The self-titled debut from Florida's Mehkago N.T. cranks out five tracks in less than 15 minutes and is sort of like the hardcore equivalent of "war metal" (an aesthetic that carries right over into the high contrast imagery of the layout): It's raw as fuck, it's generally fast and somewhat abrasive, and there's a certain degree of unhinged ferocity going on throughout. Obviously this means that there are more influences at work than with your standard hardcore band, and metal's certainly a driving force, but despite that fact there's an undeniable hardcore aesthetic throughout the vast majority of the compositions. And hell, I'm all for the occasional foray into twisted dissonance or sludgy midpaced riffing, so this is a great introduction to these dudes for sure. There's a blown-out character to the vocals that works well against the rugged guitar tone and the pounding thuds of the basslines, so even though the recording could use minor touching up, I'm guessing they'll always try to retain this sort of edge (and with good reason). When all is said and done they're not rewriting the book on any given genre, but there's something interesting about what's going on here that gets my attention and makes me wonder where they're going to go with this stuff…

Mehkago N.T. "Siafu Attack"

It's a little pricey for a professional-looking CD-R in xeroxed packaging that's limited to 100 copies, but this is good shit, and I'll be psyched to hear more from this curious outfit in the future, so pick one up from the band's website if this is your thing.

"The Truth Enslaves Us", the debut EP from Protest, finds the Texans unloading five tracks of surprisingly taut late-80's/early-90's styled thrash fused with an air of chunky metallic hardcore. There's room for improvement of course, but overall this is a strong debut, right down to the recording, which is well-balanced and consistent – certainly better than average compared to the bulk of the self-released efforts that tend to cross my path. I'd like to hear the basslines brought forth a hint more, but other than that everything's on the right track in that department. Expect loads of meaty riffs and picking patterns across a range of tempos, with burly vocals and even some darker, Bolt Thrower-esque uses of melody here and there. It's a pretty curious blend overall, what with the chaotic Slayer-meets-early-Megadeth style of lead playing over thicker and often more moderately paced rhythms. And while the thrashy elements have more in common with the last decade's "hardcore" than anything, the metallic hardcore edge rests more in the background here, allowing the chugging heaviness to create a different sort of vibe in large part. Not bad at all.

Protest "Fueled by Hate"

Contact the band via their website or MySpace for ordering information, and keep your eyes out for more down the road. The best should be yet to come…