Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Nashgul Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?
Hector - We have booked many dates inside spanish state and this same weekend we celebrate in our hometown our 15th anniversary show. 15 years behaving like assholes around there!



2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?
Hector - The sound is practically the same as always, it is the same gear and the same recording studio. What makes it different from the other recording is that we have spent many rehearsal sessions to polish the songs and that the recording session was scheduled right after the arrival from our last European tour of 3 weeks. We were going flat out and that is something noticeable.



3.Your lyrics cover horror  and  post  apocalyptic  themes, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in these topics?
Hector - We all in the band are fans of the terror/apocaliptic/horror cinema, comics and masks. After all is what we have grown with and what marked our lives.



4.The new album was released on 'Selfmadegod Records', are you happy with the support that they have given you so far?
Hector - Totally. It is a pleasure to work with a label such Selfmadegod, a serious label that accomplishes everything it says. Nowadays it is not easy to meet people like this… We like to work with known people and known labels, things tend to be easier.



5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Hector - From last years I hold on to 2 shows. The live show at Maryland Death Fest in Baltimore (USA), for being the fest it is and for being playing in front of so many people, sharing the line-up with the bands we grew with; and the last show at Kopi in Berlin, in our last european tour, it was a time travel to what it must have been a Napalm Death’s F.E.T.O. era show, out of control and chaos in a fully packed small venue. Brutal!





6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?
Hector - We have started to talk between ourselves the plans for 2017, but our idea is to tour though we are not sure to where. At beginning of next year we will aim some place in the world.



7.Over the years you have also done your fair share of splits, can you tell us a little bit more about the bands you have shared those releases with?
Hector - Most of the bands we shared 7” with were friend’s bands or ones we had had some relationship in any time. Most of them are not active anymore but we keep the good relationship with their members.



8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of grindcore?
Hector - Well, sincerely I don’t think it was much. Grindcore born and died with first records from Napalm Death, Terrorizer, Brutal Truth and Assück. Rest of bands we have spawned after those glorious year have been making a mix of all those bands. We haven’t given anything new, but I suppose that to people of the generation who grew with those bands like to enjoy the same rehash in live shows, hahahahaha!



9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band embers are a part of?
Hector - Our drummer Iván plays in Hongo (heavy-crust-doom band - https://fungivoro.bandcamp.com), they are very active with records in shows.

Luis, our bassist, just plays in Nashgul nowadays, he has not much free time because his work as illustrator (http://sendonluis.blogspot.com.es/).

Alex, our singer, still sings in Bokluk (old school death metal - https://boklukdeath.bandcamp.com). They have just recorded a new record and they have booked many dates in spanish state.

I play in Black Panda (Crust N´Roll - https://blackpanda.bandcamp.com/music), we have just released a new 7” and we will do a mini tour in January and some fest. Besides Black Panda, I play in Come Back From The Dead (Old School Death Metal - https://comebackfromthedead.bandcamp.com/music), we have just recorded a new 10” and we have also many dates and fests in the next months.







10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Hector - I suppose that exactly the same as today. With the pass of time we have found our own sound, which we are comfortable with and I don’t find ourselves recording a Discordance Axis kind of record, more than nothing because we do not have fucking idea of how to play!!!



11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Hector - The same influences of our teenage days practically. The same mythical old records of Grindcore, Punk, Hardcore and Heavy Metal. Today I barely listen to new music. One of the good things internet has brought is to be able to investigate and go down deep in forgotten bands from 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, a real bottomless pit full of gems!!!



12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Hector - Each one has his own follies and interests. I spend part of my free time to be the sound guy at shows in a self-managed social center that we have put to start exactly 1 year ago between many friends here in A Coruña, where we do many activities, musical and non-musical ones, Nave 1839.  http://nave1839.org/en/



13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
Hector - Many thanks for your time and the interview, to contact us you can write to nashgulcore@yahoo.es or you can listen to our new complete album “Cárcava” at https://nashgul.bandcamp.com/

FUCK SPAIN.


Saturday, November 26, 2016

Pissed On/The Hanged Man/Advocate Records/2017 EP Review


  Pissed  On  are  a  band  from  Kentucky  that  plays  a  mixture  of  harsh  noise  and  grindcore  with  some  elements  of  hardcore, black  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  ep  "The  Hanged  Man"  which  will  be  released  in  2017  by  Advocate  Records.

  A  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  sound  starts  off  the  ep  along  with  some  blast  beats  as  well  as  a  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  and  the  music  also  gets  very  technical  at  times  and  elements  of  black  metal  are  also  used  at  times  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  while  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  mid  tempo  sections  also  add  in  touches  of  slam  and  hardcore  and  as  the  ep  progresses  more  harsh  noises  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  the  music  also  remains  brutal  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Pissed  On  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  grindcore  while  the  elements  of  harsh  noise,  hardcore,  black  and  death  metal  gives  the  songs  more  originality,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  a  man  in  the  final  days  and  his  tales  of  desperation.

  In  my  opinion  Pissed  On  are  a  very  great  sounding  grindcore  band  with  elements  of  harsh  noise,  hardcore,  black  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Reader"  and  "The  Hanged  Man".  8  out of  10.   

Thursday, November 24, 2016

Spazz/Sweatin ' II:Deported Live Gorilla/Tankcrimes Records/2016/ CD Re-issue Review


  Spazz  are  a  band  from  Oakland,  California  that  has  been  featured  before  in  this  zine  and  plays  a  mixture  of  crust,  grind  and  power  violence  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2001  album  "Sweatin ' II:Deported  Live  Gorilla"  which  will  be  released  in  December  by  Tankcrimes Records.

  A  very  fast  and  aggressive  grindcore  sound  starts  off  the  album  along  with  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  as  well  as  some  hardcore  style  screaming  vocals  and  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  the  music  also  incorporates  a  lot  of  crust  and  power  violence  elements.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  spoken  word  along  with  movie  samples  can  also  be  heard  at  times  and  the  bass  guitars  have  a  very  dominating  presence  throughout  the  recording  and  as  the  compilation  progresses  a  brief  use  of  angry  female vocals  and  folk  instruments  can  be  heard  and  some  of  the  riffs  also  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  the  last  track  is  very  long  and  epic  in  length.

  Spazz  remained  true to  their  mixture  of  power  violence,  crust  and  grind  on  this  recording and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  also  come  from  some  of  the  splits  they  where  a  part  of,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  angry,  hateful  and  humorous  themes.  

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  compilation  from  Spazz  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Leanord  the  Dirt  Thrower"  "Tender  Vittles" "Torino"  and  "Wall  Of  Death".  8  out  of  10.

 

Monday, November 21, 2016

Bolesno Grinje Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album?

Since the process after recording...until we get to release it, is almost a year...we spent that time playing some gigs and making a new EP that is by the way going to be released as an bonus on new album "GRD" CD edition that is gonna come out soon on "Get Pissed Stay Pissed" Records from US. Now we have booked some gigs in January and February...so looking forward to that...and in the meantime...of course...we started to do new songs :D


2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

The sound is massive...just as we wanted it to be!
Since we're always recording our music by ourselves in our guitarist's studio "Grobnica"...the sound on each album is getting better and better, since Jule (our guitarist) is evolving in the studio works, and we're also evolving as a band/musicians...so, every new album we do is definitely a step forward from the last one...


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

Well, to mention a few from the new album...
Impossibility to assimilate with the society (Asimilacija), our damnation from those in power (Kurve Establismenta)...but I can say that most of the lyrics on the new album is about some personal issues (Dodirni Mi Ruku, Reakcija, Ne Vjerujem Nikome, Autoboiografija Propasti, Vratite Mi Mozak).


4.I know that the bands name means Stick Mines' in Croatian, how does this name fit in with the music style that you play?

No, we need to correct you...translation of the band's name from Croatian to English would be "Sick mites"...and it fits just fine with the music we do, we have experienced it through the years!


5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

For sure each one from us have it's own favorite show...but we must mention that last few gigs in Ljubljana and in Zagreb was incredibly powerful with a lots of fans, we must mention our Obscene Extreme shows
(in 2006 and 2014) it was a pleasure and honor to play there...but the craziest of all was Obscene Extreme Mini Winter edition in Brno this year in February...that was a gig to remember!!!
We love to leave a mess on stage...we sweat a lot and everything needs to be wet after our performance...there are no calm Bolesno Grinje shows...only chaos...like there's no tomorrow!


6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

We're not doing big tours because of our everyday obligations, but for sure we have plans for 2017...there are some shows booked already...we're trying to play as much as we can...


7.Can you tell us a little bit more about the record labels that have helped out with the release of your new album?

Yeah, these are all DIY one man record labels made by punk/crust/grind/metal enthusiasts! They are putting their own money in a thing they love, have passion for and want to spread around!
Without them our last 3 releases would not come out...so we're grateful to all of them very much!!!

 8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of crust and grindcore?

All feedback we got from anywhere was always great...people love what we do in general. Ok, there's no so much of it...we're not a worldwide famous band...but there are surprises coming from everywhere!


9.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Jule (guitarist) and Hoc (bassist) have their own projects and are putting out some stuff from time to time...Luze (drummer) have another band named "dropthehammer", they are about to release their first album really soon...


10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

There will be some oscillations as always...but we're sticking to extreme music in every way that we find comfortable for us!


11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Each one of us have his own influences and preferences, so it will be too much bringing that all up here. We're keeping the track about what's happening on the underground music scene...but we have never followed any trend(s).
Of course it's possible to hear some influenced riffs...but we're always trying to do it in our own Bolesno Grinje way...always with some old school approach...

12.Outside of music, what are some of your interests?

Beside jobs we all do...one likes sports and exercise a lot, one have kids to hang out with, the other have dogs to take care of...but most of us are spending a lots of free time on something regarding music...


13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Yeah...keep an eye on our web site because soon the new EP will be out...released on CD together with the new album GRD!
That's the freshest thing we're cooking at the moment!
Stay extreme and see you on some gig soon!

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Bolesno Grinje/GRD/Grindpromotion/2016 Full Length Review


  Bolesno  Grinje  are  a  band  from  Croatia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  crust,  grind  and  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Grd"  which  was  released  as  a  joint  effort  by  Grindpromotion  and  many  other  different  labels.

  Angry  growling  vocals  start  off  the  album  along  with  a  very  heavy  sound  a  few  seconds  later  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  as  well  as  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  screams  and  influences  of  hardcore  can  also  be  heard  in  some  of  the  guitar  riffing.

  At  times  the  riffs  can  be  very  melodic  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  crust  and  grindcore  and  a  great  portion  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  none  of  the  songs  ever  use  any  solos  and  leads  while  the  album  also  remains  very  heavy  from  beginning  to  ending  of  the  recording.

  Bolesno  Grinje  plays  a  musical  style  that  takes  hardcore,  grind,  crust  and  death  metal  and  mixes  them  together  to  create  a  sound  of  their  own,  the  production  sounds  very  powerful  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Croatian  and  cover  hateful  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Bolesno  Grinje  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust,  grind  and  death  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical genres, you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Don't  Trust  No  One"  "Abortion  SS"  "Pseudo-Gravedigger"  and  "Touch  my  Hand".  8  out  of  10.    

  

Hauser Interview


1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
We are closing 2016 with many cool shows and 2 releases: the EP (Des)Razão and the Single Processo Bokanovsky. We are composing new songs to record already in early 2017!

2.In April you had released a 7 inch, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
It's a release that we call a transition, from the old lineup, where we had a more deathcore sound to what we're currently living. More aggressive and fast sonority. It's an important launch, marking our step!

3.This was the first release in 5 years, can you tell us a little bit more about what was going on during that time span?
We have a full, which was recorded in 2009 in a completely independent and amateurish way. With great effort, we launched in 20011. We had a hiatus (2012 to 2014), where we came back with new formation and total strength.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Issues addressed to the psychological problems, madness and economic political situations of Brazil and in the world.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Hauser'?
It comes from two interesting stories that we like. One of the enigma of Kaspar Hauser, a German story where he is supposed to be a boy of the nobility, who lived confined until the age of 15, without contact with humans.
Another influence is the artist Johann Hauser, with his insane illustrations.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?
We played with several bands that we like: Test (BR), Paura (BR), Mukeka di Rato (BR), Facada (BR), Institution (BR), Beast (PT), No Turning Back (NL) and Coke Bust (US).

7.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
We are planning a Europe tour in 2017! A long time we want to play there!

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?
We always work independently. For our upcoming releases, we'll try to launch in partnership with labels!

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of death metal and grindcore?
We're receiving legal feedback from Europe and Asia! They are places where we have more contacts.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
We are aiming at a loud, fast and very aggressive sound. Wait for our next releases!

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
We like Japanische Jampfhörspiele, Nails, Rotten Sound, Slayer, Pig Destroyer and Napalm Death.
Today, we hear a lot of Gadget and Napalm Death.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Bad movies and good beer!

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
What is unique, never dies false.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Myteri Interview


1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

At the moment we’re planning the recording of our next album and rehearsing for the next tour. We will enter the studio shortly after the tour is finished and at the moment we’re looking at 12 songs. The reason for this somewhat rushed schedule is that we realized that if the recording wasn’t going to happen at this time it would have had to wait until next year.

2. Recently you have released an album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?

It’s actually been close to year since our self-titled album was released on vinyl, though it was recently released on CD.

I would describe the overall sound as melody driven crust punk, in the veins of crust bands typical to the mid 2000s era, like Remains of the Day and early Tragedy.

However there’s other influences that I think help contribute to the sound standing on its own. Personally I think a lot of those other influences come from Swedish folk music, as well as early Swedish punk.

To my surprise we’ve had a few reviews mentioning post rock influences. This wasn’t intentional but in retrospect I can kind see why you could make associations to that genre.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

A lot of lyrics handle topics about neglect in one way or another. Either by someone closes to you, or by society as a whole. The song “Utan Mänskligt Värde” for example, is an interpretation of the book A Child Called “it” by Dave Pelzer, a true story about a child who during his childhood was physically and mentally abused by his mother, who also turned the whole family against him. There are also lyrics that tackle issues on a broader scale, such as “Deforestation” and “Girighetens Krig”.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Myteri'?

“Myteri” translates to “Mutiny”, meaning “Uprising”, “Riot” and “Rebellion”. I don’t think anyone in the band felt particularly strong about the name in the beginning, but by now I think it’s grown us and fits pretty well with the music and overall theme of the band.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We’ve had some amazing shows and meet so many awesome people during our relatively short lifespan as a band. I think we’re a decent studio band but we really play music that should be experienced live, and it’s been our goal from the start to do as many shows as we have time for. Playing live is what we enjoy the most about being in a band and we do our best to share that feeling with anyone coming to our shows.

Since we’re not one of the most well know bands out there I think we usually manage to surprise a lot of people with the level of our performance.

Some of my favorite shows have turned out to be the once where you get to a venue without any expectations, only to find the friendliest most hospitable people. For example we did a show in the small city of Ortigueira, northern Spain, only to find the venue was a 17th century farm, complete with its own chapel. We also did a memorable show in Čakovec, Croatia, where we arrived early and the promoters took us to a vineyard before the show. Playing these off the grid venues and meeting incredibly dedicated people is very inspiring to me.

6. Do you have any touring or show plans for the new album?

Out next tour is in October, together with Avast from Norway. Two of the members from Avast previously played in Agenda, which we did our first tour with in 2014. We’re really looking forward to hit the road with them again. We will be visiting the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Denmark.

7. On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of crust and hardcore?

I’d say the overall feedback has been quite good, and judging from more recent reviews it feel like we’re just now beginning to get some recognition worldwide. I feel like we’re starting to get more known in Europe, since booking shows is getting a bit easier than when we first started. I rarely think about other people listening to our recordings, but it’s always nice to get a good review from blog our fanzine that you respect and appreciate.

8. What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that some of the band members are a part of?

Except for Myteri I ‘am also the vocalist of Bombangrepp, https://bombangrepp.bandcamp.com which is more of a raw punk band. We’ve recorded our second 7” that will be released on Halvfabrikat, Skaven and Phobia Records, hopefully any day now.

The lead guitarist Mattias also pays in Gränslandet, https://granslandethc.bandcamp.com and Vengeance Of Karma, https://vengeanceofkarma.bandcamp.com that both of which release album just around the corner.

The drummer Erik also play in Illspirits, http://illspirits.bandcamp.com

9. Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

Right now we’re mostly focused on the upcoming record. It feels great

10. What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Johan, who writes most of the music in Myteri, is probably the one who’s the most up to date when it comes to the punk/crust scene. Since he writes most of the music I’d say that he’s preferences is what influences the direction of Myteri the most.

Erik is very much into old school American hardcore as well as power violence. Franz is into both fast and heavy music. Myself and Mattias have a pretty similar taste in music, ranging from stoner rock to doom metal, but of course also crust and HC punk.

11. What are some of your non musical interests?

Most of us are into video games in one form or another, retro as well as new games. For the next tour three of us have gotten Nintendo DS and I’m expecting some heated Mario Kart races J

Me and Johan are also into urban exploring and sometimes go by bike scouting for abandoned houses.

12. Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for showing interest in us and our music. Keep your eyes open for the next release and hopefully we’ll see you when we hit the road this October!

/John

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Nashgul/Carcava/Selfmadegod Records/2016 CD Review


  Nashgul  are  a  band  from  Spain  that  plays  a  very  brutal  mixture  of  crust  and  grindcore  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album "Carcava" which  was  released  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  heavy  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  along  with  some  death  metal  growls  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard  and  there  is  also  a  great  amount  of  high  pitched  screams and  the  music  also  brings  in  a  great  amount  of  mid  80's  to  early  90's  influences.

  Most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  bring  in  a  touch  of  old  school  gore/grind  and  the  vocals  also  mix  in  crust  style  growls  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  d  beat  elements  throughout  the  recording  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  movie  samples  also  return  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording.

  Nashgul  plays  a  musical  style  that  is  mostly  rooted  in  old  school  gore/grind  while  the  crust  and  d  beats  elements  makes  the  songs  stand  out  a  bit  more,  the  production  sounds  very  raw  and  heavy  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  a  mixture  of  English  and  Spanish  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Nahgul  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  crust  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bethlem  Royal" "Satan  Freaks"  "Cyberpunk Scum"  and  "Carcava".  8  out  of  10.   

Agathocles/Commence To Mince/Selfmadegod Records/2016 CD Review


  Agathocles  are  a  legendary  band  from  Belgium  that  has  had  plenty  of  material  reviewed  before  in  this  zine  and  plays a   style  of  crust/grindcore  that  they  refer  to  as  'mincecore'  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "Commence  To  Mince"  which  was  released  by  Selfmadegod  Records.

  Spoken  word  samples  start  off  the  album  before  going  into a   very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  direction  that  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats,  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  screams  and  the  songs  also  incorporate  a  great  amount  of  d  beat  and  crust  elements  and  most  of  the  tracks  are  very  short  in  length.

  At  times  elements  of  punk  rock  and  hardcore  style  shouts  can  be  heard  in  the  songs  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  you  can  also  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  the  recording  and  there  is  also  a  brief  use  of  chaotic  guitar  leads  that  also  have  their  melodic  moments  on  a  later  track  and  some  of  the  riffing  also  brings  in  a  small  amount  of  melody  and  all  of  the  songs  stick  to  a  very  heavy  and  brutal  musical  direction.

  Agathocles  creates  another  recording  that  remains  very  true  to  the  mincecore  style  of  their  previous  releases,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  violent,  angry, hateful  and  political  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Agathocles  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Bathing  In  Hate"  "No  More  Faith"  "Demons  In  My  Head"  and  "Commence  To  Mince".  8  out  of  10. 

Monday, November 7, 2016

Yacoepsae/Irate Architect/Haunted Hotel Records/2016 Split CD Review


  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  album  between  Germany's  Yacoepsae  and  Irate  Architect  which  was  released  by  Haunted  Hotel  Records  and  we  will  start  off  the  review  with  Yacoepsae  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  grind,  crust  and  power  violence.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  brutal  grindcore  sound  that  also  uses  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  and  screaming  vocals  and  most  of  their  tracks  are  very  short  in  length  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  great  amount  of  tremolo  picking.

  As  their  side  of  the  split  progresses  melodies  can  be  heard  in  some  of  the  riffing  along  with  some  elements  of  crust  and  punk  and  some  of  the  tracks  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  their  side  of  the  split  closes  with  some  elements  of  ethnic  music,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  German  and  cover  violent  and  angry  themes.

  In  my  opinion  Yacoepsae are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  power  violence, crust  and  grindcore  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Existenz"  and  "Schacht".

  Next  up  is  irate  Architect  a  band  that  plays  a  mixture  of  brutal  technical  death  metal  and  grindcore.

  Their  side  of  the  split  starts  out  with  a  very  fast  and  brutal  death  metal  sound  that  also  uses  a  great  amount of  blast  beats  and  the  vocals  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  growls  and  screams  and  the  faster  sections  of  the  songs  are  very  heavily  influenced  by  grindcore  while  the  riffing  can  also  get  very  technical  at  times  and  the  songs  also  bring  in  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  the  riffs  also  use  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  anxiety,  paranoia,  and  dark  humor  based  love  stories.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Irate  Architect  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  brutal,  technical  death  metal  and  grindcore,  you  should  check  out  their  side  of  the  split.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Spitting  Image"  and  "Sun  In  Black  Ruins".

  In  conclusion  I  feel  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  and  I  would  recommend  it  to  all  fans  of  death  metal,  crust  and  grindcore.  8  out  of  10.           

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

Martyrdod/List/Southern Lord Records/2016 CD Review


  Sweden's  Martyrdod  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  that  continues  the  mixture  of  crust  and  grind  with  some  black  metal  elements  of  their  previous  recordings  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2016  album  "List"  which  will  be  released  on  November  25th  by  Southern  Lord  Records.

  A  very  heavy  yet  melodic  sound  starts  off  the  album  before  going  into  more  of  a  fast  d  beat  direction  along  with  some  high  pitched  screams  that  have  a  black  metal  edge  to  them  and  after  awhile  the  music  starts  adding  in  more  elements  of  crust  and  grind  and  when  guitar  leads  are  utilized  they  are  done  in  a  very  melodic  fashion.

  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  the  music  also  brings  in  influences  from  folk  music  and  the  more  melodic  side  of  punk  rock and  they  also  bring  in  a  brief  acoustic  instrumental  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  the  remaining  tracks.

 Martyrdod  creates  another  recording  that  remains  true  to  the  grindcore  and  melodic  mixture  of  previous  recordings,  the  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  are  written  in  Swedish  and  cover  dark  themes.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Martyrdod  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Overleveran"  "Oemotstanding"  "Handlost  Fallen  Angel"  and  "Transmission".  8  out  of  10.