NEW REVIEWS FOR THOSE AUGUST DAYS

 

I get it.  It's getting late into the summer.  You're just tired and ready to move onto new stuff.  Or you're trying to eke out the last bits of fun before pumpkin spice is forcibly injected into your lungs, eyeballs, ears, whatever and you have to actually start wearing pants again.  But I just can't help it.  You need to know some things.  And those things are all the extremely local (to all sorts of places) new music to enter the world.  Behold:

Us locals have been waiting impatiently for new material from HELP since their first LP “2053” really knocked everyone on their ass and then they caught on with people all over the place and with good reason.  They’re one of the most exciting/rowdy live bands going right now, especially around here where they frequently do impromptu shows at abandoned or uncommon locations (a late fall show under the Fremont Bridge remains one of my favorite live sets of theirs, as well as the loading dock of a gravel parking lot where their singer climbed up a nearby tree to the roof to finish their set).  Yet underneath all that noisy punk racket is a band pushing that sound into exciting new explorations of repetition, rhythm, and odd effects.  And let’s not forget exceptional lyrics that are as bleak a depiction of modern life as they shout about class war and emotional survival.  So here they are, finally back, with a new EP, “Courage”.  Half of it is as rowdy as ever with “Black Cloud” being possibly one of the best songs they’ve written to date, and half of it is them fucking around with more complex song structures, slower tempos, and other new ideas.  I’d say that if you’ve enjoyed them so far you will greatly enjoy this, while also getting a taste of what else they’re capable of showing off.  As a bonus, the entire B-side is their first EP from 2019, which has not been on vinyl to date.  If you’re unfamiliar with that stuff know that a few of these songs have remained live staples of their set since the get-go.

While on the subject of Help, they just played locally for the first time in awhile to officially/unofficially release their new record and had these cats in MACHINE COUNTRY open up.  I had no clue who they were, but I hopefully get a pass because they’re a pretty new band that just started playing out as last year ended.  I was thoroughly impressed and happy I got to witness it.  They have some of that Northwest noisy sludge that just steamrolls right over you with a dash of chunky, chugging hardcore and lots of anguished screaming back and forth between the guitarist and bassist.  You get a nice taste of it all on their fairly recent demo, “Example No 1”, which offers three songs recorded basement style and it’s fitting for the sort of ugly riffing that flows like magma over an evacuated housing unit, slowly consuming it until it melts into ooze.

And while on the subject of locals dishing out some new noise let’s not forget long-time riffniks SHEENJEK who grace us with a new EP of Jesus Lizard love crossbred with some gooey Northwest heaviness. “Sham Tivey” is the title of this new jammer and while I have absolutely no clue who or what that is I can easily tell you that every song on here is named after a character from film or TV (or comic books).  Are any of these songs about the characters in the titles?  No idea.  But given the nature of the music it would be quite easy to find oneself compelled to shoot at golf carts and yell at old, white rich guys while listening to “Bill Foster”.

From the brain of Matt Perrin (oops, secret identity revealed), and others that remain a mystery to me comes this band built around an extremely niche musical style with an even more niche concept behind it.  What do you even call this?  Mormon persecution screamo?  MISSOURI EXECUTIVE ORDER 44 was conceived out of the historical tidbit in the 1800s when wacky Mormons were being violently driven out of the state due to their far-out beliefs (which are arguably no more silly than Zeuss, Jesus, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster) while the band wears matching outfits like missionaries doubling as hitmen and focuses on a sound that celebrates the back catalog of labels like Level Plane, Witching Hour, and Clean Plate Records.  This debut offering, “Salt Sermon”, crams 11 tracks (a couple of which are just sample interludes) into 15 minutes on a one-sided record that could essentially be The Now EP (I implore you to look it up) resurrected (religious pun intended).  Heck, for all I know it is The Now behind those black masks!  Check the B-side of this record for two different extra fancy screenprints to make it worth your hard-earned sawbucks.

While the emphasis this month is on local scenes my man John Toohill could be an entire scene unto himself with the multitude of bands he is in, with various subgenres represented.  Buffalo seems to be doing fine these days regardless, I’m just saying if he were the only one keeping things afloat they’d still be sailing.  If the resume weren’t long enough between Alpha Hopper, Science Man, Night Slaves, Brute Spring, The Hamiltones, and about a million others you can add BLACK AND WHITE CAT to the list too.  Actually, I can’t be sure if the band is Black & White Cat/ Black & White Cake, or if the title of the record is “Black & White Cake”.  It’s strange no matter how you say it.  OK, let’s cut to the chase: what is this?  Do you like Killing Joke?  Do you like goth-y post-punk with synths?  Do you like a slightly less antagonistic and nihilistic Killing Joke that’s more about curses and shadows and less political?  Well, then this ought to encourage you to find a shade darker than black and keep the bad times rolling.

And if we want to get hyper-local (and we do) there’s no better example than the Capital region-Hudson Valley of New Yorks’ own DISSOLVE who have been grinding it out for probably 30 years at this point.  You put them in a room anywhere between Schenectedy and Newburgh and you’ll have yourself a whopper of a show.  But outside those boundaries and you’d be hard pressed to find the most knowledgable metalheads who have heard of them.  But let me tell ya- Dissolve never disappoint.  Everything they have done is pulverizing and weird chunky and totally crushing.  This EP- “Burnt”-  might be their strangest offering yet, but don’t let it scare you away.  On this they have two tracks, each between 15 and 20 minutes where they combine their metallic/sludgy heaviness as well as their freeform weird, experimental side.  One is a new song while the second is a re-working of “Sunshine” (on this titled as “Eternal Sunshine”) from their incredible debut “Dismantle” from a million years ago, dragged out, made heavier, and tacking on a lengthy freeform passage at the end.  Their M.O. typically includes mixing sources like Voivod with Crowbar and ranting madman vocals (and colorful lyrics such as “More Lemmy, less Axel…. more Void, less Deadguy”) in some satanic stew that can only be described as Dissolve.  This might not be the best place to start so try “Dismantle” or “Caveman Of the Future” to get a good idea of what these deranged fuckers do.

Moving south into the one and only Lansdale, PA (which oddly enough, has it’s own storied scene) L.M.I. have been at it long enough to know what they want to do even if the rest of us need to put on our thinking caps for a bit in order to understand it.  Somewhere at the intersection of spazzy math-core, experimental spaced-out weirdness, and all out thrashing metal,  “Failed To Feel It” is a cornucopia of various extreme sounds that don’t always make sense together but they’re throwing it at you regardless.  This is the fourth or fifth long player outing from the trio and it moves along pretty briskly.  The whole album feels like a whirlwind, but runs just a bit shy of a half-hour.  And compared to other recordings it does sound bigger and heavier, as well as leaning into their particular niche(s) more so than their earlier stuff that was a bit more direct punk-hardcore.  It’s not exactly my cup of tea, but for those who do enjoy the more chaotic side of things this will probably push at least several of those buttons for ya.

Shift just East of PA into the wastelands of Jersey you get all manner of metal emerging from it’s wealthy suburbs and toxic beaches. So I guess if you just add an extra ‘i’ any confusion to the dozen other bands with the same name will be erased?  New Jersey’s PARIIAH is betting on that and one could come to the completely un-fact-checked assumption that their record, “Many Shall Fall” alludes to all those other Pariah’s out there getting dusted.  I made that up though, they can have it if they want it.  This does, by the way, completely smoke though.  It’s kind of brief, but this record scratches that old school basement sludge itch with slow grooves that give (Come To) Grief a run for their money, numerous movie samples, and occasional thrashing parts to snap potheads out of their dazed stupor and into a frenzy.  The insert looks like a classified ad from a 1990 issue of Metal Maniacs and has the (purposeful?) terrible pixelization to go with it.  I appreciate commitment to the form.

Lastly, there’s the Minneapolis stalwarts in ANOTHER HEAVEN who have been trudging along for several albums now and rarely get out of their own town.  So I’ve gone to where they live and seen them a couple times. “See You Later” is the latest round from these chaps from the land of 1,000 lakes and it continues their streak of pretty shoegaze melodies, followed by the sludgiest of molasses-thick riffage this side of…. well, I can’t say either side of the Mississippi because they’re literally on the Mississippi.  It’s a bit odd that this is sort of an EP as the physical versions (tape and CD) have 6 songs, but the digital has two bonus tracks…. which would have easily fit on either physical format.  Couldn’t tell you the reason ing behind that.  However, I can tell you that if any of their material appealed to you in the past this ought to satiate that craving.  Maybe it leans a little more into their less-heavy side a bit more than previous releases, but it’s good all the same.

COVER SERIES FOR AUGUST- YEAH, OF COURSE SOMEONE COVERED QUICKSAND, DUH.

 

“Slip” by NYC post-hardcore progenitors Quicksand is my favorite record ever and was incredibly formative in how I think about music.  Its influence is undeniable and it continues to resonate with myself and many other people to this day.  I remember first hearing them through seeing the video for “Fazer” on Headbangers Ball when “Slip” had just come out and thinking it was something new and exciting.  Not too long after I had some extra cash and bought “Slip” on cassette, along with a few other tapes that also had a huge impact on me.  I was probably 15 at the time?  I knew what hardcore was, but didn’t really know what I had my hands on.  I didn’t realize how massive of an impact Quicksand had on the hardcore scene because at that point I hadn’t yet been to an actual hardcore show.  I just knew I got this new tape, the music was awesome, the lyrics spoke to me on a personal level, and I was hooked.
OK, so that leaves like really big shoes to fill for Birmingham’s Day Job.  I know.  I put a lot of pressure on them. But I believe in those guys.  They’re another group that I feel is approaching a genre in a unique and exciting way.  The thing is, I’ve known them a long time.  Way back I did a show for their old hardcore band Legion, and then years later reconnected when I discovered their more introspective band Null.  And now they have Day Job, which I think combines those influences of heavy hardcore music, sludge, noise, and repetitive melodies that kind of put a twist on all those sounds for something kind of its own animal.
See?  Quicksand’s original messing with convention is still influencing my taste in music.  I look for those doing something familiar in a new way, with their own voice.  Day Job certainly fill that role and they’ve done justice to “Head To Wall”.

CHECK IT OUT HERE

 

 

IT'S SUMMER, GO RIDE A BIKE... AFTER READING THESE REVIEWS.

Lets get right to it- it’s the middle of summer and I am not spending my whole day sitting in front of a computer seeking out the next new favorite thing to listen to.  I’m spending more like 3 hours… max.  I’m out riding my bike, swimming in the river, doing shit in my yard, and getting a horribly uneven tan.  That’s summer folks.  You can enjoy it as an adult too if you want.  That all being said, the selection of reviews is trimmed down just a bit.  But I assure you, there’s a variety of cool shit to discuss.  The theme this month is geography.  Let’s go.

Starting right here in town (and until last year basically my neighborhood) it’s taken long enough and finally Portland-based riff monsters ILS are back with their second full length, “To End Is To Begin”.  I think I’d heard the songs from “Curse” (their first LP) so much between compulsive repeated listens and so many live shows I thought they might be the house band for at least three different venues here that they had lost all meaning.  But it’s been a spell since the dudes played around town and they’re now packing this new collection of rippers so I’m back in too.  I think, overall, they’re moving at a quicker pace than before and there’s definitely more influence from the Northwest Botch/Narrows school of hardcore, particularly on “Fallen” and “Frig”.  That’s not to say the throat-eviscerating, chunky riff machine they demonstrated so well since their inception is not in full effect either.  “Don’t Try Me”, “Light ‘Em Up”, and “Hail Mary” all have that songwriting style they’re known for that makes the necks sore and countless beer bottles held high/fist pumps in the air.  I’m glad to see Ils back at it and now I can go see them a million more times until I hear these songs in my sleep.

And moving just north of yours truly to my much fancier neighbors in Seattle… CONSTANT LOVERS new record came as a total surprise to me because, quite honestly, I hadn’t listened to them much before.  But I knew of them and i knew they had a saxophone and synths.  I had imagined them being more of an indie band that had some chill R&B tendencies, in whatever way that makes sense.  But the reality is they’re so much weirder on their new record “Manifesting Now”.  Yes, they use some synths.  Yes, there are horns.  Yes, there’s some soulful energy and pop tendencies (“Clean Pure Magic” even makes use of the dreadful auto-tune vocal effect over a gnarled and filthy DFA 1979 style bass riff).  But the whole record begins with a slow march that sounds like a Pissed Jeans song filtered through a jet engine and could have been a B-side on the latest USA/Mexico LP.  From there it straddles the line between  brash noisy punk that can sound sassy, narcissistic, catchy, drug-addled, and vicious all at once.  With some synth and horns.  I have no label for this and that makes it rad.  Oh yeah, there’s also some really cool artwork that comes with this and while the album itself is just digital they did make a lyric book, like a hardbound book, with all this really nice artwork to go with each song.  It’s a cool little outside-the-box bonus item.

Now let’s make our way to the flat and geographically uninspiring Midwest (that has historically made up for their dull horizons with way above-board bands) with a couple newer bands doing great things.

First off, I’m occasionally reminded that making assumptions about things isn’t always a good way to go.  Such is true upon listening to the new album from UPRIGHT FORMS.  All I really knew about the band was that Nick Sakes plays guitar for them and if that rings any bells it’s because he’s shredded eardrums for decades in demented math-y noise rock groups like Dazzling Killmen, Colosomite, and Xaddox.  Ya know, bands’ bands.  So it came to my surprise that Upright Forms often sounds, at times, poppy, and dare I say, catchy.  “Blurred Wires” is the effort and , sure, there’s times where a sung vocal is traded for some angered shouting and the music gets a bit more aggressive.  But there’s really no fretboard acrobatics, or twisted chord fingers to be found here.  Hell, the opening track is basically a power pop earworm with more distortion.  I think it’s pretty great overall and balances a bit of Shallac-style post-punk aggression with catchy rock goodness.

Next, I like to focus on more proper efforts from most bands but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to make a mention of a new single from Chicago youngins’ LIFEGUARD.  It’s just a new song, "Ministry/Energie” but with a quick and to-the-point Wipers cover tacked on the back end.  I think Lifeguard are one of the more interesting newer bands out there doing something very original, especially for their age.  There’s something akin to the spooky mystery of Unwound, Mission Of Burma’s ethereal punk rock beauty, and a bit of that Chicago fuck-all attitude that makes them a delightful and exciting listen.  I’m totally intrigued by what they do next.

Finally, just a bit further east, but still considered the Midwest (I guess), I gave a shout out to Ohio noise rock duo WE. a little while back and recently they hit me up about re-releasing something old turned new.  They mentioned it was a ‘remix’ record.  To me that screams bad idea because in my head I’m thinking crappy failed DJs and studio types deconstructing songs and adding stupid techno beats to them, which just feels awful to me.  But let me just say, this remix of the band’s initial EP  “rIB” from 2019 is not that.  I completely missed the assignment.  And I’m also not one to review old material, but I think this is warranted. If you listen to the original version of this EP it’s definitely lacking power and clarity to songs that are actually pretty awesome.  This remix job brings out so much of that energy to these absolutely wild and crushing songs.  Just a two-string bass (that definitely borrows some slide twang from Morphine) and drums (and vocals) causing all sorts of maniacal ruckus and riffs a plenty.  It’s seriously night and day between the two versions.  Get the new one.  It may as well be a brand new collection from this group.

Finally, we end up pretty much at the East Coast and two bands that are neighbors to one another (both geographically and sonically) provide us with new EP efforts:

GLOOP have been consistently releasing banger after banger for the last few years at a pretty steady clip.  While messing around with their style and presentation from release to release you still know it’s them and they retain their identity.  But a bands got to try new things to keep it interesting, right? On their new EP, “Tension” they come in with what feels like an overall ‘heavier’ recording.  There’s a bit more heft to all these tracks whereas past efforts felt a bit more spastic and sassy, for lack of a better word.  There’s still a dominance on the bass and laying down slinky, sneaky-catchy riffs while the guitars run manic, slashing away at the air.  But there’s bulk to all these songs, just added weight that makes them a bit more menacing, a bit more ham-fisted, and I’m into that approach.  I like their past stuff a lot too.  This just adds another dimension to their sound and is worth the approximately 13 minutes of your life you will spend diving into their chaos.

Last year Baltimore’s MAST YEAR leapt right into the fray with their clangy feast of ill will via the record “Knife”.  They have returned with a new EP that I feel is a bit more direct, a bit more concise, and  “Point Of View” is that EP.  There’s a couple tracks that are just more of interludes/outros of atmospheric noise so really you get four new tracks all told, but they’re nice and dirgey.  They definitely share some sonic reference points with neighbors Gloop, as well as the sonic fury of the Yinzers in Mirakler.  I suppose if you combine the two, geographically speaking, you could end up in Baltimore..  or maybe Ohio?  Either way, I think this is a good foot forward for Mast Year in developing their sound.  It’s not a re-invention of the AmRep wheel, but it’s a serrated knife of noise rock pulverizing worth taking a listen to.

JULY COVER SERIES- TAXA COVERS UNWOUND!

 

Taxa came to my attention rather randomly.  I was scrolling through whatever sort of music forum and saw a band describing themselves as being influenced by Unwound, which immediately caught my attention.  Upon listening I agreed that they did indeed share similarities with the infamous Olympia trio (as well as their fellow Canadians in Shotmaker, but that’s for a different tribute, ok?).  I reached out in a cold-call sort of way to see if they wanted someone to release their music and they agreed and the rest is history.  And it really was.  Taxa sat silent for quite awhile, barely leaving their Vancouver home base.  The members often played together in other start up bands, but would eventually come back to Taxa, as infrequent as that has been.

To date I still haven’t seen Taxa live, though I’ve seen one of their other side bands.  They remain a bit of a mystery, but I assure you, they’re alive and well.

My history with Unwound remains similarly touch and go.  For several years I would have friends tell me that I should check them out because I’d probably like them.  I said I would, and then get sidetracked.  It even got to a point where one friend mentioned they were going to Philly to see them and would be happy to take me along and I declined.  A couple years later I was in that same friend’s car and “Corpse Pose” came on his stereo.  Taken in by the odd rhythm I excitedly asked, ‘who’s this?’  Almost in anger he shot back, ‘this is Unwound!  I told you you should listen to this!’  I was instantly in awe.  And, of course, it was too late.  By the time I got into them they had broken up the year before.  So I tracked down as many of their albums as I could and “Repetition” still remains my favorite. 

Taxa harness that sound for themselves and in a similar way they remain as elusive as Unwound once was to me.  I eventually saw Unwound, maybe I’ll see Taxa on a stage one day as well?  Ad maybe I’ll even be treated to their faithful rendition of “Corpse Pose”, probably one of the best Unwound songs out there.

CHECK IT OUT HERE

HOLIDAY/ANNIVERSARY 25% OFF SALE!

 

Seeing as it is the 25th anniversary of Hex Records why to do a 25% off sale?  It's also a holiday so why not get something while you have the day off/potentially blowing your fingers off/grilling something?

Also, this is a good time to grab something before postal rates go up (sigh...  again) in a couple weeks so save yourself a few bucks and get some summer gifts.

Use code 'july25' at checkout for the discount.

It's good for July 4th and 5th.  So go get it!

GET STUFF HERE

HOT JAMS FOR A HOT SUMMER

It’s basically all hardcore and metal this month because that’s what’s been in my ears with quite a few heavies coming in with some new stuff that I think certainly worthwhile to gush about.  And even though I just recently got back fro some extended traveling some of this new stuff I’m writing about is inspired by bands I’d seen live, so let’s get to it.

Rewinding to just a few weeks ago, one of the wildest sets I saw during the Caterwaul Fest in Minneapolis last month was from locals Murf.  I didn’t know too much about them but based on the one or two songs I heard from them beforehand I had an idea that things would get out of control.  And you can hear that on their new record,  “Already Dead”.  But it hardly comes close to the wanton destruction and chaos of their live set which included, but was not limited to, pig masks, hatchets, and bondage outfits.  Still, that random assortment of live props is similar to the stew of chaotic hardcore, punk, and some metallic leanings that make “Already Dead” a pretty vicious affair.

And after several years of being a fan of their music I recently had the chance to see Austin’s Drip-Fed play a small show here in town while they were on tour.  I literally found out about the show maybe three days before it happened. While the room was a bit awkward for the show I got precisely what I had imaged the band would be like live and that was them being exceptionally proficient, energetic, and pushing out energy that matched the nature of their music.  While most of what they played was this new record “Sold For Parts” it keeps in line with their older material- rowdy Texas hardcore full of riffs, clever part changes/transitions, and fun (despite some of these songs being about dealing with addiction and feeling like you’re at the end of your rope).  It makes them one of the more original hardcore bands going today where they can utilize a catchy disposition a band like Drug Church has going on, but definitely leaning in more towards the punk/HC end of it all.  This third LP they’re on just keeps things moving in a steady direction.

Speaking of hardcore, I’d been awaiting this full length from Chicago’s Porcupine.  Ever since their last EP “The Sybil” I’d had a keen interest in the band as they mixed awesome artwork/packaging and a sound that was as close to Rorschach as a modern hardcore band could probably get.  So with this new album, “All Is Vapor”, one thing remains constant with Porcupine- they evolve and update their sound with each release.  This new stuff not only sounds the heaviest of anything they have done previously in terms of the quality of the recording, it leans a bit harder into chunky hardcore.  However, there are certain points on this where they veer off into strange passages with haunting howls and singing, and lots of allusions to religion and peculiar personal anecdotes related to that as far as I can tell. And the whole thing wraps up with an acoustic mantra that should help cool down any post-mosh tension still lingering.  All in all, another cool effort from a band that keeps things interesting while still always keeping it hostile…. mostly.

On the other side of the pond, Bad Breeding is a band I just recently came across, even though they’ve been mucking up British hardcore for years now across several albums.  I likely came across them due to a mixture of interest-relevance:  Iron Lung released their record in the US, they just did some European touring with Botch, and this album contains an accompanying zine.  A zine you say?  What, was this released on Ebullition in 1996?  Just the notion that a band did this in the present day immediately makes me interested.  So on “Contempt” Bad Breeding create punk-hardcore that pays service to the fast/dirty/damaged variety with an added air of apocalyptic desolation via recording duties from Ben Greenburg of Uniform, who adds weight to the various noisy bursts, ravaged-terrain soundscapes, and post-industrial wasteland feel of the whole record.  Sometimes they’re coming at you with 2-minute rippers and at other times they’re lobbing 5-minute crushers that eventually collapse in on themselves.  UK collage artist Peter Kennard has supplied the art for the cover, as well as various spots in the zine where his art is dissected, photocopied into oblivion, and set along with various essays on the sad state of the world, that matches up with the bands lyrics regarding environmental destruction, the rich get richer/the poor get poorer construct, and the breakdown of society that all leads to.  They’ve done a great job at combining all these things into a formidable record/piece of art that you ought to give some attention to.

And somewhere bridging the gap between punk/hardcore and metal, but perhaps none of the above really is Reaper’s Gong.   For a side project Maryland-based Reapers Gong stay pretty busy, at least with recordings.  The group have quietly released upwards of 4 (I think) EPs over the last three years.  I’m curious why they don’t just save up some songs and do an album?  It’s good stuff and I’ve enjoyed all of it to date.  This newest release, “Fruiting Bodies”, continues their blown-out grungy noise rock with airy and haunting vocals over it. It evokes Sonic Youth doing early “Born Annoying”-era Helmet while keeping each song short and sweet.  I’d say grab any one of their EPs because they’re all a hoot, this one has a particularly bigger recording. 

OK, check the transition…. moving into real slower, more metallic territory, comes the new one from Thou. It wasn’t until just very recently that I discovered that Thou isn’t just some middle-ages term for ‘you’, but that it also can be used to describe a friend or companion, as well as towards an object of scorn or contempt. So it’s not just a name without meaning.  And I think that fits for a band that embraces a DIY community sort of ethic amongst friends, as well as the lyrical contempt they hold towards those in power.  It’s with that their latest full-length, “Umbilical”, unravels in the way you’d expect Thou to deliver.  Truth be told I fell off a bit from their last few releases having last caught up with them on the excellent collaboration they did with Emma Ruth Rundle.  They are a rather prolific band.  Still, “Umbilical” is Thou as you expect them- a subatomic tone like no other and plodding, sludgy heaviness with snarled shrieks on top of it.  Maybe it has been awhile, but I feel like you get a large dose of the sludgy stuff they’re known for, as well as a few tracks that are…. I don’t know, more upbeat?  Is that uncommon for them?  It feels like a record that moves at a somewhat quicker pace than other records by them and that’s cool with me.  It keeps things interesting.  I’m always reminded of Ire, but maybe a little less overtly metal.  

And speaking of Canadians (see above, Ire…. and, well, just one member), for a very part-time supergroup of sorts Sect have managed to dish out four albums so far in the space of 6 or 7 years.  Not bad.  It’s been a bit since their last one and hoo-boy is this one a ride.  Get ready to get really bummed. “Plagues Upon Plagues” is lyrically the bleakest of any of their records.  I mean all of them get on some heavy, societal collapse type shit so nothing new there.  But this one moves slower (yes, there’s still grindy, fast tracks too) and lays out a manifesto of almost utter hopelessness.  If the last few years haven’t shown us that the rich just get richer, the sick just get sicker, the poor get poorer, and even in the face of global issues that should have brought us more together we chose to fall apart while wars raged and greed wins out over mutual aid towards others than I’m not sure what submerged protective bubble you’ve stowed away in.  This record doesn’t give a glimmer of hope, or a rallying cry to rise above all the terribleness.  It holds a mirror up to it.  It’s dark, man.  Musically it’s more metal ( that is to say, not shying away from solos or excessive double bass) and like I mentioned, fairly slow.  The HM-2 worship is still in effect as always and no lie, I do prefer this band shredding and blasting away.  Also, the artwork is awesome and worth checking out for that alone.

Finally, I really thought Sulaco was calling it a day after the untimely passing of bassist Lon Hackett a year ago.  The band released a couple songs they had been working on before he passed and I thought it a fitting ode to the exceptional musician and all-around nice guy.  But here they are, continuing on, and another two-song EP with an updated lineup.  The band sound just as pulverizing as ever. “Black Cloud” opens with an extended sample before rushing headlong into their signature sound of warped grooving/math-y metal, while the second track emphasizes blast beats and epic structures a little more.  Much of this can be attributed to constant Rochester metal architect Erik Burke, who has been at the helm of the group since day one and has been in countless other noteworthy bands.  Of course, he is surrounded by highly talented maniacs with minds tuned to freakish deviations of all things metal.  So, ya know, it works.  Hats off to Sulaco for making the dang thing still chug along.

SHOWS IN DIFFERENT PLACES WITHOUT BEING ON TOUR

Your man on a train, on a plane, or in a car (heck, even a bicycle here and there) spent the last several weeks bouncing all over the place taking in a number of shows along the way.

First up was the annual Caterwaul Fest in Minneapolis.  Last year was the first year I went and it was a who’s who of current bands I absolutely adore.  That version of the fest, while wonderful, was unbelievably exhausting, jam-packed with upwards of 14 bands a day over 4 days and I need to just accept that I’m a man into the back half of my 40’s and not a 20 year-old maniac anymore.  I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m really OK with less bands.  And I think most of the crowd (also many 40-somethings) felt that same way, and thus the organizer gods heard our plea for a good night’s sleep and the lineup was culled back a bit, which felt pretty good.

Like any trip out of town it was not my intention to solely linger around a dank venue all weekend so I was able to take in a wonderful Keith Haring exhibit in the local museum, take a long hike through the exceptional Minnehaha Falls, eat plenty of good food, and explore a couple record stores that weren’t Extreme Noise (no offense to the excellent Extreme Noise, but variety is the spice of life as they say).

That first night though local drone/sludge/noise duo Dug opened things up with their crushing sound.  It didn’t quite have the impact of witnessing them level the place when I saw them in Texas a couple years ago, but I think a lot of that had to do with a killer sound system.  Even so, Dug were a great way to kick things off with their tectonic plate-shifting sounds.  

                                                        Pretty Please

Also of note were Atlanta grunge rock trio Pretty Please, who I have enjoyed quite a bit on record and was glad to see them finally on stage where they brought a dirty, noisy (but catchy) set that included a cover of “Touch Me I’m Sick”.  Closing out the night were Murf and their deranged chaotic hardcore punk.  They were a sight to behold with their singer in full bondage gear, corpse paint, and brandishing a hatchet while their bassist donned a creepy pig mask their whole set.  Things got wild for them and all hell broke loose.  It was late but I just had a feeling they were going to offer up something memorable and fun and I was not let down.

                                                    Murf

Saturday’s lineup consisted of a lot of drone, sludge, and experimental groups, which is not ideally something I want an entire day of.  Still, one couldn’t dismiss the alien sludge drone of powertakeoff, or the one-man power riffing of Thrones.  Some of that was tempered with the catchy punk/indie snarl of Ganser, as well as seeing Part Chimp for the first time ever and witnessing their dedication to the sludge pop riff factory they served up so well.  Also of note was finally seeing Oxbow, a band in their own lane entirely who have been around some 30 years and I’ve never had the opportunity to catch.  But extremely glad I did on this night as they were in top form, regardless of topless and mostly bottomless clothing attire.  It wasn’t that warm out either.  They brought that evil heat though and it was awesome- bluesy, dark, sinister, and rocking.

                                                Oxbow

Things switched over to the other venue for the night portion where the back-to-back sets from Bronson Arm, Facet, and Neckbolt were all extraordinary.  Bronson Arm are a Michigan duo that make incredible use of dynamics and a know-how of getting the most out of a guitar and drums to sound like a full band while remaining unique and catchy.  I’m partial to Facet but there’s no denying they kill it every night- massive volume dialed in for maximum efficiency and crazy lights to enhance their set of killer post-hardcore/noise rock.  As for Neckbolt- I don’t do drugs but just seeing those dudes take the stage make me think someone slipped me an acid tab and then they started in with hectic and wirey psychedelic punk/indie made more unusual through various vocal effects.  I’ve seen them before but this felt like a more intimate affair and everyone in the band was freaking out and it was awesome.  One of the best sets I saw all weekend.  By this point I was beyond beat so I hoofed it back to my place of rest and bedded down and missed nearly all of headliners Art Grey Noise Quintet.

                                            Neckbolt

On day three I was already getting pretty tired.  But I wanted to make sure to get to the show relatively early because I could finally get to see Porcelain, who I’d been waiting to catch for some time now.  If you haven’t heard them, or picked up their debut record it’s quite excellent.  And as much as hearing those songs live for the first time was indeed excellent it was the newer, not-yet-recorded stuff that really blew me away.  They opened with a new song and I cannot wait to see what they do with it on record.  They have progressed quickly and seeing them was certainly a highlight of the fest.  The same can be said of J. Robbins, who closed out the day/evening show (yeah, I skipped way ahead).  The entirety of the set was his ‘solo’ material (but playing as a trio) and it kind of doesn’t matter what he is playing it’s going to be great.  J. Robbins just has such a great way of singing, a unique style of playing and the other people that make up his band are stellar musicians in their own right.  It was a shame he got cut off a little early due to curfew (it was an outdoor stage).

                                            J. Robbins and band

For the night show I took my time getting over so I could eat some dinner and relax just a bit and I was just in time for Cougars.  Initially I didn’t feel one way or another about them, but seeing as the rhythm section for Big’n was half the band I knew it would be good.  And they were quite incredible with a huge sound and a rhythmic swing that was unparalleled.  Also, their singer kept doing this thing where he would lick his hand and do a sort of fake slap with it, which got really weird after like the 10th time he did it.  You realize you’re in a dank bar and your hand has touched who knows what.  I hope he got himself a check-up after the fest.  Couch Slut closed out the night and they were another band I’d been hoping to see for some time now.  A friend described them as ‘a mental health crisis unfolding on stage’ and it’s sort of apt.  Between song banter consisted of harsh, uncomfortable stories coupled with the bleakest humor imaginable where you’re not sure if it’s ok to laugh (one example, “this next song is about the razors I use to cut myself…. it’s called “Wilkinson’s Sword” but we might have to change it because we got a cease and desist about it.”).  They were down one guitarist so the sound was a little less punishing than I had imagined it would be, but lots of screaming, bloodied foreheads, and- oddly enough- someone with a bubble machine bringing a little levity to the scuzzy metal noise rock made it a pretty sweet way to end the night.

                                                In Lieu

On the last day I was treated to things starting off with locals In Lieu.  I knew nothing about them beforehand but was pleasantly surprised with their brash and deft chunky rock.  So yeah, a good way to get things moving.  Go check out In Lieu.  Halfway through the day things had to be moved inside for a spell due to a brief downpour but thankfully the tiny corner-wedge stage only needed to support the duo of Austerity Program doing their best Big Black worship with a pounding drum machine and some very loud guitars, as well as pop-punk (the gritty rough and tumble kind) upstart trio The Scrunchies…. who were great by the way.

                                                CNTS

The clouds parted and things moved back outside where CNTS leveled the place with their tweaked-out shirtless convenience store robber get-ups and rowdy hardcore shredding, while Djunah performed solo with backing drum tracks.  I don’t need to go into detail about Whores- everyone knows them, everyone loves them, they always sound huge on stage and they go off when they play.  No different this time.  But I will expand a bit on Brainiac, who closed out the whole thing.  I never saw them when they were around.  I knew their music a little bit, but didn’t really dive into it hard.  But I’m glad I saw them because they were excellent.  They definitely worship at the alter of Devo, but it’s as if Devo had a glitch in their programming and everything they played was slightly broken.  That’s kind of how to describe Brainiac.  Tons of warbbly vocal effects, frantic dance-y punk, and a super fun attitude.  That’s how to keep a reunion going.  Good for them.  Glad I could witness it.

                                                        Brainiac

I had to bail out super early the next morning to catch a flight to Syracuse where I had no plans to see any shows, and just hang with family.  But I did get roped into seeing a small punk show while there and I’m happy to report my hometown has an awesome scene going right now with a ton of younger excited people and a ton of bands.  Urban Camouflage (great name) ripped it up with fast, vicious caveman hardcore.

                                            USA Nails

So that brings me to going to Europe.  I had wanted to have a real-deal vacation this year but was unsure of where to go.  Then I saw, months ago, that USA Nails and Mums would be playing together in Liverpool, England.  Since I love USA Nails and have seen them a couple times on this side of the Atlantic I thought it would be cool to catch them on their turf.  And I totally love Mums, and am pretty sure they are unable to do a tour in the US.  So I had to go to them.  I’d been to England before, but it was a long time ago.  So I spent some time on the continent as well, hitting up Belgium and Netherlands before going back to the UK for the show.  So, fun fact:  I actually grew up in a town called Liverpool but I had never been to the actual Liverpool.  So that was kind of a plus, though the show was in a part of town that was nothing but bars, night clubs, and general club trash for blocks and blocks.  So I likely missed out on any neat cultural things in town.  The show was in a tiny room in the back part of a beer garden type spot.  I’m all for small spaces for shows.  False Advertising played and while the guitars sounded a bit quiet they had an overall great style and was a fun way to get things started.  USA Nails followed and not only was it great to hear them play a bunch of the older songs I know and love, it was a pleasure to hear some of the new stuff from their excellent current record “Feel Worse” in a live setting for the first time.  They consistently sound awesome and there’s no way you can’t bop around to their stuff.  Mums closed things out and if you look at their gear you’d think that maybe they’re not quite as loud as their record implies.  But I couldn’t have been more wrong.  They sound checked and my eardrums nearly burst.  This is exactly what I was hoping for- to be buried by their ridiculously huge, fuzzy, sludged out sound.  But everything was still super fun and catchy and they looked like they were just having a great time and joking around.  It was the best possible experience of seeing them on stage.  They played the entire new record ("Legs", you really ought to get it) and I was all smiles afterwards.  

                                            Mums

What didn’t make me smile was having to catch a train dead early the next morning back to London to catch a flight back to the US when all I really wanted to do was hang out a bit more in Liverpool with my UK pals.  But I did really miss my cats, so you know, I wanted to get home as well.

                                    with the UK homies

Wrapping up this whirlwind of traveling and show-going was the final farewell of the Botch reunion up in Seattle.  After having been all over the place in the last few weeks it snuck up on me that I’d have to go up to Seattle again and was sort of numb to the idea.

But then I thought of how awesome Botch is/was and the excitement returned.  Just as a preface, I’ve seen Botch a lot.  They played the first show I ever booked. I got to see them play every night for a couple weeks a year later when I roadied for a band they were on tour with and was blown away each time.  I bore witness to them on several more occasions over the years as they received more recognition and played to bigger crowds (usually).  And I was at their original ‘last’ show on June 15th, 2002 when I drove across the country to see them.  Since doing the reunion I caught a couple of the shows and they somehow got even better and were still operating with I’d say a good 90% of the stage energy they had in the past (c’mon, age is a thing and where are those giant Dave Knudson high kicks?).

                                            Great Falls

But at this final show they laid it all out and then some.

It was beautiful how the show was held 22 years to the day from their original last performance, and was essentially the same lineup as that one- Great Falls (Demian and Shane from Playing Enemy) and Helms Alee (Ben from Harkonen) who are both incredibly influential to me as well as musicians creating sounds all their own and completely ruling. 

But Botch were something else that night.  Just firing with everything they had.  Each of them dove into the crowd on multiple occasions while still playing everything exact.  For the first few songs I was mushed right up front and despite how uncomfortable that was I kind of didn’t care because it was all a blast.  Even so, after awhile I needed some breathing room and the best way to get out of being crushed by jam-packed humans is to climb over some heads and then jump off the other side of the stage to somewhere I could actually catch my breath.  I’m small and spry, I can make that work.

Even still, as energetic a live band as they were, joking with the crowd, shouting out friends and family (even dabbling in a little Undertow homage), it was jaw-dropping just how much passion they displayed throughout the hour-plus set.  Even before they were done frontman Dave Verellen went full-on Pat Roach as the big German fighting Indiana Jones in “Raiders…” shirtless and jumping on people’s faces.

                                            Botch

Having seen them so often and in all different places there are a few highlights about them I’ll never forget:  seeing them play “Transitions From Persona To Object” for the first time in Philly the day that “We Are the Romans” came out and my jaw on the floor because I’d never heard sounds like that come out of a guitar and knowing right then and there that they would help alter the landscape of heavy music.  Seeing their final show in 2002 (at the same venue no less) to a completely sold out crowd, with so many familiar faces coming out from all corners of the country, a small group of people championing them every chance we got, and them getting their bona fides finally.  And then this show, where they closed out a reunion run in the best way possible at the absolute top of their game and leaving all of it out on the stage.  That’s how you do it.  Congratulations to them, they did it the right way and completely crushed it.