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Razor "Shotgun Justice" CD

AVERSIONLINE — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:43:47 +0000

"Shotgun Justice" was the sixth full-length from prolific, longstanding, and I assume legendary (Yeah?) Canadian thrashers Razor, originally released in 1990 on Fringe Records. It was their second to last record (they first called it quits in 1992, about a year after the release of "Open Hostility"), and in my opinion also their best. They did reform in 1997 and release a new full-length, "Decibels", however, they haven't put out anything since - though they did reform again in 2005, granted none of their old websites have been updated since late that year - so… who knows what's going on with 'em now!?

Anyway, in the interest of complete honesty, I had barely heard any Razor material prior to this week. I had sampled tracks here and there over the years, and they had always been one of those bands that I had wanted (and fully intended) to check out, but for whatever reason I never got around to it. Perhaps it's because their CD's are kind of a pain in the ass to find for reasonable prices, I don't know. But somehow or another (I have absolutely no idea how) I stumbled upon this video last week:

And, I mean… come on! It took me all of 10 fucking seconds to assure myself that it was mandatory that I finally check out some Razor albums immediately. That's gotta be one of the greatest fucking videos in the history of all living things, (probably) unintentional comedy gold or not. I could talk about the video for hours on its own. But let's face it, the fucking song rips, too.

So, "Shotgun Justice" was obviously my first choice. And yes, I'm kicking myself over the fact that Razor formed in fucking 1984 and it somehow took me 24 god damn years to fully experience their absolute brilliance. Here we have a whopping 14 tracks in just 39 minutes and 19 seconds, jam packed with generally fast (and, okay, with crunchy midpaced breaks aplenty) early-90's thrash with perfectly blunt song titles such as "Violence Condoned", "Brass Knuckles", and "Cranial Stomp", to name but a few. The vocals are 100% badass, too. I'm sure there's a legion of diehard Razor fans out there who would have my head for this since "Shotgun Justice" was the band's debut album with Bob Reid on vocals, but… I definitely prefer his Exodus-esque bitterness/subtle sarcasm to the band's former frontman, Stace "Sheepdog" McLaren (guitarist Dave Carlo has been their only consistent member throughout their history). What can I say?

And let's not forget the utterly fucking impeccable cover art (don't deny it) - one of Razor's many contributions to the archives of incredible metal album covers - or the classic fucking lyrics, man!

Pressure is building inside. Strengthening desire to kill. Tension rips through my veins. Increasing hardcore hatred, my will. Angered. I reach in my coat. My fingers find my weapon of brass. Planting my fist in your face. A violence fix, I'm kicking your ass. Punch out your lights. Fist fighting every night. Fractured your face. Left you a total disgrace…

Oh yeah, this band is the shit, my friends. Why the fuck haven't they gotten more blatant praise over the years, and why have these albums always been so damn hard to come by!? I just don't get it…

Razor "Shotgun Justice"
Razor "Brass Knuckles"
Razor "Stabbed in the Back"

I honestly can't find this damn CD for sale anywhere (sans the one used copy on Amazon.com for fucking $120, which is just plain stupid), nor are the songs on iTunes or whatever. But, if you want to enjoy some undeniably raging thrash metal from a band that seems to have gotten somewhat of a raw deal over the last few decades, well, you can find the tracks out there. I don't usually support that kind of thing, but… what else can you do, you know?

ASRA "The Way of All Flesh" CD

AVERSIONLINE — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:03:55 +0000

The Black Box Recordings-released debut full-length from NYC's ASRA (Alleged Satanic Ritual Abuse) tears through 11 tracks of completely and totally fucking badass death metal-infused grind in a mere 22 minutes. Legendary bands like Assück, Napalm Death, Man is the Bastard, and Discordance Axis seem to get thrown around frequently in press materials related to ASRA, and I actually can't argue with that at all. From the blasting, super tight drumming to the thick riffs that balance tactful speeds and intense grooves, or the maniacal vocals that shift effortlessly from burly growls to fierce sneers, snarls, or shrieks, it's all here, and it all fucking rules. The songwriting's memorable without lacking a shred of intensity, the recording's gritty and textured but still forceful and crisp… I mean, shit, it's just everything anyone should ever want out of a grindcore record. Even the cover art is fucking great! I can't speak to the lyrical content because the promo didn't come with lyrics, but judging from the song titles I'd say there's nothing to worry about in that department either. So, yeah… fucking perfection. I love it.

ASRA "Human Construct"

This one's available on both CD and vinyl, but I don't think the CD pressing is out just yet (though it should be available within the next few days). However, it looks like the limited edition clear vinyl pressing comes with a CD of the tracks or something like that, so… pick this shit up if you like what you hear. I'm already looking forward to hearing more from these cats.

Purchase:

@ Black Box Recordings
@ Relapse Records

Subrosa "Strega" CD

AVERSIONLINE — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:38:12 +0000

The always quality I Hate Records recently dropped another extremely intriguing release - "Strega", the second full-length from Subrosa (whose limited edition debut is apparently now sold out). When I first popped the disc in I was immediately stricken by the band's curiously innovative approach to the types of eerie, sludgy, doom-laden atmospheres for which I Hate's roster is most known, and assumed they were probably from Sweden or the UK or something like that. Then I sit down to write this up and I come to find out they're actually from Salt Lake City, UT of all places, which somehow seems even stranger!? Whatever the case, a somewhat monotone (yet emotive) form of singing tends to be the focal point, blended against a foundation of relatively simple, stripped down "doom" riffs with that classic, fuzzed out tone and somewhat of a bluesy "old school doom" sort of backbone. However, they also utilize electric violin, and somehow layer textures together to create a lot of really unique droning effects that sort of bubble up amidst the background tones of the mix to thicken things up and create additional space within space, if that makes any sense. I hate to keep using words like "curious" and "intriguing" and "strange", but I assure you that I mean them all in a very complementary manner, as the peculiarities of Subrosa's approach are both admirable and inventive - keeping them in line with the general vibe of this type of genre while also separating them from the pack and creating an experimental sort of angle that effectively draws the listener in with nonstandard tactics that shun conventional expectations. For example, you'd often expect a band within this realm to be dealing with long, drawn out compositions, but the majority of these tracks are just two or three minutes each, and the title track is the only song that tops six minutes. I don't know what else to say, really. I just find this to be a really interesting album, and I hope some of you will feel the same and pick it up as a result.

Subrosa "Crucible"

Purchase:

@ The End Records

Empty "The Last Breath of My Mortal Despair" CD

AVERSIONLINE — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:55:19 +0000

I personally don't hear too much black metal from Spain, but when this re-release of "The Last Breath of My Mortal Despair", the most recent full-length from Empty, showed up in the mail from De Tenebrarum Principio I was immediately impressed. The first few minutes of the opening track alone shift from precisely the types of cold, dissonant, atmospheric riffs that I long for from the genre to plenty of warped tremolo picking and droning leads, spacious clean passages and ambient textures, powerful midpaced surges, and then some. Even when they break into an instance of the ferociously blasting speeds so typical of this style, they certainly don't remain there for very long. It's really interesting, because in many ways the general feeling of the album is what I tend to think of as "classic" black metal, but their approach really isn't very straightforward. It's neither overtly technical nor blatantly avant-garde, but they're definitely touching on those types of influences in a manner that's occasionally frenzied or dramatic, but without being particularly chaotic or over the top. Hell, you can actually hear the basslines and everything!

The band formed in 1995 and took four years to release their first demo, then another three for their debut full-length, so… with "The Last Breath of My Mortal Despair" having originally been released in 2005 by Blackened Moon Productions, it's obvious that - unlike many black metal bands - these guys are in no hurry to rush material out there. And that emphasis on quality over quantity damn sure pays off, because this is a cool record. Having never heard any of the band's prior work I can't speak to whether or not this album marked a significant shift in quality, but based on the strengths of this material I'm fairly surprised that I had never heard of Empty before.

Empty "The Horrible Drawing Back of the Veil"

Purchase:

@ ATMF
@ Moribund Records
@ Paragon Records

Lighthouse Project/Satura Lanx "Come to Accept" split 7"

AVERSIONLINE — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:54:41 +0000

This split 7" between two intriguing Finnish hardcore bands that I've written about here in the past (both of whom eschew the sheer brutality for which the Finnish scene is often known these days) came out last year as a split release between the Finnish labels Deaf Forever and Brown Records. Lighthouse Project kicks things off with three tracks of their generally fast-paced melodic hardcore with uniquely searing vocals that still manage to capture some feeling and melody to match the tone of the music. For the most part the song structures follow a straightforward path, but there are some shifts in tonality and pacing to keep things from stagnating. Satura Lanx then follows with two tracks of their own, which actually sound a little more straightforward and energetic this time out - not unlike the Lighthouse Project material, but with a subtly rocked out vibe buried underneath the pounding basslines and palm-muted melodic hardcore riffs. It's still a little dirtier and more aggressive overall, but they definitely seem to have focused their approach a bit, and the songs certainly deliver. This split actually marks Satura Lanx's final release, as they unfortunately called it quits late last year. It's only about a 12-minute record, but both bands serve up great tracks with no filler, so it's a damn enjoyable listen that continues to demonstrate that the Finnish hardcore scene has a lot of different styles to offer.

Lighthouse Project "Freezing to Death"
Satura Lanx "The Higher You Climb, the Harder You Fall"

I'm a little late in getting around to covering this one (Sorry, Samuli!), so the 7" is already sold out from both of the labels. Act fast if you're interested in getting your hands on a copy!

Purchase:

@ Surprise Attack Records

The Catalyst "Marianas Trench +9" CD

AVERSIONLINE — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:55:35 +0000

The latest release from The Catalyst - which is actually my first exposure to the band, despite the fact that they're from right here in Richmond, VA - is "Marianas Trench +9", released by The Perpetual Motion Machine. The disc collects their tracks from the "Marianas Trench" one-sided 12" EP, their split 12" with Mass Movement of the Moth, and their split 7" with the Brainworms, for a grand total of 13 songs in about 42 minutes. What's it like? Good question. Wacky song titles like "This Bike is a Gravity Bong", "Smoke Crack Worship Satan", and "Jesus Garcia", among others, might suggest a certain air of chaos or, well, humor, but… that's really not the case at all. The lyrics are actually quite serious and seamlessly fuse the personal with the political - or the political via the personal, etc. - and musically there's a hell of a lot going on, so they've really done a nice job of creating somewhat of an uncategorizable amalgamation of sounds.

There is a little bit of a chaotic thing happening to a degree, but part of that's simply due to the sheer variety of influences swirling around within the tracks, and how frequently they change things up. It's weird, but it's not necessarily all over the place or anything like that, there's definitely a sense of control. They effortlessly transition from tactfully abrasive noise rock into loose, quirky indie riffs; there's thick, grungy, fuzzed out rhythms and sludgy feedback aplenty; plus throbbing basslines and pounding, bashing percussion; while the vocals are generally lightly distorted shouts and screams. Hell, there are even some spacey post-rock types of passages happening, with lots of droning effects and noisescape "leads" that all sort of bleed into some kind of fucked up 70's prog rock vibe or something. Like I said, it's weird. The label has said, "Recommended for fans of Karp, Nirvana, Melvins, Pg.99, etc.", and I could see that. Oddly enough I can hear some Nirvana tucked away in there, just dirtier and more fucked up… which could explain the Melvins mention and such. I don't know, I think it's cool shit, so see what you think?

The Catalyst "This Bike is a Gravity Bong"
The Catalyst "Born With a Buzz"
The Catalyst "Three Ring Binder as Makeshift Monster"

I want to know what we think we are accomplishing. We're all just playing our roles. You'll make up reasons, I'll be left speechless. I think you're missing the point. You'll wash your hands of it, just like you always do. Parasites personified. Redefine the compromise. Paralyzed, internalized, stupefy, lobotomize. Ringworm in my stomach. You'd settle for less, you'd settle for nothing. Hands in your pockets, alert for alarm. There's no cause for alarm, no cause for alarm. Punch me in the face, please. Thank you. Found out early on, hate can be a useful thing. But I never found a use for it. Laugh first so no one can laugh at you. You and me, we'll never change, we'll only grow more cynical. Never quite together, but never far apart. I still think you're missing the point.

Purchase:

@ The Perpetual Motion Machine
@ Robotic Empire
@ RevHQ
@ iTunes (mp3)

No Truce/Crucified split CD

AVERSIONLINE — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:20:12 +0000

The latest from Escapist Records is this killer split CD between two California hardcore bands with a penchant for the 90's style of metallic hardcore and subtly apocalyptic lyrical themes, totaling seven tracks in just under 20 minutes. No Truce kicks things off with three tracks of thick, bass-heavy, in your face metallic hardcore that blends vicious breakdowns and loads of fast, straightforward hardcore chord progressions with pissed off vocals and all that jazz. On occasion they'll toss in a little bit of dissonance to color things up a bit, and that's a great touch. Nothing too fancy, it just works, you know? Crucified then follows with four tracks of their rather similar take on this niche, granted their vocal approach has more of a bitter sneer to it that lends a certain air of explosiveness to their compositions. Though ironically there's probably a little more of a midpaced chug happening within these four tracks as well, so it's cool that the fury of the vocals kind of counters that and works to amp things up. Both bands are pretty much sticking to tried and true metallic hardcore "formulas", but I'd say that's the case with the vast majority of these types of acts, and there's not a damn thing wrong with that in my book. I wasn't familiar with either of these bands prior to checking out this split, but I obviously should've been, so I'll be looking forward to hearing more material from both of 'em in the future. Good stuff.

No Truce "The Binding of the Wolf"
Crucified "Order Out of Chaos"

The disc's only like $6, which is cheap as hell, so pick it up if you like what you hear. It should also be available in mp3 format from Download Punk in the near future, too.

Purchase:

@ Interpunk
@ RevHQ

Revok "Bad Books and Empty Pasts" CD

AVERSIONLINE — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:51:21 +0000

The last time I wrote about an impressive French band, several people posted comments suggesting Revok, and before I could check them out for myself, the band actually contacted me and offered to send me their debut full-length, " Bad Books and Empty Pasts", on Rejuvenation Records. And holy shit, I absolutely understand why people were telling me to check this band out, because this is an absolutely excellent album that really has a lot to offer. The base of their approach should definitely appeal to fans of this niche of the French scene, what with its pulsing rhythms and dark, grating textures and scathing vocals. However, the direction in which they're heading is also incredibly distinct, and really sets them apart from other (often more standard) acts that explore these realms of "extreme music".

For one thing, the compositions explore a much wider range of influences, offering a more consistent sense of spaciousness and melody that makes for a completely uncategorizable big picture. Loads of killer, intricate basslines pulse and throb and roam to lay the groundwork alongside warm, natural percussion; while the guitars weave in, out, and around through a range of dissonant textures that brings to mind "noise rock", math metal, and even some emo/indie sensibilities. The vocals are also pretty colorful, often employing strange techniques that combine singing, speaking, and sneering - which really adds to the overall atmosphere of the material and fits in well within the spaciousness of the music. It's impressive how awesomely everything pieces together, really. I mean, the recording is superb, and the mix keeps one guitar on the left and the other on the right, thus allowing plenty of focus to fall towards the rhythm section. This also highlights the fact that the two guitars are damn near never doubling one another (or the bass, for that matter), so there's always something unique happening on all sides and layering together into the whole. Very fucking cool. Very. I'd be curious to hear if their two prior EP's were already at this level of curious innovation…

Revok "Bills Pay Pills"

I knew the abyss like the back of my hand. I might have not seen the sun enough. Trying to hide the sky to broken mirror eyes. Failing in hearing the echoing voices of the old ones. The passed ones. Small blizzards passing through. It takes your hand and takes you for a walk or a ride. Hard to tell before the seizure hits. A lifetime effort sending you in a place filled with old books and bad attitudes. Like reading an article with synæsthesia and being washed in a cascade of confusing colors and perfumes. Until all senses are gone. Not making any sense anymore.

The disc is housed in a slick, glossy digipack with some simple yet intriguing artwork throughout the cover and six-panel foldout insert, which also contains the oft-cryptic lyrics. So… a nice release all around, this one. Certainly recommended, and though I'm not entirely sure about ordering information, I'd recommend contacting the band or the label on MySpace to see about getting your hands on this gem. And I received my copy from the band in less than a week if that influences your decision to act at all!

Javelina "s/t" CD

AVERSIONLINE — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:58:57 +0000

The debut album from Philadelphia's Javelina (released by Translation Loss Records) is chock full of sludgy, dingy, gritty fuckin' rock… meets hardcore/punk/metal/whatever the fuck you want to call it. In fact, at times certain facets of their approach remind me of Alabama Thunder Pussy's mighty early days, granted Javelina's triple-vocal attack offers up a harsher-edged array of shouts 'n' yells 'n' sneers. And, accordingly, their heavy yet rockin' backbone tends to branch out into a more aggressive array of pounding basslines, erratic flurries of hammering drum fills, and thicker, nastier guitars - where the occasional dual guitar runs are more like NWOBHM via Eyehategod (if that makes any sense) than any 70's-esque rock 'n' roll throwbacks. I don't know, there's probably a small hint of some of that kinda shit in there, too (check out some of the more fuzzed out/less noisy bursts lead playing during the seven-minute "Architect"), but… it's all just a little nastier and more over the top here, you know? Not that they're really trying to rewrite the book on this particular niche or anything like that, 'cause they're not, but… the overall sense of energy definitely does the trick for me, and keeps things moving along at a strong pace that carries the listen well and leaves you feeling content when all is said and done. Good stuff. That's all there is to it.

Javelina "Throttled"

Oh, and the lyrics are kinda badass as well:

Snake handler, serpent preacher, touched by tongues. Partake in the poison from the mouth of your god. Anointed by fire. Fangs of Christ. Cleansed from within. Clergy of snakes, captors of man. Eulogy of snakes, prisoners of faith.

Purchase:

@ Translation Loss Records
@ The End Records
@ Relapse Records
@ Amazon.com (mp3)
@ iTunes (mp3)

Awesome band needs label: The Eight Arms Around You

AVERSIONLINE — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:42:41 +0000

The Eight Arms Around You is a new, creative metallic hardcore band from Gothenburg, Sweden that features members of Scraps of Tape, Smackdown, Anchor, Dead Vows, and One Final Breath. I think the incredible (and vastly different) Scraps of Tape is the only one of those bands that I've heard before, but it's because of that fact that I got to discover The Eight Arms Around You, as Johan Gustavsson from Scraps of Tape (and now The Eight Arms…) sent me an email asking me to check out the band and see what I think. I was way into it - they remind me a lot of early Burst (when they were at their absolute best, in my opinion), with some stuff like Catharsis and His Hero is Gone thrown in (though The Eight Arms… seems to be heading in a darker and perhaps more personal direction in some ways) - so I offered to help them out by posting a track from their recently recorded five-song EP to see if anyone out there might be interested in releasing it. I've only heard two songs, but they're both fuckin' killer, and these guys really seem to be efficiently fusing a shitload of different influences together, so… here's an advance track to check out:

The Eight Arms Around You "Guilt Ridden"

If anyone reading this is interested in releasing this EP, or knows someone else who might be, please either pass the word along or get in touch with the band on MySpace and see if you can make it happen!