OCTOBER RECORD REVIEWS THAT (SORRY) HAVE NO PUMPKIN SPICE.

 The key word for this month's crop of reviews is 'heavy'.  I came across a lot of very heavy records this last month.  Like most of these selections will make your ears bleed so be warned.  I also reference Today Is the Day a shit ton here so whatever, that's what I was hearing.  Maybe you'll agree?  It's not like that sort of influence is a bad thing right?  Anyways, read on and be on the lookout later this month for not only more new Hex Records-related news, but an overview of the upcoming No Coast Fest down in Denton, TX which I'll be attending.  People and bands who want to argue about these reviews come find me at the Hex Records table.  I'm looking at you KEN Mode!  Just kidding.

BALCANES, “Gloria Eterna”

The Spanish have their noise rock and they’re not going to let you forget it.  Balcanes has their own particular thing going on and I’d say it’s pretty good.  They sound absolutely grimy, with twelve-ton bass that rumbles and lumbers throughout this LP.  However, the band seems to take a similar approach to nearly all their songs- find a heavy riff and then hammer it into your skull over and over again for the entirety of the track.  They also throw in a couple of straight up noise tracks, which I could do without.  Closer “Bona Nit” appears to veer into noise again but turns into a piano piece with some wild, skronky saxophone to go with it and I can appreciate that.  Overall though, it’s a mean-sounding record, very bleak indeed. Their singer is the only one here keeping this sounding somewhat upbeat as his voice reminds me a bit of like Dennis from Refused or the guy from Lack, where he’s shouting, not really screaming, and coming off like he could easily join up with a positive hardcore band if this group doesn’t work out.  It’s honestly a nice dichotomy from the seemingly non-stop aggression present here. (self-released)

 

CITY OF CATERPILLAR, “Mystic Sisters”

Of all the possible reunions that could take place this is one of the more odd ones.  Maybe it feels that way because I didn’t give this band all that much attention when they were around, and I don’t know if they really had a big impact of any kind during their tenure.  I always felt they were a bit more of a project while the members other bands were far more influential.  But those crazy Northern VA kids and all their various bands are like one big ‘ol musical collective, so I guess it should come as no surprise that they just shuffle their lives around a bit to make room for jamming in basements with one another until things click. So while older fans may be wondering if the group’s initial melodic-screamo style in the vein of Gravity Records stuff like Antioch Arrow and Mohinder remains, the answer to that question is ‘not really’.  But what do you expect?  It’s been like 20 fuckin’ years.  And there’s a bit of a change in personnel here too. They still write some fairly long songs if that was your thing.  So what really has changed?  Well, for one thing, this has a great recording.  It sounds big, full, and appropriate for people who have spent probably more than half their lives in vans touring through every mold-encrusted basement, shifty tavern, and probably playing the occasional parking lot with a generator.  They’ve all honed their skills as musicians and creators and display a dose of the familiar (at times) with new ideas and sounds they want to explore.  It’s cool.  It’s not entirely my thing still, but it’s respectable.  A friend who is a fan of both their old and new stuff has described this as being more ‘cinematic’ and I think I can appreciate that comparison.  (Relapse)

 

CLOUD RAT, “Threshold”

Consistently one of the most interesting bands that could be lumped into ‘grindcore’, but so much more than that, Michigan’s Cloud Rat once again show on their newest record that they excel at making extreme music that is both frantic and otherworldly.  I’ve always felt they are a group that carries the torch of Discordance Axis in their ridiculous intensity and forward-thinking parallel universe approach to grind (not to mention some of the best drumming you’re apt to find anywhere), but also the style-hopping that Converge can pull off between hardcore, metal, and occasional melody.  Nowhere is this melding of styles to great effect found more clearly than tucked into the middle of the B-side on “Porcelain Boat”.  But it’s really the front half of the record that’s showing what the band is capable of through dizzying speed, fractured storytelling lyrics, impossible to nail transitions, and unyielding intent.  Cloud Rat never disappoints.  Just seeing what this group- a trio consisting of just guitar, drums, and vocals- continue to pull off, and have pulled off over several full lengths already, is an amazing feat in and of itself.  This is another victory for the band and worth your attention.  (Artoffact)

 

COORDINATED SUICIDES, “This Could Be Heaven”

These Wisconsin miscreants have been at it for quite awhile now and it seems they have been sitting on this stuff or a long time but are finally releasing it proper after some teasers over the last couple of years.  Damn.  It sucks to sit on material for that long without getting it out to listeners.  Well, welcome to creating music in 2022 where you’d think progression was a thing that was actually happening.  But I digress.  With a name like Coordinated Suicides you can be sure this isn’t happy-go-lucky, having a fun picnic sort of music.  Stylistically they veer into a few different directions, but I’m most closely reminded of Today Is the Day, somewhere between the more down-tuned sludgy evil they started on with “Temple Of the Morning Star” and the uncomfortably melodic bliss rock that would show up here and there on records like “Willpower”.  Also, putting all that distortion on the vocals really drives the reference point home.  Still, what the band is doing is worthy of attention as it is heavy, weird, unsettling, and downright ugly a lot of times.  While a lot of the heavier songs err on the side of down-tuned sludgy noise rock there’s a couple rippers like the 90 second “You Could Smile” and the equally abrasive “Like Shining Flies”.  But then you get an absolute spine-crusher with the repetitive downer “Sarcoma” and I’m wondering if these dudes need some time away from Madison’s cold and oppressive weather and spend a few weeks on a tropical island…  ya know, just to beat out the seasonal affect disorder that is clearly at play here.  While the first 2/3 of this record are wonderfully varied and engaging the last few tracks drag a little bit as they’re all longer and switch between spooky acoustic meditations and slowcore sludge.  Overall though, a winner of oppressive weird heaviness. (TemporalRecords)

 

KEN MODE, “Null”

KEN Mode are absolutely punishing in every sort of way to a point where their music can feel almost overwhelming or, at times, suffocating.  They have always, consistently, pushed that extreme envelope, though I’ve sometimes felt it was being ‘extreme’ just for the sake of it and it occasionally turned me off.  Of course, I could just be an asshole too, which is perfectly reasonable to assume.  But I’d like to say that on “Null” this is legitimately a painful, hurtful record and every ounce of it is pure.  Composed during a time of heavy anxiety, depression, and solitude one can really feel it’s brutal honesty.  Like most of their records, the sound is huge and heavy and their Today Is the Day-meets-Unsane-meets-Botch sort of sonic mincing is dense on the metallic end of things, as long time listeners will approve of the shorter, faster cuts here.  However, it’s the addition of saxophonist/keyboardist/noise grinder/whatever Kathryn Kerr that really adds a new dimension to the band’s sound and it works to great effect, particularly on opener “A Love Letter”, with it’s skronky sax parts.  They don’t lighten up a bit until halfway point “Not My Fault” with it’s almost post-hardcore perpetual buildup.  It should be noted as well that this record is not just an exercise in tricky riffs and pounding bass.  Both “The Tie” and “Unresponsive” are soundscape pieces that pull more from Swans than Deadguy, and make heavy use of those noise elements.  They’re not throwaway tracks either, but I’m certainly more of a fan of the riffs.  Anyway, KEN Mode pulled off an awesome record here that’s both forward-thinking/progressing on their end, and also totally satisfying to those who are already fans. (Artoffact)

 

PORCELAIN demo

OK, so these Austin folks have to be extremely aware of just how much they sound like Unwound.  I mean, Steve also plays guitar for Exhalants and everyone knows they have a lot of Unwound love…  just played incredibly heavy much of the time.  Porcelain has a sound that certainly recalls Exhalants (I mean, same guitarist/vocalist), but just reeled in a bit more to give exclusive focus to that Unwound and Sonic Youth love and it’s done well.  There is clearly a bigger emphasis on melody here with passages going in and out of trance-like bliss, particularly on third track “C.O.A.”.  For the four tracks presented here it’s a very good start I have to say, even though I am admittedly a bit biased.  But hey, go figure it out for yourself and tell me I’m wrong.  I’m not.  (self-released)

 

SUNTOUCH HOUSE demo

There’s a lot of activity happening around a handful of Jacksonville loud dudes and doing as many bands as they possibly can.  Between Yashira, Colonial Wound, and now Suntouch House there’s some member differences and a bit of musical chairs, and probably five other bands I’m forgetting and a whole lot of super heavy music.  This project does a good job of combining some of Yashira’s metallic hardcore tendencies as well as some of Colonial Wound’s sludgier noisy moments.  What’s a bit distinct here, though, is this extra little factor that recalls early Today Is the Day.  It’s most readily apparent on “Neverending”, which sounds like it could have been a B-side on “Willpower”, or a demo take of “Mountain People” from the s/t album.  The vocals are all hardcore shouting but again, some of that more chaotic style rears it’s head on “Disgusting/Give Me the Gun” before it goes into a creepy melody and then closes out with some Kiss It Goodbye-styled stomp and smash.  (Daze)

 

V/A, “Exhibit A”

This project was started a couple years ago and finally coming to fruition just now, and it’s certainly worth the wait.  As I understand it, one of the guys from Bitter Branches (who appear here with a killer cover of PJ Harvey’s “50 Foot Queenie”) hatched the idea for this and it appears the several labels who assisted with releasing this have their bands well represented through the stellar roster of groups on here.  There’s plenty of representation from the current crop of fast hardcore bands like Gel, Faim, School Drugs, and Truth Cult along with the older heads showing off their current bands- Be Well, Crossed Keys, Every Scar Has It’s Story, and the aforementioned Bitter Branches.  And then you get a smattering of what’s going on in the ugly, noise rock side of the punk spectrum with the likes of Exhalants, Multicult, Fashion Week, and Easy Prey delivering new, B-side, or demo versions of hard-to-find tracks.  A couple standouts for me are HIRS absolutely destroying everything in sight with a double dose of metallic craziness and Rid Of Me laying down a wild cover of “Sabotage”.  Atomic Action Records, Hellminded, and Knife Hits are a few of the prime suspects here getting this thing together and the entire shindig is a benefit for Southern Poverty Law Center.  Personally, when I think of hardcore and punk it encompasses a lot of different sounds and ideas and is never about just playing either fast or slow and screaming over it.  A lot of people miss that.  I think this comp is a perfect representation of not only a bunch of bands that are quite awesome, but of that umbrella term for this crazy stuff we subject our ears to daily.  (lots of labels)

FALL TOUR DATES!

 It's getting into that cozy season so why not celebrate it with seeing different Hex Records-associated bands while they play shows in various parts of the country!

Of note, Multicult are making their way back to the Pacific Northwest, Wipes are headed out on their first tour, and USA Nails are FINALLY returning to the US and doing some dates with Child Bite and yours truly will be back in the Northeast for a minute and playing some shows with my band Dialysis.

Additionally, for any of you venturing down to NO COAST FEST in TX come say hello!  I'll be there as well tabling/slinging goods all weekend.

Check these dates out y'all and go to a show or something.

MULTICULT NORTHWEST SHOWS

9/29/22- Portland, OR @ Kenton Club w/ STILL/FORM

9/30/22- Seattle, WA @ Rat City Recon w/ Red Fang, GAYTHEIST, Help, Ils, more

10/1/22- Vancouver, BC @ Red Gate w/ Teeth To Your Throat

DIALYSIS (10 Year Anniversary) NORTHEAST SHOWS

10/7/22- Bethlehem, PA @ The Library w/ WIPES, Easy Blame

10/8/22- Syracuse, NY @ Silver St Community Ctr w/ WIPES, Easy Blame, Time To Die

10/9/22- Buffalo, NY @ Amys Place w/ BRAIN CAVE,  Easy Blame, Phased Out

CHILD BITE/ USA NAILS Midwest tour

10/24/22- Hamtramck, MI @ Sanctuary

10/25/22- Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle

10/26/22- St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag

10/27/22- Kansas City, MO @ Mini Bar

10/28/22- Denton, TX @ No Coast Fest

WIPES Northeast tour

10/7/22- Bethlehem, PA w/ Dialysis

10/8/22- Syracuse, NY w/ Dialysis

10/24/22- Philly, PA

10/25/22- NYC

10/26/22- Boston, MA

10/27/22- New Haven, CT

10/28/22- Albany, NY

10/29/22- Buffalo, NY

10/30/22- Wilkes-Barre, PA

 

PINKO (OK, not a tour, but a really killer show) 

9/27/22- Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas w/ Kal Marks

WIPES/ DAY JOB SPLIT TAPE OUT NOW!

 

I swore I was never going to release a tape. But here we are. This works on a functional level as it’s a very limited release (only 100 copies total), and serves to aid both bands as they set about playing some shows and doing a bit of touring. So it’s handy to have these sorts of things when you’re on the road ya know?
Both bands are part of a burgeoning noise rock scene that has just as much to do with grungy, feedback-drenched dissonance as it does sludgy heaviness. 

 

WIPES emerge from the ashes of Tile, a local PA favorite who made anguished, ugly noise rock for a solid decade. When that band's guitarist left to take on more adult responsibilities Matt Molchany, Tile's resident studio engineer who recorded all their material, stepped in to fill the open guitar slot and thus WIPES was born. Hot on the heels of their recently announced debut LP, "Making Friends", due out this fall this split contains three tracks from the LP sessions that got left off the album due to space constraints. They're hardly leftovers though, as each track is a solid representation of what WIPES lays down. 

 
DAY JOB are a new band comprised of old friends who have all played together in various other bands in their local scene. Both guitarist Brenton Reid and bassist Kevin Wright play together in psych-stoner-sludge band Null who have been together for many years. DAY JOB is a more immediate, heavier, and noisier project that sounds like the perfect mixture of KARP and Unsane butting heads and coming up with massive sounds. Having already released a well-received demo these songs serve as a precursor for their debut LP, which will come out in 2023 on Hex Records. 

 

Check out two songs and order HERE:

This release is limited to 100 tapes, all with a 4-panel J-card insert and swampy green cassettes. Each copy comes with a download of the split as well.  

 

This will be out officially on September 27, 2022

BACK TO SCHOOL REVIEWS

 Do people even go to school anymore?  Is that still a thing?  I'm out of the loop.

Either way, here's a bunch of fun indie stuff and some fahkin' hahdcoh!!!

Everything else is friggin' busy with pieces and parts of records moving here and there and trying to keep it all sorted.  Got a bunch of traveling coming up over the next couple months too so who knows, maybe I'll show up in your area.

ANXIOUS WAVE, “Live From the Poison Factory”

On a lark I decided to give this a spin and was pleasantly surprised at what was presented by this group of punks.  Right away they kick in with some noisy-fuzzy punk rock that showed off a fair deal of melody and deft bass work that brought forth the hooks, some times giving off a SoCal approach, but far less polished.  What sets this apart further is having a vocalist that sounds like Rollins doing a little less constant self-reflection and trying his hand at just a bit more range to go with the sandpaper-shredded throat.  Things are fairly aggressive for the first few tracks until it gets to the slower heart-puncher/tearjerker “Regards” and then throws a few tracks that dip into 80’s postpunk like “Carnivore” and “Void Boyz” before getting back into ugly, aggressive territory on the last pair of songs.  I’m with it.  This band doesn’t necessarily fall into one particular category, but rather expresses themselves in an original way through skate rock, post-punk, noise rock, and doses of grimey hardcore and they make it work well.  (Nefarious Industries)

 

DEMONS, “Swallow” EP

While the band’s name may be lacking a bit in imagination there are a whole bunch of good ideas packed into these four rippers that tear right through you like a ghost pepper enema in about seven minutes.  Following up on their recently released LP I love the notion of this EP being so quick and yet full of energy that you really just want more.  Whether it’s the absolute heaviest post-hardcore can get during the close of “Inauguration Day” or the Botch-esque controlled chaos of “Public Art” and the second half of “Nothing At the Bottom” Demons do a great job of mixing all that stuff with fast, abrasive hardcore and churning those styles together like so many circle pits in some decrepit living room where you know you’re never getting the security deposit back because sooner or later the landlord will figure out you’ve been hosting punk shows there for the last 5 months.  (Knife Hits)

 

IRANIRAN, “Previously, On….”

With song titles like “Form Is Temporary, Shitiness Is Eternal” and absolutely zero vocals you can already begin to assume what this band might sound like.  Yes, it’s another group playing math-y instrumental music with goofy song titles.  I’m not quite sure how that became a thing, but it’s like the calling card of the most obvious serial killer in history.  Whatever the case, at least IranIran (yup, one word) have the decency to give their clever math rock some cajones by funneling it through chunky sludge rock akin to the likes of Pelican, Torche, or Russian Circles, though I’ll admit it tended to meander off into less tumultuous thundering riffs during the last couple tracks and sorta lost my attention.  I’ll also give them this- the artwork on this phenomenal, whatever is going on here- a person being ripped out of their skin by I’m not sure what, an old TV, or oven, or dryer?  Who knows.  It looks cool, it (mostly) sounds cool too. (self-released)

 

KISSED BY AN ANIMAL, “I Don’t Have To Explain Myself To You”

On their second LP the Brooklyn indie rockers in Kissed By Animal return with a similar sound, with some tasteful updates, as well as another eye-pleasing ultra-colorful gatefold cover that’s simply a delight to look at.  They’re still on that jangly catchy power-pop tip with a big nod to Teenage Cool Kids (“Blue Skull” especially before it does a kind of psychedelic fake out ending before coming back to the main riff), but sometimes reminds me of more direct pop music like the Rentals with simple verse-chorus- verse and occasional keyboards making for some undeniably fun sounds.  The record closes out with a ballad that might be out of place with most other bands of this style, but seems almost fitting for this group for reasons I cannot explain.  Maybe it’s because throughout the record they work their pop hooks like earworms little by little until you get to the title track (the last one) and they’re on the verge of doo-wop mixed with the slow dance at the prom and by then you’re like ‘this makes sense.  I’m with it.’  Very clever Kissed By An Animal, very clever indeed.  (Handstand Records)

 

PERSONAL STYLE, “False Memories” and “On Fyre” 7”

This Buffalo group hits you with not one, but two, (semi) new 7” records.  And at a total of four songs across them.  Twenty years ago I would have seen this as completely normal, as would any person who enjoyed the 7” record format.  Now, as a person who presses records in the insane hellscape that is running a label in the 2020’s, the notion of simply committing a couple songs to a 7” record seems totally batshit crazy to me.  Not only does it take forever to press records, but the cost is incredibly high, even for 7”s.  So when this group continually keeps tossing out various singles I have to wonder just how deep their pockets are, or if the members are immortal and time is but a blink of an eye to them.  More power to them if they can pull it off, but I’d think it would just be more advantageous to save all those tunes up for a full length and get it all done at once.  But I digress, I ought to talk about the music right?  So Personal Style has already released a few records and this continues their tasteful post-punk/power pop rock groove.  I’m putting it together that there are clearly members of the now defunct (yet attention-deserving) Mallwalkers in their ranks, but that’s really not much of a detective-like deduction seeing as about half the population of Buffalo comprised that very large group.  Either way, I can hear some of that Mallwalkers thing going on, though Personal Style is more lean in their approach, taking cues from the likes of X-Ray Spex, Buzzcocks, and The Jam but with a modern flair. Enjoyable no doubt. (self-released)

 

SAWCHUCK, “Modern Love”

Hell yeah, just raw, super fast, and pissed off grimey hardcore.  I’m in.  This thing just blasts right off and it isn’t until the fourth song that they slow down at all.  And even then it’s for under two minutes.  And then it just gets fast again.  I’d say it’s no real feat to pack 14 fast hardcore songs into less than 20 minutes, but when those songs got personality and the crazy energy just bleeds right out of the speakers, well, that’s when you know you got something good.  Sawchuk do that great thing of making it absolutely clear that their unbridled live energy is translated to record.  It sounds like you’re in the basement or VFW hall, or wherever with them.  So if you damage your record, or speakers, or walls from jumping off your bed (or setting it on fire) blame the band for creating the false illusion you’re at a show they’re playing.  Also, how dare they write a song that’s over two minutes long, even if it’s a closer. (Dropping Bombs)

 

WOORMS, “Fatalismo”

I get the distinct impression these guys have more than a slight liking for The Melvins.  In fact, it’s probably borderline fanaticism.  Channeling Buzz and company straight from “Stoner Witch” Woorms may not be original, but they sure do an homage justice.  My only exposure to them thus far is the recently released split they did with The Grasshopper Lies Heavy where they offered up one 20+ minute long track filled with sludge, psychedelia, more than a passing fancy with Electric Wizard, and other weird sounds.  This new LP dials back a bit of the psych and samples (just a bit) and goes more for sludgy riffs, a few noodley early Mastodon-style guitar licks, and the occasional Sabbath nod. It veers off into some more experimental territory closer to the end of the record, but then brings back some stomp n’ sludge to close things out.  For those seeking some variety in their swamp rock jazz cabbage parties this makes for an interesting soundtrack. (Supernova Records)

WIPES RELEASE NEW SINGLE, PRE-ORDER FOR LP, AND TOUR DATES!

 Geez, they got a lot going on here.  New LP, new single, split tape, tour dates...  read on...

LISTEN TO THE NEW TRACK, "ALWAYS" AT NEW NOISE MAGAZINE

Wipes is a new band from the Allentown/Bethlehem, PA area that remains quite familiar.  That might be because the band started as almost an off-shoot from Tile, who have been blasting eardrums for well over 10 years.  When Tile’s guitarist began taking on more adult responsibilities and had less time to devote to the band remaining members Ray Gurz (bass, vocals) and Michael Dumoff (drums) began jamming with guitarist Matt Molchany, who had already been a long time friend and fan of the band.  In fact, he was responsible for recording and engineering both of Tile’s full length albums.
Thus Wipes was born and began writing music at a furious pace.
Soon the band demo’ed a few songs, putting up one on their bandcamp page just to give people an idea of what was going on.  Not long after the band did a very limited lathe cut 7” on Limited Appeal Records with two more tracks showcasing what they were up to.
During the Winter of 2021-2022 Wipes recorded their debut full length, “Making Friends”.
Prepare for more of the familiar noise served up by Tile- heavy sludgy noise rock aggression, but with odd melodies and harmonies recalling everything from Nirvana to The Pixies, or Drug Church.  It’s a blast to listen to.
Wipes will also be releasing a split tape with Alabama’s Day Job containing three songs left off the LP due to space constraints in conjunction with the full length.
To celebrate the release of “Making Friends”, as well as the split, Wipes will be doing a tour around the Northeast US in October.
“Making Friends” officially comes out on November 4^th.
 

PRE-ORDER "MAKING FRIENDS" HERE

 
Tour dates:
10/7- Bethlehem, PA
10/8- Syracuse, NY
10/24- Philly, PA
10/25- NYC
10/26- Boston, MA
10/27- Connecticut
10/28- Albany, NY
10/29- Rochester/Buffalo, NY (?)
10/30- Wilkes-Barre, PA

A BIG 'OL PILE OF REVIEWS FOR AUGUST

 There's a lot of good stuff this month.  I mean, I had to keep adding things to the list.  I'm quite impressed with what the world is offering here honestly, it's very exciting.  Heck, some of it isn't even out yet.  So hooray for a wide variety of cool and interesting stuff to fill your head with, now and soon to come.

CHAT PILE, “God’s Country”

Hey, it’s the band that everyone is talking about!  I’ll admit I gave Chat Pile an almost dismissive pass when they released their first couple EPs.  I mean, I thought they were pretty cool, but I didn’t quite get the amount of enthusiasm people were showing towards them.  However, on this first real full length I think they’ve definitely created something pretty fantastic.  Now a full band they still give the drums a very mechanical/industrial sort of feel, similar to how groups like Uniform have gone the same route with keeping that cold, mechanized sound despite all live instrumentation.  Others tag this band as having nu-metal vibes and I don’t really see that at all.  Is it because the bass is tuned super low and dominates much of the sound?  That all just sounds like Will Haven to me (whom I love and…  ok, well, they often get some nu-metal tags as well).  I suppose on the first half of closing dirge “grimace_smoking_weed.jpeg” one could make the argument they’re drawing straight from some chunky nu-metal stomp it’s the vocals that really detract from that as they’re frequently paranoid, stream-of-conscious, often almost spoken and drawled out making the music just sound uncomfortable and alarming rather than the soundtrack to bum-rushing a Taco Bell at 2am with your fraternity brothers.  Chat Pile also do a great job of varying things up with some dissonant and unexpected melody, like on the disquieting “Pamela” and “Anywhere”, not to mention the almost accapella horrifics of “I Don’t Care If I Burn”.  But it’s the upbeat stomp and crush of “Tropical Beaches Inc” and “The Mask” that really move things along and they’re probably my favorites tracks on the record.  From a group that basically started as a project with very little intentions of making a big thing about what they do they’ve come quite a ways to a band that is deservedly getting some attention and in demand.  Stoked to see some of this material in the live setting! (The Flenser)

 

DISSOLVE, “Dismantle” reissue 2xLP

I don’t make it a habit to review stuff that’s not exactly new, but I feel I had to make an exception for Dissolve’s frequently overlooked 1996 crusher “Dismantle”.  This release never got a proper vinyl release so a fellow superfan got the original masters, tacked on an entire second LP of live material from the late 90’s (including some early versions of tracks that wound up on the bands second full length), and dropped it into a sweet gatefold jacket with new artwork.  This could have benefitted from an updated mastering as the overall sound is a bit messy, but the songs still rule.  Dissolve are one of those bands that didn’t quite fit into any one scene, but rather steamrolled over all of them, and seemed to only play within the tri-state NY area.  Having lived out that way I got to see them a bunch and they never disappointed.  Basically, a bunch of dirtbag-looking metal guys from the Albany/Poughkeepsie area made some of the most discomforting and aggressive sludgy hardcore/metalcore/what-have-you starting around 1994 and they still occasionally release exceptionally good material to this day.  “Dismantle” is where it’s at though.  If I could offer a description of any kind I’d imagine the chaotic and vicious fuck you of Deadguy coupled with the chunky guitars and completely off-the-wall drumming of Candiria.  Samples from “Taxi Driver” abound with some of the best lyrics ever about fucking with society’s expectations.  These songs have been running through my head for 25 years and they sound just as pissed off and vital now as they did then.  “Incarceration…  dismantled!  Brick by brick, and stone by stone!” (Maitsuba Records)

 

EASY PREY, “Unrest”

From the way I understand it Easy Prey has been doing their thing, basically just around Austin, for awhile now because members got dumb stuff like responsibilities that limit any sort of touring ability.  That’s truly a letdown because if these guys were to get on the road they would absolutely slay it.  I have seen them in Texas and can confirm just how truly vicious they are on the live front.  But live appearances being limited and all it’s a good thing Easy Prey are pretty good at promoting themselves because the more ears that get a fix on this band the better.  Easy Prey occupy a space that I find very like-minded.  Personally, I came from a hardcore background and still value a lot of that music, particularly for it’s energy and some of my values that I gleaned from it.  Whereas now I enjoy more noisy, ugly rock music (kind of like what I enjoyed before getting into hardcore!) I still think of that as being under a hardcore umbrella because it’s still challenging and abrasive music.  But there often seems like a distinct separation.  Well, Easy Prey are a band that seem to have been embraced by the noise rock scene even though their music definitely veers into hardcore territory and I certainly get the impression the members have spent their fair share of time in the hardcore scene.  And I like the idea of that- two somewhat separate scenes that have a lot more in common than they may think and playing to both.  It’s like chocolate and peanut butter- they really do go great together.  On this new record they maintain a similar pace and tempo throughout the bulk of the record and it’s honestly my only gripe.  Their last offering- the exceptional “Relentless Struggle”- had a good mix of faster songs, as well as the mid-tempo grooving heaviness they seem to lean towards.  Otherwise, this is some powerful stuff.  Mid-point slow burner “Ethical Drift” takes a decidedly reserved approach until 2/3 of the way through it gets all quiet and then, oh shit, here comes a Tim Singer guest spot so you know it’s going to get all fucked up.  Naturally, our man goes into panicked self-talk before the song rips open and all heck breaks loose with plenty of screaming and earth-shattering riffs.  It’s a good thing the B-side is just as consistent as the A-side, making for a satisfying listen throughout.  Now get on the dang road. (Hellminded Records)

 

GLOOP, “Television Fire” EP

Last year Gloop put out one heck of a full length called “Crayon Sun” and it was easily the best thing they’ve done so far.  It’s wild rollercoaster of punk and noisy rock was a highlight for me.  Well, it turns out they had a few songs leftover that didn’t make the record and here they are as the “Television Fire” EP.  Things start out with the title track, a rollicking, speedy jaunt consisting of seasick-inducing slides up and down the guitar and Jesus Lizard-esque tone and riffing to go with a drum beat custom-tailored for dragging racing through a field of fire.  “Turpentine Eye” barely slows things down, but varies things up a bit more and places more emphasis on the howling vocals while “Chuck’s Swing Set” goes all in on some wild energy before giving you a fake out ending and then kicking back in full bore.  The EP closes out with another quick ripper- “Start To Stop”- and gets a bit weirder with an almost Devo-styled vocal cadence before things get faster and more chaotic.  These four quick songs are definitely a worthy addition to the group’s exceptional catalog, though I can see why they were left off of the last LP as that one had more variety while remaining cohesive in it’s overall intention to try different things.  These four tracks are all just fast and crazy, which is a lot of fun too. (Grimoire Records)

 

HAUNTED HORSES, “The Worst Has Finally Happened”

I’ll be honest, a couple years back a friend was trying to sell me on this band and I ended up seeing them play some random show and was not into it.  At the time they were just a two-piece: drums and a vocalist doing noise stuff.  I thought it was too loose and random, and didn’t really catch my attention.  Fast forward to last fall and I saw them again.  But this time was totally different.  They added a bass player who was laying down some seriously heavy-ass bass.  The drums, wild vocals, and layered soundscapes still remained.  But it was all more anchored now, and very compelling.  So I kept an eye on what the band was doing and here we are with their new record featuring this expanded lineup and it’s excellent.  In a lot of ways there’s some direct parallels to the one Daughters record everyone lost their shit to a few years back in it’s dark and spooky, almost alien, intensity (as well as a lot of the sounds conjured up by their vocalist).  However, despite the use of live drums, there is a very mechanical and industrial intent going on here too; but not so much it dominates the record.  To me it seems pretty far afield of previous efforts, and far more developed.  But maybe they just decided to take a different road on this to see what would happen and the results are awesome.  Evil, dark punk/industrial with monstrous bass, howling/harrowing vocals, and layered sounds instead of guitars to create a vibe so menacing and weird it cannot be ignored.  I’m all in here. (31G Records)

 

JUPITER HEARTS, s/t 12”

Here’s the story:  a few elder punks move from different places to the same area in the Southeast US for jobs, change of lives, etc…  ya know, the reasons most responsible adults move to new places.  They go about their adult lives until they cross paths with one another and give that knowing nod from a subtle name drop of mentioning how thy saw Fugazi in 1993, or the outline of a straight edge tattoo slips out from the sleeve of a button-up work shirt, finding out the person with the Ebullition Records bumper sticker on their car you keep noticing in the parking lot has an office one floor up from you.  They all begin to realize that they all played in different bands over the years.  So naturally they start a new band together in their new home.  Thus, Jupiter Hearts got going.  Most notably featuring the vocals of Rob Pennington (Endpoint, By the Grace Of God, Black Cross) this is not terribly far off the mark of the other bands he has been in, which is to say well-written, emotionally driven, melodic punk…  though maybe not as loud as some of those other bands.  But Rob has such a distinctive voice it feels like the band sort of revolves around his well-worn vocal style that goes somewhere from a yelp, to a shout, or almost spoken.  Musically it brings to mind a lot of the late 80’s Dischord sound when bands on that label (largely overlooked) expanded the definition of hardcore/punk by producing sounds that would fall under the ‘college rock’ umbrella (funny too, since I think all these guys work at colleges).  That is to say, a current listener would hear this and think probably indie rock.  A 40+ punk rocker would hear it and think ‘this is melodic punk rock’…  hey wait, that’s me.  The sound that’s coming to mind is most evident on “We Know”, which sounds like R.E.M. covering Ignition.  I love it.  Throw in a snappy cover design by Ryan Patterson and you got a solid EP to start things off for this new band of old heads.  (self-released)

 

KAL MARKS, “My Name Is Hell”

Kal Marks is a band I repeatedly have tried to get into for several years now, across several of their releases.  I’ll typically find a couple singles from those releases that really pique my interest and they will stand out in a truly unique and compelling way.  But once I dive into the album I get a bit lost and maybe it’s because Kal Marks doesn’t limit themselves to one set sound.  Or maybe I consistently find myself distracted.  That’s certainly a possible culprit.  Whatever the case, when this newest record was announced I once again took a chance and found myself semi-obsessed with the incredible first single “Ovation”, whose chorus rattled around in my head for weeks and based on that I patiently awaited whatever came next with this release.  So now, finally hearing the whole thing, I can confidently say this new Kal Marks record is fully grasping my attention and flows in a wonderful way.  I feel it’s a little more direct, though that should probably be in air quotes because the band never really follows a formula. They regularly throw some curveballs into their sound whether it’s through accompanying organ sounds (or are those just really wild guitar effects?), the juxtaposition of being a rather thoughtful and occasionally mellow indie band with frequent sludgy bass sounds and bellowing/ shouted vocals, and the occasional foray into sped-up punk rippers (“Debt”).  In a larger, more generalized context, their sound does (at least on this record) fit into the forward-thinking, occasionally ‘heavy’ indie rock that I, at least, associate with Exploding In Sound Records and a few of my favorite bands on that label including Pile, Krill, Ovlov and Gnarwhal.  Sure, they don’t necessarily sound like any of those bands, but all share an original and distinctly unique way of pushing the envelope continuously making independent guitar music interesting and exciting.  (Exploding In Sound)

 

MIRAKLER, “Instant Drugs” 7”

Checking out the two songs off of this upcoming reminds me a lot of the noisy/sassy punk band Trvss (yes, that is accurate spelling), but a little more of the driving, hardcore noisy side and a little less of the These Arms Are Snakes/Blood Brothers kind of sass.  But I know nothing about this band.  Checking their bandcamp page I see they are also from Pittsburgh, like Trvss….  Wait, is this members of Trvss?  *Checks the Trvss social media pages* …  no longer active…  so wait, is Mirakler Trvss with a new name?  Or at least some of the same people?  I’m no detective, but this kind of seems like pieces fitting together and producing two new songs (fresh off the heels of a split 7” with Moon Pussy) that carry on a sound that I was digging when I heard them (presumably) less than a year ago.  Cool stuff.  Dirge-y and grimy, but driving and just a bit crazy. (Reptilian/ The Ghost Is Clear)

 

WAILIN’ STORMS, “The Silver Snake Unfolds”

This is the soundtrack for committing a crime of passion under a blood moon in the sweltering heat of a humid Southern night.  Or the soundtrack for making passionate love to the devil’s succubus in a graveyard… during the sweltering heat of a humid Southern night.  Either way, humidity, heat, and the night all play a significant role of dirty deeds inspired by Wailin’ Storms and it’s as present as ever on the band’s fourth LP.  They excel at big bluesy dirges, mournful quiet passages, and gigantic swells with soulful, howling vocals, and then filter it all through a noise rock/post-hardcore lens and turn everything up to 11.  These guys are wonderfully consistent in their attack and you can basically roll with any of their records and be equally satisfied.  This new one just continues their winning streak.  Just be careful if you’re listening to this on a humid night because it could lead to murder most foul. (Gilead Media)

INTERVIEW WITH CHILD BITE FROM TRANSLATE ZINE #10

 So back when I released TRANSLATE issue #10 I intentionally only interviewed bands associated with Hex Records.  I snuck in an interview with CHILD BITE as a hint that I'd be doing a record for them in the near future, but didn't say anything.  The intention was that people would say 'wait a minute, they haven't released anything through the label!' and then a couple months later I'd spring the freshly released MULTICULT/CHILD BITE split 12" on them as a surprise.  Of course, that was over a year ago.  Things kind of got delayed but I still kept the release a surprise, which came a few weeks ago.

That all being said, I always intended to put this interview up online because it's an awesome interview and it helps promote the record.  

There's still a few copies of TRANSLATE #10 (and for that matter #11) HERE if you like physical media, and, of course, you can get the split LP HERE.

The Detroit rock weirdos talk screenprinting, art, and relentless existence.  * 'SK' is vocalist Shawn Knight, while 'SC' is bassist Sean Clancy.

Do you both do screenprinting?

 

SK:  No, it’s just Sean.  Basically, I was doing screenprinting posters with a guy for a little while and the print shop he was at was looking to expand.  I knew Sean was looking for a job and I just played Molly Matchmaker, and he was into screenprinted posters and that sort of shit, and he lived like a mile away and at the time did not have a car.  So I said to the guy, ‘as long as you’re willing to train somebody, this could be the perfect person.’  This is a person who is into it and just wants to learn.  So then Sean dove into that and hasn’t come up for air since. 

It works  out well for logistics of being in a band- an artist and a printer.

The main thought that comes to mind is, ‘that saves some money!’

 

So, you, Shawn Knight, handle most of the artwork, while Sean Clancy, you handle the screenprinting?

 

SK:  Right.  And another thing that has developed is that since Sean is screenprinting all the time he’s trying out different things from projects he’s doing at work and will hit me up with an idea, or loose direction based on a printing process, or the ways some colors will work together.  So that will plant a seed with me and inform the art.  So in a way it’s kind of merging.

 

So I take it that right now printing posters is not really happening all that much? I assume it’s mostly shirts?

 

SC:  Yes.  Plus, our shop is mostly t-shirts anyways.  I sort of lucked into having a boss who likes screenprinted paper gig posters.  So he just wanted to offer it as an option, even though he doesn’t really make that much money off of it.  I essentially have one of the only, if only, flatstock screenprinting jobs in the metro Detroit area.

There’s a lot of people who do it out of their basement, or for fun, but I’m really the only one who has it as a real job.  So I’m really grateful for that.

Gig posters is basically over.  One of our main clients was The Fillmore, which is this big 2500 seat venue here in Detroit.  I was doing posters for them 2-3 times a month.  That’s gone because there’s no shows.  But we also do a lot of really high end art prints for this Detroit online gallery called 1xRun and they do a lot of timed art releases with different graffiti artists and modern graphic artists, or whatever.  Luckily they have been popping.  They hit us with some really insane projects over the last few months.  They’re very intense, labor-intensive art projects so that has been a lot of fun.

We also have connections with Third Man Records and they have been doing, more recently, limited screen printed LP sleeves.  So I’ve done some jobs for them.  One was a Stooges live record and I did like 1500 of those.  I’m also currently working on a live Paul McCartney thing they’re doing.  I had to print a sample that he looked at and approved, so that was wild.

So gig posters have been gone, but these other avenues of flat stock work have slipped into the cracks which makes it so I still have a job.

I can print t-shirts, and I do for Child Bite, I just don’t really like doing it.  It’s frustrating.  On a micro level the processes are a lot different with the inks and the way you’re printing. 

The way Shawn hooked me up getting into the screenprinting business is awesome and I really haven’t looked back since.  I’ve always been grateful for that.  It’s what I’ve done for probably the last 8 years now.

 

So Shawn, you get a chance to collaborate with the screenprinting end with Child Bite, but as a result of your own art seen as part of the band, do you get offers to do art with other outlets such as show poster design, or art for other bands?

 

SK:  I haven’t done a ton.  I was doing posters for awhile.  One of my first screenprinting things was a Child Bite 7” that I did with a different guy, and we were doing it all ghetto style without a legit set up and the registration was all funky, but who cares.

But I was doing posters for awhile.  I’m not sure what other people’s perception of that world is, but I got a little burned out.  It was really saturated and I think the people who do collect that stuff were running out of wall space, or ran out of money.  A lot of the projects I’d do I could be picky enough because I was never reliant on art jobs for my income.  For some reason I try to not rely on that because I think it starts to kill it for me a bit and then I start to not enjoy it.  I like to try to separate myself from ‘here’s what I do for money, and this is what I do for enjoyment’.  I never really got to the point as a poster artist that other people did.  I never made a big dent in the art poster scene.

Sometimes I’d do projects that I financed myself just because I wanted to do it, and then it would turn out great, but I’d end up losing a few hundred bucks on it!  It got a little heartbreaking, like, ‘why am I signing myself up for this?’  I already do that enough by being in a weird band! (laughs)

So with art and screenprinting I had always been trying to do new things, and Sean is like this too, we’re always looking for what comes next.  What else can we do?  That’s what makes it exciting, instead of doing the same thing over and over. 

So I would try new techniques and that would sometimes carry over into the band.  For instance, I did a few posters on this holographic paper.  One was for The Melvins, a couple others for shows in Michigan, and that eventually seeped it’s way into a Child Bite project where we did these 7”s that had die-cut covers, but also had this holographic paper insert.  I think that was the origin of that idea and an example of how my art has carried over into band stuff.

 

I get the impression that between your art, as well as the screenprinting end, Child Bite has made some connections whether it’s an opportunity to tour with a band you made posters for, or design work for other labels.  Am I wrong?

 

SK:  One thing that didn’t exactly make something happen, but it sort of sweetened the deal is sometimes when we do tours with bands we offer up to design and print posters for the tour.  That’s not something that every opening band can produce.  We did that both times we went out with Unsane, we did it with Voivod, we did it with one of Phil Anselmo’s bands.

 

SC:  Most recently we did that with Today Is the Day, but, of course, that tour ended early because of quarantine stuff.

But yeah, it was always a nice way to sweeten the deal and the headliners liked it.  We would ask them about making a tour poster and then splitting the money at the end of the tour in a way that’s favorable to the headliner.  Always at the end of tours they would be surprised because we would hand them a wad of cash because we sold 40-50 posters.  We would just cover our nut and then split it 40-60 or something.  Plus, we would sell them so they didn’t have to worry about it.  Plus, it brings their fans to our merch table.  It’s subtle, but it’s cool stuff that also plays to our advantage.  At the end of the day it’s just awesome because I’m a nerd and I love screenprinted posters.  Whenever a band has one I get excited about it so I always want to bring that sort of shit to the table in case there are other little me’s running around the world who also get excited by that stuff.

 

SK: (laughs)

 

SC:  Not related to me ‘me’s’, more like in a cosmic sense. (laughs)

 

SK:  Just jizz flying around everywhere on tour.

 

These sorts of things that bands would normally outsource you tend to keep in-house and it seems that it has been that way for as long as the band has been going.

 

SC:  Pretty much.  As much as possible.  None of us are pressing our own vinyl.  We’re not getting that far.  But as much as we can.  A)  It’s fun because it’s a creative outlet, and B) we’re a weird band where the peak of our mountain is not very high.  But if we’re going to commit to this long-term art project that is Child Bite we do have to think logistically about how we minimize the sacrifice as much as possible while producing what we think is cool shit and has value on some artistic level.

It’s always about efficiency, saving money, minimizing the amount of sacrifice.

 

SK:  A lot of times we’re doing those 7”s, or the records with the screenprinted B-sides, it’s all stuff that because we can do ourselves it ends up being mostly elbow grease.  If we didn’t have access to this equipment, and these skills to do it, and we just tried to get someone else to make that same product we would have to sell all these records for $30 each or something.  There’s just so many man hours being put into them.

It’s the glory of having awesome shit.  And I think we just want to have this long trail of rad stuff to look back on that we’ve spread around the world.

 

SC:  We’ve imbued ourselves with these skills, so how can we take advantage of them, and offer up some shit that would cost any normal person an astronomical amount of money?  We win because we get to make this cool thing.  You win because you get to get it for a totally normal price.  Even with our music we’re trying to do things that other people aren’t willing to do, or would not think of doing.  In a world of repeats and remakes, as much as we can possibly muster, we’re trying to do something that is new.  Whether it’s good or bad, I don’t know.  It’s a new step on new ground, and I think we would rather hack through the jungle then tread some path.