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

Agony (Agoni) - The First Defiance (1988)

Agony (Post-Agoni) - The First Defiance (1988)

The final recording by Agony, formerly Agoni, The First Defiance. If you've checkout out their earlier material you'll see how they have changed from brutal punk to 5th rate thrash metal.

What's immediately noticeable is how tight they've become. On the previous demos, while still pretty tight, it's here that they've mastered their craft of thrash. The riffs are more cleanly executed, the drumming is on point with many strategically placed fills, the bass...i suppose holds down the rhythm end, nothing too exciting as per with thrash metal, and the vocals have grown out of the Baloff worship (well, Madness Reigns is an exception) from the previous demo.

My issue with thrash, and metal in general, is the overuse of riffs and trying too hard to be progressive/epic all the goddamn time. There's lots of stop-starts, space for fills, and unfortunately solos...Actually let me clear this up. Solos can be great, amazing even. But leaving long spaces in songs for doodling is not cool. If you're a guitar player, or someone like me who dicks about with guitars with retard fingers, no doubt you've left spaces in songs you've written so you can practice your soling. Cool, backing tracks are a good way to practice. But dooood, don't treat an actual song like a backing track. Chances are your amazing improvisations sound like shit, or are just not as amazing as you think they are.

I'm not saying Agony fall prey to this to the point where it's a fault. They're just playing thraaaaashh, maaaan. Its just a flaw in a genre for me. You know what? I blame Metallica, fucking Master of Puppets. That record inspired way too many bands to start being progressive (read: repetitive) as opposed to the punky Slayer approach.

Sweet Mary mother of Christ, what happened?

All of this sounds like i'm slagging this band off. But i'm not, honest. Night of the Emperor has a cool change in dynamic half way through, which is good as the record starts to drag by this point. Mass Manipulation has a cool moment towards the end, with thumping quarter note bass notes, giving an almost circus-like atmosphere. Obviously Deadly Legacy, from the earlier demos, has a neat guitar hook, and becomes the highlight of the record. Pretty sad that one of, if not the, best songs was written before the newer material.

So there you have it. They never really got as original or powerful as they should have. This is decent, but it's not something i'll be attracted to listen to multiple times.

Linky, Link:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/zmjmzzmgnna/A-TFD88-BYTM.zip

Agony (Agoni) - Execution of Mankind (1986)

Agony (Post-Agoni) - Execution of Mankind Demo (1986)

Whenever the early demo tracks surfaced, which showed Agoni in full raging D-Beat mode and the transition into thrash merchants in 1985 with The Future is Ours, it took until 1986 for them to unleash this: Execution of Mankind

From the limited knowledge available, I assume this is the same line-up. Like I said on my previous posts, due to my bias, I think the early demo is the best thing Agoni ever released. However, their thrash work is still very good. The only problem is the lack of identity. Better than standard thrash, but it's obviously Exodus worship going on here; you can definitely tell that Bonded by Blood had crossed the water by this point (just listen to them fucking vocals). And that's the issue here. This is some cool thrash, but it doesn't blow me away. It doesn't set them apart from their puffy-sneakered constituents.While the early demo was, admittedly, generic for what it was. At least they were one in a few actually playing in that style at that time. As such, despite not being overly original, they leave a lasting impression.

That very criteria: Swedish, punk/d-beat, early 80s. Makes them so much more interesting. As opposed to: Swedish, thrash metal, mid-late 80s. I mean, how many thrash bands were there in the late 80s anyway? Answer: a lot, as record labels could capitalize on the success of the big four and the pretentious wankers who want something more underground, bruh!

Sure, they've gotten better at their instruments. There is more content here; longer songs, guitar harmonies, solos, progressive-tinted song structures, tempo shifts, et all. But It doesn't 'wow' me.

Two tracks here, Deady Legacy, and Execution of Mankind appear on their only LP The First Defiance and Bribed is a re-work from their previous demo The Future is Ours

Overall, a decent demo. But Agoni were forever cursed with being mediocre when they changed their style, and later name, to the metal side. Shame.

Linky, Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!4AIVzbhb!mWspbQu3w_tzRXNR6h4S-qGd_NzmZIhgS7oKy5UmpQk

Agoni - The Future is Ours (1985)

Agoni - The Future is Ours Demo (1985)

So after the amazing d-beat mastery that appeared on Stockholm's Mangel, what does Agoni's next demo The Future is Ours sound like?

Like thrash metal. It's surprising that it's even the same band. I mean, when was that first demo recorded? It must have been pretty early since the musical growth is pretty big. However, i say that. Metal, although touted as technical, isn't THAT much harder to play than standard punk.

There really isn't much, if any, comparison to the d-beat Agoni. Obviously the drums are playing permutations of the d-beat fairly often. But guitar and vocal wise? Forget it. This is a different band altogether.

In terms of Agoni's 'metal years'. This is probably the best representation. Although I would say that because this demo doesn't outstay it's welcome. With three tracks, each being around the three minute mark, this isn't a long affair. Also, the fact that they were still searching for that sound makes this a bit more raw than the later material.

Check out this review of a show in Leeds, UK. Where Discharge headlined, in all their a-hem "glory", and Anti-Cimex + Agoni were on support.

So, not as powerful or as special as their first demo. As the live review states, this isn't anything special. But it's not bad, just not earth-shattering. Did Agoni ever get that bit more 'power and originality'?

Linky, Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!wQwE2CZZ!UJkIr9cXPQnt0OX-Grm0bK_xQ8yLpjAoU0EQc28KW2U

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 - 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

Rhetoric - Straight (Over The) Edge (1988)

Rhetoric - Straight (Over The) Edge (1988)

Rhetoric were from Norwich, UK. Which is a pretty nice place by all accounts. They play a raging concoction of punk and Frosty/Destruction riffage, otherwise known as Crust Punk. For those who don't know, or care, the UK was a hotbed for crust in the 80s. While there are a few different approaches to crust, Rhetoric fall under the anarcho-punk meets European metal-punk banner.

In a sentence: it's punks playing sloppy seconds metal-punk.

Crust is like thrash metals' weirdo third-detached, unhygienic, dreadlocked cousin who likes hugging trees and wearing Destruction t-shirts. In other words, you probably wouldn't want to hang around with him but he definitely has a cool record collection, so fuck it.

Rhetoric are a great example of crust. They pack a shit-load of metal-damaged riffs into short
hardcore blasts ranging from one to five minutes. As with a fair amount of crust, the Crass like anarcho leanings are present, certainly in the clean guitar intro to 'It's Unexplainable' and the subversive parodical use of the Hawaii 5-O theme music in opener 'H.5.0. - Theme Of The Rhetoric Crass-Surfin' Formation Team'.

Juxtaposed with the sensitive intellectualism and politically charged anarcho-yelps, is the barbaric chugging and guttural shouts. Tracks like 'World Inside of Me' are a good example of the varied influences going on within the band. Unlike their contemporaries such as Deviated Instinct, Filthkick, Axegrinder, and Generic, these dudes weren't all political doom and gloom. 'Theme Of The Rhetoric...' and 'The Burp Song!', which is a piss around with Hellbastard's 'Nazis Killed' riff,
show that these guys have a sense of humor.

Rhetoric - Straight (Over The) Edge full-tape

As for the tapes name 'Straight (Over The) Edge'. While it may have seemed clever at the time, is pretty fucking stupid regarding how hypocritical crusties can be. As much as i love crust, the whole pansy arse, dildo subculture around it is pathetic. One of my big reservations about crust is the political rambling about multi-national corporations...whilst fans and bands are supporting the alcohol industry. Possibly the worst industry to support in terms of institutions that are more powerful
than government. Institutions that want to 'normalize' their product within society. Institutions that don't face up to the multiple problems they cause by stating that 'as individuals we should know our limits'. Institutions that cleverly market themselves to make themselves seem innocent and 'cool' as opposed to the Nazi like indoctrination complex's that they actually are. Institutions that reinforce gender mainstreaming. Institutions that prey on genetic addiction predispositions. Institutions that don't give a fuck about the millions of lives they destroy, cripple, and hinder. Do I need to continue? I have no problem with drinking, and i have no problem with political activism, but I do have a problem with disingenuous posturing from pretentious wankers who see the world in black and white.

Other than that small, personal gripe, this is a great demo, a total crust relic. Fans of this style should definitely check this out if they haven't already.

Linky Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!hNZFzbxJ!QQ6sV2vUxKuTFkv78p6gXSzcYPQ7ZwGstZPdqgCfyj8

Dispossession - Self-titled & 'Plagues' EP

Dispossession: Self-titled & 'Plagues' EP

Dispossession are from Norfolk, UK, although, to be specific, i'm pretty sure most of the guys are from Kings Lynn, a pretty shitty town in the South-east of the UK. They play a fairly inventive style of 90s Brutal Death Metal ala Dying Fetus, and Deathcore.

Fun fact: Norfolk has the largest concentration of Medieval churches, as well as inbreds, in the whole world. 

Their four track self-titled EP came out in 2013, and from what i can tell, had a bit of a buzz about them. Whats rad about this EP is the mid-paced riffing, which permeates through all of the main riffs... as well as the monster slams, bruh. Can't forget dem' slams. Its like they're on a mission to put as many catchy riffs into each song as possible.

Since Dispossession are a bit cryptic in terms of where they fall genre-wise, they stand out from the pack. The riffs and slams (dat slam in 'Strangulate', sheeet son) makes them much more interesting than standard deathcore, but the breakdowns, albeit infrequent, can seem a bit forced, and take away from the death metal brutality.With that said, breakdowns, at least how metal bands play them, have never been 'my thing', bruh.

Their latest EP, 'Plagues', was released during the summer of 2014 and carries on in the same style, however, they have stepped up their game...

In terms of production, its a huge step up from the self titled. Truly a claustrophobic atmosphere, fo' sho. Obviously the guitar players, James and Aaron, have improved a good deal, experimenting with different riff styles as well as adding some lead shizznit. Unfortunately, the mid-paced riffing isn't as predominant, but, the brutal slams are still there. In fact, breakdowns take a backseat to the slams.

Such brutal, wow

Reviewing either of their EPs track-by-track would be seriously uninteresting to you readers because i'd just be repeating how 'rad' each riff is. What I will say is that Dispossession are a band to watch out for, bruh. And if you can  catch them live, as I've yet to do as I progressively become more scouse by the minute, deffo do so.

Dispo's music is on their Bandcamp fo' free (or donation, if you're feeling generous) and they've still got some merch left which is pretty cheap, providing that you're from the UK. Also, check out dere Facebook while you're at it.

I thnk u shud get ur gran dis t-shrt, so she cn luk fashnuble and coo, bruh

Lunatic Invasion - Destined To Die (1991)

Lunatic Invasion - Destined To Die (1991)

Primitive grindcore from the late 80s/early 90s. Need I say more?
Apparently I do as Napalm Death isn't being played on the radio anytime soon, let alone obscurities like this.

Lunatic Invasion do the whole punky grind shindig. There's some head-crushing riffage, especially in 'Nuclear War', and some fast as shit hardcore/grind sections. Vocally it sounds like a Caveman having his intestines mercilessly pulled out by Satan, pretty cool. When the drums aren't blasting at warp-speed they are either trudging through swampy riffs, or are violently punctuating the guitar work.

Patrick Stewart knows whats up. You wouldn't disagree with Captain Picard, would you?

Whats cool about the guitar playing is the variety of styles. There's the typical Napalm Death-'Celtic Frost meets hardcore'-grind style but there is also a butt load of hardcore riffs, along with the tried and tested Thrash'n'Frost guitar styles.

Lunatic Invasion are a perfect example of grindcore, From the hardcore riffs and beats, to the blastbeats and gruff vocals. Overall, they're precise enough to execute tempo changes and play some cool riffs, but at the same time, they've got that exuberant punk abandon that metal-grind lacks.

This is punk/metal at its finest.

Linky Link:

https://mega.co.nz/#!QYBjyAbD!RGdEBjksBNfzfn9o3CwEPVCtvOMVOzJCXMZn4bp7gp0

Life Cycle - Myth and Ritual (1988)

Life Cycle - Myth and Ritual (1988) 

Imagine a political punk band in the vein of Crass. Now imagine what would happen if the guitarist
got a tape with Celtic Frost dubbed on it from his pen-pal Hugo, or Gustav, or some Swedish named mofo.

Okay, so that's not too hard to imagine, i know. Hellbastard, Generic, and Deviated Instinct are all great examples of Celtic Frosty punks. But Life Cycle are a bit different...

Life Cycle were from Bridgend, Wales. and played a rad combination of punk and Tom G. Warrior style metal. In their time they put out two records 'Myth and Ritual' in 1988 and 'The Weight of Tradition' in 1989. Vocally there is the female anarcho vocals of Marie and the brutish shouts of guitar player Neil Morgan. Its a cool mixture for sure. Guitar wise all the tracks have Tom G. Warrior all over them. All the riffs are sludgy, bass-ridden, mid-paced, menacing, and repetitive. The repetition bludgeons the listener into a bloody pulp, devoid of shape, a 'thing' that only
HP Lovecraft could describe. To top it off, the tracks melt into each other giving no time for the listener to regain consciousness. I think the reason this record has never been re-issued is because its dangerous. The riffs are heavy, man. Too heavy for humans to comprehend, bro.

If Captain Caveman was holding  a guitar instead of a club, i'd be convinced that he played the guitar on this record.

What separates this record from many other crust bands is the focus on condensing monumental riffs into short songs. Unfortunately, 'The Weight Of Tradition' isn't a carbon copy of 'Myth and Ritual', the guitar work is much more Prong-like as opposed to the obsessive Tom G Warrior guitar madness found here. With that said 'The Weight Of Tradition' is pretty rad, so definitely check it out.

If you want to be mentally murdered in 7 minutes, check out 'Myth and Ritual'

Youtube for the entire 'Myth and Ritual' EP

Linky Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!ZcAn1aSa!49gsqzRt9SysPgrAgyKcFn0XgPjFtb43306I_RSz1Ik

Cheers to 'Mad Blasts of Chaos' for the album art and music. For some background info on the band, check the comments section for this record here:
http://madblastsofchaos.blogspot.co.uk/2007/11/life-cycle-myth-ritual-ep-1988.html

Jerry's Kids - Kill Kill Kill (1989)

Jerry's Kids - Kill Kill Kill (1989) Taang! Records

This was one of the first 'crossover' records I ever heard. And dear lord did I hate it when I was 15.

The dumb soloing, the stupid lyrics, the abandonment of the frenetic punk energy found on the 'Boston, Not L.A.' tracks. I hated everything about this record, especially 'Breathe and Fuck', Jesus wept. What a turd.

I've listened to it a few times over the years since then, each time becoming more bearable.

But what do I make of it now that i'm fond of metal? Is it even THAT metal? Well...

I'm gonna say it...this isn't metal. It's not really even 'crossover', it just doesn't chug. Sure, it has a butt full of, admittedly metal, solos. But no real metal-as-fuck riffage.

Its kinda surfy in place, its kinda rocky, and it has some metal flavoring, but to be honest, the majority of it is hardcore. So why the hell did it rub me up the wrong way for such a long time?

To be honest, I cant really put my finger on it. After listening to it a few times I actually like it.

I mean, it doesn't rip like 'Boston, Not L.A.' or 'Is This My World' but it definitely has its moments.

'Breathe and Fuck' is the first sign of slowing down, and at track three, maybe its too soon to change pace. While its nowhere near as horrendous as I remember it being, it's very long for what it is.With that said, it shows off a more experimental side to the band, which should never be discouraged.

I'd say that tracks like 'Breath and Fuck', 'Tired Eyes', 'Don't Belong' and 'Satan's Toy' show the experimental side in full motion, with Hendrix-style guitar work/wah effects, sound-clips, and longer arrangements on offer. Most of the other tracks are like a mixture of the 60s like guitar playing meshed with hardcore pace. And they mix it up pretty well, its not like a total convergence of those two approaches. Tracks like 'Bad Trip' and 'Back Off' start off with slow intros that eventually race into intense speeds. There is definitely some ripping hardcore here, it's just meshed in between more ambitious structures.

Sure, Rick doesn't sound like he's just escaped a mental asylum. The band isn't a dyed-in-wool 30 second hardcore holocaust. And they aren't as rabid in their approach. But if you take it for what it is, its not bad. Its a band expanding on their sound in an original manner. I can't say I've heard many 80s punk releases that mix punk, surf, metal, and rock, all into one cohesive record.

Would it be better if 'Satan's Toy' wasn't on the bad side of 6 minutes? would it be better if they cut down on the soloing? would it be better if they got rid of some songs? If you want a straight up hardcore record, then sure. But regarding when this record came out, 1989, Jerry's Kids were

fairly faithful to their roots while experimenting with their increased musicianship. Thumbs up.

Linky Link:

https://mega.co.nz/#!hEIH1LjD!GZcif_UyaS6jKixGu9re5KaMAhpHGaDU3YpkVr9cVhc

Here's a cool press release!

DYS - 1985 LP

DYS - 1985 LP/ 'Fire & Ice'

How does one follow up from SSD's 'How We Rock'?
With another controversial Boston punk release, obviously!

To preface this review, check out the Dave Smalley interview with 'Dissonance Radio' that covers
the Boston Crew, DYS, 'going metal', the infamous'salamander', Dag Nasty, straight-edge, politics, Down By Law, and artistic growth. http://dissonance.libsyn.com/7_15_08_dave_smalley

DYS were part of the 'Boston Crew', a bunch of straight-edge mostaphios who were allegedly violent to those who didn't agree with their politics. I can't comment with any authority as I wasn't even born then. What I can say with confidence is that DYS put out a seminal record 'Brotherhood' that stands ground as one of the best hardcore records ever, heck, best punk records ever, actually...one of the best records ever.

By the mid eighties many-a-punk band started 'evolving', this usually meant adding guitar soloing, placing melody and songwriting over brutality, and favoring dynamics over sheer speed. Naturally, many people branded this direction as 'metal'. This has always bugged me, why can't you become better at your instrument within the punk lexicon? Why does learning how to play different rhythms and techniques have to be considered 'metal'? Especially for 'hardcore' bands, do you know how boring it would be to write the same stuff for 5+ years? As much as I love it, it doesn't leave any obvious routes to take for expanding.When people criticize hardcore bands for branching out, testing out new rhythms and approaches, it weirds me out.

I've seen people call this self-titled, aka 'Fire & Ice', a 'Master Of Puppets' rip-off (the hell, seriously? 'Master...' came out in 86'), a terrible metal record, a sell-out, a 'hard rock' record, and a betrayal. It makes you wonder what goes on in some people heads, it really does.

I'm just gonna put it out there, Dave Smalley sounds great. Unlike SSD, in which Springa kept his guttural shouts, Dave shows off an impressive range, all but abandoning his shout. I can see why this would be seen as 'metal', or sell-out, but who cares if the songs are good? Not only is Smalley's range good, his tone is great, very much reminiscent of his Dag Nasty work. Due to the vocals, and some of the guitar work, this record reminds me of 80s 'emo' but with a lot more chugging and solos. Which, at least for me, is a good thing. Much like 'How We Rock' the rhythm guitar work is pretty much heavy hardcore, but unlike 'How We Rock', the guitar solos are tasteful and keep in minor keys.

So lets tackle this beast, track by track:
As the opening track, 'Late Night' has a lot to prove for the 'new and improved' DYS. While being one of the shortest tracks, 'Late Night' condenses many of the different approaches into one song, with its shifts in tempo, guitar lead breaks and ambitious melodic vocals. Admittedly, its not the strongest song here, so don't judge the whole record by it.

'Echoes' and 'The Loner' properly show off the riffy, Sabbath-ish, elements, with some-gasp-metal riffs. If anything, these tracks are what the record is all about. Its punk, its rock, its metal, all rolled into one.

I suppose one of the biggest controversies is the ballad 'Closer Still' which is placed, slap-bang in the middle of the record. As for someone who likes ballads that build up into a heavy tune, like Metallica's 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)', 'Closer Still' is well written, it has a nice texture to it, good dynamics, a epic solo, and features fantastic singing by Dave. As far as heavy ballads (note: not power-ballads) go, this is a really good tune.

'Which Side Am I' is a good indication of the 'metal' aspects. There is no denying that riff, that's for sure. Its a pretty long tune at around 5 minutes, with the obligatory guitar solos. I can see where the Metallica comparisons lie here, especially with the theatrical main riff. For some reason I get a 'Creeping Death' vibe from it.

'No Pain, No Gain' and 'Held Back' are straight up Boston hardcore, no doubt about that. It's strange that they are kept to the very end of the record. You'd think the hardcore tracks would be up-front. With that said, there is a good amount of solos chucked in for good measure and some stop/starts. Instead of reverting to shouting, Dave continues to sing on these decidedly more frenetic cuts.

The closer 'Graffiti' has a  real Sabbath feel to it, with the mighty groove riff looming over like
a monolith. Sure, it speeds up but soon breaks down into the swampy goodness. A good way to end this controversial release.

So how to summaries? While this is often lauded as one of the worst cases of 'going metal' in punk history, but in reality, its a good record. While it is stylistically different to 'Brotherhood', it shows a band reaching out for a bigger horizon while sticking to their roots. While the cynics may believe the hardcore tracks are there to appease their core audience, i don't think its out of hand to think that they were just evolving from being mean-ass Bostonian hardcore to something more ambitious. This isn't 'crossover' as we know it in-terms of DRI, Ludichrist, et all. Like SSD, there is a mix of punk, metal and a healthy dose of rock. This isn't about speed, its about songs.

Linky Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!1URxAZiD!Ct19aTFjgO9JElIokgoabRPmPnEQamBUz_gFIRZjLdA

SSD - How We Rock (1984)

SSD - How We Rock (Modern Method Records 1984)

It's strange how we change over time, both as people and our tastes. Some things we enjoy when growing up may seem objectively bad when we get older. A film like 'Saw' is a good example for 'my generation'. Me and my friends watched many of the films, and at the time, we enjoyed them. Looking back on those films now...they suck. I mean, they really, really, really suck. Badly.
However, other stuff like 'Jeepers Creepers', or for music, 'Limp Bizkit', remain enjoyable, even though I am thoroughly aware of how bad they are in the grand scheme of things. People of older generations will probably see all of the after-mentioned as terrible. I suppose that nostalgia for ya.

Whats the point of this long and seemingly random introduction? Well, when I started getting into punk it was very much 'i listen to punk and reggae and that's it, fuck rock and metal'. Looking back on it now, it seems childish and silly to think like that, but i digress.

SSD are one of 'those' bands. You know, the bands that stick out like a sore thumb due to their sound, influence, and historical presence. They're the sort of band you listen to to get you into a certain style of music, but, they are somewhat 'obscure' so you get 'cool points' for knowing about them.

SSD represent all that is mean and fucked up about punk, they are the embodiment of HARDCORE.
Fast, pissed off, mean, gruff shouty vocals, pounding drums that go from menacing plods to proto-blast beats, and frenetic pummeling bass lines. SSD may not be the first hardcore band you'll hear, but they will certainly leave one of the biggest impressions. So imagine me, been listening to punk for a few years, properly in my 'punk or nuthin' stage, and I hear SSD. Naturally, I'm blown away. But then I catch wind of these 'other' records they put out, ones that never get discussed. When I sourced out and listened to 'How We Rock' I was appalled. A total 'What the fuck is this' moment. I gave a few moments of the 1985 follow-up 'Break It Up' a listen but quickly came to the conclusion that SSD 'went metal'...oooooh, shock, horror! Needless to say, I stuck to the almighty 'The Kids Will Have Their Say' and ' Get it Away', and shunned those awful 'metal' monstrosities.

Years later I started to dig metal, I started out with various punk-metal bands like Slayer,
Bathory, and Burzum and eventually got really into it. This was coupled with playing in bands,
because in suburban UK, the closest thing to playing aggressive music is joining a metal band. Although my tastes expanded, I was always into punk the most. It wasn't until very recently that I gave those two 'metal' SSD records a spin. And what do you know? they sound ruddy good!

While 'Break It Up' is overtly more 'rock/metal', 'How we Rock' is a great transition from seminal hardcore punk to hard rockin'-vaguely metal powerhouse. What I really like is that they play 'rock' rhythms while having a total hardcore vocalist. It's strange, but it works! What is also ridiculously cool is that, while 'Break It Up' is very much 'rock' guitar straight through, 'How We Rock' balances the 'rock' with some fast punk stuff as well. It's a real transitional record for them.

While the guitars lack the 'big' sound that comes from big recording budgets, this record is still meaty. What needs to be understood is that this record is like one big guitar solo, which is probably what turned me off of it years ago. I mean seriously, even when the vocals are blurting out guttural shouts you have guitars shredding everywhere. In a way, this leads to a 'samey' sort of vibe. Especially when the guitarwork repeats various ideas and techniques throughout the songs. The elements that make this record good is the rhythm section, especially the drumming, as well as the throaty vocals. Seriously, nothing has changed since 'Get It Away'.

There are quite a few tracks that straddle the whole Major/Minor feel, a very 'metal' thing to do. Usually the rhythm guitar is playing some legit heavy hardcore while the leads are expanding on the riffs via arpeggios which highlights the Major/Minor divide.Without the constant lead guitars this would be a really decent straight-up hardcore record.

While I could weigh up the more metal tracks from the punk ones, I wont, as most of the tracks straddle the lines between both worlds anyway.

'How We Rock' has inspired me to go back and listen to those dreaded 'metal' turkeys that seminal punk bands lumped out during the mid 80s. Expect to hear more opinions on this era.

Okay, okay, admittedly that album art is revolting and totally 'metal'.
Linky Link:
https://mega.co.nz/#!BYh3DZyR!JaPuOO8SmUugLifmzS-GOMUJbwnRGj8yVCbT4nOgjd8

And just for some good entertainment, here's how the record was received upon release:

Up until now SSD were one of my favorite hardcore bands. I usually enjoy when bands try to diversify their sound, however I keep asking myself "Is this the new AC/DC album?" If that doesn't make you sceptical try this one - David Spring (as he's now known) recently proclaimed at the Jerry's Kids farewell show in Boston that hardcore is dead. He also said that since SSD started the hardcore scene in Boston that they could now kill it by switching their sound to heavy metal. How egotistical! I guess maybe they think their shit doesn't stink but this album sure does. What a shame!
-Greg C. (from Task #1, March 1985)

Various thoughts that came to mind while listening: I'd like this a lot more if all the squiggly rock guitar solos were half as long / The lyrics are still good / There's "power" here, but where's the spark? / The band really likes the record / "Musicianization" (thanks, Ken Lester) will kill punk rock / This is a short album, but looong / The cover says it all (who's Alan Barile, David Spring? / This isn't fun, but would it be better at 45 RPM? / There--I did this without once saying "heavy metal."
-Tim Yohannan (from Maximum Rocknroll #18, October 1984)

Silly bastards!

Cultfinder 'Black Thrashing Terror' EP 2012

Unholy Metalpunk at it's most blasphemous!

If you're a tea drinking, yellow teethed, limey bugger, I urge you to support this band. Their debut 7' 'Black Thrashing Terror' (which also comes with a cool patch and small poster/lyric sheet) is only £2.40 fer christ sake! and their full length CD is £4.00. So you can't say 'that's toooo expensive!' when p&p is like a quid or so.

Anyway...
Cultfinder play a really unique style of Black Metal. It's a bit 1st wave (Bathory, Venom, Voor), it's a bit Norweigian (Darkthrone, Burzum, Mayhem), it's a bit Brazillian deathrash (Chakal, Witchhammer), it's a bit 3rd wave (Abigail, Nifelheim), and it's also a bit crusty!

This is some lo-fi, fast, blasty, raspy-vocalled shit. 'Black Thrashing Terror' opens with a swampy, doom-bringing riff-accompanied by thudding tom-toms, which quickly erupts into unholy rasping vocals, blasting drums, and racing guitars. The chorus is where it's really at, in the vein of Abigail, we have a catchy refrain of 'BLACK! THRASHING! TERROR!' while the guitars continue to pump out blasphemous riffs.

'Archangel Burial' continues in the fast and blasty vein, while 'Witching Curse' is a rad tune that fluctuates from the fast and blasty sections to the ominous, helltanik chorus riff. And lest we forget that punishing double-kick drumming that plays under the chorus riff half way through.

Black Thrashing Terror
Heretic winds of torment, lies beyond compare
Blasphemous hordes lie dormant
For war we shall prepare!

Call to the hordes of devastation!
blasphemous cries our incantation
Call to the hordes of devastation!
Blaphemous cries: we rise!

BLACK! THRASHING! TERROR!

Towards the infernal darkness
Bastards of Belial
Hordes of blackened martyrs

Earth we shall defile!

Because I'm such a nice guy, here's the download link
http://www71.zippyshare.com/v/82672493/file.html

And in the name Satan, go buy some merch from:

http://unholycultfinder.bandcamp.com/merch

http://unholycultfinder.bandcamp.com/album/black-thrashing-terror