All this looking back has been fun, but also anxiety-inducing, as I've been disappointed by just how often I was an asshole. Amidst a degree of tunnel vision, at the time I truly felt it was (often brutally) honest and constructive criticism, but far too often the delivery was mishandled like a blunt jerk. Ugh. Anyway, I seem to recall things starting to slow down around 2003, but that must have only been in terms of interviews? Yet again, the year came in just a few shy of 1,000 reviews, and I've once more omitted some choice artists previously discussed—I was still crazy for Hatebreed, Katatonia, Kontrovers, Nasum, Opeth, Shai Hulud, Tragedy, etc.; and there were also a surprising number of killer reissues (Bulldoze, Cryptic Slaughter, Fury of Five, Destroy, D.R.I., Lobotomia, Ringworm, Unbroken), but I'm skipping those, too, for (hopefully) obvious reasons. That being said, here's a semi-synopsis of Aversionline v1.0 circa 2003.
Some of What I Loved the Most...
Big Collapse, Prototype (The Militia Group)
"I fucking love this CD. This shit's been out for over a month but I just found out about it, and I bought it immediately after seeing an ad because this group features Josh Loucka (from Shift) and Gavin Van Vlack (from Burn, Absolution, etc.), and I've always been a huge fan of their past bands. Sure enough, this fucking rules. It sounds pretty similar to Shift, due in no small part to Loucka's unique vocals, but it's more straightforward and rock-based in a sense... the songs are so fucking catchy that I can't get over it..."
Still fucking love it. I'll never understand why Big Collapse remains underappreciated, especially given their lineup ties to more widely recognized groups. An incredible album start-to-finish. Utterly crucial listening for any Shift fan.
Deadeffect, Deadeffect (Self-Released)
"Fuck yes... a bunch of the dudes from Cutthroat (probably best-remembered for their appearance on the East Coast Assault II compilation) are in Deadeffect now, and this band sounds a shitload like Cutthroat, but even heavier. This is just fucking brutal metallic hardcore with massive production and a lot of hard-as-nails grooves that are leaning way in the metal direction, and I'm all over it... If they don't get signed off of this action, then all the labels out there polluting the world are dumber than I ever imagined."
Well, they didn't get signed, and let me tell you: I continue to harbor an unhealthy level of extreme rage over that fact to this day. It's unlikely to ever happen considering hardcore's lack of respect for the obscure, but I would absolutely love to see this material given a proper reissue one day. Such a powerful demo. Man, so many record labels really are idiots...
Ephel Duath, The Painter's Palette (Elitist Records)
"This former duo from Italy is back with a new lineup and an entirely new sound that is leaps and bounds ahead of their previous work—in my opinion completely erasing everything they've done to date while solidifying them as one of the most talented and creative bands out there right now... Forget the quirky, electronic-tinged black metal crap that they were playing before: this is obscenely technical and creative progressive metal with a massive dose of jazz and some of the best musicianship I've heard in ages!"
The Painter's Palette remains their finest album. There's just really something special about this particular outing. I continue to follow Davide Tiso's work, most recently with Red Rot.
E.Town Concrete, The Renaissance (Razor & Tie)
"I don't give a fuck what anyone says, this band is fuckin' great... Now they're finally getting the recognition they always deserved, and even though they haven't changed their style, they have expanded it... This is a damn diverse record... As a whole, this is their best album yet. It's their heaviest and their most melodic, and the songwriting definitely flows stronger than ever. There's not one weak track on this entire album. Not one."
All true. I love this band and always will. Psyched to see them releasing some new singles in recent years, and am always hoping for something more substantial like an EP or full-length. New Jersey forever.
Full Court Press, Live Life Large (Gangstyle Records)
"This Belgian act is constantly referred to as 'the European E.Town Concrete'... A lot of people won't like this because of their own personal tastes, but if you're into this kind of shit this is an essential record, and definitely a band to watch out for in the future. I can't fucking believe more people in the U.S. don't know about these guys, because they should be pretty fuckin' well-known if you ask me."
It seems to me that Full Court Press really only gets love from the diehards. Certainly not an E.Town clone, but if you're into that style, absolutely check out this album if you remain unfamiliar.
Galaxy Down, The End Without the Beginning (Self-Released)
"This band features former members of Elements DEC and Lifetime, amongst others, and plays nice emo/indie rock type of stuff that sort of reminds me of some of those older Kentucky bands with a little bit of a D.C. kick—in part due to the unique singing vocals, but also because of the unusual sense of melody to the writing. Maybe if Falling Forward and early Fugazi fused together... listening to this you might not hear either band at all, but I definitely hear a little of each style meshing with one another nicely."
I actually revisited this EP in an Instagram post last year. Ex-members of Elements DEC, Lifetime, and One Nature. Another band that deserved more attention. Really nice emo-tinged post-hardcore.
Internal Affairs, Demo 2003 (Self-Released)
"Here's some fucking raging hardcore from California with lots of attitude and just the right amount of heaviness combined with basic old school flare. Expect tons of fast, three-chord hardcore, aggressive vocal shouts, gang backups, really quick songs (all less than a minute), and a fierce sense of rage. This shit is pissed off and it rules... I'm sure the band is going to have a buzz circulating within a month or two. And rightfully so..."
I haven't circled back to Internal Affairs in quite some time. No clue why (as usual). I'll need to take care of that sooner than later!
The Promise, Believer (Indecision Records)
"...I'm pretty sure this is the best metallic hardcore record I've heard since the mid-'90s. For those unaware, this band features former members of Another Victim, Conviction, One King Down, and Santa Sangre... This time around the writing is definitely creative as far as this style of music goes, and they cram a shitload of diversity into very short tracks, but there are a lot more straightforward heavy hardcore influences at work as well, as opposed to the two songs on their previous EP that were far from conventional..."
Looking back, I may have actually been a little too conservative in my praise for this album at the time, despite some obviously enthusiastic words. These days, I totally look back on Believer as a bit of a classic of its time. Without question one of the more creative and original bands of the era.
Rentokiller, Antidote (Self-Released)
"...this is a lot heavier and more abrasive than this Swedish group's last demo, and it's still damn good. They continue to have a weird sort of indie rock flare going on at times, the raging vocal screams are intense as hell, and the emphasis on rhythm is fucking awesome. The bass and drums really hold things down nicely, but even the guitars and vocals seem to emphasize a certain rhythmic element that really keeps the material interesting, even when it borders on the edge of becoming chaotic..."
Rentokiller did go on to release a couple of proper albums, and some of the members are actually now active in the also excellent (though very different) Industrial Puke.
Thine, In Therapy (Peaceville)
"Damn, I like this... this is basically dark, memorable rock in the vein of newer Anathema meets newer Katatonia. The main difference is that these songs are far more direct and traditionally-based than Anathema's recent effort, and not nearly as melancholic as Katatonia... It's not poppy in a feel good, jump up and down, sing along kind of way at all, but there are definitely poppy sensibilities to some of the writing. The songs are almost catchy... the material is just edgy enough to be pretty intriguing...
I ended up loving Thine/In Therapy even more over time. A couple of duds, if I'm being honest, but the bulk of the album is phenomenal and remains highly recommended for fans of this type of atmospheric metal.
Other Stuff That Got Me Hyped...
Acursed, Livet Är Den Längsta Vägen Till Helvetet (Putrid Filth Conspiracy)
"Whoa! This thing fucking smokes! These Swedes start things off with an excellent acoustic introduction... then it's right onto some fucking sinister as hell hardcore/punk meets crust/grind with driving tempos and forceful melodic tinges and some slower, almost sludgy breaks that are absolutely destructive! And don't overlook those relentless vocal screams, either! ...I'm really into this. This is one of the few records from such genres that's really hit me hard as of late, so I must recommend this at all costs. Superb..."
Absolutely ripping, there's no doubt about it. Killer band, and one that doesn't seem to pop up very often. A must-hear for Swedish crustcore fanatics.
Bee and Flower, What's Mine is Yours (Neurot Recordings)
"...I assumed it would be something relatively dark and not exactly typical... but this is also fucking incredible! In addition to the core of traditional instruments (guitar, bass, and drums) this record is littered with keyboards, violin, glockenspiel, lap steel, piano, and organ... I can't even put into words how awesome this is... Despite their lack of radio-friendly writing tactics, this is just all around wonderful music that many, many people could enjoy. It's just gutwrenchingly emotional material, and it's truly curious as well."
I'm just now realizing that this was actually a reissue of an album that was originally self-released in 2001. Since the follow-up wasn't out until 2007, I seem to have lost track and never explored Bee and Flower's later work. Oops. This disc is still pretty wonderful, so I'll have to see what else they were up to when time allows...
Bolt, Deep Within (Full House Records)
"Straight up metallic hardcore in the NYHC type of vein with awesome deep, burly vocal shouts that are pretty damn unique. Most of the material is moderately paced with some chugga chugga breakdowns and all that, and then there are some faster chord progressions as well... nothing out of the ordinary, it's the tried and true formula, but they certainly do it right... Finland definitely has some awesome metallic hardcore bands going on. I don't know why they're not more well-known, but they absolutely should be."
When it came to metallic hardcore, Finland simply couldn't be topped during this timeframe. You might be shocked to learn that Bolt just released a brand new album, too.
Counterblast, Impassivity (Putrid Filth Conspiracy)
"Shit yeah! Here's some crushing metallic hardcore/punk (if you can call it that and do the band justice) from this six-piece Swedish unit, in the vein of a rawer Neurosis meets Dystopia or something... Some of the material is slower than imaginable, and some is rather fast with a grinding sort of thrash feel, plus they use experimental noise textures relatively often... Counterblast is certainly an original outfit. They have a great knack for dark, emotional clean passages and eerie dissonant riffing..."
This is peak Counterblast right here. Subtly industrialized crust metal excellence. All of their output is worth checking out, but this is the top-tier masterpiece. Some of the members resurfaced a few years back as Diakron.
Edge of Sanity, Crimson II (Black Mark Production)
"When Dan Swanö said that he wasn't going to do metal anymore, I didn't care so much, because everything the guy touches is pure fucking gold, no matter what genre it falls under. But, as soon as I heard about this record being underway, I was thrilled. Crimson is one of my favorite records of all time, and there's no way that the sequel to such a masterpiece could be anything but amazing, and sure enough, Crimson II is just that... This is absolutely crucial for Edge of Sanity fans..."
Swanö is a god, now and forever. If he's in the band, I'm listening. Plain and simple.
Exhumed, Anatomy is Destiny (Relapse Records)
"This is by far and wide the absolute best thing Exhumed has ever done. It's pretty much right along the lines of their previous work but much tighter and more precisely played, with a stunning recording compliments of Neil Kernon, and a lot of energetic songwriting that really leaves a mark... This shits all over everything that every other band of this nature has released in the last several years. The Carcass worship throne has been reclaimed, and I can't see any other band topping this masterpiece anytime soon."
I was a major, major Exhumed fan back in the day, going so far as to try and chase down all of their early 7"s and splits, etc. I'm still a fan, of course, but sometimes I forget how much I adored 'em 20+ years ago. It's tough to pick an overall favorite, but Anatomy is Destiny would certainly be in the running.
Integrity, To Die For (Deathwish Inc.)
"I must say, this is by far the best the band has sounded since Seasons in the Size of Days... Integrity is finally back in fine form. Dwid's vocals sound vicious and totally pissed off again, the songs are short and in your face, chock full of powerful chord progressions and fiery lead bursts just like the old days, etc."
To Die For probably doesn't entirely qualify as a "comeback," but it was certainly one hell of an impressive release. Integrity's lineups and tone of output have continued to morph and shift with time, but this was the point at which the entity recaptured a certain spark—one that has been retained in the 20-some years since.
Jesuseater, Step Inside My Death Ray (Deathwish Inc.)
"Ahhh, they're finally back with a full-length of fucking awesome rock that's heavy, but also catchy and memorable, with unique vocals that sort of shout in key and lean toward singing at times... This is a damn fine piece of work. I expect to be spinning this quite a bit in the future, and I would indeed recommend checking this out if you're down for some non-generic, rather inventive rock."
Such a great band. With Shawn Brown (Dag Nasty, Swiz, etc.) on vocals, Jesuseater should be spoken of more often. The band still feels overlooked in retrospect, but I revist their output with some regularity. Worth investigating, if you've continued to miss out.
Most Precious Blood, Our Lady of Annihilation (Trustkill Records)
"Sweet fuckin' hell... this is so good... still vicious metallic hardcore with a large dose of melody, but everything feels more powerful and immediate. The writing is stronger and more focused (though still very diverse), there's a lot of energy... this is just a great record. This also marks the recorded debut of new vocalist Rob Fusco (formerly of One King Down) with the band, and I think his style fits their music perfectly... Awesome. If you liked their last record, you'd have to be a fool not to dig this. I'm all for it."
I've honestly not gone back to Most Precious Blood but so much over the years. I recently broke out the first album after going on an Indecision bender, but it seems I've lost some steam on 'em for no reason. I'll have to dive back into the Fusco era soon, I bet I'll be quickly reminded of my initial enthusiasm.
The Runningman, No Fights, You Will Lose (Toilet Fleet Records)
"Four lengthy tracks of fucking killer indie rock recorded by Kurt Ballou (read: the production is slick as shit)... It's pretty somber stuff, using semi-jangly clean guitars and a good level of distortion that's not that heavy but also keeps from getting abrasive. The writing is fucking awesome, though. It's really emotional on a gut level, and they're very capable musicians that subtly fuck with odd time signatures and whatnot here and there to keep the repetition and drawn-out instrumental passages interesting."
It's hard to believe that over two decades later, it appears that my review of this EP might be the only reference on the internet!? (Except that it has popped up on Bandcamp, possibly recently?) A great EP that I still revisit on occasion. Holds up very nicely.
Spitalfield, Remember Right Now (Victory Records)
"Hot damn! This is the best emo/indie rock/whatever CD that Victory has released in a long time. I like this better than Thursday, I like this better than Taking Back Sunday, I like this better than all of those not-so-big bands that suddenly became huge... This disc throws out 10 tracks and just over 35 minutes of killer Texas is the Reason meets Jimmy Eat World-type action that's catchy as hell and immediately memorable. I've been listening to this thing almost nonstop since it hit my mailbox... Highly, highly recommended."
I know that Spitalfield kinda popped off to a degree and did well, but I always felt like they should've been more successful. For my money, they're still better than Thursday and Taking Back Sunday. Not to take away from those bands, I'm a fan of each, but give me the choice and I'm picking Spitalfield.
Star of Ash, Iter.viator. (The End Records)
"This is the solo project of Heidi S. Tveitan (a.k.a. Ihriel from Peccatum) and features a handful of guest musicians, among whom are members of Emperor and Kris G. Rygg (Ulver). The music is generally calm and somber, relying heavily on melodic orchestral synths, heavily treated instrumentation, and a wide spectrum of vocal approaches (softly spoken passages, perfect singing with tons of vocal harmonies, soaring operatic tones, and so on)... Very highly recommended, and I certainly hope to hear more..."
Not having been a fan of the early Peccatum material, I didn't expect much from Star of Ash, but Iter.viator. has really stuck with me over the years. One of the cooler offshoots of the more experimental side of the metal-adjacent journeys coming out of Norway decades ago.
And a Few That I Got Wrong...
Dying Fetus, Stop at Nothing (Relapse Records)
"...as a whole the record suffers from too much moshy chugga-chugga stuff and a lack of the technical flurries that tend to make their work more exciting. Of course there are still some complex runs here and there, and the performances are all really tight (especially the guitars), but the songs are too long and stagnant to hold my interest."
Though too harshly presented, I do feel that some of my complaints about this album's production would've been valid under more polite circumstances. Some of my other gripes are moronic, though. "Too much moshy chugga-chugga stuff"!? Man, I was a dumbass. This one also illustrates how stupid and over-critical I used to be when bands underwent significant lineup changes. Oh well. For what it's worth, I now own and enjoy every Dying Fetus album. The band is a death metal institution at this point.
Pissing Razors, Evolution (Spitfire Records)
"This honestly sounds like the byproduct of a band sitting around watching the new version of Headbanger's Ball to try to figure out what "sells," while taking notes about what kinds of sounds they should incorporate into their new record. I'll pass."
Admittedly not the strongest entry in the Pissing Razors discography, but this review yet again demonstrates my former unreasonable hatred for anything "groove"-oriented. Part of me always wanted to enjoy this band in their earlier days, and—like Dying Fetus above—I now own and enjoy every Pissing Razors CD, too. Even their 2021 comeback album is pretty damn strong now that I've changed my tune about this niche of metal.
Twelfth Gate, Summoning (Crash Music)
"Do they want to be a retro thrash band? Do they want to be a power metal band? Do they want to be a Pantera band? Who knows? ...these guys need to solidify their musical direction and focus on their strengths rather than senselessly trying to be slightly diverse just for the hell of it."
I have no real memory of Twelfth Gate from back then, but at some point they re-entered my sphere of awareness and I've since picked up both CDs. I'm not out there screaming from the mountaintops about 'em, but they're enjoyable discs.
