WVRM - Where All Light Dies

WVRM    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP   MERCH

This just made my fucking weekend. WVRM literally just released a new album, and it's one of the best things that will ever be featured on this blog. I was completely blown away by their debut 'Despair' late last year, and now, just a few months later, they spew out 8 more songs of hammering crust/hardcore. Unbelievable. The production on this new album is absolutely perfect, in my opinion. You could play this for anyone and tell them it's the newest thing on Southern Lord and no one would question you. If you haven't heard WVRM before, you can expect something akin to The Secret, Nails, Trap Them or Dead In The Dirt. Cassette copies of their debut are still available, I can only hope that this new album gets some sort of physical release as well. For now, you can find it on Bandcamp with a "name your price" option, so feel free to give them some $$$ for all their hard work. While it's far too early to call this a best of 2014 candidate, I can guarantee you that it ends up on my year end list. Excuse me while I go listen to this 100 more times.

- download -
1. Smell Ov Old Graves
2. Worse Than Alone
3. Carolina
4. Assisted Suicide
5. Noose Man
6. XIIXII
7. Wounded Dog
8. A Casket To Call Home


BOXCUTTER FACELIFT // DEMORALIZER - Split

BOXCUTTER FACELIFT

DEMORALIZER
FACEBOOK  ☼  BANDCAMP  ☼  HOME

Check out this split from 2 insane grindcore bands from Massachusetts. Boxcutter Facelift are self proclaimed metal hermits that are here to sing you songs of hate that are fast, short and weird. Demoralizer brings the doomy grinding death. Their tunes are also fast, short and heavy and may cause you to embarrassingly shit yourself. 

The split is available on Bandcamp, Boxcutter Facelift's side is a "name your price" download and Demoralizer's is free.



SCARE TACTIC - Demo

SCARE TACTIC    ☼    BANDCAMP

Scare Tactic is a 4-piece harcore/crust-band from Bremen, Germany that just released this KILLER demo. Comparisons can be made to their German brethren Depravation & Deathrite but this demo comes off as a LOT darker and more pissed off than even those bands. Plus, they've got a HUGE Cursed/Swarm/Left For Dead vibe going on with these 3 songs, so you know they've already won a spot in my heart. Get this now.

- download -
1. Born Free
2. Days Are Numbered
3. The Last


CRUTCHES - Lurad

CRUTCHES    ☼    BANDCAMP    BLOG

Political D-Beat punk at it's finest, courtesy of Sweden's CRUTCHES. They just released an LP that will have you putting on your cone-studded vest and starting a pit in your bedroom. Total crust anarchy. For fans of Discharge, GBH etc etc... The 12" will be available for purchase any day now at either Phobia Records, Distro-y Records, Not Enough or Rawmantic Disasters.

- download -
1. Intro / Chaos Squad
2. Down The Drain
3. Egna Ben
4. Forever Stoked
5. Interlude
6. Framtiden
7. Arbetarjavel
8. Mera
9. Absolution
10. Lurad




IWAKURA - Demos

IWAKURA    ☼    BANDCAMP

Iwakura is an emo/power-violence & hardcore band from Denver, CO. Beyond that they are a mystery to me. If these truly are demos, they are incredibly well-done demos. These 3 frenzied songs make me nervous, and that's a good thing. Drop any info you have on this band in the comments.

- download -
1. North
2. Amber Teeth, Splintered
3. A Paper Mantis


UPHEAVAL - Ancient Slumber Demo

I'm not gonna spend too much time on this one. As annoying as it is that Upheaval threw up one big track containing a bunch of demos on Bandcamp, it's still pretty damn good. Worth a listen if for nothing else than to keep them on your radar. Hopefully they put out a proper release in the future.


WEAPONS OF SELF-DESTRUCTION - VOL 2

Here's an insanely heavy label sampler from Kaotoxin Records, an extreme Metal label from Lille, France, focusing on Death Metal and Grindcore and all their subgenres (Brutal Death, Goregrind, etc.).

HEAD SPLIT - Demo

HEAD SPLIT    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

Head Split (fka Torchbearer) are from Central Massachusetts. What do they sound like? Just take a look at their demo cover art above. They are the demon and you are the motherfucker that is getting eaten alive. This is some straight-up killer crossover hardcore. Much more produced and much more metallic that what I usually post here, but who out there doesn't need some metal every now and then? This band has only been around for half a year, and if they are already spitting out this kind of quality stuff, I can only imagine what's next.

- download -
1. The Crystal Wizard
2. Young And Ruthless
3. Honor Among Thieves



NEQUIENT - Not Being Able

NEQUIENT    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

Man, this 6-song demo from Chicago's Nequient gets meaner & filthier with every track. Insane, vile dual-vocals, speaker shredding guitars & drums that never slow down is what you're going to have here. Listing influences as Disfear, Disrupt, Wolfbrigade, Victims, Doom & Skitsystem, the band is made up of current and past members of: Blood of the Tyrant, Deus Absconditus, Heaving Mass, Lost Dog, Nucleus, Trifog and Urethra Franklin & the Ghetto Children. Celebrate the Sabbath with Nequient.

- download -
1. Anti-Life
2. Pigs Meat
3. Comfortable Disease
4. Empowered Cancer
5. Stravinsky Riot
6. DogEatDog


CROSS BUILDER - MMXIII [Update]

Just a heads up on this. I had previously posted about Cross Builder and their fantastic EP that they released last year. At the time it was only available in streaming form, but now the label has put it up for a free download on their own Bandcamp page. You definitely want to grab this.

TEETHING - Teethgrinder / Starting Fires Video

The new video from Teething for 'Teethgrinder' and 'Starting Fires', taken from the split 12" with Ravage Ritual.

UBOA - Jouissance

UBOA    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP    TUMBLR

UBOA - From Melbourne Australia, dropped a ferocious LP back in Autumn 2013. 6 tracks of sheer noise terror! The lyrics are horrific. The music is horrific. The entire fucking mood of the album is designed to antagonize the listener, to awaken in them some kind of cathartic anger.

Bleak sludge with buckets of distortion and terrifying shrill vocals - All in all creating a dark, droning metallic white noise. It's quite simply exhausting!  The album is up for free download on their Bandcamp page.

- download -
1. Sakura
2. Hair, Skin, Nails
3. I Will Choke You Until You Like It
4. Become Meat
5. I Am Taking All Of You With Me
6. Jouissance
7. Avalon


BLEED THE PIGS - Mortis Fatum

BLEED THE PIGS    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

Fuck, I may be fucking dead after hearing this. Bleed The Pigs is female-fronted hardcore to end all female-fronted hardcore. This is some mind-meltingly harsh grindcore/powerviolence that also manages to squeeze in some Cursed-esque hooks & grooves plus some interesting and haunting instrumental aspects that instead of becoming boring or masturbatory, lend themselves perfectly to the rest of the EP. This thing is pretty massive as far as modern hardcore EP's go, clocking in at almost 14 minutes. I can't even talk about the vocals, they just have be heard. Countless comparisons could be made to End Reign, Dead In The Dirt, All Pigs Must Die, Enabler, Ravage Ritual, Full Of Hell etc, etc. But honestly, this holds up to each one of those bands. It looks like all their tapes are sold out, but at least you can download it. Easily my favorite thing I've heard this year.

- download -
1. (SYSTEM)CONTROL
2. Rot
3. Scum Fucker
4. Endless Void
5. May
6. Stuck


HOME - Bound To Gravity

HOME    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

You simply MUST check out this debut album from Innsbruck's HOME. I'm seeing a lot of places describe them as stoner, sludge or post-hardcore, but I don't think I would stick them in any of those categories. All I know is that this is some HEAVY, rocking shit. Production sounds sooooo fucking good. Why do 3-pieces always sound so goddamned heavy? And, this CD is out on a label that actually gets it, they happily offer free downloads. So if you like this at all, please pick up a copy of the CD from Sound Zero. Some words from their bio:
"It all started in Austria back in 2009, when three longtime buddies gave up playing in separate bands and began creating music together. Just half a year later they released their first, self-titled EP, followed by a tour right across Germany. After that, the guys went into HOME's own studio to get the album done, supervised by their own drummer. In contrast to modern 'Pro-Tools' albums they decided to record the album live and without a metronome. The aim was to get an organic, raw and heavy sound."
- download
1. Hole
2. Next To Last
3. No Way Out My Friend
4. Not Even Me
5. Burlesque
6. Old Hand
7. Kyoto
8. Horsecable
9. Dead City


CALLOW // JUNGBLUTH - Split

CALLOW    ☼    BANDCAMP   BLOG   
JUNGBLUTH    ☼    BANDCAMP   FACEBOOK

Callow & Jungbluth have offered up their new split 7" for a free download. This is pretty much a no-brainer. Jungbluth are from Germany and arose from the ashes of Alpinist. Callow are from Philadelphia, PA and put a high-energy spin on the post-hardcore crust genre. Can't beat a deal like this.

Pre-Order 7" via Hydrogen Man Records (US): 
Pre-Order 7" via Middle-Man Records (US): 
Pre-Order 7" via Contraszt! Records (EUR): 

- download -
1. Bildungsroman - Callow
2. Dead End Kids - Callow
3. Warhead - Callow
4. Keeping Peace - Jungbluth


COUNTRESS - Ov Sin

COUNTRESS    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

HELL YES. I was craving some evil-as-fuck hardcore punk rock n' roll, and Countress has delivered. Their Facebook bio states: "Countress is a heavy metal band from Reno, Nevada. With songs that touch on the subject matter of true crime, conspiracy, horror and anti-Christian themes Countress has been raising hell since late 2012. We speak for the hated and feared ones that were born to destroy. The Haellions, Satans sons. We ride for life. Coffin placed upon our backs.

Their debut full-length 'Ov Sin' came out last summer, but you can now download it for free. It totally reminds me of Hookers & Blade Of The Ripper, but fans of Burning Love & Entombed are also going to love this.

- download -
1. Haellions
2. Spirits
3. Spike The Hand
4. Hell Is Here
5. High Moon
6. Black Cloth
7. Origin


NINE ELEVEN - 24 Years

NINE ELEVEN    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP    BLOG    MERCH

Nine Eleven is a French band that doesn't necessarily seem to have political motivations, but it's clear that their intentions are to be a positive force in this world. Musically, they are a very tight, concise & powerful brand of hardcore and I could compare them to bands like Jungbluth & Alpinist, or even Loma Prieta or Code Orange Kids. "24 Years" is a self released record on the band's own Nine Eleven Conspiracy label, so if you like it, pick it up from them. You can also download their previous releases via Bandcamp below. As for the overall concept of this new record, the band can probably explain it much better than me:

"24 years" is a kind of 6 acts tragedy, relating sensible experiences we got from this world in a chronological narrative order, that the weft and literary structure is inspired straight from Goethe's "Faust". This record is about the story of the One who's living, the ones who're singing it along, and the monster who's looking for turning everything alive into incorporated death."

- download -
1. Fleeing From God...
2. ...Defying The Sea
3. Face The Triangle
4. Into The Storm
5. Under The Foam
6. Never Fear A Goodbye


GATLIN // FUMING MOUTH

More mayhem from Massachusetts! I swear, Boston must be the new Germany because there is just an insane amount of good, dark & crusty hardcore erupting there. Gatlin & Fuming Mouth are two such bands and they will be releasing a split soon. But, since I haven't mentioned them on the blog before, I wanted to make you guys aware of them in case you missed them. 

All of their prior releases are free on Bandcamp and you can download them below.

Gatlin is now streaming one song from split, check it out now:




SCALPS - Serenades Of An Abomination

SCALPS    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

SCALPS are "3 shitty dudes and 1 bass driven girl" from Salt Lake City, UT who play some brutal, violent, dark, loud & devotional hardcore. Their new 7-song EP, including 3 songs from an earlier split with Armpigs, is out now. For fans of Nails, From Ashes Rise, Tragedy, His Hero Is Gone, Iron Monkey, and EYEHATEGOD.

- download -
1. Legless And Fully Charged
2. Sex Crimes
3. Anti-Hero
4. It Reigns, It Pours
5. Amateur Ambien Hour
6. Dayterrors
7. The Lynchian Slip


X REPENTANCE X - In Violation of Aša

X R X    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP    MERCH

So this 7" came out a while ago, but you can now download it for free, so I thought I would mention it again. X Repentance X is from South East England and is savage vegan straight edge metal for fans of savage vegan straight edge metal by fans of savage vegan straight edge metal. Featuring a member of Never Again, Inherit, Final Rage, Ego Trip... as well as members of Tyburn and probably even more bands. This here is some vintage metalcore done at it's finest. If you aren't sure what that means, just imagine if Slayer was a vegan straight edge band instead of being a bunch of douchebags.

- download -
1. Intro
2. In Violation Of Aša
3. War Of Attrition
4. Repentance


STRANGLED - Demo

STRANGLED    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

One word can be used to describe Florida's Strangled, and that word is SUFFERING. You will feel unclean and be filled with despair upon listening to their demo; a creeping, claustrophobic onslaught of grind, noise & powerviolence. These 9 songs sound like the soundtrack to the end of your miserable life. Definitely for fans of Teething, Full Of Hell and Tinnitus. Download this now, put on your headphones, and curl up in a fetal position.

- download -
1. Decay
2. Endless Cycle
3. Existence
4. Authority
5. Waste
6. Detest
7. Forcing
8. Naive
9. Constant State


RASH TONGUE - EP

RASH TONGUE    ☼    BANDCAMP

Rash Tongue is a hardcore punk band from Boston. The band shares members with Boston bands Leather Daddy, Peeple Watchin, Parasol, Nervous Condition and Draize. Check out their EP below which contains demo songs plus three new ragers recorded with Ryan Abbott at Side-two studios. Out soon on cassette.

- download -
1. Treads Of Progress
2. Empty Phrases
3. Stop Hoping
4. Limit  Me
5. Their Nightmare
6. Program Of Control
7. Taught/Taut


NOISE ABUSE - Demo

| NOISE ABUSE |    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

Noise Abuse is a 3 piece grindcore/hardcore/punk from Leicester, UK. Check out their raw-as-fuck demo, it's 7 songs in 4 minutes. What have you got to lose, other than 4 minutes of your shit life? Once again, no bass player, which annoys me as a former bass player, but it still works here. For reference, they list their influences as: Napalm Death, Nasum, Electric Wizard, GG Allin, Anal Cunt, Benediction, Rompeprop, Wormrot, Insect Warfare, Brutal Truth, Birdflesh, Iron Monkey, Citizen Snips & Magrudergrind.

- download -
1. Bleach
2. Fritzl's Basement Of Fun
3. Show Them Hell
4. Jim'll Fist It
5. Rolf Harris
6. Worthless Scum
7. Ian Beale's Meal Deals


GUILT - Primitive Form // Demonstration

GUILT    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

Guilt is a 5-piece from New Hampshire that have been around for a little over a year and have put out a demo & more recently, a cassette. Both releases are incredible examples of crust-laden hardcore. Their demo 'Demonstration' reminds me of Cursed and 'Primitive Form' reminds me of Trap Them. At this point, I can only hope that you have stopped reading this and have moved onto downloading all of their music and following them on Facebook. This is pure gold.

- download -
1. False Existence
2. Worth
3. Sorrow
4. Cauterize
5. Cross Bearer

1. I
2. II
3. III
5. IV


HOSPITALxBOMBER - Demo

HxB    ☼  FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

HospitalxBomber hails from Boston and has been around  for a few years. Last November they dropped a 5-song demo that I just recently found out about. This is some crazy fastcore and grind-punk filled with tons of neck-snapping grooves and breakdowns. It's really heavy, really fast & really catchy. If I had to compare them with other bands, they would be ACxDC, Sick/Tired or IRA Graves. My only complaint is that overall, the recording sounds very thin. That could be because it's just a demo, or because I don't believe they have a bass player? Either way, really looking forward to hearing more from them and hoping they get a bigger sound next time.

- download -
1. From Edge To Heroin
2. Faux News
3.Blackwater
4. Suckerstone
5. Confessions Of A Serial Killer


HOST - Death Will Claim These Tired Bones

HOST    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP

Last summer, Boston's HOST, like all great bands eventually do, called it quits, leaving behind 12 songs of incredibly brutal, gritty, honest hardcore spread across 3 releases. They are still one of my favorites and you can read my obituary for them here, and download their prior records also. At the time, their debut full-length LP was basically done, but it's future was uncertain. Band members had seemed to move on to other things, playing in Negligence, Death Injection, Youth Funeral, Human Bodies & Guilt. Fast-forward to early 2014 and you have just hit the jackpot. Not only has their LP "Death Will Claim These Tired Bones" been made available for download, but a limited vinyl release is coming soon. 

Normally, this is the spot where a link would go for a free download. But, for this one you're going to have to cough up the $6. As their last offering to the world, all proceeds from this digital release will go to help the singer's fiancee Ana pay for the serious medical costs of her pancreatitis liver failure treatment. So, it's for a good cause for some good people, so just do it. Just take a listen below, this unreleased stuff is amazing and it's everything I expected it to be. Worth every damned cent.


BLACK COFFEE MIXTAPES - Black Coffee Volume 1

Here's a nice sampler from Black Coffee Mixtapes if you are looking for some new or different bands to check out. Basically, if you like Jungbluth or Alpinist, you'll pretty much like everything here.

HEKSED / DEATHSEEKERS - Split

If you are not familiar with either Heksed or Deathseekers, then do yourself a huge favor and pick up this brand new split 7". Heksed has been around for a few years and have more songs under their belt. And while, at first glance, they seem to be a little more polished, I can tell you that the more "rough around the edges" Deathseekers is a perfect pairing for this band. Both bands have metallic, blackened crust oozing  from their pores. This is a record you'll be playing over and over again. FFO: Integrity, Young And In The Way, The Banner, Ringworm, Entombed, All Pigs Must Die

You can thank the dudes at Swarm Of Nails Records for this download by PRE-ORDERING THIS RECORD NOW!


"As 2013 draws to a close and final judgement draws ever nearer, Holy Terror-inspired Norwegians HEKSED have partnered with fellow worshipers at the Process church DTHSKRS (Deathseekers) to summon the end of days. The beginning of the end will be marked in mid January 2014 with a split seven-inch, a co-release between French spreaders of hate and filth Swarm Of Nails, cult UK label Church Of Fuck and German DIY specialists Sell Your Soul Records.

Following limited releases on Thirty Days Of Night (Gallows, Dead Swans) and Church Of Fuck (Esoteric Youth, Caina), Heksed unleash two tracks channelling the power and feel of the 90’s Clevo hardcore scene. With a ferocity that harks back to the likes of In Cold Blood and ‘Systems Overload’-era Integrity, it’s clear to see that they’re one of the most venomous bands currently active in mainland Europe.

On the flip side, Belgium’s Deathseekers continue in their quest to create the definitive soundtrack to the vvorld’s end. Following on from their 2013 seven-inch on Peasant Burning, the quartet deliver two ferocious cuts that have as much in common with Kickback and Arkangel as they do with Entombed and Mayhem. Nihilistic blackened hardcore of the highest order. Prepare to vvitness the end."

- download -
1. Human Filler - Heksed
2. Nine Year Collapse - Heksed
3. Carnage - Deathseekers
4. Final Judgement - Deathseekers


DAGGERS - It's Not Jazz, It's Blues

DAGGERS    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP    TUMBLR

OK, so I know a lot of other blogs have covered this recent release, but I felt obligated to do so as well because Daggers is one of my favorite bands. I've posted about them before, I suggest you go grab all their previous releases as well as this new one. In fact, they've made all of their old stuff available for free on their Bandcamp page. Anyway, the band is from Belgium and recently signed to the superb Throatruiner Records. Their debut LP on that label is  set to be shipped at the end of March. To be honest, I'm still absorbing this record. It's definitely "Daggers", but there's a complexity about it that takes quite a few listens to grasp and realize. So, maybe I'll just share some words from their bio, it will probably make more sense than me right now.

"During their five years of existence, Belgium's DAGGERS have worked hard on creating unique and singular records to forge a very personal sound. Their new full-length "It's Not Jazz, It's Blues" is an entire different animal than on their crust-infused hardcore previous releases, delivering twelve epic tracks that will drag you down to the bottom of the earth and shred the living out of you with the haste and anger of a thousand rusty swords. Captured in an organic live recording setting, "It's Not Jazz, It's Blues" takes a hypnotic, noisy approach to the band's claustrophobic blend of punk and metal, more ruthless and vicious than ever."

 - download - courtesy of the band -
1. Apex
2. Woolgatherer
3.Blues
4. Asunder
5. Beacon
6. Wanderlust
7. Labyrinth
8. Evermore
9. Dormant
10. Sovereign
11. Cultist
12. Citadel


BLOG ROUND-UP LINK DUMP #8
























Hey everyone, truly sorry for the lack of posts lately, this month has kind of sucked. I was planning on working on some tonight but my monitor committed suicide like Al Bundy and now I'm stuck using some disgusting looking stone age piece of shit. So, for now, I'm just going to point you in the direction of some recent goodness courtesy of some other great blogs. Enjoy. Or don't.


THE ELEMENTARY REVOLT


CUT & PASTE

ROTTEN YOUNG EARTH

TOXICBREED'S FUNHOUSE

SMOKE PIGS

BLACKENED VORTICE

HEXIS - Abalam

HEXIS    ☼    FACEBOOK    BANDCAMP    MERCH

HEXIS from Copenhagen, Denmark have recently dropped their debut full length LP, 13 blistering tracks of face melting Blackened Hardcore - The album is currently up for free download on their Bandcamp page, get involved!

I had the pleasure of catching these guys live in London a few years ago during their self-funded tour of Europe with "This Gift Is A Curse" from Sweden! A ferocious live show in a dark beer soaked pub basement!


- download -
1. Faciem
2. Tenebris
3. Exanimis
4. Desolatum
5. Sequax
6. Supplex
7. Abalam
8. Immolabant
9. Exhausit
10. Timor
11. Exterminati
12. Neglexerunt
13. Inferis


ALEX'S TOP 25 OF 2013



Hi - I'm Alex, I'm new to the blog, and will be posting stuff all the way from London, England! Figured a good way to start would be to drop my top 25 Albums/EP's of 2013! So here goes...


1. CELESTE "Animale(s)" (France)


2. MORAL VOID "Vol. I EP" (USA)

3. HARROWED "Into Inferno" (UK)

4. RORCAL "Vilagvege" (Switzerland)

5. NAILS “Abandon All Life” (USA)

6. ALL PIGS MUST DIE "Nothing Violates This Nature" (USA)

7. DEAFHEAVEN "Sunbather" (USA)

8. CHILDREN OF GOD “We Set Fire To The Sky” (USA)

9. DEATHRITE "Into Extinction" (Germany)

10. HIEROPHANT “Great Mother – Holy Monster” (Italy)

11. THE PSYKE PROJECT "Guillotine" (Denmark)

12. DEAD IN THE DIRT "The Blind Hole" (USA)

13. SEVEN SISTERS OF SLEEP “Opium Morals” (USA)

14. WEEKEND NACHOS "Still" (USA)

15. VESTIGES / PANOPTICON "split ep" (USA)

16. RED APOLLO "Transgression EP" (Germany)

17. REDWOOD HILL “Descender” (Denmark)

18. GLOBE AND BEAST "Grandfathers Axe" (USA)

19. BLACK SHEEP WALL "It Begins Again EP" (USA)

20. BOREDOM "Uber Alles" (Austria)

21. HOLY WAR "Holy War EP" (USA)

22. BAPTISTS “Bushcraft” (Canada)

23. A GOD OR AN OTHER "Towers of Silence" (USA)

24. OATHBREAKER "Eros Anteros" (Belgium)


25. PIG DESTROYER "Mass & Volume EP" (USA)