Powder! Go Away - Laika Still Wants Go Home (2011)

From last.fm:


"Powder! Go Away are an instrumental post-rock band from Russia."


I'm not gonna lie, this band had me in tears. No fucking joke. It all started with when I was browsing around randomly looking for a powerviolence band and somehow found this album. I saw that they had a 2011 release and was all "OH SHIT COOL!" but what really had me was the album cover, which was of a small dog looking up at the moon. I knew I saw this dog somewhere before. Perhaps in a book I read before? If I had remembered correctly, it was about a Russian dog named Laika, who was the first animal to orbit the Earth and sadly the first animal to die in orbit as well. I decided to look it up on Wikipedia and unfortunately, I was correct. As I started to read the article and glue each part together, a sad and dark presence started to settle over me. I was currently listening to the song Locomotive Comes In Your Dreams when I started to burst out into tears. I don't know whether it was the slow and settling ambiance of the song or this part I read at the end. 


"Before the launch, one of the scientists took Laika home to play with his children. In a book chronicling the story of Soviet space medicine, Dr. Vladimir Yazdovsky wrote, "I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live."


I knew right then and there that this album was a homage to Laika and her triumphant trials and tribulations in space and how she made such an impact on space travel. I'm all for animal rights and liberation so they struck home to me on a personal level. As for the band itself, they seem to capture everything that I love about instrumental post-rock and then some. The build ups aren't enough to overwhelm you with sound but not minuscule enough to have you yawning. Another mellow aspect I enjoy much is the whole space-oriented influence that evokes a feeling of quiet spaciousness. All in all, the album is beautiful and the meaning behind it is a powerful one that will have you speechless in amazement.

Download HERE

Frandy - Relief (2011)

From last.fm:


"Frandy are a hardcore/sludge band from Flint, MI playing in the styles of Botch, Converge, and Trap Them. They released a 2011 demo entitled “Relief”." 


WOW, OH WOW. I have to start out this review by saying this is one of THE BEST demos I've ever listened to and one of THE BEST submissions for my blog ever!!!! HOLY FUCK is this blowing my mind away or what? Deathwish Inc has been pumping out incredible sounding experimental hardcore bands such as Trap Them, Nails, Converge, All Pigs Must Die, Cursed, Botch, Starkweather, United Nations and a shit ton of others that have inspired bands world wide to follow in the footsteps, creating their own unusual sounds themselves. Frandy are THAT band, taking the music and inspiration from incredible bands like that and making it their own, without the help of Deathwish Inc. As for this five-track demo, it's fucking ridiculously batshit insane. When I read my email and saw "Botch, Converge, Trap Them-esque" I KNEW I was in for a real treat but no one told me there was a fucking caramel center made of rich wholesome gooeyness. The demo starts out with a track coincidentally called Cursed, which may or may not be a homage to the band Cursed. It wouldn't really surprise me though because Frandy sounds JUST like them. One of my favorite lyrics are taken from this song which goes like, "Can I escape or am I just cursed?". Another neat feature about this song is that they threw in some tambourines, which surprisingly sounds bad ass. As you start to dive deeper and deeper into the album, you'll start to get a real feel for their true sound. Resembling all the bands I stated previously above, the heavy distorted riffs with the emotional lyrics and aggressive vocal style will have you breathless as you start to question yourself about being sane or not. I'm seriously fucking ecstatic about this demo and I'm super fucking excited to see what Frandy has in store for us in the future. With a sound like this, there's so much fucking potential it's unreal. I hope these guys are here to stay because I couldn't get enough of them. As for now, we have this demo and I'm more than happy with it. If you're feeling like a jerk and want to download their album directly check it out on their bandcamp.


I'VE SEEN THE FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I'VE SEEN THE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEND
I'VE TIED MY SPIRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT
I'VE TIED MY HEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAART

Download HERE

Life Of Refusal - Self Titled (2011)

From last.fm:


"Life of Refusal is a Hardcore/Powerviolence band from Southern California.They formed early 2010 and solidified a line-up by fall that year. Life of Refusal put out a demo CD in 2010 and a 7” in April the next year, both being self-released."


This four piece duo from Southern California kick it old school with their original powerviolence sound. I was browsing the pictures beforehand and the only thing I was thinking was "Void worship??" and was all FUCK YEAAAAAAH! and stuff. See, isn't this Void worship or what?

Maybe it's just the fact they dislike Christianity? The last song on this track ends with chanting "There is no god" so that might be the case as well. Who the fuck knows. The funny thing is an upside-down cross was used when St. Peter died to show respect. ANYWAYS, enough with the Christian talk. Life Of Refusal burn the house down with their hardcore punk influenced powerviolence with a bit of a fastcore touch. I can totally hear Siege in this band x100000000000000000. Not to mention there's some absurdly strange chugs and metal riffs that take place which add for a very peculiar sound. Just imagine like... Cruel Hand but with a faster and angrier sound. It's good to know there's some original PV out there and Life Of Refusal reinstate this opinion and turn it into a fact. 

Download HERE

Roñoso - Seep And Destroy (2010)

From last.fm:


"Roñoso is a crust punk / sludge metal band from Albuquerque, New Mexico. They have released two full length albums, “Roñoso” in 2008 and “Seep and Destroy” in 2010."


So I managed to get my hands on Roñoso's 2010 release Seep and Destroy. I threw up their self titled release earlier in the week and if you're familiar it then you'll know EXACTLY what you're getting in store. I wouldn't say Seep and Destroy any better, don't get me wrong though it's a fucking great album, but their debut release will always be my favorite. SaD brings that all too known incorporation of crust and sludge, with this album even throwing in some more noticeable hardcore punk influences. They bring that intense d-beat drumming pattern with much more distortion than the previous song. I think this albums influence is much more comparable to a band like Enabler. There's tons and tons of downtempo with a bit of a hardcore influence. All in all, it's a great album to add to any collection and the mix of crust and sludge will have any fan of either genre swooning over it.

Download HERE

Carol Ann - Score To Settle (1997)

From last.fm:


"The teenage prequel to Black Hell and Graves at Sea was CAROL ANN. We played for about seven years, and shared the stage with such great acts as Noothgrush, Bongzilla, Drop Dead, Born Dead Icons, Sourvein, Unruh, From Ashes Rise, Citizen Fish, Orange Goblin, Alabama Thunderpussy, Ludicra, Watch them Die, Nigel Peppercock, Noisegate, Misanthropic, Sea of Deprivation, Tomsk -7, Burn Victim, ETTS, Contravene, Teen Cthulu and many more. We released two records pictured below, and recorded a mass of material that never saw the light of day."


There isn't much to say about this band. Just think of Dystopia if they relocated in Arizona with a bit of a melodic doom metal sound with some sick chugs. Check out the lyrics here.

Download HERE

Dead America - Bleed The Human Heart (1997)

From last.fm:


"DEAD AMERICA are a totally forgotten/overlooked anarcho-crust-grind-something band from early to mid-90’s Costa Mesa, California."


FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK. When people ask me, "HEY RYAN! I LOVE THE MISANTHROPIC SOUND OF DYSTOPIA AND WANT SOME MORE. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?" I generally throw out something like Social Infestation, Elitist, Utopium, or Sea Of Deprivation but I've found yet ANOTHER band similar to that sound and maybe even closer to the others. These crusty fucks from the California region kick it old school with this 1997 release that is nothing but straight up fucking misanthropy and hatred. Like the bands similar above, Dead American combine that raw fucking downtempo'd HOLY FUCK GUYS YOUR STRINGS ARE ALL FUCKED UP sludge sound that sounds as if there's a fucking spaceship blasting off into space combined with the insane amounts of reverb. The fast paced crustgrind influence and face-punching vocals are enough to melt the skin clean off your fucking bones. I don't think this band needs no introduction. Having played with Dystopia before, there's GOT to be some credibility to their name. Sadly enough, yet another underrated band goes unknown but I am here to shed light and push forth what would otherwise be unknown. Don't let the obscurity fuck with your mind because these guys are truly the grim of the grimmest. 

Download HERE

Hattbrot! - Under Maktens Stora Skugga.. (2009)

From last.fm:


"Hatbrott was founded early 2009 in the deep dark town of Markaryd by three guys who lost faith in humanity and society. Philip from Landskrona, Linus from Örnsköldsvik and Jimmy from Markaryd. Together they decided to bring old fashion crust to life, with extreme leftwing lyrics and instruments tuned down to “H/B”. Very soon they had a couple of songs ready with crushing D-beat and deathdefying brutality. The project got named “Hatbrott”(Hatecrime) and a bunch of shows was played, and a reputation got established… The brutality of their live shows now defines what Hatbrott is all about. Hatbrott is here to stay!"


Out from the depths of the crust scene of Sweden comes a very unique blend crust, only to be appropriately named Hatbrott! aka Hatecrime. This obscure little crust trio from Markayrd, Sweden bring forward all of the best blends of crust falling somewhere in between Martydod, Skitsystem, Stormcrow, Diskonto, His Hero Is Gone, and Iskra. Not only does this band provide some EXCELLENT d-beat drumming that'll have your toe tapping but there are some HEAVY, HEAVY, HEEEEEAVY fucking metallic riffs pushing through the guttural-to-shrieking hellish vocals. Though this release may be consisting of 4 track it's a powerful and will have you off your ass wondering when a next release will follow. 2011 looks like a PERFECT year for this! Only time will tell...


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Download HERE

Koriza - Self Titled (2009)

From last.fm:


"KORIZA is an avant-garde/post-hardcore band from Saint Petersburg, Russia.This band was founded in fall 2006 in Saint-Petersburg. Next summer, they’ve recorded a 6 song demo, named «-r. videl v4era tvoego malysha». 22 november 2009 there was an album released on Delicious Music label. This album also distributed in mp3 version for free under Creative Commons license.There was some reshuffle, but in 2010 an original band members gathered once again. And for the fact the band broke up."


Excuse my typing on this review because I'm tired as fuck and I have to get up in a little bit to do some grocery shopping. Koriza are an experimental screamo band from MOTHER RUSSIA. What I've noticed about most screamo bands from Russia is that they're very different... No screamo band is the same. They may not be able to match the raw REAL screamo sound that takes place over in France but don't count Russia out just yet because they make up for their inability to be random as fuck while throwing in some incredible melodies. Koriza are no excepting this this weird bunch of screamo bands, only to play some very off the wall avant-garde stuff. If you're familiar with the genre then you know there are some specific guidelines you HAVE to follow and Koriza seem to take that protocol and go above and beyond. Not only do to have some crazy ass chaotic downtempo riffs (holy shit is this guitar tuned low. check out the youtube video below for refrence) but they also incorporate some other ambient sounds, piano, keyboards, scratching (YES, SCRATCHING LOL),  and sax, all at the comfort of an electronic keyboard. I think that factor adds most to their avant-garde feel. Seriously though, since when have you heard some crazy ass math riff transform into some weird tremolo picked jazzy riff with pianos and ambient bleeps and bloops going on in the back. NEVER. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! I try my best to post off the wall and insane, unusual bands that mix it up in such a strict genre such as screamo. I'm PRETTY sure Koriza takes the cake on this one. Unfortunately, the band broke up in 2009 so we won't be hearing any more of them. :< IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM LIKE 10 TIMES IN ONE SITTING. Like screamo? Want something different and not the same bullshit City Of Caterpillar rip off? Well, I'd advise you to pick up this album right meow.

Download HERE

Spoonboy - The Papas (2011)

From last.fm:


"Spoonboy (born 1983) is a member of Washington, D.C.-based punk-pop band, The Max Levine Ensemble. He plays guitar and sings in this band, and has also released a solo acoustic album on Plan-It-X Records in 2005 entitled, “I Love You, This Is A Robbery” and “The Papas” in 2011. Spoonboy was born in Takoma Park, Maryland."


It's been nearly six fucking years since Spoonboy has put out the album I Love you, This Is A Robbery. On this glorious day, this ex-The Max Levine Ensemble member is back with a full-length album entitled The Papas. What's neat about this album is that he recorded two version; one acoustic and the other is electric respectively. I must admit, I fucking LOVE his electric album hell of a lot more than the acoustic one. I'm not sure why but I just do. To me, it just has a nice more clearer and crisp sound and his voice flows a lot more with the an electric guitar. Don't get me wrong though, his acoustic album is beautiful too! Just think of Spoonboy's previous album, throw in a bunch of bunnys and rabbits, and some angst and that is essentially The Papas. WHO DOESN'T LOVE SPOONBOY? HE'S ADORABLE AS FUCK! One of songs on the albums, Gearld Lee Palmer, blew my FUCKING mind. At first, one of the lyrics "belly up, bellllllly uppppppppp, belly uppppppppppp, SHE'S FALLEEEEEEEEEN" caught my ears but as I started to listen to the song more and more I digested what exactly waht going on within the song. It's about one of Spoonboy's friend, whose dad pretty much neglected her entire life and her fathered wondered why she was a fuck up, and ended "belly up". After she moved away, her dad's life goes to complete shit and tries contacting her only to become "belly up", just like what happened to her. I only learned this through a youtube video of course but just thinking about it and watching the video only makes me understand it even more. Okay, I'm just rambling. Fuck this. Here's Spoonboy's new albums both in electric and acoustic. Take it or leave it, fuckers.

Spoonboy - The Papas (electric) (2011)

Download HERE

__________________________________________________________________________

Spoonboy - The Papas (acoustic) (2011)

Download HERE

Miasmal - Self Titled (2011)

From last.fm:


"Miasmal is a Swedish Death Metal Band formed in 2007 by members of Swedish Crust bands Agrimonia and Martyrdöd. Their sound hearkens back to old school greats of the Stockholm scene such as Entombed, Nihilist, Dismember, and Carnage.In the Spring of 2008 they recorded and released a a self-titled 4 track demo, limited to a print of only 250 copies. Two of the songs can be heard on the band’s myspace page.They are currently working on a new release- a 7” EP that is going to be released on Detest Records."


Dear 2011,


WOULD YOU SERIOUSLY STOP COMING OUT WITH ALL THESE GODDAMN INCREDIBLE RELEASES? OKAY? MY EARS CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE. THE WAY YOU PUNISH MY EARS WITH THIS NEW MIASMAL IS REALLY APPRECIATED AND ALL BUT SERIOUSLY, THIS HAS GOT TO STOP. YOU KNEW THAT HAD MEMBERS OF AGRIMONIA AND MARTYDOD IN IT THEY WOULD INSTANTLY ATTRACT MY EARS AND YOU WERE RIGHT. THE WAY THEY CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF OLD SCHOOL DEATH METAL BANDS LIKE ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER, AND GRAVE REALLY HAS ME SWOONING OVER YOUR OLD SCHOOL SWEDISH DEATH METAL WAY OF PLAYING. WITH THEIR 14 BLAZING HOT TRACKS, ONE WOULD SAY THIS IS ENOUGH TO BE A CONTENDER FOR ALBUM OF THE YEAR. I'VE BEEN WAITING AROUND FOREVER FOR MIASMAL TO PUT OUT A FULL-LENGTH AND IT'S FINALLY HAPPENED. I ALMOST FEEL LIKE A COMPLETE DICK BECAUSE I WON'T BE GOING TO MARYLAND DEATH FEST AND MISSING OUT ON THIS WONDERFUL BAND. I'M JUST SICK AND TIRED OF THESE RELEASES (NOT REALLY) SO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING. PUSH ME TO THE EDGE. DESTROY MY EARS. I DON'T GIVE A FUCK.


Your pal,


Ryan


Seacrest, ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuut~~~~~~~~~~~~

Download HERE

Roñoso - Self Titled (2008)

From last.fm:


"Roñoso is a crust punk / sludge metal band from Albuquerque, New Mexico. They have released two full length albums, “Roñoso” in 2008 and “Seep and Destroy” in 2010."


HOLY FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! FUCK FUCK FUCK FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! 


It's been AGES since I've listened to something THIS heavy with an exception of maybe Admiral Angry but holy shit, guys, RONOSO IS FUCKING INCREDIBLE! It's strange because there are only 6 listeners on last.fm. Hidden gem? I'M THINKING SO! They DID release an album in 2010 that I'm currently trying to get my hands on via facebook but you'll just have to stick to this album in the meantime. The first thing that came to mind when listening to these crazy bastards was Stormcrow. Seriously, they're like fucking Stormcrow but just imagine taking their whole death metal Bolt Thrower sound and replacing it with some heavy ass Eyehategod riffs. One of the first things I also noticed is the strong grindcore influence too. Some songs like Nature Defier have that real REAL heavy downtempo that's so fucking distorted (similar to Dystopia) that sounds like it's not even from this world. I didn't feel like cluttering the tags with GRINDCORE and CRUSTGRIND but I just thought I'd let y'all know that it's some pretty fast stuff, similar to Utopiam, Social Infestation, or Elitist. The d-beat drumming patterns are almost hypnotic at times and will you you in a state of disillusion wondering where the fuck the time went. I haven't found a real favorite crust band awhile but Roñoso have reinstated that love. Hopefully, the band will somehow send me a link or physical copy (that I would be uploading obviously) so I can toss it up here for you lovely folks. Be sure to follow my blog for what will possibly be another Roñoso album! 


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Download HERE

Tona - 1000 (2008)

From last.fm:


"Coming from Novi Sad, the town in sleepy northern Serbia’s province of Vojvodina, TONA started playing loud in summer 2005. Right from the start, this 5-piece aimed at creating versatile and original sound, combining the best of rock, metal and punk music of the last decades.Anything that can be combined into a powerful sonic blast is put into the band’s cauldron and cast into a solid piece of rock, making the unique sound of TONA.The band released their first full-lenght named 1000. The album is released for SKC NS, regional government sponsored label that aims to promote alternative culture in Serbia."


When I think of Serbia the LAST thing I think of is music like this. I thought stoner rock was exclusively an American western thing, or at least where all the good stoner stuff has originated from, but man DO NOT trust these random little foreign countries. Tona are a sick band that plays just that kind of style, really going above and beyond with some unusual and very groovy guitar riffs. Unlike Clutch, the vocals are pretty tolerable and don't have that annoying as FUCK monotone voice that you get when listening to them. Some songs such as Down To Play and Red Cylinder has a real traditional hard rock sound to them jam packed with aggressive, almost punk riffs. Other songs like Pieces, which starts out with a harmonica piece, and Box, are a bit more low key, tossing in that familiar prog rock with diverse basslines to fuck with your mind. Another thing to add is that the lyrics interchange from English to Serbia so if you fancy that sorta then than this should be right up your alley. I was reading a review on it on another album and someone compared them to the Melvins and System Of The Down. Okay, I can see the Melvins but System Of A Down? Granted they both shared the same stage back in the day at Ozzfest but other than that I can't EVER seeing them being compared to SOAD. Just silly talk! Anyways, if you're a straight up instrumental enthusiast who loves a bit of edge in their rock, I'd highly advise picking this album up. 

Download HERE

Naive Fighters - Budeme Tancovať Na Troskách Tejto Spoločnosti (2001)

From last.fm:


"Slovak anarcho-folk-feministic group formed around in 1997. Since 199 the name of group is Naive Figters.Members: Daniel: guitar, sing Maťa: sing Farki: drums"


Yep. You've read the description correctly. Sorry to all those who called folk punk gimmicky and a trend considering it's been around since Bob fucking Dylan and way before then. I really don't have a clue what Naive Fighters are saying nor could I distinguish them as an anarcho or feminist group but thanks to our lovely pals at last.fm who built this database of information do. Naive Fighters are a three man (one being female :P) folk punk band from Slovakia. I'm not sure why I'm attracted to them but I am. Maybe it's the fact that the guitar riffs are so fucking basic but yet catchy at the same time. Or maybe it's the female vocals? Either way, shit's dope. I love the songs that throw in a wooden flute. If I was in Slovakia I'd assume there are a bunch of anarchists running around with flutes and shit singing about songs about protest. Yeah... that'd be fucking cool. Their song album, Kocka, isn't as good as this one in my opinion but they do throw in a mix of both English and Slovakian lyrics which is pretty cool. They also have some weird electronic flute sounding thing that doesn't really go with the songs. If you're a collector of different styles of folk punk, especially from foreign countries, this is definitely a must. It doesn't hurt to stray away from regular stuff and hear other countries spin on it. Hell, these guys are more punk than fucking Andrew Jackson Jihad will EVER be. I FUCKING HATE WHEN PEOPLE CALL ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD FOLK PUNK DESPITE THE FACT I DO AS WELL. Lets start calling them anti-folk, y'all. SEACREST, OOOOOOOOOUT!

Download HERE

Birthplace - Amelioate (2005)

From last.fm:


"Birthplace are a metalcore band from Japan with some sick thrashy riffs."


There isn't TOO much to say about this band but that doesn't mean you shouldn't pick this album up. I mainly found them trying to look for some more Japanese screamo and post-hardcore to add to my collection and stumbled across. For a standard hardcore band these guys know how to rip shit up. Playing in the style of old school metalcore bands like Integrity, Starkweather, and Chokehold, Birthplace tear up the fucking place with their devastatingly awesome chugs combined with the fast and thrashy guitar riffs along with the aggressive vocals I think they might be straight edge as well judging from the bands they're connected with on last.fm but don't take my word for it. It's good to know that there's SOME good metalcore that exists out there in Japan because god forbid they didn't mock the US's shitty trends for once, right? Put your faith into the Japanese metalcore scene for once and be sure to check out this release.

Download HERE

Captain Bratch And The Redbeards - 13 Really Good Reasons To Kill Yourself (2009)

Sorry folks! I don't have much information on these guys. There wasn't a last.fm description or anything so bare with me. I was looking up some information on youtube and miscellaneous places and I stumbled across their newer band, 37 Cents. I will probably be uploading it 37 Cents in the future so stay tuned! What I did learned is that they're signed to Wylscot Records. As for Captain Bratch and the Redbeards, I have no clue. They may also be based out or around somewhere in Texas but I'm very unclear about that as well. If you guys have any information let me know! Anyways, onto the music. I was expecting this album to have some really shitty quality to it but to my surprise it's really, really, REALLY fucking good. You can hear every string strum beautifully picked that goes straight in unison with the claps, whistles, and harmonica parts. I usually classify folk punk as four types: shock factor (AJJ, Beans On Toast, Ghost Mice), anarcho-punk (Johnny Hobo, Asking For It, Folk The System), pop (Fake Problems, The Wild, American War), and gypsy (Blackbird Raum, Dandelion Junk Queens, Abandon Ship!). In my opinion, these guys fall in somewhere in between the anarcho-punk and pop type. The vocals are light but harsh but in a good way. :yrical content usually includes things such as apathy, being true, saying FUCK IT, human and animal liberation, and just overall nihilistic points of views. But the thing that gets me is how can these guys be so loveable? Seriously, if you watch the video they look like the nicest guys in the world. I could totally see myself having a few drinks and having bro moments with em. One of my favorite songs, "I Have A Level 23 Social Life", relates to me on a very personal basis just for the fact that I used to play lots of RPGs because life fucking sucks and the lyrics are very pessimistic. It's just a very nostalgic album for me. I'm VERY interested in hearing 37 Cents now because if it's anything like Captain Bratch then I know I won't be disappointed. If you're looking for poppy and anarchist folk punk check these guys out. Sorry I couldn't find an album cover! I just took this off a youtube video. Enjoy. :3

Download HERE

Janaza - Burning Quran Ceremony (2010)

From last.fm:


"Janaza is a raw black metal solo project from Iraq, with heavily anti-Islamic lyrics. Janaza is believed to be the first female-fronted black metal band from an Arab country."


INTERESTING... Interesting band to say the least. Er, not band but "project" or whatever. As the description states, Janaza IS the first female fronted black metal band from an Arab country, aka Iraq. WELL, IT'S ABOUT FUCKING TIME! Seriously, you would of thought with Melechesh reigning over the Middle Eastern black metal scene would have a lot more influence overseas. I guess not! In any case, it's a pretty unique little project. For being from some shitty little country, the music is surprisingly GOOD. One of the songs, Black Metal Ist Krieg, is a cover song by Nargaroth, a pretty influential depressive black metal band from Germany.  What I find most interesting are the anti-religious overtones presented in the lyrics. I'm not really one to support hate, especially against religions or beliefs (even though I'm a non believer myself), but I can totally see Janaza are against the Islam faith.I mean hell, who WOULDN'T hate something that was oppressing them for THAT long? God forbid if someone told me I couldn't do something... There would be hell to pay! FUCK YEAH FOR WOMEN GETTING RIGHTS IN ARAB COUNTRIES! I don't support the hate but I support the cause. You tell em, Janaza. Varg ain't got nuttin on this Joan Jett of black metal. 

Download HERE

Uncle Sinner - Ballads And Mental Breakdowns (2008)

From last.fm:


"Uncle Sinner is a Canadian artist who plays music that sweats, scratches and stomps. Most of his songs are created using the skeletons of traditional American music, but the words are often re-written and the bones rearranged. Uncle Sinner accompanies his arrangements with banjo, slide guitar and various other guitars. Additional instrumentation and arrangement is provided by Fuller Vengeance, a.k.a. Matt McLeod of The White Light Machine.Uncle Sinner’s first cd, “Ballads and Mental Breakdowns”, was released in December 2008 by Devil’s Ruin Records. A follow-up, tentatively called “Rocks and Gravel” is slowly taking shape."


This is a request (I think?) for my pal Marco. Well, I wouldn't call it a request because I actually genuinely like this band. Uncle Sinner are a gothic Americana/country band from right here in Winnipeg! It was kind of strange to learn they come from here and I have never even heard of them. o.o Maybe I can ask around and see if they still play! Their style combines traditional Americana sound with southern roots, similar to Mississippi blues and gothic themed lyrics. Their approach to traditional classical American music is a harsh one. They seem to throw out that "GOOD OL' AMERICAN BOYS" theme and replace it with some dark and depressing lyrics with songs such as Gospel Plow, Old Rub Alcohol Blues (what the fuck kind of name is this for a song?), and When Jesus Comes. Holy fuck. I just relistened to Old Rub Alcohol Blues and it's so depressing... Wow. I'm not one for all HURR DURR OH MY GOD I LOVE AMERICA FUCK YEAH type of folk music so don't expect that from my posts. I love originally when it comes to folk music and Uncle Sinner tops the cake. If you're a fan of hellbilly, Hank Williams III, or Johnny Cash, I'd suggest checking this out. So kick back, bust out he rubbing alcohol, and throw another pouch of dip in your mouth because it's going to be a long one.

Download HERE

Rye 'n Clover - Pencils, Paper, & Scissors (2009)

From last.fm:


"Rye ‘n Clover is folk punk banjo singin’ and pickin. And that’s all there is about it."


Thanks Raymond for letting me know about Rye 'n Clover!!! I really love his stuff! Rye 'n Clover is a one man folk punk band started by Ryan Clover who lives in New York. He plays JUST a banjo and that's it. It almost has a real old school americana sound to it because of this. I can just imagine this guy with a notepad and his legs crossed sitting on his bed with a notepad thinking back to past experiences. Such lyrical content includes summertime memories, animals having equal rights, and past loved ones. His style reminds me of like... I dunno. The Almanac Shouters meets Defiance, Ohio maybe? Whatever it is, it's good shit. Pick it up!

Download HERE

Petnaesti Čeh - Promo (2010)

From last.fm:


"Petnaesti Čeh aka The 15th Czech started in spring of 2008. as a four piece. Line up was Gonzo (Hidden Layer, No Hate No Fun) as vocal, Krusi as the founder of the band on guitar, Walid (Dig A Hole, Eskadron) on bass and Perica (Dolibasija, Raspad Sistema, Igut, Amok) on drums. We started making some songs immediately, and soon Andrija (Dig A Hole, Breaking The Fourth Wall, Gardens Of Hiroshima) came in as a lead guitar. Soon Gonzo left the band due to his personal lack of interest for the kind of music we were playing, but we continued to make songs. In autumn of 2009 Tea joined the band as a vocalist and everything fell into place. Since then we’ve been playing some old songs, making some new ones and playing gigs. In the spring of 2010 we recorded a three song promo that you will be able to hear and download on our MySpace page soon. In May 2010 Perica decided to left the band because of work and bands beside XVC, and on his place came Kris for good (Black Sails, Hidden Layer, Naelc Wonk, Amok) after he played one gig for us in Slovenia.We are playing hardcore punk influenced by such bands as Tragedy, From Ashes Rise, His Hero Is Gone, To What End? etc. and influenced by old school hardcore punk from the 80’s, but also influenced by our past projects and all the music we have been listening for years. Everyone in the band brought something the influenced on our sound, so it’s hard to count all the influences."


I went on a binge a few months ago of picking up mainly female fronted hardcore punk bands from little countries like Slovakia, Croatia, Georgia, Macedonia, and some other obscure countries. I picked up this release and loved it, only for it to be forgotten. Kind of strange, I know. I actually grabbed these guys long before I started my blog. I got an email from Kris, one of the members of the band, throwing out his promo and asking me to listen to it. I was just like OH SHI- I'VE LISTENED TO THIS BAND BEFORE! And thus my love for these guys was reinstated yet again. Petnaesti Čeh take a very aggressive punk rock sound, throw in some female vocals, and add a kick ass crust blend to crush your ears with some all out aggression. If you're a fan of foreign hardcore I have no doubt that you'll like these guys. 

Download HERE

Ramshackle Glory release TWO songs!!

I've been super duper behind on my blog and everything. I apologize! I've been out and about ACTUALLY HAVING A LIFE. Fucking crazy, right?!?!


Soooooo, Ramshackle Glory recorded and put up TWO NEW SONGS. I think they might be off an album yet to be released called Live The Dream.  Check them out!! Follow up on their website for more information. Ride on, Pat The Bunny.

 Ramshackle Glory - Live The Dream (two songs) (2011)

Download HERE

Creepy Crawlie - Self Titled (2007)

From last.fm:


"Creepy Crawlie is Finnish feminist hc-punk band. It was formed september 2000."


So my media player has clocked in that I've listened this album going on 11 times now. I had quite a feat finding this album so pick it up ASAP! Creepy Crawlie are a female fronted hardcore punk from Sweden who formed in 2000 but released their first full-length in 2007. It contains 10 tracks of blitzkrieg hardcore punk with some awesome underlying d-beat sound. There is some heavy distortion also thrown in, which is pretty unlikely for a hardcore band. Seeing as how they're from Finland this actually isn't surprising at all. If you know anything about the native language, Finnish has a different accent than most Scandinavian languages. I think this is why I LOVE Creepy Crawlie the most. Dem accents... So bad ass. All the vocals ARE in Finnish with some track names also being English as well. If you're feeling up for some FEMALE POWEEEEEEEEEEEEEER grab this shit. Fans of Harum Scarum, Beyond Pink, and Khatarina. I'm not quite sure if this is the official album cover but I grabbed it from their myspace because I couldn't find one. Sorry! For what it is, it's pretty bad amirite?!?

Download HERE

Heavy Cross - Moonfrost (2011)

From last.fm:


"three-piece USBM 
www.winterandthroat.bigcartel.com
 www.winterandthroat.tumblr.com
www.holythroatrecs.bandcamp.com"


I had these cool cats send me this demo yesterday and I've listening to it about 10 times now. I don't really know much about them besides the fact they're from Los Angeles, California. They do play with a bit of a punk side, which seems to bring out their thrashier side. The blast beats are set to fucking OH MY GOD WHEN WILL THESE BLAST BEATS EVER END and the tremolo picking happens here and there. The only problem I have with this demo is that there is only two tracks. I understand it's a demo after all but goddamn I want some more of this band. DAMNIT! Pretty cool release otherwise. If you're a fan of USBM I don't see why you wouldn't like Heavy Cross. Grab one of their 55 cassettes here and check out their bandcamp for future updates. I hope these guys are here to stay because I heavily enjoyed this demo. Only time will tell I suppose...

Download HERE

Billy Mack Collector - Soda (2011)

From last.fm:


"Billy Mack Collector is an acoustic band from the pocono mountains of Pennsylvania. They sing happy songs about being uncomfortable. The instrumentation is centered around acoustic bass, with lots of flute, bassoon, marimba, and accordion (to say the least) thrown in. Lots of people sing and time signatures change often. They tour in the summer all over the USA. <3"


I guess you could call these guys "indie pop" but I prefer to use anything with the prefix indie so I'll just label it how I choose. Hell, Burzum is more indie than self-proclaimed indie bands. I'm not saying Billy Mack Collector aren't DIY enthusiasts but yeah... You get what I'm saying. These guys are a collective ranging from 1-11 players incorporating such instruments as kazoos, bassoons, stand up bass, melodicas, tambourines, and other neat instruments. It seems like they rounded up some random people, gave them instruments, and told them to PLAY, PLAY YOUR HEART OUT! The dual vocals go over very well all the neat toys and I personally would think they'd be lost without them. BMC sing about some pretty pointless such as colors, breakfest, beer, soda, and a bunch of other random stuff. If you lived in a little town in the Poconos of Pennsylvania then you too would understand that there's absolutely NOTHING going on up there. Yeah, you might have your shitty pop bands with twangy guitars, aka faux country, but that's about it. With all the twee instruments + pointless songs what's there not to love about these guys? It's kind of cute, really. I really wish I could of found more bands like this back home. It would of totally made me appreciate Pennsylvania and the awesome folk bands that do originate from there. I could totally get down with Billy Mack Collector one day while clapping along to their songs in a drum circle or something similar. Be sure to check out their bandcamp for much more releases (by MUCH MORE I mean like 5 more albums) and purchase some merch!


I pulled this from a text document that was included in the album:


The musicians on Soda are : Billy Mack, Katherine Freeman, Zeke Katz, Joey Shelley, Jacqui Pratt, Dan Levin, Eleni Burd, Nate Marks, Sam Crismon, Rachel Sherk, Dalila Aldras and Isaac Katz. The album was mastered by Christopher Bell.

Download HERE

Struck By Lightning - Serpents (2009)

From last.fm:


"Hailing from Columbus, Ohio, Struck By Lightning formed in 2009, features Gregory Lahm (previously of Mouth of the Architect) on vocals and guitars, accompanying by Travis Kline, Mike Leach and Thomas Owens (previously of Menorrhagia). Encompassing the aggression and punk slathering of His Hero Is Gone and Disfear with the progressive rock acrobatics of Mastodon and Big Business, Struck By Lightning create ferocious and hairsplitting aggression that will undoubtedly take the world by storm."


This is a pretty sweet band I picked up awhile back that I figured I'd share because I've heavily been enjoying them the last week. Excuse my review because I am very tired and if the Freudian slip just so happens to make its way in here forgive me. Struck By Lightning seem to take that awesome energy that is present in hardcore and give it a real cruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust as fuck sound. They manage to throw in some very sludgy melodic riffs but also make it mathy at times. As the last.fm description states, it's as if your caught in the middle of a ferocious storm that just strikes you with hairsplitting aggression. The chug chug chugs don't get THAT out of hand to the point where it's just a fucking wall of sound nor are the vocals overpowering. Hell, if you listen to it close enough you can hear a bit of a d-beat sound, like in the track Supercell. The only thing I see comparable to these bad asses are somewhere in between His Hero Is Gone and Baroness. Yeah, that's a great combination. If you're a fan of my blog and don't get a kick out of these guys you seriously have some mental issues. I promise they won't disappoint. Check the youtube link for reference!

Download HERE