Fuck on the Beach/Merda "split" 7"
[2+2=5]
Fuck on the Beach (Tokyo, Japan) kick things off with two tracks of raging hardcore/punk with a thrashy edge that is in fact way better than I remember them being in the past. It's tighter, the recording is a bit cleaner, and the songs are far more energetic and memorable. Maybe the stuff I heard from them in the past just happened to be their worst? Either way, these two tracks rip! Tasteful blastbeats, rampant screaming vocals, lots of moderately paced go for the throat hardcore, and even some shocking slow breakdowns. "Broken Black Hole" is slower overall, but still balances the speed, and the hilarious joke-ish hip-hop break at one point totally takes the cake. Good stuff. Merda (Brazil) plows through seven tracks of their raw hardcore/punk rock fury, and these songs are definitely better than those on their last CD. It's still pretty loose and caustic, but the performances are tighter and more discerning this time out, making for some fast, memorable songs that harness more energy. "My Dream Was Being a Monster" is actually pretty catchy, messing with some whacked out vocal effects at the end. They still get crazy and goofy, but I enjoy this more than their past efforts. It's fun. And the recording is fine, despite it's ruggedness. The mix is pretty even, and that does the trick. The 7" comes in a full color sleeve with artwork for each band. Lyrics are included, but Fuck on the Beach's are in Japanese. Merda's songs are humorous and deal with Japanese TV monsters, drinking, karaoke, etc. All in all, a good split that really took me by surprise. (7/10)
Running time - 13:00 (approximately), Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Innocent Yourself, Broken Black Hole, My Dream Was Being a Monster, Obigarito]
2+2=5 Records - http://www.2plus2equal5.com

This review has been displayed 5190 times.