Cult Ritual - 1st LP

'1st LP'
Cult Ritual
2009

Genre/s: Hardcore, Punk, Noise Rock
For Fans Of: White Guilt, Nazi Dust, Raw Nerve, Total Abuse

Cult Ritual are probably the fore bearers of the micro genre known as 'Mysterious Guy Hardcore', which is basically just like regular hardcore, but a bit rawer and with very little information about the band itself. Cult Ritual have gained something of a cult (sorry) status after disbanding in 2009 for their unrelenting, noisy assault on senses. On this LP, the band revels in feedback, atonality and scuzzy riffing with filthy, bratty vocals spat over the top of it. This album is brutally minimal, primal and not nearly as pretentious as half of the stuff that Youth Attack seems to put out these days. This is essentially a modern hardcore masterpiece, and if you haven't heard it - you fucking should.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Holidays
2. Horror Sale
3. Ugly Years
4. Nailed
5. Failed
6. Saturday's Blood
7. Last Time

8. Cancer Money

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The Gerogerigegege - Yellow Trash Bazooka

'Yellow Trash Bazooka'
The Gerogerigegege
1993

Genre/s: Harsh Noise, Noisecore
For Fans Of: Hijokaidan, Deche Charge, Naked City, Hanatarash, Anal Cunt

79 tracks. 11 minutes.
Nuff said.
The Gerogerigegege were an infamous Japanoise act who were known for their on-stage antics (usually involving masturbation) and the for the disappearance of their frontman.  Musically they explored the realms of junk noise, ambient and even conventional rock, though arguably they are most widely recognised for their forays into noisecore. Yellow Trash Bazooka is a concept album, surprisingly, and it's about the letter 'G'. Every song on this album starts with the letter G (Gape, Gang Bang, Gynecologist etc etc) and along with the hilarious count-ins (ONETWOTHREEFAAAAR) they tend to be the only deciphrable lyrics in the four second long songs on this EP. While this release is most likely a giant joke, there is some excellent harsh noise on this album - albeit in very short bursts.

TRACKLISTING:

Not even going to bother with this one

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Cows - Cunning Stunts

'Cunning Stunts'
Cows
1992

Genre/s: Post Hardcore, Alternative, Noise Rock
For Fans Of: Cherubs, Cosmic Psychos, Karp, Killdozer

Cows were a post hardcore band that towed the line between noise rock, punk and blues - and still managed to sound coherent, somehow. In their 9 years as a band, Cows established their niche sound, throwing melody, dissonance, humour and disregard for conventional style into a blender to create an oddball offshoot of alternative rock. Singer Shannon Selberg's whiny drawl, as well as his bugle (I shit you not) and harmonica playing add to the eclectic nature of the band, and along with the distorted guitar riffs and strange song structures it's almost like this band is trying to alienate you from their music. Cunning Stunts was Cows' third album, and while it does show signs of the band taking on minor 'pop sensibilities', it's still a scuzzy, roughly hewn noise rock album at heart.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Heave Ho
2. Walks Alone
3. Contamination
4. Mr. Cancelled
5. Mine
6. Midnight Cowboy
7. Everybody
8. Two Little Pigs
9. The Woman Inside
10. Terrifique
11. Down Below

12. Ort

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Omotai - Terrestrial Grief

'Terrestrial Grief'
Omotai
2012

Genre/s: Metalcore, Sludge, Post Metal, Noise Rock
For Fans Of: KEN Mode, Fight Amp, Cave In, Old Man Gloom

On Terrestrial Grief, Omotai bring a plethora of heavy genres together in unholy matrimony, to create 11 tracks of metallic chaos. Am Rep madness meets the like of Georgian metal (Kylesa, Baronees, Mastodon etc) as the three create and absolutely massive sounding record. The songs vary between lightning fast thrash riffing, dissonant chords and progressive noodling, while drummer Anthony Vallejo and singer/guitarist Sam Waters trade off with their hoarse, gruff vocals. All in all Terrestrial Grief is a well rounded album: the brawnier metal parts blend well with the cold, mechanical technicality of the songwriting along with album's more noisier, discordant sections.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Vela Hotel
2. This is for Zora
3. Spanish Constellation
4. Spidercave
5. Seabitch  
6. Terrestrial Grief  
7. Lurching Away
8. Orison  
9. Life in the Hive  
10. Hollow Innards  
11. Yuri

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Bandcamp

Dressed In Wires - Puke Sculptures

'Puke Sculptures'
Dressed In Wires
2002 - 2012

Genre/s: Noise, Dark Ambient, Drone, Experimental

(Band Submission)

From what I could piece together from some rather obtuse bios and descriptions, Dressed In Wires is an experimental solo project that dabbles in the realm of laptop noise. This discography spans every possible genre and sub-genre within the experimental electronic category - with over an hour's worth of material you'll hear everything from bleeps, guitar drones, severely fucked up beats, harsh metallic noise and static walls. It's a very impressive collection of horrible sounds, and the range of textures and noises are mind boggling. Well worth your time, providing that you're willing to submit your ears to a bit of punishment.

TRACKLISTING:
(Presented as one continuous track)

1. This’ll Be Our Little Secret, If You Tell Anyone I’ll Rip Your Mouth Out
2. Dressed Um Wire, He Make Um Fire! Uuh! RUHH! .......nggNnggng! Uhg! UHHG! Um HEAD Um           Fire! NnnnUNG!!
3. Chopped Up In A Bath As Well, Which Is About Fucking Typical
4. Your Body Learns
5. And Every Car Was On Fire, Which Is Most Unlike You
6. Shock & Awe Motherfucker
7. It Brings The Out Yeast In Me
8. Whale Stomach
9. Play Nice
10. Ayalah
11. Captain, Shit!!! We've Hit A Noiseberg! It's A Bit Like An Iceberg, But It's Made Out Of Noise And         The Penguins On It Are Dead Grumpy
12. Paedophile Fence
13. Bodies Of Teenage Girls Cut From Car Wreckage
14. Blood Touching Glass
15. The Dead Swell
16. Zoo Begins Look Into Hearts Of Apes
17. Miscarriage, Where Were You?
18. Drool; Mewl, Too
19. I Will Survive And What Will Be Left Of Me

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Buy/Support

Skin Like Iron - Arrival

'Arrival'
Skin Like Iron
2011

Genre/s: Hardcore, Crust
For Fans Of: Cursed, Tragedy, Young And In The Way, Ekkaia

Skin Like Iron are a rather prolific hardcore band, and among their releases is a split with Nails - though this four piece band could not be more different from the beefy metal/hardcore juggernauts.
Skin Like Iron play a melodic style of hardcore, with nods to crust punk, neocrust and d-beat some forays into experimental and post-rock. Led by furious, snarled vocals that tow the line between crust punk and black metal and surprisingly bright guitars, Arrival is certainly a unique album in terms of hardcore.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Arrival
2. Blame
3. Legion
4. Silence Swells
5. Freeze
6. Blame II
7. Consequence
8. Dim Horizon

9. Reason Refrains

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Gnaw Thier Tongues - Eschatological Scatology

'Eschatological Scatology'
Gnaw Their Tongues
2009

Genre/s: Black Metal, Blackened Noise, Industrial Metal, Avant Garde Metal
For Fans Of:  Deathspell Omega, The Howling Wind, De Magium Veterum, Portal

Gnaw Their Tongues is one of a few solo projects from Netherlands musician Maurice De Jong. A vile concoction of avant garde and black metal,Eschatological Scatology has a pervasive, foreboding atmosphere of chaos, terror and madness. Maurice De Jong's excellent use of sampling, noise and layers along with regular instrumentation (guitars, drums etc) lends itself to an immense wall of sound; there's just so much going on at any given second that you'll need multiple listens to take it all in. Plus the use of orchestral instruments gives certain parts of this album an almost 'bombastic' feel (think Hans Zimmer meets black metal), which makes for an interesting contrast to the whirling vortex of noise. This is by no means a conventional black metal album, it's way cooler than one, and it is most certainly worth subjecting your ears to.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Eschatological Scatology
2.The Messianic Downfall
3. Deepwood Bodytrap
4. Lash Cultus
5. Master I Am Done
6. A Sinister Lurking Grave
7.The Golden Altar Burns
8.The Atrocious Angel Of Scatology

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Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush To Relax

'Rush To Relax'
Eddy Current Suppression Ring
2010

Genre/s: Garage Rock, Surf Rock, Punk, Indie
For Fans Of: The Wipers, Wavves, Hot Snakes, The Gories

If you happen to like beaches, Australian accents and single coil guitars, boy have I got the album for you. Eddy Current Suppression Ring are a garage rock foursome from Melbourne, Australia who take minimalism to whole new levels. Recorded in just six hours, this album is raw, genuine and very rough around the edges. Rush To Relax ducks and weaves between frantic punk energy, laid back surf-rock vibes and raucous garage rock jams, while singer Brendan Suppression rants and raves his way over 10 tracks - yet somehow it's still one of the most mellow, laid back albums I've ever listened to. Give it a listen, zone out and just chill.

TRACKLISTING
1. Anxiety
2. I Got A Feeling
3. Tuning Out
4. Gentleman
5. Walking Into A Corner
6. Second Guessing
7. I Can Be A Jerk
8. Burn
9. Isn't It Nice
10. Rush To Relax

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Sara Stain - Void Blossoms EP

'Void Blossoms'
Sara Stain
2013

Genre/s: Grindcore
For Fans Of: Jenny Picolo, Mother Brain, Syntax

Sara Stain are a three piece band from Ohio, and with this EP they've put out an absolutely phenomenal selection of grind tunes. I've heard literally nothing about these dudes on the interwebs, which is a real shame given the quality of their material. This is straight up grindcore, with spitfire raspy, throat shredding vocals and absolutely relentless songwriting. Do yourself a favour and check this one out.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Void Blossoms
2. Tiffin Tuff
3. CYAL8TER
4. Hunter St. Blues
5. Teenage
6. Kinda Butthurt
7. Hi-Bar
8. Sick Ooer

Download
Bandcamp

Slug Guts - Playin' In Time With The Deadbeat

'Playin' In Time With The Dead Beat'
Slug Guts
2012

Genre/s: Post-punk, Noise rock
For Fans Of: King Snake Roost, The Birthday Party, Iceage, Bird Blobs

Slug Guts are a post punk outfit from Brisbane, Australia, who have been cranking out some dark, gritty tunes since 2009.  While they have a sound that definitely recalls some of the more dissonant, post punk of the 1980s, the deranged vocals (somewhere between Nick cave, Captain Beefheart and David Yow), the saxophone and innovative guitar keep things fresh and interesting. It's a messy brew of oddball sounds, held together by solid bass lines and some pretty catchy riffs - and it all comes together to from an album that has a distinctly 'Australian' sound.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Scum
2. Old Black Sweats
3. Suckin' Down
4. Moving Heat
5. Order Of Death
6. Adult Living
7. Black Sports
8. Playin' In Time With The Deadbeat
9.  Glory Holes
10. Strangling You Too
11. Blonde Hairs
12. Do You Wanna Hang Right There?

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California Love - Reaping The Whirlwind

'Reaping The Whirlwind'
California Love
2007

Genre/s: Powerviolence, Grindcore
For Fans Of: Hellnation, In Disgust, Low Places, Final Draft

You'll be hard pressed to find a more menacing, evil powerviolence record than this one. On this debut LP, California Love play a nasty-ass crusty grindcore/powerviolence hybrid that just lays waste to everything around it. The songs have the classic start/stop, fast/slow dynamic but boy do they do the slow parts well - they're oppressively heavy, miserable and just plain filthy. It's safe to say that California Love would also make a very accomplished sludge band. You don't see as much of these guys on the net as some of their fellow PV peers, but that's not to say it isn't a fan-fucking-tastic listen. Get it below.

TRACKLISTING
1. Inherit The Earth
2. Human Unkind
3. Under The Crosses
5. Aversion Therapy
6. Inflictor
7. Stumble To Failure
8. Approaching Oblivion
9. Of Flesh
10. Legacy
11. Wolf Feast

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Swing Kids - Discography

DISCOGRAPHY
Swing Kids
1994 - 1995

Genre/s: Hardcore, Post Hardcore
For Fans Of: Retox, Refused, Some Girls Head Wound City

Swing Kids were an excellent mid 90s hardcore band that left quite an impact - though they also left behind a criminally short discography. One of Justin Pearson's many, many, many bands, Swing Kids played angular, dissonant hardcore with intelligent and irregular song structures. This is a collection of amazing tunes that capture the melting pot of genres that was San Diego's punk scene in the 90s. This discography is 9 songs (including a Joy Division cover), and while it's a very short listen, it's quality stuff. I should also point out that the band put out a self titled EP in 2009 with an updated version of 'Situations On Mars' and a brand new track.

TRACKLISTING:
1. El Camino Car Crash
2. Line #1
3. Blue Note
4. Clean Shade Of Dirty
5. Warsaw (Joy Division cover)
6. Disease
7. Situations On Mars
8. Forty Three Seconds
9. Intro To Photography

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Whirr - Distressor

'Distressor'
Whirr
2011

Genre/s: Shoegaze, Dreampop
For Fans Of: Nothing, My Bloody Valentine, Deafheaven, True Widow

Admittedly, I'm fashionably late to this whole 'shoegaze' thing. Its been around for decades, and its  had something of a renaissance with bands like Deafheaven incorporating into their post-black metal and MBV releasing a new album, so it was probably about time I checked it out. I was introduced to Whirr by a friend - and while I was not expecting much, my cold, dark heart was moved by the dreamy, warm sonic vibes this EP here put out. I like my music as abrasive and un-listenable as possible, yet I like this. Whirr are a noisy band, don't get me wrong, but rather than channeling their energy into complete audio terrorism, they mould it into this ethereal monolith of sound, with an ebb and flow that just washes over you like thousands of fluffy bunnies. The vocals (both male and female) fade in and out of the fade, and are almost like another musical instrument, contributing to the many textures that make up this release. I get it if you're willing to pass this up - there are no blastbeats or growls or screaming - BUT, if you want to get into the genre, and you want to embrace your softer, more friendlier musical brethren, this is a good place to start.

TRACKLIST:
1. Preface
2. Leave
3. Blue
4. Ghost
5. Meaningless
6. Child
7. Sandy
8. Leave (Demo Version)
9. Meaningless (Demo Version)

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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

Scholastic Deth - Final Examiner

'Final Examiner' (Discography)
Scholastic Deth
2001 - 2002

Genre/s: Thrashcore, Fastcore
For Fans Of: Laarm, R.A.M.B.O, Infest, Charles Bronson

Scholastic Deth were a short-lived, but nonetheless influential thrashcore outfit on the famous 625 Thrashcore label. The band put out some awesome tunes in their one year lifespan, a delicatessen of short bursts of feedback, blastbeats and whirlwind fast hardcore riffs. Backed up by some pretty humorous lyrics ranging from political to morose, bratty and aggressive vocals - this is one discography your collection needs,

TRACKLISTING:
1. The Revolution Will Not Be Posted On Ebay 
2. Killed By School 
3. WWHD? 
4. UC = Unhindered Capitalism 
5. Spring Fever 
6. Said Said 
7. Literaly Illiterate 
8. Kill The Message Board 
9. Bookstore Bore 
10. Cheetos 
11. Mentally Fumigated 
12. Coffee Cures Everything 
13. Time To Rock 
14. We Think Metal Music Is Awesome But... 
15. Pugnatious Bibliorific Erudism 
16. Drop The Bomb 
17. Book Attack 
18. One Day At A Time 
19. Kill 'Em With Politics 
20. Sham(e) 
21. Old People Are Dumb 
22. Revenge Of The Nerds 
23. Nows The Time 
24. On The Road Of Life... 
25. Bring It Back... 
26. Fuck It, I Quit 
27. Scene Of The Spectacle 
28. PMA 
29. Rock Together 
30. Bookstore Core 
31. Options 
32. Xtreme Equals Mainstream 
33. Shackle Me Not! 
34. Warcore I: Politics Of Total War 
35. Warcore II: War By Timetable
36. Tomorrow 
37. Simplified But Amplified Recommended Reading (Unreleased)
38. Shit Peddlers Aka Wiltpolitik 
39. Trust Fund Aka No Bike Messengers In Russia
40. School's Out 
41. PMA 
42. Literaly Illiterate 
43. Drop The Bomb 
44. Revenge Of The Nerds 
45. Options 
46. Bookstore Core 
47. Killed By School 
48. Nows The Time 
49. WWHD? 
50. Xtreme Equals Mainstream

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Noisear - Subvert The Dominant Paradigm

'Subvert The Dominant Paradigm'
Noisear
2011

Genre/s: Grindcore
For Fans Of: Discordance Axis, Cellgraft, Brutal Truth, Gridlink

There are grind records that floor you - and then there are grind records that take a sledgehammer to your cranium and don't let up until all that reminds of your puny little head is a puddle of blood and brain matter on the floor - 'Subvert The Dominant Paradigm' being one of the latter. Taking cues from the technical brilliance of Discordance Axis, injecting some experimentation a la modern Brutal Truth and ramping up the speed and ferocity by about 120%, Noisear steam roll through this album's 46 minute long run time. The shrieks, growls, blasts and pinch harmonics that make up this monstrosity are made even more impressive by the fact that the band had literally 48 hours to write and record it. Granted that technically only twenty-five minutes of this album are actual songs, but that's probably the best part - they finish the album with a lengthy harsh noise track. As if twenty nine songs weren't enough brutal enough! It's a perfect way to end a suitably punishing release.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Breaking Bad at the Mulberry
2. Waiting to Be Born
3. Gestapolis
4. Inevitable Extinction
5. Global Warning
6. Fraudulent
7. Information Highway to Hell
8. Stress Pandemic
9. Inoperative
10. Deformed by Society
11. The Rail
12. The Alternative Is...
13. Blackout
14. Slave
15. Ace Is the King
16. The Last Spark of Resistance
17. Life Consumed You
18. Ignorance Is Bliss
19. Minefield
20. Fighting Addiction
21. Borealis Storm
22. Poisonous Cure
23. Four Walls
24. The Perpetual Downfall Of Man
25. Translucent
26. Almas Por El Infierno
27. Silent Guilt of the Reaper
28. Contaminants of the Earth
29. The Blackened Sea
30. Noisearuption

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Gay Witch Abortion - Maverick

'Maverick'
Gay Witch Abortion
2009

Genre/s: Stoner Rock, Psychadelic, Noise Rock, Garage Rock
For Fans Of: Hex Machine, Blue Cheer, Boris, Black Sabbath

Aside from having one of the best names in modern music, Gay Witch Abortion churn out some dangerously fuzzed out, rhythmic, pulsating noise. For a two man group (guitar and drums) the band's output is massive - writhing textures that pound your skull with repetition, psychedelic textures and moments of surprising aggression. 'Maverick' is primarily instrumental - with more structured, riff oriented songs and some full-blown, noise freak-outs.  Bolstered by Jesse Bottemly's weird, floating and powerful vocals and Shawn Walker's tribal drumming, this album comes together superbly. Plug this in, listen to it loudly and zone out.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Down with Giants
2. Stain on the Floor
3. Action Cop
4. Unblinking Sun
5. Third World Limo
6. Your Own Militia
7. Church Buffet
8. Group Think
9. Girl Pop Soda
10. Wavey Graves
11. Curses
12. Scythian Sculls
13. Asleep In The Dirt

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So Stressed - Attracted To Open Mouths

'Attracted To Open Mouths'
So Stressed
2012

(Band Submission)

Genre/s: Noise Rock, Punk, Alternative, Experimental
For Fans Of: Broken Prayer, DZ Deathrays, Tera Melos, Pink City

So Stressed are an experimental punk/noise rock band, though that moniker hardly does them justice. On 'Attracted To Open Mouths', the band lay out a veritable feast of genres so varied it boggles the mind. On one hand, So Stessed are an atonal, noisy cacophony reveling in distortion, weirdness and a complete disregard for common musical convention. On the other hand, they're an upbeat alternative rock band, swimming in a sea of fuzz and feelgood vibes. So with these ridiculously diametrically opposed sounds, how does the band keep things coherent? Well they're just so damn good, that's how. Things go from dance-punk to no-wave, to Pixies-esque melancholy to full blown musical nihilism a la Happy Flowers. It's a constantly varying soundscape that'll lure you into a false sense of security and then sucker punch you. I like an album that'll make you scratch your head, and doesn't feel the need to stick to one specific sound, and 'Attracted To Open Mouths' ticks both those boxes.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Adults
2. A Fisherman's Feasts
3. Little TV
4. Secret Breasts
5. Animals Seeking Political Asylum
6. Hairstyles
7. Molly
8. Astronomical Horse

Bandcamp

Full Blown A.I.D.S - Full Blown A.I.D.S

'Full Blown A.I.D.S' 
Full Blown A.I.D.S
2008

Genre/s: Grindcore, Sludgecore
For Fans Of: Anal Cunt, Soilent Green, Eyehategod, Arson Anthem

Seth Putnam (R.I.P you crazy asshole) may have been a despicable human being, but his musical output is some unrelenting, repulsive music. Full Blown A.I.D.S is no exception - a beastly concoction of sludgy hardcore and  ferocious grindcore that's delivers a hefty punch to the testicular region. The down tuned guitars and Putnam's unique, polyp inducing scream are a menacing duo to behold, and this one big-ass chunk of sonic filth just waiting to burrow its way into your brain. This here is a essentially a discography (a total of  two EPs, plus an AC/DC cover), snag it below and inflict some damage upon your hearing.

TRACKLISTING:
1. No-one Cares
2. Track Team
3. It's All Fake
4. Stupid Bitch
5. Trash Picker
6. Alcoholic
7. Leech
8. For Those About To Rock - We Salute You
9. Fact Finder
10. Everything
11. Throwing Cars At People On Coke With Thor

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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

!UPDATE!

HELLO

So, it's been pretty quiet on the F.B.N front (mostly because I'm fucking lazy) but I've got some kick-ass band submissions to throw your way very soon, as well as some more awesome downloads - as soon as I get around to writing up the reviews. In the meantime, go check out my new solo project!

http://autoclavedeath.bandcamp.com/

Tusk - Get Ready

'Get Ready'
Tusk
2002/2005

Genre/s: Grindcore, Mathcore
For Fans Of: Hewhocorrupts, Graf Orlock, Ed Gein, Gaza


Tusk are a sadly defunct band with members who now play in Pelican, though the two bands couldn't be further apart. Tusk trade Pelican's glacial pacing and dense soundscapes for a barrage of blastbeats, savage riffs and shrieked vocals. Keeping the ferocity and brutality of grindcore, injecting it with the complexity and precision of mathcore and giving it a healthy dose of hardcore and metal energy; this release ducks and dives through chugs, tremelos and sudden tempo shifts. This is an utterly pummeling album, though one that does not sacrifice intelligence and variance for the sake of meatier riffs and pointless breakdowns. This band has described their sound as 'Discordance Axis by way of Yes's 'Close To The Edge', and if that doesn't intrigue you, than you cannot be helped.

(Note: This is the 2005 release of the album, so it comes with a few extra live tracks. Neato!)

Tracklist:
1. Dragon Mountain Trick
2. Uptown Nights
3. Make A Mess
4. Get Ready
5. A Animal Has A Nice Day
6.  Green Love
7. Blood
8. Six-Act Descent To The Lower Reaches
9. So Long, Farewell
(Live Tracks)
10. A Animal Has A Nice Day
11. Make A Mess
12. Dragon Mountain Trick
13. Green Love
14. Six-Act Descent Into The Lower Reaches
15. Blood/Uptown Nights

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Bad People - Pearls Before Swine

'Pearls Before Swine'
Bad People
2013

Genre/s: Hardcore, Punk
For Fans Of: Broken Prayer, Brown Sugar, OFF!

Two things immediately caught my attention when I was turned onto this band - the brutal artwork [poor kitty :(] and the fact this band shares members with Brown Sugar and White Guilt (RIP), which are (and were) two killer bands who've done some pretty cool things with hardcore in recent years. Bad People deal in off-kilter hardcore via lots of reverb, bratty, snarled vocals and plenty of nods to heaps of other genres. While the band keeps things moving forward with the frantic energy of 80s punk and hardcore, they blend it with everything from rock and roll to surf music, and at times even psychadelia (check out the intro 'No-no'). All these seemingly mismatched elements come together in a cacophonic mix of frustration, aggression and straight up weirdness. Go download EP for free at Bad People's bandcamp, or go buy the record from Feeble Minds.

Tracklisting:
1. They Think I'm Rotten
2. Daddy's Little Boy
3. Piss + Shit
4. No-no
5. Weird One
6. Blue Lines
7. Talking Cat

Bandcamp
Buy

50/50 - Skate Gore EP

'Skate Gore'
50/50
2007

Genre: Grindcore, Deathgrind, Goregrind
For Fans Of: Insect Warfare, Circle Of Dead Children, In Disgust, P.L.F

50/50 are a self-labelled skate-grind band, so I was expecting some fast paced, thrashcore influenced stuff when I first listened to them. Much to my surprise I discovered that they have more in common with the death/gore-grind side of things. Brutal, guttural vocals and beefy riffs and slams dominate this corker of an EP, with filthy, gore soaked lyrics centering around skateboarding. While this may seem like a gimmicky sort of band, 50/50 really do deliver some crushing tunes on this release, and while they may be defunct now, you can still snag the goods here.

TRACKLISTING
1. Blood Soaked Security Guard
2. Skate Gore
3. Bong Water Vomitus
4. Wall Ride Waste
5. Curb Slaughter
6. Frontside Face Grind
7. Gator Mutilation
8. Skitchin'
9. Heat Exhaustion
10. Let's Joust
11. Sticky Blunt Stall
12. Testicular Trauma

Download

Kilslug - Answer The Call

'Answer The Call'
Kilslug
1986

Genre/s: Noise rock, sludge, punk
For Fans Of: Flipper, Melvins, Black Flag,

Kilslug are a criminally overlooked band that basically took the weird, annoying side of Flipper and combined it with the grunt and muscle of heavy metal and punk. Kilslug's brand of sleazy, grimy proto-sludge is kind of hard to listen to - it's grating, it's off kilter and just, really, really lazy - but like Flipper, it works really well.  Boredom, frustration, anger - it's all here, but with a wry sense of humour and a heavy dose of cynicism. Dissillusionment has never sounded so good folks.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Into A Hole
2. Henderson's Rag
3. Death Squad
4. Of Course
5. Demon Blue
6. Tart Cart
7. Red Devil
8. Make It Rain
9. Eater Time
10. Bring Back The Dead
11. Bad Karma

Download

Dead Language - Self Titled LP

'Dead Language'
Dead Language
2011

Genre/s: Powerviolence, Fastcore
For Fans Of: No Comment, Iron Lung, Low Threat Profile, Walls

Holy shit man, you should've seen my jaw drop when I first heard about these guys. Members of Iron Lung and Walls - with the legendary Andy Beattie (No Comment, Low Threat Profile, Man Is The Bastard etc etc). You can see why I was so enthusiastic. Essentially capturing the raw fury of the 90s scene, courtesy of Beattie's relentless vocal assault and pitting it against the noisy, angular oddities of Iron Lung Record's alumni, this LP is a kick ass slice of powerviolence goodness. The slow/fast dynamics are played excellently, while the feedback and noise brays angrily in between the bursts of violence and anger. Album closer 'Misanthropy' is probably the highlight - a 9 minute juggernaut of sludgy noise rock with some brilliant atmospheric noise work, though anything off this release is gold in my eyes. Ch-ch-ch-check it out.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Paranoia
2. Kingdom Come
3. Taking Control
4. They're Still Out There
5. We Are Watching You Fail
6. Short Straw
7. Ignorance
8. A New Dark Age
9. Misanthropy

Download

Headless Death - Demo

'Demo'
Headless Death
2011

Genre/s: Grindcore, Death Metal, Hardcore
For Fans Of: Phobia, Napalm Death, Terrorizer, Agathocles

Headless death are a sweet little outfit from Melbourne who play some great, early grindcore influenced tunes. This demo's a filthy, murk mish-mash of crust, grind, death metal and punk with awesome raspy vocals and great grooves. The lo-fi quality of this demo really adds a great element to the listen, especially with the drums (cymbals especially) dominating the overall sound. These dudes whould have some new stuff out soon, so keep an ear out.

TRACKLISTING: 
1. Total Atrophy
2. Fuse
3. Solace In Death
4. Dietary Underclass
5. Flawless System
6. Rape Yourself
7. Hating Life (Grave cover)
8. Headless Death
9. Thrash And Blow Up

Download
Bandcamp

No Trend - Too Many Humans

'Too Many Humans'
No Trend
1984

Genre/s: Noise Rock, No Wave, Hardcore, Noise Punk
For Fans Of: Brainbombs, Mars, DNA, Flipper, Sonic Youth

No Trend are one of the few bands I consider to be a 'legitimate' punk band. They really didn't give a shit. Their music's the manifestation of their disillusionment with the then current punk/hardcore scene and it's contrived, pigeonholed sound, and I think that's great. Taking cues from the more dissonant no wave bands of the New York scene, throwing in the aggression of punk and hardcore and the dense and glueing it together with the weirdness and experimental edge that made Sonic Youth so popular - No Trend's unique style made them one of the more interesting acts to appear in the 1980s punk scene. The lyrics and vocal delivery are incredibly scathing and cynical,  the guitars scrape and grind and fuzz in a horrendous display of atonality all while strong, repetitive and unusually cohesive bass lines keep everything from collapsing in on itself. No Trend went on to evolve into a jazz/funk/punk fusion band, and while their sound had lost it's abrasive ege they still managed to be 1000x more 'punk' than half the bands around today, purely because of their uncompromising dedication to churning out weird, challenging music.

TRACKLISTING
1. Family Style
2. Blow Dry
3. Reality Breakdown
4. Kiss Ass To Your Peer Group
5. Fashion Tips For The 80s
6. Too Many Humans
7. For The Fun Of It All
8. Mindless Little Insects
9. Happiness Is...

Download

Direwolves - Me From Myself, To Banish

'Me From Myself To Banish'
Direwolves
2012

Genre: Hardcore, Metalcore
For Fans Of: Birds In Row, Jungbluth, United Nations, Alpinist

Direwolves are a hardcore from band France who play a refreshing style of modern hardcore. Think metallic hardcore, but with nods to screamo, crust and post rock. Crushing guitars and chaotic vocals are set against quieter, more progressive sections, intertwined with raw emotion and energy. These guys are yet another excellent band off Throatruiner Record's awesome roster (Yes, go check it out) and well worth your time.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Growling Defeat
2. Dialogue Of No Light
3. Reach This Hand
4. Diving And Struggling
5. Me From Myself - To Banish
6. Relief

Download
Bandcamp

Full Of Hell - Noise (Volumes 1 - 4)

'FOH Noise' (Volumes 1-4)
Full Of Hell
2011 - 2013

Genre: Harsh Noise, Ambient, Experimental
For Fans Of: Merzbow, Bastard Noise, Throbbing Gristle

You may or may not know Full of Hell. You may or may not also know that they've been releasing some neat little noise tapes every so often. Abandoning their usual dark hardcore assault completely (save for 'Atmosphere' - the awesome sludge metal re-imaging of the Joy Division song on Vol. 4), these tapes showcase Full Of Hell's more experimental side. These 4 tapes contain a range of noisy delacacies - from power electronics, ambient, drone and just straight up harsh noise. These suckers are a must have for any fan of the band, especially those of you who enjoyed their forays into noise on their other releases.

TRACKLISTING:

FOH Noise Vol.1:
1. there is a beginning...
2. a dream
3. walking dissonance
4. and an end...

FOH Noise Vol. 2
1. Defeaning Echoes
2. ...Of A Vacant Dwelling

FOH Noise Vol. 3
1. Atmosphere
2. Dead Mudlark In Thames
3. Outpost 1-2 6

FOH Noise Vol. 4
1. Passed Oast
2. Airstrike #304: Civillians Become Soot
3. Secular Form
4. Birth Of Trog
5. Paint Peels Listless From Every Wall

Download
Bandcamp

Dragged Into Sunlight - Widowmaker

'Widowmaker'
Dragged Into Sunlight
2012

Genre: Blackened Doom, Sludge Metal, Death Metal
For Fans Of: Anaal Nathrakh, Coffinworm, Meth Drinker


Dragged Into Sunlight, everyone's (least)favourite purveyors of sonic despair unleashed this bad boy on us last year, and cor blimey it's still a force to be reckoned with. Throw every slow/dark/evil genre you can think of together, kick it in the teeth a couple of times and kill its parents and you'll have a pretty good idea as to what Dragged Into Sunlight sound like. On this album, or rather song (or both??) DiS pour all their nihilism, misanthropy and hatred into one ugly 40 minute dirge. Technically a song in three parts - the first part is surprisingly poignant (though eerie and foreboding) - setting the scene with subdued guitars, pianos and melancholic strings. Fifteen minutes in is where things get gnarly - a gritty sample just before the song lurches into its monstrous 2nd and 3rd parts. It's the typical DiS from here on in, howling/growling vocals, massive guitars and lumbering, feedback drenched doom catharsis.

TRACKLISTING
1. Widowmaker (Parts 1, 2, and 3)


Download 

Breathe Knives - Hellen Keller EP

'Hellen Keller'
Breathe Knives
2012

Genre: Metalcore, Noisecore, Grindcore
For Fans Of: Throats, Graf Orlock, Godflesh, Totally Unicorn


Woo! This blog's first submission (remember submissions are totally cool, just don't inundate me). Breathe Knives, apart from having a pretty creative name, churn out some awesome, off-kilter metallic 'core'. I say 'core' because it's pretty tricky to pigeon hole these guys. While the guitars are definitely rooted in the noisecore/chaotic metalcore side of things, the raspy, gnarly vocals sound like something off a Phobia album and the programmed drums lend it a cool industrial/inhuman vibe. There's the right balance of abrasiveness and groove (all hail the chug) while the samples keep things fresh and amusing (The Louis CK one in 'Whorehouse In Distress'). Give this a listen, and while you're at check out their other stuff on bandcamp.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Seatbelt For Your Teeth
2. Smiledriver
3. Whorehouse In Distress

Bandcamp

Rainbow Of Death - Self Titled EP

'Rainbow Of Death'
Rainbow of Death
2007

Genre: Fastcore, Hardcore, Powerviolence
For Fans Of: Dead Kennedys, Romantic Gorilla, Jellyroll Rockheads, Mind Of Asian

I was lucky enough to catch Monarch! the other day, and holy fucking shit they put on a hell of a show. ANYWAY I was reminded that the members of Monarch! also play in a kick-ass band called Rainbow of Death. Rainbow of Death play a delightfully mismatched style of hardcore that blends the ferocity and intensity of fastcore and powerviolence with catchy hooks reminiscent of J-Pop (vocals and all). And on top of that, they throw in a couple brief moments of surf-y/skate-y punk (a la Dead Kennedys or the Adolescents). If that doesn't sound like the tightest shit, then you're on the wrong fucking site buddy. But seriously, this is by far one the catchiest punk albums in the decade, and it's great if you want something with a bit of bite - but you can still tap your foot along to. Unfortunately this EP is the only thing Rainbow Of Death has put out (and it doesn't look like they'll be putting anything else out), so go snag it and play it until your ears fall off or something.

TRACKLIST
1. Rainbow Of Death
2. Nice Happy Day
3. Turbonekronomicon
4. Death Rock and Rollerskates
5. Bayonne Uber Alles
6. Corpse-Paint Cowboy
7. Five Finger Discount Anthem
8. Hellbent For Kitty
9. Transylvanian Princess
10. Hellectric Guitarmy
11. Dark Funeral
12. Fuck The Future
13. Hello! Candy Kill

Download

Hammerhead - Evil Twin EP

'Evil Twin'
Hammerhead
1993

Genre: Noise Rock, Grunge, Hardcore
For Fans Of: Unsane, Mudhoney, Cows, Kepone

Hammerhead were one of AmRep's more grungier and accessible bands, though that doesn't mean they won't rip you a new one. Sporting a sound that's muddy, groovy and abrasive with so many awesome bass riffs you'll lose count of them, this EP is 7 reasons why the 90s were cool as fuck.

Washout

Hailgun - Accident EP

'Accident EP'
Hailgun
2012

Genre: Hardcore
For Fans Of: Haymaker, The Gatecrashers, Gang Green, SS Decontrol

Hailgun are a nifty little hardcore outfit from Melbourne, Australia. On this EP they showcase a modern take on the speedier side of 80s hardcore with plenty of thrashy riffs and throwdown opportunities. I rank these guys up there as one of the best Australian hardcore bands around at the moment, and they're definitely worth checking out. They have a bandcamp too, so go give that a look too.

You're Fucked
Bandcamp

Coughs - Fright Makes Right

'Fright Makes Right'
Coughs
2005

Genre: Noise Rock, No Wave, Experimental
For Fans Of: Boredoms, Happy Flowers, Melt Banana, Teenage Jesus And The Jerks

Not to be confused with the doom metal band (Cough), Coughs bring a very different brand of musical nihilism. Atonal is a word that comes to mind, but it truly doesn't do the band justice. Frontwoman Anya Davidson's scary, schizophrenic vocals (thinks screams, off key singing and spoken word) lead the aural assault, a barrage of noise achieved by a range of instruments including saxophones, oil drums, keyboards and sheet metal. If scary, rhythmic and tribal noise rock via 70s new wave sounds like your kinda thing, give this a shot.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Intro
2. Animal Hospital
3. Come Back To Me
4. Elephant
5. Elimidate
6. Fright Makes Right
7. Garter Snake
8.  Give Peace A Chance
9. Homeland
10. I'm Just A Bill
11. Mail Order
12. Narwhal
13. Penal Colony
14. Photo Safari
15. Starchitect
16. Stars And Stripes And Whatever

Penal Colony

Macronympha - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

'Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania'
Macronympha
1995

Genre: Harsh Noise
For Fans Of: Prurient, Grunt, Yellow Tears, Grey Wolves

One of the more well-known US harsh noise acts, Macronypmha create bleak, industrial-esque noisescapes that'll make your skin crawl and your ears bleed - using sheet metal, effects loops and various other pieces of analogue equipment to recreate the stifling, dirty atmosphere of Pittsburgh's steel mills and lower class suburbs through a screeching, crawling vortex of noise.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Necro
2. Hispanic
3. Semite (Arab and Jew)
4. Rusted Steel and Rotting Flesh

Rusted Steel and Rotting Flesh

Coffins - Buried Death

'Buried Death'
Coffins
2008

Genre: Death Metal, Doom Metal
For Fans Of: Autopsy, Obituary, Winter, Convulse

Coffins are a metal band straight outta Japan who play a devilish mix of traditional death metal and doom metal. By taking the groove pioneered by Floridian death metal bands in the late 80s/early 90s and adding in the sinister, diminished tones of doom (a la Autopsy), Coffins have concocted a purulent, pulsating metal monster. The grunted, guttural vocals add an extra element of menace and 'grossness' to the album, masking it in the unmistakable stench of death and dread.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Under The Stench
2. Buried Death
3. Cadaver Blod
4. Altars In Gore
5. Mortificiation To Ruin
6. Deadly Sinners
7. Purgatorial Madness
8. Frozen Styx

Altars In Gore

Cattle Decapitation - Discography

!DISCOGRAPHY!
Cattle Decapitation
1996 - 2012

Includes:

'Ten Torments of the Damned' - 1997
'Human Jerky' - 1999
'Homovore' - 2000
'¡Decapitacion!'
'To Serve Man' - 2002
'Humanure' - 2004
'Split EP with Caninus' - 2005
'Karma. Bloody. Karma'
'The Harvest Floor' - 2009
'Monolith Of Inhumanity' - 2012


Genre: Deathgrind, Goregrind, Grindcore, Death Metal
For Fans Of: Cephalic Carnage, Aborted, Lord Gore, Murder Construct, Regurgitate

This here is a complete collection of everybody's favourite vegan grinders. Starting life as companion band of sorts to the the Locust, and eventually evolving from the disgusting goregrind or earlier releases into a technically proficient deathgrind beast, there's something in here for everybody (well, uh, you know what I mean). When it comes to lyrics, Cattle Decapitation's got some of the most imaginative, vivid and down right horrid and vocally, Travis Ryan grunts, growls, squeals and squelches his way through a menagerie of putrid, purulent songs. Instrumentally you'll be treated to groovy slams, technical death metal riffs and the fastest, most brutal drumming I've ever heard. This is a must have for any fan of the genre.

(Note: The parts aren't in chronological order, so it's all over the place. On the other hand, it's a complete discography, so that's cool)

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Затухание - Self Titled

'Затухание'
Затухание
2012

Genre: Harsh Noise, Blackened Noise, Black Metal
For Fans Of: Stalaggh/Gulaggh, Vegas Martyrs, Feldgrau, D-Clone

This here is a vile piece of nastiness. 6 tracks of harsh, misanthropic, nihilistic cacophony that barely resembles music. Weaving between industrial/noise and a more conventional black metal style, Затухание is a truly fucked up concoction of venemous sounds.


TRACKLISTING:
1. туманами...
2. зора утихает
3. тростью убит...
4. Кикимора
5. древодемон
6. И в лесу и в избе... лежу я везде

Download

Bandcamp

Scaphe - Forking Paths

'Forking Paths'
Scaphe
2012

Genre: Powerviolence, Grindcore, Experimental
For Fans Of: Man Is The Bastard, Bastard Noise, Consent, Godstomper

Everyone loves Man Is The Bastard (or pretends to love them), and in lieu of their renewed popularity, comes Scaphe. On this LP, the band showcases their bass heavy (and only sound), with plenty of intricate riffs, progressions and drum fills. Across 9 tracks, the band explores lightning fast jazz/hardcore fusion, monolithic sludge and power electronics - a delightful combination if you ask me. While these guys are certainly indebted to MITB, they've managed to put a more modern and updated spin to their music that keeps things fresh. This is a band that I'll definitely be keeping an eye, and with a new LP in the works, there's even more reason to be excited.

Lowlands
Bandcamp

Satan's Satyrs - Wild Beyond Belief!

'Wild Beyond Belief'

Satan's Satyrs

2012

Genre: Too many to list

For Fans Of: Electric Wizard, Inepsy, G.G Allin, Brainbombs

Holy shit, this band is basically a chimera made entirely of various music genres. I could simplify things and call it metal punk (the band lists Electric Wizard and Black Flag as their main influences) but it goes a whole lot deeper than that. Take the sleazyness of garage rock, add the abrasiveness of noise rock mix in some stoner riffs and sprinkle a bit of first wave black metal rawness on it, and you've got Satan's Satyrs. The guitars are fuzzy the vocals are scuzzy and the recording lo-fi. Basically this sounds like a cooler version of the 70s.

Sadist 69

Torturing Nurse - NanaNanaNanaNanaNanaNana

'NanaNanaNanaNanaNana'

Torturing Nurse

2005

Genre: Harsh Noise, Experimental

For Fans Of: Hijokaidan, Hanatarash, Government Alpha, The Gerogerigegege

Torturing Nurse are a harsh noise act from China and on this release, they deliver 45 tracks of unbridled noise-fuckery. There's synth pulses, clanging metal, screams, crazed warbling and heavily altered guitars clamoring together in an orgy of low frequency bursts and high frequency shrieks. Nothing exceeds the two minute mark on this release, and the constant aural assault might eventually tack its toll on your patience and/or ears, but this is an interesting listening nonetheless, with plenty of varied sounds and approaches to noise.

NanaNanaNanaAnanAnanAnan

thedowngoing - Untitled EP

'Untitled EP'
thedowngoing
2011

Genre: Noisegrind, Noisecore, Grindcore
For Fans Of: Star Sete Sept, HIRS, Anal Cunt, Today Is The Day

thedowngoing are noisegrind outfit straight outta Newcastle, Australia and for a two piece band, these dudes make an ungodly amount of racket. While these guys sometimes tread in conventional grindcore territory with their riffs and drumming, they're firmly rooted in the noisier aspect of the genre. The vocals are amazing - high pitched screams that sound like they're tearing out someone's vocal cords as they're being delivered and gravelly, throaty lows. The cacophony of blastbeats and tremolo picking begins to just melt into your brain and after 9 tracks, it'll probably start seeping out of your nose. One thing's for sure - this is the most sonically intense thing to come out of Australia since 'Earth.Water.Sun' by Agents Of Abhorrence, and after one listen your ears will never be the same again.

TRACKLISTING:
1. comingdown
2. inchurch
3. claw
4. droughtbreaker
5. december
6. pulledbystrings
7. hurtnone
8. badmachete
9. muted

Download
Bandcamp

Agents Of Satan - The Old Testament

'The Old Testament'
Agents of Satan
2003

Genre: Powerviolence, Grindcore
For Fans Of: Excruciating Terror, The Ultimate Warriors, Plutocracy

Agents of Satan are a whacked out, gory, obscene grind/pv outfit who seemed to be most active in the late 90s. Crazy, high pitched shrieks meet deep, guttural vocals while the instruments lay down some groovy, grind riffs. This release here is basically a discography, complete with some live tracks, unreleased stuff and a few songs from the band's previous incarnation (Radioactive Lunch). Interestingly enough, the lead singer of this band had one arm and they did a split with Burn The Priest (who would of course go on to become Lamb of God).
But I digress- if some goofy, gross and dumb music is what you're after than you've come to the right place.

Goatcore

Unsane - Scattered, Covered and Smothered

'Scattered, Smothered and Covered'
Unsane
1995

Genre: Noise Rock, Hardcore, Metal, Alternative Rock
For Fans Of: Helmet, Melvins, The Jesus Lizard, Fudge Tunnel

First thing's first - if you haven't listened to this album, and you consider yourself a fan of 90s alternative - fet the fuck outta here. This is Unsane's third (and arguably best) release, and on it they refined their sludgy, groovy and menacing take on heavy alternative music. Come to think of it, refine is a poor choice of words - this is a sloppy, grating and raw slice of Am Rep aggression. Everything from the album cover to Chris Spence's tortured vocals points to this being a violent, turbulent beast of an album, and it is. This is a 10/10 album, and rightly so. Also this album gets extra points because of the harmonica in 'Alleged' - godfuckingdamn it's cool.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Scrape
2. Alleged
3. Blame Me
4. Out
5. Can't See
6. Get Off My Back
7. Blew
8. Empty Cartridge
9. No Loss
10. Test My Faith
11. Ruin
12. Swim

Download

Taake - Nekro

'Nekro'
Taake
2007

Genre: Black Metal
For Fans Of: Carpathian Forest, Ulver, Immortal, Norwegian black metal in general

Again, I'll admit I know very little about black metal, and it's probably not a good idea for me to start comparing this stuff to other bands. That being said, this little 3 song EP here was almost solely responsible for convincing me that black metal didn't suck ass. Taake have the right balance of melody and brutality conveyed perfectly through lightning fast riffs, throaty shrieks and ferocious energy. The production's raw enough to make it an organic listening experience, and crisp enough that the drums don't sound like sprinklers.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Voldtekt
2. Lamb (Von cover)
3.  Hennes Kalde Skamlepper

Download

Guilty Connector - Mother's Bloated Corpse

'Mother's Bloated Corpse'
Guilty Connector
2008

Genre: Harsh Noise, Power Electronics
For Fans Of: Merzbow, Incapacitants, C.C.C.C, etc.

Mother's Bloated corpse is a suitably gruesome title for such an ugly, volatile release. This is 10 of some of the most venomous, abrasive harsh noise committed to CD. It's a pulsating, oscillating ride and while most of it is straight up noise, there are some punk and metal influences evident (there's a Sabbath cover/remix) and a few traditional instruments thrown in for good measure. This is an intense listen folks, with only a few 'quiet' moments to give you enough time to pick yourself up off the floor.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Guilty C.
2. Mother's Bloated Corpse -WRN!
3. Mother's Bloated Corpse -STF MIX
4. Subway To The Agharta
5. Symptom Of The Universe
6. Now Wait For Yesternow
7. Manimal Genocidal
8. STTV-LKA
9. Heremsaurus At Ant-Anna

10. Different Water

Download

Queens Of The Stone Age- Self Titled

'Queens Of The Stone Age'

Queens Of The Stone Age

1999

Genre: Stoner Rock, Stoner Metal, Desert Rock, Alternative

For Fans Of: Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Torche, Them Crooked Vultures

And now for something completely different. Queens Of The Stone Age get lumped into that horrendous, modern bastardised version of the 'alternative' category, and this seems to put off a lot of people. If you can look past this, you'll get some excellent riffs, brilliant vocals and some pretty unique music. There's a lot about this album in particular to like - the bass riff in Mexicola, Josh Homme's washed out, falsetto vocals in Regular John or the intro to Walking On The Sidewalks. It's a groovy, it's a little odd and it's pretty darn heavy. Let the fuzzy, riffy goodness wash over you - it'll melt your brain and get stuck in your head for weeks. Oh yeah.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Regular John
2. Avon
3. If Only
4. Walkin' on the Sidewalks
5. You Would Know
6. How to Handle a Rope 
7. Mexicola
8. Hispanic Impressions
9. You Can't Quit Me Baby
10. Give the Mule What He Wants

11. I Was a Teenage Hand Model

Download

Breathing Fire - Years of Lead

'Years of Lead'
Breathing Fire
2008

Genre: Powerviolence, Hardcore, Stoner/Sludge
For Fans of: Spazz, Capitalist Casualties, Dystopia, Mammoth Grinder

Breathing Fire are a rowdy group of misfits playing some super fast, hardcore/powerviolence jams. While about 65% of their stuff is straight forward, face smashing pv, they've opted for a fuzzy guitar tone and the occasional stoner/sludge metal riff. While most bands in the genre are no strangers to slow, drawn out passages, Breathing Fire add some much welcome groove and personality to the chug. This is a top notch LP, and it comes complete with a pretty faithful rendition of 'I Wanna Be Dog'. Neato.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Short Leg
2. Cara Al Sol
3. Sb140
4. Target Face
5. Aguirre
6. Great Silence
7. Capo Morra
8. Super Siege
9. Wsrd
10. I Wanna Be Your Dog (Stooges cover)
11. Hit Machines
12. Hntr127

13. Diet333

Download

Threatener - And The Bending Of Throats

'And The Bending of Throats'
Threatener
2006

Genre: Powerviolence, Fastcore, Noisecore
For Fans Of: Crossed Out, D-Clone, Triac

10 songs, 4 minutes and more stop and starts than you can poke a broken drumstick at. Threatener don't let up at all on this EP - it's some of the most noisy, abrasive powerviolence I've had the (dis)pleasure of hearing. The drums and guitars are raw as fuck, and will cut through you like the rustiest fucking buzzsaw in the shed, while the frantic, yelled vocals will beat the shit out of your dismembered corpse. You want a nasty piece of hardcore brutality? Go listen to this.

TRACKLISTING:
1. Weekend Mishap
2. Gates Of Tooth And Horn
3. Six Robes
4. Chaos Apes
5. Infant Reprimand
10. Antlers In The Throat
11. Powertools As A Means For Liberation From A Restrictive Species
12. Amniotic Trauma
13. Pills From A Phone Booth Change Tray

14. Home Remedies

Download