 tr00 4 u~ crowd, but these guys not only know their shit, they also know how to put it to use. The material on this collab draws from all types of electronic and noise music, including, but not limited to: noisecore/noisegrind, electro, black/industrial, dark ambient, and death industrial to produce something genuinely scary. I just wish their fans and so-called "contemporaries" would take note (playing recorded static or using an oscillator for 10 seconds doesn't count).

FFO: Gnaw Their Tongues, Gasp

Green Beret Standing At The Mouth Of Hell
There is an overwhelming amount of d-beat coming out of the US right now, and while much of it is just white, english speakers using random Swedish words or Japanese characters, and playing forgettable riffs, there are a handful totally raging bands. Green Beret is definitely one of the few who cut through the endless snoozefest and hit that sweet spot; and they hit it fucking hard. 

FFO: Totalitär, World Burns To Death

Puce Mary The Spiral
Oh man, this one is a doozy. Puce Mary, at least to me, stands out as one of the best current industrial/noise acts out there. Her ability to play off of classic death/industrial and make it sound fresh and terrifying is uncanny. This new LP is probably her best and most intense material to date, flowing from unsettling ambient to walls of heavy electronics and covering all territory in between.

FFO: SPK, Atrax Morgue

Qrixkuor Three Devils Dance
Qrixkuor put out a demo a couple years back that floored me, but of course when I lost 2/3 of my music last year, their demo went with it. And then my friend posted about this LP and I listened and was floored by them all over again. Qrixkuor slams you with an ominous atmosphere pierced by pummeling force and total shredding annihilation. And divebombs.

FFO: Impetuous Ritual, Grave Upheaval

Crvel Sombras
Crvel came out of nowhere, and when I heard this LP I think I listened to it six times in a row. Sombras is perfectly executed driving-yet-melancholy deathrock. Like other bands in the doing-deathrock-right camp, Crvel makes nods to a number of sources while still sounding fresh. This is also probably the best use of chorus, flangers, and phasers I've heard all year. 

FFO: Altar De Fey, Zotz








Sissy Spacek Disfathom
Sissy Spacek has been releasing so much in the past couple years it's gettnig hard to keep up; but what I have heard has been incredible, which should come as no surprise. Disfathom is like running headfirst into a tornado. In this case, the tornado happens to be made of turbospeed bass/drums grind and power electronics. Don't blink or you'll miss it.

FFO: Sete Star Sept, Euthanizer






-EP-


Magnum Force Hood Crimes
This is another release I don't have much info on, but I can tell you that it fucking rips. Instead of shoehorning breakdowns in and using obnoxious football coach vocals, Magnum Force lets it all flow naturally. And flowing naturally for them means erratic tempo shifts, killer riffs, and a perfect level of hyper-aggression; not macho brodown hyper-aggression mind you, just pure unbridled rage. This has split tracks.

FFO: Jenny Piccolo, California Love

The review for this one could be almost identical to the one above, except Snake Charmer takes their rampage even further. This EP is a behemoth; it's a pure expression of hatred and pain via raw and crushing hardcore punk. I'd honestly go as far as to call this powerviolence, because Snake Charmer really carries the torch of total unpredictable, thrashing, overwhelming anger. Regardless, this is some of the best fastcore to come out in the past couple years. This has split tracks.

FFO: Threatener, Mindless

Golden Path / Genex split
Noisy stomping punk has become all but played out at this point, but both Golden Path and Genex have found a way to keep their stampedes from sounding stale. Each band finds their own way to play around the formula: Golden Path's approach owes more to noise rock and punk, while Genex goes the Discharge, metal-tinged route (without resorting to relying on d-beats). Both takes on the style are equally effective in evoking a desire to kill.

FFO: Sewer Drainer, Qualm

Ramleh Conquest Play / Clockwork
This 12" single is a return to form for Ramleh. Side A is straightforward power electronics, side B is a psych'd out post-punk/noise rock dirge. It's simple, it's effective, and it's fantastic. The guys over at Broken Flag are doing their thing, and they still got it.

FFO: Consumer Electronics, Strangulated Beatoffs

Witchface Alt Gaar I Svart
I was pretty hayppy to see there was a new Witchface EP this year. Just as on the previous releases, static and fuzz is layered over midtempo punk with winding, sinister riffs.  One cool thing about Witchface is that there is always a bounce to the material which isn't necessarily something you'd expect from the style. Definitely worth a listen.

FFO: Sump, Dry Insides

Oooh boy, this is a ripper. Triage sounds like if Show No Mercy era Slayer was playing Hear Nothing... era Discharge influenced hardcore punk. Do I really need to say anything beyond that? You should be sold on this already. Power Beat has the riffs, the shred, and all the driving force you could want out of a thrashing hardcore release. Get ready to rage.

FFO: Slayer, Discharge



Rubber Mate Rub ‘Em All
According to the band, they started as a Brainbombs halloween cover band and then just kept playing together. I believe it. Cut the songs down to 2 minutes and throw a touch of Doc Dart and/or Bobby Soxx and/or Larry Lifeless in the mix, and you've got a pretty good idea of what this sounds like. Oh, and there's rudimentary contact mic electronics layered over the whole thing, adding another level of filth to this already gross display of degeneracy.

FFO: Stick Men With Ray Guns, Fang

Humiliation 4 Track EP
I saw this described somewhere (I think the Sorry State monthly update?) as being what it'd sound like if the Damaged Black Flag lineup kept playing together. I think there's a lot more to this than that, but I totally feel that; add some depraved, crushing twists to that and you'll get the idea. Humiliation sounds like desperation, like pain. This has split tracks.

FFO: Black Flag, Low Places

Framtid The Horrific Visions
Yup, it's a Framtid 7" alright. Thick, fuzzed out, and raging as all hell. And d-beats, don't forget d-beats. What can I really say about Framtid that hasn't been said a million times? They're great and they still wreck everyone else.

FFO: Hakuchi, 突撃戦車 (Totsugeki Sensya)

Barcelona Pueden Ser Ellos
Barcelona's debut 12" last year was total mayhem, and this 7" picks right up where that left off. Their signature no-snare sound is pummeling; the drumming bulldozes a choppy raw punk assault on the senses. The whole thing moves at an odd pace, sometimes even *gasp* diverging from the typical punk 4/4 time. This off kilter feel of Pueden Ser Ellos just makes it that much more volatile.

FFO: Atentado, Maquina Muerta

M. Del Rio Cleft Skull
Oh hey, it's the super secret Raspberry Bulbs flexi that's not actually Raspberry Bulbs but it totally is. I'm not sure if Del Rio is back to doing solo work on this or if it's the full band, but I assume it's the former. It's dark and dirty post-punk as you'd expect, but is somewhat of a callback to the older RB tapes (which is why I think it's solo stuff).

FFO: Raspberry Bulbs, Masturbation

Wojtek O Crooked Serpent, Receive My Spirit
Sometimes bands from delaware don't suck, and sometimes they're even really sick. And Wojtek is sick. They started out playing fairly straightforward raw black metal/punk, but have become more bestial with each release, and on their newest offering, they've assumed a form which is much closer to Conqueror than Ildjarn. Is raw death metal/punk a thing yet outside of Guillotine Terror?

FFO: Conqueror, Sesso Violento
I wasn't totally sold the first time I heard Rakta, but then that collab with Cadaver Em Transe (RIP, I am so sad they broke up) happened and I decided to reevaluate my opinion. So I gave them another chance, and lemme tell you, this band is fantastic. Rakta's brand of deathrock comes complete with over chorused everything, jangly post-punk guitar, driving drums, spooky synth, and an overall creepy atmosphere. I'm definitely looking forward to the LP due out this year on Iron Lung Records.

FFO: Haldol, Mannequin Neurose

Diva Cup Overflow
Diva Cup is a punk band who truly don't give a fuck. They're dirty, sleazy, and downright fantastic. They were giving away fireworks to be used during their set if that's any indication. Of course, this translates over to their music; the material on Overflow is reckless, sloppy, and snotty as fuck. If you want smutty punk, this is probably exactly what you're looking for. Also, it's just bass/drums/vocals.

FFO: Confuse, Outo

Mollot US Winter Tour Tape
Some dork posted a review of this on youtube and fumbled around calling it "experimental hardcore" and remarking at how harsh and noisy it is (apparently people don't know noise rock is a thing in 2016). Well, he's right in that Mollot is harsh and nasty and unrelenting; this tape is total blown out, deranged noise rock perfection. Mollot plays all the wrong things in all the right ways. I'm just bummed their tour didn't make it anywhere near me.

FFO: Rusted Shut, Drunkdriver




- DEMO -



Siyahkal Sagzani Demo
I had an insider tip about this demo before it came out, and sweet fuck is it good. But I would expect nothing less from a band made up of members of Desgraciados, Naamahk, and Golden Path. That being said, Siyahkal sounds nothing like those bands at all. Intstead, Siyahkal plays off kilter, choppy hardcore punk with an occasional catchy hook. Oh, and all the lyrics are in farsi. This demo will wreck you. I'm already itching for more.

FFO: The Nurse (ナース), White Pigs
Okay, I am so sick of instrumental intros on demos, this shit needs to end. However, Decapitators get a pass, because theirs is actually a perfect build up to the first track. The material on this demo is fairly straightforward scandi influenced raw punk, which can be total hit or miss, but Decapitators nailed it. Not much else to say, just hit play and rage away.

FFO: Rövsvett, Tampere SS

Dauðyflin Demo
This link leads to a review I previously published on FBN, but in summation: Members of Börn (a.k.a. one of the best deathrock bands on the planet) playing bouncy, stompy, dark hardcore punk. Dauðyflin is raw, aggressive, and just all around badass.

FFO: Dregs, Mocoso

Plastic Plastic 2.0
Plastic is, without a doubt, the best synthpunk band on the planet right now. When I first listened to this tape, I'm pretty sure I played it on repeat ten times or something. Instead of trying to rip off classic, innovative bands, Plastic puts their own deranged twist on the twisted synthpunk style. Plastic 2.0 is genuinely unnerving, and sits at a point between early industrial and proto-hardcore punk. Plastic is on their own level, and their Devo-copycating peers don't stand a chance.

FFO: Nervous Gender, The Residents
Those Naamahk boys are at it again, but this time they're playing more straightforward raw black metal/punk. The riffs on this really stand out from those typical for the style; they're simultaneously melodic and dissonant, and take some pretty unexpected turns. The pacing is the same way, certain changes happen and I just think, "Oh, fuck yea." And that's the type of shit I live for.

FFO: Akitsa, Black Murder

Siege Column Nocturnal Attack Formation
Do you like thrashing black/death? Of course you do. Or maybe not. Whatever, assuming that you (yes you, the reader) like thrashing black/death, then you gotta check Siege Column out. This shit is ripping. It's got all the divebombs and sickass thrash riffage you want, and that war metal aesthetic (in a borad sense, not just visually) that we all love so well. As the kids these days say, infernal hails.

FFO: Slaughter Lord, Blasphemy

Pollen Demo
Damn, it feels as if Pollen's first show was a a couple weeks ago. They're definitely a band you have to experience live, but this demo does a solid job of capturing their energy. They play blown out [mangle]d-beat with a twist: there are only crash cymbals; no hi-hats or rides, just crashes. It actually really pushes their raw punk attack over the top. Added bonus, they don't do the racist/exotifying fake broken english and kanji thing that their peers often do. This has split tracks.

FFO: Death Dust Extractor, Gloom

Kaleidoscope Kaleidoscope Steps Through The Looking Glass
Bummed Brown Sugar isn't a band anymore? Me too. But, you're in luck, because some of those dudes are doing a new band called Kaleidoscope. There's less subtlety, more tweaked out psych, and just as much wonky, off kilter, fuzzed out hardcore punk genius. Do drugs or whatever, I don't know. Not the classic mexican psych band of the same name. 

FFO: Brown Sugar, XM2
This link leads to a review I previously published on FBN, but in summation: Acrylics succeed where many fail, they make shit for the weird by the weird. These guys know how to make genuinely fucked up punk, I get a lot of East Bay Ray and Greg Ginn vibes. You'll like it.

FFO: Mystery Product, Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers

S-21 Demo
Their first set upstaged the other two bands they played with (one of them Gag, which I guess isn't that tough). All I could think was, "Holy shit, it's like YDI playing Peni riffs." And that was with an incomplete lineup (I forget why), and with a full lineup, they're even bigger and badder. S-21 dishes out the pain; they have the darkness, heaviness, and raw power that makes for an ideal aggro hardcore punk band (emphasis on punk, I mean aggro as in Citizens Arrest, not Earth Crisis). Break shit.

FFO: YDI, Rudimentary Peni

Crumb Demo
If it wasn't for the lack of aussie accent, I would swear Crumb is from the land down under (hey Brayden and Jerry). They sound like a lot of the noise rock coming out of there in recent years. The guitar on this stands out particularly. The riffs have an almost surf punk and/or cowpunk feel, but are dark and dissonant in a deeply unnerving way (which is a good thing, obviously). This demo really surprised me and has me coming back over and over again.

FFO: Dribble, Cuntz

City Hunter Knife Protocol
Finally, the long awaited sequel is here! I've been listening to City Hunter's s/t CS on repeat for the past 3-4 years, and while that short burst (2:38 in total) is incredible, I have been dying for more. And after the wait, Knife Protocol does not disappoint. The tape is a live recording (and it really sounds like one) which clocks in at 7:08, but manages to successfully showcase City Hunter's brutal intensity and menacing presence. Like if YDI was really into slasher flicks (lots of YDI going around). So when is the LP dropping?

FFO: YDI, Sewer Drainer

Dagger Lust Dagger Lust
This label,Vrasubatlat, popped up out of fucking nowhere, and in a very short time, has cranked out some incredible black/death, but this might be their best yet. Dagger Lust is cavernous and unforgiving. Over the course of two tracks, they unleash some of the most foul, dismal, and downright malevolent black/death I've heard this year. And part of that is due to their use of power electronics to create a truly noxious atmomsphere. The other part is that this just fucking rips.

FFO: Teitanblood, Triumvir Foul

Intensive Care Pay Pig
This link leads to a review I previously published on FBN, but in summation: Andrew Nolan drives another one home, this time it's noise rock and power electronics. It's heavy, gritty, and all around amazing. Intensive Care will knock you down. A personal letter to Nolan: please play philly, thanks. 

FFO: Dissecting Table, Unsane


I honestly think Eduardo Ramirez (a.k.a. Volahn) can do no wrong. He's put out so much amazing black and death metal, and already demonstrated his punk chops in Mata Mata; but Zoloa is where it all comes together. Their previous two demos were solid, but Plato O Plomo is much more fully realized than its predecessors. It's as if they've taken the best elements of both japanese and swedish crust, and put them through a cavernous black/death lens. Absolutely punishing.

FFO: Disgust, Seitan









This was some shit. And you know what, fuck it. I'm plugging my own band too. I think I earned it.


Bloated Subhumans Execution I
Not gonna write a review because that would be corny as shit. Repetative noise rock with power electronics. I'm done. Hope you enjoyed this absurdly large megapost.

FFO: Brainbombs, Skullflower