DATSUSTORA - OF FINAL

Of Final
Datsustora
1986

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Deathrock, Industrial, Post-Punk, Power Electronics, Death Industrial, Goth, Noise
For Fans Of: Mannequin Neurose, Grim, The Dead Relatives, Clair Obscur

Okay, so you're probably thinking "holy shit, that's a lot of genres, what could this even sound like?" so just sit tight and I'll do my best to explain. There are four tracks, two of them are industrial/noise tracks; and they are sandwiched in the middle of two deathrock tracks, which act as bookends of a sort. Each track is absolutely punishing, twisted, and truly dark in a different way, yet all four still form a whole.

Datsustora was the project of Elle (a.k.a. Achy) from LSD, the legendary Japanese hardcore punk band of ADK Records fame, and the less well known industrial project Criminal Party. This project, however, does not have nearly the level of notoriety of LSD, but I'd argue it's much better (and certainly much weirder and multifaceted). The rest of the lineup remains a mystery as far as I can tell -- aside from a brief run with Yoshimura Hideki, also of LSD fame, on guitar -- and was most likely a revolving door, quite possibly as multifarious as the music itself. Musically, this flexi is as I described (half deathrock, half industrial), but the varied nature of each track -- starting with bouncy dark punk, transitioning into two tracks of unsettling ambient, heavy electronics, and rhythmic industrial, and then closing with a track which feels like the joyful embracing of despondency through post-punk -- really adds to how strange this thing is. It's one of my favorites and there's a good reason for that.

This is a wild ride from start to finish, and I feel it should be essential listening for both industrial and post-punk fuckers. Highly, highly recommended.

Tracklisting:
1. Untitled (apparently there is a title, but it's in characters nobody can read)
2. Datsustora
3. Of Final
4. 幻夢円舞曲

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P.S. If anyone has a link to the split with Criminal Party and/or the Kyo-On compilation 7", please get in contact because I've been dying to hear those for a long time. And while I'm asking, if anyone has the Criminal Party split with Grim, please please get in contact with me.

Savage Blind God

'Demo'
Savage Blind God
2015

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Deathrock, Hardcore Punk, Goth
For Fans Of: Rudimentary Peni, Dry Insides, Raspberry Bulbs, Perspex Flesh

Okay, so this demo floored me. It's so evil and filthy, so twisted and disturbed. I went into it being told it was blackened punk, but honestly this is way more deathrock than blackened punk. The main influence is very obvious: Rudimentary Peni. However, what sets them apart from the endless seas of Peni wannabes is the fact that, not only do they have a hyper-aggressive edge, but that rather than trying to copy Farce and Death Church, Savage Blind God draws specifically from Rudimentary Peni's material released from 1997-2008, which I find is overlooked by a lot of people (obviously not trying to claim it's obscure by any means, rather that people usually talk about 1982 Peni rather than 2004 Peni).

All I really know about Savage Blind God is that they are from Providence, RI, a city which many people assume lives in Boston's shadow, but is actually home to some incredibly important bands (Dropdead, Lightning Bolt, Daughters, etc). Well, that and they really know how to make some macabre sounding tunes which simultaneously feel like death and being punched in the gut repeatedly. I wouldn't really consider this worship, since it has the ability to stand on its own, but there are some serious homages to Peni they throw in like the weird layered, spoken/echoed vocals. Plus, the lyrics feel as if they could have been taken from the pages of Lovecraft, and when bands can pull that off, they got me hooked.

I'm hoping this band can put out more material, because their demo really hit the spot for me. I'll hopefully be seeing them at Not Just A Boys Club, so I'm looking forward to that. But anyway, if you're fixing for some gnarly, lovecraftian riffage, give this a listen. You won't be disappointed (or maybe you will, I don't know you).

Tracklisting:
1. Omnipresent Wyrm
2. Hy(i)ste(o)rical Society
3. Bloodied Scripture
4. Sickening Sanity
5. Sedate And Infect
6. Where Spirits Get Eaten

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Muerte - Muerte

'Muerte'

Muerte

2015

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Deathrock, Hardcore Punk, Goth

For Fans Of: Nerorgasmo, The Scam, Cheetah Chrome Motherfuckers, Part 1

Oh man, two deathrock bangers in one week! This is something I've been looking forward to since 2013 when Muerte dropped their demo, and something I've been even more excited for after seeing Muerte play last year at one of their few US shows. Well, it's here and holy fuck, it does not disappoint. This thing has thrills and chills, stomp and speed; all of which is smothered under a bleak and dark atmosphere.

Muerte is a relatively new band from Mexico City, featuring some of the people who brought you Inservibles, Tercer Mundo, and others. However, instead of playing the noisy punk of Inservibles or the unrelenting raw punk of Tercer Mundo, Muerte has decided to go the deathrock route. That's not to say this release doesn't draw from those other things; in fact I'd say it reminds me a little of a darker version of where Inservibles were on their LP and final 7". I feel that's a lazy comparison to make, though, since shared band members don't necessarily mean bands are comparable.

On this release, you'll definitely hear a lot of influence from Italian deathrockers Nerorgasmo, who are probably the inspiration I hear coming through the strongest. I guess that makes sense, since Yecal Peña, the guitarist/vocalist of Muerte and Inservibles showed them to me and spoke of them in very high regards. What that means is you should expect nasty snarled vocals accompanied by an unhealthy dose of suffocating and evil guitar work; all held together by tortuous bass lines and powerful drumming. For all you non-goths out there (you should be ashamed of yourselves), don't worry about this being soft. As I said there is still plenty of raw punk influence, and when it rages, it fucking rages. Plus, if you've read anything I've said before, you know I hate boring modern goth.

Turn off the lights, close the curtains, and get fucking freaky. And if you're in the US, catch Muerte on their summer tour with The Coltranes and Lotus Fucker!

Tracklisting:
1. Violencia
2. Condenados
3. Exterminio
4. De noche en la ciudad
5. Falsedad
6. Estado de excepción
7. Descenso
8. Muerte
9. Un hombre muerto
10 .Egoísmo 

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Hadol - Haldol

'Haldol'
Haldol
2015

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Deathrock, Hardcore Punk, Goth
For Fans Of: Mighty Sphincter, Mannequin Neurose, Ausgang, Coma

I have to say, I'm pretty lucky that I live near Philadelphia (although I wish I actually lived in Philly) because the current scene is putting out some total dynamite bands; and the best of them is the subject of this post. I was told Haldol would be releasing two 7"s this summer, however it seems they've opted to just drop a 12" instead which is fine by me because this thing is incredible and I feel it works much better as an LP than it would have if it was split up.

If you don't know them already, Haldol is part of the new wave of [actually good] deathrock bands* which have popped up in the last few years. Originally formed in Nashville, TN in 2011, Haldol -- or at least Geoff Smith, the mastermind behind the project -- moved to Philadelphia and recruited Aaron Muchanic, another recent Philly transplant; and together they recorded a new demo which was one of my favorite demos from last year. It took me a year before I finally got to see them but they upstaged everyone they played with, including Mystic Inane and Blank Spell (another Philly dark punk band who Aaron also happens to drum for) both of whom were actually incredible, which should tell you just how good Haldol was.

I love Haldol because they're bringing the aggression, noise, and punk edge back into goth, all of which have been absent from most so-called contemporary "deathrock" bands. Rather than jumping on the trend of trying to be a clone of Sisters Of Mercy (who were never deathrock to begin with), Haldol has chosen to opt out of that dated 80s goth sound and instead is putting a new spin on things while also drawing more from US deathrock bands like Christian Death and Mighty Sphincter (lots of nods to Sphincter on this); UK deathrock bands associated with the anarcho-punk scene like Part1, and also UK deathrock bands not associated with the anarcho scene like Ausgang; plus some hints of noise rock (definitely an early No Trend vibe poking its head in here and there). They also seem to have some hints of Japanese deathrock bands like Coma with their spacey guitar work, and Mannequin Neurose with their noisy, frantic take on goth. So basically, Haldol is an updated version of the classic, aggressive deathrock we all know and love with none of the obnoxious boo-hoo-I-wish-I-was-born-in-the-80s bullshit you're likely to find in the bandcamp "deathrock" tag. Oh, and also they're Marxists.

Okay, enough talk. Get to downloading this bad boy, my minions. And if you're in the south of north America (that sure is confusing), try to catch Haldol with Blank Spell when they hit your town.

Tracklisting:
1. Hasbara
2. Insomnia In Dream City
3. Law Of Indifference
4. Time Is Not On Our Side
5. Beyond The Pleasure Principle

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*For those of you wondering why there was an asterisk by "new wave of [actually good] deathrock bands," I wasn't sure how to fit my excitement over this occurrence into the review without rambling and veering off topic. I am beyond excited about this crop of bands who are bringing the aggressive, punk edge back into goth. Bands like Anti-Zen (R.I.P.), Börn, Perspex Flesh, Muerte (their LP drops soon!), and others are breathing fresh air into the stale cave that is goth punk. I've been so sick of hearing bands try really hard to be The Cure and Sisters Of Mercy, copying everything right down to their guitar tones and even the airy 80s style production. Those bands are great, but their sounds are so dated that I find this affinity for ripping them off comparable to what you'd hear from a shitty college town bar band playing Led Zeppelin covers. There's no point in being a cheap imitation (looking at your entire career, Ceremony). These new bands are actually putting new twists on the classic deathrock I love and it's exciting. Now I'm just waiting for nerds to hop onto the trend and run it into the ground.

Occults - Self Titled

'Occults'
Occults
2013

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Post Punk, Death Rock, Goth
For Fans Of: Killing Joke, Rudimentary Peni, Joy Division, The Pixies, The Birthday Party

Occults are a three piece outfit who hail from my hometown of Brisbane, AUS, who're all about the doom and gloom. On their debut 7", the band fuses classic UK post punk with Australian swamp rock along with the dark vibes of death rock to create a menacing and brooding sound that's drenched in reverb. With both the bass player and guitarist sharing vocal duties, you get deadpan, almost mumble male vocals in contrast with the loftier female vocals intertwined with steady bass lines and screeching, dissonant guitar work reminiscent of Rowland S. Howard. I've been lucky enough to catch these guys live and thought they were pretty neat then, and I can safely say their stuff holds up recorded too. Give a listen, and if you like what you hear, drop em some dough via bandcamp.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Soiled Bibles
2. Sex After Death
3. I Was Wrong
4. Failures

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Bandcamp