Amebix - Redux

I don't know why i really post this 12'' that is already everywhere on the net. Reviews, downloads, merch etc. I may owe this to myself. I have been raised as a crustypunk (not an a exception to the majority of crusties) with music influences like Hiatus, Doom, Active minds, Detestation, Positive/Negative and Amebix. As far as i'm concerned Amebix was not the creators of a new genre or playing-quality masterminds. No, for me amebix was that. Was the fire that burned slowly in the dark, the most hateful word from the most ugly tongue. Amebix was IT.

After 23 years (notice that their last album "monolith" was released in '87) the 2/3 of the original line-up decided to re-record some already classics as a first taste to an upcoming proper album with brand new songs. Rob "The Baron" Miller and his brother Stig joined up with new drummer Roy Mayorga (who is also the producer/recorder of this 12'' while the mastering was made by rodney Mills). Also roy mayorga was a member of Stone Sour and Soulfly and this is really strange for Amebix to hire a professional drummer, but let's not forget that Mayorga got his start with Nausea, who – along with Amebix – are probably amongst the top five most noted bands associated with the "crust punk" genre. When i first heard that, i had a reaction like many other guys (i guess) : "you are amebix, why you have to do that. You are not Judas priest, you don't need it". Even if i don't have the answer on that question yet, i have to admit that this ep (12'' on 45rpm to be more specific) is a fucking killer.

Two days now and i can't put it off my stereo. For those who can afford to listen every part of the Amebix's legacy, metal-one and punk-one as a friend once stated : if you want to know if a guy is a punk or a metal-head you should ask him what album does he prefers. Arise or monolith? If he say arise he is a punk, if he says monolith he is a fucking metalhead. Even if i prefer monolith, this ep makes a good work overall and you have to check it out, especially if you don't like the re-record shit - it might change your opinion.

First track is the best amebix track ever (for me) : Arise.
The recording is great making the guitars so fucking sharp, the bass is heavy but wellheard while the great tupa-tupa of the new drummer is awesome. The voice of The Baron has become by the years a little bit "broken" and sounding like a demonic-witch spelling some real bad curses ("The Baron's voice is bound to be compared to Lemmy's growl. But, where Lemmy seems to perpetually have a wad of mucous and glass spinning in his throat, The Baron spits the bile out, letting his inflection twist and churn as it crawls into your ears"). Especially the voice gives the whole recording an Evil touch, especially when baron "sings" :
"We will set out with a fire in our hearts
When this darkness gives way to the dawn
In the light we're united as one
For the kingdom of heaven must be taken by storm!
ARISE! GET OFF YOUR KNEES!"

Second track is winter (released in 1983 as a 7'') :
Best re-recording of this session. If the original one was simple haunting this one is apocalyptic. The tight sound had made it a truelly war theme, a fucking hymn. Trumpets of death and the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the northern part of nowhere:
"This is the season of the fire, this is when the reaper crawls.
Feed the flames and make them higher.
No sanctuary behind four walls.
Red sky at night, the shepherds delight but nothing left by the morning.
WINTER"

Third one and last track is Chain reaction.
a song that has been sang from so many mouths. Has been a logo and briefly a state of mind. I can say that is the only not so powerful track of this session. They put on it a lot of synths that made it more atmospheric.
"We swear allegiance to none.
Be not become
There is no one upon whom praise we will shower
I believe that the sin,
Is the first to give in
On the path towards the ultimate power"

Telling tales round the bonfire at night!

Straightjacket Nation - Cheap kicks (lp) & Ep's (discography)

The previous review on straightjacket nation was in the worst-5 of the blog so i owe a good one this time.
Straightjacket was a hardcore band from melbourne that changed their name to Straightjacket Nation (featuring members of great aussie bands like Far left limit) due to the already existence of two different bands with the same name. While i was bollocking (haha!) on the net i fell into a SN interview from 2006. Wow, i said with the things i read. Drug addicts, fanzine owners, yellow teeth smilers and hardcore (give notice : hardcore) punkers. What else do you want?

I remember when i first read an interview in mountza fanzine with one of the SN guys that also runs Distort fanzine. These guys have opinion and they're not afraid to express it. They talk about all the fucked-up modern hardcore scene, the consumerism and tough guy stupidity that lies within.

"The entire hardcore scene suffers from a paucity of thinking, so it’s no wonder that most interviews are fucken boring. Second of all, I think the reason that bands don’t have much to say in interviews is because they’re actually not saying very much as a band. There’s a huge difference between hardcore bands who play hardcore and hardcore bands who are hardcore.
I’m an overly analytical person by nature, I always have been, and I think part of being hardcore and punk to me has been to question and understand feelings like “anger, desperation, isolation”, etc., not just perform them or romanticise them."

Yeah, speaking about music. Fast, fast, fast, no grooves, no mosh-parts, fast / hardcore punk. Fuck, i like them so fucking much. Tracks seems to builting up in the old way, riffs thrown away, drums all over the place, bass lines from a jihad maniac. Later, they go for rehearsal and this chaotic manifesto seems to work really fine. Using as a background simply outraged punk rock riffs and true feeling they channel their forces into apocalyptic in-your-face simply addicted music. And as my companion dbill has already written : "Straightjacket Nation play pure pissed off 80's american hardcorepunk, the way no greek band will ever get close to play, and this is really sad to admit...fuck....".

Here you'll get their cheap kicks Lp from 2008 and a collection of 7'' (that contains a great punk-rock cover to The Saints). Ha, not bad. I have say it before and i'll say it again.
Straightjacket nation plays hardcore as it should be played.

Also, one of the tracks is called "herdcore", and the explanation is :
"Herdcore is just a term I borrowed from Inside Front fanzine to describe bands and people who use the term ’hardcore’ to describe what they’re doing, but offer the most weak, spineless fucking trash, both musically and in the ideas they’re encouraging. Just this weak scene of shoe gazing sycophantic fucking herbs with the same style and thought processes. Herbcore is another accurate term."

you can find the whole interview here, and i start to really like yourfuckingtubevideos (it's the last time, i swear).

fuck trends, this is hardcore

Nails - self titled 7''

Yes, i know. The summer has hit you in the head really bad. You want something powerful and strong to shake you off really hard and that's not mojito, i guess. You propably want some old Monster 'coz their later rocking thing bores you to death or maybe you want some old good Bombenalarm.
You are propably thinking, "what that cunt says! these fuckers are gone for good". Propably you got right, but i got a hidden ace in my sleeve (a lot of motorhead here!). It's name NAILS!

Get two Monster guys on drums and bass, the guitarist of Migra violenta and the voice of bombenalarm and the result will be a terrific hardcore punk explosion played in mid-tempo parts with great melodic riffs, amazing rhythm section and a very expressive voice speaking out some of the most dark and painful lyrics. Solitude and despair in this piece of wax, that's one of the best 7'' i recently heard. Imagine tracks such as "Black hope" or "The curse" (bombenalarm's) but more dark and great.

"I am so into their games, oh boy.
and i have learnt all their rules
sometimes like today
all my nerves burn like fire and just see
i have it here because i found my solution
in just one fix"

Amazing hardcore punk that if you are already familiar with monster and bombenalarm you know what to except. If i had to judge it i'll certainly give it 9/10. Thanx goes out to mosh eisley blog that has sent it to me in the first place!
has been released by LA FAMILIA RELEASES and TAKEN BY SURPRISE RECORDS. February 2010. So, go and buy some copies. it's really worth buying.

http://www.lafamiliareleases.com
http://www.takenbysurprise.net

one fix

 

"People, regulated machines, greed flows in their veins. the air we breathe smells of a pasteurized death, offered in abundance by modern civilization."

I have to say that i was starting be a little bit jealous about "song of the week" section of the fugitive equilibrium blog and i wanted to start it over here too, but then i thought that i can't reach bat's crazy opinions, so the second thought was a very good mix-tape.

While i was travelling from the capital city to my hometown, some compilation cassette (mix-tape as dbill likes to say) come to my mind. As the trip was way too long (7 hours, mates) i was starting to put the bands of the comp in line. At least, before my village-arrival and the turn-on of my pc. S.(vocalist of antimob) had left me a very good comment and suddenly everything fall apart in my head. I had to write it all from the start.
Some days ago, S had a fucking serious accident. His room ceiling fell down in pieces (over 4 tones weight) in his room, fortunately he wasn't indoors, so he is still around us. A good friend is not dead so this mix-tape is a gift to one of the best vocalist and smiling guys of the greek hardcore scene... Forgive me for the "inside" jokes, guys.
Γραψ'το σε κασσετα, Σταθακη!!!!!Αφιερωμενο με αγαπη....

1. Shit hit the fan - Change
First track and what a better intro than a melodic punk song from one of the best hardcore/punk/post bands of the early 90's. Great lyrics from the pioneers of the "hardline" diy approach (i'm a big fan of this approach) of the greek underground. check also this one.
"Nobody's gonna save us from the chains."

2. The wipers - Doomtown
As S. once told me : "Man, this band plays melancholic punk rock. now, how that's can be happening, i don't know but they do it." Amazing rainy portland punk with one of the most expressive vocalist. Drop virus's fave. song.


3. Anti-cimex - Game of the arseholes
I first heard this one as a Napalm death's cover (weird, ha?). Still nowadays, i can say that noone reach their excellent and powerful sound. "Καλα ρε μαλακα, σου εσπασε το anti-cimex?" ΗΑΗΗΑΗΑΗΗΑ

4. Doomtown - Never believe
Ha, what we have here? Burial's Fabian (here plays bass) with his "paying-respect-to-the-Wipers" band Doomtown. this one is close to Burial's type of playing but it's fucking good. (one more great band that i didn't reach to see live a few years ago, fuck)

5. Deus ex machina - Iraq'n'roll
I think the title speaks for itself. Written in '92 and released as the b-side of the 7'' "execute" this track has great backing vocals, great riffs, great bridges and great lyrics. Great in general. Gulf war - children dies....


6. Skew whiff - Vertigo
If you don't know already, skew whiff features two guys from the legendary belgians Hiatus and this track is the perfect example of the "Brain" 12'' legacy. Crusty punk with amazing d-beat chorus and sci-fi riff....


7. Amebix - Largactyl
It was time for a classic. I think everything that could been told about amebix is already told. Even if i prefer monolith this one is dedicated to amebix's first drummer that lost his mind in england's mental hospitals (as hundreds of people in uk in the 80's) due to enormous doses of a medicine called Largactyl. "Relax. it's only paranoia".

8. Agathocles - Cheers mankind cheers
I didn't do it by purpose but this one is also for people in mental hospitals. Music wise, this is by far my favourite agathocles's song. Mincecorers playing hardcore punk, up-tempo and funny (type of...)


9. Aus-rotten - The system works for them
How many times i felt embarassing due to this one. It's strange to caught yourself screaming in the bus "Boycott" and suddenly to understand that everyone staring at you!!! Great lyrics. and a question : How the fuck Dave Trenga remembers all that lyrics (that he writes)? The crazy fucker. Anarcho-crust up our asses.


10. Tear it up - Everybody hates me
I know you love them... So, straight-into-your-face...
check also here

11. Judgement - Kick them over
Τα λογια ειναι περιττα as a greek pop song says... Japan's massive killing machine Judgement will chop-off your genitals with their sharp-knife riffs and howling vocals...

12. Out cold - Hidden agenda
Holy god of war, if you listen me make your sons play again... From boston comes death.
Taken by "Will attack if provoked" and dedicated to marc.

13. Goulag - Sarkovoro arni
The title can be translated as Carnivorous lamp! Third track from a greek band in this "tape". Late 80's - early 90's punk rock with great riffs and anti-war message. Don't be confused with Goulag from spain.

14. Poison idea - Taken by surprise
Set some polls and voting stuff for the best hardcore album of all time,99% Poison idea's "feel the darkness" would be the answer. I can remember bassist of antimob to play it on a party for three times in a row. Awesome track from a heavy "heavy" band.
"overwhelming - show no mercy"

15. Down in flames - Waging a war
My personal favourite from all the 625 records releases and the most underestimated. Dbill used to say it "stop and go" hardcore (is this description correct? i ask myself), i call it unstoppable hardcore to make boys cry for good... discography here


16. D.S.-13 - Watch out
S. wanted "vi skatar..." but i choose "watch out" - same lp, dude. Happy (let's laugh) hardcore from a band from umea, sweden, even if the sound reminds boston. hahahha.

17. Antimob - In front of the machines
I've said before that antimob is one of the best hardcore bands globally and this is their most beloved track between fans. Great slow-snake intro till the old-man takes the mic and shout his lungs out, "workers gathered in front of the machines". Good to have you among us stathaki.

ο ουρανος επεσε στα κεφαλια μας

Gattaca & Clamant! - split 12"

Some weeks ago i was checking masakari's blog and i saw a post about a czech band called Gattaca. While i was searching about some "compressed" music of them so i can have my own opinion, i received an e-mail from honza, a member of Gattaca. Holy shit, i shout and start to reading his email with anxiety.
Well, honza sent me their new and unreleased (yet) album for review and sharing. Thanx honza a lot, and keep in mind that i want a copy from the vinyl when it will come out.

Gattaca comes from czech republic with members of Dakhma, Lakme and Nidal, while Clamant! hails from mexico featuring members of Our bastard existence and Liberate (not the jap-ones).

I can say that i don't know so much things about Clamant! except that they are vegans and anarchists and they are against any type of drugs. Music wise they remind me Envy mixing up Crimethink-sound. Imagine Catharsis but way less chaotic. I can say it emo with screamo vocals and mid-tempo parts. Although, it's not my cup of tea i think they're good for what they're doing.

On the other hand we have Gattaca :
"gattaca started in 2009 as a three piece side project of members of a vegan sxe band AbstinentiA and former members of Nidal (political metal hardcore band really dedicated to animal liberation issues). In this line up a demo was recorded. Than in July 2009 when Dakhma (where Gattaca guitarist played) broke up, other Dakhma member joined on second guitar and a friend joined on vocals. The second guitar was added to a demo and we started playing shows. In december 2009 we recorded 4 songs for a split LP with Clamant! with which we were in contact since times of Dakhma and Lakmé (older band of the new Gattaca guitarist). We recorded it ourselves in our rehearsal room. We played some shows in Czech republic during the year and last week we made a short trip to Slovakia, Slovenia and Austria. Since some of us are teachers we can't tour too much. We are influenced by many bands and ideas. You can hear it from our music that we really like dis/beat, but as well we love diy emo/hc or old 90s hardcore."

They remind me a lot modern crustcore influenced by bands like Zann, his hero is gone and Perth express or even the dagda. They got that crazy long-riffs and heavy vocals and great drumming. I just wanted a little more distorted guitar. Last but no least i must say that i like gattaca due to their approach to the "scene". They are not "another" crust band, but a political one, that knows where it stands and why. They use music as a weapon to spread their lyrics and way of life and not as a trend or a "lifestyle".

"The most important thing for us is that the music that we like has something more inside than just music. message, diy approach or passion that you can feel. I'd say that we are a political band, when we feel it, we speak between songs, we carry books in our distro etc., all of us are vegans. But we try to stay away from preaching. That's something about us, haha. We're five people, boys and girls."

Here's the mp3 version of the split with booklets etc. Thanx again honza.

download (and leave comments, fuckers)

Midnight - Berlin is burning 12"

Some days ago V. (drummer of Beginning of the end) sent me a review of blackpunk'n'roll's masterpiece "berlin is burning". I'm so excited that guys get themselves into troubles for the blog (or just waste their time...). The only thing i'll add is that Midnight is the best blackened punk band nowadays, playing live shows wearing full-faces and leather jackets while their guitarist used to play for Annihilation time, Satanic threat and Nunslaughter.
Kick it off, V. :

"Here we have Midnight, a real black and roll juggernaut.
They come from Cleveland,Ohio and formed in 2003.
This release is a compilation, that contains the 2003 and 2004 demos, along with one new song.

I've been listening to this band some months now and I can say for sure that we are talking about an extra-spectacular Motorhead-meets-Hellhammer Worshiping Band.
They will unleash hell upon your place from the moment you will push the play button and the sound will come out of your speakers.

The production is a little lo-fi, cause most of these songs are demos, but gets the job done in an excellent way and it really adds up to their occult aesthetic. You can still hear everything and at the same time you get what is good about old-school blackened speed metal.
It will shake you hard!

Now to the tracks, "Berlin is burning"  is the master of the game, great riffage great solos and a catchy chorus.
Personally I liked a lot "hot graves", with its uptempo feeling
and "long live death" with its slow muddy groove.Also the D-beat qualities of "Turn up the Hell" can't go unnoticed.

Badass guitar riffs, cursed drumming and satanic vocals...
What can really go wrong?
We are done with reviewing,
now let the unholy death race begin! (hehe)"

burn it down(download)

Organism - Hope Lp

I can't remember the last time. Yeah, right. the last time.
When you got sharp and long wolves-teeth and you bite everything around you. Let's sharpen our teeth and eat some flesh while listen some A' class japcore.

I can still remember the first time i've listened to these punks. A couple of years ago, i was taking the subway to go for my wine-class. While i was waiting i pushed play on my mp3-player, when a tight bombing sound scratch my ears. Looking left and right to be sure : Sub hasn't hit me... Yep, Organism's fist. my ears...

Organism comes from Osaka, japan and the legend says that they might have some connection to the bands Warhead (one of the next posts, folks), Nightmare and Acrostix and not only music influences. Things are simple. Power, energy and energy and power!
The sound is solid as fuck and keeps you jumping like a lunatic in your room while your speakers shouting paranoid and unintelligible words in a bellicose language.
The title of the album is Hope and i really doubt if you can find any in here.
All tracks counts 1-2 minutes, the drumming is unstoppable having the guitar back-ups to shred everything up while the bass is heavy as a japanese sumo fighter. And the vocals are dual!
Don't except chelsea's hot riffs and solos, neither saxophones. This is fast as fuck, powerful hardcore punk. This is war. This is "how it's should be played". Raging, raging, raging.
Plus : this 12'' have been released from a small label named Hardware records, known for it's great releases. Few but great, including burial / antimob split.
Listen it while you reading seicho Matsumoto's "Tokyo express".

casus belli

Disharmonic - A Life Without Regrets

Some weeks ago Apostolis (vocalist of Disharmonic) asked me if I could post their last (and final) album "A life without regrets". Even if I was a little bit thoughtful due to personal issues about diy and the rest (yeah, i'm a little bit stubborn - or just old-school-way-of-thinking-fucker -  and i don't think diy bands must play club and bar shows, but that's an other conversation) i've chosen to post their album mainly due to my class consciousness (apostolis and i work together occasionally, plus he is a good guy). 

Disharmonic started back in 2001 in volos, and they released in their "brief" history two demos ("Kick over the traces" & "Unholy remains"), a mini-cd ("By your side") and this album. In their first steps, these pioneers of the huge volos hardcore scene (let's laugh...) used to play a mixture of hardcore with death metal. While the years pass the sound has changed, more modern hardcore listening i guess. The band have played a lot of shows all around greece and after their hiatus some members formed Ruined families (check out their euro-tour dates), Faithreat and Do something now! (a hell of a straight-edge name, ha?).

Their sound consisting of huge Stampin' ground and (later-) Kafka elements (that's what i listen here) plus some thrashy guitars and you get the picture. Their mid-tempo parts reminds me a lot "A new darkness upon us" from Stampin' ground and i think that's the strong point of the band. When they try to play faster the whole thing gets fucked up. I don't know, maybe it's the sound that i can't stand (full of NYHC stuff) or the drummer isn't dave lombardo, or.... I don't want to be a cruel jerk but this type of hardcore it's for sure not my cup of tea, but on the other hand you can check it out - maybe it's just me.

The folder contains all the artwork and has not been posted elsewhere yet.
so give it a try and please let me know what you think...


Choose or be chosen

Highscore & The now denial - split 7''

While i got some dbill's promises about some writing for Okkultokrati, Naytia etc i just got - once again - his balls. AAAAAAAAAGGGGGRRRRRR. So, let's get one more new post. And i got some good stuff for you in the next posts. finland, japan and greece included. Today's topic : Breaking neck while jumping from a window. Yes, hardcore punk can easily kill...

Released as a benefit 7'' for the imprisoned protestors of gothenburg riots, this wax captures excellent all the energy of these incredible hardcore bands. Highscore comes from Nordrhein-Westfalen while The now denial hailing from bremen. Two of the best bands from germany the last decade.
If you stopping by this blog you already know that these bands kick-asses (they kicked mine way too much times) really hard and you should be up for it.

First band is Highscore (nowadays some highscore's guys are playing in Short fuse). Fast, in your face hardcore from raging lovers of late-'80s us hardcore. Out cold meets poison idea and the party goes on. When i first listened "forces of evil" the opening vocals made me think i listen to some Sodom. hahaah. I think when you talk about fast hardcore punk all the words are fading away, so let the music speak for itself, shall we?
You must definitely check out their "Unsuspecting actors..." Lp.

On the other hand we have bremen's massive killing machine well known as the now denial. Maybe this is not the perfect N.D example 'coz the band has changed it's sound with every new release (every-fucking-one is unique and great) but the writing quality of these songs can't be compared. Mixing hardcore punk with some crusty and catchy riffs. Well, there not so many bands that can do this, guys. So simple...
All the tracks have been included also to the comp. cd "Obey, shut up...". And if you like check out their second lp Viva viva threatening.

I won't be a liar. I found this rip on soulseek. That's why one side is on 192 kbp while the other is on 320kbp. If you got it on better quality, please drop a line.
"till then...

download