Black Gaff

Black Gaff

Black Gaff

2020

(Artist Submission)

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Sludge, Death/Doom, Noise Rock

For Fans Of: Su19b, Agents Of Satan, Thug, Cianide

If you're looking for 3 minutes of chaos, this might just be the tape for you. Not every submission kicks my ass as much as it stumps me in terms of finding comparisons, but this one certainly did. In this essay, I will try to tell you why this is great, and attempt to make comparisons to other artists, even though those comparisons won't really do it justice. 

Some background first: Black Gaff was started by union stagehands who also happened to skate and are/have been in some other bands you may or may not like (but it's a secret), and when COVID19 hit, they were put out of work, and dedicated time to making this project happen. And goddamn, did they make it happen. While this is only 3 tracks (or 2 tracks and an interlude if you want to be that person), clocking in at under 3 minutes, it's a perfect display of savage fury and gives a really interesting spin on microbursts of sludge, death/doom, and even some odd NY no wave style structures. The whole thing sounds very informed by 90s west coast power violence, Japanese doom/sludge, and the Bovine Records catalog, which should sell you right away. There isn't much that sounds exactly like this that comes to mind, which is pretty exciting, and makes it incredibly difficult to pigeonhole. But it's fucking good, and it's relentless. 

All I can say is that if you like music that sounds like getting your teeth knocked out, don't sleep on this. Also, if you like skateboarding, you should probably get into this too. 

Tracklist:

1. Truss Failure

2. Deathride

3. Folded

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD

THE SHITS - DRINK YOUR BLOOD

Drink Your Blood
The Shits
2018

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Sludge, Post-Punk
For Fans Of: Thug, Drunk In Hell, Rectal Hygienics, Gentlemen

Welcome to the new year, fuckers. I hope you're ready because I'm gonna start it off right with some true scum produced by members of No Form and others who I'm not sure of. This bad boy is absolutely slamming. Hell, it's so good that it had me opening up a new post on blogger within 5 minutes (less, really).

I clicked play and was hit with a wall of feedback which gives way to a riff (still with feedback of course) after 30+ seconds, and you bet it started kicking my ass; and when the opening track on something like this is almost 7 minutes, you know you're in for some shit. The level of degeneracy and filth that The Shits wade through and pour over you with their debut tape is -- in the immortal words of Bill -- "most egregious." This shit (by The Shits) is as crushing as it is pugnacious as all hell. The sludge-leaning dirges go on and on and on and on, testing your endurance -- 3/4 tracks are around (and over) 6 minutes of the same pummeling riff -- undoubtedly weeding out the posers. Leeds, UK is really pumping out some fantastic degeneracy, it's amazing. Good to know that 2018 is off to a great fucking start.

Get in on this or don't (and miss out on all the fun sin).

Tracklist:
1. Whatever
2. I Know
3. Alone
4. It's All The Time

LISTEN / DOWNLOAD (Bandcamp)

IT'S FINALLY HERE + I CAN FINALLY PUT THIS UP (DOUBLE POST): COLUMN OF HEAVEN / SUFFERING LUNA - SPLIT LP + COLUMN OF HEAVEN / WOLVES OF HEAVEN - PRECIPICE CS

'Column Of Heaven / Suffering Luna'
Column Of Heaven / Suffering Luna
2016

Review by Joey

Genre/s: Grindcore, Deathgrind, Blackened Death Metal, Sludge, Doom, Industrial Power Electronics, Death Industrial, Noise Rock, Noise
For Fans Of: Gasp, Knelt Rote, Dead Body Love, Man Is The Bastard/Noise

I have been waiting close to two years for this split to come out. While I wish it had come out earlier, it was so worth the wait. Holy fucking shit. I'd heard the demo version of Column Of Heaven's material on the Precipice tape (which I'm including in this post since Andrew Nolan said to hold off on putting it up here until the final split came out) and of course it was amazing on that version, and is still amazing in its revised form. Suffering Luna's material is all new to me, and I am so blown away by it, even more than I expected to be.

I don't want to just rehash my review of Precipice for Column Of Heaven's side, because it definitely is not the same. For example, the opening track, Nothing, has been changed from a 10 second burst of grind to a 35 second burst of pulsing power electronics that sounds like something you'd hear from Anenzaphalia. Another big difference is that the mix is much cleaner (not necessarily a bad thing, although it took a bit to adjust to, since I was used to the Precipice mix) and so everything that's going on is out in the open, actually giving this an ominous, overwhelming feeling equal to what they accomplished on the Mission From God LP (and really everything they've put out). And, since that LP, Column Of Heaven have been integrating black/death influences into their music; and its usage has gone from tinges to being the core of what they are doing here. The material on the Demonology tape (later on the split 7" with Radioactive Vomit) had heavy black/death leanings, but this material pushes it even further to the point that I'd risk saying they are primarily playing black/death. They are totally bestial here, and their bludgeoning assault isn't stopped by their integration of terrifying, intense power electronics tracks; it's made even more punishing. I'm so sad that this band is no more, they were truly one of the best and I seriously consider myself ridiculously lucky to have gotten to see them. I've heard that Andrew Nolan's new band is even filthier and possibly better than Column Of Heaven (how does he keep doing it?), but I have yet to hear it for myself. So here's to hoping a demo surfaces soon.

But don't forget this is a split LP. When I heard that there was going to be a split between Column Of Heaven and Suffering Luna, I was in disbelief. Two absolutely incredible, powerhouse, out-there as fuck bands on the same record? Sign me the fuck up. Suffering Luna's side holds its own against Column Of Heaven's, which should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with them. Their split with Dystopia is legendary, even though most people (wrongly) tend to only pay attention to Dystopia's side; their split with Gasp is truly deranged and weird in a way that hip glove wearing punks can only dream of touching (then again, I think listening to grind and noise isn't cool for them anymore). On this split, Suffering Luna goes all out (as they are wont to do), entwining filthy riffs with power electronics and samples, somewhat reminiscent of later era Man Is The Bastard (see: Thoughtless) but with less prog riffing and more jamming and their trademark heavy reliance on samples. Oh, and I guess I should mention that their side is only one track, and that the track is over 17 minutes long. Some people might be deterred by that, but trust me, this track is paced perfectly and when it's over you'll probably wish it wasn't (that's how I feel every time I hear it, anyway). This shit is totally fucked in the way that only a band like Suffering Luna could hope to achieve. Now hopefully they'll tour someday.

For those of you who saw this review and thought "tl;dr" here's a more concise version: fucking download this and listen to it because I can guarantee that it is without a doubt one of the best things 2016 has to offer. Official seal of approval from me, the internet's #1 punk bully and hater of fun. Also, I split the tracks since Nerve Altar's bandcamp has all of Column Of Heaven's side as a single track. Okay, I'm done, have at it.

Tracklisting:
1. Column Of Heaven - Nothing
2. Column Of Heaven - Hopeless
3. Column Of Heaven - Joyless
4. Column Of Heaven - Loveless
5. Column Of Heaven - Worthless
6. Column Of Heaven - Faithless
7. Column Of Heaven - Everything Is Fine
8. Suffering Luna - Near Death (Can't Put Down The Pipe)

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'Precipice'
Column Of Heaven / Wolves Of Heaven
2014

Review (mostly rehashed) by Joey

Genre/s: Grindcore, Deathgrind, Blackened Death Metal, Industrial, Power Electronics, Death Industrial
For Fans Of: Knelt Rote, Blood, Skin Crime, Skullflower

Andrew Nolan made me take this down (not really, he actually asked very nicely) until the final versions of these tracks were released on the split with Suffering Luna. So, since nobody has uploaded another rip anywhere (to my knowledge), I am again taking matters into my own hands. I managed to get a copy of this tape when I saw Column Of Heaven with Full Of Hell (fucking finally, I had wanted to see Column Of Heaven for quite some time and they did not disappoint; plus Full Of Hell are always great and it's nice to see them), but from what I've heard it sold out pretty quickly.  I assume one of the big reasons that there aren't any rips of this out there (besides the band not wanting it out) is because the tracks all bleed together, making it harder to split them (this does have split tracks, don't worry).

Precipice was meant to be a promo for Column Of Heaven's split with Suffering Luna, which (I think) was supposed to come out in June of 2014. And, after almost two years, it's out. However, this tape has a B-side with material which is exclusive; Column Of Heaven covers black/death band Ride For Revenge, and Wolves Of Heaven deliver two horrifying tracks, one of which is reminiscent of bands like Skullflower, who combine instrumentals with power electronics; and the other being horrifying ambient, similar to something you might hear from Cicciolina Holocaust. So what about the A-side? It's basically a rough demo of the material on the Suffering Luna split LP. There are a few differences, in both production and content, so you can decide for yourselves which version of the material you like more. I can assure you, however, that both are fantastic and worth listening to.

This tape -- like everything else the people behind this band have put out -- will knock you on your ass. You should have already expected that, though.

Tracklisting:
01. Column Of Heaven -- Nothing
02. Column Of Heaven -- Hopeless
03. Column Of Heaven -- Joyless
04. Column Of Heaven -- Loveless
05. Column Of Heaven -- Worthless
06. Column Of Heaven -- Faithless
07. Column Of Heaven -- Everything Is Fine
08. Column Of Heaven -- Eternal Woman (Hell Of Your Love) [Ride For Revenge]
09. Wolves Of Heaven -- Love Is A God From Hell
10. Wolves Of Heaven -- Hell Is A Love From God

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FUCKED BY NOISE'S BEST OF 2015 - Brayden's Picks (LPs)

It's that time of year where I feel comfortable organising the music I enjoyed in the previous twelve months into some kind of list and share my opinions on them with the general public. What follows are ten LPs I found to be rather enjoyable, and while it was pretty gosh darn difficult sorting through the multitude of excellent releases from 2015, I think I've got a pretty solid selection.
Stay tuned for a second post of my favourite demos and EPs of the year, and make sure to check out the links I've included for each release.


'As A Four Piece Band' Cured Pink
Cured Pink are a wickedly inventive and odd hybrid of post-punk, industrial, no wave and noise channeled into a jarring and unique collage of sound. Tracks like 'I'm Swimming' will see you bopping around like an idiot with it's infectiously catchy groove; whereas tracks like 'Live in Sydney' or 'Rosetta' will have you scratching your head and going back to understand what exactly it was you just listened to. I'm always hesitant to have an actual AOTY, but 'As A For Piece Band' is more than deserving of this title. Please, oh please, check it out if you haven't already.

Choice track: 'I'm Swimming'


'I Am A Problem: Mind In Pieces' Wolf Eyes
October saw everyone's favourite 'trip metal' band, Wolf Eyes, unleash this particularly desolate and hallucinogenic collection of sounds onto the general populace. Drones, clicks, squelching synths, sputters, guitar freakouts and saxophone all make a very welcome appearance on these 6 tracks culminating in what sounds like the soundtrack to a dying man crawling across a desert in search of peyote. Hopelessly bleak but with Wolf Eye's trademark catchiness running beneath the doom and gloom.

Choice track: 'Catching The Rich Train'



'Force The Zone' Cuntz
Once the tinny, distorted guitar kicks in on opening track 'Cooked', 'Force The Zone' bludgeons its way through a wonderfully sardonic assortment of punk jammers. Existing as both an ode to middle class Australiana and an outright piss take, Cuntz take the pummeling repetition and grunt from the likes of Cosmic Psychos, and turn it into a much more apathetic and uglier monster with the addition of noisier and slower instrumentation and gruff, yelped vocals.

Choice Track: 'Tanning'

'Excluded' Total Abuse
One of my most anticipated releases of this year was Total Abuse's 'Excluded', and boy oh boy the wait was worth it. A veritable ode to all things transgressive, this album packs its scummy subject matter into dirty, frenzied bursts of hardcore and leaves you to mop up the suspicious stains it left on the floor. As always Total Abuse aren't afraid to show off their more noisy, free-form tendencies (see 'Watching The Paint Dry' for your delirious, noise rock fix) and when combined with the pure grunt of their faster tracks it makes for a excellent time indeed.

Choice Track: 'DNA Evidence'

'The Body & Thou' You Whom I've Always Hated
I'm not gonna lie, I slept on this for aaaaaaaaages and was only roused into listening it upon finding out about the Nine Inch Nails cover on it.
I learned that, a) Terrible Lie works excellently as a sludge metal song, and b) this was in fact an amazing collaboration between two of heavy music's best bands right now.Absolutely earth shaking and soul destroying music with a very healthy amount of experimentation, noise and distortion cranked into the mix. I will not complain at all if these two bands collab again.

Choice Track: 'Terrible Lie'

'Circular Time'Ramleh
A fairly late entry into this year's list, but after thrashing the preview track released earlier this year (album closer 'Never Returner') and hyping myself up for this release and had to include it. 'Circular Time' is Ramleh in extremely heavy psychedelic rock mode, with plenty of noise rock, drone, prog and krautrock influences. Running at roughly two hours this a gargantuan collection of crushingly nihilistic, yet soaring music. If you can set aside a sizeable block of your time to devour this in its entirety, you will not be let down.

Choice Track: 'Never Returner'

'Self Titled' No Form
Good news! If you ever wanted a hardcore band that sounded like an actual descent into madness and/or oblivion, No Form exist to fulfill this niche desire. Sounding like a collision between Siege and a noisy free jazz ensemble (some marvelously skronky trumpet playing makes a very welcome appearance on 'Side B'), No Form are a band that can pull off frenzied hyper-speed hardcore as well as sludgy, atonal goop. Catch me waiting feverishly for more music from these guys.

Choice Track: 'Side B'

'Negative Feedback Resistor' Destruction Unit
The musical equivalent of the sunglasses emoji, aka Destruction Unit, are frighteningly adept at molding walls of fuzzed out guitar and psychedelic noise into ridiculously catchy music, and 'Negative Feedback Resistor' is affirmation of this.  If you like your riffs smothered in at least three layers of delay pedals and your amp stacks blown to smithereens I'd wager that you'd probably enjoy this album. Hey, I know I did.

Choice Track: 'Chemical Reaction/Chemical Delight'

'High' Royal Headache
'High' is something of an anomaly on this list, in that I could use words like 'bright' and 'happy' to describe the music contained within. Uncharacteristically positive connotations aside, this album is absolutely brimming with energy and has excellently written garage rock tunes to boot. Tracks such as 'My Own Fantasy' and 'Another World' show of Royal Headache's punchy punk side perfectly, while 'Carolina' and 'Wouldn't You Know' slow things right down and provide some much welcome, soulful relief. Oh, and the organ. So good.

Choice Track: 'Another World'

'Behold. Total. Rejection' Revenge
I'll close this list on a much more nihilistic and brutal note with Revenge's latest LP. The Canadian band have never really been ones for subtlety or finesse, choosing the much more noble path of beating your ears senseless with their concoction of death metal, grindcore and black metal. 'Behold. Total. Rejection.' begins immediately with pummeling blast beats, inhuman grunts and growls and plenty of Kerry King-esque divebomb solos and does not let up. At all. I worry sometimes about the toll this kind of music must have on the musicians playing it - but at the same time I'm so glad there are people out their plumbing the depths of the musical abyss and producing this kind of filth.

Choice Track: 'Silent Enemy'


Honorable Mentions:
The Body & Krieg - Self Titled
Koufar - Lebanon For Lebanese
Lightning Bolt - Fantasy Empire
Ghastly Spats - Spinozism Excorcism
Helta Skelta - Beyond The Black Stump
Soma Coma - Dust
Blanck Mass - Dumb Flesh
Follakzoid - III
Oneohtrix Point Never - Garden of Delete
Broken Prayer - Misanthropocentric AKA Droid's Blood
L.O.T.I.O.N -  Digital Control And Man's Obsolescence
Kitchen's Floor - Battle Of Brisbane
Prurient - Frozen Niagra Falls
Sunn - Kannon
Health - Death Magic
Battles - La Di Da Di
Thee Oh Sees - Mutilator Defeated At Last
White Walls - Afterthoughts In Limbo
Pissgrave - Suicide Euphoria
Special mention also goes to No Zodiac's 'Eternal Misery' for being the guiltiest pleasure of 2015.

Lana Degales - Discography

DISCOGRAPHY
Lana Degales
1999, 2002, 2004

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Powerviolence
For Fans Of: Suffering Luna, Peter Mangalore, Godstomper, Man Is The Bastard, Scaphe

There is a disturbing lack of information regarding Lana Degales on the internet - a line on Last.fm, a few reviews and one whole YouTube video - despite appearing on one of the legendary Reality Comps AND sharing a split with the mighty Iron Lung. Disgraceful.
Lana Degales are a two piece drum and bass powerviolence band from Oakland, CA (One half of the band happens to be Greg Wilkinson, who you may know from the likes of Brainoil, Laudanum and Pig Heart Transplant). Opting for the more strung out, erratic version of powerviolence, Lana Degales jam blisteringly fast fretwork and drum blasts together sludgy dirges together with the occasional trip into weird, Suffering Luna-esque psychedelia. It may sound like the usual slow/fast, fast then maybe one whole slow song formula you've grown accustomed to, but these guys do it with much more finesse, creativity and ferocity than most modern 'powerviolence' bands put together.
It could very well be the weird/fast/heavy combination you've been so desperately lacking all this time, or - failing that, it's the only download link you're gonna find for these guys on the net - so it's a win/win situation for everybody.

INCLUDED IN THIS DISCOGRAPHY:
(Lana Degales tracks only for each release)

Self Titled (1999)
1. Pocket Change Feeding Millions
2. Rebirth Of Abuse
3. Generation X Passed Down Cost
4. For Your God
5. Pushing For Something
6. Mother Nature's Conversing

Reality Part #4 (2002)
1. Metamorphosis
2. Conjecture
3. Extending Capitalist Ladder, The Great Division

Split w/ Iron Lung (2004)
1. Lana Dagales
2. Skepticism
3. A Note To All Commentaries
4. Multiply
5. Shelter's Web
6. Imprints Of Our New Leader
7. One Foot In The Grave
8. Covered Pain
9. There's Plenty To Accept Me
10. Life's Deal
11. Under The Queen Bee
12. Accomplishments?

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!FUCKED BY NOISE'S NOT ANOTHER BEST OF 2014 BUT INSTEAD ITS SOMETHING DIFFERENT! - Jerry's 10 Bands To Watch Out For In 2015

Prologue: No one likes a backstory but basically during the month of December when I was suppose to finish off this article my life took a sharp detour and then in January I was on tour with my bands (including the one that me and fellow writer Brayden is in) so things went silly and though its probably obsolete to publish this now it's pretty much done so might as well. 

I came to the conclusion that doing a Top 10 album list here would be pointless for a number of reasons, including my inability to keep up with new music (besides locally) for 3/4 of the year because I was stuck without a working computer and the fact that other writers here are already doing the same thing and my tastes in music wouldn't be that radically different so I'm going to do something different, and by that I mean rip off Blunt Magazine and do my own list of Bands To Watch Out For In 2015. Keep in mind that all these bands are local and interstate bands in Australia and most of them are not exactly new bands but are only just starting to gain traction with only one or two or maybe even zero releases and are, in my opinion, worthy of all their hype. So without further ado....

Canine
'Demo 2013'

Genre/s: Hardcore, Crust, Sludge, Stoner Rock
For fans of: No Statik, Dotfuckingcom, Witch Hunt, Melvins, Thorax

It's not everyday I come across a band that mixes so many different styles of angry music together in a seamless and non-gimmicky fashion but today is no everyday, its an early sunday morning drinking spiced rum and i'm not sure where I was going with this but Canine are one of the handful of Sydney hardcore bands that aren't shit or even ho-hum, they are kicking it. It took a while to figure out their hype but it dawned on me eventually why they are worthy of any praise they get. Canine mixes ferocious d-beat infused hardcore punk with powerviolence and fuzzy sludge and stoner rock segments complete with flangers and wailing wahs and it all works superbly like a perfect slice of layered cake. They got the energy pact down, all the songs are menacing but it goes above and beyond four chord punk with almost every moment is chock full of catchy licks which makes listening to their demo and their 7" split with Diploid (their side is only available on the record for the time being) all the more memorable.

Bandcamp

Gentlemen
'S/T'

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Hardcore, 
For fans of:  Brainbombs, Raspberry Bulbs, Cuntz, Homostupids, Thee Nodes 

This band really needs to get an LP going and maybe play some more gigs because it wasn't enough to just catch them during the Thee Nodes national tour here. Where do they get off releasing two 7" EPs in a space of two years and not getting every online hipster music publication to ride them like they are the next big garage punk band or whatever froth those sites manage to spit onto a web browser (not unlike our more "refined" and "trve" music blog here). Okay maybe its a good thing that this band is relatively unknown so you can still claim cool scene points but this is a plea Gentlemen, we are fucking jonesin', please, do it for the kids.

Bandcamp



H A N N A H B A N D
'Retirement'

Genre/s: Emo, Garage Punk, Post Punk
For fans of: Mineral, Against Me!, Indian Summer, Cloud Nothings, Drive Like Jehu

Hannahband are a real loud two piece garage emo post-punk band from Sydney. Forgive the overuse of genre terms but there are truly a unique beast that cannot be pinned down by mere descriptions. They can go through so many motions flawlessly and maintain a perfected niche of quaint melodies and encroaching aggression all of which bleeds through a pleasant lo-fi aesthetic. The "less is more" ideals thrive here, armed with nothing more than a ragged baritone guitar, snappy drums and the classic guy/girl tag team vocal attack they managed to belt out some infectious tunes that ride across vast roads that go rocky and then smooth over the horizon. Most tracks can out angst any hardcore band without breaking a sweat (or a tear) but when moments of somber and downbeats come by then not even [your favorite emo band]  could be nearly as heart wrenching. This is sad music for angry people and angry music for sad people and yes I know that emo is a dirty word here at Fucked By Noise but as their fourth song goes on their sophomore album "Retirement", I will let you down. BRB rearranging my album of the year list. 

Bandcamp

Hurricane Death
'Demo 2015'

Genre/s: Death Metal, Hardcore, Crust
For fans of: Mammoth Grinder, Homewrecker, Innumerable Forms, Black Jesus, Nails

This demo was recorded in October but only a teaser was released a few days after a new year....ah well fuck it. Most of you may have heard of a band called Puke, a powerviolence band from Brisbane that was mostly made up of youngsters making some really tight and crushing music but sadly broke up as soon as they blew up. Out of the remains of Puke was a couple of different bands, one of them being Hurricane Death who are more death metal orientated than their previous endeavor. For now we only have two songs up on bandcamp for an upcoming tape release to hear them but from witnessing them live as well I do believe that their punishing display of anger and vitriol that they spew (pun intended) upon anyone that listens to their style of hardcore driven death metal will make them an act to watch out for. 

Bandcamp

Hygiene
'Void'

Genre/s: Powerviolence, Hardcore
For fans of: Vaccine, Human Junk, Vile Intent, Life Of Refusal, Chetwrecker

I assume Canberra is one of those places where its more quality over quantity in regards to bands that come out of there because even though I am only familiar with a few bands, its those few that are making quite a name for themselves and perhaps the best band to have come out of there now is none other than the menacing  trio Hygiene. They may have been around for a couple of years riding on a demo and a CD EP but now after dropping their smashing slab of fast and heavy powerviolence through 9 tracks that clocks in around roughly 8 minutes right on a 7" EP  called "Void",  they have firmly reinstated their status as a force to be reckoned with.

Bandcamp


Masses
'Horde Mentality'

Genre/s: Post-punk, Darkwave, Anarcho Punk
For fans of: The Mob,  Arctic Flowers, Spectres, Moral Hex, Rule Of Thirds

Masses hail from (probably not too surprising) Melbourne and with only one single 7" EP release they have prickled alot of ears and now have the potential to be quite well known. Cherry picking the best of jangly post punk with classic anarcho punk and then throwing in some chorus pedals, synths and lots of reverb into the proverbial cherry pie they have cooked up a fresh take on the darkwave/post-punk style that is destined to not only taste great to anyone that is a veteran or a newcomer to the genre but will also set a standard that goes well above their contemporaries.

Bandcamp





Roland Major

Genre/s: Shoegaze, Alternative
For fans of: Whirr, Nothing, Slowdive, White Walls, Pity Sex, Roku Music

I've actually known these fellas back way when they were known as Rara Avis and were more of the classic persuasion of a shoegaze band with only one release which was a split CD with Crouching 80's Hidden Acronym whom are now better known as Ted Danson With Wolves (the guitarist of said band plays drums here so it was an incestuous split). Even after the name change they still performed the same songs with a rotating lineup with the frontman and drummer being the only consistent members and then this year they decided to start fresh. Gone are the keyboards and bass, bring in one lone guitarist from emo punk outfit Oslow and what we got is some of the most exciting music to come across this side of Western Sydney. Beautiful and crushing at the same time with monstrous guitars howling out some sublime melodies which weave with the voices, rhythms and an ocean of feedback. Roland Major are really making some big waves, not just in the live setting with huge sound waves caressing and smashing every ear it flows through, but also around the music community for simply being nothing less than amazing. 

Roland Major does have an EP in the works so for now there is a live video available to watch below at my home away from home, otherwise known as Beatdisc Records. You can see me bobbing my head in approval at the back counter to the right while i also scope what new records they have up on the wall and also no I wasn't paid for that incidental advertisment so shutup.

Soma Coma
'Demo '13'

Genre/s: Hardcore, Garage Punk
For fans of: Lotus Fucker, Straightjacket Nation, Crazy Spirit, Cult Ritual

Sydney certainly has some of the most creative hardcore bands running around but its Melbourne that wins in being home to some of the most noisy, abrasive and down and out hardcore punk music that can only appeases the appetite of unhinged madmen. There is little to fault here, all the short bursts of punishment here are all smashers, guaranteed to make you throw your bed lamp out the window and we wouldn't have it any other way here.

Bandcamp

Whitney Houston's Crypt
'Chair Page Dotcom'

Genre/s: Post-Punk, No Wave, Noise Rock
For fans of: Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, Tinsel Teeth, The Birthday Party, Arab On Radar

I'm  going to go more in depth for the Fucked By Newcastle series i'm still doing but I couldn't in good faith pass on this so just really quickly I'm going to tell you that this is some of the best weird out post punk to come out in a while. Its raw, its maddening, the riffs are wholly intent on making you uncomfortable and the vocals go from wild to vicious at any given turn (Witch's Cyst is a prime example). This is the musical equivalent of wearing your birthday suit to your job and not giving a fuck.

Bandcamp

Wounded Pig
'MT4X'

Genre/s: Grindcore, Crust, Metal
For fans of: Captain Cleanoff, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Fuck I'm Dead, Human Error, Apartment 213

Up until now there are only two good thing to come out of Mt. Gambier in South Australia, the big lobster and Captain Cleanoff. Now we can add a third thing -  Wounded Pig. What more could you want out of a crusty grind band? Brutal and furious guitarwork right through the collection of devastating songs that come and go leaving not a single moment of rest to pass, vocals with enough vitriol to blow up a police station and the programmed drums are some of the most well crafted and human I have certainly heard in a while. To call these guys a "cybergrind" band would entangle a lot of wrong assumptions because this isn't your dudebro's bedroom warrior project that was made with Fruity Loop samples one afternoon in a bout of procrastination. No sir this is the real deal. Catch them while you can because I wouldn't be surprised if they end up becoming quite big.

Bandcamp

Honorable Mentions
Kiri
Meter Men
Cum
Dispolar
Oslow
Hacked To Chunks
Nervous Habit
Grey Places
Shitgrinder
MSV BCP (Massive Bicep)
Alf Stewart
Burlap
Putkah
Shirtlifters
Jxckxlz
Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Shirt
Blight Worms
Terminator 2
Coffin Birth

Lizzard Wizzard - Dankrupt

'Dankrupt'
Lizzard Wizzard
2015

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Doom Metal, Sludge, Stoner Doom
For Fans Of: Conan, Sleep, Dopefight, Clagg, Church Of Misery

Brisbane's undisputed kings of low brow humour and bone shattering doom riffs are back with a two track EP and it fucking rips (cones).
Much like their self titled debut, Dankrupt balances tongue in cheek lyrics with GIGANTIC walls of fuzz and feedback, played at glacial pace and with just enough menace to offset any misconceptions that may have arisen from looking at the album art.
Delivered in a very similar style to Conan or Sleep's Dopesmoker, the multiple vocalists draw out and layer their vocals on top of the instruments, in a way that adds to the repetitive, driving force behind each track - and while they may be singing about weed induced comas or hirsute wrestlers rising from the dead, it still sounds incredibly powerful.
My only gripe with this release is that it's only two songs long, and not ten, but otherwise it's everything I look for in a sludge/doom release and with its own unique spin of the typical genre conventions.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Dankrupt
2. The Ghost Of Randy Savage

Bandcamp
Download

!FUCKED BY NOISE'S BEST OF 2014! - Joe's Picks (Part 3: LPs)

This list was even harder to narrow down than the others but I did my best.  So, without anymore delays or any further ado...

Part 3: LPs

'Molestador'
Sesso Violento

On this one-sided 12", Sesso Violento deliver 8 tracks of disgusting, mosh inducing raw black metal/punk with nods to industrial/noise and neofolk. If you like dirty, yet catchy riffs, sinister vocals, and layers of fuzz, then this bad boy is for you. If you don't like at least one of those things, then I'm not entirely sure why you're on this blog.





'Precipice'
Column Of Heaven

This band (and the people involved with it) is (are) always pushing boundaries in extreme music and this tape is no different. Column Of Heaven has moved away from powerviolence and into much stranger territory, combining grindcore, black/death, and industrial/noise to create something truly horrifying. Please stop making the lazy comparison to The Endless Blockade just because the bands share members, this is something entirely different.








'Cigarette Burns'
White Wards

I'd been waiting for this LP for quite some time since White Wards set a high bar with their 2011 7". Despite that, 'Cigarette Burns' still surpassed my expectations. White Wards is everything I want in a hardcore punk band; ripping fast parts, stompy parts, noisy and weird parts, it's all here. If you're looking for some freaky, fucked up, raging hardcore punk, you're in luck.

'Labyrinth Constellation'
Artificial Brain

I know I say "spaced out" a lot on here, but I don't think that describes anything better than this release.  Imagine if Demilich and Arizmenda joined forces to create some of the most ridiculous scifi inspired death metal you've ever heard. Well, you don't have to imagine anymore. To use a corny cliche, this album is out of this world (I'm so sorry).

'Norymberga'

Norymberga

This is some truly fucked up shit. Norymberga (which translates to "Nuremberg") dished out some absurdly disturbing and distorted noise rock filtered through a raw black metal/punk lens. I guess it could be compared to something like Sexdrome or Garrotte, but it feels far more menacing than those bands. Oh, and there's a seven minute track that's a field recording of zebras.  

'Death'

Teitanblood

Do you want raging black/death that never lets up? Here you go. Teitanblood are relentless and no amount of preparation will make you ready for this LP. This thing is flawless. 

'Simulacrum'

Xothist

Xothist's brand of spacey, ambient black metal really caught my attention with their 2011 demo (which I didn't hear until 2012) and when I found they'd dropped a new LP, I was pretty excited. This album makes their demo look weak. Its atmosphere is haunting and truly horrifying; lovecraftian might even work here. And that doesn't even cover the terrifying, dissonant riffs and tortured screams which tie everything together. 

'Mental Hygiene'

Internal Rot

This release is a little more straightforward than the others on this list, but it still packs quite a punch. I'd recommend this to anyone who is a fan of killer riffs, groovy grooves, and raging blast beats. Please keep your arms and legs inside at all times, because this album is going to take you on a wild ride. 

'Privacy'

Raspberry Bulbs

When this album dropped, I listened to it over and over for a couple days because of how much I loved it. It's Raspberry Bulbs' most fully realized release to date; it combines their trademark dark, noise rock and deathrock influenced, black metal tinged punk with industrial/noise interludes, resulting in something totally twisted. Imagine if Rudimentary Peni, Coil, and Drunks With Guns collaborated and you'd have a pretty good idea of how this album sounds. 

'Full Of Hell & Merzbow / Sister Fawn'

Full Of Hell & Merzbow

Okay, so this has been on just about every list this year and there's a good reason why: it's fucking amazing in the literal sense of the word. However, that being said, I don't think most people fully appreciate what this album is doing, nor do they understand just how important it is. I cannot remember a time I've seen a grindcore/noise album get this much attention from such a diverse group of people -- grind fans, noise nerds, hardcore jocks, twinkle emo kids, tumblr hypecore dorks -- everyone is all about this collaboration. It's weird because I doubt many of these people (tumblrcore, emo, and hxc crowds in particular) really get what's going on here and where this album sits in regards to grindcore and noise; it's kind of like people who listen to modern hardcore punk, but have little to no knowledge of the late 70s/early 80s bands who shaped the genre. This album hits me so hard because I recognize the artists who have influenced this material and hearing those artists put together in such a beautifully devastating way makes me feel excited beyond belief. I've watched Full Of Hell grow and change since I first saw them in the summer of 2011 in a tiny basement in Newark, DE, and I'm in awe at how they continually top themselves by building on their previous work and drawing from under-appreciated, yet seminal artists such as Gasp and countless others. On this release, Full Of Hell have honed their vicious sound even further than before, delivering some of the most destructive and well written grindcore I've heard in a while. The Merzbow dominated part of this collaboration is also fantastic in its own way, playing on haunting soundscapes which match the intensity of the Full Of Hell dominated part even though the two parts play on totally different types of intensity. This album is a grindcore/noise masterpiece and I could gush about it for days. 

Honorable Mentions:

-Thou 'Heathen' (sludge/doom)

-Impetuous Ritual 'Unholy Congregation Of Hypocritical Ambivalence' (atmospheric black/death)

-Dogmatist 'Worn Out Welcome' (raging, crust influenced hardcore punk)

-Volahn 'Aq'ab'al' (black metal)

-Arizmenda 'Stillbirth In The Temple Of Venus' (spacey atmospheric black metal)

-P.L.F. 'Ultimate Whirlwind Of Incineration' (grindcore)

-Zom 'Flesh Assimilation' (black/death)

-Idylls 'Prayer For Terrene' (noisy/mathy grindcore with a Venom P. Stinger cover)

-Perspex Flesh 'Perspex Flesh' (off kilter, weird hardcore punk)

-The Lowest Form (noisy, blown out chaotic hardcore punk)

Dishonorable Mentions:

-Young And In The Way

-those bands Whirr and Nothing (are they the same band I can't tell)

-Boston Strangler

-Water Torture

-OFF!

-Iceage

-Cult Leader

-ACxDC 

-Punch

-Code Orange [Kids]

Reality Compilation....Compilation

'Reality, Reality #2, #3 and #4'
Various Artists
1996 - 2002

Review by Brayden Bagnall

Genre/s: Powerviolence, Grindcore, Hardcore, Fastcore, Doom, Sludge, Noise Rock
For Fans Of Comps Such As: Bllleeeeaaauuurrrrgghhh!, Possessed To Skate, This Comp Kills Fascists, Cry Now Cry Later

We've all seen it before: some kid's finally put the mosh shorts and Terror shirts to rest, and has begun poking around the darker, danker fringes of hardcore and punk only to arrive at this vital question 'can anyone recommend me any PV bands?'. Cue the barrage of suggestions that include ACxDC, Weekend Nachos and Ceremony's first few albums and you have all the ingredients for internet-music-nerd-rage and what I  can only assume would be a a broken heart - if I had one. Merely the thought of this brings a tear to my eye, so in a fit of manic uploading and cataloging I've sought to address this problem for anyone dipping their toes into the gnarly world of 90s powerviolence, and its various other offshoots.
Here we have four compilations put out by Deep Six, starting in the mid 90s. The Reality comps brought together some of the biggest names in powerviolence, grindcore, sludge and hardcore that were doing the rounds in LA at the time, as well as some forgotten and rarely mentioned gems (looking at you Unruh and Peter Mangalore). Part 3 sees the roster expanding to Chicago (Los Crudos) and San Diego (The Locust) and Part 4 even includes non US acts such as 324, Dudman and uh, Haymaker. I guess.
All in all, you're unlikely to find a better collection of classic PV bands in one place - an ideal starting point for you newbs out there or a excellent addition to any self respecting fan of the genre. All four comps - that's three 12"s and a 7" are here for your listening pleasure.

TRACKLISTING:

Reality (1996)
1. Excruciating Terror - In Control
2. Lack Of Interest - Impeached
3. Despise You - Copied Demise
4. Spazz - Gnome Servant
5. Crom - Hungry?
6. Man Is The Bastard - Tomb Ride
Download

Reality #2 (1997)
1. Asshole Parade - Soldiers
2. Excruciating Terror - Without Mercy
3. Dystopia - Backstabber
4. Infest - Cold Inside
5. Despise You - Memories Of Tomorrow
6. Lack Of Interest - No Sweat
7. Gasp - Planet Of The Apes
8. Suppression - Gangland Bodystak'em (C.I.A./Mafia Murder Conspiracy) / Human Fear
9. Noothgrush - Encasing
10. No Comply - The Empire Kids
11. Spazz  - Animal Liberation Now
12. Purgatoria - Infamous Deception
13. Man Is The Bastard - Untitled
14. Capitalist Casualties - Sentenced
15. Stapled Shut - Chavala
16. Enemy Soil - Common Ground
17. Evolved To Obliteration - Fucked Up Asshole
18. Bad Acid Trip - Plate Of Shrimp
19. C:###  - Skidmark
Download

Reality #3 (1999)
1. Crudos  - Sin Titulo
2. The Locust - Dog Without A Collar
3. Su19b - Bullshit Propaganda
4. Infest - Dead At Birth
5. Ruido - You're Not Human
6. Jenny Piccolo - Heavy Metal Weekend / Suicide Cliche
7. Halo Epidemic - Bench Warmer
8. MK Ultra - 52 Fluid Ounces
9. Black Army Jacket - 222 Part II 1998
10. Visual Discrimination - Solutions
11. Charles Bronson - Rich Crusties Shall Pay
12. Peter Mangalore - Gerwalk
13. Dropdead - Us And Them
14. Corrupted - Reference
15. Phobia - Stink Head / State And Enemy
16. Benumb - Liberation
17. Hellnation - Fight With No Fear
18. Bred On Deception - Slave To Convenience
Download

Reality #4 (2002)
1. 324 - Garden
2. Haymaker - Stressed Out
3. Hawgjaw - Embrace The Absence
4. Low Threat Profile - Untitled
5. In Spite - Back Fat Removed With Pickax
6. Manchurian Candidates - In Good Faith
7. Progeria - Either Way / Neglected / Empty Words
8. Toshiro Mifune - Throw Me The Idol, I'll Throw You The Whip.
9. Overpowering - El Feo / Enemigo De Mis Sueños
10. Overpowering - El Que Acecha Desde La Esquina
11. Ruido  - Soledad Cortada / Snuffed Soul
12. Unruh - Fear And Loathing Among The Working Class
13. I Found God - Running Out Of Time
14. Lack Of Interest - Untitled
15. Su19b - Shortage Of Oxygen
16. Damad - Mindmatic
18. Sepsism - Festering Within
19. Stress - The System
20. Self Inflicted- Beware Of The Water
21. Pretty Little Flower- Victorious Insurgence
22. Dudman - Fight Or Flight
23. Lana Dagales - Metamorphosis / Conjuncture
24. Lana Dagales - Extending Capitalist Ladder/The Great Division
25. Bred On Deception - The Gingrich Who Stole Congress
26. H.Pylori - Cycle / In Deep
27. Haloepidemic - 40 Hour Decent
Download

Swinging Balls - Swinging Balls

'Swinging Balls'
Swinging Balls
2014

(Band Submission)

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Sludge, Doom
For Fans Of: Flipper, Cherubs, Harvey Milk, Swans, Sleep, Melvins

Remember the first time you listened to 'Lysol' by Melvins, or 'Dopesmoker' by Sleep? Those looooooooooong, continuous droney riffs pouding away at your skull until the bass and drums kick in, essentially resulting in what the experts are calling an 'eargasm'?
You're in luck, as this self titled debut from Swinging Balls opens with exactly that kind of formula, and from there on in explores the full range of downtrodden sounds offered by down tuned guitars and oppressively slow tempos.
Hailing from Coventry, England, the four piece's off kilter style of music borrows from doom metal and sludge, adds some angular noise rock and the nihilistic, repetitious tendencies  of early 80s Swans. Top the plodding bass and guitar riffs of with a gruff vocal performance that sounds like a cross between Cherub's Kevin Whitley and Harvey Milk's Creston Spiers, you've got a winning combination that's as sonically hefty as it is diverse.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Riff
2. Sabbath
3. Sleepbombs (Ripped to Pieces)
4. Last Song, Last Set
Download

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

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.

DOWNLOAD

Golden Bats - VI

'VI'
Golden Bats
2014

(Band Submission)

Genre/s: Sludge, Doom
For Fans Of: Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath, Satan's Satyr, Rwake

Golden Bats is a sludge/doom project from Brisbane, Australia from singular, 'Golden Bat' Geordie Stafford. As the title may suggest, this is his sixth release (seventh if you count the split with Dumb Numbers),and it's a fine of example of someone making much more noise than a singular person has any business doing. Not that that's a bad thing at all. While it's a one man band, that doesn't stop Golden Bats from sounding like any other fully fleshed out musical project, with Geordie handling vocal and guitar, and a machine handling the drumming - both in studio and live.
VI pairs Sabbath style doom riffs with the harsher elements of sludge metal to great effect. The plodding  dirges also dive into melodic territories, offering harmonizing guitar lines and synth deviations that are surprisingly uplifting given the downtrodden nature of the tunes. Vocal wise, Golden Bats are more akin to the more abrasive side of sludge, with a hoarse throaty bellow coated in a tasteful layer of reverb. Together it's a formidable slab of dark vibes, tasty riffs and a kick-ass Autopsy cover.
VI and all of Golden Bats' other releases are available for your listening and downloading pleasure on their bandcamp - which I highly suggest you go visit now.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Mountain Eyes
2. Block Out The Sun
3. Rast Blast
4. Ridden With Disease (Autopsy)
5. Jenny Haniver

Bandcamp

Senior Fellows - Ecclesiastical Servitude

'Ecclesiastical Servitude'
Senior Fellows
2013

(Band Submission)

Genre/s: Sludge
For Fans Of: Thou, Admiral Angry, Black Sheep Wall, The Abominable Iron Sloth, KEN Mode

Tune your strings to drop spaghetti and grow your hair out kids, IT'S SLUDGE TIME.
Sludge time today is brought to you courtesy of Oklahoma 'Political Sludge' band, Senior Fellows who combine crushing low end and pummeling riffs with socially conscious and intelligent lyrics.
On Ecclesiastical Servitude, Senior Fellows juxtapose massively downtuned 'chugs' with interesting, and slightly 'off kilter' riffs that would sound right at home with noisier metalcore acts such as Fight Amp or KEN Mode. This innovative approach to sludge (which is usually pretty straightforward and derivative) really does lend itself to a fairly progressive take on the genre, that keeps each of the 11 tracks on this album from sounding dull or repetitive. Paired with the crisp production and bowel rupturing heaviness, Senior Fellows have indeed crafted a formidable entry into the annals of modern sludge metal.

TRACKLISTING:
1. ATROCITIES EXPLODE THE DELUSION OF TOLERANCE (#24)
2. OFFICER, ARE YOU DETAINING ME, OR AM I FREE TO GO? (#8)
3. TERROR, HARM, AND JUSTICE (#22)
4. GOD ENDORSED SLAVERY (#2)
5. A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF BIBLICAL MORALITY AND ITS INJURIOUS IMPACT ON
    SOCIETY (#19)
6. CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS (#9)
7. UNDERESTIMATING THE EXTENT OF PREJUDICE IN THE WHITE POPULATION (#23)
8. FUNDAMENTALIST INTERPRETATION (#14)
9. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR (#13)
10. RECEIVE NO MERCY AND BE EXTERMINATED, AS THE LORD COMMANDED (#16) 02:56
11. STEPPED FORWARD TO RULE (#15)

Bandcamp