Veuve S.S - VISCÈRES EP

'VISCÈRES EP'
Veuve S.S.
2012

(Band Submission)

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Hardcore
For Fans Of: Vile Gash, Cult Ritual, Nazi Dust, The Men, Hoax, Torch Runner

I was put onto this band by a guy who may or may not be a member (it's hard to tell when all the band members are listed under initials only), and I gotta say, I'm glad I got that email.
Veuve S.S. seem to be embracing all the best things about (mysterious guy) hardcore - the violence, the esotericism and the dark vibes. The French four piece have concocted a gnarly sound that successfully merges the feedback drenched, angular riffage of noisy hardcore, and the chaotic, claustrophobic vibe of dark hardcore. Combine this with some ungodly, crusty vocals and you've got yourself a pretty formidable band.
Veuve S.S. speed back and forth between sludgy, noise rock dirges, powerchord bangers and blastbeat frenzies in the space of one song, and sound damn good doing it. Variation is always welcome, even more so if its coming at you like a nest of angry hornets.
The Visceres EP, along with later splits and releases PLUS a demo are all available on the band's bandcamp for free or purchase in physical form. Additionally, if you're keen to keep up with the band and check out some cool artwork, head on over to their blog HERE and chuck them a follow if you happen to be a tumblr user.

TRACKLISTING:
1. AU FOND
2. CATHÉDRALES
3. COMME LES VERS
4. VISCÈRES
5. DISCIPLINE
6. CREVARD

Bandcamp

Ash Pool - Genital Tomb

'Genital Tomb'
Ash Pool
2006

Genre/s: Raw Black Metal, Dark Hardcore
For Fans Of: Prurient, Bone Awl, Devil's Dung, Leviathan, Furdidurke, Craft

To just get this out of the way, Ash Pool is better known as "that black metal band with that guy from Prurient in it" but he's ("he" being Dominick Fernow) pretty much left behind the crispy, ethereal synths that characterized some of his work with Prurient, and traded them in for the grainy as hell, feedback oriented aspects that he messed with a bit in Prurient as well. Ash Pool is a strange mixture of black metal and hardcore. I mean that because on some of the tracks the instrumentation sounds just like classic 80s hardcore at times (aside from the vocals) and other tracks switch into more melody-based black metal pieces. This is some pretty bare bones stuff though despite the melodic parts, it sounds like it was recorded on a cell phone camera and then converted into just audio later on, keeping with the "raw" traditions of, erm, raw black metal. Fernow also hung onto his affinity for the sexual but in a bit more (consistently) perverse way as demonstrated by the album cover and the title of the third track which definitely made for an interesting listen if nothing else.

Tracklisting:

1. Lascivious Tyranny
2. Demolishing Obsession
3. First Rape
4. Dragged Down the Cobblestones

Download

Interview with Territory

Interview by Brayden Bagnall

I make no secret for my love of Arizona's ridiculously good music scene - whether it's punk, noise or hardcore - there seems to be a never ending stream of above-par bands trickling out of that state. Territory are no exception. Their facebook page describes them as a ' Dark Mo$h/Black Pit' band - which oddly enough, is relatively close to being an adequate description. On their latest 7", Blowback (out via Crown And Throne ), Territory bring the, uh, black pit - recalling the metal/hardcore acts of the 90s and lending it a much darker, sinister vibe. I had a chat recently with ringleader Sam Abate about Territory, their influences and their new record.

FBN: Hi there! Who are you, what do you do and what's the name of your band?

Sam: My name is Sam and I sing in Territory

FBN: Can you tell us a bit about how Territory came to be a band?

Sam: Ryan (guitar player) and I started Territory in like January of 2010, our original intention was to just start a band that sounded like Negative Approach and 86 Mentality.  I was playing drums and we were jamming as 2 piece.  The stuff we naturally wrote ended up being quite a bit heavier so we said fuck it and just ran with a more metal sound.  We wrote a 4 song demo and we recorded it with me doing drums and vocals and Ryan doing bass and guitar.  It took longer than we had hoped to find some decent musicians, but luckily we found some dawgs that were down.  Matt plays drums and Sean plays bass.  We started playing live in the summer of 2010 and here we are in 2014 with all our wealth and fame.

FBN: What would you say are the biggest influences, musically, on Territory's sound?

Sam: Ringworm, Sepultura, Craft, Merauder, Kickback, Buried Alive, Godflesh - a bunch of cool shit.

FBN: And how about thematically? What inspires the lyrics behind the music?

Sam: Mostly armed struggle, although lyrically the themes and ideas are often more complex than that, but I guess the initial theme is about seeking and exacting justice/revenge from the individuals who destroy this planet and create death and misery for its people.  A few songs focus more on personal themes, but mostly we make violent music with violent lyrics for a violent world.

FBN:  Can you tell us about the the recording process behind your latest 7"?

Sam: Our guitar player Ryan Bram runs a studio called Homewrecker Studios, and we initially recorded these songs just to be a demo.  For a myriad of reasons it took like 5 months to actually finish the recordings.  We were gonna just use it as a demo to show some labels, but we liked the songs and quality enough that we thought, fuck it, let’s release it.  We were lucky to have our buddy Garth show a lot of interest and this summer he released it on his label,  Crown And Throne LTD out of Denver, CO.

FBN: What's the local scene in Arizona like for you guys? I know there's quite a few punk and hardcore bands, but how does your brand of dark, metallic hardcore go down with the masses?

Sam: Eh, we do alright, I think we are more of a “band’s band,” haha.  Territory is not an easy band to digest , we like the music we play so I’m happy if anyone digs what we do.  We mix a lot of styles of heavy music so we are the odd band out a lot of times, too metal, too hardcore, whatever.  Arizona has some really rad bands doing cool shit right now though; I implore anyone reading this to check out Sex Prisoner, The Beautiful Ones, North, TOAD, Gatecreeper, and Seas Will Rise.

FBN: Would you say there's a higher tolerance for metal/hardcore crossovers nowadays?

Sam: Absolutely, I mean I don’t really worry about that kind of shit, but I definitely feel like a lot of newer bands are more prone to blending metal and hardcore and people are definitely digging a lot of these bands.

FBN: The whole 'what are the top 3 albums you'd want to have with on on a desert island' question is a bit old. In lieu of this, what are the top 3 albums you'd like to toss into a  fireplace?

Sam:  like this question, but I seriously don’t waste time on records that I think suck, so I had a hard time thinking of records outside of like a Nickelback record or some bullshit.

So I chose three records that I think are great, but that are not well liked by fans of these bands

Cro Mags - Alpha & Omega, Carcass - Swansong, Life Of Agony - Ugly.  I think all three of those records are awesome.

FBN: What's planned for the rest of 2014 for Territory - any shows, tours, writing or recording?

Sam: A couple shows here and there, but mostly writing.  We are 5 or songs into writing our next LP, we are putting most of our focus on writing and recording a killer record by the end of 2014.  A few of us started new jobs so touring is difficult for the moment,  but I’m hoping in the spring we can do a little touring.

FBN: Lastly, any final words of wisdom, thanks or shout outs you wish to impart with the web?

Sam: Umm, get the new Old Wounds record, those are our homies.  Our drummer and bass player are in a new band called Gatecreeper, check that out.  If you are in a band on the West Coast come record in Tucson with Ryan at Homewrecker Studios.  Thanks for the interview!

And a great big old thanks to Sam for the interview. For those of you keen to hear the new 7", head over to the Crown And Throne bandcamp HERE, where you can stream and/or purchase it. Head over to Territory's bandcamp HERE, where there's quite a few releases available for download.

Finally, Territory have scored a place on A389's annual mixtape (!!!) which you can have a geez at HERE

Blank - Suspiria

'Suspiria'
Blank
2013

(Band Submission)

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Dark Hardcore, Metalcore
For Fans Of: Oathbreaker, Young And In The Way, Alpinist, Rise And Fall

Much like the film of the same name, Suspiria is one helluva dark, turbulent assault on the senses. Blank, the five 'older youngsters', who are responsible for unleashing this nasty slab of darkened hardcore have  certainly pulled no punches on their second release.
The German band have taken upon the metalcore formula set by the sorts of bands you'd find on the Deathwish Inc. roster, picked it apart and re-assembled it in a manner they see fit. Blank have nailed the balance between intense, angular metalcore and emotional hardcore, and to make things better they've thrown in some sinister black metal riffs and brief (but welcome) post rock interludes that are the Dr. Jekyll of sorts to the chaotic, metallic Mr. Hyde of the rest of the album. Additionally, Blank use samples to great affect, intertwining it with the music rather than using it as a cheap gimmick. Album closer, Society of Glass, is a prime example of this, with the eerie samples that fade in and out of the mix complimenting the mournful, funerary pace of the track.
A  impressive release, to say the least. Hell, my only gripe with Suspiria is that it's only four tracks long. It'll be interesting to see how Blank flesh their sound out on a full length - consider me interested.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Unholy Days
2. Licht und Eisen
3. Shield
4. Society of Glass

Bandcamp

Various Artists - Distortion And Dissonance

'Distortion And Dissonance'
Various Artists
2014

Review by Jerry Kahale (1-10) and Brayden Bagnall (11-17)

Genre/s: Mathcore, Dark Hardcore, Grindcore, Screamo, Metalcore
For Fans Of: Distortion and/or dissonance 

Instead of reviewing one band we are going to review the 17 Australian and NZ bands on this compilation from Art As Catharsis all in somewhat bite size reviews that I hope don't jump around too much in contextual tone. Now some of the bands have already been featured on this fine and dandy blog and for those we will still provide a review anyway and then have a link to the original post right afterwards. So without further ado lets start at the first band and if you are a regular visitor you should fully know who these chaps are...p.s we do not apologise if you get offended at the number of made up genres we create here. 

IDYLLS - Animal Test
Fuck it, I'm going to be straight forward and unprofessional, I think Prayer For Terrene is AOTY material. Only four months into 2014 and already this is one of the most ferocious, absurd and sadistic releases that has ever graced ears. This is a living nightmare captured on record (or mp3 for now) and this one song doesn't do it justice. Seriously it doesn't. Not only has it broke the already high standard that Farewell All Joy established, it has also opened to experimentation and forays into other styles and genres all without losing its core characteristics that defined IDYLLS from the rest. I expected this album to knock it out of the park but it just knocked it out of the fucking hemisphere.  You can download the whole album right now on their bandcamp for $5 so shut the fuck up and give your chump change in exchange for what, in my humble opinion, is bloody brilliant music.
 If you haven't read their interview on this blog then stop doing what you are doing and go read it and then come back here. 

Totally Unicorn - Guts
These guys need little introduction, especially if you reside down under and like music with distorted guitar and a bit of yelling, but for everyone else Totally Unicorn create outrageous, eccentric and mostly sensual heavy post-hardcore specifically for unleashing you and your dad's inner magical animal all for the sake of partying. Guts is as unpredictable as the band's live antics. Its oddball style of partycore are viciously catchy and quite danceable before the quirky time signature changes pulls the rug from under your feet as a reminder that its their party and what they say goes. The final passage of the song is pretty much the party reaching tipping point and crashing in a rambunctious yet glorious manner. Its fun for the whole family. 

Snakes Get Bad Press - No Secret
Ready or not, SGBP unleashes their own brand of negative mathgrind fury right off the bat with little to fault here. Its not often that a band comes along and their most heaviest instrument is the vocals, full of character with a captivating temperament that has a vigorous, emotional and weighted dynamic, like as if he is at this moment in your room yelling right in front of your face. Lets not retract from the rest of the music though for it all rips, blasts and outright smashes its way through with pinpoint precision and a surplus of juicy licks to boot.

Tanned Christ - Provider
You can just feel those opening notes dripping from your speakers, but not in a smooth and sweet honey sort of way, but rather a watch out its going to start hailing sort of way. That's probably the best metaphor i can abuse to describe Tanned Christ, an ongoing hailstorm, which carrying on from that metaphor, hail being ice and ice being clear, the color of the guitar timbre here are so pristine and cold, similar to early Agents Of Abhorrence or even Discordance Axis where the norm of using chunky distortion isn't utilised. Hey, do those vocals sound familiar? They should because it is infact Drew from Totally Unicorn fame in "party at the back but business in the front" mode. Tanned Christ is actually, for lack of a better word, a supergroup with members from both equally gloomy and doomy Making and Narrow Lands (they deserve a review on their own too) but this ain't brooding music here, its constantly and indiscriminately destructive and not even your umbrella is going to save you here.

Jxckxlz - The Madman Is Me
They used to be called Jackals but vowels are for weaklings. Jxckxlz is a sludge/math influenced metalcore band with members that either play or used to play in Kill A Celebrity, Adrift For Days, Lo! and Snakes Get Bad Press. Unlike most bands so far Jackals traverse into more atmospheric endeavors instead of short bursts, flowing and weaving through the motions of chaos, nihilism and reflection manifested by both their maturity and their experience. Besides their well encased craftsmanship is a story told through an autumn state of fury and madness that is expressed from the catharsis of every note, rhythm and roar pulled off so diligently that it surpasses being just a Botch or Gaza worship band, which many have done but with not as much patience or artistry as this.

Their debut Dronepunk was reviewed here before so click on these words to suss it out.

Gvrlls - The Death Of A Bridge
That hum of chromatic and dissonant guitar wailing is a good indication that this is going to be pretty mean and scary. Gvrlls combines essential mathcore with a post hardcore foundation with just a pinch of modern metal sensibilities, particularly the menacing vocals which are really reminiscent of Darkest Hour. It does seem to overrall have a little more accessibility and familiarity unlike other bands on this compilation but it makes it all the more welcoming to their brand of angsty post-math-metalcore and its no doubt a worthy addition here.

ACHE - Sorry...
As an antithesis to bands with metallic tones like Tanned Christ, ACHE is not only one of the most heaviest and robust bands on this compilation but its also one of the most appropriate usage of a seven string guitar, and by appropriate I mean actually playing chords on those oversized guitars in an unbelievable act of using kinetic force to move the hand across the neck and applying pressure from your fingers onto the strings alongside the fretboard to create and play other chords besides the dreaded open chord, but I digress, ACHE is what happens when you forge the full fledged barrage of crust punk with the intensity of screamo and you get a refreshing yet outright devastating and melancholic display of scrrrustmo punk (sorry) to come out in a long time. There may not be a whole lot of complexity and odd time signatures happening here compared to other bands but sometimes less says a lot more, and with the hoard of weeping guitars and brutal but heartfelt vocals it is certainly the case here. 

Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Shirt - Within
Ever come across a band that is exactly what everyone says about their so called superiors or influences except its even more true? Or rather, FGWMWS>DEP. I know, big call, definetly egging on for a shitfight and believe me I love DEP as much as the next mathematician but when a band that has probably has 1/100 of DEP's fanbase create deliciously articulately catchy music thats less bombastic, more grounded and yet full of impossible riffs and rhythm jumping all over the scale/offbeats all which is orchestrated by an intelligent gentleman going postal, settles for just a moment before it strides into an uproarious plight of misplaced glee and madness that sucks us all in to sing along to a choir more contagious than, well, the entirety of Ire Works, then I am prepared for any shitfights to come.

In Trenches - An Impending Collapse
I have to admit I felt like this band has fallen off the radar and I wasn't too sure if they were still around or not. Turns out they are still kicking it and just as well because this is a fine slab of rage that is certain to ignite even the most apathetic crowd. A bit more Rise And Fall/Cursed sludge hardcore influence than from the rest of the pack, its has an abundance of terrific riffs and plenty of variety and progression throughout the track with a good handful of mosh-friendly moments that doesn't overstay its welcome or seem out of place. Don't let the fact that this has one of the ex-members of I Killed The Prom Queen (that could have changed though its been a while) deter you from skipping this track, you'd be mad to do so.

Thorax - Shit Chute To Oblivion
Something a little different, which for this compilation is saying quite a bit. First off being the first band with a female vocalist present on this compilation, which brings a unique yet fitting shade of raw and fierce energy to lead on this peculiar style of mid paced psychedelic hardcore, yes it does seem to be a thing. Half vintage doom rock and hald rough as guts hardcore with a lot of infectious groovy parts in between some quite spacious moments scattered in and out which makes for a lot of interesting guitarwork to traverse around the pummeling drums. Its the longest track on this entire compilation but its also a track that stands out with its unique juxtapose of different heavy music styles.

Régresser - A Black Cloud
Régresser are a band from Newcastle, so naturally you can assume the band is comprised entirely of surfers. Hobbies aside, régresser play party friendly hardcore, tinged with the sort of mathy noise rock Daughters were peddling prior to their untimely demise. Inventive song writing complimented nicely by diverse vocals and some impressive musicianship all round. Not bad for a bunch of surfers.

FVCK MOUNTAIN - The Guilty Thirty Eight
FVCK MOUNTAIN actually have a really hard to pronounce name (though it's an excellent Arrested Development reference - JK), so to keep things simple, just pronounce it like 'fuck'. Anyway, these Brisbanites play some mighty mean hardcore, coated in the crusty, sludgy goodness that Cursed was bringing to the table back in the day. Neat, downtuned tunes for the Deathwish Inc. generation. Did I mention they're from Brisbane? I'm from Brisbane too. There ya go.


(Edit: the Arrested Development reference went way over my head. For shame)

Parents - Dissent
Parents are the worst kind of Australians - they're New Zealanders. Despite the questionable citizenship status, the mathcore influenced skrimz these guys play is both refreshing and sonically jarring. While it's definitely throwing back to the genre genre's heyday in the 90s, Parents play their music with a technical ferocity and poilished sheen that sets them aside from the rest of the screamo revivalists. If you like your chaotic music offset with the odd post-rock/hardcore interlude and aren't afraid of a few odd tempos here and there, give Parents a look. 

Graves - Insect
Graves are New Zealanders too, and like Parents, I think it'd be totally okay if Australia appropriated them and raised them as their own (like any other NZ musician, really). Graves, however, are more concerned with utterly annihilating your ear cavity and punching any notion of melody or refrain in its stupid little stomach. It's full throttle metalcore, a la early 2000s Converge, with an emphasis on brevity and dissonance. Short, sweet and loud. 

Marathon - In Shadows
Another Brisbane band that deserves way more attention than they get is Marathon. One of the few bands that can pull of 'noodly' without infuriating me, Marathon's music is a maelstrom of furious riffage, imbued with emotion and decorated very nicely with gnarly, throat shredding vocals. Modern screamo done right. I should also mention they've just put out a new full length, so you should probably go look at that

Ritual Harm - When Day Fades to Night and Push Becomes Shove
And now for something a little different. Imagine emotional hardcore run through the grim styling of death metal, crust and just a smidgeon of black metal, and you'll have a pretty good indication of what Ritual Harm sound like. It's absolutely pummeling stuff that kinda sounds like it belongs on A389 with Full Of Hell. Interesting factoid: I've seen these guys live, and they play in the dark - with candles! How cool is that.

Machina Genova - Courtaud
And you thought the most exciting thing in Canberra was the roundabouts, tsk tsk. I've seen a lot of praise heaped on Machina Genova in the past 12 months, and you know what - they kinda deserve it. These dudes play some of the most caustic stuff to ever come out of Australia, let alone it's second most boring city (you suck Adelaide). This is metallic hardcore at it's frantic, chaotic  best - I can basically see the guys in the band frothing at the mouth when they play it. Blistering tunes that you should check out as soon as you've finished reading this review.


So there you have it. Now go download it. We know how much you like free music.

Falter - Cassingle

'Cassingle'
Falter
2014

(Band Submission)

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Hardcore
For Fans Of: Full Of Hell, Children Of God, Psychic Limb, Left For Dead

I'd actually given these dudes a listen prior to receiving their submission, which was pretty cool, giving that I dug what I heard (on that note, go check out their full length Descent). I digress however...
Falter are a vicious, noisy hardcore band straight outta Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I'd say their music is part metallic hardcore in the vein of Left for Dead/Gehenna/Race Traitor mixed with the newer wave of dark hardcore that's been coming out of the states in recent years. There's some definite grind and powerviolence influence in the music, but the band label themselves is such, which I think is really refreshing given every other band (and their dog) are doing as such.
This here is a two song cassette the band released earlier this year. Unfortunately the cassette has sold out, but it (and heaps of other nifty releases) up up for grabs on the bandcamp.
Did I mention that also cover one of my favourite Crossed Out songs on this?

TRACKLISTING:
1. Two Spirit/Pure Delusion

Bandcamp

INTERVIEW - Siberian Hell Sounds

So last year a bunch of Brisbanites calling themselves Siberian Hell Sounds went and gone done put out a killer demo (which made it's way onto this very blog). Back again very early into 2014 with a new EP, the three piece are bringing the doom and gloom in a very gnarly way. I caught up with (emailed) their guitarist, Dan.

FBN: Describe your band in three words or less 

Siberian Hell Sounds: Seances at 420

FBN: You've just released a new EP, can you tell us a little about that

SHS: The name and song titles all started as a joke about Insect Warfare. Many beugs were smoked, doobs toked and Nandos meals consumed in the making of said EP and we reckon it sounds pretty good although it won't ever be as good as Insect. 

FBN:As a relatively new band, how are you guys finding the local scene? Is it supportive?

SHS: We've played one show thus far and it was a veritable Matefest. All the overseas attention is very cool, this kind of music has a very limited but attentive audience and it's fucking awesome to have to send merch via international post.

FBN: You're named after the (in)famous Well To Hell hoax. What drew you to that name?

SHS:I'm terrible at thinking of band names so luckily I read the right article on Cracked and had a bloody excellent grind name handed to me. 

FBN:What personally drew you to the world of metal/hardcore

SHS:I think the first "heavy band" I ever liked was Metallica or Tool and things progressed steadily downhill from there. I liked all the guitar riffs and lyrical content; I have a natural attraction to dark shit so metal was the best thing ever when I was 12 (disclaimer: it still is the best thing ever). Hardcore was like metal but with less guitar solos, shorter songs and similarly tasty riffage and I loved how it made me want to punch people in the face.

FBN: What are some of the most influential albums (of any genre) to you?\

SHS: Here's 5 bloody classic releases that Siberian Hell Sounds wouldn't exist without (if you don't have these you have a lot of things to reconsider about your life):

Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss

Cursed - II

Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer

Amenra - Mass IIII

Converge - No Heroes

FBN: What does the future look like for SHS? New releases, tours?

SHS: Well I'm overseas for the next couple months but when I get back to Brisbane there will be plenty of new releases and as many tours as possible and we will get our backlog of merch orders sent out (sorry everyone and thank you for your patience). Hopefully 2014 will suck us off enthusiastically and with no teeth. 

FBN: Finally, anything you guys want to add (shout outs, thanks all that jazz)?

SHS: Cheers for the support bruz, listen to passportxshredder and fuck the Liberal Government.

There you have it. Siberian Hell Sound's new EP, 'The PCPEP' is out on bandcamp and a limited CD run now so mosey on over there and have a look.

Siberian Hell Sounds Bandcamp

Siberian Hell Sounds - Siberian Hell Sounds

'Siberian Hell Sounds'
Siberian Hell Sounds
2013

(Band Submission)

Genre/s: Dark Hardcore, Metalcore, Sludge, Doom
For Fans Of: Trap Them, Left For Dead, Black Breath, Cursed, Young And In The Way

Taking their name from the infamous 'Well To Hell' hoax, Siberian Hell Sounds are a three piece metallic hardcore band from my hometown, Brisbane, Australia. Embodying the darker elements of hardcore, and borrowing elements of their sounds from the more grim spectrum of genres (black metal, sludge/doom, grindcore etc etc), Siberian Hell Sounds' music should appeal to anyone with an appreciation of heavy music. There's plenty of awesome vocal work courtesy of the band itself and numerous contributors from the local hardcore/metal scene here, top notch riff work that goes from 'kvlt' to 'throwdown worthy' in the bat of an eyelid and a just this cool, dark, menacing aesthetic that I really dig. These guys have plenty of merch up for sale on their bandcamp, as well as a pay-what-you-want digital download of their debut release, go support some awesome talent and snag yourself some brilliant music while you're at it.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Bastard Machine
2. A Cold Presence
3. Infernal Hurricane
4. The Tallest Horn
5. Tension
6. Reign Of The Bastard
7. Streets Of Piss
8. Burning Breath/Exhale Death

Bandcamp

Limits - September Demo

'September Demo'
Limits
2013

(Band Submission)

Genre/s: Hardcore, Dark Hardcore, Powerviolence
For Fans Of: Coke Bust, Left For Dead, California Love, Gehenna

It always makes  my day when I see a band submit their stuff to me, and while I may take my sweet time  (sorry, by the way) getting it up onto this blog, I'm always happy to get some cool new music out there to the masses. ANYWAY, what we have here is some awesome up and coming sonic devastation in the form of Limits, a Straight-Edge hardcore/powerviolence band from Philly. While it's a lo-fi demo, the quality of the material is excellent - 9 punishing tracks of brutality that borrow heavily from powerviolence, sludge (and doom) and classic, meaty hardcore (a la Boston). The raspy vocals are great, the tempo changes from glacial to VERY FUCKING FAST are even greaterer and don't even get me started on the beatdowns they thrown in there.  Here's hoping they release more excellent stuff further down the track.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Bereft
2. Get Out
3. Empty Shell
4. Both Ends
5. Drown
6. Enough Pressure
7. Clearing
8. Void
9. Tourist

Bandcamp