Kaospilot

In the early 2000's I started getting into screamo a bit.  Not long after, I started playing in a band full of recording snobs (and I mean that lovingly).  Screamo isn't particularly known for its production value so when I would try to show things like Song of Zarathustra or Yaphet Kotto to my bandmates it was quickly criticized, discredited, and disemboweled to the point that I didn't bother listening to it anymore.  Not because I was following a crowd, but mostly because I didn't have anyone to listen to it with, plus I probably (ignorantly) thought I wouldn't be able to translate those influences into what we were doing.  Like a college kid who starts buying Combos as munchies his first semester away because his parents would never allow him to have Combos as a snack at home (also me), now that those band members and I are separated I have once again started to indulge in stripped down abrasive screamo.  It's actually dominating my listening habits lately.

So maybe the recording elitism rubbed off on me a little bit because I'm not exactly delving in the stitched-jeans-held-together-by-patches-of-bands-nobody-has-ever-heard-of-gutter-punk version of crusty screamo.  No, I've kind of eased myself back in by finding a handful of bands that can still make car system speakers shake with thumping kick drums and rumbling bass rather than ear piercing feedback and/or static.  I know that's not very #PFR, but who cares?

I remember the Kaospilot name from my waning years of screamo interest and thought I had heard a few songs through the legendary Level-Plane record label, whom they released a handful of material including a split with screamo giants Neil Perry.  Anything I had heard previously most likely ended up on their 2006 Diskografi (oh, yeah, they're from Norway).  This time, though, I was steered towards their 2008 LP Shadows.  It's still of the noisy screamo variety, but with the aforementioned rumbling and thumping.  There's plenty of dissonant staccato chaos and straightened out rides, but this time it's backed by a fuller more menacing low end.  It's a lot like Off Minor, but with some thicker more lush recordings and the vocals are similar to Scandinavian brethren Refused and Lack.

www.myspace.com/kosepilot

Where They Started: 2001's For Your Safety 7" (?)

Where You Should Start: Shadows is easily the superior recording, but I also believe the songs are more thought out and better written than previous material.  If you like it then check out Diskografi as it has everything else Kaosplilot ever did.  If you're more of a screamo purist then definitely start out with Diskografi.

Songs:

Band of the Week - Pollution People

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.

www.facebook.com/pages/Pollution-People

Where They Started: Obviously, as Duck Duck Goose

Where You Should Start: Pick up the DDG releases and then go get the Future Trash debut EP TOMORROW!

Essential Song:

going ghost by pollution people

Featured Band: The Franklin Cover Up

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

www.facebook.com/thefranklincoverup

www.facebook.com/pages/Scrape-and-Scatter-Media

 

Band of the Week - The Minor Times

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."

Band of the Week - Capsule

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.

www.facebook.com/CapsuleRock
capsuleband.blogspot.com/

Where they started: 2008's Blue (I think)

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.


Essential Live Video: Why not a full set?

Band of the Week - Playing Enemy

"I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN..." scrapes through the throat of Demian Johnston as Playing Enemy's second full length album, I Was Your City, begins with a noisy guitar and bass, yet drum-less, intro track.  Sure, we've all thought these words, we've probably even heard them in many songs before.  However, this isn't your typical angsty hardcore band with trite hate-filled lyrics.  You see, even though Playing Enemy broke up nearly 5 years ago, they were already veterans having come from bands like Undertow, Rorschach, Nineironspitfire, and, most notably, Kiss It Goodbye.  At this point, if these guys are still angry about something there's a pretty good chance it's legitimate.  Also, Johnston's scream isn't some cackle that is so overproduced and contrived that it doesn't sound human.  No, his scream is about as raw and honest as you'll ever hear.  He's not screaming like it's some effect that goes along with the music, he's screaming like if he wasn't holding a guitar he'd be holding a fistful of your shirt and he's going to make you listen.

As album opener "Cancer" fades, "Jade" rushes in with guns blazing.  Noisy speedy punk riffs ride over some of the most creative and complicated drumming you will ever hear.  Dude sounds like he's playing 3 songs at once.  I Was Your City is Shane Mehling's first Playing Enemy full length on bass and rather than play a supporting role to Johnston's strumming, Shane battles each riff as the low end combatant.  These guys are too smart to be angsty.  This is raw passion by guys with dues paid and lessons learned. On "The End of Something" (which boasts a melodic riff that still gives me chills) when he belts out, "With all that I gave up/With all I would give up/Sure, I'll go with you/Sure, I'll leave with you/I bet we look good together" it's the raspy vocals that actually give validity and meaning to his words.

Where they started: 2001's Cesarean

Where you should start: Cesarean certainly is the more Kiss It Goodbye sounding record Playing Enemy released, maybe because every member on that album was in KIG at some point.  I favor I Was Your City (if that wasn't already obvious) and I really like their posthumous EP My Life As the Villain.  Playing Enemy also released a number of splits, self-released tour CD's (aptly named Gas Money and Fly Us Home), and EP's, one of which contains a great cover of The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" and another track that's over an hour long (yes, they still called it an EP).  If either Cesarean or I Was Your City strikes you, it's definitely worth sifting through all of their material to find the many gems that aren't on proper records.

Essential Song:


Essential Live Video:


Some Other Stuff: It's all pretty rad, but it gets ridiculous at 1:50


Some Other Stuff They Do Now: I Know Demian Johnston does some solo stuff, as well as working with Shane Mehling on some noise stuff, or at least used to.  Demian is also one of my favorite artists and posts a lot of his work here www.demianjohnston.com. Shane writes reviews for Decibel Magazine and they're easily the funniest music reviews you will ever read.  Also, during Botch's final show members of PE joined Botch on stage to contribute to the madness during "Man the Ramparts."

Band of the Week - Bad Mask

Since 2000's masterpiece We Are the Romans, there have been a slew of bands interested in recreating Botch's style.  If any artist is ever sincerely compared to the metalcore (yeah, I hate that word, too, but what are you gonna do?) legends then you know they've got talent and chops.  If they're able to mold the style and make it their own, then you know they've got something worth listening to.

Bad Mask are your boys. Twisting angular riffs, complicated competent drumming, odd time signatures, and even some patented Knudson slide effects wind their way across each relentless song these guys noodle through.  The vocals are actually similar to those of the band Fall Silent, but if you don't know who that is then just think of a higher pitched Some Girls-era Wes Eisold scream with a few clean parts that call to mind Alexis Marshall's drunken slurring on Daughters' Hell Songs. There's some lower bellows thrown in, as well, but honestly, those seem to work better live than on record. Regardless, Bad Mask bring back late 90's integrity to the genre, writing serious songs that are seriously good and avoid any of the trite metalcore (Dang it! There it is again) formulas.

www.facebook.com/badmask

Where they started: 2010's V2

Were you should start: They only have the 2; V2 and Strange Phrases and they're both available for free on the band's bandcamp site (http://badmask.bandcamp.com/) so why not get both? 


Essential Song:


Essential Live Video: Can't really find a high quality one, so deal


I actually found out about this band as they were getting trashed on the Lambgoat.com message board, but if anyone gave any merit to any opinion that vomits itself out on that site then none of us would be listening to anything.