Mitch Hedberg once said (or probably repeated the joke many times, actually), "Because of acid I now know that butter is way better than margarine. I saw through the bullshit." Now, I'm not suggesting the guys in Von Wolfe are on acid, but if they were it would make sense because they have drafted up a blueprint of bullshitless southern hardcore that is more honest, soulful, and heavier than the trendy song and dance acts of similar sounding bands.
When most think southern tinged metallic hardcore there's most likely going to be an echo of Every Time I Die riffs bouncing across ear drums. That's definitely an accurate comparison as Von Wolfe is a very riff heavy band with a noticeable twang. The difference (other than actually being from the south) is Von Wolfe channels a more traditional hardcore influence rather than Lynyrd Skynyrd making out with Poison the Well in an I-10 rest stop stall. There's not any singing or any attempt to water down the metallic riffs so that they'd feel comfortable floating down the Chattooga River like Maylene. No, Von Wolfe's brand of hardcore is more along the lines of pissed off bands like Cursed, or some of the straightened out moments of Converge. The vocals are also a bit on the Cursed side and have that overdriven coarse scream of fellow southerner Josh Scogin of The Chariot.
Their debut EP, Life's a Beach, is fast, heavy, relentless and very well recorded. Sure there's some breakdowns and a couple of two-step moments, but nothing that feels trite or worn out. There isn't much on the record that strays from their formula, but with only an EP's worth of material it doesn't get old and requires a few extra spins to indulge in the havoc (listen to it below).
Noisecore is like a less refined (in a good way) version of tech metal and also similar to metalcore, but without any of the breakdowns or singing choruses (soooo, early metalcore). The first noisecore record I had ever heard was Deadguy's Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet. After the departure of Tim Singer and Keith Huckins, Deadguy's sound took on a faster more dissonant off-beat direction (perhaps because of the addition of Jim Baglino from Human Remains) and also Pops' vocals were far more screechy and less intelligible than Tim Singer's angry yells. Though, I'm sure there were some really good noisecore records before this, Screamin'... is a good barometer to measure current noisy bands against. Some other noisier bands from the late 90's early 00's included Burnt by the Sun (also boasting Human Remains alumn), Anodyne, and Playing Enemy. It was about that time that Calculating Infinity really took off and As the Sun Sets second album that featured shorter grindier songs came out. As a result, bands that may have headed in the noisecore direction gravitated more towards tech metal or pseudo-grind. I bring this up because in the past year or so I have heard of a few newer bands that tackle the noisecore sound with the caustic nostalgia of the turn of the century.
Kiss the Sky Goodbye I've heard rumors that Baltimore, Maryland is grimy and dirty and kind of dangerous. If that's true then Kiss the Sky Goodbye embodies the nature of their hometown as they tear through 5 tracks on their 2009 Ignite Records debut EP Fuck. KTSG only slow down to produce the somber outro on the final track, but by then their noisecore cyclone has already shredded your ears.
Panic Candy I guess I heard this band on one of the many Mecha Organa compilations, but just overlooked it. When I finally noticed this band is on bandcamp while doing a search for bands that sound like Converge. It's somewhat of an accurate comparison, but Panic Candy, from the suburbs of Boston, is a little more unhinged and chaotic and bring about far more shifts in their music per song. Vocals similar to the above Kiss the Sky Goodbye, that overdriven screech, though not as high pitched. Panic Candy also uses a bit more double bass, yet also a little (only slightly) less breakneck speed. Their debut self titled EP came out at the end of last year.
Meek is Murder The only full length of the bunch, Meek is Murder definitely uses their time to explore aspects of noisecore other than just going fast and seeing how many changes they can legitimately slam into a song in under 2 minutes (though there is plenty of that, too). Meek... shares some similarities with Inevitable End and the vocals kind of have that Chris Colohan of Cursed if he were really paranoid vibe.
When I started Scrape and Scatter there were a handful of bands that I wanted to share right from the beginning. I don't think I've even gotten through half of them. Rinoa was definitely on the shortlist and since this (ugh) "blog" has been going they've broken up and started various other bands in different genres. Well screw it, they're still good enough to talk about.
From a cursory glance at the track lengths on An Age Among Them and the atmospheric intro on the first song you could guess that Rinoa would have a lot in common with bands like Isis. While there are some similarities between Rinoa and post-metal, especially repetition, they also have the straight ahead simplicity of a band like Will Haven. Throw in some unexpected melody and it kind of sounds like if Will Haven had some assistance from fellow Sacto native Stephen Carpenter of Deftones writing guitar parts for them. Now "straight ahead," "simplistic," and "repetitious" may sound slightly boring, but where Rinoa cast that assumption aside is with unpredictable chord progressions which isn't an easy feat when most of their songs are in a 4/4 time signature. The vocals and song structure are akin to that of Japanese screamo legends Envy. Don't worry, for once this English remake isn't a watered down version of the Japanese original. If there is one complaint it's that the vocals can be a little too monotone. I'm not saying that they needed to be trite and "pretty" or mainstream, but it could be argued that the melodic parts suffered from a lack of vocal variance (though I think they're just fine).
Where You Should Begin:An Age Among Them, the only full length from Rinoa is definitely the way to go, but the self titled EP is worth picking up if only for the song "Atlantis." If you want to round out the catalog the only other release they have is a split with Bossk which contains a track that wasn't released on the EP or LP.
Essential Song: This is what I believe to be their best song, but about 2 minutes are cut from it I guess to make the music video more accessible
OK, so we're not all born with a Minor Threat seven inch in our Fisher Price Phonograph. We all stumble while developing our musical interests and for a time I was into nu-metal. What's important is that we learn and grow. What was kind of embarrassing was watching some hardcore bands try to jump on the nu-metal bandwagon to cash in only to later find out that they were blazing a trail that left nu-metal bands scrambling to change their oversized jnco's and fishnets for girls jeans and black band T's. It was too late for the those who jumped the hardcore catamaran for the nu-metal Titanic, though. The damage to credibility and fan base had already been sustained.
Anyway, I still have the first 2 Korn records in my library, and rejoiced when Deftones were finally able to shed the "nu" label. I was curious if any other bands I used to listen to in the mid-90's (even though this came out in 2000) still resonated with me so I went back and downloaded a few (what? I'm not paying for that garbage... again). First was Coal Chamber. I had always seen DevilDriver tour dates being listed and didn't even realize it was the same singer. I checked out DevilDriver (not a fan) and it reminded me to go back and listen to Coal Chamber's self titled debut. I figured I liked it when it came out, surely there would be a song or 2 that were still listenable. Nope. It's really bad, and if you're contemplating the same self-exploratory experiment, I'll save you the time, and details, just don't do it.
A deep feeling of reluctance came over me as I was downloading Gift by Taproot. I even checked out a song before downloading and wasn't really feeling it, but still followed through anyway. Then I felt a brief moment of joy before the shame kicked in. Everything in me was telling me that I shouldn't like this record. The simple drop D chords that sound too close to Korn's "Blind", the white guy with spiky hair occasionally rapping, the whiny Fred Durst-esque vocals. None of that could deter me, I still really like this record. It's just so much heavier than those other depressing alterna-rock wannabe metal bands with singers who tried way too hard to sound like Layne Staley.
Now I'm not saying this record isn't without faults. There's plenty, but these guys just knew how to write some of the heaviest, yet catchiest choruses. In fact, sometimes they'll even stumble through the song and it feels like the track should be skipped, but then they pull themselves together and there's that feeling of shame again as you're banging your head (specifically the attempt at a trite screamy pre-chorus on "Now" only to be followed by a much more memorable singing chorus). That's all that they really have, actually and so many successful artists write crap songs, but the hooks get you. So, string in a little destruction for the chorus and the hit or miss verses won't matter. The screaming on Gift works best when it's just a one off inclusion rather than yelling through an entire verse or chorus. The album definitely sputters when it approaches the middle tracks and has a few sparkling moments towards the end, but never quite returns to the consistency of the first 1/3 of the record.
Upon catching up on what Taproot was up to I saw that their latest release had been put out by Victory. I thought maybe they were one of those nu-metal bands that had experimented with a hardcore sound and that's why Victory was interested. I couldn't even make it through one song before I realized this was post-2000 Victory and not 1996 Victory so why would they be interested in anything hardcore or even legitimate?
If you have a soft spot for that nu-metal fad, but somehow skipped over Gift, go ahead and give it a spin. Screw what your elitist friends say. It's only a problem if after listening you go and get an eyebrow piercing.
(A two week hiatus and I can't believe I chose to write about this and not the Coalesce or Botch ideas I had been throwing around.)
It's pretty weird, the innumerable outlets we have to find out about new (to us) music. Not that long ago I feel like I was only finding out about bands I had never heard of by going to shows, compilation CD's, recommendations from friends, or even just judging an album by its cover and buying it based solely on the artwork. For me to stumble on The Joy Formidable the way that I did just feels like a stupid anomaly dictated by the age that we live in. I noticed that I had a new subscriber, or friend, or whatever on my YouTube account. When I checked to see who it was my eyes were drawn to the first video in this person's playlist. The still was of a short haired platinum blonde playing guitar and singing. I mean I love The Cardigans, Maura Davis, and Kylesa and I really don't mean to sound sexist, but I'm just generally not into much music that involves female singers. Most guys I know aren't. Now I'm not really one to believe in fate or that serendipity has time for me, but for whatever reason I watched the video... and here we are.
As a three piece, The Joy Formidable attempt to create as much noise as 3 humans can possibly make live and on recording. They are successful at both, but for different reasons. On the recordings there is a lot of focus on electronic layers and while it does sound overdriven and noisy, the low end seems to suffer a bit. When they play live efforts are made to encompass the electronic loops, but this is where a more raw sound occurs and where The Joy Formidable really flourishes. On recording they may sound like a poppier Pixies or a female fronted Muse with Ritzy Bryan's vocals being akin to Björk mixed with one of the ladies from Ladytron (take your pick, doesn't matter which one), and this is what they sound like live, too, but with fits of improv noise ala Sonic Youth. Also, the heavy hitting metal style drumming of Matt Thomas and Rhydian Dafydd's chunky bass add a pummeling that just isn't captured on recording. Of course, all of this is what I've seen through videos since I foolishly skipped their appearance that was near me. Don't you do the same.
Ritzy's doll-like attire definitely brings an element of surprise when The Joy Formidable builds up to their infectious choruses because though you might be expecting something kind of poppy and catchy, you aren't ready for the weight with which they deliver it. Another aspect of their live act is that you can tell they are enjoying the shit out of themselves and having fun no matter the crowd size, reaction, or venue. At the same time you can watch Ritzy transform as moments in the music seem to just take over her. It's quite inspiring and genuine.
(One thing I do feel the need to add which does detract from them a little bit is that The Joy Formidable is going to be featured on the next Twilight soundtrack. That said and I still think they're worth talking about)
Where They Started: 2008's A Balloon Called Moaning
Where You Should Start: Doesn't really matter. Though, the latest release The Big Roar is the first to feature the harder hitting (and some times double bass-ing) Matt Thomas, it's really not that noticeable until you see them live. I guess I do enjoy the songs on The Big Roar more, plus is also has the best tracks from the first release rerecorded.
I'm just going to skip past "Essential Song" here and just give a few remarkable live videos.
The video I first got sucked in by:
I know it's the same song, but it's equally as impressive a performance.
Actually, just watch the whole SXSW performance, it's really great.
It doesn't often show itself, but I do have a soft side. Very rarely is it ignited when I'm venturing out to find a few friends at our favorite local bar. Sometimes they did have bands playing which was usually more of an annoyance than an evening enhancer. One night, though, while some of my friends were choosing to stand outside with their drinks, I was paralyzed by airy lightly picked guitar chords floating across the room. The rhythm section began to fill the space with their crescendo as the softly sung vocals started their drift. Quickly, this seemingly nonthreatening trio had transformed into a loud, emotionally heavy, yet gentle, giant.
Accidentally stumbling onto a band is just as rewarding, if not more so, than sifting through countless recommendations or genre spot checks. It becomes extremely personal. Gray Young could be easily classified as indie rock, but certainly wouldn't have any difficulty fitting in with any post-rock outfit. The music is very comparable to the layered sound of Explosions in the Sky with some guitar picked moments of Engine Down and a little bit of pop sensibilities ala Sparta. The bass is actually quite thick for an indie/post-whatever band, and the drums are viciously hit with tight precision. Their is also a Sigur Rós vibe, particularly in the sparsely used echoed vocals. Though captured well on recordings, the sound and emotion (especially that of singer/guitarist Chas McKeown) are showcased best in a live setting.
Where You Should Start: I've stated before that it's harder to recommend an EP over a full length so I would go with their first full length Firmament. The first EP and second full length, Staysail, are good listens, too, but Firmament is definitely the stand out release.
Let's crack open another can (make sure it's a can) of cheap beer and discuss the new band (or extension of?) from members of Duck Duck Goose. Pollution People take their name from the last song on the last release by DDG. If you're familiar with the Ducks, perfect, because Pollution People the band pick up right where "Pollution People" the song left off: dirty metalcore with signs of maturity.
If you weren't aware of the Ducks before they disbanded (went on hiatus?), I don't want the word "metalcore" to turn you off. Sure they have some similarities to the genre staples; Norma Jean, or even early Cave In, type riffs recorded with the stripped down dregginess of The Chariot, a few southern fried chords ala Every Time I Die with ETID's crisp concise drumming. Sometimes they sound like the link between Eighteen Visions' Until the Ink Runs Out and Vanity, you know, before 18V started embarrassing themselves by becoming a hair metal band masquerading as a grunge band. What I mean is 18V still had that metal feel while beginning to experiment with a more traditional rock n' roll sound and James Hart started singing while turning his scream into a higher pitched yell. That's what you can expect singer David Ribera to bring to the forefront of Pollution People. If you saw a picture of David after listening to this band, you'd swear his entire torso must be made of lungs. Sure, his smaller stature probably lends to the higher pitch, but the ferocity with which he screams and belts out the notes of his now refined singing voice is colossal.
And it's definitely the singing elements of their brand new EP Future Trash that stand out as the most memorable, though still not the main focus of their chaotic sound. You might have heard flashes of it on DDG's Off Yourself, but as Pollution People, the band has found a way to write around and highlight these segments. Mixed with the turmoil of their heavier moments the new EP does feel like a sort of metalcore At the Drive-In. Now, don't expect anthems with high tenor rants, the record just has that ATDI impression of an inkling of sanity surrounded by unhinged energy. Pollution People are a little rough and unfocused at times, but the EP (and name change) show a maturation process and that these guys are tapping into their own sound. Hopefully they'll stick around for a while and build upon their new endeavor.
Loss for Words - Orlando tech metal. This is some really clever technical music. Truly original and even when the tech genre became over saturated, LFW managed to stand out because of their ability to avoid the trite formulas of the genre. Definitely Dillinger-esque with some of the noisy elements of the last Deadguy EP. Vocals range from Zao type screams to clean vocals that are sung with a nervous waver which add an eerie element never allowing the listener to get comfortable in the lighter moments, which is a good thing. Scott Angelecos of Bloodlet even makes a guest appearance on a song, and LFW’s drummer ended up becoming the drummer for Scott’s other band, Hope and Suicide.
Scrape and Scatter doesn’t really sign bands, but this is kind of as close as it gets and we couldn’t be more excited.
And the Sky Went Black - mathy hardcore from West Palm, Florida. Members of ATSWB came from bands that were quite soulless so they came together to create something that was sincere and honest. Sometimes sincerity comes out in a crushing wave of pounding metal while the honesty pours out through merciless screams. A lot of Botch and Coalesce influence here.
Isaac Hurt - Post-rock from New Jersey. A mostly instrumental band that sounds like a mixture of Explosions in the Sky and Russian Circles. There are some sparse vocal moments ala Mogwai, but Isaac Hurt pushes them more to the forefront of the song rather than lower in the mix. Members have also played in Fight Amp.
p.s. All of the bands posted in the last week or so are bands that Scrape and Scatter Media is working with to get a vast majority of their material out there, which is for the most part unreleased or released at a very limited capacity.
The Glasses Otter - Best described by Kerrang! as “alternative noisecore” the Otter has every finger and every toe in a separate pool of aggressive abrasive music. Guitars have the alternative rock feel, a little Glassjaw post-hardcore with the tight heaviness of The Minor Times, and the timing precision of The Dillinger Escape Plan. The drumming is a non-stop onslaught that hints towards a Ben Koller of Converge influence and the unhinged vocals spiral through every level of a manic depressive asylum patient. Check the facebook page for a completely mutilated Thrice cover.
Bear - Bizarre, erratic, carnival-esque metal from Asheville, NC. They have that similar eerie amusement park feel as Radiation4, with some of the technical aspects of The Dillinger Escape Plan, and when it’s straightened out for the heavy head nodding trudges, the slower parts of Some Girls and Botch come to mind. The schizophrenia of it all is reminiscent of The Sawtooth Grin. Vocals are a combination of SG’s Wes Eisold and the first DEP singer, Dimitri. Scrape and Scatter is currently working with Bear to get a couple of demos and an unreleased EP recorded at Jamie King’s Basement Studio (Between the Buried and Me) out to the public.
Pygmy - Jazzy, mathy, under-appreciated indie rock from Miami, FL. Almost as technical as The Dillinger Escape Plan, but lighthearted and avant-garde enough to be compared to The Flaming Lips. Maybe like a more quirky Faraquet. It just has to be heard. Leaving very little space for classic patterns, the vocalist creates well thought out verses for the technical parts and doesn’t waste an opportunity when the music finally does straighten out to belt out catchy melodies. A lot of songs contain an interesting instrumental emotional dive into jazz influenced indie rock before frolicking back into the more upbeat moments. Although an indie band, the live show did contain a DEP or even At the Drive-In intensity to it.
Members have gone on to form the bands The Down Home Southernaires and Animal Tropical as well as solo projects Can’t Stop and Adames.
The Franklin Cover Up - Party Like It's 1989 by scrapescatter
The Franklin Cover Up - Boise, ID Sociopolitical punk/metal band taking their name from a non-fiction book of the same name divulging a child prostitution ring that is said to have involved many higher-ups in Washington. Expect lyrics that cover that very subject, as well as topical lyrics about other issues plaguing our nation. Expect the tunes to sound similar to Refused, Botch, and Every Time I Die. The new EP was released today and is available for free at http://thefranklincoverup.bandcamp.com/
Members have gone on to be in other Boise heavyweights Bone Dance and BLACKCLOUD
Kings of Prussia - Experimental instrumental metal with an electronic influence from Asheville, NC by way of Miami, FL. Think if Pink Floyd, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nine Inch Nails, and Radiohead collaborated to score a zombie movie soundtrack.
Masters of the Side 1 Track 1 intro. Every release opens with a distant static-y guitar lazily building into an explosion of heavy music as Brendan McAndrew never fails to scream the word "fuck" in the first line; "I'd like to see you word fuck your way out of this." to the more anthemic (as you'll see below) "Fuck me? No, fuck you." to "Turn up the fucking static." (I usually try to edit this and keep it clean, but not this week). Yeah, I know, that sounds like some angsty Korn junk that would attract mall dwellers that swoon for any kind of foul language in music. I've usually clung to the notion that using "fuck" in lyrics is a cheap ploy to attract the forever present angry youth demographic. However, The Minor Times are a lot more clever and way more frightening than that. These aren't gimmicks to lure in the simple minded. It's an alert to warn you about the aural altercation you're about to endure. So put up your dukes because it's too late to talk your way out of this one.
This isn't a prize fight either, it's a sweaty basement near Philly in August. So forget the bells and whistles. In fact, The Minor Times kind of sound like Botch without the bells and whistles. The relentless heavy churning feels a little like Kiss It Goodbye, and a few off beat starts and stops to give a nod to tech metal. Where The Minor Times stand out are the more subtle aspects; lumbering smooth groove and a keen songwriting ability. So many heavy bands try to find a niche, but usually are more successful (assuming they're successful at all) at finding a schtick instead. Lost on the instant gratification generation is the ability to lead into a song (mentioned above), pulverize and smoothly transition into the next phrase without losing force, pace, or attention. All the while still being able to surprise the listener and keep it fresh even with multiple listens. It's a good thing, too because when Mr. McAndrew changed his vocals from the higher pitched screams on the first EP (and a couple of compilation songs) to the more guttural Turmoil-esque tough guy bellows on the full lengths, it was TMT's songwriting ability that kept me interested. It's what separates them from similar sounding acts like Achilles and Engineer. Not that those bands are bad, but The Minor Times are just more crafty. Drummer, Brian Medlin's refusal to use a double bass pedal was also an impressive move and certainly the road less traveled in the realm of heavy music in the last decade. Medlin is a madman behind the kit, too, often sounding like he's perfectly copy and pasted a tech metal drum session under these thick grooves.
Back before the whole social media age, people used to spam message boards with their mp3.com link... um, myspace link? Hopefully, you remember at least one of those. Anyway, I was on one of these message boards when one of The Minor Times members posted their band's link. I quickly clicked to listen so that I could, no doubt, ridicule this silly spammer and tell him just how awful his band was. I suspect it was about a year later when I was making the 5 hour drive to see The Minor Times with Ed Gein. Couple that with the fact that The Minor Times frontman joined Ed Gein for a crowd pleasing rendition of Coalesce's "You Can't Kill Us All" and it was all worth the 5 hour drive back that same night. Of course, The Minor Times are no more and members went on to be in Person L, Wives, and Ladder Devils to name a few. Most of the members of The Minor Times came from a band called Inkling which was kind of similar, but incorporated a lot more singing and softer parts.
Where They Started: 2002's Chris Chambers Never Misses EP
Where You Should Start: It's very hard for me to recommend a 5 song EP over a couple of full lengths unless it is absolutely phenomenal. And that's where we're at. Definitely dive into the EP. I love the higher pitched vocals. They also have 2 songs on a Robotic Empire sampler that also feature that vocal style, but were later reworked and rerecorded with the deeper vocals for the debut full length. I'm not saying the full lengths aren't worth getting... eventually. If you like those deeper vocals then by all means go with one of the full lengths.
Essential Song: I would be remiss if I didn't include all of their Side 1 Track 1's
Essential Live Video: Has to be the crowd favorite. People just like to say "fuck."
Pop music is evil. I don't mean in the "destroying the industry" sense, but more in an infectious disease kind of way. Especially when the band is initially masked as something else. You're lured in with clever and unique drumming and a darker chord progression than what you were expecting and now you're captivated. However, the singer kicks in and, though good and intriguing, it's the kind of vocals where you just think to yourself that he's obviously trying to garner some mainstream attention. You're hit with the chorus and there it is; the 4/4 drum beat and recognizable, yet forgettable riff and catchy vocal pattern. Then you black out and when you come to, you're whistling the chorus as you walk out of your room, or car, or mom's basement only to run back and press play again for the 18th time in the last hour (slightly over 3 minutes per song, the perfect pop length). You're hooked (yes, that's where the term comes from) and you couldn't be happier about your slow demise into the realm of pop music.
Although the above scenario is what happened to me when I first heard These City Limits, I don't mean to criticize their pop sensibilities. Their songs are anything, but forgettable and the vocals, though more accessible than most music I listen to, are definitely the most infectious part of the songs. Having been a privy to guitarist/vocalist Randy Vanderbilt's musical output since the inception of his first band, Scarlet (back then they were called Blindfold Coalition and he was the drummer), I've been able to follow the growth of his musical genius through the years. These City Limits have a sound that is similar to The Dear Hunter, and though they have that prog rock kind of feel, they don't really stray too far from the verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus song structure hinting at a Muse influence. Vanderbilt's vocals are reminiscent of the aforementioned bands and when the choruses come in, the melodies sound like Finch's later material. What sets These City Limits apart from those bands and other artists skirting the boundaries between pop and rock is that Randy hasn't completely abandoned that dark Scarlet guitar tone. A few of TCL's riffs would have fit right in with Cult Classic. Even the lyrics have similar apocalyptic themes. It leaves These City Limits' music fresh without alienating the casual listener.
Where They Started: From what I can tell, they're a relatively new band with just one demo. Fellow Scarlet alumn, Andreas Magnussen, mixed and mastered the recordings.
Where You Should Start: It's not quite the same, but I really like Scarlet and if you like These City Limits at all you should kind of move backwards through Scarlet's catalog since their last record, This Was Always Meant To Fall Apart, did have the most singing on it. It's all good to me, though.
Essential Song: Listen to the whole demo below. The first 2 songs are definitely my favorites.
So I used to be pretty consistent with the (whatever) of the week posts, but obviously (to me) I’ve fallen off. I could blame some of it on a move halfway across the country… so I will. Also, I have quite a bit of albums that I haven’t listened to in full. So, in order to give them all a fair shake without getting bored and forcing myself to listen to records I’m not in the mood for I have decided to listen to every single song I have in alphabetical order. Kind of like listening on a predetermined shuffle just to assure myself that I actually do listen to all of the songs in my library. I did this once about 4 years ago. I was able to listen to my whole library in just under three months. Well, I’m currently just under 3 months and I’m only approaching the end of D. Not like I don’t allow myself some wiggle room; songs I just have to hear, new material I’m really interested in, iPod listens, etc. However, when I do tackle something like this my slight OCD kicks in and it’s hard to pull me away, thus the lull in actually sitting down and listening to a band’s catalog in order to formulate a new post here. I know you weren’t interested in an explanation, but you got one anyway, buddy.
Unholy. Godless. Unforgiving. Who would be better experts than 4 guys from Utah? Back in the mid-90's Victory Records released albums by a band called Bloodlet. In a time when metal and hardcore were being fused, reviewers were quick to combine just about anything with the "-core" suffix and create a new genre like other bands were soon to follow. Using smart dark lyrics laced with biblical references and a new brooding take on metallic hardcore Bloodlet got tagged with "evilcore." Some 10+ years later a worthy disciple has finally come along to carry on the moniker.
OK, before things get too serious, I don't really think "evilcore" is a legitimate genre, nor would I say Gaza or its members are evil. However, Gaza does have a dark and astute take on religion, life, death, and politics. With album titles like I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die and He Is Never Coming Back (it's a reference to Jesus, get it?) you really don't have to delve into the music to know where these guys are going with their beliefs. You should want to, though, because, like I said, it's been almost 15 years since a band has been accomplishing this brand of dark ugly metal with such a cultivated clever rationale. Gaza play sludgy metal/hardcore with elements of doom and grind. It's grimy, it's dirty, it's caustic, and it's really good.
Similar to Bloodlet's mid-paced style, Gaza have that off beat drumming that I had never heard until picking up my first Bloodlet record, but it's very similar to Coalesce's James Dewees' never-stop-moving-your-arms-no-matter-what-the-pace-of-the-song method. However, drummer Casey Hensen is far more innovative and wildly unpredictable. Even if guitarist Mike Mason and bassist Tino Lucero are playing the same droney riff for 3+ minutes (the end of "Hospital Fat Bags") Casey will never play the same fills. The guitars aren't all drone, though. Gaza use quite a bit of finger-tapping, but contrary to how most bands use finger-tapping for neat sounding solos, Gaza's uses of it are generally for the more groove oriented parts of the songs. Lastly is Jon Parkin's roar as he cuts through the rest of the band's earth shaking heaviness with the more tongue-in-cheek lyrics from IDCWIGWID ("They used you to clean up tears after a Thrice show.") to the more straight forward bellows on HINCB ("He is never coming back. Armies of the half dead with their arms to the sky"). Add in that, unless you're a pro-basketball player, Parkin will tower over you as his snarl tears holes through your entire belief system and it's a pretty intimidating experience. His screams sound slightly similar to The Chariot's Josh Scoggin, but exceedingly more ferocious. Ironic considering their complete opposite views. Both bands do have some similarities actually, but much like how Gabriel and Lucifer were both Archangels.
Where you should start: I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die is the more structured and better produced release. It has a lot more groove and the lyrics contain an air of humor. He Is Never Coming Back is grimier and the lyrics are not only shorter and more to the point, but angrier and have a lot more bite.
When I was growing up, and even in my earlier adult years, I was accused of listening to the music that I like simply because it pissed off my parents (specifically, my poor mother). While I often scoffed at the idea, maybe subconsciously it was true. Maybe. At my age now that would be ridiculous. No, today it seems my subconscious has chosen a new enemy: a former band member. Every time I show him what I've been listening to lately, in the metal world, I can feel his anger, an otherwise fairly calm individual, in his messages back to me "That's not even talent. They're just trying to be as noisy as possible." Because it's my subconscious that's trying to piss him off and not my lucid being, I don't even want to show him Inevitable End.
I'm guessing that since the late, great Chuck Shuldiner had already established a seminal metal band with the name Death these Swedes had to settle on the name Inevitable End. After a few demos and multiple member changes, they released their first full length on Relapse Records. It certainly has the Death influence, or at least influenced by other bands who were influenced by Death. Drawing comparisons to Origin or Kill-era Cannibal Corpse, the constant blast beats and deep bellows perpetuating across The Severed Inception were accomplished with competency, but with very little originality to separate themselves from the aforementioned acts. There are some interesting noisy and discordant riffs hidden in the few slowed down parts or even the strangely placed, but curiously engaging melodic part towards the end of the title track.
Though not abandoning the grindcore aspect of their sound, Inevitable End takes more from the technical aspects of metal than on the previous effort. However, I've read reviews quick to compare them to Gorguts, Cynic, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. While those aren't inaccurate inclusions, where Inevitable End make their latest release more distinct is the use of metallic hardcore elements like those of His Hero is Gone and Cursed. Even the vocals rely less on the low growls and take on a higher pitched version of HHIG screams. Rather than the relentless grind of the previous record, Inevitable End hollows out some of the blast beat parts of their songs allowing for the heavier sections to have a lot more punch. Although the dissonance and hardcore influence alter the attack of Inevitable End, it's always moments like the last track that are almost a complete departure from their normal break-neck speed that capture me. "Of Sublime Dimensions" closes the album with the same chaotic noise that drenches the rest of The Oculus, but at the slowest pace the band has ever achieved. When the song is sped up it's done with lightly placed, twangy slide guitars over blast beats. Inevitable End have done an excellent job in creating a record for anyone who likes blisteringly fast paced music. Lovers of death metal, grindcore, tech metal, and straight up metallic hardcore will all be pleased.
Where you should start: The Oculus was very recently released and is the band's most original output and I think surpasses any previous release (2 demos and one other full length). I mean if you like that Origin or Cannibal Corpse post-Barnes sound then by all means start with The Severed Inception, but make sure you graduate to The Oculus.
I'm not familiar with The Paper Chase, but rather than be completely ignorant as to John Congleton's output prior to seeing The Nighty Nite on tour with This Will Destroy You, I decided to check out a few songs. Violins, standup bass, keys, all banged upon as if they were drum kits as the frontman guitarist belts out his wavering vocal style that sounds like a combination of Tim Kasher of Cursive and The Dismemberment Plan's Travis Morrison? I wonder why John even bothered changing the band name.
Compared to what I saw live and what I've recently listened to, The Nighty Nite isn't unlike The Paper Chase... at all. Maybe there's some subtleties I'm missing out on. Whichever, obviously not being a TPC fan before, I wasn't there to see The Nighty Nite, but they caught my attention anyway. Seeing as how I would be a huge fan of anyone who makes the conscious effort to not sound like Tim Kasher I was ignoring the This Will Destroy You opening band. Ordering a drink and pulling my eyes away from the cute bartender who was being chatted up by two middle aged businessmen (at a TWDY show?) I started to watch the drummer who was standing up as he played. Looked like he had 2 snares and 2 floor toms from my perspective, but I was also hearing a kick drum. There was no way this could be happening. As I moved forward to see if he was merely using one of his floor toms to make the kick sound I realized he was in fact standing while using a kick. By now, I was too close not to be sucked in by this cacophonous indie noise rock.
I once used the analogy of picking up every kitchen appliance and slamming it on a concrete floor to describe a metalcore band. The Nighty Night gives Duck Duck Goose a worthy adversary when it comes to creating destructive noise, yet they're doing it with a strings section. Combine that with most of the band dressed like they had just started Rumspringa and a drummer whose right arm tattoos seem to be inspired by mid-90's nu-metal (or traditional Hawaiian tattoos, I wasn't close enough to tell) and it was quite an interesting sight. I believe the This Will Destroy You tour only has a couple of days left so you probably missed them this go around, but if you were already a fan of the pAper chAse or like your indie rock noisy and pretentious (you're already listening to underground indie rock so just embrace the pretentiousness of it all) then check out the Nighty Nite when they roll through. I guess their EP is coming out soon, too. Look into it.
Djent? Really? What's slightly odd is that as I was deciding which band to talk about this week, I was listening to Vildhjarta and saw a friend post about "djent" (which I'll eventually get to). Serendipitous maybe? Probably not for a meager little blog post. But first, I think I should explain something about this particular endeavor, or whatever, I've voluntarily submersed myself in. "Band (song/album/whatever) of the Week" is just that, a piqued interest this week. It may not be my favorite artist or genre or what have you, but sometimes it could merely be a "what was that?" moment and something I feel needs to be shared. The artist may not even have much material to sample at the moment (see: Baring Teeth a few weeks ago). That, or it may just be a slow week for me inspiration-ally speaking. Whatever the case, I hope I didn't just down play Vildhjarta, though I did feel compelled to write the last few sentences simply because I have chosen to discuss them.
Vildhjarta is one of the latest editions to Century Media's roster. With a name like that they're either foreign or a black metal band from Ohio. It's the former. Hailing (Perfect!) from Sweden, Vildhjarta plays "djent." Don't know what that is? Well, it's staccato mathy chugging riffs. You know, like Meshuggah. If you already knew that, well, that's just silly. According to Wikipedia (what? This isn't a research paper) "djent" is an onomatopoetic word for the sound made when palm muting a guitar. Are you serious? You can't name a genre after the sound you would make with your mouth to describe it. That's reserved for joke band names like Jud Jud. You can call something noise or noisecore, but you can't call it "crashcore" or "asdfhdsfj-core." It's just metal. And that's what Vildhjarta is, a metal band from Sweden that sounds a lot like Meshuggah.
Now, I've never been a fan of Meshuggah, but I have a bunch of stupid friends so I've heard Meshuggah and many of their clones before. I don't know if they have singing and screaming done by 2 vocalists, I don't know if they have layered atmosphere under their start stop odd-timing chugging, and I don't know if they have a 3rd guitarist bringing the member total to (crowded stage) 7. What I do know is Vildhjarta does. The screamed vocals are similar to Meshuggah's, but also have elements of Scott Angelacos from Bloodlet, though more akin to his output with Hope and Suicide. I'm not really sure who the clean vocals sound like, but they're done by somebody who can actually carry a tune. They may only have 3 proper songs (demos, mind you) floating around, but they have a download page on their website that contains a lot of samples of their, ugh, "djent" style.
Where you should start: Um, pick up their debut LP (Irreversible maybe?) whenever it comes out this year? In the meantime check out some songs.
Essential Song: Why not 2? "Shiver" is certainly an intriguing and engaging song. I was lured in by the gentle ominous plucking intro before the offset of a pummeling onslaught bursts through.
Essential Live Video: So it's not a whole song, but it's kinda cool to get a feel for what they're like.
Miami's punk/hardcore scene is incestuous. I mean, I assume most cities' are, but Miami especially. This guy was in this band with his brother who was also in this band with these 2 other guys who started out in some band that was really popular in South Florida and was friends with that band on Victory back when they were releasing relevant records and they used to tour together and they probably should have toured more. Well, actually, that band recently broke up and the two brothers are in different bands, but I think at least one of those bands shares a member of the brothers' band, or maybe all the members are in both bands except the brothers. Wait, maybe the one brother isn't in it or maybe it's his cousin and he's in like three other bands all with each ex-member of that grind and/or sludge band... anyway, they just formed 2 weeks ago and I'm pretty sure Robotic Empire is putting out their 7" they haven't written yet and I think they're playing a ten song set tomorrow.
6 years of living in Miami and this is how I felt at just about every local show I went to. Some of the members of Capsule were mentioned above, but I have no clue which. I do know I have had some interaction with each member; guitarist/vocalist Colin Smith played guitar/drums/bass in countless bands including some my old band played shows with; no matter what band Ryan Haft has been in I have always admired his guitar playing and thought of him as one of the most innovative guitar players in the Miami scene. Kind of why I thought it was criminal that he was playing bass in Capsule, but he's since been moved to guitar; drummer, well, now bassist/vocalist Eric Hernandez even played at my (dead) band's CD release party and has also filled in on drums for both Torche and Kyelsa; and newest addition, live drummer Alex De Renzis played drums for Adore Miridia (whose shows I frequented) and a slew of other bands. Alex also ran a weekly themed night at a bar that my friends and I would go to almost every week. What they all have in common other than being in Capsule (and the first paragraph) is that they all probably don't know who the heck I am.
Sorry for the digression. On to what they sound like. Although Capsule is the band of the week this is really more of a focus on their latest release No Ghost, but since I don't really do album reviews here we are. Not that Capsule's past releases aren't similar, quite the contrary, but this just happens to be the newest one. If it's a screamo (please read "origins...") record it's by far the heaviest screamo record I've ever heard. If it's a post-hardcore record, again, heaviest post-hardcore record I've ever heard. If it's metal? Well, they still hold their weight. This band almost never slows down. Constant angular technical riffs against relentless pounding drums ala Lifetime of Gray Skies-era Anodyne, and thick pulverizing bass, the latter being the final blow that makes you feel like the gravity has been quadrupled. I say "almost never slows down" because there are tracks like "Isn't Us" or the completely instrumental final song "_" that do alter the pacing. "Isn't Us" is definitely one of the heaviest songs on the album and provides some head-nod inducing grooves. The vocals are a gruff singing/yelling, kind of like a mixture of Hot Water Music and KEN Mode. Actually, Capsule does kind of sound like if KEN Mode recruited The Fall of Troy guitarist and asked him to take the bubble gum out of his riffs.
Where you should start: Well, since most of this entry was inspired by No Ghost that would be my suggestion. Blue is a good second release to get by them and the split with Furnace is another fine couple of songs. I'd hold off on diving into the self titled release until you know you're a fan.
Essential Song: Actually, you can sample a good chunk of the record through this player.
At what volume does tinnitus occur? I don't have an exact decibel measurement, but every time I see Ocoai live this question is emphatically answered. This band goes to 12. Actually, scratch that, Ocoai is beyond that and probably deserves better than a bad Spinal Tap reference, but it's all I've got. However, if sheer volume was all that was impressive, then I have two friends who could make a killing touring the country with their incessant The Simpsons quotes. Yes, Ocoai makes use of a style popularized by Neurosis and Isis. In fact, if you're sick of the term Neur-Isis and all of its clones I don't blame you, but I really feel sorry for you if you gave up on the atmospheric post-whatever genre before hearing Ocoai. These dudes take everything the genre is known for and do it right.
Originally a four piece, they rounded out their line up by adding a 5th member who handles keys, electronics, and *ahem* cello duties. And with that, when Ocoai hit their D Minor key (last Spinal Tap reference, I promise) the sadness of their music definitely brings the Neurosis vibe. When they roll through their up-tempo blues riffs, even burly Black Sabbath worshipping dudes, who dig bands like Baroness and Black Cobra, with beards bigger and longer than their attention spans needed to appreciate music like this, will nod their heads in agreement. When Ocoai quiets down there is a shadowy beauty adding another layer to the already rampant emotion flowing through each of their songs. And when Ocoai slows everything down and push more weight through their amps than Escobar pushed in the 80's, it has the chunky feel of Pelican (except with competent drumming), but it's so heavy that if an actual pelican tried to lift the air that carries an Ocoai drop in it's silly looking beak, it would probably turn the entire species into a flightless bird.
The stamp that Ocoai puts on the genre that perhaps hasn't been as prevalent in post-metal bands past is guitar solos. Both guitarists take turns cutting through the others' chugging elephant stomps with more blues influenced picking and even sliding ("Marchand De Sommeil") or sometimes taking on more classic metal styled solos (later in the very same song). Completely committed to the instrumental only concept, they don't set up a mic to say anything to the crowd between songs, or even try to shout to let you know how many songs they have left, just hand signals (one). Their perfectly structured songs and ear-splitting volume are enough to satiate any audience salivating for alluring destructive heaviness.
Where you should start: While Breatherman is a fine release, you certainly can't go wrong with it. For me, though, it's the 2 songs on the Peacecreature compilation. Which is actually more like a four way split, and Ocoai's songs bleed into each other so it's more like like one song cut into 2 tracks. Whatever, it's 2 good songs on a CD with 3 other good bands. Sounds like a great starting point, is where I'm trying to go with this. You can also pick up the brand-spanking new album The Electric Hand which they just played CD release shows for this past weekend. It's phenomenal. Whatever you check out just remember that if your stereo isn't wall to wall deafening sound then you definitely need to check this band out live.
"I'd really like Minus the Bear if their songs were slower, more drawn out, and had less vocals." If any of those sentiments sound good to you, then Sharks Keep Moving is your band. Before Jake Snider sped up his somber vocals and brought even more finger tapping gymnastics, ala Dave Knudson (thus assisting, I believe, to a seminal hardcore band's demise) forming Minus the Bear, he was already experimenting with a more subdued version of technical indie music. Right around the time bands like Thursday and Taking Back Sunday, anyone with a day in their band name, really, were about to rape the word "screamo," bands that sought to be a little less cookie-cutter took on a jazzier kind of math rock style. Like I stated before, Sharks Keep Moving is a slower, yet complicated form of indie rock. It's the kind of music you'd listen to right at dusk or dawn over some picturesque back drop. Snider's vocals are sparse, but you will find a lot of the same subject matter as Minus the Bear: drinking, girls, cigarettes, etc. Unlike MTB, Sharks... aren't too keen on choruses so most of your repetition will be found in 3+ minute instrumentals.
If band's were Snider's children then State Route 522 is the older son who grew up on punk, but watched a lot of 120 Minutes; Sharks Keep Moving is the middle child who looked up to his older brother, but was a little bit more nerdy and listened to a lot of Don Caballero; and Minus the Bear is the younger, good looking, socially adept child. MTB does feel like an extension of Sharks Keep Moving, much like Daughters just feels like an extension of As the Sun Sets (yep, I just referenced As the Sun Sets in a Sharks Keep Moving piece). So if you are a fan of early Minus the Bear then definitely check out SKM. If you heard early Minus the Bear and kind of gave up on them, thinking "I'd really like Minus the Bear if their songs sucked," then check out their latest album OMNI.
Where they started: 1998 Split 7" with The Kentucky Pistol
Where you should start: Their first EP Desert Strings and Drifters boasts my favorite songs and the other EP, as well as final release, Pause and Clause is a good follow up. The self titled full length isn't bad, but it's slightly overproduced which is why I'd recommend checking it out last. To be honest, you won't find much variance in the releases, which would suck if there were more than 15 songs (not counting compilations) among them, but there isn't so enjoy it.
Essential Song:
Essential Live Video: Can't find one, so here's another song.
Other bands members from Sharks Keep Moving have been involved in: The Blood Brothers, Minus the Bear (obviously), State Route 522, Kill Sadie, and Pretty Girls Make Graves
I'm not here to debate the first 3 albums because that's a subject I've never heard 2 people agree on. What we can agree on is that The Pariah... album was kinda weird, even by dredg standards, and had very few memorable songs. What we should have been able to tell from the title is that dredg was aiming to be just that, a pariah. The new album, Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy, is garbage, to put it simply. It's like in the 80's when new wave bands were taking over and respectable rockers were trying to add electronics to their sound and it was just complete failure for so many artists. Thanks to allowing history to repeat itself with bands like MGMT we are stuck in another electronic music age and dredg wants to take their shot at it. It's really terrible. Go ahead, listen for yourself music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/#/12 (just keep scrolling to the right through the albums until you see the cover, the only thing somewhat interesting about this record), but I warned you. I listened to it, stopped, did something else, and even came back to it and forced every horrendous song through my poor little ears (they're actually kind of over sized now that i think about it) just hoping for one good song. No. Just... no.
Back before I listened to dissonant metallic hardcore I was introduced, probably at way too young an age, to death metal. I wallowed in it for a little while before I fell into skateboarding and the punk rock scene that came along with that clique (this was before Chad Muska, so suburban white kids getting kicked out of Food Lion parking lots didn't know hip hop was cool, yet). Although I had my favorites, punk and death metal never sank their teeth (see where I'm going here?) into me completely, but an amalgamation of the two was imminent, thus the metallic hardcore. However, since these genres aren't exactly mutually exclusive, music from either that showcases some traits of my listening wheelhouse easily immerses itself into my library.
At the forefront of Baring Teeth's style, which is quite obvious within the first seconds of listening, is technical dissonant guitars. These are laid over pounding double bass, quick snare hits, blast beats, etc. All of the death metal drumming staples are here. Rounding out the 3 piece is Scott Addison on a 6 string bass who often shows that noodling up and down the fret board isn't only for Baring Teeth's guitars. Basically, these guys sound like Gorguts at a rodeo, which is fitting since they are from Dallas, TX. Being a fan of The Dillinger Escape Plan and other obnoxious noises, I'm immediately lassoed. Guitarist/vocalist Andrew Hawkins's low growls seem sparsely thrown in so as not to come off as a death metal Dysrhythmia, which they do kind of sound like. I'm not saying the vocals seem forced. In fact, even though that's not my unintelligible screaming inclination, they do fit the music perfectly.
Baring Teeth is pretty new to the death metal game. Their debut LP Atrophy hasn't even been released yet, but the band did start a few years ago under the name Soviet. Also, Addison, Hawkins, and drummer Jason Roe have spent time in punk/metal/hardcore community bands. Roe was the touring drummer for Between the Buried and Me, Addison was in Broadcast Sea (who you should check out if you like Young Widows) and Addison and Hawkins were in the grindy screamo band Man is Mostly Water. Baring Teeth finds them all treading new musical ground compared to their previous work and they're accomplishing it quite well.
Where you should start: Their debut album Atrophy. OK, so it isn't out yet, but I don't think I'm prematurely jocking this band. The songs released as album teasers are incredible and the videos of Baring Teeth in the studio just reveal that more of the same is to come. Just keep scrolling and listen to it.
Ever wondered how/why Examination of the... went from their chaotic screamo stylings to the more Neurosis laden The Whitest of Elephants? Me neither, but Pilot This Plane Down could serve as the perfect non-linear missing link. Before I confuse you, I'm not saying either band share any members or anything like that. The common denominators here are experimental ambient screamo and slow crushing meanderings. PTPD just manages to blend them all on to one record(s). Whether it's building a 20 some-odd minute song (Airs EP), or separating the ambient tracks from the structured songs (Glory of the World LP) Pilot This Plane Down quickly and noisily attack before paralyzing you with the lulling ambiance only so they can drag you down and stuff you under a rock. Every song weaves into each other so well and after getting bombarded by a song like "Conquest," the bleed into the softer sung, prettier "Decline" is seamless. Don't get caught napping or scratching your noodle asking "how did we get here?" because you will be knocked on your butt wondering where your socks went.
Where you should start:Glory of the World is just the more complete record as well as having the better quality recordings. Airs forces you to listen to the whole EP (seeing as it is just one song) whereas GOTW's songs can stand on their own, but you kind of want to listen to the record as a whole anyway.
Essential Song (aka only one I could find, but still a good one):
Although these guys haven't released anything in almost 3 years, there have been rumblings of new material being written and shows being played. Also, member(s?) of Pilot This Plane Down were in a band called Day of Less whose contributors have gone on to form Gaza and Bird Eater among other Salt Lake City bands.
