The Misfits - Monster Mashed

 

The Misfits - Monster Mashed

It's Halloween once again. A holiday of mass consumerism which could only have come from America-land. While you're gorging on cheap horror movies, soda, and chocolate, you may as well do something good for you're health...such as listening to the heavenly, or hellish may be more appropriate, sounds of The Misfits.

Well, i say that with slight sarcasm relating to this particular release. Monster Mash was the first time Jerry Only took lead vocals. And while he works well here, the full-length records he has done are horrendous, and not in a good way.

Anyway, I've put the 1997 single version as well as the superior Project 1950 cut and tagged them as Monster Mashed. Enjoy, you fiends.

Cocobat - Supercharged Chocolate Meltdown (2001)

Cocobat - Supercharged Chocolate Meltdown (2001)

Released on Toy's Factory in 2001, Cocobat hit us up with a live EP. Six originals from past records such as Return of Grasshopper, I Versus I, and Ghost Tree Giant, and one cover of Bark At The Moon, originally done by Rainbow.....nah, just fucking with you. I may as well say that Ozzy's solo material doesn't do much for me. So yeah, man.

Musically, you know what your getting if your familiar with the records these tracks are from. For the uninitiated, Cocobat play funky, groove-laden 90s hardcore. One thing I must say, is that the production is crystal clear. You can really hear the extended chords, the beefy kick drum patterns, and the crazy bass-skills of Take-Shit. Obviously there is some deviation from the studio recorded versions, but by and large, Cocobat stick to their guns. Impressive stuff.

In conclusion, this isn't essential. But it is a decent little stop-gap EP for the fans.

Get down with this funky shit
http://www41.zippyshare.com/v/gCWzeDFU/file.html

Cocobat - Tsukiookami (1998)

Cocobat - Tsukiookami (1998)

Boom. And we're back, baby.

1998, Cocobat release this monster EP. Yes for those who have seen the track listing, they do cover Gastunk. Killer, dude. They also get a guy by the name of Jacky Ohtaka to shred his balls off over those tracks. No joke, I think Jacky may have actually shredded his balls off. RIP Jacky Ohtaka's balls.

Now. as far as I can tell. This is the first (and only?) record to feature the guitar wizardry of Kazunori Mizoguchi. Who is he, you ask? He only played in a band called NUNCHAKU.
Fucking killer, dude.

Mizoguchi really brings a spice to Cocobats sound. I mean, yeah. It's still typical Cocobat. it sounds like Earth Crisis punching Metallica while Pantera watches in a video shop owned by the entire late 80s NYHC fraternity, in a shopping district co-ordinated by Sepultura. Did any of that make sense? Probably not. Do Cocobat sound like any of those bands? Not really.What was the point of writing it? I dunno, dude. I just dunno.

Anyway. Killer EP, Kazunori Mizoguchi we hardly knew yah. Check out his website here: http://kazunorimizoguchi.tumblr.com/

Get hell-bent (fo' leather)


http://www115.zippyshare.com/v/XfgZfsLC/file.html

Cocobat - Return of Grasshopper (1996)

 

                                                  Cocobat - Return of Grasshopper (1996)
I'm not going to lie and say i have a comprehensive discography of this Jap hardcore powerhouse. However, i have a few CDs of theirs knocking about and I'm always searching for more.

For those not already acquainted, Cocobat are a Japanese hardcore band who have been going strong since the early 90s. Their debut, which is HERE, is a great groove-infected hardcore record. Yep, that's what i said. Groove-infected.

Usually when the words Japanese and hardcore are used to describe something, people either think of
A: Hardcore pornography (usually of a disturbing nature)
B: Noisy Discharge-punx with mohicans and studded jackets

Although i'd love to say that Cocobat incorporates both of these things, they simply don't. Instead of ripping fast GAI worship, Cocobat opt for a groovy, metallic edge that was oh-so-new at the time.

No studded jackets or mohicans, say whaaaaat? I thought this was Japanese Hardcore!

That image should speak volumes, Cocobat aren't your typical punk band. While the likes of Confuse are accused of being a prime example of fashion-punks, Cocobat just look like a bunch or norms....by 90s standards at least.

Since Cocobat weren't spending hours patching and studding their apparel they must have spent their time practising their instruments because they are all super competent and water tight.

From what i can gather, after the first record they booted former vocalist Ryuji (Disarray/Bitousha/Dessert), drummer Matsuzaki, and Shinichi Suzuki (Lawshed) and replaced them with Koji on guitar, Kame on drums and Hideki on vocals. Basically, this record features only one member from the original line-up that recorded the self-titled effort - the amazingly named, and skilled, Take-Shit.

You'd think their sound would have changed with this massive overhaul. And while they do sound different, it's still a big mish-mash of heavy chugs, slap-bass, and schizoid guitar parts.You can tell that Take-Shit runs the joint, slapping-popping-taking shits everywhere on this record. Man, he can play. Guitar-wise Koji brings more 90s hardcore conventions to the table: militant chugs, natural harmonics, discordant chords, groove-riffing - the whole shebang. On top of this there are plenty of inventive ideas floating around by all members.

Annotating each song would probably be a big snore for y'all, so i'll just say this: If you didn't like their debut, you probably won't like this.

Take-Shit taking shits for shit and giggles
http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/WTRIvJMo/file.html

Asocial - House of Gore (1992)

Asocial - House of Gore (1992)

Let's just take some time to appreciate the record title here.

House of Gore

Holy hell, that's a cool as fuck title!

This record came out in 1992. A time when the Swedish death metal scene was probably
thriving. Why mention that, you may ask. Well, because the first two tracks are pretty much...death metal. The third track, one of my personal favorite Discharge tunes Q. And Children A. And Children, is a decent cover. A bit of a strange choice considering their new musical direction, but a welcome one.

At times, this really does sound like a different band. However, how many death metal bands cover
Discharge? And with that said, there is still a respectable amount of D-Beat left. Heck, it's not until a minute into the title track when the death metal riffs are first introduced. So it's not a complete left turn. While House of Gore is a mix between D-Beat and death  metal, Act of Violence is pure death metal, and Q. And Children A. And Children is total D-Beat.

Lyrically, you can expect that this is more gore related than political. Maybe that's why they chose Q. And Children...! 'skin peeled hanging in strips' has always been stamped into my mind since I first heard it. The guitars are meaty and riff-laden, the bass rumbles in the low-frequencies, the vocals are...actually quite hardcore, but to be honest, most Swedish death metal is, and the drums are using a mix of different beats...not just D-Beats i'm afraid!

As a fan of death metal, I think this is a cool record. This is a rad mix of D-Beat and death metal, more bands should do it (or make it more obvious). It would certainly be interesting to know how this record was received though!

To sum this up: rad death metal/D-Beat crossover from Swedecore legends!

Linky, Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!kQwVkChT!GHqM2qAoxPTBzL_y0VKhS1tH4F0T9PX0xuBDoIec02s

Anti-Cimex - Made in Sweden (1993)

Anti-Cimex - Made in Sweden (1993)

Apparently recorded on the 1st June 1990, this is a mix of self-titled mini-LP to Absolut Country of Sweden songs.The recording is actually pretty good, if anything, the bass is a bit low in the mix but it's still audible. Around this time Cliff Lundberg was playing guitar, so it's pretty interesting to see how he plays Criminal Trap, one of the tracks when Joakim Pettersson would 'show off' his 'solo skills' when he was the guitarist. As expected, Lundberg shreds, and the low-fi (when compared to the studio records) recording quality gives his guitar a grittier sound that was missing on the studio LP's. Freke is sounding pretty mean here, obviously he had perfected his craft by this point as he is consistent throughout the set. And the drumming and bass playing is solid. Overall, a decent record.

Linky, Link:
Direct: http://www.mediafire.com/?6664ys6a48vg8i1
Degenerik blog post: http://degenerik666.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/anti-cimex-made-in-sweden-cd-1993.html

Anti-Cimex - Fucked in Finland EP (1992)

Anti-Cimex - Fucked in Finland EP (1992)

Released around the time of Scandinavian Jawbreaker this is actually a pretty cool live recording of Anti-Cimex during their Lundberg guitar slinging era.

Maybe it's just the raw way they are recorded, but the songs are much more potent here than how they appear on the last two full-lengths: Absolut Country of Sweden & Scandinavian Jawbreaker

To be fairly honest, chances are, Anti-Cimex were one of those bands better experienced in a live context rather than on record. Maybe us young'uns, as well as older folks too, fetishize the shitty records of the past. Maybe we want to connect with, or appreciate, the aesthetic so bad that we fool ourselves into thinking that this music is the shit...or maybe the records are fuckin' rad and I shouldn't read too much into it. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

Anyway, not much is different from the studio versions here. Only that the vocals sound particularly nasty (in a good way) and that the guitar and bass sound raw as fuck. Decent record, but not mindblowing.

Linky, Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!xYohUbyC!odt8Dji7D9Hd0I0BuIc9N9pW8pGoNiJ2-Vmw-ugXt88

Anti-Cimex - Scandinavian Jawbreaker (1993)

Anti-Cimex - Scandinavian Jawbreaker (1993)

Continuing in the same vein as 1990's Absolut Country of Sweden, Scandinavian Jawbreaker is a decent slab of metalpunk.

Yet again, another member has bit the dust. This time in the form of Conrad, bassist from 85'-90. Who was replaced with Lefty, known for his later band Black Uniforms. While the metal influence is still present, the hard rock'n'roll style of Motorhead is prominent as well. With that said there is still moments of D-Beat here and there, but the tide had certainly changed by this point.

So while the vocals on Absolut... were very Lemmy-like, the guitars follow suit in the Motorhead vein as well. I wouldn't be surprised if this era of Anti-Cimex influenced the Motorpunk that was getting popular (well, kind of popular in regards to punk) a few years ago.

I'd say that this is an improvement on Absolut Country of Sweden. While it's still not the band that recorded Raped Ass in 1983, at least they dialed back the metal, shortened the song lengths, and play in a more straightforward style here. A decent record overall. But don't be fooled, this is much more Motorpunk than D-Beat.

Link, Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!ZQonSCKS!Nbq-e4pXUEeOsH85fI-zk8zWCfn-BSUjDV20g1i4Bi0

Anti-Cimex - Absolut Country of Sweden (1990)

Anti-Cimex - Absolut Country of Sweden (1990)

Released in 1990, fours years after their metal-flirting self-titled mini LP. Absolut Country of Sweden is an interesting record.

First off, guitar mainstay Joakim Petersson doesn't play on this, or Scandinavian Jawbreaker for that matter. Which is a bummer, as his riffs were killer. Instead Cliff Lundberg, mostly known for Driller Killer, takes up the role of guitarist. And he does a fine job, technically more advanced than what Petersson done with the Cimex material for sure. But it's a completely different style and it would be unfair to compare the two just by what we hear on recorded material.

Unlike the self-titled mini LP, where there were little hints of metal/rock, Lundberg brings the metal...in shovels...that are wedged deep in a dump truck made of metal...that is also full of metal...parked in a metal car-park for a company that create titanium. Okay, sure. It's not THAT metal. But when compared to the early Anti-Cimex work, it is very noticeable.

Infinitely cooler artwork

I suppose you could say that Absolut... and Scandinavian Jawbreaker are important records in that they pioneered the metalized crusty Swedecore present in the 90s with Lundberg's other group Driller Killer. And don't get me wrong, great music and all...but this is not the same band that recorded Raped Ass in 1983. And that, for some reason, bugs me.

But don't get me wrong, this is a good record. Still hardcore as fuck, but the metal-damage (or should I say Metallica-damage) is all-to-present for a 45 minute ride. And it's that reason I don't revisit this record much. It's very long for what it is.

Linky, Link:

https://mega.co.nz/#!RQIj3DaZ!_LXz_TvIIr7_1URGIkeBaLqK3SImcjjVIi44oZtijGU

Xero (Linkin Park) Demo Tape (1997)

Xero - Demo Tape (1997)

Here's a curveball. Linkin Park's demo when they were known as Xero.
I remember being pretty young, before teenager years at least, when I first heard Linkin Park. Back then Kerrang! was on the TV a lot, and at the time it was all about 'nu metal' and 'pop punk'. As such, a lot of that music is nostalgic for me. Basically, what i'm trying to say is that I like a lot of that music. So fuck you, guy.

Xero put out this demo in 1997, with two tracks being the basis for a later Linkin Park tunes 'Forgotten' and 'Runaway'. For me, Mike Shinoda was, is, and possibly will always be the best part of LP. His raps are intelligent, well paced, and are delivered with a great tone. With that said, what makes LP what it is, is the distinctive singing of Chester Bennington. Here, Mark Wakefield is handling the main singing parts. And he is pretty good, setting the template for the style Chester would later run with. This demo has four tracks, two of which went through major transformations in the space of three years, when in 2000 Linkin Park dropped their full-length debut Hybrid Theory.

'Rhinestone' is after-mentioned tune that would eventually become 'Forgotten'. Apart from some structure differences the tune is virtually unchanged to the Hybrid Theory version. 'Reading Me Eyes', along with 'Fuse', are exclusive to this demo as they were never re-worked. Which is a shame,
because 'Fuse' is a great tune. Both tracks are a good mix of rock and rap. Keyword here being 'good'.
LP would eventually become much better, almost seamlessly converging the two genre worlds together. 'Stick N Move' would eventually be re-worked as 'Runaway', and, unsurprisingly, is a highlight of this demo.

So to conclude, the sound quality of this demo is pretty good. The distorted guitar has a very fuzzy sound, but the clean sections are well recorded. The band is tight and confident. And, for 1997, this is pretty innovative. A good demo tape for sure, and a nice look into the past of one of the biggest bands today.

1997 Demo

Linky, Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!kQw0RDjS!QQ6Gw4ViLO8h6TD4lylOsXfJN48o2q6GbXcn74PUUxQ

Prophecy - Foretold...Foreseen (1998)

Prophecy - Foretold...Foreseen (1998)

Brutality from the southern states of America, 'Foretold...Foreseen' is the debut LP by Texan brutal death metal band Prophecy.

While the name certainly isn't that creative, i mean, how many Prophecy's are there? There about 24 listed on Metal-Archives fer Christs sake! The band make up for it with their inventive take on brutal death metal. Instead of being full-out brutality, Prophecy are from the Dying Fetus school of catchy riffs, as well as the Metallica school of progressive leaning metal. While a few songs fall into the brutal death metal time gap of 3-4 minutes, Prophecy opt for slightly longer tracks. Opener 'Core Of Depression' reaches an impressive eight minutes, while 'Human Atrocity', 'Inner Reality', and 'Prophecy' exceed six minutes.

While the longer tracks are definitely impressive, and are not boring by a long shot, the shorter tracks
such as 'Feasting On Flesh' are ridiculously catchy and are where the band shine. 'Diggin' A Pit' is a clusterfuck of riffing that is not to be underestimated. Jesus Christ, dat' slam 1.10 minutes into the track! Heck you could even call the riff that starts at 4.19 a breakdown! 'Ebolic Regurgitation' is a definite highlight, with the catchy riffs and classy clean guitar section. It just goes to show that they aren't just a typical Brutal Death Metal band.

Vocally it's standard brutal death metal, with the unintelligible, guttural 'or, ee, ar, or' style vocals. However, there are Corpse Grinder 'eeYAAAAAH' screams sprinkled-in throughout the whole record that break up the monotony of just super-guttural growls. In terms of the guitar work I have nothing but praise. These guys churn out an array of different styled riffs. There's Cannibal Corpse tremolo riffs, monstrous slams that have violent pinch harmonics, mid-paced riffs that either wind through tricky exercises or play catchy riffs, Metallica-esqu clean guitars, thrash riffs, rocking grooves, and strung-out doom riffs. The bass is totally audible, playing some intricate fills that cut through the mix. The drumming is impeccable, maybe its because i'm a shitty drummer, but holy shit, this guy knows what he's doing. While it's not virtuoso level or anything, he plays for the songs perfectly. And it just so happens that brutal death metal allows for breakneck double-kick as well as grooving the fuck out.

Picking out highlights is hard as every track is a total mixed bag of riffing, its easier just to say that you should just listen to this Brutal Death Metal masterpiece.

Linky Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!5BBTTDzZ!FUXbqhK5Gm2SGZYP1veqinMZWqP_fdWpiwzPH3JxPcI

Cocobat - Cocobat Crunch (1993)

Cocobat - Cocobat Crunch (1993)

Cocobat have been around for a pretty long time, which is why I find it strange that they're not that well known. Maybe its the goofy name, maybe its because their sound can be compared to the nu-metal craze that came about three years after this very record. Admittedly, they play a pretty weird blend for a hardcore band, particularly a Jap hardcore band. Its funky, its riffy, its groovy, and its hardcore. Whether it's coincidence or influence, there is a definite Pantera-esque quality to the riffs and grooves. Even to this day, funky bass in hardcore is a bit of a 'no-no', and the general groovy nature ain't too 'fresh' either. However, if you're willing to throw away you're reservations about heavy guitars playing funky grooves, you may be in for a treat.

Like the instrumentation, the vocals are a mixed bag. Predominately it's shouting, but the dude can sing, get guttural, and rap. The bass slaps and pops along, having many of its own moments to shine. The bass in general is actually fairly high in the mix, which is nice. The guitars thrash around, playing triplets and frenetic chugs, however, there's some experimentation with funk, and the fast power chord riffs are all present enough for their hardcore cred. The Sabbath influence is pretty big as well, where else could the 'Cry Of Pain' riffs come from? Heavy shit, fo' sho. The drumming is executed brilliantly, absolutely nailing the difficult syncopated riff patterns, along with some inventive fills. The use of double kick is pretty rad, and the general 'playing for the song' nature suits the groovy nature of this record.

I'm pretty sure that what we have here is a re-issue with a few bonus tracks. One remix of 'Guy' and two King Crimson covers, '21st Century Schizoid Man', and 'Starless'. Did I mention that the artwork was done by punk rock legend Pushead? Very cool.

Get it while you can!
http://www91.zippyshare.com/v/1emViKaH/file.html

Ban This - Humanware 1996

 

Ban This - Humanware (1996)

Ban This are a mysterious band, not much is known about them and not much has been documented in either records or live videos. So who the fuck are Ban This and why should you care?

Well to answer those questions: 1) I don't fucking know, stop being such a snotty brat, and 2) they play a weird concoction of 90s hardcore/90s industrial/Machine Head/Sepultura (Arise-Roots eras) with occasional death metal moments. Sounds cool, right?

Since not much is known about these guys Its hard to pigeon-hole them as either metal or metal influenced hardcore. But what is surely known is that this record came out in 1996, a very weird time for music, especially for hardcore and metal. Like the record title 'Humanware' suggests, this has a very mechanical style. Its reminicent of what was blooming in the 90s with acts such as Godflesh/Fear Factory/Machine Head. But they certainly have an organic element to them, its really weird to describe.

When searching for info on these guys many people tag them as Nu Metal or Groove Metal. I think that doesn't do Ban This any justice. Honestly, they sound a lot like Biohazard. They have hardcore vocals/rapping/mosh-riffs and they mix it with some Robb Flynn-rip-off vocals/Roots-style groove riffs/ industrial-manipulation, and death metal. In a way, its quite original.

Track: 3 - 'Traitors Pay With Blood'

This track shows off a lot of the different aspects of the band, it has some rapping, Sepultura style vocals, natural harmonic sprinkled riffs, grooves, lead guitars, and death metal vocals over a hardcore section.

To be honest, the whole record can get a bit repetitive and monotonous, but then again, the running time is around 1 hour and thats long for any kind of music.Overall, Ban This have an interesting sound and 'Humanware' is a facinating document of 90s hardcore/metal crossover. 

Linky, Link

https://mega.co.nz/#!0cZ2WYoD!NKF0JGqTrebTrJ8uzTlBOYi25sHwLl72kosu5_ZSnzA

Link taken from: http://skaterockradio.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/ban-this-humanware-1996.html

Fat Kid Running 2004 (Skate Punk)

                                                 Example: An actual fat kid running


The wonders of the modern age! After asking about on 'teh interwebz', I finally found someone who has the Fat Kid Running EP. Fat Kid Running were a Cali Skate Punk band, and while they were not ground-breaking, they write some great, catchy, poppy punk tunes.

There is something strange about certain genres having their own 'place' in time. Maybe i'm weird, well...okay, i am weird, but modern skate punk bands doesn't do much for me. However, for some reason, some no-name, obscure band from the early 00's pop-punk/skate boom interests me.

Anyway, this band is pretty cool. It's like NOFX and No Use For A Name got dumped by their hoe-ass-bish's, listened to Hopesfall, came to the conclusion that life isn't all fun and games and decided to start playing minor chords a lot more. Throughout the record you will hear 'Fat Wreck' drumming, morose melodies, octave chords, cool riffs that sometimes harmonize, 'serious'/sad clean guitars, and melodic-i suppose 'whiny' vocals.

If you're looking for a 'fun' sounding band, maybe give these guys a miss. While on their official page it seems silly and fun, their actual sound is relatively down-beat. With that said, there are some good up-beat moments as well, so it's not all mondo-depresso.

Direct Download link:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/jbu3z8ijzewozde/Fat_Kid_Running_-_Fat_Kid_Running_(2004).rar

You can also find the download link at the great 'Skate Punk Memories' blog here:
http://skatepunkmemories.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/fat-kid-running-fat-kid-running-2004.html

Official Website:

https://web.archive.org/web/20030627094454/http://www.fatkidrunning.com/index.htm